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

She never imagined that the Jingni she had always admired had fallen to such a state!

Cao Ze chuckled twice, "Stop with the goodness, let's get started."

Jingni whispered, "I'm on my period, so don't be as noisy as before."

"Okay, I'll let you get some rest early tonight."

Li Wu witnessed everything and was instantly furious.

To help Li Wu learn better, Cao Ze and Jing Ni adjusted the angle of their dance.

After Cao Ze finished making the salamander, he pinched Li Wu's little face, who was still in a daze.

"Come on, give it a try."

Li Wu quickly regretted not resisting.

Her pretty face flushed red.

He exchanged a glance with Jingni, and almost made her dig a hole and bury him right then and there.

Outside, the cold wind howled and the north wind whistled.

The moon rises above the center of the sky, the Milky Way flows westward, and the red-roofed room in the small courtyard is Wuye.

Li Wu swore that she truly felt she was about to die at some point.

Jingni looked at Li Wu strangely.

It can't be that bad, she can handle it.

Looking at Jingni's puzzled little eyes, Li Wu said indignantly, "Go to sleep!"

Chapter 150 The Legendary Sword Technique Struck by Lightning

Time flies, and it's already late December.

Cao Ze once again left the gentle embrace of Jing Ni and Li Wu feeling refreshed.

The two-week-long Hundred Schools of Thought Conference will conclude today.

He spent three or four consecutive days giving lectures on authoritarianism and productivity at the Hundred Schools Forum, which almost turned the forum into his personal showcase.

In other words, who else but Zhanlu Sword, the sword of benevolence and virtue, is the prize?

The scene of the Hundred Schools of Thought meeting.

Compared to the first few days of the Hundred Schools Society, the last few days were filled with lectures by Cao Ze, and the Hundred Schools Forum was packed with students of the Hundred Schools Society and merchants who wanted to get their hands on the first-hand "Journey to the West".

There weren't many merchants who originally made a profit from this, since literacy was a high barrier to entry.

But no one expected that the spread of "Journey to the West" would be so rapid.

In less than six months, the news spread to the major towns of the seven kingdoms through various channels.

Through word of mouth, storytelling by wandering knights, and peddling by merchants... if a person traveling the world doesn't mention "Journey to the West" when they meet, they're basically considered ignorant.

Therefore, even many illiterate people can recite several passages.

For a businessman with a keen sense of profit, how could he easily let go of such a big opportunity?

You should know that there is no such thing as copyright in this era.

In addition, books were very expensive, and many noble families did not have tens of thousands of books.

Borrowing books, as a low-cost means of acquiring knowledge, became almost a must for most scholars and nobles.

However, these are still quite difficult for ordinary people to borrow money from, since not everyone is willing to lend it.

The prejudice of the nobility against the lower classes is almost an insurmountable mountain.

Therefore, shrewd businessmen have already made arrangements, spending a lot of money to have the copies copied, lending them to scholars and nobles on one hand, and hiring storytellers to perform them on the other, making money from both sides and not losing money on either side.

Cao Ze stepped onto the lecture platform and couldn't help but smile as he looked at the dozen or so guys sitting cross-legged on the snowy ground outside, ready to copy at any moment.

Merchants seek profit, he seeks fame.

He never minded others profiting from "Journey to the West," as he never considered it to be his exclusive property.

Prince Jia was in excellent spirits and was very fortunate that Cao Ze was in Handan; otherwise, he would have been humiliated at the Hundred Schools of Thought meeting and might have even been ridiculed by the other states.

"Mr. Cao Ze".

Zhao Jia went over and shook Cao Ze's hand, then addressed the disciples of the Hundred Schools Forum, saying, "Mr. Cao Ze is the best speaker at this year's Hundred Schools Forum. Do you all agree?"

The disciples of all the schools had already been impressed by Cao Ze dozens of times; who would dare to step forward at this moment?

Zhuang Zihan, a Confucian scholar, declared loudly, "We are all convinced that Mr. Cao Ze has won the award!"

He has now become almost Cao Ze's most loyal supporter.

I wonder how many disciples from various families, including his own Xiaoshengxianzhuang, were insulted by the fact that his mother and wife fell into the water at the same time.

Most of the disciples of the Hundred Schools responded to Zihan's words.

The students who had spent half a year studying in Handan were especially excited.

Those who haven't experienced it firsthand can hardly understand the excitement of witnessing the birth of a legend.

The scene was almost like a nuclear fission process; within a few breaths, it was already bustling with noise, and all sorts of praise were hurled at Cao Ze.

The person involved was completely stunned by the impact.

