Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Zhou Wenqing made this decision with almost no hesitation.

Even without the special treatment, he remained physically weak and suffered from heart disease for many years.

During his year as an official in Xianyang, he was cared for by the King of Qin, looked after by his colleagues, and received meticulous care from a group of doctors. As a result, apart from occasionally catching a cold, his heart disease had never recurred.

Of course, faking illness doesn't count.

Although I feel somewhat sorry for Physician Lü, once he arrives at full speed and takes care of me, my health can gradually recover.

Heart disease won't kill him.

This was just an accident.

Once his trip to Qi was over, he would stay quietly in Xianyang and not go anywhere. He wanted to see who could possibly cause him any trouble.

If Zhou Wenqing's prediction is correct, the King will likely be even more vigilant in guarding against his return, and no matter how eloquent he is, he won't be able to do anything adventurous.

Zhou Wenqing gave a helpless, bitter smile.

I wonder if bringing the sweet potato seed back will be enough to appease the king's wrath and save him from a scolding?

Should...that be okay?

After all, this is a sweet potato!

The reason for choosing sweet potatoes is not only because of their unparalleled yield, but also because they are easy to grow.

It doesn't take up fertile land, so it doesn't matter if farmers initially distrust this new crop, just as they distrust heated brick beds.

It doesn't matter how deep or shallow the plant is, or how much or how little water it receives; it will still grow even if it's planted in a crack in a rock.

Increased grain production meant that people across the land could fill their stomachs, something that no amount of improvement in farming tools, promotion of new policies, or education of the second emperor could match.

Zhou Wenqing was always worried that the weapons he provided would allow Qin to conquer the six states too quickly. If he couldn't persuade the king to recuperate and rebuild, and the new policies couldn't be implemented in time, the people's hearts would be unstable, resentment would boil over, uprisings would break out everywhere, and Qin would be destroyed even sooner—then he would truly be a sinner for all time.

So he still had so many weapons of war, but he always kept them hidden and dared not take them out. Even the blast furnace for iron smelting was only brought out when the war had already begun and he had no choice but to do so in order to quickly end the war.

But things changed with sweet potatoes.

If people can fill their stomachs, the world will not suffer under the Qin dynasty for too long. Even if Chen Sheng and Wu Guang wrote a moving and inspiring letter in the form of a letter written in the form of a fish's belly, how many people and how many commoners could they incite to follow them in rebellion?

A bowl of hot rice is more effective than any logic.

This would buy him more time, allow the Qin Dynasty and the King to achieve a more fitting end, and bring a peaceful and prosperous world to the people.

He sacrificed his life for the peace and stability of countless families—it was worth it!

But 007 clearly couldn't quite grasp this concept.

The small ball of light dimmed for a few seconds as if it had crashed, before lighting up again, looking both anxious and angry.

[Host, didn't you want to escape this nightmare? I only decided to break the rules for your sake, how could you... How could you... No, I don't agree!]

Zhou Wenqing's head was buzzing from its shouting. He rubbed his temples and said helplessly, "Don't be in such a hurry, let me finish."

【I won't listen! I won't listen!】 The 007 light effects flashed wildly, like a cat with its fur standing on end.

[Hosts with your kind of personality are the best at lying! Host, you've gone too far! I even felt guilty and risked punishment from the main system to try and make up for not giving you a good host. Do you know how much merit and energy that took?!]

Its voice grew increasingly aggrieved, and the lighting effects flickered accordingly.

[Waaaaah, I'm definitely not going to meet my KPIs, I might not be able to call myself 007 anymore, waaaaah... I've worked so hard, and you don't even care, I'm so angry! How could you do this? Absolutely not, I won't allow it!]

"Wait, 007, calm down. I'm sorry, I was wrong, but please listen to me first."

A look of guilt appeared in Zhou Wenqing's eyes. He knew that he had indeed taken advantage of 007's trust this time.

But all he could do was gently lift the little ball of light and knead it, patiently soothing it, his voice becoming even softer and gentler:

"007, you know I came to the Great Qin with a mission, and it's very difficult. If you give me sweet potato seed tubers, I can complete the mission more smoothly, and you should get a reward too, right? Completing the mission is more important than giving me, the host, a new shell, so..."

【No way!】007 panicked. It interrupted its host for the first time, as if an electric current surged through it for a moment, and the light effect also lit up for a second.

Within the system's programming, the host and the task are equally important! And—

It paused, and then its voice suddenly lowered.

[Moreover, emotionally, we... I might even lean more towards the host. To us, the host isn't just a mission executor; the host is... is... a teammate... is that the right term?]

Zhou Wenqing's heart softened instantly, and her gaze towards the small ball of light became even gentler.

Although I've always felt that 007 is half-human and half-machine, there's one thing he didn't lie about.

007 is truly a very professional and excellent system.

What if the system favors the host and keeps deceiving people like him without them even realizing it?

"007, what if the host uses you to cause trouble?" he said, almost with a sigh.

[Impossible!] 007's light suddenly illuminated, his voice resolute. [The hosts who can bind to the system are the most suitable candidates. This isn't a decision made by data, but by divine selection! Host, I won't allow you to speak of my teammates like that! They would never do anything wrong! Even if... even if the mission fails, it's not because they want to, they...]

As Zhou Wenqing heard 007's voice gradually fade away, his heart sank.

It seems there really are no hosts who have completed the mission...

He was even more determined to get the sweet potato!

He gritted his teeth and hardened his heart, saying, "Alright, 007, I'm still in a nightmare. I'm so pitiful, can you listen to me first?"

The small ball of light fell silent for a moment, and Zhou Wenqing took it as a tacit agreement.

"You've said I'm the best host you've ever had, so you should trust my choice, right?"

He spoke very softly, with a hint of persuasion.

"Besides, I've had this heart condition for a long time, 007. I know you're looking out for me, but think about it, the world is so chaotic. Even if I didn't have this heart condition, what if someone slashed me with a knife or shot me with an arrow? Could you still give me other effective medicine?"

[Huh? Is that really possible?] 007 was clearly taken aback, and a crackling sound of electricity flashed by.

"This is a chaotic world, so anything is possible. Therefore, only if you give me the sweet potato seed tubers can I quell this chaos more quickly. That way, I will naturally be safe. What do you say?"

Zhou Wenqing looked earnestly at 007.

007 remained silent for a moment before swaying and floating in front of Zhou Wenqing.

"Well, alright then... Host, are you really sure?"

"I've made up my mind."

You won't regret it?

No regrets.

【……Oh well.】

"Sweet potato it is, but host, once I leave, it may be difficult for me to return. You must promise me you'll take good care of yourself!"

Looking at the swaying little ball of light giving him instructions, Zhou Wenqing suddenly felt his eyes sting and his voice become a little hoarse:

"it is good."

[Preparing to open a spatial teleportation channel, blocking the main system... Blocking successful.] 007's voice became mechanical and steady.

[Spatial passage opened; sweet potato seed tubers have been successfully transferred. Repulsion is being transferred... Transfer successful. The seed tubers have been delivered to the host's residence for temporary storage.]

It paused, and the light effect flickered a few times, sometimes bright and sometimes dim.

[Repulsive force intensifies; 007 is breaking free]

Goodbye, host!

"goodbye……"

Zhou Wenqing forced a smile.

This time, it might be goodbye forever.

He leaned against the well wall, closed his eyes, and remained there for a long time...

When I opened my eyes again, light was slowly seeping in from the well opening.

Zhou Wenqing let out a long breath, collected his thoughts, and stood up.

He should keep striving upwards...