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

This move was precisely to guard against assassinations by the Qin state's net, hence the Iron Blood Alliance of the Three Jin states consisted mostly of highly skilled individuals.

"A time of great strife..."

Gongsun Long stroked his white beard with a sigh.

Wei Gongzi Mou, sleeves tucked in, said irritably, "I told you I didn't want to participate, you old codger, why do you insist on writing my name on the fire cauldron?"

"Aren't you familiar with the principles of our Yang Zhu school?"

Gongsun Long chuckled, "Isn't this to celebrate your breakthrough to Grandmaster? Haha..."

"Speaking of which, you are, after all, a prince of Wei. No matter how much you try to sever ties, you can't erase the connection, can you?"

Wei Gongzi Mou shook his head: "Back then, the State of Zhongshan was destroyed by the State of Zhao. Later, the State of Zhongshan was restored and claimed to have nine thousand chariots, becoming a major threat to the State of Zhao."

"Later, the State of Zhongshan was conquered by the State of Zhao again, and the king became a puppet. Thus, the State of Zhongshan disappeared from history."

“I have experienced all of these things. They are very boring. They are all caused by the desires and demands of monarchs and high-ranking officials of various countries.”

"Therefore, I have not wanted to get involved in matters concerning the Seven Kingdoms over the years."

"Alas... I shouldn't have come to find you first after going into seclusion. Gongsun, you've truly misled me!"

Wei Gongzi Mou became increasingly angry as he spoke.

Gongsun Long blinked.

Back then, the State of Zhongshan was occupied by Wu Qi, a general sent by Marquis Wen of Wei. It was at that time that his friend was granted the State of Zhongshan.

Such a history is already like a tangled mess, impossible to unravel or unravel.

"Oh, I see. Then I'll help you remove your name from the cauldron."

Wei Gongzi Mou hurriedly said, "No!"

"To destroy the inscription carved on the bronze vessel is an ominous sign!"

Gongsun Long laughed, "I didn't expect you to still believe in this?"

Wei Gongzi Mou said helplessly, "That's just how it is when you're used to fortune telling..."

"Speaking of which, do you know where Cao Ze is? I want to see him do another divination."

Gongsun Long looked at the sky with a complicated expression and sighed, "I'm afraid you won't have a chance."

He has already left.

Wei Gongzi Mou was shocked and exclaimed, "Dead?!"

"How is that possible?! That guy clearly wasn't going to die young!"

He had only been in seclusion for a year and a half, and he was gone?

“Uh…” Gongsun Long shook his head repeatedly, “He’s not dead, he’s perfectly fine, and he’s even become the Imperial Censor in Qin, living a more comfortable life than anyone else.”

Wei Gongzi Mou Gang breathed a sigh of relief, but then he caught his breath again.

"What? He's an official in the Qin state? And a Grand Censor at that?"

Although in this era, lineage and whether one was an old noble family still mattered, becoming the Imperial Censor, who was only one rank below the Prime Minister, was enough to make one a commoner on par with the great nobles.

Of course, this was not what surprised him.

Instead, he was surprised that Cao Ze had become an official.

Gongsun Long asked curiously, "What's wrong with you?"

Wei Gongzi Mou said, "Back then, I secretly did a divination for this kid in Old Lu's courtyard in Niushou Village. He was destined to have no official luck, let alone the fate to become a high-ranking official."

Gongsun Long scoffed, "Isn't that nonsense? With that kid's fate, it would be strange if he didn't become a high-ranking official."

Wei Gongzi Mou shook his head and said, "You don't understand that you can't force what isn't meant to be."

"Once you force something, it will be the beginning of disaster."

"If I'm not mistaken, he must have had a long and arduous journey to get this official position."

Gongsun Long was slightly taken aback. "...It seems that it really is true."

Because Cao Ze served as the Imperial Censor in the Qin state, as an important figure, his identity and information had already been thoroughly investigated.

He first wandered thousands of miles across the grasslands, then lived in Handan for a year and a half, and was later forced to leave Handan and the State of Zhao because of Guo Kai, and went to the State of Han.

According to the information, Cao Ze also had a rough time in Xinzheng, South Korea.

He first encountered oppression under the cover of night, then experienced the coup in the Han court, and later went to the Qin state.

Upon entering the Qin state, he encountered Lü Buwei.

