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

Zi Nu raised her delicate eyebrows slightly, her tone not very pleasant.

"See her? Is there something I can't know?"

"Uh..." Cao Ze didn't expect Zi Nu to react so strongly.

"No, what I mean is that we should all talk about it together so that everyone's interests can be protected. It's a win-win situation, isn't it?"

He felt that everything was negotiable, and his only target now was Lü Buwei. Only by removing Lü Buwei could he continue to advance in the Qin state.

Zi Nu pondered for a moment and said, "Come with me."

There's nothing more to say now; she believes Cao Ze will make the right choice.

Cao Ze and Zi Nu walked together in a secluded alleyway.

Before long, they arrived at a dilapidated courtyard that had been abandoned for a long time.

Gongsun Long and Wuming were sitting under a locust tree, playing chess seriously. Longyang Jun, with his peach blossom eyes slightly narrowed, was watching with great interest as Gongsun Long was surrounded and intercepted by Wuming.

He seemed completely unaware of his and Zi Nu's arrival.

As for Wei Zhuang, he stood on the locust tree, still maintaining an unapproachable demeanor.

"Squeak..."

The dilapidated door was pushed open, and Ya Fei walked out alone.

She remained as composed and serene as ever. Although she was dressed simply in casual clothes, her natural beauty, as well as the poise and elegance that came with her long-held high position, were still undeniable.

"Your Highness, it's been a long time."

Cao Ze's expression was inscrutable.

Looking at Ya Fei, who is becoming more and more mature, I always feel a sense of things being different now.

Consort Ya's face was cold and beautiful. "It has been a long time. Xue'er and I have been waiting for you in Handan for so long, but you have come to Qin to help the wicked!"

The three people under the locust tree immediately pricked up their ears, focusing their attention on Cao Ze and Ya Fei, all listening to the gossip without making a sound.

Purple-clad woman stood to one side with her arms crossed and an elegant smile, mainly watching the spectacle.

What does it mean to aid and abet evil?

"I've been to both Zhao and Han, how could I not know what the situation was like there? It was even worse than Qin!"

"The Qin state only exploits its people like cattle and horses, but what about the Zhao and Han states? They are worse than pigs and dogs!"

Cao Ze didn't know why he had gotten angry.

Does he even want to come to the Qin state?

Doesn't he know that the Qin state only lasted two generations?

Doesn't he know that the valiant Qin general is welcoming Liu Bang?

Damn it! What kind of people are these days?! They're all lousy bastards!

Is it easy for him?

He has to pick from a bunch of rotten peaches, can't he even pick a good one?

They're so damn fond of Qin! The other six states are just too awful!

Ya Fei retorted angrily, "We know that we are all trying to reform and change things!"

"And you? All you know is how to live off others, all you know is how to climb the social ladder!"

Cao Ze retorted, "Change? Is that something you can change? Those old nobles should have died long ago, did you even lift a finger?"

Ya Fei said coldly, "Change is not something that can be achieved overnight! Even the Qin state took decades! Don't try to argue with me!"

"If you don't believe me, just wait ten years and you'll know!"

Cao Ze laughed in exasperation, "Ten years?"

"Are you saying that ten years of change, ten years of progress, ten years of conquest, ten years of strength, ten years of decline, ten years of turmoil... emulating the sacrifices of six generations of the Qin state?"

Ya Fei said, "Sacrifice is for the sake of the future!"

"You don't understand, and neither do the common people. Let them suffer a bit, and I will bear the blame."

"History will prove that my choice was correct. Whether the State of Zhao survives or perishes, at least at this moment, my choice was correct!"

Ya Fei looked directly into Cao Ze's eyes, "If you help me, I will help you!"

"Let's rebuild the Zhao Kingdom together!"

"Okay?"

By the end, Ya Fei was clearly losing control of her emotions.

Cao Ze gave Ya Fei a deep look, then suddenly felt a little disheartened.

With a generation gap of two thousand years, it's difficult for them to convince each other.

He had witnessed too many cycles of feudal dynasties in later generations, and he had neither the interest nor the motivation to let it continue.

“My mind is made up, Your Highness, there is no need to persuade me any further.”

"Decades is too long, I can't wait."

Ya Fei suddenly shouted, "You still want to help Qin unify the country?!"

