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

Madam Mingzhu paused, her raised arm ready to strike. "Then what do you do?"

“I…” The Marquis opened her mouth.

Could it be that she claimed to be the only female marquis in the state of Han, who had once commanded an army of 100,000 to fight a deadly battle against Bai Qi of Qin, possessing a noble status and strength comparable to a peak grandmaster, standing at the pinnacle of the seven states, and that wherever she went, whether it was kings, generals, or masters of various schools of thought, they would all treat her with the utmost respect...?

Even if this coarse woman believed it, how could she possibly open her mouth?

The Marquis was ice-cold all over. As a Marquis, a master of the highest order, she had fallen into prostitution. Even if she had not yet been humiliated, she could only wash away her shame with death.

"You slut! How dare you lie to me! I'll beat you to death!"

The Marquis could tell that the madam in front of her hadn't used any internal force; her techniques and skills were no different from an ordinary person's. Yet, the blows she received caused her excruciating pain, clearly indicating that the madam had used deadly force.

She tried to break free of the rope binding her, but the rope, which would normally break with the slightest effort, was now incredibly strong.

The Marquis realized once again that her cultivation had been destroyed.

That despicable couple was truly ruthless. They ruined themselves, sold themselves into a brothel, and allowed themselves to be humiliated by a vulgar madam, suffering endless humiliation until their deaths…

"Kill me!" the Marquis cried out in anguish.

"You worthless scum! You deserve a beating!"

Lady Mingzhu, disguised as a woman, picked up a broken piece of wood and began to beat the Marquis mercilessly.

Cao Ze, watching from outside, felt his eyelids twitch.

Even though she could tell that Lady Mingzhu wasn't using much force, the Marquis didn't know that the Luo Wang's potion, which amplified pain, would only make her think she was being beaten to death.

The despair in the Marquis's heart continued to erode her inner self.

The dirty, broken wooden stick fell on her arm, making her arm bone feel as if it were breaking; it fell on her ribs, and she seemed to hear the sound of bones cracking. Every part of her body, bones, skin, and flesh was interconnected; if the room were well-lit, she would surely be covered in wounds, with not a single unscathed spot.

But her pride made her grit her teeth and hold onto her last shred of dignity, refusing to cry and beg for mercy in front of this vulgar woman. She was beaten until she fainted from the pain.

When Madam Mingzhu saw her aunt had fainted, and looked at her naked aunt on the ground, her gaze was slightly complicated.

She harbored some resentment towards her aunt, but that resentment was not enough to justify her humiliating her like this.

But my aunt was too proud and held herself too high, refusing to kneel before her master.

However, since the master wanted her aunt to submit, she wanted to demonstrate her own value, so she could only wrong her aunt.

Madam Mingzhu locked the door after leaving.

"What a clever move," Cao Ze exclaimed, adding that he himself couldn't have done it.

Madam Mingzhu tensed up, removed the human skin mask from her face, revealing her beautiful face.

She dared not be as proud as her aunt. She knelt down, spread her jade-like hands on the ground, and bowed respectfully, placing her head on the back of her hands in a devout posture.

"Master, I hope you will forgive my humble skills."

Cao Ze casually asked Jing Ni, "Aren't we being a little perverted?"

Jing Ni glanced at Cao Ze in surprise, then thought for a moment, "It can be even more perverted."

Compared to what she had seen in the Luo Wang (a network of secret organizations) – being skinned, deboned, and boiled in a cauldron – which was merely meant to frighten the Marquis, it seemed rather childish to her.

Cao Ze paused for a moment, then chuckled and shook his head.

At this time, the concept of PUA did not exist. Even if it did, compared to the darkness of prison, the stunningly beautiful Marquis was not suffering, but enjoying a life of luxury.

Lady Mingzhu knelt and said, "I will train this lowly hussy tonight and make sure my aunt submits to her master as soon as possible."

Cao Ze gave a faint "hmm," and said, "I'll come again tonight."

After Cao Ze left, Madam Mingzhu carefully got up, looked at the cold-faced Jing Ni, and forced a flattering smile: "Sister Jing Ni, please take good care of me in the future."

Jingni glanced at Madam Mingzhu, who was clearly older than her, yet could still call her "sister" without any hesitation.

Thinking back to how Cao Ze had told her on the bed how difficult it was to win over Madam Zhu, she couldn't help but smile. She never expected that Cao Ze could be so naive.

Madam Mingzhu was, at heart, the kind of woman who had lived a life of privilege and comfort for too long. She was incredibly weak-willed. Once her mask of elegance and nobility was torn away, she was even more pathetic than Madam Hu, who had walked on thin ice all her life.

"Obey them properly and don't have any improper thoughts."

Jingni said something indifferently and disappeared from Madam Mingzhu's sight.

But Madam Mingzhu knew that Jingni had not left.

If the aunt does not serve her master as her master, Jingni will follow the aunt and niece.

Madam Mingzhu swallowed hard, her phoenix eyes showing both fear and excitement.

She couldn't help but lick her slightly chapped red lips. It felt so good to have an owner now, and to have her aunt under her feet.

I wonder what expression my cousin Bai Yifei will have when he sees this.

Outside Xinzheng City.

Bai Yifei was unaware that her proud and arrogant mother had been arrested and was being scolded by her own cousin.

Yesterday, he contacted Bai's former subordinates, disguised himself, and, through the connections of the man in the straw raincoat, quietly entered Xinzheng City.

