Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

As the night wind howled past, courier riders and secret guards, carrying two conflicting messages, sped towards Xianyang.

As expected, after changing two fine steeds, the secret guards were still the better choice. They stepped into the gates of Xianyang City first in the morning light and delivered the secret report to the palace.

It was after the morning court session, and the King of Qin was in a side hall discussing state affairs with Li Si and Wei Liao.

Little Ah Zhu also sat at the lower end, listening silently without saying a word.

He had just come down from the main hall when Li Si, who had received an imperial edict and was too busy to return to his residence, took him along to a side hall. His mind was still buzzing, and he looked at Li Si with a sense of awe.

Yesterday, Ah Zhu accepted the position of lecturer, and Li Si went to the palace to meet the emperor that very night. This morning, he brought Ah Zhu to the court and recommended him on the spot, which can be described as swift and decisive.

Ah Zhu had already made preparations, anticipating that the officials would oppose him, or even launch a collective attack. He had already prepared his remarks, just waiting for the questions to come his way.

But not a single word was used.

It wasn't that the officials had no objections—quite the opposite, the entire court erupted in uproar upon hearing the news, with voices of opposition nearly lifting the roof off the palace.

However, they encountered Li Si, who was exhausted and full of resentment due to the endless political affairs.

He stepped forward, raised his voice in court, and spoke with words as sharp as a poisoned blade, piercing straight to the face, pouring out all the resentment that had been building up for days, without showing the slightest mercy.

The previously boisterous courtiers fell silent instantly.

The crowd was refuted until their faces turned red, they were speechless and at a loss, feeling ashamed and indignant. Some of the older ministers were so depressed that they swayed and almost collapsed.

Suddenly, many officials in Xianyang began to question the meaning of life and, without prior agreement, began to scrutinize the studies of their own children and nephews.

Could it be that they are truly incompetent and mediocre?

In short, after a court assembly, A-Zhu's position as a lecturer at the Qin Academy was finalized, requiring only a bowl of tea from Li Si to soothe his throat.

Looking up at the back of the man who was talking eloquently with the king, neither humble nor arrogant, calm and composed, Ah Zhu suddenly realized that he still had a lot to learn.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the side hall. A guard rushed in, his robes covered with night dew and dust, clearly having come at a great speed. He knelt on one knee and presented a secret report with both hands.

"It's news from Minister Zhou!"

Upon seeing that it was a secret guard who could directly enter the imperial court, Ying Zheng knew that it was someone who was in charge of delivering important matters to Zhou Wenqing. A faint joy instantly appeared in his eyes, and without waiting for the eunuch to pass it on, he couldn't wait to reach out and snatch the secret letter.

"Finally, some news." Ying Zheng murmured to himself, his tone filled with the longing he had felt for many days. His tense brows relaxed, and a faint, gentle smile appeared on his lips.

He carefully tore off the seal and casually said with a smile, "Minister Zhou has been away on a mission for many days. I want to see what he has gained this time that has delayed sending his letter until today."

Standing beside him, Li Si heard that it was news of Zhou Wenqing. The fatigue from days of paperwork dissipated somewhat, and he rarely showed a relaxed smile. His straight back relaxed slightly, and he smiled jokingly, his tone carrying a hint of teasing, yet hiding an undisguised concern:

"I think that Zicheng has had a smooth journey, far away from the tedious affairs of the court, and is enjoying a carefree life. He has long forgotten about us old friends who are eagerly waiting for him, which is why he sent this letter of peace so late."

The atmosphere in the hall relaxed for a moment. Wei Liao nodded slightly, stroked his beard and smiled: "It's good that there's news. Your Majesty, please don't blame Zicheng. It's just that we've been thinking about him for so long. If we think about it carefully, Zicheng probably hasn't gone very far yet, but he sent a letter. He must also be thinking of Xianyang."

"Hahaha, good! Zicheng is so thoughtful!" Ying Zheng laughed loudly, unfolding the letter in high spirits. The gloom that had been hanging over his eyes for days was swept away. He even turned slightly to bring the letter closer to the candlelight, wanting to see Zhou Wenqing's handwriting more clearly by the light.

Ah Zhu, with a hint of anticipation on his face, unconsciously stood up from the corner, tiptoed, and craned his neck, eager to know news of his master in the distance.

But this ease shattered completely the moment Ying Zheng's gaze fell upon the handwriting on the letter.

His smiling eyes suddenly froze, the smile on his lips like a candle flame extinguished by a cold wind, his fingers tightened sharply, his knuckles turned white, and he crumpled the paper into deep creases.

Ying Zheng's gaze swept down line by line. With each line he read, his expression darkened, his anger intensified, and the smile in his eyes vanished completely, replaced by heart-wrenching anxiety and worry.

"A cold... an ambush... a sudden onset of heart disease..."

He read it in a low voice, his voice growing softer and softer, but every word was like a dull knife, carving away at his heart, and the bloodshot veins in his eyes spread out like a spider web.

Upon seeing the words "life or death uncertain," he seemed to freeze, his body temperature plummeted, his face turned completely icy, and his eyes surged with murderous intent.

The air inside the hall seemed to be suddenly gripped by an invisible hand, making even breathing stagnate.

Li Si's teacup stopped in mid-air, Wei Liao's hand stroking his beard paused, A Zhu held his breath, and everyone's heart sank suddenly, a chilling sense of foreboding instantly sweeping over them.

"You brat—how dare you!"

A furious roar that shook the entire palace suddenly rang out.

