Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Just as Zhou Wenqing was listening to Li Yi's report, in another elegant inn in Luoyang, Ba Qing, who had just settled in, stood alone in front of the carved window.

She wore a plain brocade dress, without many luxurious ornaments. Only a black jade hairpin in her hair accentuated her tall and straight figure. Her gentle eyes and brows concealed a sharpness tempered by the world. Her gaze was fixed on the other side of the street.

Armored soldiers dispatched by the prefectural government guarded the post station, their armor gleaming and their figures upright, protecting the entire post station from the elements.

She slowly withdrew her gaze, her fingertips gently caressing the letter that had just been delivered by a trusted confidant on horseback.

The letter was written in concise handwriting, with only a few words, yet it revealed everything about the mission sent from Xianyang: its origins, the identities of its main members, its purpose of travel, and all other information that could be openly known.

"The chief envoy is Prince Fusu of the Great Qin... the deputy envoy is Guest Minister Yao Jia..."

She read the words on the letter to herself, her gaze lingering for a moment when it fell on the four characters "Zhengshi Fusu".

The mission had recently changed its chief envoy. The news of the assassination of the former chief envoy, Zhou Wenqing, the Grand Historian of Qin, had already spread throughout the six kingdoms. How could she, who had traveled to various places for many years, not know about it?

Ba Qing sighed softly, feeling not only melancholy at the unpredictability of life but also a touch of genuine regret.

These wealthy merchants may seem powerful, but in reality, they belong to the lowest social class among scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants. Ordinary officials can order them around at will, and greedy people, while looking down on their status, try to squeeze some money out of them.

If the court had an official like Zhou Wenqing who was upright, honest, and impartial in enforcing the law, their lives would be much easier.

Moreover, when this Zhou Neishi (a high-ranking official) established the Bureau of Hundreds of Items against all odds, ostensibly to spread the emperor's grace and benefit all people, it was actually a business, which made their businesses more or less smooth and less subject to harsh obstacles and difficulties.

Taking advantage of the initial launch of the Baiwusi (百物司), she seized the opportunity and, at a very low cost, overcame the perilous hurdle that had always been exploited and avoided by all caravans, securing a large business deal ahead of others. With this, she quickly consolidated her family business and silenced the stubborn old men in her clan who questioned her all the time.

For her, this Zhou Neishi, though she had never met him, was someone who had shown her a hidden kindness, both to the merchant and to her.

Therefore, upon hearing the tragic news of the passing of this Zhou Neishi, she specially ordered that the warehouses under her jurisdiction be opened for three days to provide relief to the people, and also placed an ever-burning lamp in a quiet room for him as a token of her condolences.

But sentimentality aside, business is business. Ba Qing pulled himself together and turned his gaze back to the letter.

I heard that this eldest son of the Qin Dynasty is a disciple of the Zhou Dynasty's Minister of the Interior, and that he was also unfortunately injured and has been recuperating for a long time...

She pondered for a moment, then turned around and instructed the maid behind her, "Have someone prepare a generous gift. There's no need for too much gold or silver, just a set of mutton-fat jade writing implements. The jade should be smooth and the carving simple and unpretentious. Also, prepare a pair of gilded bronze incense burners, and take out the century-old ginseng I've been hiding in my storeroom, along with two boxes of top-quality donkey-hide gelatin. Wrap them up carefully."

She paused, then added, "In addition, prepare a separate gift of fine medicinal herbs, such as top-grade snow swallow, dendrobium, and deer antler. There's no need to name them; just say they're nourishing items we always keep with us. Give them to the members of the delegation as a small token of our appreciation."

"Once everything is ready, send it to the post station along with the invitation first thing tomorrow morning. The invitation should be written respectfully, saying: 'Ba Qing of Ba County, passing through Luoyang, happened to meet the Qin delegation. Having long admired them, I have come to pay my respects.'"

The maid bowed and accepted the order without delay, and immediately went to make careful preparations.

