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

She's already been so proactive.

But she didn't expect Cao Ze to be so wary of her, binding her.

This is outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!

……

Cao Ze was unaware of Madam Mingzhu's deep resentment, and even if he had, he wouldn't have cared.

If you don't keep an eye on women like this, you won't have any money to fight a divorce later.

In the Grand General's Mansion, Ji Wuye sat on the magnificent hall, his rough fingers tapping incessantly on the armrest.

The obese jade tiger sat with its head held high and chest puffed out, no longer timid and hesitant as before, fearing that Ji Wuye might use it and then discard it.

Now that Cao Ze has betrayed us, the Marquis has been beheaded, the Straw-Clothed Man's fate is unknown, and the Tide Maiden is elusive, time has proven that he—Jade Tiger—is the one most loyal to the General.

The giant pillars inside the main hall are painted with exquisite Taotie patterns. At first glance, they seem to be identical, but upon closer inspection, the patterns on each pillar are different, some with bared fangs and claws, others lying high in the sky...

Ji Wuye stared at these giant pillars, lost in thought for a long time.

"Tiger, how many years have you been following me?"

A hint of reminiscence seemed to appear in the squinting eyes of the jade tiger.

He looked up at the countless pearls and agates inlaid on the ceiling of the palace, which shone brightly under the lights inside the palace.

"It has been twenty years. I still remember that year when the general had just entered Korea, and I was just a down-on-his-luck businessman. If the general had not taken me in as a retainer, I would probably have died on the streets of Xinzheng."

"Twenty years have passed..." Ji Wuye murmured to himself, "Time flies."

"Yes, General." Jade Tiger sighed with emotion. Twenty years had passed in the blink of an eye, and he had become the richest businessman in South Korea.

The confusion and tenderness in Ji Wuye's eyes gradually disappeared, replaced by a sharpness rather than the usual fierceness, just like the look in his eyes when he fought desperately and led eight thousand desperate soldiers from Han to counterattack the one hundred thousand troops of Chu.

Jade Tiger stopped swirling his wine glass and stared blankly at Ji Wuye. The familiar feeling moved him deeply; it seemed that the great general had returned.

Mo Ya suddenly appeared in the main hall. He cupped his hands and bowed, saying, "General, we have found those people of unknown origin in Xinzheng."

Ji Wuye asked in a deep voice, "Who is it?"

As the general in charge of the city's guards, he naturally couldn't ignore the sudden surge of activity among the crowds over the past few days.

"They are from the Luo Wang organization; they must be intelligence agents."

"The Net?" Ji Wuye's cold eyes narrowed slightly. "What are they doing in Xinzheng?"

Nightfall and the Net have always kept to themselves, and much of the Net's intelligence comes from Nightfall. Of course, Nightfall has also gained a lot of wealth in return.

"Under my tutelage, their movements seem aimless, their tracks covering almost the entire city of Xinzheng, as if they were searching for and recording maps of Xinzheng."

Mo Ya rarely spoke up, but he voiced his doubts.

He had thought of a terrible situation, which made it impossible for him to remain silent as usual.

"What?" Emerald Tiger exclaimed in surprise, "What does the Qin state mean by this?"

To do something like this at such a critical juncture when the Qin envoy was sent to Han, was it because they wanted everyone to know that Qin intended to attack Han?

Ji Wuye remained calm and did not panic too much.

"Regardless of what these people in the Net are up to, let's keep them under surveillance for now."

"Yes."

"Also, immediately send someone to the palace to inform the King of this matter." Ji Wuye's eyes suddenly revealed a playful look.

Mo Ya paused slightly, then said, "Yes."

After the black crow left, Jade Tiger couldn't help but say, "General..."

Ji Wuye raised his hand and said, "Don't worry, Qin must have other purposes, to give Han Fei a headache."

The jade tiger paused for a moment, then seemed to realize something.

If the Qin state truly intended to annex the Han state, it wouldn't have required much effort or the use of a net.

Clearly, the people from Luo Wang have ulterior motives in Xinzheng.

"General, what should we do about the Net?"

Ji Wuye fell into deep thought.

He was in charge of the Xinzheng City Guard, and the security of Xinzheng City was naturally under his jurisdiction.

"Let's wait and see. As long as the Luo Wang doesn't cause any trouble, we'll ignore them."

Nightfall's strength has been greatly diminished, and he is being targeted by Han Fei and others. If he offends Luo Wang again, he will be in big trouble.

Jade Tiger pondered for a moment and said, "General, in my opinion, we should try to find out the purpose of the Net. If possible, we might as well help the Net and forge a friendship between the Net and the Nightfall."

Ji Wuye shook his head and said, "I have thought about it, but a distant solution cannot quench an immediate thirst. If Han Fei were to find another weakness, it would do more harm than good to Nightfall."

Times have changed. Han Fei is no longer the carefree Ninth Prince; he has become the King of Han, and is now qualified to be treated as an equal. We must be extremely careful.

Jade Tiger said admiringly, "General, you have thought of everything."

Ji Wuye snorted coldly, "Once the matter of the Qin envoy is over, I will begin to deal with Han Fei. How are your plans in Nanyang progressing?"

