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

"Feeling bored, need to clear my head."

……

As Cao Ze left Zilan Pavilion, a thought suddenly struck him, and he looked up at the third floor.

The indifferent gaze vanished, leaving only a pair of bright, smiling purple eyes.

Uncle Er slipped away pretty quickly, huh... Cao Ze smiled and greeted Zi Nu in the attic.

Aside from sending Hongyu and Caidie to serve him, Zi Nu spent the rest of her time either dealing with trivial matters or taking care of the ailing Nongyu.

So much so that he never had the chance to have a long, candlelit conversation with Miss Zi Nu.

Cao Ze happily rode his new lover through the snow to Liu Yi's residence.

He hadn't forgotten the favor Hu Meiren had asked him to do, and he wouldn't miss this opportunity to be with his sister-in-law in a legitimate way.

On the third floor of Zilan Pavilion, Wei Zhuang drank the wine in his cup in one gulp.

He recalled the night Cao Ze discovered him in the Cold Palace, confirming his suspicions.

That night was no coincidence, but rather...

"His strength is not weak."

Zi Nu nodded slightly. "I can tell."

She paused for a moment and said, "Nongyu has basically recovered, and I will spend more time with him these next few days."

"Find out his purpose in coming to Xinzheng with Han Fei."

Wei Zhuang said in a calm voice.

He had always acknowledged Zi Nu's abilities.

"We don't need to deal with the others; Hongyu and Caidie will handle it."

Wei Zhuang added, still not entirely convinced.

He still felt that Cao Ze was trying to poach his girlfriend.

Even if he didn't, seeing how much Zi Nu liked this guy, he couldn't feel at ease.

He must not let anyone take away the wealth he painstakingly accumulated in Xinzheng.

"Hehe, there are some things that Cai Die and Hong Yu can't do."

Zi Nu smiled gently, "Don't worry, I'll find a way to make him stay."

Wei Zhuang remained noncommittal and silently drank another cup of wine.

If he had known this would happen, he would never have let Zi Nu come into contact with this guy when she went to Handan.

When Liu Yi learned that Cao Ze had come to visit, he couldn't help but glance at the fair-skinned, beautiful, yet aloof ice beauty beside him.

“Um… Miss Yingge, this…”

Yingge said calmly, "Hurry up and greet the guests."

"Alright, alright." Liu Yi nodded repeatedly and waved to his servants, "Hurry up and bring Brother Cao Ze over here."

"Yes."

"Wait!" Liu Yi took two quick steps. "I'll go myself."

He didn't really want to be with Yingge; the woman was too cold, and being the leader of all the birds of the night, she made him feel uncomfortable.

"Oh, brother, you're too kind to come personally to greet me."

Cao Ze smiled and cupped his hands in greeting.

Liu Yi laughed and patted Cao Ze on the shoulder, "What's with all the politeness? What kind of relationship do we have? Come on, let's go inside."

Cao Ze glanced around the mansion. "Brother, where is your wife?"

Liu Yi said helplessly, "I don't know what's going on, but my brother's method isn't working anymore. These past two days, I've been wearing green clothes and a green hat every day, but my wife isn't smiling anymore. Isn't that strange?"

"Has he sung yet, bro?"

"They've started singing it, and now even the servants in the manor have learned it."

Liu Yi looked depressed.

Cao Ze comforted her, saying, "A woman's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea; no one can truly understand a woman's thoughts. Who knows if she's had her period?"

Liu Yi nodded in agreement, then suddenly asked, "Brother, do you have any other ideas?"

"Hmm...yes!"

"Ha, my dear brother, tell me quickly!" Liu Yi rubbed his hands together excitedly.

Cao Ze pondered for a moment and said, "To be honest, I came here today on the behalf of Lady Hu to find your wife. That's why I asked her if she was here as soon as I came in."

Liu Yi asked, puzzled, "Why did Lady Hu ask you to find her?"

Cao Ze coughed lightly and said, "The Empress said that my sister-in-law likes 'Dream of the Red Chamber,' and since her birthday is approaching, she wants me to discuss with her how to write a play based on 'Dream of the Red Chamber' and have it performed by actors in the theater."

Liu Yi had little interest in the lyrics of "Dream of the Red Chamber." "Then how does my brother plan to help his elder brother?"

Cao Ze feigned a sigh and said, "Brother should know that your wife has a cold personality. Changing that will take a lot of effort and care."

