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

She smiled gently, her smile appearing even more alluring and enchanting in the misty hot spring pool.

"Sir, do you know what I like most about you?"

Hearing the Empress Dowager's explicit and ambiguous words, the palace maid beside Zhao Ji lowered her head even further.

Cao Ze couldn't help but swallow hard, thinking to himself, "Stop shaking me, you woman, it's giving me a headache."

"...Your subject does not know."

Zhao Ji sat on the hot spring pool, lazily crossing her long, white, tender, and beautiful legs. Her jade toes curled up from time to time. When she noticed that Cao Ze was looking at her feet, she playfully flicked her big toe at Cao Ze like a woman who had experienced many pleasures.

All her actions were so natural that Cao Ze couldn't tell whether Zhao Ji was trying to seduce him or if it was just her true nature.

"You are not what I imagined."

Zhao Ji looked at Cao Ze with seductive eyes and said with great emotion, "I thought that you, who wrote 'Snow Maiden Song' and 'Dream of the Red Chamber,' would be some kind of romantic and charming person. I never expected you to be such a blockhead."

"Oh ho, so you like contrasts too..." Cao Ze teased Zhao Ji silently.

He's certainly not a blockhead.

If it weren't for the fear of being schemed against by Lao Ai and Lü Buwei, he would have taught Zhao Ji a lesson when she first hinted at seducing him: what it means to be a player and what it means to say, "Woman, don't play with fire."

Zhao Ji was slightly displeased to see that Cao Ze remained silent.

She scoffed, "What an idiot."

"Come here, I'm tired from soaking in the hot spring, give me a massage."

Cao Ze thought to himself, "Holy crap, woman, you've gone a bit too far."

He didn't know if Lao Ai knew that Zhao Ji had taken a liking to him, but he knew that once Lao Ai found out about his existence, he would definitely try to harm him.

This has nothing to do with love, it's all about interests and power.

After silently reciting, "Whether Qin is in chaos or not, it's up to Zhao Ji to decide," Cao Ze, guided by the principle of righteousness and not caring about humiliation, walked to Zhao Ji's side with shame and embarrassment.

Seeing Cao Ze's reluctant yet forced compromise, Zhao Ji smiled charmingly: "Oh, is the master shy?"

Cao Ze was a little embarrassed. After so many years, this was the first time he had heard a woman say that he was shy.

He suddenly remembered when he was still a naive young virgin, and how he had compromised under the coercion of his beautiful boss.

But at the crucial moment, blushing and with a pounding heart, he didn't know how to get in. The beautiful boss, lying back and laughing, looked at him and delivered a devastating blow: "Oh, little virgin, don't be shy, let me show you where to go in..."

Years later, I unexpectedly met another woman who said he was shy. It's really...

Cao Ze really wanted to pin Zhao Ji to the ground. Don't get me wrong, he didn't have any other intentions; he just wanted to spank her.

Zhao Ji lay by the hot spring pool, her alluring eyes half-closed in contentment.

She took a comfortable breath and said, "Sir, your technique is truly excellent. No one in my palace can compare to you. Could it be that you have practiced on other women?"

That's because we've practiced on beautiful bosses like Jing Ni, Li Wu, and Yan Ling Ji countless times.

Even a newbie is now a veteran.

But Cao Ze said, "I have a basic understanding of martial arts and have practiced martial arts for a period of time. My skills are not yet rusty."

Zhao Ji's eyes darted around, and she chuckled lightly, "Is the master worried that I'll get jealous?"

No, absolutely not. I'm worried about you, stop being so narcissistic... Cao Ze thought helplessly.

He's a bit lost right now.

Even though he knew that Zhao Ji had designs on him and wanted to take him as a male concubine, he still had to pretend to be compliant.

While dealing with the situation, he also had to search for Lao Ai's whereabouts.

He has no interest in competing with other men for women.

If you really want to compete, you should first kill your rival with a knife and then win the woman over, instead of flattering and vying for favor like the concubines in the imperial harem.

"Your Majesty is joking."

Zhao Ji's originally alluring voice turned somewhat cold, "Do you think I'm joking?"

"Ha, Zhao Gao has already told me that you have three little vixens hiding in your mansion. I don't know how they could possibly be interested in a fool like you."

"Hiss~ You Zhao Gao, you deserve to be a eunuch..." Although Cao Ze knew that Zhao Gao would not deceive Zhao Ji for his sake, he was still a little annoyed.

With new debts added to old ones, Old Zhao will never be satisfied until he gives him the Six Sword Slaves!

"Hmph! Why isn't the gentleman saying anything?"

Faced with Zhao Ji's pressing, Cao Ze gave a wry smile and said, "The Empress Dowager is right."

Ultimately, what does it matter to Zhao Ji how many vixens he harbors?

But as Confucius said, "Only petty men and women are difficult to deal with; if you get too close to them, they will resent you; if you keep them at a distance, they will become disrespectful."

To enjoy the best of both worlds, one must cultivate the skills of being handsome, wealthy, handsome, leisurely, and talented to a highly refined level.

For example, when faced with Zhao Ji's relentless pressure, he had to resort to his "small" skills.

