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

Zhao Gao remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was extremely surprised. Had Cao Ze seen through something?

His current goal is to become the Chief of the Imperial Carriage Office, hoping to use this as a stepping stone to become a trusted confidant of the King of Qin.

Cao Ze made this statement out of the blue, and it perfectly matched his thoughts. Thinking about it carefully, it was terrifying. Was Cao Ze warning him not to get too cocky?

Should I keep a low profile at Zhangtai Palace for another year or two before taking any action?

Cao Ze had no idea that his casual, joking remark had caused Zhao Gao to overthink things.

Upon arriving at Zhangtai Palace, Gai Nie remained unchanged, the same cold-faced yet warm-hearted man who never wavered, meticulously and considerately handling all sorts of trivial matters for Ying Zheng.

If Wei Zhuang saw this, he would be so jealous he would cry out for his senior brother.

Unfortunately, Wei Zhuang is not a proud, venomous, and cold girl, and Gai Nie is not a gentle and mature older sister. Cao Ze can only watch this ill-fated relationship between the two with amusement.

"Your subject Cao Ze greets Your Majesty."

Ying Zheng put down his pen and said expressionlessly, "Why did you bring Zheng back to Xianyang in such a hurry, sir?"

He was very puzzled after hearing Zhang Han's secret report last night.

He sent Cao Ze to Jingyang to investigate the State of Zheng, but he did not send Cao Ze to bring the State of Zheng back to Xianyang.

He thought Cao Ze would understand the pros and cons and wouldn't need him to explain, but now it seems...

When Zheng returned to Xianyang, he would have to go through procedures, which would take at least ten days. The time spent traveling back and forth could easily exceed a month if there were any slight mishaps.

Furthermore, Zheng Guo's return to Jingyang necessitates a renewed understanding and planning, which could delay the completion of the Zheng Guo Canal by another three to six months.

This means that he would have to start the war to unify the seven kingdoms, but also prolong it, which is something he absolutely cannot tolerate, even if it was Cao Ze who did it.

Faced with Ying Zheng's coldness, Cao Ze sighed inwardly. What Lord Changping said about serving a ruler is like serving a tiger, and he was absolutely right.

Especially for a saber-toothed tiger like Ying Zheng, even if he is without desires, if he makes a mistake or crosses the line, he probably won't be too sentimental.

Cao Ze felt a headache coming on at the thought of having to go to Ganquan Palace again soon.

Now his relationship with Zhao Ji is completely tangled and complicated.

Given Ying Zheng's current attitude, who knows how things will develop once the news of his affair with Zhao Ji is revealed?

"Your Majesty, the reason I hurriedly brought the State of Zheng back to Xianyang was to protect the State of Zheng."

Ying Zheng's hawk-like eyes narrowed. "What does this mean?"

Cao Ze calmly replied, "After I arrived in Jingyang, I noticed that many disciples of the Farmer's School were coming and going. So I took the opportunity to investigate, and unexpectedly, this investigation uncovered a shocking secret."

Intrigued, Ying Zheng pondered, "Could it be that the Farmer's School intends to assassinate the State of Zheng?"

This is not impossible; in his view, none of the Hundred Schools of Thought were clean.

Cao Ze is known for his outrageous and thought-provoking remarks.

"That's not all! They not only want to assassinate Zheng Guo, but it seems they also want to turn Lord Changping against him and sabotage Zheng Guo's canal!"

Ying Zheng and Gai Nie were both stunned, not because they were worried, but because they felt it was absurd.

Cao Ze was not surprised by Ying Zheng and Gai Nie's expressions.

He said slowly, "Does Your Majesty still remember Lü Buwei? The Three Jin states successfully turned him against them. And Lord Changping is a prince of Chu. If someone with ulterior motives really wants to turn him against them..."

The atmosphere in the study suddenly became oppressive.

Yes, even Lü Buwei, who had absolutely no chance of leaving Qin, left, let alone Lord Changping, whose father was the king of Chu.

At this moment, Ying Zheng suddenly felt somewhat tired.

If Cao Ze hadn't pointed it out, he would still have habitually believed that Lord Changping was a member of his clan whom he could trust.

Am I truly destined to be alone for the rest of my life?

"Sir, this matter requires evidence. Making hasty judgments is not advisable."

Ying Zheng naturally wouldn't believe Cao Ze's one-sided story.

Cao Ze was not surprised that Ying Zheng would say that.

After such a long period of contact, if he still didn't know that Ying Zheng was a suspicious ruler, he might as well run away from Xianyang and jump into the Wei River.

……

Chapter 459 The Future Plans of Ganquan Palace

Ying Zheng's study was neither particularly large nor small.

The surrounding shelves were piled high with books and bamboo slips.

The lacquered table in front of Ying Zheng was glossy black, on which were placed a pen holder carved from fine jade from Lantian and a jet-black inkstone.

At this moment, Ying Zheng's palm was pressed tightly on the lacquered table, and his eagle-like eyes were fixed on Cao Ze without blinking.

Cao Ze said, "I have no concrete evidence."

"If Your Majesty does not believe me, you may make a bet with me."

