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

Ok?

Cao Ze suddenly realized that Ying Zheng couldn't possibly be unaware of this.

Could it be that his efforts to persuade the King of Chu to form an alliance with Qin were merely a pretext, with the real purpose of feigning weakness, keeping Chu out of the fray, and letting Chu sit back and watch the tigers fight?

At this moment, Cao Ze once again experienced what it meant for a ruler's heart to be unfathomable.

It's unrealistic to say that Ying Zheng didn't consider this aspect, or that he overthought things.

This shows both a disregard for the greatest emperor of all time and a lack of understanding of Qin Shi Huang.

"Li Garden..."

Cao Ze muttered to himself, thinking of this oddball.

If the goal is simply to prevent the State of Chu from having the resources to participate, then all that's needed is to muddy the waters in Chu and plunge it into internal strife.

And now, it seems there is no one more suitable than Li Yuan.

Just as Cao Ze was pondering how to proceed, Lao Zhao, who had just left, hurriedly returned.

"I forgot to tell Lord Cao some good news."

Cao Ze asked in surprise, "What happy event is it?"

Zhao Gao cupped his hands and smiled, "His Majesty has agreed to the marriage proposal, sir, and agreed to withdraw the troops and make peace with the State of Han through marriage."

Cao Ze almost lost his composure; he had almost forgotten about this whole thing.

"South Korea has surrendered Nanyang?"

"No."

Considering the current situation and the defeat in the Nanyang campaign, it was perfectly normal for Cao Ze's brother-in-law to take the opportunity to provoke Ying Zheng.

It's likely that Ying Zheng was even more eager for his brother-in-law to give him a way out, so that people would still think that Qin was powerful, which is why he forced Han to make peace through a marriage alliance.

No one would have guessed that this was Han Fei's elaborate scheme to make his younger sister his legal wife.

Zhao Gao left again.

Cao Ze rubbed his temples, feeling a bit of a headache.

What kind of nonsense is this?!

I haven't even finished meeting my wife yet, are we already getting married?

Besides, how could Honglian possibly outmaneuver his group of fierce and ruthless women?

They'd probably be bullied to death every day.

Ouch I'm going!

When Cao Ze thought of this, he suddenly realized that if Honglian were to marry into the family, she would suffer terribly.

But in other words, wouldn't Honglian just become a mascot?

Can I do whatever I want or have whatever I want?

Cao Ze felt a little ashamed for having such thoughts, as if he had let Honglian down too much.

It's all my brother-in-law's fault!

Yes! It was all Han Fei's fault!

Why would you send him a wife if there's nothing wrong with that?

Why not just watch Honglian and wait for him to snatch it?

Ha!

Feeling depressed, Cao Ze left the post station alone and turned the corner to go to Hua Ying's Drunken Dream Pavilion.

Let's see if we can find a breakthrough by working through Hua Ying.

Since the peasants have begun to lay out plans in the capital of Chu, it must have been at the behest of Lord Changping. There is no reason for them to allow the three families of Qu Jingzhao and the Li Yuan faction to manipulate the succession to the throne.

Because the price of Zuimenglou was too high, and it had just opened and did not plan to welcome guests in order to avoid attracting too many people and revealing its rural settlement, the pavilion was almost deserted and quiet.

When he asked Qingruo, Huaying's personal maid, for some Huaying again, the maid replied, "Sister Huaying is sick and is recuperating."

"Not ready yet?"

Cao Ze narrowed his eyes. He had accepted Hua Ying's claim of illness last time, and the fact that she also had to cultivate with Master Nian Duan.

It's been three to five days, and she's still sick. Who is she trying to fool?

Have you forgotten that night when you crawled into his bed and that day when he helped her run away?

Have we forgotten our promise to let him play for free?!

Ah, women, they really are all cunning foxes!

Just as Cao Ze was about to put more pressure on Xiao Qingruo, Xiao Qingruo suddenly turned her head and called out, "Brother Ji Bu, Brother Ying Bu."

With double axes at his waist, Ying Bu entered the Drunken Dream Pavilion together with the handsome and elegant Ji Bu.

"Haha... It's Xiao Qingruo! Come, come, bring two jars of good wine first, put the bill on Brother Ji Bu's tab."

Ji Bu said speechlessly, "Ying Bu, my sister's business is already bad, and you still want to freeload."

Yingbu chuckled awkwardly, "It's just that it's almost the end of the month and we're out of money. Why don't you treat us? You're a centurion, your monthly salary is almost double mine!"

Ji Bu looked bitter and sighed, "All my money went to help my sister pay off her debts."

If he hadn't been promoted to centurion, they might not have been able to fill the hole.

Cao Ze's expression shifted when he saw Ji Bu and Ying Bu.

If I remember correctly, these two pieces of cloth are now the trusted officers under Xiang Shi.

