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

Zhao Gao smiled wryly and said, "My ancestor, have you forgotten something?"

Cao Ze was slightly taken aback. "What is it?"

Zhao Gao said helplessly, "Didn't you agree with the Empress Dowager that you would go to Ganquan Palace to write a book?"

Cao Ze asked in surprise, "Yes, what's wrong?"

Zhao Gao nearly vomited blood. "Why didn't you go yesterday, sir?"

"Oh, Brother Chengjiao and I went to the west of the city." Cao Ze changed the subject: "Is there anything wrong with that?"

He mistakenly believed that Lao Ai was the one who was interfering.

Zhao Gao sighed and said, "Yesterday, the Empress Dowager waited for you all day in the palace, waiting for the next chapter of your book."

Cao Ze asked in surprise, "I don't recall having made an appointment with the Empress Dowager to go to the palace yesterday?"

Zhao Gao shook his head. "But you have already told the Empress Dowager that you are going to the palace to write a book. In the Empress Dowager's opinion, since it is a book to write, you should go there every day until it is finished."

Cao Ze remained silent.

Ying Zheng wanted him to trick Lü Buwei, but his mother insisted he go to the palace to update things...

Damn, this family is really hard to please...

Cao Ze ate a few bites of food and then went to Ganquan Palace with Zhao Gao.

Compared to Zhangtai Palace, his residence was closer to Ganquan Palace, and the two of them arrived at the palace gates in less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea.

Zhao Gao reminded Cao Ze, "Sir, the Empress Dowager is quite angry because of what happened yesterday. You must be careful not to anger her, otherwise things will get complicated..."

"If she dares to throw a tantrum, I dare to block her door..." Cao Ze muttered to himself.

If it weren't for his principle of dealing with Lao Ai and Lü Buwei first, he would have already severely whipped this woman.

Does she really think that just because she's the Empress Dowager, no man will dare to discipline her?

Believe it or not, if you piss him off, he'll hang her on the bed with a rope and make her swing around like a swing.

Of course, he was only thinking about it; if he actually did it, Zhao Ji would be in trouble...

Ganquan Palace remains magnificent.

Clear springs drawn from the Wei River can be seen from time to time inside the palace.

Upon entering the hall, Cao Ze could clearly sense that the air inside was somewhat more humid than outside.

Zhao Gao said, "The Empress Dowager may be soaking in the hot springs. Let's wait a while."

Tsk, he really knows how to enjoy himself... Cao Ze casually sat down at the desk where he had been writing.

Out of sheer boredom, I decided to pick up a pen and start writing.

Zhao Gao paused for a moment, then found a palace maid and whispered a few words in her ear.

The palace maid took small, quick steps and came to the back of the hall. She stood by the hot spring pool and said, "Your Majesty, Mr. Cao Ze has arrived in the hall and is writing 'Dream of the Red Chamber'."

In one corner of the hot spring pool, there is a white stone, smooth as a mirror after being eroded for countless millennia.

A glamorous and beautiful woman leans against a rock by a spring, with a red scarf beside her.

At this moment, her entire body was immersed in water.

With her beautiful eyes closed, her long, black hair floated on the water, revealing an expression of enjoyment and contentment.

Unlike most people who bathe at night, she prefers to bathe in the early morning to wash away the stale air of the night, awaken her body, and start another beautiful day.

Upon hearing the palace maid's report, Zhao Ji took a soft breath.

Through the misty fog, one could clearly see the shy blush rising on Zhao Ji's jade-like cheeks.

Soaking in hot springs is great, but you shouldn't soak for too long.

This left Zhao Ji quite disappointed.

"I understand. Tell Cao Ze to come in and wait."

The palace maid sensed a hint of mockery in Zhao Ji's tone, but she dared not show it. She obediently left the hot spring and truthfully informed Zhao Gao without adding a single subjective comment.

Zhao Gao stared wide-eyed at the palace maid, his voice unconsciously rising, "Are you sure?"

The palace maid said cautiously, "That's exactly what the Empress Dowager said. Let Mr. Cao Ze in."

Zhao Gao was truly shocked this time.

What does this mean?

The Empress Dowager was interested in Cao Ze, but not in "Dream of the Red Chamber." Otherwise, why would she have sent Cao Ze to the hot spring?

Cao Ze had just finished writing a letter of over 1,300 characters when he overheard Zhao Gao and the palace maid's conversation. He asked in confusion, "Where are we going?"

A strange expression appeared on Zhao Gao's effeminate face.

"Um, Mr. Cao Ze, the Empress Dowager wishes you to wait at the hot spring pool behind the palace..."

Cao Ze's first reaction was not that Zhao Ji wanted to give him a treat, but that Lao Ai, who was hiding in the shadows, wanted to set a trap for him.

He feigned hesitation and said, "The Empress Dowager is taking a bath. As a subject, how can I enter her room?"

Zhao Gao said earnestly, "Sir, in Ganquan Palace, the Empress Dowager is the law. Whatever the Empress Dowager says goes, and even the King cannot contradict her."