Li Kai stood behind the man in the straw raincoat, dressed in all black with a hood covering his face. When he saw Bai Yifei stroll in, he widened his eyes slightly.

If Liu Yi was the direct murderer who killed him and Huoyu Manor, then Bai Yifei was the instigator.

The man in the straw raincoat seemed to sense Li Kai's emotional fluctuations. He said in a low voice, "Brother Li, those who achieve great things must endure what ordinary people cannot endure and let go of what ordinary people cannot let go of. Only in this way can they succeed."

Li Kai said, "Brother Han, the past is the past, there's no need to mention it. I know what to do."

The man in the straw raincoat nodded slightly. "Brother Li, rest assured, the uprising has succeeded. I will personally clear your name and restore your innocence. I will also help you and Madam Hu reconcile."

Li Kai gave a bitter smile. His wife was now hopelessly in love with Cao Ze, so how could he possibly reconcile with her? Besides...

"Thank you, Brother Li."

Li Kai sighed inwardly. Whether it was the Straw-Clothed Man or Bai Yifei who rose to power, it would be a catastrophe for the Purple Orchid Pavilion where the Ninth Prince resided.

For the sake of his daughter and wife, he could only lie low and wait for an opportunity.

Bai Yifei stepped into the hall, his gaze lingering on Li Kai for a moment, but he didn't recognize Li Kai under the black hood.

"I am ready. As soon as the signal is given, those nobles will bring their retainers to the Han King's Palace to start our great undertaking together."

The man in the straw raincoat said, "Good!"

Bai Yifei stared coldly at the man in the straw raincoat: "Where are your men?"

The man in the straw raincoat laughed and said, "Unable to match the Marquis's extensive connections, I can only hide my troops among the people."

Bai Yifei was slightly taken aback, then said slowly, "No wonder."

No wonder neither he nor Ji Wuye discovered where the man in the straw raincoat was hiding.

The man in the straw raincoat sighed, “I have spent more than ten years in the abyss, like an ant carrying grains of sand, to accumulate my current wealth. If things fail, I will lose it all in one day and wander the world like a dog.”

"I hope that Your Excellency will refrain from internal strife before the matter is accomplished, lest you only benefit others."

Bai Yifei smiled wickedly and said, "Of course."

As for whether it will happen, that depends on the timing.

After Bai Yifei left, the man in the straw raincoat said to Li Kai, "Brother Li, you are skilled in military affairs. Most of my men are street thugs who are good at fighting and are not proficient in military matters. Be prepared for that."

Knowing his own limitations, the man in the straw raincoat was well aware of the difference between scattered soldiers and regular troops, even though many of his men were skilled martial artists.

Therefore, the key to this uprising is speed; whoever controls the central government of the Han royal palace first will win.

Li Kai asked in a slightly hoarse voice, "How many people?"

The man in the straw raincoat pondered for a moment and said, "I am in charge of intelligence under the cover of night, but the number of people I can mobilize is limited and they are not easy to trust. However, there are about 1,500 people hidden among the people."

Li Kai shook his head slightly: "With so few people, once the palace closes its gates, we won't be able to break into the Han King's Palace."

The man in the straw raincoat smiled confidently: "Don't worry, I have people at the palace gates."

"My only concern now is that Ji Wuye will react quickly and lead the city guards and the royal guards to fight us to the death, so I brought Bai Yifei here."

The man in the straw raincoat remained calm and composed, with everything under his control.

Ji Wuye realized that as long as he saw those nobles and the old subordinates of the Bai family, he would definitely choose to fight Bai Yifei first.

As the saying goes, when the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits.

He'd been fishing with a straight hook for so many years, he'd figured it out long ago.

Li Kai couldn't help but sigh inwardly, feeling a chill run down his spine. If he hadn't been unexpectedly brought back by Han Xin and taken under his command, the state of Han would probably have really changed its ruler this time.

As dusk settled, swifts flew low overhead.

Cao Ze stood alone in the drizzling rain.

A man dressed in black slowly emerged from the dark alley.

"Mr. Cao Ze, it's been a long time."

Cao Ze was secretly surprised and suspicious when he saw Li Kai dressed like the man in black in the original novel.

Could the man in black who later openly stated that he was "serving the war" be Li Kai?

Cao Ze suppressed his doubts; whether Li Kai was right or wrong was not the point.

"You're risking exposure to see me, is it because something happened between the Straw-Clothed Man and Bai Yifei?"

Li Kaidao: "Yes, sir, they intend to take control of the Han King's Palace and are preparing to act tomorrow night... and they have people at the palace gates."

"...This is truly unexpected news."

Cao Ze gazed leisurely at the dark, rain-threatening sky beyond, and said, "I understand."

Li Kai slowly disappeared into the dimly lit alley, as if he had never existed.

Cao Ze was not alarmed.

The man in the straw raincoat and Bai Yifei wanted to become the King of Han, but General Ji was the first to object.

Cao Ze then went to the Han King's Palace.

The Korean royal palace is now under tight security on the outside, with the royal guards standing densely outside the palace hall, while other areas have fewer patrol personnel.

Cao Ze arrived at Mingzhu Palace.

Madam Mingzhu hurried over and said obsequiously, "Sir...May the master be blessed."

Madam Mingzhu's personal maid stared wide-eyed. She had never seen her mistress so humble before and almost cried out in surprise.