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

These were all prepared for distinguished guests, and occasionally a few would be selected and sent to the General's Mansion, which Ji Wuye greatly appreciated.

Cao Ze took a light breath. Although he was a seasoned veteran, he couldn't be testing his cadres like this, could he?

Corruption! It's absolutely fucking corrupt!

Behind the courtyard is a hot spring pool.

The hot spring pool is four or five zhang wide, and the water is drawn from a spring not far away. Fine bubbles rise from the surface from time to time, emitting a faint sulfur smell.

Cao Ze and Emerald Tiger each occupied one side of the hot spring, with seven or eight beautiful maids serving them.

Several beautiful maids were playing zithers by the hot spring pool, playing ambiguous melodies.

As Cao Ze ate the berries fed to him by the beautiful maid, he quickly learned what it meant for Jin Ping Mei to be so conservatively written.

Cao Ze sighed at the extravagant lifestyle of the wealthy. He vowed to build one for himself in Xianyang, where he could soak in hot springs and have water fights with his wives.

While enjoying his meal, Jade Tiger said, "Brother, you said you want to bring down Purple Orchid Pavilion. What do you want me to do?"

He knew that the general wanted Cao Ze to destroy Zilan Pavilion, and he also knew that after destroying Zilan Pavilion, the general planned to help Han Yu become the crown prince and continue to control the Marquis.

As Ji Wuye's confidant, he was well aware of all these things.

Cao Ze squinted his eyes contentedly.

"I heard that many years ago, Brother Tiger competed with the royal Prince Jinglun in a display of wealth. He built houses of gold and jade, paved roads with pearls, and used brocade clothes as firewood. In less than ten days, Brother Tiger had squandered all of Prince Jinglun's wealth, even buying up his fiefdom, which drove Prince Jinglun to hang himself. I was amazed when I heard this."

This was the thing Jade Tiger was most proud of in his life.

He humbly replied, "It's all thanks to the general. Without the general's support, I wouldn't be where I am today."

He was able to win because of his own abilities.

But without Ji Wuye's support, even if he could win, he wouldn't dare to.

Cao Ze said slowly, "Although the general has contributed, Brother Hu doesn't need to belittle himself."

"Brother, I've come today to ask Brother Tiger to recapture his former glory and compete with Zilanxuan in wealth, just as he brought down Jinglunjun, to bring down Zilanxuan."

Jade Tiger shook his fat head. "The mistress of Purple Orchid Pavilion, Zi Nu, is always shrewd. She wouldn't know she's doomed to lose and still try to outdo me in wealth. Brother, you should think of another way."

Things are different now than they used to be, but in terms of wealth, he is undoubtedly number one in South Korea, with his connections to the underworld.

Cao Ze laughed heartily: "Brother Tiger, now that I'm here, I'm naturally prepared."

Jade Tiger's spirits lifted. "What do you have to say, brother?"

Cao Ze slowly and methodically said, "I have already gained the trust of the mistress of Zilan Pavilion and made an agreement with that Miss Zi to take food from Brother Hu. As long as Brother Hu cooperates well, I'm not afraid that she won't fall for my trap."

Emerald Tiger's eyes lit up slightly: "Brother, you're brilliant! How would you like me to cooperate? Just tell me!"

Instead of making a direct request, Cao Ze said, "Let me tell Brother Hu a story first."

Jade Tiger was very patient with Cao Ze's suspenseful behavior.

He laughed and said, "Your story of the Xuanwu Gate Incident shook the seven kingdoms. It's a rare treat to hear you tell the story."

Cao Ze laughed inexplicably. His nephew was too good at tricking his uncle. He had only told a story, but it was as if he had encouraged his nephew to imprison his father and take the throne.

I wonder if that beautiful woman, the Empress, is dead or not.

Given his nephew's personality, it's likely that the Empress will be confined to Chunqing Palace and never be allowed to leave the palace for the rest of her life.

“My brother once stayed in Handan, the capital of Zhao, and witnessed a strange cockfighting incident on the street. A raised a rooster, which he trained to the point of being completely dumbfounded. It fought for three days without being defeated, and his gold and silk piled up like mountains. On the evening of the third day, B arrived, betting all his wealth, and challenged A to a duel where he would empty his pockets. A, relying on his rooster, agreed. In the end, B won and took all of A's wealth.”

