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

This was an unexpected surprise for him.

He couldn't help but continue chatting with Meng Wu.

Meng Wu said, "Don't worry, my dear nephew. As long as you don't enter the court, the only methods Lü Buwei can use against you are those that are beneath him."

Cao Ze nodded and said, "Uncle is right. The court is Lü Buwei's territory, so I have not accepted the king's arrangement."

He wasn't foolish enough to go clubbing on someone else's turf. Even if he wanted to, he'd wait until Lü Buwei was buried alive.

Meng Wu did not think Cao Ze was exaggerating.

“Lü Buwei is deeply entrenched in the court, and it will be extremely difficult to bring him down. Although you are still young, you cannot let time slip away.”

"If you're willing, I can take you to see Lord Changping. With Lord Changping around, at least you won't be targeted or made things difficult by Lü Buwei in court."

Cao Ze smiled and politely declined, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, Uncle, but I'll think about it some more."

He didn't explain much. It's normal for Meng Wu and Meng Tian to have this idea since they didn't know the inside story.

Meng Wu mistakenly thought that Cao Ze was worried that he was exaggerating.

“Nephew, I can vouch for you; Lord Changping will surely help you.”

Cao Ze paused for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Is your relationship with Lord Changping very good?"

Meng Wu laughed and said, "If it weren't for Lord Changping, I would probably have been transferred to a remote frontier after my father's death. How could I have stayed in the Xianyang Armory and obtained such a prestigious position?"

Cao Ze nodded.

He had learned a little from Meng Tian that Meng Ao and Lü Buwei did not get along.

Therefore, after Meng Ao died on the battlefield, many of the honors and benefits he deserved were not implemented quickly, as some people were secretly obstructing him intentionally or unintentionally.

Without a doubt, in the entire Qin state, apart from Lü Buwei, who would dare to defy the world and make things difficult for the Meng family?

Cao Ze continued to probe, "I wonder how much Uncle knows about Lord Changping?"

He knew Meng Tian was reliable, but he didn't know if his father was reliable.

After getting rid of Lü Buwei, he will need to deal with Lord Changping.

It wasn't just because Lord Changping blocked his path to advancement, but also because Lord Changping was wholeheartedly loyal to Chu, and before leaving, he even buried alive tens of thousands of elite Qin soldiers.

You must understand, those were truly capable warriors, far superior to any baggage troops.

The Pingyang Heavy Armored Army, equivalent to the Wusui Camp, was completely wiped out, effectively crippling the Qin state.

Meng Wu exclaimed with admiration, "Lord Changping is skilled in literature, no less than Lü Buwei, and Lord Changwen is skilled in martial arts, his strength is no less than mine, and he may have already broken through to the Grandmaster level. If they were not both outstanding individuals, they would probably have been dealt with by Lü Buwei long ago."

"Grandmaster?" Cao Ze asked carefully, "Uncle, is Lord Changwen really a grandmaster?"

He never expected that Changwenjun, who was even more low-key than his elder brother, was actually a grandmaster.

Xianyang is indeed a place where hidden talents abound.

"Hehe, not to brag, but with my strength, no one below the Grandmaster level can reliably defeat me. Yet Changwenjun was able to suppress me, so he must have just broken through to the Grandmaster level not long ago."

Cao Ze did not press further. He said slowly, "I understand."

No wonder Lord Changping was able to leave Qin smoothly; it turns out he has a good younger brother. I need to be careful.

He chatted with Meng Wu for a while longer before leaving the armory.

Three days after Cao Ze left the armory, Zi Nu's secret letter about Xianyang was delivered to Han Fei via a carrier pigeon raised by Bai Feng.

After reading Zi Nu's letter, Han Fei muttered to himself, "Xuan Jian..."

"Fan Yuqi... Hmm, you can add some oil."

He said to Zhang Liang, "Zifang, write a letter to Brother Yan Dan in my name, and ask him to ask Fan Yuqi for a favor."

Zhang Liang said with a wry smile, "Your Majesty, you should be more concerned about the reforms."

Han Fei said nonchalantly, "Failure is failure, it was expected."

Zhang Liang looked puzzled and said, "Please enlighten me, Your Majesty."

After Zi Nu and Wei Zhuang went to Xianyang, he attempted to implement reforms in the state of Han under Han Fei's arrangement.

However, all of them ended in failure.

Judging from his elder brother's expression, this was something he had under control.

Han Fei shook his head and said, "Let me explain in detail."

……

Chapter 417 Dual Cultivation

Xinzheng, the General's Mansion.

The quiet front hall has rows of pillars that are painted gold and carved with various styles of taotie bronze patterns.

"Humph!"

After finishing the wine in his cup, Ji Wuye smashed the bronze wine cup on the floor of the main hall.

The clanging sound of metal striking the ground echoed throughout the hall. The jade tiger remained silent, its fat head bowed, not daring to utter a sound.

"Han Fei, you little brat, you've brought this humiliation upon yourself!"

Ji Wuye sneered, "You want to emulate Shen Buhai's reforms? I think you're courting death!"

Jade Tiger quickly stepped forward to flatter him, "General is right, General sees things clearly."

"To get those nobles to give up their benefits to those commoners is worse than killing them."

"If Han Fei continues like this, the nobles will wipe out all of Han Fei and his men without the general even having to intervene."

Emerald Tiger spoke eloquently. After more than half a year of torment, he now thought more deeply and saw further ahead.

Ji Wuye certainly understood the intricacies involved.

The nobleman who had previously remained indifferent, watching him and Han Fei engage in open and covert struggles, has been visiting him quite frequently lately.

If it weren't for the strong support from the states of Zhao and Wei, he would have rushed into the palace and killed Han Fei first.

