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

Madam Hu said with concern, "I never imagined that there would be such a treacherous person in the theater."

She made a mental note to tell her sister to be careful.

Cao Ze glanced at the bright moon, which was nearing the center of the sky and had not yet set in the east; it was around 9 PM.

"Yingge, you should escort your sister-in-law back."

He had just imparted his knowledge to Madam Hu, and if he were to escort her back, he would easily be exposed if he encountered Brother Liu Yi.

Yingge drove the carriage out of the alley and turned onto the road in front of Liu's mansion.

She helped the somewhat weak and feeble Madam Hu down from the carriage and into the mansion, where she happened to see Liu Yi, who was covered in green, in the front yard.

Cao Ze, who was watching from a high place outside the mansion, couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Liu Yi may be cruel and a bit slow-witted, but he does listen to advice and is a man of action.

He carried out his promise to wear green very well.

Liu Yi stepped forward with a loud laugh: "Madam, did you enjoy the play with the Empress tonight?"

He asked Cao Ze to speak to Consort Hu so that they could go see it together, but Consort Hu refused, so he had to wait at the mansion.

After being protected by Cao Ze, Madam Hu looked somewhat shy and hesitant.

Seeing his wife's reaction, Liu Yi was overjoyed and kept praising Cao Ze's brilliant idea.

A real man must wear a green hat, a green shirt, and green boots!

Mrs. Hu replied casually, "It's alright, I'm tired. I'll go back to my room to rest."

Yingge helped Madam Hu walk towards the theater.

Liu Yi panicked and wanted to chase after them.

Madam Hu was annoyed with Liu Yi and didn't want to talk to him anymore. She quickly took a few steps, trying to shake him off.

In her nervousness, Mrs. Hu couldn't help but loosen her grip and relax for a moment.

This pause, however, requires changing clothes.

I didn't have time to deal with it while I was in the car.

Now, belatedly, she realized that she had already stored up a large amount of the grain that Cao Zebai had given her.

Mrs. Hu was on the verge of tears; things were really terrible.

Yingge stopped Liu Yi, who was about to step forward, saying, "Lord Liu, Madam is tired."

Liu Yi hesitated for a moment. He couldn't afford to offend Ying Ge, but his wife seemed a little strange.

It was dark earlier, and the courtyard lights were dim, so I couldn't see clearly, but now I noticed that his wife's expression was off.

"This……"

Suspicious, Liu Yi asked Yingge, "Where is Brother Cao Ze?"

Cao Ze wasn't far away, and with careful listening, he could hear Liu Yi's voice clearly.

Yingge glanced at Cao Ze sitting on the tree branch and said slowly, "We're escorting Consort Hu back to the palace."

Mrs. Hu, who had been nervously standing nearby, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Liu Yi felt something was off and wanted to ask again.

Yingge said coldly in a low voice, "Lord Liu, do you not trust me?"

Liu Yi's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly said, "You guys rest, I'll go back to my room first."

After saying that, he adjusted his green hat, stepped out in his green boots, and left.

He knew perfectly well that the woman in front of him was a jinx, the leader of the Hundred Birds Assassin Group, which was Ji Wuye's most trusted subordinate. He couldn't afford to offend her.

Mrs. Hu said softly, "Yingge, thank you."

Yingge sniffed with her pretty nose and smelled quite a few scents on Madam Hu.

She had used and consumed it herself, and had no doubt that it was Cao Ze's.

"Madam, please change your clothes first."

Madam Hu blushed slightly, not expecting that Yingge would notice.

She had no choice but to tuck her tail between her legs and, with the help of the parrot, return to the house, where she quickly found a set of pajamas to change into.

Yingge admired Madam Hu's figure for a moment and thought to herself, "No wonder he likes her so much."

Is this normal for women who have given birth?

For no apparent reason, Yingge suddenly had the idea to give it a try.

But she threw him out the next moment.

Before she could completely escape the darkness of night, the life of an ordinary woman could very well be deadly for her.

Cao Ze returned to Zilan Pavilion, locked the door, and began to meditate.

After entering the Sage Mode, his mind became very calm, and the Golden Light Mantra seemed to show signs of improvement.

We need to continue our efforts and strive to reach the Grandmaster level as soon as possible.

……

Chapter 268 The Alliance of Yan, Zhao, Han, and Wei

Everyone in the martial arts world knows that "horizontal training" is a method of body tempering that hones muscles, bones, skin, and flesh, while "thunder technique" is a method of manipulating thunder.

But the Golden Light Mantra is different.

Compared to the Five Thunder Orthodox Method, which sounds incredibly powerful, the Golden Light Mantra seems rather ordinary, merely a method that releases a protective golden light to enhance defense and boasts a cool and dazzling special effect.