Just like when he's giving Zhao Ji a back massage now, he has to follow the exquisite, smooth curves of Zhao Ji's jade-like back, going up and down, undulating.

This matter needs to be traced back to Zhao Ji.

Zhao Ji suddenly burst out laughing: "Why are you so nervous, sir? Are you afraid I'll eat you up?"

"Or are you worried that I mind the women in your household?"

In the end, Zhao Ji spoke in a gloomy tone, leaving people unable to discern her attitude.

Cao Ze is feeling extremely overwhelmed.

It seemed as if two little devils holding forks had sprouted from its head.

The little white devil is screaming, "I can't hold on any longer! I really can't hold on much longer!"

The little black devil was laughing wildly and arrogantly, even if it was too much to bear, it had to keep going, keep going, keep going, keep going...

Hahahahaha...

Cao Ze forced a smile and said, "As the saying goes, 'The ocean is vast because it embraces all rivers.' The Empress Dowager is a woman of great wisdom and virtue, the mother of the nation, and a model for the world. How could she possibly stoop to the level of a woman in my household?"

"Great minds are tolerant..." Zhao Ji smiled inexplicably: "You're right, great minds are tolerant, hehe, I didn't realize you were so greedy."

Cao Ze was speechless again. What was he greedy for?

Could it be that Zhao Ji thinks he's flirting with her?

Damn it!

Is it because this "Sea King" trainee is out of touch with the times?

Looks like it's time to evolve into Aquaman!

……

Zhangtai Palace.

Cheng Jiao met with Ying Zheng and said, "Brother, it is clear now. It is generally accepted that the number of characters that were successfully altered is seventy-six. In other words, Lü Buwei will have to pay out seventy-six thousand gold coins."

"Seventy-six thousand gold coins? That many?"

Even with Ying Zheng's composure, he couldn't help but be stunned.

The total value of the Qin state's treasury does not exceed 100,000 gold coins.

The Zheng Guo Canal is now at a critical stage of construction. This year, military supplies and logistics in various regions also need to be arranged, some places need disaster relief, the palace needs repairs, and because the last time the five states attacked Qin and reached Zuicheng, which is dozens of miles away from Xianyang, the plan to reinforce the city walls of Xianyang and add defensive weapons also needs to be implemented. All these factors combined mean that the national treasury is simply not enough.

If the national treasury were to suddenly have this sum of money, which could be used for various purposes, it would greatly enhance his reputation among the people and in the court, laying an excellent foundation for his coronation and personal rule next year.

Cheng Jiao sighed, "If it weren't for that old man beside Lü Buwei secretly obstructing us, we might have been able to achieve even more."

Ying Zheng composed himself and asked, "Have you received the money?"

Cheng Jiao smiled wryly and said, "Never. When I went to their door, they would talk about other things and never mention money."

"Brother Wang, I suspect that Lü Buwei is trying to renege on his debt."

Ying Zheng frowned and pondered, "Based on my understanding of Lü Buwei, he won't easily renege on his promise."

"Tell me your opinion."

Cheng Jiao said, "Brother Wang, after that day, Brother Cao said that this old man Zheng was too clever for his own good and ruined Lü Buwei's plan to promote the 'Lüshi Chunqiu'."

"This morning, after being tricked by the Prime Minister's mansion, I suddenly thought on my way to my brother's place, 'If I were Lü Buwei, having failed to promote the 'Lüshi Chunqiu,' I naturally cannot suffer even greater losses.'"

"Therefore, I believe that Lü Buwei will not give me this money easily."

Ying Zheng nodded slightly.

He asked Gai Nie, who was tidying up the books, "Gai Nie, what do you think?"

Gai Nie placed the bamboo slips on the large golden scale and, upon hearing this, turned around and said, "I believe that what Lord Chang'an said is not without reason. According to Mr. Cao Ze, this is called cutting losses in time."

Cheng Jiao said, "Moreover, Brother Wang, even if Lü Buwei is willing to give money, he won't give it all away in a short period of time."

Ying Zheng said, "One day, one month, one year, ten years, my uncle is quite shrewd."

"Chengjiao, go find Mr. Cao Ze and ask him to come over. Let's brainstorm and see how we can get this money from Lü Buwei."

He wouldn't let this opportunity to weaken Lü Buwei slip by.

Cheng Jiao accepted the order and went out.

Nearly half an hour later, Cheng Jiao returned.

“Brother Wang, Brother Cao is not at home. According to Jingni, who is by his side, he was taken to Ganquan Palace by Zhao Gao, who is close to the Empress Dowager, to write ‘Dream of the Red Chamber’.”

In the end, Cheng Jiao laughed somewhat unkindly.

Ying Zheng put down his pen. "I was negligent and forgot about the Empress Dowager's preferences. So, let's go to Ganquan Palace together to see the Empress Dowager and Mr. Cao Ze."

Gai Nie said, "I will make the arrangements."

Ying Zheng raised his hand to stop him, saying, "There are many spies in the palace. The three of us can go alone. Let's not make a fuss."

"Yes."

……

Inside Ganquan Palace, Cao Ze was drenched in sweat.

It wasn't because I had been working too hard for the Empress Dowager, but because the palace where the hot spring pool was located was really hot.