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

Could it be that Lü Buwei made some military mobilization that made the Three Jin states feel the danger of national subjugation?

Or is there something else he doesn't know?

No matter how hard he racked his brains, he would never have imagined that his brother-in-law would pull off such a stunt as turning Lü Buwei against his own side.

Put yourself in their shoes; if you were on the throne, you wouldn't think of turning the nominal leader of an enemy country to your own.

Cao Ze slowly said, "Okay, I understand."

He knew that he had no other choice at the moment.

He could either strike first and kill Lü Buwei.

Either wait for Lü Buwei to stabilize the situation, then turn around and kill him.

As long as they are both in the Qin state, one of them is destined to die.

Consort Ya gave a cold laugh, "I'd like to see whether you conquer Handan or I take Xianyang!"

Cao Ze remained silent.

They're all in-laws, why fight to the death? Wouldn't it be better for the whole family to get together and eat a family bucket?

Zi Nu said in a low voice, "Three days later, at midnight, outside the Prime Minister's residence, arrive as promised."

Cao Ze pondered for a moment and then said, "Okay."

His demands were for Lü Buwei's death, for him to rise to power, for Ying Zheng to smoothly assume power, and for the wars in the world to end as soon as possible.

As for the rest, he didn't believe that Qin couldn't function without Lü Buwei. With his knowledge spanning two thousand years, he believed that as long as Ying Zheng listened to advice, Qin could still collapse.

However, just in case, I will have to personally lead the team to clean up the mess.

To avoid any unforeseen circumstances that might prevent Wei Zhuang from killing Lü Buwei and cause further complications.

Cao Ze left the abandoned courtyard.

Ya Fei's expression remained cold.

However, she felt a mixture of resentment, regret, and admiration for Cao Ze.

He resented that he chose Qin instead of Zhao.

It's a pity that fate is so cruel, and I've met the wrong person.

I admire his ideals and his determination.

This left her with mixed feelings, and she inexplicably developed feelings for Cao Ze.

If we manage to capture Xianyang, we should spare his life; it's better than hurting Xue'er.

For two days in a row, the weather was calm and peaceful.

Cao Ze would wander around the Prime Minister's residence every day, actually scouting the area.

When he happened to meet Lü Buwei, he simply greeted him with a smile.

Today, a secret report was sent to the imperial court.

Fan Yuqi, who had fled to Yan, personally testified that the assassination of the King of Qin in Liyang was all on the orders of Lü Buwei.

The release of this intelligence caused a huge uproar, both in the government and among the public.

Lü Buwei, however, remained calm in the face of danger. He stated that Fan Yuqi had been misled by the State of Yan and intended to provoke internal strife within Qin. He then advised the King of Qin to send troops to attack Yan in order to restore order to the people.

Taking this opportunity, Lü Buwei's reputation not only did not decline but actually improved, causing many wavering officials to begin to suspect that Cao Ze was framing Lü Buwei.

When Cheng Jiao finished recounting the situation in the court and read out the intelligence he had gathered, Cao Ze narrowed his eyes.

"As expected of a prime minister of a country, after years of ups and downs in the officialdom, his skill in turning adversity into advantage is truly masterful."

Cheng Jiao said with a wry smile, "I thought it was a good opportunity, but looking at it this way, it would have been better if Fan Yuqi hadn't shown up at all."

"It's a shame this scoundrel is hiding in the Yan Kingdom, otherwise I would have skinned him alive!"

Although Lü Buwei was the mastermind behind wanting to kill him, Fan Yuqi did a lot of disgusting things when he took action, and even wrote him a proclamation. He still remembers the feeling of his ears ringing when he heard it.

Lord Chang'an, Cheng Jiao, issued a proclamation to all subjects, both within and outside the capital: "The principle of succession is that the legitimate heir is supreme..."

What do you mean, that the current king is not the heir of the former king, but the son of Lü Buwei? He first seduced the former king with a pregnant concubine; then, with a child born of adultery, he inherited his bloodline…

He was just a tiny bit short of being portrayed in history as a fool who overestimated his abilities and rebelled.

Cao Ze's heart stirred slightly. "Do you know the recent situation in the Yan Kingdom?"

As time went by, he almost forgot about Prince Dan of Yan killing Prince Yanchun in Xinzheng.

In order to secure his position as crown prince, Yan Dan finally took action.

I don't know if it was because of the provocation from my former down-on-his-luck friend, Zhao Jia.

Cheng Jiao let out a "sigh".

"I heard there's some internal strife."

"The Prince of Yan has somehow learned that Yan Dan murdered his uncle, Lord Yanchun. Although there is no evidence, the relationship between father and son has become tense, and things could get very bad..."

"Hehe, Brother Cao, your 'The Xuanwu Gate Incident' might be about to have another person added to the list, haha."

Cheng Jiao laughed heartlessly.

Some enthusiastic individuals have already added the ascension stories of King Zhao Jia and King Han Fei to the "Xuanwu Gate Incident" chapter.

