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

"Your Highness, the Empress and the Princess are chatting in the pavilion."

A palace maid spoke to Han Fei.

Han Fei said in a deep voice, "Please inform them that Han Fei requests an audience."

"Yes."

Cao Ze hesitated and asked, "Is there a problem?"

Han Fei smiled bitterly and shook his head without saying a word. How could he tell Cao Ze about his family's shameful affairs?

After a short while, the palace maid returned.

"Please, Ninth Young Master."

Cao Ze entered through the moon gate, passed through the corridor, and entered Hu Meiren's back garden.

On the slightly dried-up pond in the garden, Hu Meiren and Princess Honglian were chatting and laughing under the water pavilion.

Han Fei muttered to himself, "How strange, how strange, this is truly bizarre..."

When the charming Princess Honglian saw Han Fei coming, she waved her hand repeatedly: "Brother, over here."

Cao Ze and Han Fei in the past.

They bowed to Lady Hu together.

Hu Meiren smiled and said, "No need for formalities."

Honglian then noticed the person next to Han Fei, who was exceptionally handsome and had a refined and elegant appearance, making her feel very comfortable looking at him.

"Brother, who is he?"

All she remembered was that a few days ago, when her brother returned to Xinzheng, this young man was riding a beautiful little mare beside him.

Han Fei hesitated for a moment, "His name is Cao Ze, a friend of my brother's, that necklace..."

Before Han Fei could finish speaking, Hong Lian suddenly exclaimed, "You're Cao Ze? You're not dead?"

She clearly heard Zi Nu say that Cao Ze died in the State of Zhao, so how did he suddenly appear in front of her?

Han Fei's eyes widened and his mouth opened slightly.

What the hell? My sister knows this guy?

Cao Ze thought to himself, "I'm not dead, but you've scared your brother to death."

Hu Meiren's beautiful eyes lingered on Cao Ze, and she was surprised to find that the handsome young man in front of her was Cao Ze.

In fact, her friendship with Princess Honglian began entirely thanks to Cao Ze's "Dream of the Red Chamber".

Yesterday, she heard from Honglian that "Dream of the Red Chamber" was written by Cao Ze, but that Cao Ze had died, and she felt a little sorry about it.

She smoothed her hair and said with a sweet smile, "Princess Honglian, you're perfectly fine. How could you be dead?"

Cao Ze couldn't help but take another look at Hu Meiren. Compared to her sister's dignified and quiet demeanor, Hu Meiren seemed to be a woman born with a seductive charm, alluring, gentle, and charming, extremely outstanding.

Honglian realized her lapse in composure, but still couldn't help but ask, "Are you really Cao Ze, the one who wrote 'Dream of the Red Chamber'?"

Cao Ze smiled and said, "It is indeed me."

"Oh, by the way, this is His Highness's necklace. It was taken by Brother Han back then..."

"Achoo! Achoo!" Han Fei sneezed twice in a hurry, and kept giving Cao Ze meaningful glances.

He was careless; he didn't collude with Cao Ze to give a false testimony.

Cao Ze paused for a moment and said, "Brother Han entrusted it to me for safekeeping, and I came to the palace today specifically to return it to its rightful owner."

Honglian clapped her hands and laughed, "Excellent! Excellent!"

Han Fei had just breathed a sigh of relief when he suddenly gasped for air.

What do you mean "great"? It's absolutely terrible!

"Well, the necklace has been delivered, Brother Cao, let's go."

Honglian's phoenix eyes widened slightly, and she pointed her slender finger at Cao Ze, saying crisply, "You leave, he stays!"

Han Fei's face turned green. This was his own sister?

"Da, da, da..."

Madam Mingzhu walked in with her hands folded in front of her lower abdomen, wearing black pointed-toe patterned high heels, exuding elegance and grace.

"Oh, my sister and Princess Honglian are both here."

Although she was talking about Honglian and Hu Meiren, her eyes were fixed on Cao Ze.

Her informant in the palace told her that Cao Ze had come to Consort Hu's quarters today.

To avoid Hu Meiren from doing anything, she decided to come on a whim. The only thing she didn't expect was that Honglian, who had never gotten along with Hu Meiren, was also there.

It seems that Hu Meiren is quite cunning.

Cao Ze glanced at Madam Mingzhu without leaving a trace, then looked at Consort Hu and Princess Honglian.

Goodness, is this what they mean by the family having to be all together?

……

Chapter 242 Please call me Cao Cao, I endorse myself.

After the early death of Han Fei and Hong Lian's mother, Lady Mingzhu became the nominal manager of the harem.

Hu Meiren stood up, gave a graceful bow, and said, "Sister has arrived, but you didn't even send someone to inform your younger sister so that I could go out and greet you."

Cao Ze and Han Fei followed suit and bowed, while Princess Honglian pouted and reluctantly bowed as well.

