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

Zhao Yan closed his eyes and remained silent; he had spoken with countless ministers and capable individuals.

The biggest advantage of Qin over the other six states was that it had no hereditary nobles to hinder it.

However, it was difficult for the six states to eliminate them.

Because they were practically the foundation upon which the six states existed, and no old nobles were willing to spend money to supply provisions and fight the Qin army to the death, it would have been almost impossible for the royal family to issue decrees beyond the capital.

"Would you be willing to become my Lord Shang?"

Cao Ze's lips twitched slightly as he thought of how Shang Yang died.

Be your Shang Jun?

I'd rather just keep making hats for you.

At least making a hat won't get you torn apart by a car, right?

Cao Ze feigned a sigh and said, "This path is extremely difficult, like scraping bone to heal a wound. I can be like Lord Shang, but does Your Majesty dare to make up your mind?"

"Otherwise, no matter how many ideas I offer, it will only be empty talk that invites ridicule."

Zhao Yan remained silent for a long time, then waved his hand and said, "I am tired, you may leave."

He knew very well that if the status quo was maintained, the State of Zhao still had hope; if reforms were implemented, the State of Zhao would likely perish even before the State of Han.

Perhaps when our ancestor King Wuling was alive, there was still hope for the reforms to succeed.

……

Chapter 152 Strong Support

Cao Ze retrieved the Zhanlu Sword and left leisurely.

After escorting Cao Ze out of the house, she stopped at the porch and stared intently at him with her phoenix eyes.

"Why do you refuse, sir? If you accept, the king might immediately bestow upon you a great reward."

Cao Ze patted the empress's pert buttocks, which caused the empress to show dissatisfaction on the surface, but she was very pleased in her heart.

"How can I agree? The king wants me to become Lord Shang, and everyone in the seven kingdoms knows what happened to Lord Shang."

The Empress leaned against Cao Ze's chest and said in a low voice, "How could you possibly end up like Lord Shang? I'm here for you."

Cao Ze pinched the Queen's delicate, rounded chin and chuckled, "What's the point of being the King's Shang Yang? It's better to be the Queen's prime minister."

The queen scolded him lightly with a laugh, "You're such a chatterbox."

"If you want to become my prime minister, you must first make Qian'er the crown prince, so that I can poison Zhao Yan as soon as possible."

In the end, a hint of ruthlessness appeared in the Empress's eyes.

If Zhao Qian hadn't been the crown prince, she would have already taken advantage of Zhao Yan's illness in the dead of winter to feed him to death with medicinal soup, thus better concealing the truth from others.

Cao Ze chuckled, "Don't worry, with the Queen backing you up, you'll definitely become the Crown Prince."

The queen smiled sweetly and said to Cao Ze, "Yes, if it weren't for you, sir, how could the king have treated Qian'er so differently?"

"Sir, you must support me more in the future!"

The woman's soft, tingling laughter had a tone that made one want to commit a crime.

Confucius said: If this can be tolerated, what cannot be tolerated?

Cao Ze felt that as a man, there were some things he absolutely could not tolerate.

He patted the queen's head.

He chuckled afterward.

She and Cao Ze had slept together countless times.

It's very clear what this little man wants.

She gathered her skirt and gracefully knelt on the cold wooden board.

Having been through many trials, she easily found the source of her joy.

Cao Ze squinted his eyes.

Watching the snowflakes still dancing outside the window was extremely enjoyable.

I really want to sing a song and compose a poem on the spot.

Unfortunately, the location limited his ability to perform at his best.

After a cup of tea.

After drinking the tea brewed by Cao Ze, she gracefully and dignifiedly led Cao Ze back to the main hall.

Compared to the composed Guo Kai, Zhao Jia immediately stepped forward, his eyes filled with anticipation, and said, "Sir..."

Cao Ze coughed lightly, pretending not to notice.

Seeing Cao Ze's gesturing look, Zhao Jia remembered that the Queen and Guo Kai were still there, and he couldn't reveal that Cao Ze was on his side.

Guo Kai frowned slightly as he watched Zhao Jia and Cao Ze leave the main hall of Longtai Palace one after the other, sensing that something was amiss.

"Your Majesty, do you think Cao Ze is truly trustworthy?"

He really couldn't believe that Cao Ze was acting so skillfully just to lull Prince Jia into a false sense of security.

