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

He was also helpless.

The alliance of the Three Jin states is both a matter of righteousness and a matter of general trend. If he were to marry his younger sister to Cao Ze without any reason at this time, it could very likely cause unpredictable consequences.

But his younger sister's current state left him, as her older brother, both helpless and heartbroken, leaving him with no choice but to resort to this desperate measure.

Taking advantage of the war between Qin and Han, under the pretext of yielding, he first safely sent his younger sister to Cao Ze, and also secured a future for her.

However, this further diminishes South Korea's influence in Shanxi.

Cao Ze tentatively suggested, "How about I see Honglian first?"

Han Fei immediately refused, "No, I will never let you see Xiaomei again until you agree to marry her!"

Now that my younger sister hasn't seen Cao Ze, at most she's just losing her appetite and can't sleep. Who knows what might happen if she does see Cao Ze?

He's getting busier and busier, and he doesn't have much energy left to deal with his younger sister.

Cao Ze was a little embarrassed.

My brother-in-law has put it this way, so if I don't marry him, I'd be a real jerk.

But if I were to marry Honglian...

He wasn't too worried that marrying Honglian would hinder his career in Qin or arouse Ying Zheng's suspicion.

After all, there were many foreigners in the Qin court, and hardly any native Qin people.

Furthermore, Han Fei clearly considered things very carefully for him and Honglian, marrying Honglian to him under the guise of seeking peace.

His trip to Honglian can even be described as bringing glory to the country.

After all, in this era, it was quite rare for the daughter of a feudal lord to marry the son of a non-feudal lord.

Cao Ze pondered for a moment and said, "Let me consult the King of Qin first."

When in doubt, consult your boss. This is something I learned from my beautiful boss complaining that her employees often try to pass the buck upwards.

Han Fei was somewhat dissatisfied and snorted, "You keep saying you love my little sister, but in the end you're still scheming."

Cao Ze sighed and said, "Brother Han, you are a prince, born into wealth and privilege, how could you know the hardships of us common people?"

As an ordinary citizen, he has always maintained a very upright stance.

He supports whoever is good to the people, but abandons them if they become bad to the people later.

Even so, sometimes I still get cursed by those people who say that ordinary people are just opportunists and have no loyalty at all.

But there's no other way; life is too hard for ordinary people. If they have no choice, it will truly be hell on earth.

Han Fei was speechless for a moment, and really wanted to say, "Brother, you are now the Grand Secretary of Qin, one of the Three Dukes, with a very high status. You are no longer a commoner."

But he wondered if it was just his imagination, but he felt that Cao Ze really treated him like an ordinary citizen.

"Alright, go and ask King Zheng of Qin for instructions."

Han Fei paused for a moment and then said, "However, you must remain in Xinzheng until the King of Qin replies."

Cao Ze joked, "Brother Han, are you trying to put me under house arrest?"

Han Fei said with a sigh, "I would like to, but what good would it do to imprison you?"

"Letting you stay in Xinzheng is just to show our attitude to the Three Jin and Qin states."

He's in a dilemma; he simply can't bring himself to abandon his younger sister.

Cao Ze stood up and said, "Alright, I'll stay in Xinzheng for the time being."

Han Fei said, "I'll arrange accommodations for you."

Cao Ze waved his hand and said, "No, I'm afraid you'll change your mind and lock me up. I'll find a place to stay myself."

He didn't trust his brother-in-law at all; what if he was tricked?

"Where are you going to stay?"

"No comment."

Cao Ze slipped away with Jing Ni and Madam Mingzhu.

As for where to stay temporarily in seclusion, he had already decided.

Madam Hu had been away from home for a long time and was feeling quite lonely living alone.

I would be happy to go and stay there for a few days.

……

Chapter 488 Another Shot at Madam Hu

The autumn night is cold under the moon, and the stars twinkle.

A woman with a seductive and alluring figure, draped in a fox fur coat, walks along a snowy and frigid mountain path with a slightly lost look in her eyes.

It was none other than the Marquis Bai Luan.

After emerging from Feng Hou's tomb, she became separated from her niece, Lady Mingzhu.

