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

She suddenly straightened her upper body, opened her large, bright eyes, and slightly parted her small, rosy lips: "...Who did you just say died?"

"Cao Ze".

Who wrote *Dream of the Red Chamber*?

"Cao Ze?"

Has he finished writing?

"No. He said there were dozens more times."

"So, I can't see Daiyu behind me?"

"I think so."

"..."

"Ahhh!"

Honglian clutched her head in despair, crying out in anguish, "Why did he have to die?!"

……

mid-October.

Beyond the Great Wall of Zhao, the army led by Hu Ji suffered nearly half its losses, and seeing that snow was about to fall on the grasslands and winter was approaching, they had no choice but to retreat.

With so many deaths, there was no need to risk plundering on the Qin-Zhao border.

The woman rode a white horse, clattering along on the yellow sand.

As the sun gradually set, she suddenly turned halfway around and gazed at the Great Wall of Zhao.

She received a secret message from the Central Plains that Cao Ze had been assassinated by assassins from the Qin state's Luo Wang (Net of Heaven), with Zhao state's prime minister Guo Kai suspected of involvement.

Luo Wang, Guo Kai...

Hu Ji's beautiful eyes were half-closed, and she secretly vowed that she would rule the Central Plains in her lifetime.

Firstly, to avenge Cao Ze, and secondly, to fulfill her ambitions.

Nomin rode his horse to Hu Ji, dismounted, knelt on one knee, and reported: "Your Majesty, we have found an old man from the Western Regions who is skilled in mechanical arts. He calls himself Old Man Lü and is looking for something. I promised to help him find it, and he has agreed to join the royal court."

A charming smile appeared on Hu Ji's beautiful, aloof face.

“Well done. Send the palace guards to keep a close watch on him and protect him.”

She had already experienced firsthand the power of the Central Plains' mechanical arts.

He even personally consulted Cao Ze about this matter, and spent a lot of time explaining it to him.

Thinking of this, Hu Ji couldn't help but lick her rosy lips.

It was his taste, the taste that she and her sister still fondly remember.

"Yes."

Nuomin turned and left, and Hu Ji withdrew her gaze from the Central Plains, looking towards the Western Regions.

The man who had traveled far and wide once said that the West also possessed countless riches, no less prosperous than the Central Plains.

She can't beat the people of the Central Plains now, but surely she can beat the Kunlun people, the Yuezhi people, and the Indians?

She wants to conquer the West; she wants to come back and fight her way back!

"drive!"

Hu Ji brandished her whip and galloped wildly towards the setting sun, followed by dozens of female wolf guards protecting their queen.

……

In late October, the weather was exceptionally cold.

Han Fei sneezed all the way, and after a long and winding journey, he led Cao Ze and Cheng Jiao to the outskirts of Xinzheng City.

Yan Lingji, standing on the donkey cart behind the trio, looked excited.

We're finally almost there! I'm finally not going to have to share a car with that cold woman with the baby every day anymore.

She was never one to sit still and was always restless; if she continued to spend time with Jingni like this, she would definitely go crazy.

Han Fei, looking dejected and with his neck hunched, rode his half-drunk white horse, probably having caught a cold.

“Young Master Chengjiao, Mr. Cao Ze, I have a secluded and quiet villa in the city. Not many people know about it. You two may stay here for the time being.”

For him, the most important thing to arrange now is Chengjiao.

This little cousin is a double-edged sword; he must not be detected by those with ulterior motives in Qin and Han unless absolutely necessary.

Cao Ze glanced at the Zilan Pavilion next to him, shrugged, and said, "I won't stay there. I know people who have places to stay."

Zi Nu said that he could live in Zi Lan Xuan for free indefinitely, so why not take the opportunity?

We can't let Zi Nu Nong Yu and her sisters-in-law be too lonely.

Han Fei looked at Cao Ze in surprise. "You've never been to Xinzheng before, who do you know?"

Just as he was about to ask, a clear, melodious, and very familiar girl's voice rang out.

"elder brother?"

"Ah!"

Han Fei jolted awake and sneezed loudly again.

"Ah, it really is my brother!"

