Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

The study was quiet for a moment.

Li Si lowered his eyes to look at the still small A Zhu in front of him, and suddenly clicked his tongue softly, his eyes surging with complex light.

There was relief, there was regret, and even more, a hint of barely suppressed pride.

Zicheng is a truly good disciple. It was worth the effort of secretly recruiting him and giving him plenty of guidance. He taught him well!

"Very well, in that case, I will take you to the palace to meet the King and explain this matter!"

Before he finished speaking, Li Si had already stood up and, without saying a word, grabbed Ah Zhu's wrist and walked out.

We can't wait any longer. This week, the entire Zhoumen faction has been unusually... unpredictable and doesn't play by the rules. They might regret it the next second, and then who can we reason with them?

Zicheng, Zicheng, this was promised by your disciple himself, so you can't blame me! He was secretly delighted and took quick, hurried steps.

Ah Zhu stumbled as he was pulled along, his short legs struggling to keep up with his pace. He cried out anxiously, "Mr. Li, wait! Is it appropriate to enter the palace so late? And at least let me change into some clean clothes!"

"It's alright, His Majesty has granted me permission to enter the palace at any time!" Li Si said without turning his head, his tone brooking no argument. "Your clothes are neat and tidy, and they've already been prepared in the carriage. Just get in and change!"

Ah Zhu: "..."

He was speechless for a moment, his little face full of helplessness.

With such thorough preparations, could it be that they plan to force me into the carriage and into the palace to finalize the deal, regardless of whether I agree or not?

Ah Zhu changed his clothes, sat in the carriage, and sighed helplessly.

Well, he's a sensible adult now, so he won't bother arguing with these hypocritical adults.

But... a lecturer, huh.

He lowered his eyes, a feeling he couldn't quite describe welling up inside him.

If the gentleman knew, would he be utterly surprised? Would he be immensely gratified for him? Would he... no longer treat him like that clueless child who wouldn't be taken along on his travels?

He must do everything in his power to be the best lecturer he can be!

Thinking of this, Ah Zhu couldn't help but curl the corners of his lips, his eyes curving into two crescent moons, and the trepidation of bearing such a heavy responsibility in his heart was gradually filled with anticipation.

We only hope that Mr. [Name] can return home soon.

Little did he know that the man he longed for was nowhere to be found at that moment.

To be precise, he has never regained consciousness since he was seriously injured in the attack.

the other side.

Li Yi led his men swiftly out of the pass and into the city, heading straight for the county government. He immediately requisitioned the official residence and strictly ordered a complete blockade of all information. Using the pretext that the eldest son, Fusu, was injured and the wounded members of the delegation needed treatment, he invited all the skilled physicians in the city to the official residence, without revealing a single detail that Zhou Neishi was seriously ill but still alive.

The doors and windows of the official residence were tightly closed.

The stars twinkled outside the window, but the heavy curtains completely shut out the inside and outside, preventing even a breath of wind from getting in. The air was stagnant, like a pool of still water, making it hard to breathe.

Xia Wuqie sat upright beside the sickbed, his fingertips resting on Zhou Wenqing's wrist, his expression solemn as frost.

"Dr. Xia, how is the situation?" Li Yi stood by the bed, his body taut, his anxiety overflowing in his voice: "Acupuncture and moxibustion have been administered, and the medicine has been given in full, but why is there no sign of the master waking up at all?"

"Guard Li, don't be anxious." Han Fei quickly stopped him and whispered, "Don't disturb Physician Xia's acupuncture. Zicheng is a lucky man and will be fine."

Although he said this, his gaze remained fixed on the weak figure on the bed, his eyes filled with suppressed worry, not daring to let it show.

"Zicheng will be fine."

Han Fei told Li Yi not to press him for answers, but he couldn't help but repeat himself. He paused, then looked tentatively at Xia Wuqie.

"Isn't that right, Dr. Xia?"

"well--"

Xia Wuqie let out a long sigh.

Fusu's expression immediately changed; the color drained from his face in an instant. He took a sudden half-step forward, his voice trembling:

"Why is Dr. Xia sighing? The master will be perfectly fine!"

"Ah, young master, don't worry." Xia Wuqie quickly raised his hand and pressed it lightly, as if to reassure him: "Although the master is not yet awake, his high fever has subsided, and his life is temporarily out of danger."

Just as Fusu was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Xia Wuqie changed the subject, his voice turning somber again: "However, this injury has shaken my internal organs, and my already weak heart meridian is severely depleted, making it difficult to bear the burden. The situation is extremely dangerous."