The Empress's pretty face turned slightly cold. "Does the Prime Minister doubt my judgment?"

"I have said that Mr. Cao Ze is my man, and he is my man. He has always been silently supporting me. Prime Minister, are you perhaps trying to sow discord with your words?"

Guo Kai was speechless, "This..."

He simply couldn't understand why the Empress Dowager trusted Cao Ze so much.

He could tell at a glance that Cao Ze was a smart man, and a very knowledgeable one at that. Why would someone like that easily choose to join them?

The Empress gently pinched her orchid-like fingers, her beautiful eyes gazing leisurely out of the hall, seemingly still longing for Cao Ze.

"It has not been easy for you, sir, to gain Zhao Jia's trust. The Prime Minister should be understanding of your situation."

Guo Kai remained silent. He was to ask Cao Ze to be understanding? But who would be understanding?

This kid has caused him no end of trouble.

"Your Majesty, there are some things we must be wary of."

Guo Kai had to emphasize the seriousness of the matter, "If Cao Ze harbors malicious intentions, we will all be buried with him."

The Empress Dowager scoffed, "With me here, he wouldn't dare."

She had just drunk Cao Ze's tea twice.

In addition to their countless previous interactions, if Cao Ze dared to betray her, she would definitely not be the first to die.

Guo Kai dared not be ambiguous about this; he had to get to the bottom of it today and get a convincing reason from the Empress.

"Please explain this to me clearly, Your Majesty, otherwise I will not be able to work with peace of mind on behalf of His Highness Qian."

The queen whispered, "You dare!"

Guo Kai met the Empress's gaze without fear. He had climbed step by step from the bottom to his current position, and he wasn't easily intimidated.

Empress Chang harbored murderous intent. She had originally thought about how she would compensate Guo Kai if Cao Ze were to rise to power and become prime minister, but now it seemed that she could forget about it.

But Guo Kai still has a lot of value to her, so she can't just get rid of him directly.

She softened her tone and said, "Prime Minister, there is no need to worry. Mr. Cao Ze is truly my man. I have always had leverage over him."

Guo Kai's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "What leverage?"

He couldn't help but think of how he had reminded the Queen a few months ago not to use the same trick on Cao Zeru and Chun Ping, lest he displease the King.

It seems that something happened that I was unaware of, which allowed the Empress to capture Cao Ze, who at the time had little reputation or influence.

It seems this woman has good judgment; she can see Cao Ze's potential and won him over early on.

I just don't know how they managed to win it.

The Empress Dowager said ambiguously, "The Prime Minister should have guessed that he now shares our fate, whether it be prosperity or ruin. Even if there are any disagreements between him and the Prime Minister, in the end it is all for the sake of me and Qian'er."

"Does Your Excellency understand?"

Guo Kai was dumbfounded; he didn't understand a thing!

You can't possibly have slept with Cao Ze!

The thought that the Empress might be playing with Cao Ze made Guo Kai feel numb.

Is this woman brainless?

Did you find a gigolo around this time?

Once Zhao Yan dies and Zhao Qian becomes King of Zhao, you can have as many children as you want without anyone interfering.

but now!

Guo Kai said with a serious expression, "Your Majesty, could it be that you and Cao Ze..."

The Empress's eyes flickered slightly. "Prime Minister, you must understand that some things cannot be said without evidence. Don't say you weren't warned."

Guo Kai took a deep breath. He was very irritable with such a terrible teammate, one he couldn't even kick out.

Unexpectedly, the Empress and Cao Ze were indeed having an affair.

He and the Empress had conspired in too many shady dealings, and even plotted against Zhao Yan many times. Their interests were so intertwined that they truly shared both glory and ruin.

Otherwise, he really would have considered cutting off his own arm.

He really wanted to ask the Empress and Cao Ze how far they had progressed.

If nothing that shouldn't have happened has happened yet, then get rid of Cao Ze.

But after thinking it over, he finally gave up asking any further questions.

He knew the Empress's temperament all too well; the only thing he didn't know was how many times Cao Ze had given Zhao Yan his hat.

After Guo Kai took his leave of the hostess and left the main hall, a cold wind blew him away, and he suddenly realized something.

He couldn't help but let out a cold laugh.

Unexpectedly, Cao Ze would fall into the hands of the Empress.