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

Bai Yifei, worried that his mother would discover his little tricks tonight, cupped his hands and said, "I won't disturb Mother's rest any longer."

The Marquis paused slightly and said, "Go back to Xinzheng now. Unless there is something else, do not come back casually."

Bai Yifei took a light breath and said, "Understood."

His mother made him stay in the Marquis of Xinzheng's mansion so that they could coordinate their efforts from within and without when the Han clan was destroyed.

In other words, he could be sacrificed at any time.

Cao Ze and Bai Yifei returned to Xinzheng and parted ways.

He stared speechlessly at the plaque bearing the three large characters "Zilanxuan".

We've come full circle.

Inside the Purple Orchid Pavilion, everyone was astonished by Cao Ze's return.

Han Fei asked with a serious expression, "Brother Cao, you haven't been turned by someone else, have you?"

"Get out of the way!" Cao Ze waved his sleeve. "The situation has changed."

Zi Nu and Wei Zhuang looked at Cao Ze.

Cao Ze coughed lightly and said, "Bai Yifei has selfish motives; he wants to replace his mother as the head of the Bai family."

Zi Nu paused slightly and asked, "Why does Bai Yifei want to replace his mother?"

Cao Ze yawned: "Of course Bai Yifei wants to be king. If his mother becomes queen, wouldn't Bai Yifei be the crown prince for forty years?"

"Then...why does the Marquis want to be queen?" Han Fei asked, puzzled. "There are many obstacles to a woman becoming queen, which is not in the interests of the Bai family."

Wei Zhuang said calmly, "My teacher once commented on this marquis, saying that she was exceptionally talented, but lacked character and was extremely self-serving. She would not pluck a single hair to benefit the world, but she would give the whole world to serve herself."

Han Fei shook his head: "No, if that were the case, the Marquis could simply rule from behind the curtain and support a puppet to the throne. The Marquis must have a reason why she has to become a queen."

Wei Zhuang's cold eyes narrowed slightly: "My teacher once said that the Marquis challenged him as soon as she entered the Grandmaster realm, and that she is a martial arts fanatic of our time. If that is really the case, perhaps the Marquis was trying to break through to a higher realm."

Cao Ze asked curiously, "Could it be that becoming a king would have some benefit for cultivation?"

"Perhaps there is, perhaps not. But as long as there's even the slightest possibility, the Marquis will certainly try." Zi Nu said leisurely, "Am I right?"

Han Fei scratched his head. "Bai Yifei's desire to replace his mother is not good news for us. At least until his mother succeeds, Bai Yifei will not make a move against her."

Wei Zhuang said calmly, "This does not mean that Bai Yifei is willing to see his mother successfully destroy Nightfall and Quicksand."

Han Fei suddenly realized, "Brother Wei Zhuang just said that Bai Yifei did not attack you. I suppose that's why. If Bai Yifei can stand by and do nothing, then our only opponent is the Marquis. In that case, it's not impossible to defeat her."

Cao Ze accepted the tea offered by Zi Nu and said, "It's better to act sooner rather than later. I will meet with Tian Ze in the next two days to finalize the plan to eliminate the Marquis."

After saying that, he gave his brother-in-law a meaningful look.

If anyone could help her brother-in-law become the King of Han faster, it seems to be this marquis.

To avoid being targeted, Han Fei did not return to the palace, but instead stayed in the room next to Wei Zhuang's.

He felt vaguely uneasy, his heart pounding with fear, as if something big was about to happen.

Cao Ze, on the other hand, enjoyed a comfortable life.

Faced with Xiao Hongyu and Cai Die who had taken the initiative to come in, he put one arm around Xiao Hongyu and the other around Cai Die, and fought the land battle and then the air battle.

The main theme is flying side by side, without shame or arrogance.

……

Chapter 317 Recognizing a Man by His Scent

As April approaches, the weather is pleasant and the breeze is gentle.

An eerie calm descended upon Xinzheng City.

Honglian arrived at Zilan Pavilion early in the morning, wanting Cao Ze to come out and go shopping with her. No matter how much Han Fei tried to persuade her, it was to no avail.

Han Fei, his face filled with sorrow, privately approached Cao Ze and whispered to him, "You must protect my sister."

His tone was both heartbroken and helpless.

At this critical juncture, he really didn't want his younger sister to have any contact with Cao Ze.

Who knows what might happen!

Cao Ze nodded calmly, "Don't worry, brother-in-law, I've got you covered!"

Han Fei covered his face and fled; he could no longer hold on.

Just as Cao Ze closed the door and was about to leave the backyard for the main hall of Zilan Pavilion, a soft tinkling sound came from behind him, and a young girl walked in.

She was wearing a long pink dress, and her face was as white and tender as snow.

With her light and quick steps, her flowing pink skirt swayed in the wind. Her graceful figure and exquisite posture, along with the colorful flowers in the courtyard, created a scene that was enough to evoke beautiful thoughts in anyone. No one doubted whether the girl's face was beautiful enough.

Cao Ze closed the door, turned around, and looked at Hong Lian's exquisite and smiling face. His expression stiffened slightly, and he was momentarily lost in thought.

A gentle breeze swept by, and Honglian patted Cao Ze on the shoulder, her light and melodious voice ringing out: "Hey, what are you daydreaming about?"

Seemingly sensing something amiss, Honglian said shyly, "We agreed to go shopping when we have time."

Cao Ze smiled and said, "Princess, you look beautiful today."

