I am not a seventh-generation descendant of Lord Wu'an from the Qin Dynasty.

"I guess so!"

Zhao Ji squatted down, looking exhausted, and leaned against him, clearly worn out.

"I'm exhausted. Since you know this item is valuable, you should at least put in more effort!"

"That's... the right thing to do."

Bai Qi lifted one of Zhao Ji's legs and placed it on Hong'er's shoulder, whose mouth was slightly open, and gave her a mischievous smile.

"Why didn't you give this to Brother Zheng?"

"Brother Zheng?"

Zhao Ji suddenly chuckled softly, "That's good, why don't you become my godson!"

Bai Qi said fiercely, "Is this your plan for dealing with the young men of foreign officials spending the night at Ganquan Palace?"

Unexpectedly, Zhao Ji said nonchalantly, "It's alright, the Empress Dowager of Qin doesn't care about this."

"But I care! He still wants to help Brother Zheng conquer the six kingdoms. His future!"

As if sensing Bai Qi's displeasure, Zhao Ji gave him a coquettish glare, as if coaxing a little man, and took the opportunity to use the secret court technique of the Empress Dowager of Qin.

Bai Qi gasped, his breath almost instantly stopping.

"I don't like the Queen of Chu that Huayang chose for Zheng'er!"

"Oh, I almost forgot. Now there are three empress dowagers and one queen. The Qin Dynasty's harem is almost big enough to play mahjong."

Bai Qi regulated his breathing slightly. "Then, why did you hand it over to me so easily?"

"I am getting old after all."

Zhao Ji pouted slightly, at the peak of her thirties, a mature woman with the vigor of a wolf, and coupled with her status as the Empress Dowager of Qin, she instantly made Bai Qi stare straight ahead.

"Isn't this because they're afraid the younger man won't put in his best effort, and they're trying to set more traps?"

Bai Qi almost laughed in anger. He had thought that palace intrigues involved poisoning, bludgeoning, and well-drying, but Zhao Ji gave him a brutal lesson right from the start.

Drag the chosen target to the Empress Dowager's bed, trap him, and then let him out to fight with his old lover.

And she just stood obediently behind him watching the show, acting like a foolish woman who left everyone speechless.

Historically, after Lü Buwei, Zhao Ji chose Lao Ai, the Marquis of Changxin.

Now, he's become Lao Ai?!

As for why she chose him, it was simply because Yue'er reported something that aroused her desire. Today, the palace maid Hong'er's performance was merely a test of the truth.

Just then, Lü Buwei presented King Zhuanlun to the palace, and Empress Dowager Zhao Ji, angered by her old lover, was caught in the crossfire.

Bai Qi gritted his teeth and said, "Now, tell me in detail how you, the late king, and Lü Buwei met."

"Don't lie, this concerns how we'll deal with the rumors about a man spending the night at Ganquan Palace tomorrow!"

"Especially the King! He's sensible now and can't be easily fooled."

Zhao Ji glanced at him cautiously, her brows already showing signs of strain.

"Um, you actually dared to spend the night at Ganquan Palace?!" Zhao Ji initially thought he was joking.

Bai Qi looked at Hong'er, whose cheeks were flushed red from the heat, and asked, "What time is it now?"

Hong'er was stunned for a moment before she realized what was happening and stammered, "Quickly, it's almost midnight."

Bai Qi's gaze was calm. "At this point, it makes no difference whether we leave Ganquan Palace or not."

"Quickly~ tell me~"

Unable to bear it any longer, Zhao Ji tugged at Hong'er's hand, trying to escape, while recalling the past.

"Back then, I was a dancer at the Qianjin Pavilion in Handan, the capital of Zhao, when one day a man in white robes barged in..."

……

Day two.

The setting sun cast its rays outside Ganquan Palace, illuminating a young man in white robes who emerged from the palace, leaning against the wall.

Bai Qi turned his head and took one last look at Ganquan Palace, his emotions extremely complicated before leaving the palace.

He originally thought that his future in the Qin Empire would be one of conquering the six states and conquering the world with his sword and horse.

Unexpectedly, Empress Dowager Zhao Ji, whom he perceived as licentious and foolish, taught him a lesson.

She was a dancer in Handan, the capital of Zhao, a woman who was abandoned by her husband shortly after giving birth to her son.

A woman who, despite being in an enemy country, spent nine years as a hostage with her infant son and returned safely to Qin.

A woman whose husband died young and whom her mother-in-law disliked, yet she managed to put her thirteen-year-old son on the throne.

When a thirteen-year-old son ascended the throne, and five states were besieging Hangu Pass, she was able to decisively humble herself, make peace with her ministers, control the inner palace, and subdue the court officials.

Her first husband became the king of the most powerful of the seven kingdoms, and her second husband became the prime minister.