Cao Ze said calmly, "That's right, this chaotic world should have ended long ago."

"Hmph!" Consort Ya said coldly, "If Zhao were to fall to Qin, would you still kill me to prevent future troubles?"

Cao Ze shook his head. "No."

Ya Fei sneered, "Is it guilt towards Xue'er and the others, or to show off your laughable magnanimity as a victor?"

“...None of those,” Cao Ze said slowly, “because it’s meaningless.”

"The transmission of hatred will only lead to more killing. Some things are enough to end in our generation."

Ya Fei stood there blankly for a long time, her heart filled with a thousand words, yet she could not utter a single one.

Of the three people under the locust tree, only Lord Longyang remained noncommittal, believing Cao Ze to be unreasonable.

Gongsun Long sighed, "My understanding is too shallow..."

Wuming remained silent, his eyes fixed on the chessboard, his mind wandering beyond the heavens and earth, as if he were witnessing the endless cycle of war that had lasted for hundreds of years.

Wei Zhuang, who was standing on the locust tree, simply gave a faint "humph".

No wonder Cao Ze said those empty words to his senior brother: "To establish a heart for heaven and earth, to establish a destiny for the people, to continue the lost learning of the past sages, and to usher in an era of peace for all generations."

They are all such self-righteous people, talking about the world belonging to everyone and being selfless to the extreme, which is hypocritical and despicable.

Zi Nu looked at Ya Fei leisurely, a hint of mockery in her eyes.

She knew that Consort Ya was unwilling to accept defeat and wanted to win back Cao Ze.

Seeing Ya Fei suffer a setback, she felt a surge of satisfaction.

At least for this moment, she agreed with Cao Ze's words.

Hatred is poison, not an antidote; war is not a game, only by ending it can new life begin.

Ya Fei's chest heaved, feeling a sharp pain in her chest from Cao Ze's words.

"You came here just to lecture me?"

Ya Fei decisively chose to give up arguing with Cao Ze about this topic.

He also disdained to threaten Cao Ze with the fact that Xue'er and Li Ji had given birth to a child.

Time will prove her right!

With her around, the State of Zhao will surely become the future hegemon!

Cao Ze didn't want to argue with Ya Fei any longer; persuading someone wasn't something that could be done overnight, and it wasn't something that could be done by sleeping with them.

"I'm here for cooperation."

Ya Fei scoffed, "Cooperate? You've already chosen Qin, so why would you cooperate with us, the Three Jin? Don't you know that this is colluding with a foreign enemy, a crime punishable by confiscation of property and extermination of the entire clan?"

Cao Ze shrugged. "Would you believe me if I said I was doing this for the Qin state?"

“I believe you, of course I believe you…” Zi Nu said calmly, “King Han said that if King Qin wants to seize the throne, Lü Buwei is someone he cannot bypass.”

"When two tigers fight, one will surely be injured. Regardless of who wins or loses, the Qin state will be affected."

Cao Ze couldn't help but laugh and said, "Then why did you come all this way to help me target Lü Buwei?"

Consort Ya sneered, "That's because what we want is not to suppress Qin, but to destroy Qin!"

……

Chapter 437 Family Bucket

The weather in August was cold all around.

Ya Fei's aura suddenly intensified, and her icy aura spread wildly, attempting to force Cao Ze to submit.

For Cao Ze, this mere suppression meant nothing at all.

However, he sensed the coldness in Ya Fei's tone.

He thought to himself, "Could this woman have turned evil because of love turned to hate?"

If they wanted to destroy Qin, then they should. The six states that didn't want to destroy Qin weren't good hegemons. Every state dreamed of becoming a hegemon.

But why get so angry with him?

Did I eat your rice, or did I let you have babies?

"You believe that the biggest obstacle to destroying Qin is Lü Buwei? If so, you can simply wait for the King of Qin and Lü Buwei to fight each other..."

"My intuition tells me that your purpose is not just this..."

Cao Ze said slowly.

Consort Ya sneered, "I have said it before, I cannot wait to destroy Qin, and Lü Buwei will surely be eliminated!"

Cao Ze frowned slightly, somewhat puzzled as to why the Three Jin states were so eager to eliminate Lü Buwei.