However, practicing the Golden Light Mantra is not about creating more dazzling golden light effects; otherwise, Longhu Mountain would not have placed such importance on the Golden Light Mantra as it has on par with the Five Thunder Orthodox Method.

The true function of the Golden Light Mantra is to enhance one's overall spiritual cultivation by entering a certain state. Just as the divine essence is introverted, the Golden Light Mantra, when practiced to a deep level, is also introverted.

As for the protective golden light of the Golden Light Mantra, it is simply a golden light that can be produced when one enters a certain state of practice and happens to combine it with some incantations.

Therefore, the key to practicing the Golden Light Mantra is to enter that state and constantly strive to enter that state more perfectly, rather than making the golden light effects more dazzling.

Through such meticulous practice and prolonged cultivation in this state, one's spiritual and physical cultivation continuously improves, allowing one to wield the golden light as easily as one's own arm.

This state is the "purity and tranquility" mentioned in the Taoist classic "Taishang Laojun Changshuo Qingjing Jing".

Start with the "heart," use the method of "purification and tranquility" to purify the mind and dispel desires, and comprehend the Great Dao.

Cao Ze's training session lasted until the sun was high in the sky.

After several days of practice, he reached a certain state last night and, in one go, unleashed his inner strength from the Jiaji acupoint to the Yuzhen acupoint, moving swiftly like a deer pulling a cart, thus mastering the "Deer Cart" technique among the three types of carts.

The tenth day of the first lunar month.

The State of Zhao, Handan.

The Zhao King's Palace, Longtai Palace.

Zhao Jia, wearing a flat-topped crown with twelve tassels and royal robes, ascended the high platform step by step to burn incense and offer prayers to his ancestors.

Before the officials, nobles, and envoys from the six kingdoms, he received the seal symbolizing the king from his aunt, Consort Ya, and ascended the throne.

The elaborate rituals begin at dawn and continue until 9 AM.

Two and a half hours had passed after the process was completed.

But Zhao Jia showed no signs of fatigue; on the contrary, he was full of energy.

Longtai Palace, Imperial Study.

Inside the study, Han Fei, the ninth prince of the State of Han, Yan Dan, the crown prince of the State of Yan, and Longyang Jun of the State of Wei sat on either side.

Ya Fei sat on the upper right, listening with a blank expression.

Zhao Jia first glanced at Yan Dan, an old acquaintance from years ago, and then at Han Fei, a renowned Confucian scholar and a master of Legalism.

If it weren't for Cao Ze's meteoric rise last year, Han Fei, who wrote masterpieces like "Five Vermin," would have been the most dazzling star of the year.

Of course, none of that matters. What matters is that last night, before I ascended the throne, Han Fei, Yan Dan, and Lord Longyang each privately approached me.

The message was clear: form an alliance with Zhao to jointly resist Qin.

This was exactly what he wanted.

He ascended the throne illegitimately, and his father had died three days earlier.

Although other states may not care, Qin is very likely to use this as a pretext to launch an attack on Zhao in the spring.

Furthermore, his current reputation is only slightly better than that of the grandfather who starved King Wuling to death.

He could only keep in mind the story of Li Shimin creating the Zhenguan era after the "Xuanwu Gate Incident," constantly reminding himself that he must be upright, make the Zhao state strong, and ideally defeat the Qin state in the future to eliminate the influence of his illegitimate ascension to the throne.

Therefore, after completing his enthronement ceremony, he couldn't wait to summon the envoys from the three states of Yan, Han, and Wei.

As for the grudges and grievances between the three Jin states of Zhao, Wei, and Han, he had long since become indifferent to them in the face of life and death.

Zhao Jia waved his hand and said, "Announce the time."

The rooster-man beat the drum and said, "At the hour of Si (9-11 AM), the Great Desolation falls. All things flourish, then suddenly fall, hence the name 'Desolation'!"

The atmosphere inside the Imperial Study was solemn.

After a moment's thought, Han Fei realized Zhao Jia's eagerness to summon the envoys from the three kingdoms.

As for why the State of Chu was not included, it's simply because the State of Chu and the State of Qin had such close ties through marriage that they were difficult to trust.

"Your Majesty, what is the purpose of summoning us?"

The incomparably handsome Lord Longyang spoke first, breaking the silence.

There were no fools present; upon seeing each other, they already understood some things.

Zhao Jia glanced at Lord Longyang, then quickly looked away.

This is a man who makes you want to commit a crime just by looking at him.

He was initially puzzled as to why King Anli of Wei, who was considered wise and had not been able to kill his younger brother Lord Xinling despite his recklessness, was so infatuated with a man that he did not care even when the news spread throughout the seven kingdoms.

He understands it to some extent now, but that's all he understands.