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

"So, can we speculate that Fan Yuqi was a spy planted by Lü Buwei on Changping Jun's side, but this spy was turned against him by Changping Jun?"

After Cao Ze finished speaking, he slowly let out a breath.

According to the original text, Fan Yuqi was extremely loyal to Lord Changping.

Gai Nie reacted the fastest, "If Lord Changping really turned Fan Yuqi against the king, wouldn't that prove that Lord Changping is also a threat to the king?"

Cao Ze laughed and said, "This is precisely the brilliance of Lord Changping. By taking advantage of the king's suspicion of him, he can then turn the tables on Lü Buwei. This not only clears him of suspicion but also conveys to the king his intention to cooperate and deal with Lü Buwei together."

This is his deduction based on history and the original text. Even if there are some differences in the details, the conclusion is roughly the same. Lord Changping must have been eager to get rid of Lü Buwei.

He had been biding his time, waiting for the right opportunity, waiting for Ying Zheng and Lü Buwei to break apart over power.

Ying Zheng took a deep breath and gazed intently at the dark city of Xianyang.

"Whether it's true or false, a simple test will tell."

……

early morning.

The late spring rain had just stopped, and the air in Xinzheng City was slightly damp.

A carriage stopped in front of the newly renovated Zilan Pavilion.

A beautiful, gentle, and naturally graceful woman slowly stepped down from the carriage.

She was dressed in a dignified and well-fitting gown, with starry eyes and cherry lips, her beauty surpassing all others.

"Is this the Purple Orchid Pavilion?"

Ya Fei muttered to herself.

She and Lord Xinling entered Han and arrived in Xinzheng. Yesterday, after attending the ceremony and secretly discussing the restoration of friendly relations between the three Jin states, she privately inquired about Cao Ze in Xinzheng and learned that Cao Ze was residing in Zilanxuan.

It is said that this fellow also has an ambiguous relationship with Zi Nu of Zi Lan Xuan, which is the talk of the town among the people of Xinzheng.

Thinking of that mysterious and elegant woman, as beautiful as a purple orchid, Ya Fei gave a soft hum, lifted her long legs, and stepped inside alone.

Since Zilanxuan ceased its business of brothels and became embroiled in infighting, its business has declined rapidly and it is now largely ignored.

Therefore, the girls of Zilan Pavilion, following Zi Nu's instructions, got up early to practice martial arts, calligraphy, and intelligence work.

As soon as Ya Fei entered the main hall of Zi Lan Xuan, she immediately attracted the attention of more than a dozen girls.

Seeing her luxurious clothes and elegant demeanor, they all knew she was a noblewoman.

They couldn't help but start whispering and discussing among themselves.

Xiao Hongyu glanced at Ya Fei, then suddenly felt a jolt and quickly ran up to the third floor.

"Sister Zi Nu, Princess Ya Fei from Fei Xue Pavilion has arrived!"

She went to Handan in the State of Zhao with Zi Nu Nong Yu, and met Ya Fei with Zi Nu, thus learning her identity.

Only Zi Nu was in the room. Nong Yu had gone to the palace and was staying in Consort Hu's bedroom with her mother, Lady Hu.

What is she doing here?

Purple Maiden's delicate eyebrows slightly raised

She had already learned that Lord Xinling of Wei and Princess Fenya of Zhao had come to Han to witness Han Fei's formal ascension to the throne.

The appearance of Ya Fei was not unexpected.

But instinctively, he sensed that Ya Fei seemed to have ill intentions.

"I don't know, she's just standing in the lobby downstairs. I don't know who she's waiting for."

Zi Nu pondered for a moment and said, "I'll go take a look."

Inside the hall, Yafei gently inhaled the fragrance of the orchids displayed on the flower stand. The delicate scent was soothing and refreshing, improving her mood considerably.

Zi Nu walked down the steps with a composed gait.

Under Zi Nu's control, the footsteps were very faint, but they were still keenly detected by Ya Fei, who had stepped into the realm of a half-step grandmaster.

She turned around with a smile: "Zi Nu, how long has it been?"

Zi Nu bowed gracefully and said with a smile, "Zi Nu greets Your Highness, Consort Ya."

Consort Ya chuckled and said, "Where is Cao Ze? Let him come out and see me."

Zi Nu paused for a moment, sighed softly, and said with a bitter smile, "He is not in Zi Lan Xuan."

Consort Ya frowned slightly: "Not in Zilan Pavilion? Are you trying to deceive me? Everyone in Xinzheng City knows that Cao Ze is in Zilan Pavilion!"

She came to find Cao Ze to take him back to Handan in the State of Zhao so that he could quickly marry Xue'er and Li Ji.

The thought of the two infants still nursing in Feixue Pavilion gave her a headache.

Because of this incident, her Feixue Pavilion has been closed down and she refuses to see anyone, for fear of causing any gossip.

Zi Nu's face was cold and beautiful as she said indifferently, "He is indeed not in Zi Lan Xuan, which has disappointed Princess Ya Fei."

