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

Suddenly, he saw a dirty beggar blocking his way.

Before he could figure out what was going on, he saw the beggar kneel down and stretch his arms out to the sky.

A professional staged accident perpetrator in ancient times?

The thought flashed through Cao Ze's mind.

"father!!!"

What?! Cao Ze's body trembled, his eyes widening almost like copper bells.

Did he spread too much inside Li Wu and Yan Ling Ji's bodies last night, causing them to hallucinate?

"Father! It's me, Qian'er! Qian'er..."

Zhao Qian hurriedly wiped his dirty face, knelt down and walked forward, his face full of flattery.

Guo Kai stood humbly behind Zhao Qian.

If he could, he wouldn't want to embarrass himself like this; he was being driven to the brink of despair.

Cao Ze looked closely and recognized the kneeling beggar. Then he saw Guo Kai's big-mouthed monkey-like face behind the beggar and immediately remembered who the beggar was.

Zhao Qian... Cao Ze recalled that when he was in Xinzheng, he heard Zi Nu say that King Jia of Zhao had sent Zhao Qian and Guo Kai to the Qin state.

"Father! For Mother's sake, please save your child!"

When Zhao Qian thought of the hardships he had endured in Xianyang over the past year, he couldn't help but burst into tears.

Cao Ze's expression changed slightly. Good heavens, this person is here to annoy him.

It was also his carelessness that made him forget that Guo Kai and Zhao Qian knew about his involvement in prostitution.

Although he wasn't afraid of Zhao Qian and Guo Kai spreading rumors about him becoming a courtesan, there was no need to let them cause him trouble.

In a way, they were enemies who had a grudge against each other.

"Cough cough!"

Cao Ze coughed heavily.

The ground trembled slightly. Wushuang Gui stepped forward from behind the carriage, reached out, and grabbed Zhao Qian and Guo Kai.

Cao Ze glanced at the people watching the commotion from a distance.

Fortunately, I brought Wushuang Gui with me. Once I stood there, no one dared to come and join the fun.

Otherwise, it will be troublesome.

"Your Highness Zhao Qian, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want, understand?"

Zhao Qian was held in Wushuang Gui's hand, his face turning a deep purplish-red.

He was filled with rage and was about to curse Cao Ze when he suddenly felt a strong killing intent that made him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave, like a piglet facing a butcher, filled with a helpless fear.

Guo Kai was equally disheartened.

Cao Ze spoke slowly again: "If I hear anything I shouldn't hear in Xianyang City, you should know what will happen to me."

Having experienced many big events, Guo Kai quickly adjusted his state.

He knew Cao Ze wouldn't help them easily, so he was prepared to fail. He was just making a deal, gambling that Cao Ze wouldn't kill them.

"Cao Zexian...cough, cough cough..."

Cao Ze frowned slightly.

Guo Kai was, after all, a former prime minister, and Zhao Qian was a prince of the State of Zhao.

If you accidentally kill them in public, not only will you not get any benefit, but you'll also get into a lot of trouble.

"Peerless Ghost, release them."

Taking a moment to catch his breath, Guo Kai quickly said, "Mr. Cao Ze, rest assured, we will never speak recklessly. If His Highness Qian and I hadn't been on the verge of death, we wouldn't have resorted to such a desperate measure."

Cao Ze paused slightly, then chuckled, "You should have said so earlier. Why did you have to pull this stunt? Here's the money."

After saying that, Cao Ze took out a small bag of gold coins from his sleeve, threw it next to Zhao Qian who was slumped on the ground, and drove away without looking back.

Zhao Qian, with a sudden burst of strength, scrambled to his feet and gripped the money bag tightly to the ground.

He was about to count how much money he had when Guo Kai stopped him.

"Your Highness, there are too many people around, let's find somewhere else to talk."

Zhao Qian glared angrily at Cao Ze, who was driving straight away, and said, "Uncle Guo, that scoundrel Cao deserves to die!"

Guo Kai was startled and quickly covered Zhao Qian's mouth.

He lowered his voice, "Your Highness, please be careful with your words."

He wasn't an ignorant fool like Zhao Qian; he knew the hearing of martial arts masters.

Zhao Qian was severely beaten in Xianyang for more than a year. He was no longer as arrogant as he had been in Handan. He knew that if it weren't for Guo Kai, he would have died in the winter in Xianyang long ago.

Under Guo Kai's gaze, he gradually fell silent.

"Uncle Guo, are we just going to continue like this?"

Zhao Qian said somewhat unwillingly.

Guo Kai gripped the money bag, his expression serious, and said, "Of course not. Now that we have some money, there are some things we can do."

