Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Sending someone to find Wang Ben and the others to return and clarify the previous misunderstanding would only take the time it takes for an incense stick to burn and a few words to clear things up. However, finishing Ba Qing's box of files would not be so easy.

Even with everyone present and a massive effort to divide the reading among themselves, the group still felt dizzy and overwhelmed, and most of the day passed by unnoticed.

Zhou Wenqing was filled with emotion.

He was both sincerely impressed by Ba Qing's extensive and meticulous intelligence network, which was able to collect and archive all the major and minor deeds of hundreds of scholars in Jixia Academy; and he couldn't help but sigh inwardly that the world was indeed full of wonders.

Just as a large forest has all kinds of birds, a deep and secluded academy can attract all sorts of extraordinary people.

Even Liu Bang, who was assigned a document just to make up the numbers, initially found the scroll full of text daunting, but later found it increasingly interesting. He even pulled out a handful of hazelnuts and started cracking them open as he flipped through the pages, looking quite relaxed and content.

What should have been a serious and intense business meeting was turned into something resembling a tea party by him.

Of course, his carefree days didn't last long before he was ruthlessly punished.

Wang Ben casually labeled the man as "unprofessional, unruly, and noisy," and promptly dragged him out.

Hmph, who cares if it's a misunderstanding or not, he doesn't have a good impression of this person anyway!

After carrying the person, Wang Ben patted non-existent dust off his hands, turned to look at Zhou Wenqing, who looked helpless, and grinned heartily:

"Sir, it's much quieter now. Let's continue."

Zhou Wenqing: "..."

He strongly suspected the person did it on purpose, but had no evidence.

Well, anyway, it doesn't seem to make much difference if Liu Bang isn't involved. Time is of the essence, so we should focus on the important matters.

Liu Bang, locked out: "...?"

He stuffed the remaining hazelnuts into his mouth, crunching them loudly, venting all his pent-up anger on the dried fruit.

Hmph, who cares to spend time with you guys studying books? I'm going back to have a good drink and I'll eat you out of house and home!

As the sunlight slants westward, the shadows cast by the eaves lengthen slowly, and the warm twilight seeps into the main room through the window cracks.

After working at his desk for a long time, Zhou Wenqing and Yao Jia finally selected several people who could be used in the debate three days later.

He frowned slightly, put down the files on his desk, raised his hand to rub his sore and swollen eyes, and slowly stood up, holding the selected list.

Before his toes could turn to Ba Qing beside him, his gaze was blocked by Wang Ben's exclamation.

"Tsk tsk tsk! You really can't judge a book by its cover!"

Wang Ben stared intently at the dossier in his hand, forgetting to put the hazelnut he had casually picked up with his fingertips into his mouth. His eyes were wide open, and his face was full of disbelief.

"A man as dignified, composed, and highly respected as Chancellor Meng, who presented himself as righteous and impartial at banquets, who would have guessed that behind the scenes he was actually a top-notch chess idiot!"

"In one game of chess, he shamelessly took back eight times, and yet he still managed to lose by seven pieces. His chess skills are practically on par with my father's!"

Zhou Wenqing was speechless. He was now certain that this person had done it on purpose.

Isn't this a case of "the magistrate is allowed to set fires, but the common people are forbidden to light lamps"?

He casually rolled up the list of candidates, lightly tapped it on Wang Ben's head, and said irritably:

"It was just a game of chess between friends for fun. You spent the whole afternoon busy, ignoring the details in the booklet about how Master Meng was tireless in his teaching and how many talented students he had. You only read these trivial anecdotes. Remember the important things!"

"oh."

Wang Ben shrank back as his head was knocked, only then realizing that Zhou Wenqing had somehow appeared behind him. Feeling guilty, he deftly pushed the hazelnut kernels toward Meng Yi across from him.

What a blunder! When did Uncle Zhou stand up? I was so engrossed in watching that I didn't even notice!

Trying to scam me? No way!

Meng Yi instantly saw through his thoughts, immediately glared at him fiercely, and then casually pushed the plate of hazelnuts in front of Zhang Han in one smooth, effortless motion.

Go and mess with your own junior brother!

Zhang Han was completely absorbed in the files and books, and did not notice the undercurrents that had just occurred to him. He only noticed that a plate of food had suddenly appeared beside him.

Huh? Who thoughtfully prepared these snacks? They taste pretty good. Let the young master try them!

Fusu looked down at the hot "evidence" that had been brought to him all along, then looked up at Zhang Han, who had a completely innocent and open face, and his lips twitched slightly.

Thank you so much!

Fusu raised her little head and looked helplessly at Zhou Wenqing.

"gentlemen……"

Zhou Wenqing remained silent for a moment, then weakly rubbed his forehead and waved his hand: "Eat up, eat up, don't waste it."

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Ben and Meng Yi's eyes lit up almost simultaneously. They leaned forward and each grabbed a handful.

Looking at the fruit plate that had suddenly become somewhat "empty," Fusu made a gesture almost identical to her husband's—helplessly covering her face with her hands.

The Qin delegation has lost all face!

It was getting late, and Zhou Wenqing had no desire to deal with the commotion of the younger generation any longer. He and Yao Jia got up, walked to Ba Qing's desk, and gently placed the list in front of her:

"Madam Qing, could you please review these candidates for us and assess their qualifications? Are there any truly capable individuals among them?"

Ba Qing put down his teacup, took the list, and slowly scanned each name with his eyes, matching them one by one with the portrait in his mind. After a moment, he raised his head, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.

"The two gentlemen have discerning eyes. Based solely on this file, they were able to sift out these individuals in just half a day. Even if Qing himself had selected them, it would not have been any better."

Her fingertips brushed over the names one by one, and she explained with a smile, "This person is good at upholding principles, has a solid foundation in his arguments, is well-versed in rites, music, and the Way of the King, and can hold his own on stage. He is a master at dealing with those who play with words and use sophistry."

"As for this one, he excels at attacking and debating, has a sharp eye, and is best at finding loopholes in words, dismantling the opponent's logic, and hitting the nail on the head. He is most suitable for dealing with those conservative people who admire ancient rites and emphasize benevolence and righteousness."

"The two players complement each other perfectly, one defending and the other attacking, their weaknesses compensate for each other's weaknesses, and they achieve great results together."

Her fingertip landed on the next name, "And this one, who seems unremarkable and unremarkable, but that's not the case."

"Under the tutelage of Chancellor Meng was a favorite disciple named Xun Yan. This man had a free-thinking mind and his arguments were often unconventional and surprising, making it difficult for his opponents to defend against him."

"However, this one is equally quick-witted and comes from a humble background. His words are even more... well, unconventional. Whenever the two of them debate, he often gains the upper hand."

"There's another person..."

"..."

Ba Qing then commented on each point in this way, analyzing clearly who was suitable to start the argument, who was suitable to conclude with a challenge, and who was good at dealing with which type of opponent.

Finally, he slowly said, "If the order of appearance is arranged properly and the rotation is well-managed, these few people are enough to stabilize the situation and help Great Qin win this game."

Yao Jia listened from the side and nodded frequently, feeling a great weight lifted from his heart, thinking that the arrangement was extremely thorough.

He had even begun to consider how to quickly win these people over tomorrow.

However, as Zhou Wenqing listened, he felt that something seemed amiss.