Ying Zheng slammed the letter and bamboo slips onto the imperial desk with a loud crash, sending the heavy wooden desk reeling. The bamboo slips on the desk were all sent flying and scattered all over the floor.

The king was furious, and his oppressive aura swept over the entire side hall like a collapsing mountain. The eunuchs and guards all prostrated themselves on the ground, their bodies trembling, not daring to even breathe. The hall was so silent that you could hear a pin drop.

Wei Liao disregarded all this. He swiftly stepped forward, bent down to pick up the crumpled, dusty secret letter, and looked up at the King of Qin, whose eyes were now bloodshot, scanning it quickly:

"When Zhou Neishi was on his way to Hangu Pass, he caught a cold and intended to settle in Shengchi. However, while passing through Xiaoshan, he was ambushed by unknown bandits. His carriage was destroyed, his guards suffered heavy casualties, and Neishi himself was seriously injured. His old heart disease suddenly flared up, and he fell into a coma. At this moment, his life or death is uncertain..."

Each word was as heavy as iron, striking the hearts of everyone in the hall, each sentence gripping their nerves.

Ying Zheng sat behind his desk, his face ashen, his eyes surging with overwhelming ferocity and killing intent. His fingers gripped the edge of the desk tightly, his knuckles white and veins bulging, like an enraged tiger ready to tear its prey to shreds at any moment.

"Unidentified bandits..."

He repeated it in a low voice, not loud, but with a chilling quality that sent shivers down one's spine.

"Hangu Pass...my land,my strategic pass..."

He slowly raised his eyes, his icy gaze sweeping over the crowd prostrate on the ground. Wherever he passed, it seemed as if the air itself froze instantly, and everyone held their breath.

"How dare someone ambush my envoy and murder my trusted ministers on my own territory..."

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly raised his hand and slammed it heavily on the imperial desk.

"Clang—"

The heavy sandalwood table suddenly cracked open, bamboo slips flew everywhere, teacups shattered, and ink splattered like blood.

He abruptly stood up, the hem of his black dragon robe sweeping across the mess on the ground. His killing intent was overwhelming, clearly indicating that he was extremely angry. In an instant, the entire side hall turned into an ice prison.

"check."

The word was uttered from the depths of his throat, hoarse and low, yet carrying an undeniable decisiveness.

"Investigate this thoroughly for me."

He didn't roar, but his deep voice, like the last rumble of thunder before a storm, was more chilling than any roar.

"Immediately issue an order to mobilize all the iron cavalry in Guanzhong to surround the Xiaoshan Mountains. All traces of the rebels must be captured and killed. Anyone who dares to obstruct them shall be executed on the spot."

"As for all accomplices involved in the case, regardless of their roles or reasons, their entire families will be exterminated, leaving no trace of them, torn apart by chariots, cut in half at the waist, or dismembered by five horses!"

Ying Zheng narrowed his eyes, a chilling glint surging within them, each word dripping with bloodlust:

"The mastermind was skinned alive, his bones removed, and his body subjected to slow slicing. His corpse was left exposed for ten days to be devoured by beasts, yet he could not die. He had to witness his own offspring's bloodline being dismembered, their hearts ripped out, and their blood sacrificed to the souls of the dead, before being poured into the Wei River again, yet he could not rest in peace. Finally..."

He paused, and his voice suddenly softened, as soft as a cold wind rising from the ground.

"Crush his bones to ashes!"

In his rage, the king's murderous intent was fully revealed. Every word he uttered carried the ruthlessness of wanting to massacre the court, slaughter entire cities, and carry out a swift and decisive purge.

But when these words reached Li Si's ears, they struck him like a heavy hammer blow to the heart.

He knew that if such a large-scale purge and plunder were to occur, more than half of the Qin officials would likely be implicated, leaving the Qin court virtually empty and potentially sparking rebellion that would shake the foundations of the state.

If Zicheng were to wake up and learn of his meticulously planned schemes...

Li Si's heart clenched suddenly. The exhaustion of the past few days combined with the shock and pain at this moment made his vision blur, but he forced himself to stay upright. His eyes reddened, and he abruptly stood up, taking a large step forward. His voice trembled slightly from extreme tension:

"Your Majesty! This is not advisable at the moment. Zicheng is still..."

He was halfway through his sentence when he tried to persuade the king to temporarily quell his anger, citing Zhou Wenqing's safety, and to detain the traitors until Zicheng woke up before making a decision.

But before those words could even be squeezed out of his throat, his blood and qi surged violently. The pain of suddenly hearing the bad news after exhausting his energy for many days, coupled with the anger and anxiety at this moment, caused the metallic taste and dizziness stuck in his throat to break through all his defenses in an instant.

Li Si's words came to an abrupt halt.

His face turned from pale to ashen, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he couldn't utter a single word. His body swayed suddenly, he stumbled, and fell straight to the side.

"Li Qing—!"

Wei Liao reacted swiftly, stepping forward to steady Li Si's sliding body, but Li Si was already oblivious to everything.

His eyes were tightly closed, his lips were as white as paper, and there was a trace of blood at the corner of his lips. He had fainted on the spot due to extreme anger and anxiety.

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The previous ones are still under review, and I don't know how chaotic it will be after they're approved. Fortunately, the new chapter wasn't affected and has been released, so I can continue writing. That's all for now. Also, I apologize for breaking my promise to everyone yesterday. I don't know if this chapter will be approved soon either. Oh no! (╯－＿－)╯╧╧