After briefly explaining, Cao Ze smiled faintly and asked, "Brother Tiger, do you understand?"

A shrewd glint flashed in the jade tiger's small eyes.

"Brother, you're brilliant. Player A won for three days in a row, and naturally, he wants to win more. With a sure-win chicken, he'll naturally bet as much as possible. It's not surprising that he was taken advantage of by someone with ulterior motives."

Cao Ze pushed aside the two beautiful maids who were lying on his lap, trying to take advantage of him.

"Since Brother Tiger is aware of this, let's discuss it properly."

Jade Tiger asked, "How much money are you planning to spend, brother?"

Cao Ze said, "The Zilan Pavilion itself is worth at least two thousand gold coins, and with the girls and other valuables inside, it should be worth three thousand gold coins in total. If we want to take over the entire Zilan Pavilion, we need to come up with at least three times that amount of money to ensure that the betting continues."

“Nine thousand gold pieces…” Emerald Tiger pondered for a moment and said, “It’s worth it.”

"Alright, Brother Tiger, I'll use nine thousand gold coins for you to go have some fun."

Cao Ze waved his hand and said, "This credit should belong to Brother Hu. Brother Hu played this bet himself. I need to continue to gain the trust of Zi Lan Xuan, so it's inconvenient for me to take action."

Jade Tiger replied, "That's true, that's true."

As if he had thought of something, Jade Tiger added, "Brother, how can you guarantee that Purple Orchid Pavilion will eventually pay the money?"

"Iron Blood Alliance".

Jade Tiger slapped his forehead. "Brother, you're so quick-witted. The Iron Blood Alliance in Korea is currently under the temporary control of the Fourth Young Master Han Yu by the King of Korea. I doubt Zi Lan Xuan would dare not refuse to pay."

Seeing that Jade Tiger had taken the bait, Cao Ze thoughtfully said, "Brother Tiger, you'd better prepare some extra gold coins, just in case something unexpected happens."

Jade Tiger pondered for a moment: "Nightfall needs money in all aspects. At most, I can allocate 13,000 gold coins in a short period of time. Any more than that is beyond my control."

“That’s enough, any more is unnecessary,” Cao Ze said understandingly.

With so much money, unless Han Fei brings out the national treasury of South Korea, he doesn't believe his brother-in-law can continue to cause trouble.

……

After soaking in the hot spring, Cao Ze couldn't bring himself to say no.

At Jade Tiger's insistence, he had no choice but to select a beautiful maidservant, full of charm and allure, to enter the room.

He continued until late afternoon, until the beautiful maid named Xiu'er was barely breathing, before leisurely leaving.

By the time Cao Ze drove his donkey cart into Xinzheng, the sky had darkened considerably.

As dusk settles, the city lights begin to twinkle.

The third floor of Zilanxuan.

Only Cao Ze, Zi Nu Nong Yu, and two others were in the elegant room.

Wearing a pale yellow dress, Nongyu knelt before the zither table where incense was burning, her head slightly lowered, and she played the zither with focused concentration.

The melodious and soothing sound of the piano brought peace to the mind.

Zi Nu's appearance tonight is dignified and gorgeous, and her smile is even more charming than before.

With a smile in her beautiful eyes, she gracefully unfastened her cloak, revealing her exquisite figure.

"I just went to the Seven Absolutes Hall and got some information from Boss Tang Qi. Not long ago, a person wearing a straw hat and a raincoat, who looked like the Straw Raincoat Swordsman, left from outside the city gate and brought back a ragged prisoner. That should be him."

At this point, Zi Nu leaned closer to Cao Ze and whispered, "Nong Yu doesn't know anything about Li Kai yet. You decide what to do."

She already knew about the relationship between Nongyu and Madam Hu, and naturally understood that Li Kai was Nongyu's biological father.

She met with Madam Hu in private and learned a lot about the past from her. In her opinion, it was better for Nongyu not to know many of these things than for her to know them, as knowing them would only cause Nongyu more distress.