He lowered his gaze to Zhou Wenqing, who lay pale on the bed, his fingertips gently tracing the silver needles in his medical bag, his tone heavy:

"My medical skills are limited, and I dare not act rashly. For now, I can only administer another set of acupuncture to stabilize your heart and pulse using a secret method, temporarily halting the progression of your illness and preventing it from worsening. But as for a cure and ensuring your smooth recovery..."

He paused, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, and his voice lowered, "I'm afraid I'm truly powerless to do so on my own."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of everyone else in the room changed, and the atmosphere once again plummeted to freezing point.

"What should we do! Doctors from all over the city have gathered, but is there not a single one who can save you, sir?!" Li Yi's voice was hoarse, and even his breathing became labored.

Xia Wuqie slowly shook his head, his expression solemn, and said, word by word:

"Injuries to the heart meridian are inherently difficult to treat, let alone the fact that your old ailments and new injuries are intertwined, and your meridians are blocked, making the situation even more complicated. No matter how many ordinary doctors come, they will be helpless."

"The only solution now is to quickly send someone to find the old master who has been treating Zhou Neishi's old ailment. His medical skills far surpass mine, and he knows Zhou Neishi's past condition better. The pills that Neishi often takes were made by his master himself. If we can get him here, Zhou Neishi will definitely be able to wake up. Otherwise..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the unspoken words were even more unsettling than what was actually said.

"Physician Lü..." Li Yi turned abruptly, looking towards Xianyang, his voice urgent, "Hurry!"

He was referring to the messenger.

With such a major event occurring, the Commandant of Hangu Pass would surely write a report, affix the pass seal, and dispatch a fast messenger westward without a moment's delay.

However, it doesn't matter even without an official report from the government.

The secret guards have already set off. They ride alone, lightly equipped, and at breakneck speed, even faster than the postal cavalry. What would have taken the delegation seven or eight days to complete, these elite secret guards could arrive overnight and deliver the news back to Xianyang Palace.

"Physician Lü's medical skills are superb; he will arrive soon, so Zicheng has nothing to worry about."

Upon hearing this, Han Fei felt a little relieved. He had long heard of Physician Lü's great reputation and had great faith in his medical skills.

"However, Zicheng is so badly injured that he is unable to continue. It seems that this mission to Qi will have to be canceled. This matter should also be reported to the King of Qin urgently so that my senior brother can make a response as soon as possible..."

"No!"

Fusu suddenly raised his head.

In those reddened eyes, the panic had receded like the tide, replaced by a certainty and perseverance beyond his years.

He knelt beside Zhou Wenqing's sickbed, looking at his husband's pale face, his voice resolute:

"This journey must not stop; it must continue!"

Mr. Fusu devoted all his efforts to planning this mission. Knowing the dangers ahead, he still went on the mission despite his frail health. He even persuaded his father and Li Tingwei, which shows how much he valued this trip. Although he is currently unconscious, if he wakes up, he will definitely not let all his efforts go to waste.

Han Fei and Li Yi exchanged a glance and nodded silently.

This was exactly what they were thinking—and it was the safest way to protect Zhou Wenqing at the moment, and that's exactly what they did.

But what follows is another problem.

How can a mission that has already "died" before even leaving the country continue? And under what pretext should it go to Qi to conduct diplomatic affairs?

Fusu slowly straightened up.

He straightened his clothes, turned around, and said, "As the eldest son of the Qin Dynasty, I take charge of the delegation and serve as the chief envoy."

His gaze swept over Han Fei and Li Yi, calm yet undeniable: "The talisman, the official letter, the ceremonial guard—everything is in place. Since that's the case, what you can do, I can do too. What you haven't finished, I will carry out on your behalf!"

The moment the sound faded, all around fell silent.

The candlelight suddenly flickered, illuminating the boy's eyes with a dazzling light.

Almost at the same time, a thousand miles away in Xianyang, Ah Zhu straightened his back in the carriage, looking at the palace walls outside the window with a determined gaze.

The two disciples of the Zhou Clan made almost identical decisions without the other's knowledge.

To carry on Mr.'s aspirations.

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I don't know when this post will be approved. If it gets published, please kick me out.

I made the previous revisions, but it still won't pass the review because it says it's duplicated later. But if I don't move it, how can I fix it? Won't the order be messed up? ε(┬┬﹏┬┬)3

After fiddling around for ages, all I got were "under review" entries. I have no idea which one will pass first, or even if they'll pass in order. I'm so worried!