Jade Tiger hurriedly replied, "As per the general's request, most of the arrangements have been made. We are just waiting for the Qin envoy to leave and for the general to give his orders."

"Very good. This time, I will let my son Yihu take control of the real power in Nanyang County!"

Ji Wuye's face was ashen. He had no choice but to take a gamble now, otherwise, given the shifting balance of power, he feared he would truly be killed by Han Fei.

Jade Tiger immediately pledged his loyalty, saying, "Please rest assured, General, I will do my utmost to help my young master succeed."

……

After reprimanding Lady Mingzhu, Cao Ze did not leave the palace, but instead went discreetly to Lady Hu's quarters.

Unlike Lady Mingzhu, Consort Hu was not bold enough to wear a phoenix crown and gorgeous robes even though she knew the late king was dead.

She was dressed in plain white mourning clothes and a white hat, sitting listlessly at her desk, lost in thought.

Her almond-shaped eyes and peach-blossom cheeks, once beautiful, now showed an indescribable weariness. She was listless, and the alluring charm that once adorned her eyes had faded considerably.

This drew Cao Ze's attention, and his gaze couldn't help but soften with pity.

She's still my sister-in-law, it's not right to ignore her like this.

In any case, at least Hu Meiren didn't have the extra malice of Madam Mingzhu. Her attempt to manipulate him was only for her sister's sake.

He was very considerate of his sister-in-law.

Hu Meiren's beautiful, watery eyes seemed listless as she stared straight out of the palace.

The once bustling hall has become deserted and quiet.

The saying "A new king, a new court" is vividly displayed within the palace.

Those palace maids and servants were the most adept at changing their tune based on the situation and their intentions.

"Ah~"

Hu Meiren sighed to herself, and before she could come to her senses, she suddenly saw a figure appear in the cold and empty hall.

She instinctively opened her rosy lips, as if she wanted to scream, but suddenly swallowed the scream back.

"Cao Cao Cao... Mr. Cao Ze?"

Hu Meiren stammered slightly, her beautiful, watery eyes filled with complex emotions.

Cao Ze sat opposite Hu Meiren and glanced around; there really wasn't a single person there.

"So down on your luck?"

Hu Meiren was slightly embarrassed and said helplessly, "Han Fei... In order to save expenses, the king dismissed a group of palace servants. The palace maids and eunuchs who originally served me were transferred to places where they were needed, leaving only two or three maids to take care of my daily life."

In the end, Hu Meiren couldn't help but sigh again.

The life of luxury and being surrounded by admirers is probably gone forever.

"It's fine," Cao Ze said casually.

He had always been critical of the corrupt lifestyle in which dozens or even hundreds of people served one person.

Consort Hu rolled her eyes and snorted, "Are you here to laugh at me?"

Cao Ze grinned and said, "How dare I? Your Highness is of the highest status; how could I possibly make fun of you?"

Hu Meiren curled her lip, "You even dared to defile and play with Lady Mingzhu, what else wouldn't you dare to do? Believe me or not, I'll go tell the King?"

My brother-in-law would be ready to slash me with his sword... But then again, if he married Lady Mingzhu and his sister-in-law, what should Han Fei call him?

Brother-in-law? Godfather? Call me dad?

Cao Ze was secretly pleased with himself, looking at Hu Meiren as if she were his precious darling.

Hu Meiren's body tensed, and she felt a surge of nervousness. In her daze, she saw again the day she was in her sister's room, when this boy took advantage of her.

The more she thought about it, the weaker her body became. There was no one in the hall. If this boy tried to do something to her, she would scream her lungs out.

"Your Highness seems very nervous."

Cao Ze said casually.

Hu Meiren was furious. "Who's nervous! What are you here for?"

Cao Ze had a mischievous thought and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, guess? There's a prize if you guess right."

A faint blush spread across Hu Meiren's beautiful face as she said in a soft, delicate voice, "You can't do anything reckless. This is the royal palace. If we're discovered, I... I'll accuse you of indecent behavior..."

Cao Ze chuckled and said, "Does Your Majesty really intend to sue me? You must know that this is a period of national mourning. I might die, and Your Majesty might be buried with me. Does Your Majesty have the heart to leave Madam Hu alone in the mansion?"

Hu Meiren's pretty face darkened slightly. "Are you threatening me?"

Cao Ze said dismissively, "I was just telling the truth. Does Your Majesty think you'll change for the better in the future?"

Hu Meiren's expression was unfriendly; the charming allure that had once filled her eyes had largely vanished, replaced by a hint of coldness in her gaze.

"Cao Ze, I respect you as my teacher, and my sister is also deeply in love with you. Why are you kicking me when I'm down? I have never wronged you. On the contrary, I have helped you a lot. I have never complained about being taken advantage of by you. How can you force me like this!"

As she finished speaking, Hu Meiren's chest heaved, clearly indicating that she was quite angry.

Seeing that his sister-in-law had taken it seriously, Cao Ze chuckled awkwardly, "Your Majesty, you're too kind. I was just joking."

All the grievances that had been building up in Hu Meiren's heart welled up inside her. Her eyes were watery, and her voice was sour as she said, "A joke? I'm already like this, and you still want to joke with me like this? Do you even have a conscience?!"