People in the Qin Dynasty, entertained during the Warring States period

They were all dressed in luxurious clothes.

They possess a myriad of qualities, from plump to slender, mature to youthful, and have every kind of charm imaginable.

Without a doubt, they are all wealthy ladies and young women from the city.

The small pavilion was filled with various fragrances.

"A riot of colors dazzles the eye"—these seven short words were a profound realization for Cao Ze at this moment.

Cao Ze thought that his arrival would cause some kind of sensation.

But to his surprise, these young women barely even glanced at him.

They were all flipping through the books with great interest, passing them around.

His eyesight was excellent; he noticed that many of the books held in delicate hands contained the words "Xi Ren" and "Dai Yu," seemingly the latest installment of "Dream of the Red Chamber" that he had told Ya Fei and the others about yesterday.

At this moment, he suddenly remembered the joke that Consort Ya had made yesterday, saying that if he didn't talk about Dream of the Red Chamber, she would expose him to all the noble ladies and young women in the city.

Cao Ze swallowed hard.

Women are different from men. Once these wives, noble ladies, and young ladies know that he was the one who created "Dream of the Red Chamber," they are very likely to surround him, lock him in Feixue Pavilion, and make him talk about it every day.

He had no doubt about the combined strength of all the noblewomen in Handan.

Oh well, being ignored is better than being surrounded and shot on the spot.

Cao Ze felt fortunate to be ignored by the women on the first floor and went to the second floor with a good attitude.

Duanmu Rong asked him to convey her message to Xue Nu, and he naturally wouldn't forget.

I might as well take this opportunity to give Yuki-onna some advice and strengthen our bond.

Seeing Cao Ze cautiously approaching, Ya Fei, standing by the second-floor railing, smiled and said, "What are you afraid of, sir? Are you afraid of being eaten by these 'demons'?"

She had also read "Journey to the West" and couldn't help but joke.

Cao Ze coughed lightly and said, "No, I just didn't want to interfere with their studies."

"Hehe~ Is that so?"

Ya Fei's eyes revealed utter disbelief.

Seeing Cao Ze looking towards the corridor, she said leisurely, "You're here to see Xue'er, aren't you?"

"...Your Highness is wise."

Cao Ze was surprised that Ya Fei saw through his intentions at a glance; she was paying too much attention to him.

"Well, you've come at an inopportune time. Xue'er went to help Li Ji order a dance costume. She won't be back for a while."

Consort Ya smiled and said, "If you're not in a hurry, you can wait a while and chat with me."

Cao Ze thought to himself, "Is this a trap to get me to chat with them?"

"Well... I just went to Niushou Village. The leader of the Mo family and his entourage have already left for Puyang. Master Nian Duan and Miss Rong from the medical family also left at the same time."

"Miss Rong asked me to tell Xue Nu that she left without saying goodbye and that she was very sorry. She also invited Xue Nu to visit Jinghu Medical Manor when she had the chance."

After listening, Ya Fei's beautiful eyes lingered on Cao Ze for a moment.

"She must have invited you and Xue'er together, right?"

Cao Ze was stunned. Good heavens, they even know that?

Seeing Cao Ze in a daze, Ya Fei couldn't help but lightly cover her beautiful face, her body trembling with laughter.

Her voice was like that of a nightingale, clear and melodious.

Cao Ze stared intently at Ya Fei's half-curled smile, which was waving in front of him.

For a moment, Cao Ze couldn't help but feel a flutter in his heart.

He wondered if those glamorous ladies and pretty girls on the first floor were actually fairies in disguise.

But now, standing before him, Ya Fei, he was certain that this woman was indeed a vixen.

Chapter 146 Marrying Several Wives

When Ya Fei noticed that Cao Ze's gaze was becoming increasingly strange, she realized that she had been somewhat unrestrained just now.

However, she was, after all, a noblewoman who had experienced the ways of the world.

Although she realized she had lost her composure, she remained calm and elegant.

If she and Cao Ze hadn't been on the second-floor platform, with the first floor filled with wealthy ladies and young women from the city, she probably wouldn't have even bothered to pretend and would have made a good laugh at Cao Ze for being bewitched by her.

"Alright, stop staring at me like that. If Xue'er sees this, she'll get jealous again."

Cao Ze chuckled awkwardly. He wasn't so sure he had lost his composure earlier; Ya Fei had been just too alluring.

In addition, my recent cultivation has been successful, and the Qi in my liver and kidneys is extremely abundant, even overflowing a little.

In other words, the water element within him, resembling the Pigsy from Journey to the West, is somewhat uncontrollable, making him prone to breaking the rules.

This is the "tragedy" of someone who primarily cultivates Yin Five Thunders, with the liver and kidney qi being the most revered among the five qi. One wrong move, and they can easily turn into a "pig" (a derogatory term for a man who is easily swayed and corrupted). It's so difficult for them!