The third man even believed that with her approval, he could support his son to succeed to the throne.

And now, by a twist of fate, he has become this woman's third hunter.

In just twelve hours, she planted a landmine in his future that was destined to explode.

Bai Qi was furious. He wanted to teach her a lesson she would never forget, but he didn't expect this woman to be so cunning. She actually went so far as to bring everyone from Ganquan Palace together to attack.

Even now, with her mind clear, Bai Qi has to admit that this is a woman who, although she acts terribly, can hit the nail on the head.

She wasn't sure if Bai Qi would become the next Lü Buwei, but after today's events at Ganquan Palace, Bai Qi would never be able to become the powerful prime minister Lü Buwei again.

Fortunately, there was compensation!

Bai Qi rubbed the Ice-character token, which represented a quarter of the dark power of the Great Qin Dynasty, in his palm and murmured to himself.

"However, we need to figure out a way to escape."

Bai Qi turned and left Ganquan Palace.

We rode horses at a slow and leisurely pace.

Sure enough, not long after, they bumped into a familiar-looking palace attendant of the King of Qin.

"Young Master Bai, please be quiet! The King summons you. Please come with me!"

Bai Qi silently spurred his horse to follow.

Before long, they entered a secluded pavilion within the Qin King's palace.

"Bai Qi greets Your Majesty!"

"Don't be so polite." King Zheng of Qin asked with concern, "Has the Queen Mother given you any trouble?"

Things have changed after all.

Bai Qi silently walked to the seat opposite King Zheng of Qin, took out a black iron token, and placed it in his palm.

"Your Majesty, Marquis Wenxin arrived last night."

King Zheng of Qin's expression stiffened, and he silently sat down, waving his hand to dismiss the attendants.

"Mother, I had actually heard a little about the matter between Mother and Uncle before."

King Zheng of Qin said with a grim expression, "But three years ago, it was thanks to his strong support that I was able to secure my position on the throne of Qin."

"With Empress Dowager Xuan of Qin still alive and well, and my father having died young, I can only assume that my mother is lonely and has found a male favorite. Let her do as she pleases!"

"If Your Majesty thinks so, you are underestimating Empress Dowager Zhao Ji."

Bai Qi said calmly, "Last night, Marquis Wenxin came, but not to seek comfort from the Empress Dowager."

"Instead, feeling that the king was getting old, he found a fake eunuch named Lao Ai and wanted to give him to the queen mother."

"You bastard!"

King Zheng of Qin was so enraged that the veins on his forehead throbbed, and he roared, "That old scoundrel is despicable! That old scoundrel deserves to die!"

"What does he mean by being my mother? What does he mean by being the Empress Dowager of Qin? How dare he..."

"Bang!"

The pavilion's tabletop, made of bluestone, was smashed in half by his bare fists.

"You old scoundrel, you deserve to die!"

Qin Shi Huang's outburst startled Bai Qi, but it also further confirmed his thoughts.

King Zheng of Qin could tolerate the secret relationship between Lü Buwei and Zhao Ji because one was his mother who gave birth to him, and the other was the biggest force behind his ascension to the throne.

Even if their affair is right before his eyes, he can turn a blind eye and a deaf ear.

But for others, absolutely not.

In history, King Zheng of Qin was a hostage in the State of Zhao for nine years, ascended the throne of Qin at the age of thirteen, married at the age of sixteen, and began to rule in his own right at the age of twenty-one.

In the same year, he quelled the rebellion of Cheng Jiao, and the following year he suppressed the rebellion of Lao Ai. At the age of twenty-three, he expelled Lü Buwei to Bashu and poisoned him with poisoned wine.

At the age of thirty, he formulated a strategy to eliminate the feudal lords, establish an empire, and unify the world. After ten years of war, he unified the nine provinces at the age of thirty-nine and died of illness at Shaqiu at the age of fifty.

During the crucial period from age 13 to 23 when his royal power was being consolidated, he naturally became aware of the romantic affair between Empress Dowager Zhao Ji and Chancellor Lü Buwei.

However, he chose to let it go.

From a man's perspective, it's not wrong for him to feel vulnerable and for his mother to want to find a man to rely on.

At most, when they grow up, they might say something like, "That old scoundrel took advantage of my youth and weakness, and insulted my own mother."

I feel no gratitude or resentment; I'll just stand by and watch.

But his unconscious indulgence led to a grave mistake that he would regret for the rest of his life.

As he grew older, Lü Buwei's health deteriorated, compounded by his innate fear of royal power.

He then presented King Lao Ai to Empress Dowager Zhao Ji, who subsequently fathered two heinous children, leading to the Qinian Palace Incident.

This became the catalyst for Lü Buwei's inevitable death!