Her recent amnesia caused her to forget many common sense facts, and she got lost on Xuannv Peak.

However, the Xuan Nu Peak was gradually collapsing, forcing them to flee far away.

I walked along and somehow ended up here.

The Marquis looked up at the enormous castle before her, her beautiful face upturned.

In a daze, she saw one incomprehensible fragment after another.

Soldiers in silver armor knelt on the ground to pledge their loyalty to her; she held the patriarchal seal symbolizing the power of the Bai family; and young people dressed in blood-stained clothes respectfully called her "Mother"...

She walked blankly forward on the drawbridge at the castle entrance.

As she got closer, she could see it more clearly.

Blood-red bats are painted on the tall castle gates, and several ten-foot-tall soldier statues stand on both sides, like strongmen from ancient mythology.

Everything was left in ruins, damaged and burned.

The Marquis instinctively reached out and picked up the tattered, muddy, blood-red bat flag from the ground.

She remembered that this was the banner of their Bai family, a banner forged with blood that had followed the Han family in battles across the north and south ever since the division of Jin into three states...

Scenes flashed before her eyes.

He practiced martial arts and studied books, mastered military strategy, became the head of his family, entered the ranks of grandmasters, commanded 100,000 soldiers of the State of Han, suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Bai Qi, and spent twenty years recuperating from his injuries...

“Cao Ze…Mingzhu…”

The Marquis muttered the names of Cao Ze and Lady Mingzhu, her aura becoming extremely chaotic, even somewhat violent.

"...Lord Marquis, is that you?"

A small, hunched figure emerged from the shadows, staggered to the city gate, and leaned weakly against the stone wall.

At that moment, the Marquis's brain seemed to have been struck by lightning, exploding with a deafening roar.

"what……"

The Marquis covered her head and screamed wildly.

She remembered!

She remembered everything from the past!

But this past was something she found hard to accept, bringing her to the brink of collapse.

The Bai family was wiped out, and she was sold by Cao Ze into the lowest level of prostitution, where she suffered inhumane training...

"Cao Ze—"

The shrill cry pierced the heavens, and the anger contained within it made Hidden Bat instinctively shrink back.

A few months ago, he was shot by a crossbow bolt and fell into the mountains behind Snowcloth Fortress. He barely survived only because of his special physical condition.

But as a result, he suffered a severe blow to his vitality, which damaged his very foundation.

They could only eke out a living in this abandoned Snowcloth Fortress.

The Marquis, as expected of a woman who had experienced war, regained control of her emotions after only a brief moment of losing composure.

"Hidden Bat, you're not dead?"

Yin Fu raised his head, his face deeply lined with wrinkles, like an old man on his deathbed with one foot in the grave.

He hasn't drunk blood in a long time, and he can't drink blood anymore.

"Yes, my lord, I was lucky to survive..." Yin Fu coughed, his voice hoarse, "Seeing that you are alright, I am relieved."

The Marquis snorted coldly.

"I will not hold your collusion with Bai Yifei behind my back, and I will grant you your freedom."

Yin Fu looked down at his hands, which were as dry and withered as rotten wood, and shook his head with a bitter smile.

"My lord, what use is this old servant? Please feel free to use me."

The Marquis waved her hand and sent an extremely pure burst of icy internal energy into the Hidden Bat's body.

The hidden bat's body stiffened instantly, and the blood flow in its body almost came to a standstill.

"This icy energy is my life essence cultivated over many years, enough to keep you alive for three months."

"Since it is inconvenient for me to show myself now, you will go to Xinzheng to investigate the whereabouts of Mingzhu and Cao Ze."

"Do you understand?"

Hidden Bat clenched his hands, which had regained their strength, and gradually became excited.

"Yes, my lord! This old servant will definitely find them!"

The Marquis, with a cold and beautiful face, walked silently into the depths of Snowcloth Castle and entered the underground icy chamber to begin her seclusion.

Thanks to Cao Ze, she turned misfortune into a blessing.

After the recent period of darkness and endless psychological torment, coupled with the countless energies of heaven and earth absorbed in the Feng Hou Tomb, the Grandmaster realm, which he had been pursuing for twenty years, finally had hope of breaking through.

……