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

Cao Ze concealed the matter of Li Kai and only recounted, like an observer, Madam Hu's life and the hardships she had encountered over the years.

Nongyu was standing almost right next to Cao Ze, afraid of missing a single word.

After a long while, a layer of mist unconsciously formed in the girl's eyes, and some vague emotion was lingering within them.

Cao Ze and Zi Nu exchanged a glance, but neither of them spoke, and simply stayed with Nong Yu.

It wasn't until Nongyu came to her senses that Cao Ze spoke, "I will arrange for your mother to come over tomorrow night."

Nongyu nodded slightly, her face full of gratitude, and said, "Sir, your kindness and virtue are beyond my ability to repay."

Cao Ze wiped away the tears on Nongyu's face and sighed slightly, "I promised my sister-in-law that I would take care of you and your daughter, so you don't need to do that."

Zi Nu said seriously, "Nong Yu, Zi Lan Xuan will always be your home. You can do whatever you want."

Nongyu stopped crying and smiled, "Okay, Sister Zinu."

……

Chapter 308 Best Sisters

The following morning, dark clouds gathered and the wind gradually picked up.

Thanks to Hu Meiren's reminder, Cao Zetian arrived at Liu's residence at dawn and, like the master of the house, began directing the servants to prepare for moving the coffin for a grand funeral to Liu Yi.

Cao Ze glanced at Liu Yi, who was calm and composed, and coughed lightly: "Seal the coffin!"

Madam Hu stood respectfully beside Cao Ze, like a dutiful daughter-in-law.

The old butler hurried into the mourning hall and said, "Madam, it's raining outside?"

Madam Hu calmly looked at Cao Ze, "Sir."

Cao Ze said, "Light rain is an auspicious sign. It brings abundant blessings, and the deceased will bring good fortune to his descendants and his family..."

"Boom!" The two bronze lamps in the mourning hall flickered in the wind, and the drizzle outside suddenly turned into a downpour, making the already gloomy sky even darker.

Cao Ze said without changing his expression, "Lao Tzu once said, 'A strong wind does not last all morning, nor does a sudden rain last all day.' Let's postpone it for now."

Madam Hu continued, "Heavy rain is an ominous sign; the funeral should be kept simple after the rain."

The old steward said, "Understood, this old servant will go and deliver the message right away."

Cao Ze dismissed the servants from the mourning hall.

Outside, it was dark. At this moment, Madam Hu was dressed in mourning clothes. Under the bright candlelight in the mourning hall, her fair face, like a lotus flower, shone as brightly as a jade gemstone.

Madam Hu felt shy under Cao Ze's gaze and whispered, "There are many people outside, you mustn't do anything reckless."

She was worried that Cao Ze would treat her like he had done to her in the mourning hall before.

Cao Ze chuckled softly, "Do you want to?"

Madam Hu's fair face flushed slightly. "Don't talk nonsense."

Cao Ze leaned close to Madam Hu's ear and breathed hot air into it, making Madam Hu feel a ticklish sensation in her heart, and she couldn't help but feel her heart flutter.

"I'll take you to see Nongyu tonight."

The tender and affectionate thoughts in Madam Hu's mind vanished instantly. She cupped Cao Ze's face in her hands, her voice both excited and apprehensive.

"really?"

Cao Ze put his arm around Madam Hu's slender waist and let her sit on his lap.

He flicked Madam Hu's delicate nose and teased, "How could this be fake?"

Madam Hu, feeling somewhat dizzy, said, "Then, what should I do? Should I just go like this? Won't Nongyu think I..."

Mrs. Hu, who had always been taciturn, spoke haltingly and indistinctly, her words a mixture of unease, bewilderment, and excitement.

Under Cao Ze's soft comforting words, Madam Hu gradually calmed down, but before she knew it, she realized that she was half-undressed and in Cao Ze's arms in a very indecent position.

When Madam Hu tried to tidy up, Cao Ze stopped her.

She said shyly, "Not now."

Cao Ze whispered in Madam Hu's ear, who was leaning against the coffin, "They can't tell just by talking."

Madam Hu hesitated for a moment, then worried that Cao Ze might not be able to resist doing *that* to her on the spot, so she had no choice but to compromise and say, "Alright then..."

The rain outside grew heavier and heavier, the heavy raindrops pounding against the eaves and green tiles. It seemed as if the world had lost all other sounds except for the sound of rain, as if the entire city of Xinzheng was about to be submerged.

Gradually, the rain subsided, the wind became gentler, and the gloomy sky turned silvery-gray.

Madam Hu raised her head, her face radiant.

Cao Ze's expression relaxed slightly.

Madam Hu wiped her face with the prepared silk cloth.

Realizing it wasn't working, I quickly washed my face thoroughly in the basin of clean water.

She then let out a long sigh, turned around, and gave Cao Ze a reproachful look.

But instinctively, she took the silk cloth, walked up to Cao Ze, squatted down, helped Cao Ze clean himself, and personally helped Cao Ze put on his lower garment.

"The rain has stopped, don't cause any more trouble."

Madam Hu straightened her mourning clothes, put on a white cloth, and spoke, half scolding and half gently.

