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

That old scoundrel is truly despicable; let's see how he learns his lesson this time.

"Hmph!" Cheng Jiao flicked his sleeve and said, "Don't try to act superior in front of me. Let's get down to business first. Has Prime Minister Lü's money been prepared?"

Old Master Zheng smiled and said, "Lord Chang'an, please revise the book first. Prime Minister Lü is very wealthy and will not owe anyone money."

Cheng Jiao sneered, "Some say you can know a person's face but not their heart. How do I know that Prime Minister Lü will not default on his debts?"

Old Master Zheng raised an eyebrow. He realized that Cheng Jiao was trying to provoke him, but he couldn't change the subject, lest he tarnish Prime Minister Lü's reputation.

“Chang’an Jun, confidence is a good thing, but if you are too confident, it will become arrogance and conceit.”

Old Zheng, speaking from experience, lectured Chengjiao.

Then he continued, "Since Prime Minister Lü dared to make a promise of 'a word worth a thousand pieces of gold,' he is not afraid of anyone's doubts. If Lord Chang'an is hesitant, then how about we draw up a written agreement?"

Cheng Jiao suppressed his excitement and smiled brightly, "Words are no proof; putting it on paper is the best way."

This was taught to him by Cao Ze: to block the opponent's escape route as much as possible.

Old Zheng didn't take it seriously; he had investigated the adult jiao countless times in the past few days.

In his view, if it were Cao Ze, he might have taken it very seriously, been extremely cautious, and calculated everything.

However, if it were a mere adult ant that was slightly stronger than a straw bag, it would be no threat to him at all.

Young talents like Cao Ze, with extraordinary knowledge, are truly a once-in-a-century phenomenon.

Within the Prime Minister's residence, perhaps only the young Gan Luo has the potential to rival Cao Ze in the future.

The agreement was quickly implemented.

The content above is very simple: change one word, and you will be given a thousand pieces of gold.

Upon reaching this point, Cheng Jiao could no longer suppress his smile. "Let's begin."

"Please bring me your essay on Mr. Cao Ze. I will revise his essay first today."

The hundreds of people surrounding the scene were stunned. This direct naming was full of provocation. Was Lord Chang'an trying to slap Cao Ze in the face?

If we were to ask who among the Seven Kingdoms is the most famous, the most renowned, and the most well-known today, it would undoubtedly be Cao Ze, whose fame has spread with the popularity of "Journey to the West" and "Dream of the Red Chamber".

The uninformed crowd began to discuss the matter, and soon rumors spread about the feud between Cao Ze and Lord Chang'an, claiming that Cao Ze had forced himself on Lord Chang'an's lover, describing it in vivid detail.

Those who knew the truth all wore strange expressions.

Old Zheng's fingers trembled slightly beneath his sleeve. Even if he was foolish, he knew that Cheng Jiao and Cao Ze had set a trap for Prime Minister Lü.

Li Si, who had been watching silently from the sidelines, looked up to the sky and sighed, just as he had expected.

The problem now is that Cao Ze's literary works were all compiled by him, and he had just cleverly dispelled some of Lü Buwei's suspicions, but now...

Upon seeing this, Ying Zheng smiled and said, "No wonder you summoned me here. So that's why."

Gai Nie did not respond, but looked to the north, vaguely sensing that someone was watching him.

Is Xiao Zhuang just a figment of his imagination?

Meanwhile, Gongsun Long, watching from afar, was marveling at the sight.

"Where does Cheng Jiao get the confidence to change Cao Ze's literary theories?"

He secluded himself for a year to study Cao Ze's book "Logic." The more he studied it, the more he understood the vastness of its principles, which could be described as the ultimate truths of the universe.

What's even more remarkable is that his pursuit of the same principles as those of renowned masters seems to be consistent, which has benefited him immensely. In just one year, he has solidified his cultivation at the peak of the Grandmaster level, and there are even signs of further progress.

He didn't think that a greenhorn like Cheng Jiao could find fault with Cao Zewen's arguments.

Although Consort Ya had a lot of opinions about Cao Ze, she had no doubts about his talent and learning.

"This kid is really arrogant. Although Cao Ze is a womanizer, not just anyone can stage an accident for him."

Zi Nu chuckled and said, "Your Highness, Consort Ya, may not know this, but according to the information I have obtained, Lord Chang'an Chengjiao and Cao Ze have a very good relationship."

Ya Fei paused for a moment, then said, "You mean, this was intentional?"

Wei Zhuang sneered, "How boring."

The Moon Goddess, who was quite close to Cao Ze, was initially indifferent, but upon hearing Cheng Jiao's words, she suddenly looked at Cao Ze and couldn't help but sneer: "Aren't you afraid of dying for offending the Prime Minister like this?"

Cao Ze cupped his hands and smiled, "No need for Your Excellency Moon Goddess to worry about this."

The Moon Goddess narrowed her beautiful eyes: "You are very confident. Who gave you that confidence?"

Lü Buwei held absolute power in the Qin state. Not to mention Cao Ze, even the Yin-Yang School needed Lü Buwei's approval to establish a stable foothold in Xianyang.

Cao Ze revealed a mysterious smile: "Your Majesty the Moon Goddess is eager to know? Why not come to my residence tonight? If Your Majesty the Moon Goddess performs a dance, I will tell you the truth."

