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

She is not only the proprietress of Zilanxuan, but also in charge of intelligence gathering, and is very sensitive to coded messages.

"Hehe, it's no trouble at all. Mr. Cao Ze, are you free this afternoon?"

Cao Ze smiled and said, "Since the beauty has invited me, I am naturally available."

Zi Nu smiled gently: "Nongyu is much better now. Tonight, let her play a piece for you, sir, and see if it can inspire you to write a poem for her."

Could it be that he had misunderstood, and that Zi Nu wasn't lusting after his body, but rather trying to match him up with Nong Yu? This script isn't right... Cao Ze nodded with a smile.

When Cao Ze returned to the house, he took out the secret letter that the Black and White Sisters had sent him.

The page was filled with dense Chinese pinyin, and Cao Ze began to read it one character at a time.

In short, it is—

There is no one named Lao Ai in Xianyang, nor in the palace.

Lü Buwei's strategy of spending a thousand pieces of gold on a single word was very successful.

Before Donghuang Taiyi went into seclusion, he presented the King of Qin with a bronze treasure box as a gesture of goodwill, indicating that the Yin-Yang School would stand with the King of Qin in the future.

The Yin-Yang School is currently under the leadership of Dongjun. Not long ago, Dongjun beat the Moon Goddess into a coma, and she will be bedridden for about one or two months.

……

Cao Ze thought to himself, "My first wife is too violent. My second wife hits me without warning, and not only that, she almost beat me half to death. This..."

Well, that's not important.

What happened to Lao Ai? According to this timeline, Lao Ai should have already been sent by Lü Buwei to Empress Dowager Zhao Ji, so that Ying Zheng could have two more younger brothers and sisters before he took over the reins of power the following year.

They haven't appeared yet. Could it be that they've been hiding too well and haven't been found out by the Black and White Sisters?

Well, given Lü Buwei's shrewdness, it's unlikely he would simply pick someone well-endowed and skilled in bed from the marketplace and send them to the palace, as depicted in movies and TV dramas.

Such a taboo thing must be done very discreetly.

When I go to Qin, I'll stroll around the harem and visit the Empress Dowager. I'll make sure Lao Ai has nowhere to hide and become a great help in his future as Prime Minister Cao.

perfect.

Cao Ze set the silk on fire.

After a half-hour nap, it was already early afternoon.

Cao Ze wiped his face, preparing to listen to Nongyu's little tune, and then, as soon as he opened the door, he saw his brother-in-law Han Fei.

"Brother Cao, great news! A major discovery!"

Han Fei mysteriously pulled Cao Ze back into the house.

"What discovery?"

Han Fei lowered his voice and said, "Zifang has found a clue, but I didn't let him investigate further and sent him back. Let's go to the Cold Palace now; maybe we can find something before tonight."

"Now?"

"Yes, let's go over there quickly."

"Never mind, let's do it tonight."

"What?"

"The lie is that it's a dark and windy night and can be kept secret, but the truth is that Miss Zi Nu and Miss Nong Yu are waiting for me to come and listen to their music."

Cao Ze showed off to his brother-in-law.

Han Fei felt a surge of envy and jealousy.

"Count me in."

Cao Ze chuckled and said, "Don't even think about it!"

"I have a lead!" Han Fei said arrogantly.

Cao Ze coughed lightly and said, "We're all family, so let's not stand on ceremony. Brother-in-law, let's go together."

Han Fei and Hong Lian are siblings born of the same mother. Although Han Fei is the ninth child, it is not wrong for him to call Hong Lian his brother-in-law.

"Just to correct you, you can call me Han Fei, Brother Han, Ninth Young Master, Young Master Fei... but please don't call me Brother-in-law!"

"Don't worry about the details, brother-in-law, I'll treat you next time."

"Sure! I want fine wine! I want a top-notch banquet!"

Han Fei smoothly sold out his brother-in-law's title and reached a pleasant deal with Cao Ze.

Because of the necklace, the fifty gold coins I just borrowed from my younger sister were immediately taken back.

He's so poor he doesn't have a single gold coin left.

He couldn't even be carefree if he wanted to. If it weren't for Zifang's help, he would be starving somewhere right now.

Cao Ze and Han Fei went to the private room on the second floor together.

He glanced around the room and saw only Zi Nu and Nong Yu.

It seems my second uncle still likes to disappear; he's not sincere at all.

Unlike him, who always fell into Zi Nu and Nong Yu's traps even when he knew they were there.

Zi Nu smiled and said, "Young Master Jiu has also arrived."

"I have come uninvited, and I hope Miss Zi Nu will be kind to me."

“Young Master Jiu is too kind. It’s just a small gathering for leisure. Please have a seat.”

