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

The carriage contained only Cao Ze and the maid who was driving it.

Cao Ze guessed that Madam Mingzhu already knew that he had gone to the General's Mansion last night, and even that the military pay had been lost.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have sent me to the palace so early.

The thought of transforming into a masseur and giving this vixen a full-body massage made Cao Ze want to punch Madam Mingzhu twice.

What a ridiculous hobby! Don't you know that true enjoyment comes from having fun together?

Damn it!

We must strike hard.

……

Chapter 286 Small Branches Bear Abundant Fruit

The King of Han's palace, court assembly.

Ji Wuye and Zhang Kaidi stood to the left and right, representing civil and military officials respectively.

Han Fei stepped forward and said, "Father, the 100,000 taels of military pay have been escorted to the border and will arrive soon."

King Han An laughed heartily, "Han Fei, well done."

Ji Wuye glared fiercely at Han Fei and gave a cold snort.

He originally did not want to offend Wei Zhuang, the sword master behind Zi Lan Xuan, but now that he had been humiliated to such an extent, even if he was willing, his subordinates Cao Ze, Xueyi Hou, and Mingzhu would not be.

He no longer had a choice, nor did he want to.

All he wants now is revenge.

Does a newly-minted swordsmanship master really think he's invincible?

The palace of the King of Han, the harem.

Cao Ze discreetly slipped into Madam Mingzhu's bedroom.

"You're here?"

Lady Mingzhu, dressed in thin clothes, lay on her side on the couch with her back to Cao Ze.

Cao Ze glanced at the exquisite curves on Madam Mingzhu's back; they seemed to have become much more upturned.

Just thinking about Madam Mingzhu's slender and supple waist, I really don't know how she could bear the weight of all those fruits on her head.

Is this what old farmers often mean when they say – “Small branches bear large fruits”?

Cao Ze said, "Madam, I've arrived. May I ask what brings you here?"

Lady Mingzhu said lazily, "Come and give me a massage first, using your special techniques. We'll talk about this later."

Having not received a massage from Cao Ze for several days, she felt strangely uncomfortable all over.

Cao Ze curled his lip. If it weren't for the need to slowly subdue this beautiful mermaid, he wouldn't have used his cheat ability to massage the Tide Demon.

But his hands remained obedient, resting on Madam Mingzhu's warm, smooth, and delicate body, kneading it repeatedly.

Madam Mingzhu couldn't help but hum softly from time to time, enjoying herself immensely.

"You little thief, you're really something. If it weren't for the inconvenience of having you stay in the palace, I would really like to take you as my male concubine."

Madam Mingzhu gently waved a square fan in one hand, her face rosy and her voice sweet and charming, making the small room seem much warmer.

Cao Ze held Madam Mingzhu's delicate and rounded jade foot in one hand, and gently stroked her instep and slender ankle with the other. He couldn't help but admire how alluring such beautiful feet would be if they were clad in black silk stockings.

Seeing that Cao Ze remained silent, Madam Mingzhu raised her beautiful eyes and looked at him. She saw that Cao Ze was staring blankly at her feet, and she gave a soft snort, with a hint of pride and smugness.

She lifted her long leg, lightly poked Cao Ze's chin with her toe, and said with a smile, "What are you thinking about?"

Cao Ze held Lady Mingzhu's jade feet respectfully in his hands, as if he were holding a rare treasure. He felt their softness and smoothness, and gently smelled Lady Mingzhu's fragrant skin and jade body, struggling to restrain the urge to kiss them.

"Thinking back to last night, Ji Wuye asked me to replace Emerald Tiger and become the new Four Fiends."

Madam Mingzhu suddenly straightened up, bent down slightly, revealing a large expanse of her fair and delicate skin.

She looked down at Cao Ze, her tone serious yet unable to hide her joy, "Really?"

Cao Ze held Lady Mingzhu's beautiful feet and respectfully said to them, "Yes."

He always felt that Madam Mingzhu was tempting and seducing him, trying to make him take the bait, but he didn't want Madam Mingzhu to have such an easy time.

He knew very well that such a proud woman would not cherish him and would become disobedient if she took his body too quickly.

Especially since Madam Mingzhu is a bit neurotic and somewhat yandere, he has to be careful.

To avoid turning a base run into a ring run.

Lady Mingzhu ignored Cao Ze's respectful words but unbridled gaze.

"You mean, Ji Wuye trusts you a lot now?"

Cao Ze paused for a moment and said, "I feel that he doesn't trust me that much."

Lady Mingzhu felt a tickle on the soles of her feet and curled her toes, pulling her foot out of Cao Ze's hand.

She sat cross-legged on the couch, scrutinizing Cao Ze: "Did you let him find out about our affair?"

Cao Ze wanted to keep his eyes straight ahead, but Madam Mingzhu's languid and casual sitting posture made it difficult for him to control himself.

Moreover, his colleague, Ms. Chao Nu Yao, seemed to find it very fulfilling to have him become obsessed with her body.

"No, I learned from Emerald Tiger that Ji Wuye has been paying more attention to me, as if he is testing my loyalty. It seems that making me one of the new Four Fiends is a test."

Cao Ze felt he had experienced many big scenes, having been through countless battles in the sea and water, and had defeated all sorts of powerful figures like Jing Ni, Li Wu, and Xue Nu.

Therefore, despite the magnificent waves of the Tide Demoness, she did not lose her composure.

Sooner or later, I'll make sure Mrs. Mingzhu knows what a large-scale domestic violence scene looks like.

