Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Startled by Han Fei's sudden action, Zhou Wenqing's drowsiness vanished instantly, leaving him wide awake. He quickly put on his coat, straightened his collar, and followed Han Fei as if possessed.

He wanted to see what this young master Han was up to, appearing and disappearing mysteriously in the middle of the night.

As a result, following that white figure from afar, staring at the direction he went, the more they followed, the more something seemed amiss.

What was Han Fei doing running to Yao Jia's place?

He couldn't figure out why Han Fei was getting closer to Yao Jia. The two of them had clearly disliked each other for so long. Whenever their eyes met, they would be in "battle mode," to the point that they would clear their throats before even meeting, just waiting for a verbal duel.

Could it be that... the conflict between the two has escalated to the point where verbal exchanges are no longer enough, and they've arranged to spar in the middle of the night?

Should he follow them?

Zhou Wenqing hesitated and stopped, looking down at his thin frame, and stood there lost in thought.

At times, he is quite self-aware.

Even if they were two "literati" known for their eloquence, they were still literati of this era. When they went out, they all carried swords. If they were accidentally caught in the crossfire, what would happen to Physician Lü...

The cost is too high; it's not worth it!

He made a decisive decision: to send Li Yi to investigate first.

It's best if nothing happens. If a fight does break out, Ah Yi is a professional at breaking up the fight.

Li Yi responded, then vanished into the night. He returned moments later, quickly walked to Zhou Wenqing's side, and whispered in his ear:

"Sir, Yao Keqing and Mr. Han... didn't argue or fight, they just... sat facing each other drinking water, neither of them paying attention to the other."

It was clear that Li Yi carefully considered his words when he gave this reply, and he seemed quite confused himself.

Clearly, he couldn't understand the two people's behavior either.

Zhou Wenqing: "...?"

What's going on here?

Driven by curiosity, Zhou Wenqing immediately took Li Yi and went over to join the fun.

He was peeking out the window when Yao Jia caught him red-handed.

"Zhou Neishi has arrived! Please come in, please come in."

Yao Jia felt as if he had seen a savior. He breathed a long sigh of relief, his face beaming with unprecedented enthusiasm. Without saying a word, he got up and quickly went to greet Zhou Wenqing at the door, inviting him inside without further ado.

Zhou Wenqing, slightly embarrassed by his failed attempt to peep, touched his nose and casually glanced at the table. He saw that the charcoal fire in the small tea stove was still burning and the hot water in the kettle was still warm, but the teacups in front of the two people were empty.

It really was late at night, sitting face to face, speechless, having drunk a lot of water!

"What is this, you two...?"

His gaze swept back and forth between Yao Jia and Han Fei.

Yao Jia raised his chin, pointed at Han Fei, then turned slightly to the side, facing away from him, and tapped his forehead with his finger. His eyes were subtle, and his meaning was quite clear.

This person is out of their mind!

Zhou Wenqing's lips twitched.

I can tell you two don't get along, but you don't have to make it so obvious.

However, it seems the problem lies with Han Fei.

He calmly sat down in the empty seat opposite Han Fei, carefully choosing his words while pouring himself a cup of tea. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Han Fei and his lips twitched again.

The tea was so bland it was like plain water; it's unclear how long the two of them had been drinking it.

Zhou Wenqing subtly pushed the teacup aside, his gaze falling on Han Fei's face, and spoke gently:

"Han Zi's visit so late at night, I wonder what important matter he has to discuss with Yao Keqing? Perhaps he can also speak with Zicheng about it?"

Han Fei remained silent for a moment.

He glanced at Yao Jia, then turned back to look at Zhou Wenqing, a hint of annoyance flashing in his eyes—the order was wrong.

If he had known that Zicheng was still awake, he would have gone straight to find Zicheng. Why waste his time on this "Jia" man?

Now that the dummy was beside him, he felt awkward speaking to either Zicheng or him.

However, he didn't want to talk about it anymore. Han Fei was now only focused on dragging Yao Jia to the marketplace he mentioned, determined to confront him and get the guy to tell him the truth.

What secrets lie hidden in those ordinary villages and bustling streets, secrets of human nature that were never revealed in books and that he never truly understood in his life, which he used to mock himself time and time again?

So he spoke up: "It's nothing more than inviting Guest Master Yao to take a trip to the village."

"Now?" Zhou Wenqing asked in surprise.

"Now," Han Fei said confidently.

He stared straight at Zhou Wenqing with an inexplicable stubbornness in his eyes.

Zhou Wenqing subconsciously did the same thing as Yao Jia before him—looking up at the window.