Cao Ze patted Liu Yi's coffin and chuckled, "Let's hurry up."

Madam Hu rolled her eyes at Cao Ze and snorted, but said nothing, secretly looking forward to meeting her daughter that evening.

The old steward called out from outside the mourning hall, "Madam, the rain has stopped."

Madam Hu raised her voice and said, "I understand. Send someone in to carry the coffin."

According to local customs in Xinzheng, on the day of the funeral, relatives, friends, and neighbors gather at the bereaved family to offer condolences and express their grief.

But Liu Yi had no relatives or friends, and his neighbors were all prominent figures in Xinzheng who couldn't wait to sever ties with him.

Therefore, apart from Cao Ze, who was providing support behind Madam Hu, there were no other relatives, friends, or neighbors in the funeral procession; they were all servants and maids from the mansion.

Inside the palace, Consort Hu's expression softened slightly as the heavy rain subsided.

The reason she specifically asked Cao Ze to go to her sister's place yesterday was that she wanted to take this opportunity to have a good talk with Cao Ze while her sister was there.

Ever since she learned that the Lady Mingzhu living next to her was the Nightfall Tide Demoness, she had been unable to eat or sleep properly. Not to mention that she had vaguely learned about the Bai family's schemes from Cao Ze. She was afraid that if things went wrong in the future, she would be trapped in a quagmire or even lose her head.

As a Korean beauty, she was well aware of the cruelty of power shifts.

Her status as a beauty was utterly useless; on the contrary, it was a shackle that would bind her tightly.

Using the funeral as an excuse, Consort Hu obtained permission from King Han An to leave the palace to visit her sister.

As the wheels rolled over the rain, Hu Meiren said from inside the carriage, "Faster."

The carriage attendant called out, "Giddy up!"

The speed of the carriage increased by another 30%.

Hu Meiren looked at the shops flashing by outside the car, slightly bewildered.

Does that brat really have the ability to deal with Madam Mingzhu, or the Nightfall behind Madam Mingzhu and the Bai family?

If she were deceived by Cao Ze, that would be truly terrible.

Hopefully, Cao Ze will give his sister some consideration and tell her the truth this time.

As they approached the Liu residence, the carriage was traveling too fast and the road was slippery. Just as the maid was about to slow down, the carriage wheels slipped and crashed into the stone lion in front of the Liu residence with a "thud".

Hu Meiren was thrown around and was completely disoriented. She scrambled out of the carriage in a disheveled state, her once exquisite pink palace dress now soaked through by the rain.

The maid, clutching her injured arm, knelt on the ground in fear and trembling, kowtowing repeatedly, "Your Majesty, please forgive me! Your Majesty, please forgive me!"

Hu Meiren took a deep breath, waved her hand, and said, "Alright, go and heal your wounds."

She had no time to argue with the maid, who was arguably the only person she could somewhat trust in the palace after four or five years of working together. At this point, she wouldn't easily blame her.

The old steward of the Liu household asked in a panic, "Your Highness, are you alright?"

Although Hu Meiren looked disheveled, her elegant demeanor remained. She calmly asked, "Where is my sister?"

"Madam has just been laid to rest."

Hu Meiren hesitated and asked, "Where is Mr. Cao Ze?"

"She came with me too."

Consort Hu sighed inwardly, "Help me boil some hot water, I want to take a bath."

The old steward immediately went to make arrangements.

Outside Xinzheng City, Cao Ze directed the servants carrying the coffin to give Brother Liu Yi a proper burial.

In the distant dense forest, Tianze and the Corpse-Driving Demon witnessed Cao Ze's actions firsthand.

After Cao Ze and his group of musicians left, Tian Ze said in a low voice, "Let's go over there."

The Corpse-Driving Demon trudged through the muddy ground, somewhat displeased that Tianze was still making him work at this time.

Upon arriving at Liu Yi's tomb, the six snake-bone chains behind Tianze opened, like a digger, shattering Liu Yi's tombstone. In just a dozen breaths, they smashed Liu Yi's coffin to pieces.

Tianze looked at Liu Yi, who lay on the ground with a calm expression, and smiled cruelly.

Cao Ze seemed to value his brother highly.

Today he's going to make the most of him, squeeze out every last bit of value from him, and then tell Cao Ze what a "surprise" really is!

"Let's do it!"

The Corpse-Driven Demon was helpless; he really didn't want to do this work in the mud after the rain.

"rise!"

The Corpse-Driving Demon shouted and scattered more than a dozen talisman papers, which were then stuck to Liu Yi, who was in a stable emotional state.

Then he placed his palm on Liu Yi's forehead, pointed his fingers in front of his mouth, and quickly chanted the ancient incantation of the Baiyue people.

After a long while, Liu Yi seemed to come back to life, and said haltingly, "Hundred... Yue Treasure... Treasury... Azure Dragon... Seven Constellations... Ghost Soldier... Cao Ze... Brother..."

Tianze frowned, then sneered: "What a great older brother Cao Ze is!"

The six snake bone chains moved simultaneously, instantly tearing Liu Yi, who was no longer of any use, apart in five separate ways.