Honglian said happily, "Really? I think so too."

"My brother can't tell at all that I dressed up specially before going out today. He insists that I go back. What a spoilsport!"

Little Red Lotus pouted, harboring resentment towards Han Fei, but she could never win an argument with him. Fortunately, she could beat him in a fight, otherwise she would be too frustrated.

Cao Ze and Xiao Honglian wandered aimlessly through Xinzheng City, standing on a bridge and gazing at the scenery.

In the original novel, it was on this bridge that Crown Prince Han was tricked and killed by Han Qiancheng, the adopted son of the Fourth Prince Han Yu.

Now, the area is bustling with cars and people, and as far as the eye can see, there are many waterways in Xinzheng City, creating a lively scene.

The streets and riverbanks are lined with numerous shops, some selling rouge and face powder, others selling silk and brocade, and still others displaying pearls and gems.

Little Red Lotus stopped at a shop selling face powder and, along with other elegantly dressed girls, picked out face powders that smelled good and were easy to use.

Most of the sales staff in the shop are young women. They are smart and low-key, with a neutral attitude and strict adherence to rules. They only introduce products in a soft voice when a customer asks for them, making the customer willingly buy cosmetics in the shop.

"How about this? It's jasmine scented powder, it smells so good!"

Little Red Lotus enthusiastically dabbed a bit of the fragrant powder with her finger, sniffed it lightly at the tip of her nose, and then held it under Cao Ze's nose for him to smell.

Cao Ze had no knowledge of cosmetics, so he honestly replied, "They smell very nice. Would you like a box?"

He just made a fortune from the Nightfall and is now very wealthy.

The only downside is that his brother-in-law, who lost the bet, is now penniless and unable to repay the debt.

This gave him even more motivation to send his brother-in-law to be the King of Han.

Little Red Lotus smiled and said, "I won't take it. Purple Maiden gave me something better."

After saying that, Xiao Honglian pulled Cao Ze to another place, which attracted the attention of many people.

Teahouses and taverns of all sizes filled the city of Xinzheng. Although the area outside Xinzheng was desolate, Xinzheng, as the capital city, was still crowded with tourists and merchants.

Unlike other countries, South Korea does not discriminate against businessmen; on the contrary, it often encourages them. In addition, its location in the heart of the Central Plains and its surrounding major powers have led to a very prosperous trade in South Korea.

The bustling crowd, the sounds of vendors hawking their wares, haggling, storytelling of "Journey to the West," cheers, and laughter blended together, creating a vibrant and lively atmosphere.

Little Red Lotus looked left and right, her expression excited and thrilled.

Cao Ze, however, was not so relaxed. While chatting and laughing with Honglian, he kept a watchful eye on his surroundings.

No wonder his brother-in-law was worried about Honglian going out with him; he had already sensed several subtle, imperceptible glances from his eyes.

It's probably aimed at him.

Suddenly, a person dressed in black bumped into him.

Just as Cao Ze was about to retaliate, he inadvertently caught a glimpse of the man in black revealing a pale yet familiar face.

...Li Kai?

Cao Ze was bumped on the shoulder and clearly felt a small piece of cloth being stuffed into his hand.

Wow, this phoenix crown is so beautiful!

Honglian accidentally saw the phoenix crown in the shop on the street and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

Cao Ze smiled and said, "Let's go in and give it a try."

The innkeeper, with his sharp eyes, knew that Cao Ze and Honglian were important guests as soon as they entered. His smile became even brighter after he recognized the woman as Princess Honglian and the man as Lord Jade Tiger's distinguished guest.

Seeing Honglian admiring their prized possession, the shopkeeper flattered her with a smile, "Your Highness, this phoenix crown suits you very well. Would you like to try it on?"

The phoenix crown is not something an ordinary person can wear; even if an ordinary woman wanted to buy it, he wouldn't sell it to her.

Honglian clearly liked it, "Okay."

The shopkeeper waved his hand, and a pretty maid carefully took down the phoenix crown from the top, placed it in a sandalwood box, and presented it to Honglian.

Cao Ze, who was standing to the side, opened the note in his hand and quickly scanned it.

Han Xin, a man in a straw raincoat, wanted to help the Bai family.

Cao Ze's gaze narrowed slightly.

He knew that the man in the straw raincoat was Han Xin, and even knew that Han Xin had designs on the throne of Han, but he did not expect that Han Xin would have the intention to help the Bai family at this time.

Is it a case of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, or a case of the fish and the clam fighting while the fisherman reaps the benefits?

"Is it beautiful?" Honglian's beautiful voice uttered softly and joyfully from between her teeth, shy and timid, as moving as the sound of a clear spring.

With the help of a maid, he put on a bright phoenix crown. The phoenix hairpin on his hair had two wings spread out, and the phoenix beak held a string of dazzling pearls. The string of pearls hung from Honglian's forehead to the tip of her nose. The pearls were so bright and precious that they made her delicate chin appear white and plump, and her red lips even more beautiful and charming.

Cao Ze snapped out of his daze and said from the bottom of his heart, "It's so beautiful."

He paused for a moment, then said hesitantly, "This seems to be the phoenix crown that women wear when they get married, doesn't it?"

He didn't know much about the customs of the Warring States period.

Honglian was overjoyed. She exclaimed excitedly and expectantly, "When I get married, I will wear this phoenix crown."

Cao Ze praised Honglian a few times, then subtly asked the shopkeeper, "How much gold?"

The shopkeeper smiled and held up one finger.