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

Compared to the overwhelmed sadness of the Red Lotus, the Purple Goddess showed a hint of joy on her face, but she concealed it well so that the Little Red Lotus did not notice it.

Zi Nu sat alone by the lake, turning her head to look at Xiao Hong Lian, whose eyes were filled with sorrow and a touch of childishness.

She took a closer look at Xiao Honglian's eyes. They were slightly red and swollen, clearly from crying many times. They were like a ruby ​​with bloodshot streaks, dazzlingly beautiful, yet also evoking pity in people's hearts.

"Princess Honglian..."

Xiao Honglian subconsciously looked at Zi Nu.

Zi Nu looked at the sadness in Xiao Hong Lian's red eyes, and the words of comfort she was about to say just wouldn't come out.

"Tomorrow, the Ninth Prince will handle state affairs as the King of Han, and the enthronement ceremony will be postponed until June, after the Qin envoy incident has passed, before the news is sent to the other six states."

Little Red Lotus nodded slightly, without making a sound.

Zi Nu continued, "Is Your Highness willing to share the heavy responsibility with the Ninth Prince?"

Little Red Lotus asked blankly, "Is there anything I can do?"

Zi Nu said earnestly, "Of course, you can do a lot, such as helping Ninth Prince with the national mourning."

Honglian was a little confused: "I don't quite understand..."

Zi Nu shook her head slightly: "Princess, you don't need to understand. The royal family has special officials in charge of funeral rites. You only need to act on behalf of your brother so that he can have more time to manage Korea."

Cao Ze casually replied, "I'll go with you."

Little Red Lotus hummed in agreement, then suddenly asked, "When?"

Zi Nu pondered for a moment and said, "Normally it starts on the same day, but due to unforeseen circumstances, it will be arranged for tomorrow, and the funeral will begin the day after tomorrow. Your Highness need not worry."

Honglian gazed at the bright moon reflected in the lake, lost in thought.

Zi Nu and Cao Ze started chatting.

"Tianze's whereabouts are unknown. Do you need me to help you investigate?" Zi Nu was quite concerned about this matter.

Cao Ze laughed and said, "No need, lest we alert the enemy."

He had plenty of ways to find Tianze.

Unless Tianze goes back to Baiyue without saying a word.

Zi Nu nodded gently: "Okay."

She hesitated for a moment, then said, "I plan to stop the pleasure quarters at Zilan Pavilion."

Cao Ze nodded and said, "That's good."

Now that Han Fei has been placed on the throne of King Han, Zi Lan Xuan no longer needs to use its brothel-like affairs as a cover. It can now openly do whatever it wants, and with the court's help, it can obtain more accurate intelligence.

Zi Nu wanted to say something more to Cao Ze, but considering Hong Lian beside her, she could only smile helplessly at Cao Ze.

Cao Ze shrugged.

The two men flanked Honglian on either side, accompanying her as she enjoyed the night lake scenery.

……

The next morning.

Before Cao Ze could leave, the Wolf King entered the Purple Orchid Pavilion.

"Mr. Cao Ze, the Ninth Prince and Lord Wei Zhuang request that you come to the palace."

Cao Ze couldn't help but smile. "So you've still sided with Brother Wei Zhuang."

Compared to the unlucky Hidden Bat, the Wolf King can be described as a very pragmatic person.

The Wolf King remained unfazed and said, "A wise bird chooses a good tree to perch on. Lord Wei Zhuang is someone I should follow."

But you're the alpha wolf... Cao Ze said, "Okay, I understand."

The Wolf King vanished in a flash, still needing to send all those stubborn and foolish nobles to prison for Lord Wei Zhuang.

Cao Ze did not drive a carriage, but walked to the palace.

The palace guards patrolled the palace, and from time to time, rebels hiding inside the palace were dragged out.

They were either executed on the spot or thrown into the dungeon.

Zhang Liang happened to arrive at the palace at that time.

"Mr. Cao Ze".

Cao Ze turned around and smiled, "Zifang, you've come too?"

Zhang Liang smiled in response: "Yes, congratulations in advance, sir."

Cao Ze was slightly taken aback: "He happy?"

Zhang Liang chuckled and said, "Brother, once you ascend the throne, you will naturally need men to help you. Perhaps you, sir, could replace your brother and become the Minister of Justice of Han."

Cao Ze suddenly realized, then shook his head: "No, I'm not interested."

Zhang Liang mistakenly thought Cao Ze was dissatisfied and continued, "Given your talent, it is indeed somewhat inappropriate for you to succeed as Minister of Justice. I will inform my elder brother and ask him to choose another for you..."

Cao Ze waved his hand: "Alright, alright, let's go in together."

South Korea is such a tiny place, what good is it to become the head of the phoenix?

All around, each state was more powerful than the last, and they conveniently blocked Qin's eastward expansion.

Even if a powerful man suddenly appears, it's not guaranteed that South Korea won't be destroyed. Being an official in South Korea is precarious; he must be crazy to be doing this.

There were not many people in the royal palace.

Yesterday's turmoil affected many nobles and officials, and many officials were killed as a result.

Three of the Nine Ministers' positions were left vacant, and there were many more official positions of varying ranks, enough for Han Fei to bring in a large number of people.

Ji Wuye and Zhang Kaidi each stood on either side.

Han Fei changed into a royal robe, wearing a crown with tassels, and sat high on the throne.

"Yesterday, the White Guards, along with treacherous officials and rebels in Xinzheng City, caused an uprising. Your Excellencies arrived in time to rescue us, preventing the state of Han from falling into chaos..."