Cao Ze said, "According to you, the Yan state won't have the energy for external wars for at least the next few years?"

Cheng Jiao clapped his hands and said, "Who says otherwise? After we kill Lü Buwei, I will write to my brother, the king, and take this opportunity to seize a few cities of Yan."

Cao Ze remained noncommittal. For him, none of that mattered now. The most important things were how to kill Lü Buwei, take down Lord Changping, and deal with Donghuang Taiyi.

Yes, Yanfei said that Donghuang Taiyi has emerged from seclusion.

I'll go stake out a spot at the Yin-Yang Master's place tonight.

The scene where Lu Goujian, the Three-Handed Sword Demon, reached his peak and clashed head-on with Donghuang Taiyi deeply impressed him.

The Nameless Sword Saint is going to visit Donghuang Taiyi tonight, so I should go and check it out.

A duel between grandmasters is not to be missed.

That night, a gentle breeze began to rise.

Cao Ze and Jing Ni arrived at the Yin Yang Family's residence together.

"Sword Saint, what do you think of Donghuang Taiyi's strength?"

Wuming glanced at Cao Ze, his eyes revealing an expression of appreciation and approval, which left Cao Ze somewhat bewildered.

His relationship with Wuming wasn't particularly good; they were at most acquaintances. Why would Wuming look at him like that, as if he were expecting something?

Wuming calmly said, "Donghuang Taiyi has already entered the realm of Grandmaster. When he fought Brother Lu back then, he already had the strength of the peak of Grandmaster."

"Not long ago, I joined forces with Brother Gongsun to fight him, but we were slightly at a disadvantage, which shows that his strength has improved even further."

"If I hadn't made a breakthrough this time, thanks to your help, I wouldn't have easily agreed to help you test Donghuang Taiyi."

He made it very clear, in order to dispel Cao Ze's other ideas, such as taking the opportunity to kill Donghuang Taiyi.

Moreover, this is the headquarters of the Yin-Yang School, Luo Sheng Hall. Besides Donghuang Taiyi, there are also two grandmasters, Dongjun Yanfei and Yue Shen. If he is not careful, he may also be seriously injured or die.

The road is not yet fully grown, and he must take responsibility for it so that he can face his friends without shame a hundred years from now.

Cao Ze nodded without saying anything.

"Please, Sword Saint."

Wuming nodded slightly, and was about to leave when he suddenly turned back.

“A few days ago, I overheard Wei Zhuang’s whisper.”

Cao Ze was puzzled and looked at Wuming with surprise.

Wuming paused for a moment and said, "Wei Zhuang's whisper was only a few sentences, but I heard your and Gai Nie's names in his subsequent words. It was obviously you who said it. Could you tell me the exact words?"

Cao Ze asked, "Which lines?"

Wuming's expression turned solemn, and his face became serious.

"Establish a heart, establish a destiny for the people; master the ultimate knowledge, usher in an era of peace."

These were the only words he heard.

Without hesitation, Cao Ze replied, "It is 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."

"These are my words to Brother Gai Nie, wishing him to attain his Saintly Sword."

Wuming took a deep breath, his mind surging.

"Establish a firm belief, establish a firm destiny, continue lost learning, and usher in an era of peace..."

"The commoner's sword, the feudal lord's sword, the emperor's sword, the sage's sword..."

The nameless man murmured to himself, which eventually turned into a long sigh, "Gai Nie is fortunate to have a friend like you."

"If I had met you ten years earlier, if I had known these words sooner, I wouldn't have wasted more than a decade on the path to becoming a grandmaster..."

With his single hand carrying the Han Guang sword on his back, Wu Dan seemed to merge into the moonlight and disappear into the silent, dark street.

Cao Ze exclaimed in amazement, "How did you do that?"

That's absolutely amazing.

He was already a half-step Grandmaster, with a soul comparable to a Grandmaster, yet he didn't notice at all how Wuming had disappeared.

Jingni glanced at the bright moon hanging in the sky with her clear and beautiful eyes.

"A gentleman does not contend, he conceals his light and remains formless, he sits in oblivion and has no mind. He has reached the point of oneness with his sword. He is the sword of light, and the sword of light is him. It is not surprising that he can use the moonlight to hide his form."

Cao Ze said, "It's fortunate that Wuming never kills anyone, otherwise, if he were an assassin, how many people in the world could escape him?"

Jing Ni raised her head slightly and looked at Cao Ze, saying, "If he killed someone, he won't be far from death."

Cao Ze asked curiously, "What does this mean?"

Jingni said, "I didn't understand it either."

"Knowing that I have broken through to the Grandmaster level and seen the road ahead clearly, I realize that some things are not without reason, and some paths must be walked continuously. This is what is called the Dao."

"Didn't you write about Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva in 'Journey to the West'? He vowed not to become a Buddha until hell is empty, and not to attain enlightenment until all sentient beings are liberated. This is the great vow made by Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, and it is also the foundation of his path."