Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

In the business world, one travels thousands of miles and meets all sorts of people, but in a sense, the ability to judge people is the foundation of their livelihood.

Having experienced the ups and downs of business for half her life, Ba Qing believed that her ability to judge people far surpassed that of a peacock or abacus.

So when she first met this "Guest Yao," she felt a sense of unease.

As a strategist who traveled to six countries, he should have been able to withstand the hardships of travel and be physically strong. However, he had a faint smell of medicine on him and his brows showed signs of fatigue after illness. He did not look like a strong man who traveled all over the world and persuaded others.

Of course, it would be too hasty to doubt his identity based on this alone. What if he just happened to have a cold?

As an envoy, this "Guest Minister Yao" should be the most adept at concealing his talents, observing etiquette, and being worldly and tactful. Especially in front of the eldest son, he should be more careful to maintain the proper order of seniority and dare not easily overstep the boundaries.

However, during the banquet just now, the eldest son's attitude towards him seemed familiar yet subtly submissive. What's more, when the topic of reporting his proposal came up, this "Guest Minister Yao" subconsciously blurted out, "I will certainly report to Your Majesty the truth." Yet the two people at the head of the table, whether it was him or the eldest son, acted as if it were perfectly normal, without realizing that they were overstepping their bounds or even noticing anything amiss.

If that's not enough, then... we have to talk about the look in this "Guest Yao's" eyes.

Although Ba Qing had never met Zhou Neishi in person, he had heard the elders of Xianyang praise him, saying that Zhou Neishi was the only official who "could see" them, the common people.

If she didn't understand what this meant before, then now... she does.

His eyes were always clear and peaceful, like a handful of moonlight falling on still water, impartial and unhurried, quietly and inclusively reflecting the true nature of others.

Especially when he looked down at Aruo, despite being in the seat of honor, he did not display a condescending attitude of pity, but rather a kind of compassion that, after experiencing vicissitudes, remained clear-headed and almost expansive.

Therefore, she was certain that this person was not Yao Jia or Yao Keqing, but Zhou Wenqing and Zhou Neishi, who were rumored to have already encountered danger.

Perhaps only someone with such eyes and such a person deserves the sight of the entire city draped in white and the people mourning.

She really is a very good person...

------

Zhou Wenqing was completely unaware of the profound impact his reputation had had on him, which led to his complete downfall.

At this moment, deep within the main hall, Han Fei and the real Yao Jia slowly emerged from the shadows behind the screen.

Yao Jia raised his eyes and gazed in the direction where Ba Qing and the other man had left, a hint of regret in his eyes, and sighed softly:

"What a pity that such a discerning and insightful person as Madam Qing could not be met in person, and could only admire her from afar through a screen, is truly a regrettable matter!"

Upon hearing this, Han Fei glanced at him sideways and let out a heavy, cold snort.

Old fox, you've let it slip this time!

Just now, he insisted on dragging him to sit behind the screen, spouting a set of high-sounding words, saying that the eldest son's personal reception was already too much of a courtesy, and that if too many people showed up, it would be against etiquette and might cause a slip-up and expose their identities, and so on.

In retrospect, it was all just an excuse!

It's just that she was impersonated and couldn't face anyone, so she tried to drag me down with her. Such selfishness is truly despicable!

Yao Jia, however, acted as if he hadn't seen or heard anything. He turned around, bowed to Zhou Wenqing beside him, and spoke with a tone full of admiration:

"Zhou, the Prefect, truly has a discerning eye. His disciple, Langwen, is a young talent with a calm and measured demeanor, and the young general he recommended, Zhang Han, is both a scholar and a warrior, capable of great things. Such accurate judgment of character is a unique skill, unmatched in this dynasty. I am truly filled with admiration!"

Zhou Wenqing dared not accept that.

His ability to judge character was unparalleled in the dynasty.

If we agree to this, what if all the talents recommended by various parties in the future require him to go through them first for screening and evaluation? Wouldn't that be troublesome?

He only knows the most famous geniuses in history!

But unfortunately, he really needs to dig up a few big talents, so this patch has to be applied in advance.