Cao Ze glanced at Nongyu, who was playing the zither, hesitated for a long time, and then abandoned the idea of ​​telling Nongyu the truth.

My sister-in-law is right. There are some things we shouldn't tell Nongyu. Let everything pass and pretend that Li Kai is dead.

"Do as my sister-in-law wishes," Cao Ze whispered in Zi Nu's ear. "Even if we are to tell Nong Yu, it should be her mother who does it."

Zi Nu nodded slightly, her beautiful, watery eyes fixed on Cao Ze. She parted her lips slightly and said in a soft, coquettish voice, "How about we go to Emerald Tiger's place today?"

Her voice was like that of a nightingale, clear and melodious, and soft and gentle, with a touch of coquettishness, which easily stirred one's heart.

"It's going very smoothly. If it succeeds, I'll get at least ten thousand gold coins." Cao Ze finished his tea, moistened his throat, and spoke in a very relaxed tone.

It's not fair to blame Emerald Tiger for not being shrewd enough; if Emerald Tiger hadn't cooperated, he could have naturally gone to Ji Wuye. But once he started plotting, Emerald Tiger no longer had many options.

Zi Nu smiled gently, picked up the teapot with her slender hand and poured Cao Ze a full cup of wine. Then, she raised her jade finger and wiped away the wine stains on the rim of the cup, and said softly, "Drink a cup."

Cao Ze looked at the stunningly beautiful and elegant Zi Nu before him, chuckled, and drank the cup in one gulp.

"This Cold Dew Orchid Wine is as pure and mellow as ever."

He said in a low voice, "Have Nongyu come over, I have something to say to her."

Zi Nu beckoned to Nong Yu, who was playing the zither, "Nong Yu, come here and have a drink with the master."

As the music faded, Nongyu raised her pure and innocent face, stood up shyly, and knelt down beside Cao Ze.

Under the moonlight, her skin was as white as jade, with a shimmering glow, and her glossy black hair was so smooth it reflected light. A warm, pleasant fragrance wafted over, and Cao Ze couldn't help but exclaim, "So fragrant!"

These words made Nongyu even more embarrassed, like the bright moon in the sky half-hidden by the night clouds.

Nongyu's face was as pink as a lotus flower. To hide her unease, she raised her fair wrist and refilled Cao Ze's empty wine cup.

"Sir, please have a drink."

Cao Ze smiled, holding his wine glass: "No rush to drink, I have something to tell you."

Nongyu was slightly taken aback. She glanced at Sister Zinu, who was nodding with a smile, and said, "Please speak, sir."

Cao Ze reached out and grabbed the Fire Rain Agate pendant that Nongyu used to weigh down her skirt, causing Nongyu to panic and almost fall backward.

"Uh..." Cao Ze quickly helped Nongyu up. "Sorry, I didn't think it through."

Nongyu forced a smile: "It's alright."

Zi Nu pursed her lips, glanced at Cao Ze suspiciously, and felt that Cao Ze seemed to be doing this on purpose.

Cao Ze said seriously, "Nongyu, do you know where this Fire Rain Agate comes from?"

Nongyu looked at Zinu, somewhat puzzled, and asked, "Wasn't it left to me by my adoptive parents?"

Zi Nu said, "This Fire Rain Agate does not belong to your adoptive parents, but to your biological mother."

Nongyu paused for a moment, her expression changing slightly.

Given her familiarity with Sister Zi Nu, Sister Zi Nu wouldn't bring up old grievances for no reason.

Zi Nu glanced at Cao Ze: "You tell me."

Cao Ze said, "Nongyu, your biological mother was found not long ago, but due to various reasons, it was delayed until tonight to tell you. I hope you won't blame me or your mother."

Nongyu, barely suppressing her excitement, pleaded, "Sir, please, can you not tell me where my mother is?"

Cao Ze reached out and pressed down on Nongyu's shoulder, saying slowly, "Don't get agitated. I'm telling you this so that I can arrange for you and your daughter to meet. Before that, I hope you'll let me finish what I have to say."

“Okay.” Nongyu gripped her skirt tightly, staring intently at Cao Ze.