"Dream on!" the Moon Goddess replied coldly.

Tian Mi had been listening and watching the whole time, and seized the opportunity to interject, saying in a charming and seductive tone, "Sir, since she's not going, can I go? You can let me dance however I want."

Faced with Tian Mi's provocation, the Moon Goddess calmly replied, "How could the Farmer's Clan tolerate a slut like you?"

Tian Mi was furious, but she didn't show it on her beautiful face.

She said sarcastically, "Honey is certainly no match for the Moon Goddess's purity and innocence. I wonder if the Moon Goddess is still this cold in bed with men. I've heard that the more aloof a woman is in public, the more... well, like a dog in private."

"you wanna die!"

When it comes to matters of the crotch, the Moon Goddess is naturally no match for Tian Mi, and was easily aroused with just a few words.

Tian Mi suddenly hid behind Cao Ze, patting her well-built chest fearfully.

"Oh dear, all you know is fighting and killing. Doesn't Your Majesty the Moon Goddess have any regard for the law?"

The Moon Goddess was even colder, Cao Ze estimated it to be equivalent to a three-horsepower air conditioner.

"Tian Mi, is that right? Alright, this protector will remember that!"

Tian Mi glanced at the three heroes sitting under a low shed not far away, not afraid that the Moon Goddess would attack her.

Cao Ze was very satisfied with Tian Mi's performance.

Seeing Cao Ze's expression, Tian Mi smiled slightly. It was worth offending the Moon Goddess to gain some favor with Cao Ze.

On the stage, Cheng Jiao calmly wrote on a blank bamboo slip.

Soon, the bamboo slips were filled with Qin Dynasty seal script.

Cheng Jiao thought to himself, "With Brother Cao's answer, it's so satisfying to copy it."

Brother Cao is truly righteous; even if it means bearing the stigma, he wants his good brother to make a name for himself and earn money.

As blank letters were handed to Old Master Zheng and reviewed by learned scholars, most of the alterations were quickly proven to be more perfect than before.

Old Zheng's voice trembled slightly as he whispered, "How many words have been changed now?"

"Six, that's sixty-three characters now."

As Mr. Zheng watched Cheng Jiao continue writing, his breathing gradually quickened.

He really wanted to renege on his promise and have Cao Ze come and verify it in person.

But when he thought that Cao Ze and Cheng Jiao were in cahoots, his vision went black. This was too much of a trap.

What should I do……

For a moment, Old Man Zheng was like an ant on a hot pan, eager to run back to the Prime Minister's residence to tell Prime Minister Lü what to do.

But there wasn't enough time; by the time he finished his round trip, the daylilies were already cold.

"Li Si, think of a solution quickly!"

Old Zheng suddenly looked at Li Si below the stage, his lips moving slightly as he transmitted his thoughts.

Li Si was stunned. He should have known better than to stay so close.

He wanted to refuse, but he knew that if he did, his plan to remain by Lü Buwei's side would fail.

He pondered for a moment and whispered a few words in the ear of a servant disguised as a member of the Luo Wang assassin team.

Old Master Zheng quickly learned of Li Si's idea and breathed a sigh of relief; this method was worth a try.

Cheng Jiao just then put down his pen.

He stood up, looked at Old Man Zheng with a smile, and said, "Old Man, how many characters have I changed? Please tell me truthfully."

He knew perfectly well that Brother Cao had already told him.

There are a total of 96, of which 21 are in an uncertain state, and 45 are just filling in the numbers.

Therefore, there are at least sixty or more that can be confirmed to need modification.

The windfall of 60,000 gold coins is enough to start a large-scale national war.

It's worth noting that the Battle of Yaoshan lasted for so long, yet the military expenditure was less than 60,000 gold coins.

……

Chapter 378 On Teachers

The sun was high in the sky, and the air was very hot.

On stage, Mr. Zheng avoided mentioning the words "Chengjiao changed the name successfully".

Instead, he sneered, "Lord Chang'an, everyone knows of your learning; how can you so easily change Mr. Cao Ze's great theories!"

In order to criticize Cheng Jiao, Old Man Zheng used a respectful title for Cao Ze, referring to him as "Sir".

Cheng Jiao frowned and asked, "What do you mean?"

Old Master Zheng flicked his sleeve and addressed the hundreds of people below the stage, saying loudly, "I believe that Lord Chang'an must have had a master guiding him, which is why he was able to easily change Mr. Cao Ze's great theory. What do you all think?"

There was much discussion among the audience, with everyone agreeing that what Old Man Zheng said made sense.

After all, Mr. Cao Ze was renowned throughout the world, and even in Handan, he was treated as a disciple by a master of a famous school, which shows how profound his knowledge was.

Although Lord Chang'an, Cheng Jiao, held a prestigious position, he had no strengths in scholarship and no reputation, making it difficult for him to win over the public.

Cao Ze thought to himself, "This old guy is quite clever."

He was a little disappointed that he hadn't hired a few shills to create a more lively atmosphere.

Cheng Jiao was at a loss. He did not expect to be questioned by famous scholars, but instead faced with Old Man Zheng's undermining of his cause.

Old Master Zheng's eyes narrowed, and he shouted, "Lord Chang'an, who is the master behind you? Is it your teacher? What is your teacher's name?!"