Zhou Wenqing waved his hands repeatedly, his expression so sincere it was almost overflowing:

"You flatter me too much, Mr. Yao. I am just an ordinary person. I have no insightful eyes or special skills in judging people. I really don't deserve such praise."

"It's just that I had plenty of free time when I was young, so I developed some trivial habits. I like to pay attention to people's words and actions, and their clothes. I can often get a superficial impression of people just by looking at them."

"This is hardly a superficial impression!" Yao Jia took it as excessive modesty and immediately retorted with a smile, his tone full of admiration, his voice unconsciously rising slightly, "Zhou Neishi's ability to recognize and select talent is impeccable, every single one of them is spot on. Such skill is simply like being able to predict the future."

Well, the more I talk, the more I sound like a charlatan!

Zhou Wenqing inwardly groaned, racking his brains to come up with an excuse, but on the surface he had to maintain a calm and composed demeanor:

"You flatter me, my esteemed guest. There's no such thing as being able to predict the future. That's an exaggeration. It's just that Wenqing was frustrated in his official career and had nothing to do all day. So he often wandered around the city and countryside, listening to rumors and gossip from all directions, and learning about the good and evil in people's hearts. After listening for a long time and seeing a lot, he naturally became able to distinguish between truth and falsehood. It's just due to his experience and can't be considered a unique skill."

Having said that, he looked up at Yao Jia, a slight smile playing on his lips, and then smoothly changed the subject:

"It's just a pity that Yao Keqing is now deeply trusted by the King and travels to various countries. His future is bright. I'm afraid he will no longer have such leisure time to spend learning my 'calculation skills' from the streets."

Yao Jia was taken aback at first, then suddenly laughed: "You flatter me, Your Excellency. Someone as rough and careless as me, even if I spent ten or eight years in the marketplace, I might not be able to learn such insightful character and discerning eyes. Such talent is unique to Your Excellency, and I can only look up to you in awe."

The two exchanged compliments, and the atmosphere became increasingly relaxed.

Zhou Wenqing then turned to Fusu, who was listening intently, and gave him a few words of instruction:

"Your eldest son is kind and gentle. You must remember that in the future, even in an important position, you must not be aloof. Only by staying close to people's hearts and minds and understanding their feelings can you truly know the joys and sorrows of the world. This is the foundation of governance."

Fusu listened attentively, nodding repeatedly in agreement, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Zhou Wenqing, humbly accepting his instruction.

The three of them were in perfect harmony and enjoying themselves immensely. The topic of the art of judging people was thus easily and smoothly brought up, and they began to talk about the beautiful scenery and local customs of Luoyang, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Only Han Fei remained silent.

He sat silently at the table, a cup of tea beside him that had gone cold. He hadn't touched it, only rubbing the rim of the cup with his fingertips, his eyes vacant, completely lost in his own thoughts.

……

As night deepened, all was quiet.

Moonlight seeped in through the cracks in the window, spilling onto the blue brick floor, cool and refreshing, like a thin layer of frost.

Han Fei lay on the couch, tossing and turning, repeatedly lifting and covering himself with the blanket, like a pancake being baked.

He can't sleep.

The scenes from the main hall during the day, along with Zhou Wenqing's words, kept replaying in my mind.

"Only those who are constantly connected to the people can truly understand the joys and sorrows of the world..."

Han Fei turned over and faced the wall.

He then thought of that hypocrite—Yao Jia.

The man smiled warmly and gently, but his words were laced with barbs, occasionally pricking him:

"Han Zi had the world in his heart, and even the soles of his boots never got muddy."

During the day, he would just snort and ignore it, but now, in the dead of night, with no one watching, these words seemed to have grown legs, walking back and forth in his mind, making him feel uneasy.

Could it be that he was too arrogant, thus his judgment of people was biased, he failed to see Zicheng's talent, and came to such an absurd and laughable conclusion?

Could it be that he had set his sights too high and his mind was too aloof, never bothering to observe the realities of the world, which led to his current isolated and helpless situation?

The more Han Fei thought about it, the less he could sleep. He tossed and turned, and finally threw off the covers.

I'm not going to sleep!