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

He strongly advocated for recuperation and rest in the state of Chu, and advised against engaging in warfare unless absolutely necessary.

Especially after the alliance of the three Jin states, he advised the state of Chu to remain neutral.

However, within the imperial court, especially the Jing and Zhao families, they were desperately trying to take advantage of the chaos and profit from the conflict between Qin and the Three Jin states.

Logically speaking, this would indeed be most beneficial to the State of Chu.

However, now that Qi has just been destroyed, and Qin is unwilling to wage war because of the construction of the Zheng Guo Canal, if Chu intervenes too early to reap the benefits, it is easy for Qin and the three Jin states to set a trap and drag it into the quagmire of the five-state war, causing turmoil once again.

Cao Ze smiled faintly and said, "As expected of the chief of staff of Chu, the clan leader is truly insightful. Indeed, the reason I have come to your residence is to ask how the Qu family views the current situation among the states."

He didn't really care about Qu's attitude. Under the circumstances, what difference did it make if Qu could see through it?

But Ying Zheng had ordered him to investigate the three families of Qu, Jing, and Zhao, so he couldn't just do nothing. He might as well get straight to the point and ask them something so that they would give him an explanation.

"...Our Great Chu has only recently moved its capital and has no intention of fighting again."

Qu Chen stopped short of making his point clear, thus revealing the Qu family's attitude.

Cao Ze smiled and said, "The clan leader's words are truly heartwarming."

Qu Chen laughed heartily, "Let's not talk about that. Didn't Imperial Censor Cao say he was coming to our residence to pay homage to our ancestor Qu Yuan? Come, please take a look at the things left behind by our ancestor Qu Yuan."

Cao Ze readily accepted good advice.

Qu Chen whispered a few words to the steward beside him before leading Cao Ze to the ancestral hall in the inner courtyard.

The ancestral hall is quite old, and many parts are covered with slippery moss.

Upon entering the main hall, directly opposite the door, are the memorial tablets of the Qu family ancestors.

Cao Ze took three incense sticks and burned them according to etiquette.

Qu Chen smiled and led Cao Ze to the left wing. It was small, clean, and somewhat empty, with only a long sword on display.

"This sword is..."

Cao Ze was filled with surprise and doubt. Even though the sword was not drawn, he could still sense its immense value.

What's even stranger is that this sword actually contains a faint spiritual energy, and even though it's very weak, Cao Ze still managed to sense it.

This was the first time he had sensed the presence of spiritual energy within the sword.

Qu Chen stepped forward, grasped the hilt of the sword with one hand, and pulled out a section with the other.

A faint, almost imperceptible sound of swords echoed inside the room.

Cao Ze narrowed his eyes.

The sword appears to be made of steel, or perhaps gold. It seems simple yet sophisticated, but its blade is engraved with delicate dragon patterns, as if these patterns were alive, flowing freely across the sword.

"This is the Tianwen Sword. It was a precious sword bestowed upon Qu Yuan by King Nan of Zhou in the past. It is now ranked first in the sword manual. It is the sword of emperors and the sword of the Son of Heaven."

Qu Chen's calm tone revealed the Qu family's profound knowledge and arrogance, showing no fear of the King of Chu having any other ideas. This was the confidence of the three families: they were not afraid of royal power.

Faced with Qu Chen's pretentious act, Cao Ze simply smiled, his mind filled with phrases like "the king carrying a sword" and "the King of Qin circling the pillar."

Qu Chen saw that Cao Ze was only being polite, and seemed to have thought of something, and suddenly felt bored, thinking that he was a shallow person.

I wonder if the dancer Hua Ying from Zui Meng Lou can handle Cao Ze.

……

Chapter 524 The Humiliating Flower Shadow

Cao Ze and Qu Chen arrived at the central hall.

As soon as he landed, Qu Chen clapped his hands.

A dozen or so pretty young girls filed in.

Each of them held a musical instrument such as a pipa, a xiao (vertical flute), a set of chimes, and a chime hammer.

Qu Chen knelt on the cushion and said with a faint smile, "I have heard that you frequent the dance halls, sir. Today, I have specially invited Miss Hua Ying to dance for you."

Flower shadows?

Upon hearing this, Cao Ze couldn't help but look outside the hall.

When he saw the veiled woman, he exclaimed, "Good heavens, it really is Hua Ying!"

Hua Ying, her face veiled in a semi-transparent gauze, gracefully entered. She glanced around, and when she saw Cao Ze, she froze in place.

She never expected that her attempt to sneak into the Qu family mansion to gather information would lead to an encounter with Cao Ze.

Moreover, it seems that Qu invited him here to host a banquet for Cao Ze.

Did I end up being the one entertaining Cao Ze?

Qu Chen smiled broadly when he saw Cao Ze standing there dumbfounded.

He is indeed a lecherous man; he doesn't love famous swords, but rather beautiful women and exquisite weapons.

As a top noble family among the seven states, Cao Ze couldn't afford to lose face, especially given his extraordinary status, and the fact that the Qu family also had the intention of currying favor with the Qin state.