Then, this generous gift appeared on Zhou Wenqing's desk.

"Tsk tsk tsk! I've only ever seen radishes this big before, this is the first time I've ever seen ginseng like this."

Zhou Wenqing picked up the century-old ginseng, which was as thick as an arm, and examined it from all angles, marveling at it.

The physician, Lü, frowned, unable to bear seeing him treat the precious medicinal herbs so casually. He immediately snatched them away, adding a somber remark:

"Even if I've never seen it before, it hasn't stopped me from eating plenty. Zhou Neishi, you were injured this time. The one I used was even more robust than this one, and it's already been used up in the medicine. This one that was sent is just in time to replenish your supply."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Wenqing's expression immediately fell.

Li Yi couldn't help but speak up: "Sir, you've forgotten, we also have two of these plants in our manor, both bestowed by the King. But you didn't even look at them before ordering them all to be stored away."

Why should I look at the medicinal herbs that were delivered?

Zhou Wenqing thought to himself with dissatisfaction, but then his expression relaxed and he thought to himself with a smug look: it turns out that his net worth is much higher than he imagined.

He generously pushed the jade writing implements to Fusu and the exquisite gilded bronze incense burner to Yao Jia, saying with a smile, "Here, these were specially given to you by others, don't be shy."

Han Fei slowly shook his head: "Offering a century-old spiritual ginseng and a bronze incense burner with such generosity is truly extravagant. Zicheng, this female merchant from Ba County probably has grand ambitions. You..."

"It's alright."

Zhou Wenqing raised an eyebrow slightly, his tone calm and confident, showing no sign of worry. His gaze swept over the gifts: "This woman is meticulous and must act with restraint. Besides... I already know what she's after. As long as she doesn't overstep the bounds, I, Wenqing, am confident I can afford to give her what she wants."

Li Yi frowned slightly, looking somewhat conflicted, and hesitated before finally asking, "Does the gentleman mean that this merchant is permitted to come and pay his respects?"

Zhou Wenqing lightly waved his folding fan, glanced at the gifts neatly divided on the table, and said jokingly, "Look, the spoils have been divided, of course we have to meet them."

"But... sir," Li Yi carefully chose his words, "you're not really available to see guests right now, are you?"

Ok?

Zhou Wenqing was taken aback, then realized that it was indeed inconvenient for him, a "person who has been laid to rest," to receive guests.

He stroked his chin, his gaze slowly shifting until it finally settled on Han Fei.

Han Fei immediately understood his intention and calmly said, "It is well known throughout the world that I have a speech disorder, and my speech rhythm is different from that of ordinary people. I'm afraid this trait is not easy for Zicheng to imitate, is it?"

Zhou Wenqing thought about it and agreed. He hadn't shared the spoils with them when they were dividing the loot, so it wouldn't be very kind of him to take their place now.

His gaze shifted and landed steadily on Yao Jia, who was sitting calmly to the side.

Yao Jia: "..."

I never imagined that one day, a speech disorder would also be an advantage.

"Well... Zhou Neishi, Jia's age and appearance are probably not quite what you'd expect, are they?"

"It's alright." Zhou Wenqing raised his hand to close the folding fan, gently tapped his palm, and spoke with a firm tone, making a decisive statement. He then bowed to Yao Jia and said, "Guest Yao, I would like to ask you not to show yourself for the time being. I beg you."

In fact, Yao Jia was only about thirty years old and still looked young. However, his brows were filled with the shrewdness and sharpness of a strategist. In comparison, Zhou Wenqing's temperament was more gentle and refined, and his eyes had a more scholarly air. When the two stood together, familiar people could tell them apart at a glance, even from behind. But for Ba Qing, who had never seen them before and had only heard of their names, as long as he concealed himself properly, he might not be able to spot the flaws.

Since Zhou Wenqing had said so, Yao Jia had no choice but to agree. He sighed inwardly, thinking, "As expected, he's beholden to someone who takes his money. That stutterer is still the shrewd one!"