The reason he clung to Zhao Qian was not because he thought highly of Zhao Qian, but because he valued Zhao Qian's status.

No matter how down on his luck or how incompetent Zhao Qian was, it could not change the fact that he was a prince of the State of Zhao.

As long as he has this bargaining chip, he is confident he can turn things around.

Today, he finally got his chance.

Zhao Qian asked excitedly, "Uncle Guo, what should we do?"

Guo Kai, clutching his money pouch, said, "Let's go back to the city and buy some clothes, then we'll go to Lü Buwei's residence."

He had always wanted to go, but he knew that he would be treated differently depending on how he went and in what capacity he went.

Zhao Qian was stunned and said, "Uncle Guo and Lü Buwei..."

Guo Kai sneered: "Just an old acquaintance."

……

Cao Ze arrived outside the West Gate.

There were more than twenty long tables arranged in a neat and orderly fashion, piled high with books and scrolls, all packed in cloth bags labeled with their categories.

The most eye-catching thing was a notice that was ten feet tall posted on the city wall.

There are only four words on it: "A word is worth a thousand pieces of gold".

This was a promise made personally by Lü Buwei, emulating Shang Yang's act of moving a log to establish trust.

If there's any difference, it's that as a businessman at heart, Lü Buwei's money wasn't easy to come by.

Since last year, neither the scholars of Xianyang nor the disciples and followers of various schools of thought who have traveled to Xianyang have been able to change a single character.

People at the time said, "It's not that he can't, but that he simply can't do it."

Faced with rumors and gossip, Lü Buwei did not defend himself. Instead, he personally led his men, carrying a thousand pieces of gold, to the west of the city, placed them on the ground, and discarded them like dirt.

The rumors were disproven on their own.

Cao Ze sat under the bronze canopy of the carriage, recalling the intelligence Cheng Jiao had gathered the previous night.

"Mr. Cao Ze".

A middle-aged man with a rather burly appearance walked over with a hearty laugh.

Behind him followed a beautiful woman in a pinkish-purple robe and two strong young men.

Cao Ze was not surprised by Tian Guang's arrival, but he looked at Tian Mi with considerable astonishment.

Tian Mi smiled and winked at Cao Ze, saying sweetly, "I'm so embarrassed to be looking at me like that, sir."

Cao Ze blinked and said with a faint smile, "It's been over a year since I last saw you, Miss Mi'er, you've become more and more... beautiful and pretty."

He actually wanted to say that she was becoming more and more flamboyant, but he didn't say it out loud, even though flamboyance was a compliment at this time.

Tian Mi spoke in a soft, soothing Wu dialect, "Then, sir, do you miss Mi'er?"

"Of course," Cao Ze lied without blinking.

He's surrounded by beautiful women, so why would he be thinking about Tian Mi?

Oh, I guess it's wondering if the honey pot is full yet; if it is, then it's time to empty it...

Tian Mi chuckled sweetly, very happy.

She was heartbroken for a long time when she heard that Cao Ze had died.

Of course, it was because she was heartbroken that the business partner she had finally found was gone, not because she felt comfortable when Cao Ze suggested the mugwort.

Tian Guang watched the two of them flirting without saying a word.

After hearing from Fan Yuqi in Yan that Cao Ze was among Cheng Jiao and others who returned to Xianyang from Xinzheng, he brought Tian Mi with him after returning to the farmhouse, hoping that the two could rekindle their old relationship and that Tian Mi could give Cao Ze a chance to win over the farmhouse.

Now, in the near future, a time of great strife will arrive, and it seems that Lord Changping will greatly need Cao Ze, a man of high reputation.

If possible, he would be happy to exchange Tian Mi for Cao Ze, if Cao Ze was willing.

Cao Ze and Tian Mi looked almost like lovers, which Wu Kuang and Sheng Qi could see clearly.

The two exchanged a glance, each with their own thoughts.

Cao Ze cupped his hands and said, "I'm sorry to have troubled you, Chief Hero. Are you also here to watch Lord Chang'an revise the 'Lüshi Chunqiu'?"

Tian Guang returned the greeting and said, "Indeed. Having heard of Lord Chang'an's bold words, I brought them here to broaden their horizons."

Tian Mi moved closer to Cao Ze, pretending to be very close to him.

"Do you think Lord Chang'an can succeed?"

Tian Mi asked in a coquettish voice. She didn't care whether Cheng Jiao could succeed, but she was very concerned about whether she could win over Cao Ze and make him not only her partner, but also, ideally, submit to her.

Just as Cao Ze was about to laugh it off, a clear, cold voice rang out.

"Cao Ze, I didn't expect you to come too."