He strolled over and said with a smile, "Gentlemen, I am an old friend of Miss Huaying. How about we have a drink together? It's on me."

Yingbu's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed, "Really?!"

Cao Ze shook the money bag, and the clinking of gold coins filled the air.

"Of course it's true! I, Cao Ze, keep my word!"

Ji Bu was taken aback, looked Cao Ze over carefully, and exclaimed in surprise, "You're Cao Ze?"

"Genuine or genuine."

Cao Ze smiled and invited Ji Bu and Ying Bu to sit down, then said to Xiao Qingruo, "Put it on my tab."

Xiao Qing stuck out her little tongue. "No, Sister Hua Ying said she'll only let you eat for free."

"Oh my!" Yingbu exclaimed in shock, "You can eat for free?!"

"Brother Cao Ze, are you perhaps Hua Ying's long-lost brother? Even Brother Ji Bu doesn't receive this kind of treatment!"

Cao Ze humbly replied, "Just an old friend, nothing more."

His revolutionary friendship with Huaying was forged by sharing a bed.

We're all family, so let's not stand on ceremony. Besides, you're just coming over for a meal and a drink.

The three sat down. Ying Bu, with no other thoughts in mind, greeted Cao Ze and Ji Bu while drinking heartily. Since a wealthy man was treating them, they had to drink to their hearts' content!

But the centurion Ji Bu was different; he had just heard from Xiao Qingruo that this guy was eyeing his sister!

Who in the Seven Kingdoms didn't know about Cao Ze's romantic escapades?

During breaks between telling the story of "Journey to the West," storytellers would intersperse tales of Cao Ze's miscellaneous affairs, making them seem almost fantastical.

What about Cao Ze's affair with Princess Yafei after he killed the queen in Zhao? What about his midnight visits to the palace in Han and his taking the Queen's wife and the Queen's beauty?

Even more outrageous, some fabricated a few stories about Cao Ze and Empress Dowager Zhao Ji, making sensational claims that Empress Dowager Zhao Ji was definitely pregnant and that Cao Ze was the one who got her pregnant!

The reason is that Lü Buwei fled to Zhao!

Of course, the gossip about Cao Ze and Zhao Ji only circulated in the three Jin and Chu regions. In the Qin state, few people would dare to attract attention like that, or they would be torn apart by five horses and suffer the same fate as Shang Yang.

Cao Ze had certainly heard about these things, but while sweating profusely, he just laughed it off, remembering not to be the first to stick one's neck out.

In other words, there is no such thing as the right to reputation, the right to privacy, or the right to one's image in this day and age; otherwise, Cao Ze would have sent lawyer's letters all over the world long ago.

Ji Bu braced himself, determined not to let his sister fall into Cao Ze's clutches and become material for storytellers' writings.

Who knows what kind of role his brother-in-law will play!

“Brother Cao, my sister is indeed ill. The doctor said she caught a chill.”

Ji Bu said, "If Brother Cao would like to listen to music and watch dance, he can ask Qingruo to perform."

"Then forget it. What's the point of a young girl?" Cao Ze laughed. "Brother Ji Bu is young and promising. He has been promoted to commander of the Shadow Tiger Legion at a young age. His future is bright."

A strange light flashed in Ji Bu's eyes.

If it weren't for the letter that General Xiang Yan had secretly sent to Qin to deliver to Lord Changping, he wouldn't have been promoted to commander of a thousand men so quickly and become a trusted confidant of the general.

He hadn't told anyone about this, partly because the general had specifically instructed him to, and partly because he vaguely sensed that something earth-shattering must be happening, so he had to keep his mouth shut to avoid saying anything that might cause trouble.

"Brother Cao, you flatter me. You are the one who is young and promising, holding one of the Three Dukes of Qin. Who among the young talents in the world can compare to you?"

Ji Bu and Cao Ze exchanged insincere pleasantries, while Ying Bu grumbled, "Aren't you tired? You're just having a drink and you're making such a fuss over nothing."

Cao Ze glanced at Ying Bu and thought to himself, "This guy should sit at the same table as Han Fei, Kuang Xiu, and Jing Ke."

At that moment, a faint fragrance quietly entered Cao Ze's nostrils.

Cao Ze subconsciously turned his head to look.

A woman, beautiful enough to be a femme fatale, gracefully descended the stairs.

No matter how cold her expression was, it couldn't hide her charming and alluring demeanor.

If someone could give a sweet, delicate smile, that would surely be the most beautiful sight in the world.

"Sir, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

……

Chapter 531 Profanity!

Hua Ying didn't dress up much. She wore a white jacket underneath a loose robe. As she walked, the graceful curves of her waist and hips were faintly visible under the robe, making it hard for a normal man not to have all sorts of fantasies.