If this kid hadn't been capable and lucky enough to encounter the Three Jin states trying to turn Lü Buwei against them, he probably would have been forced to leave by Lü Buwei again.

According to this calculation, the result is almost identical to the hexagram calculated by Wei Mou.

"That's really strange."

Gongsun Long asked in surprise, "Did you already know about that kid?"

Wei Gongzi Mou flicked his sleeve and coldly snorted, "Are you questioning my character?"

"I just broke through to the Grandmaster level and came out of seclusion when you dragged me here to join this Iron Blood Alliance. I don't have time to learn about Cao Ze's past."

Gongsun Long thought about it and agreed.

"So, why did you consult him for fortune-telling?"

Wei Gongzi Mou said, "Let's confirm his fate again."

Gongsun Long asked, "What is his fate?"

Wei Gongzi Mou: "An extremely rare destiny, like that of an immortal."

"A divine destiny?" Gongsun Long couldn't help but laugh. "Everyone talks about immortals, but where are they these days?"

Wei Gongzi Mou gave Gongsun Long a disdainful look.

"Do you think Jiang Ziya is like a deity? Do you think Lao Tzu, who came out of Hangu Pass and brought purple clouds to the east, is like a deity? You are so superficial."

Gongsun Long clicked his tongue and said, "You mean, Cao Ze will become that kind of person in the future?"

Wei Gongzi Mou: "I don't know. His fate is a bit strange. It's like that of a god, but it's not quite like that either."

"At that time, I had not yet broken through to the Grandmaster level, so I dared not force a calculation, and thus this question remained in my mind."

Gongsun Long pondered for a moment and said, "You plan to go to Qin to find him?"

"I advise you, now that your name is on the cauldron, the Qin Kingdom will know about you soon. Once you enter the Qin Kingdom, you may face difficulties..."

Wei Gongzi Mou smiled lightly.

"It's alright, it's alright. What is destined to be yours will be yours, and what is not, you shouldn't force."

"I already had my fortune told."

Gongsun Long was delighted.

"Then calculate how much longer you have to live?"

Wei Gongzi Mou gazed westward, a hint of bewilderment in his eyes.

"My days are numbered..."

Gongsun Long's smile gradually froze.

A sense of panic welled up inside me.

He is old now, and of all his old friends, only Wei Mou remains.

You must not go to the Qin state!

Wei Gongzi Mou said, "Do you think I will die in Qin, and not somewhere else?"

Gongsun Long was speechless.

Wei Gongzi Mou said, "My mind is made up. You don't need to say anything more. I'm leaving now."

Gongsun Long looked at his old friend's thin back and felt a mix of emotions.

……

Chapter 468 Unfulfilled Desires

The matter is urgent and important.

Although the Three Jin states' campaign against Qi presents no immediate threat, it raises long-term concerns.

Zhang Tang set off first, and the next day he left Xianyang for the Lantian camp to select elite Qin soldiers.

Cao Ze, being the military supervisor, had no need to mobilize troops, and thus was able to postpone the operation for a day.

Empress Dowager Zhao Ji, who was very concerned about Cao Ze's safety, almost got out of bed and went to Zhangtai Palace when she heard that Cao Ze was going to leave Xianyang and go to the Qin-Han border.

"Sir, the border is unstable and dangerous. The slightest accident could lead to a perilous situation. We can send anyone, there's no need for you to go."

"Furthermore, once we leave, who knows when or how long we'll be gone..."

Although Zhao Ji's face was beautiful, her complexion was clearly not good at this moment.

She doesn't understand military affairs, but she has a basic sense of time.

Xianyang is more than a thousand miles away from Wusui on the border between Qin and Han, and a round trip would take more than half a month, not to mention the need to supervise the army.

No one can estimate the duration of a war.

It is already autumn, and the siege is facing some obstacles. Once winter arrives, several months will pass.

How could she possibly tolerate this!

Cao Ze explained while kneading Zhao Ji.

"His Majesty sent me to supervise the army in order to accumulate military merits. My appointment as censor has already caused controversy. If I want to advance further in the future, I must have military merits."

The Qin state was founded on law and military merit. If he wanted to become the prime minister, he would certainly need military merit; otherwise, how could he win the people's respect?

Zhao Ji grunted.

I don't know if it was Cao Ze's pinching that aroused her, or if she was unhappy with Cao Ze's serious words.