After Han Fei spoke at length, highlighting everyone's contributions, he began to bestow lavish rewards.

"Tang Qi was loyal and courageous, risking his life to protect the country. He also made great contributions in the battle against Baiyue and was appointed as the Sili."

"Your Majesty, I thank you."

Tang Qi knelt on one knee, his old face filled with excitement. He had made the right bet, and he never expected that the bet would be cashed out so soon.

Han Fei simply nodded slightly, without saying anything more, wanting to maintain his kingly demeanor.

Next, Han Fei continued to bestow titles upon some loyal ministers who were close to him or who had rendered meritorious service.

"Wei Zhuang is unparalleled in loyalty and righteousness, single-handedly rescuing the king. He is also a disciple of the renowned master Guigu, possessing exceptional talent. With the death of Left Sima Liu Yi, the position of Right Sima is vacant. The Sima is a crucial and indispensable position for the state. Therefore, Wei Zhuang is hereby appointed as Right Sima..."

Ji Wuye couldn't help but step forward, "Your Majesty, the position of Right Sima is of great importance. Although Wei Zhuang has saved the emperor's life, others have also done so. If Wei Zhuang is easily appointed as Sima, how can we gain the support of the people?"

Although he had anticipated that Han Fei would promote Wei Zhuang, he did not expect that Han Fei would actually dare to directly give Wei Zhuang the position of Sima.

Wei Zhuang's expression remained unchanged as he quietly watched Ji Wuye.

Han Fei's intention in appointing him as Sima was clear: to have him restrain Ji Wuye, which was also the most suitable position for him at the moment.

As one of the Nine Ministers, Sima could completely replace Ji Wuye and become the Grand General of Han if he took another step forward and the time was right.

Cao Ze moved his lips slightly, sending a telepathic message to Han Fei.

Han Fei paused for a moment, then said, "There were three people who came to the rescue in time. The first was Mr. Cao Ze, the second was Wei Zhuang, and the last was the General. Is that correct?"

Ji Wuye frowned, wondering what Han Fei was up to.

"Indeed, I believe I have made considerable contributions, but even with those contributions, I am not worthy of being promoted to one of the Nine Ministers."

Han Fei smiled and said, "I wonder what reward General Ji desires?"

Ji Wuye said in a deep voice, "It is a subject's duty to save the emperor. What reward do I need? Your Majesty need not reward me."

What a clever tactic of retreating to advance... Han Fei glanced at his good brother-in-law, wondering if he had already anticipated that Ji Wuye would cause him trouble.

Han Fei coughed and said, "Reward those who have made contributions and punish those who have made mistakes. The fairness of the law should not be abandoned."

As the prime minister, Zhang Kaidi chimed in at the opportune moment, "Your Majesty is right."

Although it was a pointless statement, it demonstrated the attitude of Zhang Kaidi's faction, showing their strong support for the new king.

Cao Ze stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, although I was the first to save you, if Wei Zhuang had not stopped the traitorous general Bai Yifei, I would have been helpless. If we are to talk about merit, Wei Zhuang should be credited first.”

Ji Wuye stared coldly at Cao Ze, who was actually willing to sacrifice his own future to help Wei Zhuang ascend to the throne. Was he here to cause him trouble?

Han Fei looked at Ji Wuye and asked, "My lords, do you have any further objections?"

Ji Wuye waved his sleeve and remained silent.

Han Fei immediately ordered that Wei Zhuang be appointed as the Nine Ministers' Sima, and replace Bai Yifei in command of the border army, taking command of a regional army.

After dealing with the matter of bestowing rewards, Han Fei continued, "My dear ministers, do you know the former Right Sima, Lord Li Kai?"

Cao Ze asked him to exonerate Li Kaiping, and he naturally wouldn't refuse.

Ji Wuye closed his eyes, ignoring everything.

Sili Tangqi stepped forward and asked, "Is Your Majesty referring to Lord Li Kai, who once falsely claimed credit in Baiyue and fell into the enemy's trap?"

Han Fei continued, “That’s right. But there’s more to this story. It was Bai Yifei of the Bai family who framed Li Kai and failed to send reinforcements as planned, which ultimately led to Li Kai’s death.”

He didn't say that Li Kai didn't die in Baiyue. Li Kai is now dead. Rather than revealing his tragic side, it's better to let the world remember his being framed and fighting a bloody battle on the battlefield.

Zhang Kaidi spoke at the opportune moment: "When the late king first ascended the throne, he repeatedly praised General Li Kai, the Right Sima. Such a loyal and righteous general was killed by a traitor. I implore Your Majesty to clear General Li Kai's name!"

Han Fei glanced at Ji Wuye, who was keeping his eyes closed and silent. He was more eager for Ji Wuye to jump out and see, so that he could humiliate Ji Wuye.

"That is so. I implore Your Excellency to step forward and announce to the whole country that General Li Kai has been exonerated."

"Your subject obeys."

Zhang Kai glanced at his grandson standing at the end of the line. The Zhang family had served as prime ministers of Han for five generations, so he could now confidently let Zhang Liang enter officialdom without worrying about Ji Wuye.

Ji Wuye's cover was riddled with holes by Han Fei and his men. In their eyes, Ji Wuye was already a tiger in a cage, just waiting for the day when the tree falls and the monkeys scatter.

Cao Ze let out a soft breath.

Vote me for peaches, and repay me for plums.