Lady Mingzhu narrowed her phoenix eyes slightly. "The loss of 100,000 taels of military pay is the responsibility of Ji Wuye. Ji Wuye's taking the position of the fierce general of Emerald Tiger is merely a self-punishment of drinking three cups. But it's all good. Now that you've taken the position of fierce general, the Empress and the Marquis will definitely help you establish a firm foothold in the Nightfall."

Cao Ze feigned surprise: "Madam means, the Marquis is also..."

Lady Mingzhu extended her slender, jade-like finger and touched Cao Ze's lips, letting out a soft, fragrant breath. Her clear, beautiful eyes gazed at him as she said, "There are some things you shouldn't say, understand?"

Cao Ze said, "Understood."

Madam Mingzhu stretched out her long legs from the bed, stood up in her shiny black-purple pointed high heels, stretched her arms, and stretched her fair waist.

"Go and bring me a pen and inkstone. I have a letter to write."

Cao Ze prepared the brush and ink, and Madam Mingzhu knelt before the desk, stretched out her slender hand, lifted her wide sleeve to reveal her snow-white wrist, and began to write.

"Take a look."

Cao Ze glanced at it; it was a letter addressed to Bai Yifei.

It seems the loss of military pay has had a significant impact on the night, which explains why Bai Yifei, who was stationed at the border, returned to Xinzheng under the guise of reporting for duty.

“Our Bai family has been an ally of the Han family since the Jin Dynasty, helping them conquer cities and territories and fight against the Zhao and Wei families. However, the Han family is ruthless. When the state of Han was first established, it suppressed our Bai family openly and secretly. If it weren’t for our ancestors’ wisdom, their ability to keep a low profile and develop quietly, and their later success in letting our aunt take command of the Han army and become a marquis, the Bai family would have disappeared from history long ago.”

Madam Mingzhu's voice was charming, but her words were filled with coldness. Her mother and father were sacrificed in the struggle.

She naturally lacked goodwill towards the Han family.

If Cao Ze's life hadn't been in her hands, and if she hadn't become a ruthless killer in the night, giving her the right to know the reason, she would never have revealed such a secret.

"What Konoha Uchiha legend... " Cao Ze said angrily, "How shameless!"

At the same time, I understood why the night was not in harmony.

Ji Wuye rose to power step by step by taking advantage of the opportunity when King Han An first ascended the throne, which King Han An used to restrain the Bai family.

From another perspective, Ji Wuye was an outsider from the State of Chu, with virtually no power or influence, posing no threat to the throne. This is why Han An promoted and appointed Ji Wuye, who had made great contributions.

Who would have thought that after Bai Yifei was defeated by Baiyue, he learned to be patient and directly surrendered to Ji Wuye, thus raising a tiger that would eventually become a threat, allowing Ji Wuye to become extremely powerful.

Throughout this, Ji Wuye knew that Bai Yifei was merely feigning compliance with him, and he was also self-aware enough to know that he was not qualified to vie for the throne.

Therefore, he chose to act as a powerful minister and support the useless crown prince, rather than like Bai Yifei, who meticulously accumulated strength and was always ready to replace the Han family as king, just like Tian Daiqi.

No wonder Ji Wuye is so wary of Bai Yifei. Once the Bai family takes power, they will probably be the first to get rid of Ji Wuye.

No wonder the Bai family wasn't mentioned again in the original novel. It seems they failed. It's very likely that the eldest brother-in-law or Wei Zhuang saw through it. In addition, the female marquis was too much of a threat. Ji Wuye and Liu Sha joined forces with conditions such as Han Fei entering Qin to eliminate Bai Yifei, the female marquis, and Lady Mingzhu first.

Cao Ze sorted out his thoughts and gained a clear understanding of the situation under the cover of night.

"Shameless?" Madam Mingzhu laughed strangely, her voice sounding incredibly seductive.

Cao Ze's heart skipped a beat. "Madam, did I say something wrong?"

“No, you’re not wrong.” Madam Mingzhu crossed her arms, as if recalling something.

She was young then, but she vaguely remembered how her aunt had disciplined her after she lost her parents, constantly instilling in her the belief that she should live to bring glory to the Bai family, and that she should be willing to sacrifice for the family, just like her parents.

It's ridiculous. Compared to Ji Wuye, her aunt, who doesn't care about sacrificing her family, is even more shameless. Sometimes, she wants to slap her face on the spot.

"Madame, madam..."

Lady Mingzhu slowly came back to her senses when she heard Cao Ze's soft call.

"You may leave now. I will contact you if I need anything."

After leaving Lady Mingzhu's palace, Cao Ze smacked his lips. It seemed that if he wanted to find out more about Lady Mingzhu and learn about the Marquis, he would have to wait for another opportunity.

The General's Mansion.

After the morning court session, Ji Wuye immediately gathered the remaining Hundred Birds Assassins in the main hall.

Bai Feng, Mo Ya, and Ying Ge stood in front.

Ji Wuye tapped the armrest and said, "Mo Ya, how many of the Hundred Birds are left?"

"Reporting to the general, apart from the twenty-three people in the palace, there are still seventy-two people inside and outside Korea."

Ji Wuye's breath hitched, and he couldn't help but erupt in fury, "You dog-gut bastard!"

To cultivate the Hundred Birds and train assassins in Ghost Mountain, he has spent at least 50,000 gold coins over the years.

He was distraught after losing most of his military pay, which was already in his grasp, and Han Fei had squeezed it out of him.

Yingge stood silently below the prince. She hadn't expected Cao Ze to be so brave and capable of taking down Guishan, whom she loathed so much.

Recalling the scenes of Cao Ze displaying his prowess to her on the bed, Yingge's heart trembled. She was still moved and longed for him, as if her body had been struck by lightning.