Zi Nu lit the incense she had concocted herself—a non-toxic, delicate fragrance.

Then, with practiced ease, he brewed a pot of calming and soothing tea and placed it on Cao Ze and Han Fei's desks and on Nong Yu's zither table.

Nongyu sat quietly, her beautiful eyes occasionally glancing at Cao Ze, who was sipping tea.

Her condition had improved considerably yesterday, and today she was specially invited by Sister Zi Nu to play a piece for Mr. Cao Ze.

What puzzled her was why Sister Zi Nu wanted her to play "Tears of the Sea," a piece she had recently composed.

Such a sentimental and melancholic melody seems rather unsuitable for today's atmosphere.

Zi Nu said softly, "Nong Yu, let's begin."

Nongyu gave a soft "hmm".

Neither Cao Ze nor Han Fei spoke.

Nongyu sits quietly playing the zither, her beauty refined and otherworldly, making her all the more endearing.

The sound of the zither was faint, deep, and lingering.

The music is melancholic and sad, yet full of warmth, seemingly containing many past events.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, bathing the room in a lazy, leisurely atmosphere, creating a picturesque scene.

Zi Nu stood to one side, while Cao Ze sat upright, his eyes slightly closed, lost in the moment, forgetting the cup in his hand and the tea inside.

Only the lingering sound and faint fragrance remain.

The music flowed with time, and when it ended, time seemed to freeze at that moment.

Nongyu looked languid, as if lost in some kind of memory.

A faint sadness was evident in his eyes.

Han Fei remained lost in thought for a long time, and a tear fell unconsciously from his eye.

He was deeply moved, as if he could see wildflowers covering the mountains and forests and shimmering lakes, and he could see the country in his heart, the ideal country, the country he wanted to build, the country he hoped South Korea would become in the future.

When Nongyu saw Han Fei shed tears because of her song, she was deeply moved and considered him a kindred spirit.

Han Fei sighed, “I had heard before that the music played by Kuang Xiu of Zhao was so moving that it felt like stepping into another world. I didn’t believe it. But after listening to Nongyu’s music today, I know that there really is someone who can play such a soul-stirring piece.”

Cao Ze sighed softly, "Where the zither reaches, the emotions follow. The zither connects with emotions, and the music played by a zither player who is deeply emotional and sincere is more likely to touch people's hearts."

"In terms of expressing emotions alone, I don't think Kuang Xiu played it better than Nong Yu."

He had heard Kuang Xiu play the zither; it was exquisite, leisurely, and unrestrained. But when it came to feelings, Nongyu was no different from him.

"Master Kuangxiu is a master of love, far surpassing Nongyu."

Nongyu pursed her red lips slightly, quite pleased with the approval from Kuang Xiu's friend Cao Ze.

Zi Nu had been observing Cao Ze and Han Fei.

She smiled sweetly and said, "Since Mr. Cao Ze is so moved, why not compose a poem?"

Her invitation to Cao Ze and her having Nongyu play "Tears of the Sea" was a carefully orchestrated test.

Despite having met Cao Ze many times, she couldn't say she knew him inside and out.

And she also knew how dangerous what she was going to do in the future would be.

She wouldn't easily invite Cao Ze to join her until she had figured out his true colors.

Otherwise, she would not only harm herself, but also Nongyu and the sisters of Zilanxuan.

However, she knew that people don't easily reveal their true feelings to others.

Therefore, the piece of music was chosen.

As Cao Ze just said, the zither can convey emotions, and the zither can communicate feelings.

Having reached the realm of the melody of the heartstrings, Nongyu is capable of making people unconsciously reveal their true feelings, thus allowing her to see the true nature of a person's character.

Han Fei suppressed his unintentional emotions and looked at Cao Ze, who was still savoring the moment, thinking to himself, "If only I could write poetry, even if I couldn't compare to my brother-in-law... no, to that traitor Cao!"

Nongyu looked at Cao Ze with eyes full of anticipation, wondering if Mr. Cao Ze was her Bo Ya and Zi Qi.

Cao Ze's heart was stirred by Nongyu. He realized that he would never see the beautiful boss who had taken such good care of him again in his life. He only regretted not expressing his feelings more at the time, thinking that it was just an ordinary transaction of being kept in a materialistic society.

The faint sadness in his heart lingered, and he inexplicably recalled a poem he had memorized years ago, but sadly, everything had changed.

"The brocade zither has fifty strings for no reason; each string and each bridge evokes thoughts of bygone years."

"Zhuangzi dreamt he was a butterfly, and the Emperor Wang entrusted his heart to the cuckoo."

"The moon shines brightly over the vast sea, pearls seem to weep; the sun warms the fields of Lantian, jade seems to emit smoke."

"This love can only be cherished in memory, for at the time it was already a regret."