That's why he put in the effort and spent a lot of money to invite Hua Ying from Zui Meng Lou to come.

Cao Ze looked at the woman in front of him with her hair styled in a flowing cloud bun, adorned with a gold hairpin, and tied with a silk sash, his eyes showing a slightly strange expression.

"Ding……"

A female musician struck the chime bells, and the girls began to play characteristic tunes from the Chu region.

This was the first time Cao Ze had ever heard such a melody; it was leisurely and magnificent, yet also carried a mysterious and desolate quality, as if it were performing an ancient celestial melody.

Hua Ying was, after all, the person in charge of the Farmer's Clan in Chu. Although she had only recently been promoted, she was a person of excellent character.

After a brief moment of astonishment, Zhu Yan smiled and began to dance gracefully.

As the flower shadows danced, eight of the dozen or so girls, dressed in dance costumes, rose and fell around the flower shadows, changing like flower petals in countless ways.

Cao Ze enjoyed the song and dance performance.

Hua Ying dressed very conservatively this time, clearly indicating that she was there to dance on a formal occasion.

As one of the three great families of Chu, the Qu family would not have arranged for beautiful women to perform erotic dances for Cao Ze at public banquets. No matter how promiscuous they were in private, they still had to maintain a certain image in public and wanted to show the grandeur and dignity of a noble family.

Soon the dance ended, and the young girls who were musicians and dancers filed out, leaving only Hua Ying as a guest, kneeling and sitting to Cao Ze's side.

"Why did you come here?" Cao Ze asked casually, sipping the wine Hua Ying had poured for him.

Hua Ying calmly said, "To make money."

Then she added, "One hundred gold coins."

If it weren't for the huge reward, and the fact that she had a mission to gather intelligence on Qu Jingzhao's three families, she wouldn't have come at all.

Cao Ze chuckled and said, "You really are a little money-grubber."

Hua Ying glanced sideways at Cao Ze.

She was born with a charming and alluring appearance, and her slightly upturned peach blossom eyes had a touch of seductive charm. With just one glance, she was truly captivating, making Cao Ze's heart flutter.

“You are the Imperial Censor of Qin, holding a high position and wielding great power, and you are not lacking in wealth. I am just an ordinary dancer and cannot compare to you, sir.”

Faced with Hua Ying's sarcastic tone, Cao Ze chuckled and reached out to put his arm around Hua Ying, but Hua Ying dodged him.

"This young lady sells her art, not her body. Imperial Censor, please do not lay a hand on me."

Hua Ying spoke very bluntly, as if she wanted to provoke Cao Ze's dislike.

But Hua Ying knew perfectly well that Cao Ze was a man of character. She did this on purpose, using a feigned retreat to make Cao Ze pay more attention to her.

The more unattainable a woman is, the more these men care about her.

Cao Ze didn't take it seriously. He suddenly lowered his voice and said, "Miss Hua Ying isn't just here for the money, is she?"

A strange light flashed in Hua Ying's eyes. She lowered her gaze slightly and said, "This servant does not understand what the Imperial Censor is talking about."

Cao Ze laughed it off, "What can I say? I just didn't expect the farmers' reach to extend so far."

His tone was very certain, even though he wasn't sure if Huaying was now a member of the Farmer's Family.

Upon hearing this, Hua Ying's heart nearly stopped.

Did Cao Ze know she came from a farming family?

How did Cao Ze know she was from a farming family?

Was he trying to trick her?

Or do they really know?

Hua Ying's heart was in turmoil, but on the surface she remained calm.

She said calmly, "I don't know what the censor is talking about, whether it's a peasant family or not. Hua Ying is just a dancer, and her younger brother is a centurion in the Shadow Tiger Legion of Chu."

At this point, Hua Ying's tone carried a hint of superiority and confidence.

Although she didn't know what military merits her brother had earned to rise so quickly from centurion to commander of a thousand, a commander of a thousand was still a commander of a thousand, a mid-level officer in the Chu state, and a core elite of the Chu state.

Especially since her younger brother has the backing of General Xiang Yan, even the three families of Qu Jingzhao cannot make things difficult for her without reason, let alone Cao Ze, a foreigner.

Cao Ze chuckled and didn't continue probing.

The banquet ended quickly.

Cao Ze was invited to stay overnight at Qu Chen's residence.

Cao Ze originally wanted to refuse, but considering the customs and habits of the nobles in Chu, he decided to stay overnight.

If they didn't stay, the nobles of Chu would interpret it as dissatisfaction with the banquet.

As for Hua Ying, she left with a hundred coins after the banquet.

That night.

The old man Qu Chen brought out two concubines he kept in his mansion.

“Censor Cao, these are Qianrong and Wanyu. Let them keep you company tonight.”

Cao Ze glanced at Qian Rong and Wan Yu, "This..."

He instinctively wanted to refuse.

It wasn't that he was a great sage; it was mainly because his two concubines were only of average appearance. In later times, they would be considered university beauties, one in a thousand.