At midnight, the night sky was dotted with stars and bathed in the bright moonlight, otherwise it was completely dark.

He turned his gaze from the window to Han Fei's serious face and suddenly felt a toothache.

"Han Zi," he said carefully, his voice very soft, "it is one quarter past midnight."

"I know."

"A curfew will be imposed in the city at dawn."

"Um."

Han Fei nodded, his gaze still unwavering.

A curfew can stop ordinary pedestrians, but if someone really wants to, it clearly can't stop people of their status.

Zhou Wenqing looked at Han Fei helplessly and fell silent for a moment.

He could sense that Han Fei's mood was clearly off at the moment, much like his stubborn demeanor after being hurt by his words that day.

So... who offended him this time?

Yao Jia?!

That's something that happens all the time, so why did it suddenly erupt today?

Zhou Wenqing sighed and stood up.

"Let's go then." He straightened his clothes, his tone indifferent. "I'll go with Han Zi."

Han Fei was taken aback, the stubbornness in his eyes softening slightly in surprise: "You..."

Zhou Wenqing smiled and said, "It's rare for Han Zi to be in such a good mood, so I will naturally accompany him. Besides, I have never seen Luoyang after curfew before."

He turned to Li Yi and said, "Yi, get ready, Han Zi and I are going to stroll around the streets."

Upon hearing this, Yao Jia turned his gaze to him in shock.

Another one going crazy?

What's there to see in a city after curfew? Do you even know what curfew means?

That means there's nobody on the street! Nobody! Not even a dog!

Zhou Wenqing glanced at Yao Jia out of the corner of his eye, then, without a word, placed his hand on Yao Jia's arm and said with a smile, "Guest Yao, you happen to be free right now, so let's go together!"

Whoever caused the trouble has to clean it up; don't even think about running away!

Yao Jia's eyes widened as he looked down at his inner garment and the outer robe casually draped over his shoulders, then at Zhou Wenqing, his face filled with disbelief.

Nothing to do! Who?

It's the middle of the night, I need to sleep!

Unfortunately, no matter how unwilling he was to admit the truth, it was to no avail. He could only resign himself to his fate, put on his robes, and follow the two people who he saw as inexplicably "crazy" out of the inn.

As the capital of Sanchuan Prefecture, Luoyang was located at a strategic crossroads, attracting merchants and travelers from all over the country. It was indeed one of the most prosperous and bustling cities in the Central Plains.

However, precisely because the city is prosperous, has a large and diverse population, and is a mix of people from all walks of life, security control is even stricter.

Once night falls and the neighborhoods close, the streets and alleys become deserted, the gates are locked, and the entire city falls silent, with commoners strictly prohibited from wandering around the streets and alleys without permission.

So at this moment, the three of them stood at the empty street corner, the night wind blowing through the alley, carrying a fallen leaf, which swirled and landed at their feet.

Yao Jia wrapped his outer robe tighter around himself and looked around. The place was empty; there wasn't a soul in sight. He felt as if he had been inexplicably dragged out of bed just to stand here in the cold wind, and he felt utterly wronged.

He suddenly turned his head and gave Han Fei a gentle smile.

"Han Zi, tell me, which way should we go?"

Han Fei fell silent again, his lips pressed into a thin line.

As soon as he came out, his stubbornness vanished, and he immediately regretted it.

The streets and alleys were pitch black, not a soul in sight, so there really wasn't much to see.

Yao Jia saw through his thoughts and clenched his teeth even tighter.

His smile grew even brighter as he continued relentlessly asking:

"Han Zi, tell me quickly! It's so quiet here, like a ghost town. Where can we go?"

Han Fei had already planned to go back, but upon hearing this, his temper flared up again. He casually pointed into the dark alley and uttered two words curtly: "This way."

"Hmph! Fine, this way then." Yao Jia sneered and strode away. "I want to see what's so appealing to Han Zi here!"

The two stood side by side, one on the left and one on the right, as if competing with each other, neither willing to slow down even a fraction of a step.

Zhou Wenqing and Li Yi exchanged a glance, sighed helplessly, and had no choice but to follow.

He didn't know how far he had walked, but he felt that it was becoming more and more remote and quieter, until Zhou Wenqing finally couldn't bear it any longer.

By the time these two stubborn guys finish their argument, his legs will probably be broken from walking, and there's not even a place to rest in this wretched place!

He strode forward, stood between the two men, and forced a smile:

"You two have walked so far and seen so much, why don't we... head back now and continue our journey tomorrow, when it's light out?"

Han Fei and Yao Jia were also tired from walking. They had a way out and were about to nod when they heard a cry of surprise coming from around the corner not far away.

"Help--!"