Ya Fei narrowed her beautiful eyes slightly, and a captivating aura suddenly erupted, blowing against a flower stand screen.

Zi Nu immediately became wary and looked at Ya Fei seriously.

He is undoubtedly a half-step Grandmaster.

"Where did he go? I'm going to find him!"

Zi Nu took a light breath and said with a hint of teasing, "He went to Qin, to Xianyang. Are you sure you still want to look for him?"

"what?!"

Ya Fei exclaimed in surprise, "What's he going to Xianyang for? Doesn't he know people will die there?"

Given the power of the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven) in Qin and Xianyang, even Gongsun Long, the current head of the Ming family and a grandmaster of his generation, would not dare to enter Xianyang easily.

The inescapable net of heaven and earth is not just an empty phrase, because there really were grandmasters killed. Otherwise, how could it have made people in the martial arts world tremble with fear and dread like tigers?

Even if Cao Ze has Jing Ni by his side, so what?

Zi Nu said quietly, "He won't die; he might even be living a very comfortable life."

Ya Fei was speechless for a moment, her face almost turning as black as charcoal.

What exactly is he going to do in the Qin state?

Seeing that Consort Ya's emotions were fluctuating so violently, Zi Nu's purple eyes flickered slightly, and she said, "Your Highness Consort Ya, this is not the place to talk. Please go upstairs and we can continue our conversation."

"it is good"

After calming herself down, Ya Fei followed Zi Nu up to a quiet room on the second floor.

"Now you can tell me."

Zi Nu lifted her sleeve, revealing a section of her snow-white wrist, and poured a cup of tea made from fresh spring buds for Ya Fei.

"He went to the Qin state to give lectures."

She did not reveal anything about Ying Zheng.

The three states of Jin had just reached a consensus to mend their relationship. If they knew that Ying Zheng had come to Han and was then sent away by Han Fei, it might cause a rift to appear in the newly repaired relationship between the three states.

"Giving lectures?" Ya Fei questioned, "Why Qin of all places?"

Zi Nu was speechless for a moment, then suddenly realized what Cao Ze had told her: "For every lie you tell, you have to make up for it with ten or a hundred more."

"He seemed to want to completely resolve the troubles caused by the Luo Wang, so he chose to enter Qin."

Zi Nu, quick-witted, offered her own guess.

"Lü Buwei is behind the Net of Law. To eliminate the Net of Law, wouldn't we have to kill Lü Buwei? Can he do that?"

Ya Fei looked at Zi Nu with suspicion in her eyes: "Could it be that you are hiding something from me?"

Zi Nu took a sip of tea with her red lips and said slowly, "There are some things that are secrets between him and me, and I cannot tell you."

Ya Fei paused slightly, looked at Zi Nu, and then said angrily, "That brat! He's always flirting with women, how can he face Xue Nu?!"

Zi Nu was speechless for a moment, her face showing bitterness.

She pondered for a long time, lowered her eyes, and said softly, "Your Highness, what kind of person do you think he is?"

Without hesitation, Ya Fei denounced Cao Ze, saying, "A lecherous scoundrel, a shameless wretch, utterly heartless!"

Zi Nu nodded in deep agreement, as if she had met a kindred spirit.

I think so too.

"So, why don't we think of a way to kidnap him from Qin? What does Your Highness Yafei think?"

Ya Fei paused slightly, then slowly nodded.

"I think it's a good idea."

……

Chapter 369 The Arrogant Sister-in-Law

Early in the morning, the sky was just beginning to lighten.

Zhao Ji, who rushed to Liyang overnight, looked silently at her "own son" kneeling on the ground.

Zhao Cheng said tremblingly, "Your Majesty, this is how it is. The King and I split into two groups, one in the shadows and one in the open. I believe the King has already arrived in Xianyang."

Zhao Ji slowly stood up, and the palace maid standing beside her stepped forward and gently supported her slender arm.

With the phoenix crown on her hair swaying gently, Zhao Ji, with the help of her maid, walked to Zhao Cheng like a delicate flower branch.

She slightly parted her bright red lips, which were vivid and alluring.

"Who devised this scheme? It made me come all this way for nothing."

Upon hearing Zhao Ji's unpleasant tone, Zhao Cheng instinctively looked at his elder brother, Zhao Gao.

Zhao Gao said with a stern face, "Zhao Cheng, just answer whatever the Empress Dowager asks. With the Empress Dowager here, you don't need to worry about anything."

Zhao Ji gave a soft hum.

Zhao Cheng hurriedly replied, "It was Cao Ze, it was Mr. Cao Ze who came up with the idea."

Remembering Cao Ze's kindness, he promptly added, "The reason Mr. Cao Ze made this suggestion is because during the time in Wusui, the Left Chancellor Wang Yi attempted to assassinate the King, but fortunately Mr. Cao Ze discovered the plot and thus escaped unharmed."