"Yes," Ji Wuye said to Emerald Tiger, "Spend more time interacting with those nobles these days, let them know that Han is not just Han Fei's Han, but everyone's Han!"

Jade Tiger was more than happy to oblige. “Understood, General. Rest assured, I will make sure they understand your meaning and obey your orders.”

Ji Wuye remained noncommittal. How could those nobles, whom everyone loathed and who were a hundred times more greedy and shameless than himself, possibly listen to him obediently unless he could bring them greater benefits?

"Where is the Tide Fairy?"

Jade Tiger trembled and said cautiously, "Madam Mingzhu... she said that Nightfall has nothing to do with her anymore, and told the general not to contact her again."

"Hmph!" Ji Wuye snorted coldly, "You treacherous dog."

But he didn't get angry much.

Bai Yifei was beheaded by Wei Zhuang and his head was displayed to the public. The female marquis was suspected to have died early. Xueyi Fort was purged, and he took the opportunity to divide up a lot of Bai family's power.

Lady Mingzhu severed ties with them and remained Lady Mingzhu instead of becoming his enemy. He didn't care anymore; it was just a pity about this pawn planted in the palace.

Xinzheng, the royal palace.

Han Fei analyzed for Zhang Liang the fundamental reasons for the failure of the reforms in the State of Han.

“Those princes and nobles, as well as the wolves and tigers led by Ji Wuye, will not allow our new laws to be implemented smoothly.”

“They are parasites that have taken root in South Korea and suck its blood. If we don’t get rid of them and give the people a way to move up in society, South Korea will remain stagnant and lifeless. How can we talk about reform?”

Zhang Liang seemed to understand something, "So the King is implementing the new laws in order to..."

Han Fei's face was cold and stern. "The reason for suddenly launching the reforms this time was just to test the reactions of the ministers and those people. I didn't expect them to react so strongly. It seems that Shenzi's reforms back then left a deep impression on them."

Zhang Liang realized what Han Fei was planning to do, and he hesitated before asking, "Then what does Your Majesty intend to do..."

Han Fei paused for a moment and then said, "My plan is to wipe them all out, regardless of kinship. Only blood and fire can bring about the rebirth of the state of Han."

Zhang Liang remained silent for a moment, then said, "Brother Han, if things go wrong... the state of Han may be in danger of being overthrown."

A single move can have far-reaching consequences; the number of people to be arrested or killed is far more than ten or a hundred, easily reaching hundreds or even thousands. South Korea is in a difficult, very difficult situation...

"Now that Zhao is resisting Qin with all its might, so is Lord Xinling of Wei. Therefore, they will not only not harm our country, but will also send people to help us. So if we do not take action now with the help of external forces to get rid of those old guys, we may miss a good opportunity."

Han Fei's expression was serious. "The small size and population of the State of Han is both a disadvantage and an advantage. Compared to the six states of Yan, Zhao, Wei, Qin, Chu, and Qi, the resistance to reform is undoubtedly much smaller."

Zhang Liang instinctively cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, please reconsider. Reform is not something that can be rushed..."

He regretted it as soon as he finished speaking, and said, "Your Majesty, I did not mean to..."

Han Fei raised his hand and said, "Zifang, we are bosom friends, how could I not know your feelings?"

"You may not know this, but Brother Cao once casually said that reform is not like a dinner party, not like writing an essay, not like painting or embroidery. It cannot be so elegant, so unhurried, so refined, so gentle, kind, respectful, frugal, and modest. Reform is an uprising, a violent action that allows those who create wealth and truly get things done to overthrow those who hold positions without doing anything."

Han Fei sighed deeply, “Zifang, you may not know how much impact those words had on me at the time. That is why I took the risk and tested them with the new laws.”

Zhang Liang was stunned for a moment. He did not expect that Cao Ze, who had always been indifferent, would say such decisive words. The overwhelming sense of killing and bloodshed was both terrifying and exciting.

"...Does Your Majesty intend to emulate Lord Shang?"

If we're talking about who was the most ruthless in reforming the government, Shang Yang would dare to claim second place, and no one would dare to claim first.

Han Fei shook his head and said, "Zifang, you are well-read, but do you know why Shang Yang's reforms were successful?"

Zhang Liang began by recounting how Shang Yang's reforms were well-organized and how they coordinated various parties...

Han Fei shook his head again, "These are all superficial reasons, like branches and leaves on a tree trunk. The most fundamental reason why Shang Yang was able to succeed was that the Qin state provided him with the fertile ground to implement reforms."

Zhang Liang respectfully replied, "Please enlighten me, Your Majesty."

Han Fei was very patient and explained it to Zhang Liang little by little.

He had high expectations for Zhang Liang. After Cao Ze left, the only people who could help him fulfill his wishes were the handsome young man in front of him and his brother Wei Zhuang.

"First of all, before Shang Yang's reforms, the Qin state was located in the western border region and was extremely poor. The Book of Changes says, 'When things reach an extreme, they change; when they change, they become successful; when they become successful, they endure.' This provided sustenance for the people of Qin to think about change."

Han Fei took a breath and continued, "Secondly, people at the time despised Qin. Not only were talented scholars unwilling to go to Qin, but people from other states also looked down on Qin, considering it to be just like Chu, barbarians without the etiquette and profound knowledge of the Central Plains."

"The more something is lacking, the more it is desired. Therefore, the people of Qin were eager for knowledge and had great respect for learned people, all for the sake of being able to learn from them."

"This also fostered the open and inclusive mindset of the Qin people, to the point that some talented individuals who were frustrated and unappreciated in other countries had the idea of ​​going to Qin to display their talents."

"This is why the Qin court today has people from various states, and quite a lot of them, who hold extremely high positions."