Honglian skipped over, overjoyed, and exclaimed, "You're finally back!"

"The palace sent more than a dozen squads of imperial guards to pick you up and look for you, but they couldn't find you. I've been worried about you every day."

Han Fei quickly glanced at Cao Ze and the masked man Cheng Jiao behind him, feeling extremely guilty.

He urged, "You must hurry back to the palace; the palace curfew is about to begin."

Cao Ze found it strange. If he wasn't mistaken, Honglian seemed to have come out of the side door of Zilan Pavilion.

A princess ran into Zilan Pavilion?

He looked up to the sky and sighed, wondering if Wei Zhuang had made his move beforehand.

What a beast! No wonder he became a zoo director!

Honglian was stunned, never expecting her brother to be so perfunctory.

There were tears welling up in her eyes. "If my brother is going to treat me like this, he might as well just ignore me. It makes me seem like I'm being unreasonable."

Honglian's words immediately immobilized Cao Ze for three seconds.

It sounds familiar; I've vaguely heard or seen it somewhere before.

"Brother Han, didn't you say you didn't have a younger sister?"

Cao Ze activated the Moon Goddess's exclusive skill—Yin Yang Wei Qi (a kind of sarcastic or unpleasant tone).

Han Fei scratched his head, embarrassed, and said, "This, this..."

He looked at Cao Ze on his left and Cheng Jiao on his right, feeling a pang of pain at being surrounded by men.

Honglian was startled, and the little pearl fell down uncontrollably.

"If I had known you were coming back today, I wouldn't have come."

Cao Ze blinked. Yes, that's the feeling! My dear Lin Daiyu!

After being told what Honglian said, Han Fei really wanted to ask Cao Ze and Cheng Jiao to bury him on the spot and erect a monument.

"Honglian, that's not what I meant, you've misunderstood. I just... I just... it's getting dark, and I was worried about your safety..."

Han Fei was like someone who couldn't swim falling into the water, struggling desperately.

Honglian wiped her eyes and said in a flat tone, "This makes it seem like it's your sister's fault."

Han Fei was shocked. Was this still his innocent and silly sister?

A few words from him made him feel so ashamed that he wanted to draw his sword and kill himself on the spot to prove his innocence.

Cao Ze was equally shocked. Could it be that this was still the energetic and beautiful princess he knew?

He had initially thought that Honglian was deliberately imitating Lin Daiyu's speech, but now it seemed...

Wow~ This is Lin Daiyu channeling her spirit, transforming into Lin the Critic.

Don't get so deeply involved! How will he collect the interest?

Because there were many people and eyes in the city, Cheng Jiao could not speak, but his eyes were full of pity when he looked at Han Fei.

He suddenly understood why Han Fei went to Xiaoshengxianzhuang in Qi to study, and even after being buried by him and his brother Cao, he insisted that he had no younger sister.

If it were him, he would also have to sever his sibling relationship with his sister much earlier.

Not for any other reason than to live two more years and not die from being stifled.

But Han Fei was Han Fei; his observational skills were first-rate.

Seeing that Cao Ze and Cheng Jiao were indifferent to the matter, he started racking his brains.

Suddenly, he looked at the Purple Orchid Pavilion, which was decorated with red lanterns and had purple curtains fluttering outside the pavilion.

Just now… Han Fei thought about it carefully.

His sister, who's known for her sharp tongue, seems to have come from the small door of Zilan Pavilion...

He instantly recalled the basic information about Zilanxuan, which was the most luxurious den of extravagance in Xinzheng.

In his mind, it was basically no different from the brothels he frequented in Sanghai where he listened to music.

His expression changed. "Honglian, what are you doing at Zilan Pavilion?"

Honglian was struck on her vital spot, and immediately reverted to her true nature, causing Lin Daiyu to temporarily disappear.

"Um, um... I was just curious and wanted to take a look."

The guilty look in her expression and tone practically screamed, "There's a problem."

Han Fei pressed his advantage: "What are you looking at here for? If your father finds out, I guarantee you won't be able to leave the palace for at least six months."

Honglian exclaimed "Ah!" and said coquettishly, "Brother..."