Madam Mingzhu looked at Hu Meiren, who was bowing to her, with her narrow phoenix eyes, and chuckled, "We are sisters, why be so polite? Let's sit together."

Hu Meiren paused slightly, feeling puzzled as to why Madam Mingzhu had come without informing her.

Although she and Lady Mingzhu had some disagreements in the palace, they maintained a harmonious facade, so she didn't say much.

Three beauties of different ages, temperaments, and styles sat under the pavilion, while Cao Ze and Han Fei stood.

Because Honglian didn't have a good impression of Madam Mingzhu, she directly said to Madam Mingzhu and Consort Hu, "I have other things to do."

"Brother, Cao Ze, let's go."

Lady Mingzhu raised her delicate eyebrows slightly, glanced at Cao Ze, and said softly, "If Her Highness has something to attend to, she may leave first. Please ask Mr. Cao Ze to stay."

Honglian immediately exclaimed, "No!"

"Oh? Why not? Could it be that Princess Honglian and Mr. Cao Ze have something going on..."

In the end, Madam Mingzhu laughed, her sexy and alluring long phoenix eyes adding a touch of seductive charm, making her even more beautiful.

Han Fei repeatedly said, "No, no, Madam is joking. My sister and Brother Cao just met once."

Hu Meiren remained silent, and based on her understanding of Madam Mingzhu, she had already guessed some of the reasoning.

The fact that Madam Mingzhu has suddenly come today is probably because she has an inextricable relationship with Cao Ze.

Recalling the various rumors about Cao Ze, Hu Meiren still couldn't quite understand why Madam Mingzhu had done this.

At least in her view, Cao Ze's greatest use to her was nothing more than his novels and poems, and at most, his handsome appearance was quite pleasing to the eye.

Madam Mingzhu chuckled and said, "That must be love at first sight. Princess Honglian seems to be of marriageable age."

Honglian, who had been all cute and fierce, ready to argue with Madam Mingzhu, suddenly fell silent.

Getting married? She has no desire to get married!

Madam Mingzhu waved her hand, "Since you have something to attend to, you may leave now."

Han Fei was more than happy to oblige, and immediately left with his younger sister and Cao Ze.

Lady Mingzhu turned her gaze to Consort Hu, who was dressed in a pink palace dress.

She gently reached out and placed her hand on the back of Hu Meiren's hand, lightly stroking Hu Meiren's delicate and smooth skin, and chuckled: "Little sister, you're taking better and better care of yourself, even I'm envious. I wonder what kind of magical method you've used."

Hu Meiren's eyes flickered slightly, and she smiled sweetly, "If you want to know, sister, I can teach you."

"Hehe, that's great, we sisters haven't chatted in ages."

"Yes, it is."

Madam Mingzhu and Consort Hu tested each other's attitudes.

"I didn't know that my younger sister and Honglian were so close. It's making my older sister jealous."

As Madam Mingzhu spoke, her tone shifted: "Alas~ Honglian is young, fiery-tempered, too naive, and spoiled. She always goes against me, her mother. I wonder how you, my sister, managed to reconcile with Honglian. Could you perhaps teach your elder sister a lesson?"

Hu Meiren pondered for a moment and said, "There is no magic method. It was just a coincidence that I gave Honglian some copies of 'Dream of the Red Chamber' written by Mr. Cao Ze."

"Was 'Dream of the Red Chamber' written by Mr. Cao Ze?"

Lady Mingzhu was truly surprised. Upon reflection, she realized that Cao Ze seemed to be the only person in the world capable of writing "Journey to the West" and "Dream of the Red Chamber."

Hu Meiren smiled sweetly and said, "Yes, if Madam wishes to please Princess Honglian, she can speak with Mr. Cao Ze."

She went along with it and curried favor with Madam Mingzhu.

They were not worried that Lady Mingzhu would take the opportunity to reconcile with Princess Honglian.

As long as Princess Honglian isn't stupid, as long as she's still obsessed with "Dream of the Red Chamber".

After seeing Cao Ze, they will definitely try to squeeze every last drop out of him and make him completely drained.

Lady Mingzhu's attempt to curry favor with Princess Honglian was futile.

Madam Mingzhu nodded slightly, quite pleased with Consort Hu's tact.

She could tolerate Hu Meiren for two reasons: firstly, she needed Hu Meiren to help her confuse the outside world, and secondly, Hu Meiren was sensible enough to know her place and wouldn't easily do or take things she shouldn't.

……

Han Fei followed behind his younger sister and Cao Ze, looking constipated.

Listening to my younger sister chattering excitedly to Cao Ze, discussing the characters and stories in that lousy "Dream of the Red Chamber," I felt extremely uncomfortable and uneasy.

I really can't understand a single word!

Han Fei looked up at the heavens speechlessly. He shouldn't have brought Cao Ze along. Even if his little sister had beaten him to death, even if his little sister had gone to Zilan Pavilion...