Cao Ze thought to himself, "Is this really necessary?"

However, it feels really great to be a big star.

Immediately, he skillfully knocked away Zhao Jia's hand, which had been holding his.

I don't know which unscrupulous person spread the rumor in Handan that Li Zuoche had the tastes of Lord Longyang and the King of Wei.

He didn't want to be misunderstood like Li Zuoche; he needed to "keep himself clean" now.

Seeing that the situation was about to get out of control, Zhao Jia said, "Mr. Fu Nian."

Fu Nian, the eldest disciple of the Confucian Little Sage Village, stepped forward and softly exclaimed, "Propriety!"

Master Kong Chuan of the Zisi School has left, as has Senior Gongsun Long. Mu Xuzi is merely an elder of the Taoist Human Sect, and almost all the other representatives of the Hundred Schools of Thought feel uncomfortable.

He was arguably the person of the highest status present.

Of course, they must uphold the rules, which is what they consider etiquette.

The aura of a half-step grandmaster was still quite strong. As soon as the five-word mantra of Confucianism was uttered, the scene instantly quieted down.

Just as Zhao Jia was about to say something, he suddenly looked up at the somewhat gloomy sky, where snowflakes were melting and slowly drifting down.

"Snowing."

Guo Kai, who had been standing to the side, spoke up at this moment: "Your Highness, please finish this soon. The King is still waiting for Mr. Cao Ze to come to the palace."

What he didn't say was that he was now extremely jealous of Cao Ze.

He had worked hard to climb to a high position, wanting a good reputation and to become a famous prime minister, but instead he became known as a treacherous prime minister, and his reputation was almost ruined throughout the Zhao state.

Cao Ze is just a little learned, so why is he more famous and better than him?

He was not convinced!

They couldn't stand seeing Cao Ze continue to receive praise here.

Zhao Jia frowned. Considering that his father was still recovering from his illness, the fact that he agreed to see Cao Ze was already a testament to his efforts over the past few days.

Whether Mr. Cao Ze can successfully enter the imperial court depends on today; there is indeed no time to lose.

"Master Fu Nian, please bring me the Sword of Benevolence."

Zhao Jia immediately gave the order to keep everything simple and to send Cao Ze to see his father first.

Cao Ze frowned slightly, not expecting Zhao Yan to meet him at this time.

Since Gongsun Yu persuaded Zhao Yan, according to the information he received from the Empress, Zhao Yan's condition has worsened due to the increased cold weather.

At this time, apart from Zhao Yan's personal attendant Han Cang, almost all the ministers had difficulty seeing Zhao Yan.

Fu Nian held the sword box in both hands and solemnly walked up to Cao Ze.

"Please keep this sword of benevolence safe, sir."

Cao Ze took the Zhanlu sword and couldn't resist drawing it.

The longsword was entirely black, with an ancient and simple design. Its blade was sharp, yet it exuded no murderous aura whatsoever.

"A fine sword!"

He couldn't help but shout, completely banishing the thought of using the Zhanlu sword as a fire poker.

However, to Cao Ze's surprise, right after he shouted, a clap of thunder accompanied by a flurry of snow came rolling in.

In his mind, he instantly recalled Zhao Jia's words about Zhang Yi being struck dead by lightning, which almost made him throw the Zhanlu sword a hundred and eight thousand miles away.

Seeing Cao Ze's expression change several times, Zhao Jia quickly asked, "What's wrong, sir?"

Cao Ze composed himself and forced a smile, "It's nothing, it's just that I heard from the Crown Prince that the previous owner of the Zhanlu Sword, Zhang Yi, was struck by lightning and died, which is a bit..."

Zhao Jia opened his mouth, wanting to tell Cao Ze that it was something he made up on the spot, but he didn't want the Confucianists and the School of Names to start arguing on the very first day of the course.

Many people know that Zhang Yi died of illness in the State of Wei, and it is said that Luo Wang (a powerful military organization) personally witnessed it.

Fu Nianzheng said with a righteous air, "The benevolent are not worried, the wise are not confused, and the brave are not afraid. Why should you care about hearsay, sir?"

Cao Ze was slightly taken aback. Did this mean... it was fake?

He looked at the honest Zhao Jia.

Damn! I never expected you to be this kind of prince!

Zhao Jia chuckled awkwardly, then his expression turned serious.

"Zhanlu means deep black. It is the essence of the five metals and the spirit of the sun. It is divine when it comes out and awe-inspiring when worn."

"The Zhanlu sword is a perfect match for you, sir."

Cao Ze's mind was not on Zhao Jia's words.

Instead, he was carefully experiencing the Zhanlu Sword.