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

Mrs. Hu's clear, moist eyes were filled with unease.

"What book should we look for?" Cao Ze asked, pondering how to proceed.

It's impossible to silence them, but how to keep them quiet is the question.

"Looking for 'Dream of the Red Chamber,' the newly published book."

Madam Hu answered tremblingly, her delicate body shaking uncontrollably in Cao Ze's arms, her mind filled with too many terrifying rumors circulating in the streets.

It would be better to die, but if...

Overwhelmed with fear, Mrs. Hu's teeth chattered, and she tried to clench her lips tightly, but she couldn't manage it.

"Hmm?" Cao Ze was a little surprised. He recalled that he had just passed by Madam Hu's boudoir and realized that the book Madam Hu had been reading late into the night was "Dream of the Red Chamber".

He was not surprised by the result. The wealthy ladies of Handan, including Ya Fei and Xue Nu, often stayed up all night to watch it.

It is clear that in an era where serious books accounted for 99.9% and spiritual life was dull and boring, "Dream of the Red Chamber" was very attractive to these noble ladies and young women.

"Why aren't you reading in your room? What are you doing here?"

Madam Hu vaguely sensed that the man holding her didn't seem to have any intention to kill her, and her tense nerves relaxed a little, but she was still nervous and uneasy.

"I... I've finished reading it, but I can't sleep, so I came to get some more..."

Cao Ze smiled helplessly, "Madam has given me a difficult problem."

He held the somewhat weak-kneed Madam Hu in one arm, looked around, and then closed the door to the secret room.

It was only then that Lady Hu noticed that the study, which had always been used to store books and scrolls, actually contained a secret room.

"This..." Madam Hu looked up and met Cao Ze's gaze for a moment, then quickly said, "Don't worry, I'll keep it a secret. I won't tell anyone. I trust Liu Yi..."

At this point, Madam Hu suddenly fell silent, still unaware of Cao Ze's purpose.

Cao Ze and Liu Yi addressed each other as brothers; what good could they possibly be?

Thinking of this, Madam Hu couldn't help but feel despair.

Cao Ze chuckled and said, "Madam has a strong will to survive, doesn't she? Is it because you can't bear to part with your daughter whom you haven't found yet? Do you want to find her?"

After thinking it over, he realized that only Nongyu could keep it absolutely secret from Madam Hu and help him conceal it.

Mrs. Hu suddenly froze, as if her mind had been hit by a missile. A loud "boom" and a violent ringing in her ears made her heart pound.

The thumping of her heart almost made her forget the despair and danger.

She suddenly grabbed Cao Ze's collar, looked him straight in the eyes, and said in a trembling voice, "You...you know where my daughter is?"

Cao Ze hadn't expected Madam Hu's reaction to be so intense, which made him feel a little embarrassed.

In the middle of the night, to leave such a frail and vulnerable young woman feeling fear, shock, and excitement all at once—if she were to choke on her breath, that would be a terrible thing.

"Madam, please calm down. I do know your daughter's whereabouts. May I put my hand down for now?"

Cao Ze was being held by the collar by Madam Hu, who was gently comforting him to prevent her from being further agitated.

After calming down, Mrs. Hu gradually realized her current situation.

She was gripping Cao Ze's collar, unsure whether to let go or not, and was frozen in place.

Cao Ze gently patted Madam Hu's hand. "Don't worry, Madam. I have no intention of harming you. If I wanted to kill you to silence you, I wouldn't have wasted my breath talking to you or revealing the whereabouts of your daughter to you."

Madam Hu's grip on Cao Ze's collar loosened, and the tense expression on her pretty face relaxed a little.

She was about to ask Cao Ze a question.

"Shh," Cao Ze put his index finger to his lips, "Someone's coming."

Madam Hu's expression stiffened for a moment, then she quickly stood up and turned her head in a panic, "Hide quickly..."

Cao Ze has already disappeared from Madam Hu's side.

An unprecedented sense of panic spread through Mrs. Hu's heart.

"Mr. Cao Ze, where are you? Have you left...?"

Madam Hu's lips trembled as she searched for Cao Ze in the darkness, yet she dared not call out loudly.

“Hey, Madam, I’m up here.” Cao Ze lay on the roof beam, turning his head to look at Madam Hu below. “Don’t expose us.”

Just as he finished speaking, the door creaked open again. "Madam, are you inside? Isn't there a light?"

When the maid Xiaolan saw that the lady had only gone to get a book but had not returned for a long time, she came over to check on the situation.

Madam Hu gripped the extinguished bronze lamp base tightly, trying her best to calm the panic in her heart.

"I'm here. The light was accidentally blown out. You can go to bed now. You don't need to stay with me tonight. I'm going to look for some more books."