Fortunately, he had enough rationality to balance things out, instead of acting like Zhang Lingyu, who, after breaking the rules, went straight to abstinence.

Because of a persistent mental block, he was unable to properly view human desires, which prevented him from showing his full potential despite his great talent.

But he was different; he understood the principle that it's better to guide than to block.

As long as one understands what is possible and impossible, just like the pig "Wuneng," and can restrain oneself, indulging appropriately like "Brother Pig" will not only not ruin one's cultivation, but will actually promote the improvement of one's cultivation.

Just like the monkey causing havoc in the Heavenly Palace, if it doesn't release the fiery energy in its heart and lungs, it will truly become useless.

However, merely venting anger without undergoing any tempering or refinement is still of no benefit to spiritual practice.

Just as spoiling a child will only result in a spoiled brat.

Therefore, after causing havoc in the Heavenly Palace, the monkey was imprisoned under the Five Fingers Mountain for five hundred years, enduring wind and sun, and eating iron and copper to temper his mind.

Ultimately, after Sanzang arrived, the monkey's level of understanding advanced further.

Understand the Three Treasures: concealing oneself, concealing one's true self, and concealing one's heart.

If one knows that one's actions are not in one's own hands, and one's mind is not in one's own hands, then one's actions will also be difficult to control.

They no longer blindly charge forward, but know how to use strategy to call for reinforcements and flexibly employ various means.

Therefore, he sometimes takes the initiative to relax his sexual desires.

Just like when Sanzang met Bajie and married Gao Cuilan in Gao Village.

By employing certain methods, one can enable the Qi of the liver and kidneys to circulate more smoothly.

Instead of enduring it, worrying about being seen as a perverted lecher in the eyes of others, which would hinder one's own spiritual practice.

Of course, he wouldn't force it like he did with Zhu Bajie when Sanzang first met him.

Not only is it not beautiful, it also does little to improve the cultivation of liver and kidney qi.

What he needs to do is to be like Pigsy after he has obtained the Buddhist scriptures, still loving beautiful women, but having learned to restrain himself and no longer forcing others.

Just like in spiritual practice, a balance of tension and relaxation is the key.

If you hold it in for too long, you'll end up like a monkey causing havoc in the Heavenly Palace, only to be suppressed and tempered.

Just like Marshal Tianpeng, who dared to defy the Jade Emperor and flirt with Chang'e, he was demoted to a pig to undergo tribulations and trials.

Therefore, the ancients were very friendly to cultivators who cultivated the Qi of the liver and kidneys.

As long as you can control yourself, as long as you understand what you can and cannot do.

Marrying multiple wives can easily resolve the occasional overflow of liver and kidney qi, without worrying about the consequences of qi stagnation.

In short, it means that the body is controlled by oneself, and one's mind is controlled by oneself.

In modern scientific theory, this means developing self-control from the id and pursuing the superego.

This was also the source of his motivation to get married.

It satisfies my fondness for beautiful women and also promotes my cultivation—why not?

To slightly cover up his embarrassment, Cao Ze changed the subject and asked, "How did Your Highness know that Miss Rong invited me and Xue Nu?"

Consort Ya paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "As for how I knew that Rong'er had invited you and Xue'er..."

Cao Ze looked at Ya Fei's pretty face and his curiosity was piqued.

"Of course it's a guess."

Ya Fei couldn't help but laugh again, feeling quite pleased with herself for fooling Cao Ze.

Cao Ze opened his mouth slightly, almost uttering a phrase from the classic Chinese novel to Ya Fei.

"...Your Highness is very perceptive."

Ya Fei composed herself, but a faint smile still lingered on her pretty face.

"Rong'er knows that you and Xue'er are close, and she also knows that Xue'er likes you. She invited Xue'er to Mirror Lake Medical Manor, so naturally she would invite you as well."

Ya Fei gave a brief explanation, then glanced at the two pretty young women who had returned downstairs together, and said, "Alright, Xue'er and Li Ji are back. Let's not stay here any longer."

Cao Ze shrugged, not surprised by the explanation.

What frustrates him a little is that Ya Fei seems to be deliberately avoiding close contact with him now because of the Snow Maiden.

But why do I still remind him from time to time?

He had no idea whether Ya Fei was trying to flirt with him or was testing him on behalf of her innocent best friend, Xue Nu.

Should we find out more?

Cao Ze, Ya Fei, Xue Nu, and Li Ji arrived at the elegant room on the second floor.

In the separate room, Xue Nu taught Li Ji how to change into her dance costume and put on her accessories, just like Ya Fei had taught her back then. She was told to dress up beautifully first, so that she would have the motivation to learn to dance.

Ya Fei and Cao Ze sat facing each other at the tea table, waiting for Xue Nu and Li Ji to change their clothes.

Cao Ze twitched his nose slightly and smelled a peculiar fragrance.

"What kind of tea is this?"

Ya Fei slowly sipped her tea, reciting, "Snow-capped Silver Shuttle."