Ying Zheng frowned slightly. "Sir, you are not a gambler, are you?"

Cao Ze smiled and said, "Of course, calling it a gamble is less accurate than saying it's about letting time prove it."

Ying Zheng slowly said, "To ask me to delay the completion of the Zheng Guo Canal by one year is no small gamble. If you lose, you will be dismissed from office for three years. Are you still willing to accept this?"

Cao Ze said calmly, "Your subject is willing."

Ying Zheng suddenly smiled. If Cao Ze hesitated, he would definitely not make any bet with Cao Ze.

but now……

"I will not be stingy. If the peasants really turn Lord Changping against the government, and Lord Changping really colludes with the peasants to sabotage the Zheng Guo Canal, his position will be yours!"

Inside the study, both Gai Nie and Cao Ze were surprised.

The position of prime minister cannot be held by anyone who is not qualified and has made great contributions.

As for the later legend that "Gan Luo became the prime minister of Qin at the age of twelve," it is just a proverb and not a true historical fact.

According to the "Biography of Gan Mao" in the Records of the Grand Historian, Gan Luo was sent as an envoy to the State of Zhao by Lü Buwei when he was twelve years old. He successfully persuaded the King of Zhao to cede five cities to the State of Qin, and was thus appointed as a high-ranking minister. Gan Luo was neither the prime minister of Qin nor could he have been. If he were, what was Lü Buwei doing?

Seeing Gai Nie and Cao Ze's surprise, Ying Zheng laughed and said, "Of course, your qualifications are too low, so you can only temporarily assume the powers of the prime minister."

Cao Ze understood; so it was a part-time job. Those who know, know.

"Your subject understands."

Ying Zheng's smile slowly faded.

"When did you discover that the peasants had the intention to turn Lord Changping against them? Why did you say that Lord Changping intended to collude with the peasants?"

Cao Ze said, "Before I went to Jingyang, Lord Changping invited me to his residence under the pretext of a private banquet. At the banquet, besides me, there was also Tian Guang, the leader of the peasant family."

"Afterwards, when I arrived in Jingyang, I witnessed Zhu Jia, the head of the Shennong Hall of the Farmer School, and his other disciples arrive in Jingyang. It was during my investigation that I inadvertently discovered this secret."

Ying Zheng remained noncommittal, saying, "I understand. This matter will be put on hold for now. If Lord Changping does not make any move within ten days, send Zheng back to Jingyang immediately."

Cao Ze cupped his hands and said, "Your subject understands. Your subject takes his leave."

After Cao Ze left, Ying Zheng rubbed his fingers and said, "Gai Nie, do you think Cao Ze had ulterior motives?"

With Lü Buwei having just fallen from power, Cao Ze's report to him that Lord Changping harbored treasonous intentions made it difficult for him not to have second thoughts.

Even though Cao Ze's duty was to supervise all officials, including the prime minister.

Gai Nie pondered for a moment and said, "I do not know."

In his view, a person who could say to him, "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," would not be so short-sighted.

However, the reality is that Cao Ze's actions are easily interpreted.

Ying Zheng smiled faintly and said, "Is it that you don't know, or that you don't want to say?"

He knew this man, who was with him day and night, all too well.

This is Gai Nie's answer, suggesting that Cao Ze has no ulterior motives.

He said, "It doesn't matter."

“If Lord Changping truly harbors malicious intentions and desires to become prime minister, I can grant his wish.”

"But only I can give it to him; he cannot ask for it!"

……

That night.

Cao Ze left Zhangtai Palace as dusk was falling. He lingered outside for a while before taking advantage of the night to go to Ganquan Palace.

Zhao Gao said that Zhao Ji had not seen him for many days and missed him dearly, and wanted him to stay overnight.

He considered this extremely dangerous.

However, Zhao Ji personally took off her clothes and performed a seductive dance in front of him that day, which made him change his principle of not spending the night in the palace.

As a result, he often had to spend the night in the palace every few days to begin his daily life.

Zhao Gao had already arranged the route and was waiting for Cao Ze alone in the palace.

He is currently powerless to protect himself. Once Cao Ze's relationship with the Empress Dowager is discovered, someone will inevitably suffer, and as the former Grand Eunuch of Ganquan Palace, he will be the first to be affected.

The Empress Dowager may protect Cao Ze, but she will never protect him, so he naturally needs to be extremely careful.

Seeing that Zhao Gao was alone, Cao Ze stepped forward and said with a smile, "Brother Zhao, you haven't kept me waiting long, have you?"

Zhao Gao said with a wry smile, "If you don't come soon, the Empress Dowager will be furious."

Looks like I, the firefighter, arrived just in time...

Cao Ze waved his hand and said, "I know, I'll go in first."

Cao Ze entered Zhao Ji's palace with ease, having frequented the area frequently. He could find Zhao Ji's room even with his eyes closed.

He pushed open the door to the room where he was having a secret rendezvous with Zhao Ji. Before it was fully open, a fragrant breeze wafted out.

He then embraced Zhao Ji, which stirred his heart.

Sometimes you have to admit that such a beauty can really drive men crazy.

Cao Ze was no exception.