"If you wish, brother, I will help you. During this time, try to persuade your wife privately and have in-depth conversations with her so that she can change her mind."

“This…” Liu Yi hesitated.

Cao Ze smiled faintly and said, "If you don't trust me, you can just send someone to keep an eye on things."

Liu Yi felt embarrassed and awkward after Cao Ze saw through his thoughts. He laughed awkwardly and said, "No, no, my brother is upright and honest. What do I have to worry about?"

"Please come in. My distant niece is here today; let me introduce her to you."

Cao Ze was surprised. Liu Yi had a niece?

The two entered the main room, sat down at the wine table, and drank and chatted for a while.

Cao Ze tentatively asked, "Brother, what is the name of this distant niece you mentioned?"

After downing a few glasses of strong liquor, Liu Yi laughed heartily: "Don't worry, brother, I'll have her come to see you right away. If you're satisfied, you can have her keep you company."

Cao Ze grinned. With Liu Yi's ugly appearance, how good could his niece be?

Before long, Yingge, dressed in a white fur coat and wearing light makeup, walked in gracefully.

Cao Ze was stunned for a moment. What the hell? When did Ying Ge become Liu Yi's distant niece?

Liu Yi looked at Cao Ze in a daze, then grinned lewdly and said, "How about it, my good brother? Not bad looking, right?"

"No...not bad, very good."

Cao Ze scratched his head. He'd only had a few drinks; he wasn't so drunk that he wouldn't recognize people.

"Ahem, Parrot, sit next to your brother and serve him."

The parrot replied in a light, melodious voice, "Yes."

She knelt down beside Cao Ze and slowly poured him a glass of wine.

Cao Ze asked in a low voice, "What happened?"

Parrot's lips moved slightly, "We'll talk about it later."

Cao Ze remained expressionless and nodded slightly.

Liu Yi laughed and said, "Brother, what do you think of my niece? Do you like her?"

What could Cao Ze say? "I love it, I love it so much."

"Haha, I'm glad you like it!"

Liu Yi breathed a sigh of relief. It was really difficult for him, a rough and unrefined man, to be assigned such delicate work.

Fortunately, his younger brother gave him face, so he didn't have to be embarrassed to explain to the general.

To find out what was going on, Cao Ze said, "Brother, we can't drink too much wine today. I still need to discuss the lyrics with my sister-in-law."

Liu Yi didn't want Cao Ze to be alone with Lady Hu, but Cao Ze was at Lady Hu's request, and with the General on his side, he couldn't directly refuse, nor could he directly send someone to monitor him.

"Well... Yingge, why don't you accompany my brother to Madam's place?"

He glanced at Yingge, who was sitting with her head down next to Cao Ze, and immediately made the arrangements.

Anyway, Yingge's mission was to win over and monitor Cao Ze, which came in handy. It also allowed Cao Ze and Yingge to have more contact so that things could be accomplished sooner.

This was truly killing two birds with one stone. Liu Yi straightened his slightly askew green hat and smiled smugly.

"Yes."

……

Men were forbidden from entering the West Garden where Madam Hu lived.

The main reason was to avoid having to guard against Liu Yi coming over.

Because she stayed up late, Madam Hu was currently dozing off in her boudoir, resting her chin on her hand at her desk.

The maid Xiaolan whispered from outside the door, "Madam, Mr. Cao Ze has arrived."

Mrs. Hu, still somewhat groggy, regained some clarity and, upon realizing Cao Ze had arrived, raised her voice: "Mr. Cao Ze?"

"Yes, madam, the master is waiting for you."

Madam Hu quickly replied, "I'll go right away."

She quickly tidied her somewhat disheveled clothes, wiped her face with a wet wipe, and tidied herself up a bit before leaving the house.

Inside the small main room, there were only Cao Ze and Ying Ge.

"You're saying that Ji Wuye wants you to stay by my side?"

"Yes, he wants me to be your bedmate."

Cao Ze laughed out loud, "A honey trap, huh?"

Parrot sighed softly, "It's difficult for me to stay in the Nightfall and help you now."

Cao Ze chuckled and shook his head: "No, now you can help me even more, and you can help me legitimately, without having to hide it anymore."

Yingge was stunned, her delicate eyebrows furrowing slightly: "If I stay by your side, how can I help you pass on messages?"