"Sir, please do as I say."

Cao Ze's eyes twitched slightly, and a thought suddenly struck him.

This is both a crisis and an opportunity.

If Lao Ai has set a trap for him, he must be here. I can take this opportunity to find him.

As for whether he will offend Zhao Ji, it doesn't matter. As long as Ying Zheng knows that he has two more little brothers, he will definitely be fine.

"In that case, please lead the way."

Cao Ze desperately squeezed his soul.

If Lao Ai wanted to frame him, there would definitely be something unusual about the surroundings, such as an abnormal number of people.

However, along his journey, he saw almost no "unrelated people," except for a few palace maids standing prettily to his side.

This caught Cao Ze off guard.

Was it really Zhao Ji's idea to send him to the hot springs?

Damn! Zhao Ji is such a greedy woman. Having one male favorite isn't enough; she wants to drag him down with her.

Thinking of this, Cao Ze was speechless.

Should I go back to my old profession?

Upon entering the misty spring pool palace, Cao Ze immediately spotted Zhao Ji on the rocks in the water.

The thin mist couldn't obscure his sharp gaze.

Hearing the noise, Zhao Ji opened her jade-like arms and casually placed them on the rocks. Her long, white, tender, and beautiful legs naturally intertwined, changing into various poses that made hearts race and fantasize.

She tilted her head back slightly, glancing at the figure in the mist out of the corner of her eye.

"Is Mr. Cao Ze here?"

The seductive, tingling sounds and the alluring, almost criminal, spring-like atmosphere made it hard for Cao Ze, who was in the prime of his life, not to get "excited."

"It is your subject."

Cao Ze took a deep breath of the mist to calm his surging blood and qi.

"Hehehe..."

The sound of rushing water suddenly rang out.

Zhao Ji stood up gracefully, tearing off the red veil clinging to her body, completely disregarding the presence of a man there.

The hot spring water rippled gently, creating concentric circles of waves in all directions.

The palace maid who had been standing by her side quickly handed over a red shirt to cover Zhao Ji's fair and radiant body.

Zhao Ji walked barefoot toward Cao Ze in the mist, her long hair casually draped behind her head, the ends of which were still dripping water.

She moved gracefully and walked up to Cao Ze with a smile. Her rosy cheeks, alluring figure, crystal-clear feet, and bewitching eyes all spoke volumes about the exquisite beauty of the woman who had just emerged from her bath.

"Sir, you've finally arrived."

Faced with such a criminal scene, even the well-informed Cao Ze, who often frequented the company of women, couldn't help but exclaim in his heart, "Your Majesty, please restrain yourself! I can't hold on any longer!"

Chapter 383 Even if you can't hold on, you have to.

Inside the hot spring pool, Zhao Ji stood gracefully barefoot, completely at ease.

Her two fair and smooth legs were straight and long, and water droplets could be seen from time to time flowing down her smooth, long legs, which made her fair and smooth skin look even whiter and more radiant.

Cao Ze silently recited the "Taishang Laojun's Frequent Sayings on Purity and Tranquility" in his mind, restraining a series of thoughts that could lead to impulsiveness and even criminality.

He raised his head slightly, looked at Zhao Ji's flushed face, and said in a deep and calm voice, "Your subject Cao Ze greets the Empress Dowager."

Seeing Cao Ze's serious expression, Zhao Ji couldn't help but chuckle and asked, "Sir, were your ancestors surnamed Liu?"

Cao Ze was slightly taken aback, not understanding what Zhao Ji meant.

"My ancestors were surnamed Cao, and my family lineage is descended from Cao Gui."

Zhao Ji twirled her jade-like fingers and chuckled, "I thought you were a descendant of Liu Xiahui, sir. You're both so... how should I put it, unmoved by temptation, hehe..."

Cao Ze was taken aback; it turned out this was a joke...

Forget Liu Xiahui, I'm Prime Minister Cao Cao, the Prime Minister of the Jian'an era, the Prime Minister of Wei, with the spirit of Cao Cao!

"How dare I compare myself to 'Harmony Saint'?"

No matter how much later generations ridicule Liu Xiahui for his incorruptibility, or how many conspiracy theories are proposed about whether Liu Xiahui was impotent, it does not change the fact that Liu Xiahui is a universally recognized moral exemplar.

When Confucius learned that Zang Wenzhong had dismissed Liu Xiahui, he directly and publicly condemned Zang Wenzhong, listing this as one of the "three unbenevolent acts" of Zang Wenzhong in governance, and saying that Liu Xiahui was a "forgotten sage".

Furthermore, in the Analects, Confucius praised Liu Xiahui, saying, "He humbled himself and disgraced himself, but his words were in accordance with morality and his actions were in accordance with reason. That was all."

Many years later, Mencius believed that Liu Xiahui was a sage who could be ranked alongside Boyi, Yi Yin, and Confucius, and honored him as the "Sage of Harmony," believing that he could become a "teacher for all ages."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ji walked barefoot on the pebbles on the hot spring pool floor, pacing a few steps in front of Cao Ze.