When the maid Xiaolan saw Madam Hu under the moonlight, she went over to help Madam Hu light the lamp.

"Yes, madam. You should also get some rest. Staying up late to read is bad for your health."

Xiao Lan offered a word of advice and then left the bookstore.

As her personal maid, she was already used to the lady reading all night long.

Cao Ze jumped down from the beam without making a sound.

Mrs. Hu breathed a sigh of relief. The brief incident that occurred tonight had shattered her sixteen years of peace, making it impossible for her to remain calm any longer.

"Mr. Cao Ze, my daughter..."

Looking at the bronze lamp that had been lit up again, Cao Ze said in a low voice, "This is not the place to talk."

Madam Hu immediately said, "Go to my room."

Seeing Cao Ze pause for a moment, she pursed her thin, red lips and said, "Well, I didn't mean anything by it. My place is quite secluded."

She and Liu Yi slept in separate rooms. In order to avoid seeing Liu Yi as much as possible, she always lived in the side room on the west side, which was directly opposite Liu Yi's main room on the east side.

Her sister had suggested several times that she switch rooms with Liu Yi.

However, she did not want to have much contact with Liu Yi, and since the west wing was secluded and rarely visited by people, which suited her temperament, she declined her sister's offer to personally intervene.

Cao Ze was not a hesitant person, but he was somewhat surprised by Madam Hu's audacity; she really wasn't afraid of letting a wolf into the house.

But when he thought of Madam Hu's longing for her daughter, he understood.

Chapter 239 Madam, you...

Madam Hu's boudoir was simple and elegant, with green and blue accents, which was almost in line with her aesthetic sense in clothing.

Cao Ze sat on the edge of Madam Hu's couch, took a sip of the warm tea that Madam Hu brought him.

"The tea soup is refreshing, just like the lady's elegant nature, and also like the lady's daughter's temperament."

Madam Hu clutched the hem of her emerald green dress, her eagerness palpable in her eyes.

"Sir, where is my daughter? Is she...is she doing well?"

Cao Ze smiled and said, "Don't worry, she's doing very well, and she has a loving older sister."

"elder sister?"

"Yes, her adoptive parents passed away early, and her sister took her in."

"Thank goodness, thank goodness..." Mrs. Hu murmured to herself, praying for her daughter in her heart.

She calmed down, and reason prevailed.

"How can you be sure it's my daughter, sir?"

Cao Ze paused for a moment, then said, “Originally I wasn’t sure either, but after seeing the Fire Rain Agate that Madam was wearing, which was exactly the same as the one your daughter was wearing, I began to guess. After testing her just now, it is indeed true. The Fire Rain Agate is a token that you and your daughter used to recognize each other.”

Madam Hu held her breath, afraid of uttering a single word.

Yes, that's right.

The same Fire Rain Agate as hers was known only to her younger sister; even Liu Yi was unaware of it.

Wait, how did Cao Ze know that I have a daughter who has been lost for many years?

Very few people should know about this.

Mrs. Hu asked the question.

Cao Ze sighed inwardly. Madam Hu was indeed quiet and gentle, but she was not an easily fooled naive and innocent person.

"It was what Brother Liu said when he was drunk. I doubt even he knows what he said."

Cao Ze casually added fuel to the fire for Liu Yi, who was already being cuckolded.

He was quite confident that Madam Hu wouldn't ask Liu Yi; she probably wouldn't even find it disgusting to ask.

Madam Hu felt relieved and said apologetically, "It was my fault for being so talkative."

Cao Ze replied cheerfully, "It's alright, I just love my daughter dearly."

Mrs. Hu's heart tightened. "Then, sir, could you tell me where my daughter is? I can give you money, lots and lots of money. Whatever you need, I can do for you. Even if I can't, my sister is Lady Hu; she can definitely do it, as long as you tell me..."

By the end, Mrs. Hu was almost incoherent.

Cao Ze hesitated for a moment and said, "I can't tell you now."

"why?"

Madam Hu almost screamed, but Cao Ze, noticing something was wrong, covered her mouth.

Only sobbing remained.

Madam Hu's eyes welled up with tears, which streamed down her cheeks and landed on Cao Ze's hand.

Having finally learned of her daughter's whereabouts, she couldn't wait a moment longer and longed to see her.

When she suddenly heard that it wouldn't work, she almost broke down.

Cao Ze whispered, "Don't panic, don't expose us. I will reunite you and your daughter."

Madam Hu blinked, her pretty face streaked with tears. Cao Ze instinctively wiped her face, but Madam Hu was lost in her emotions and didn't notice the ambiguity in their conversation.

"gentlemen……"

Cao Ze sighed softly, "I also want to tell you now, but I can't. Telling you now would not help you, but would harm you and your daughter."

Mrs. Hu stood there stunned. "What happened? Is she... in danger?"