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

Who is Lao Ai?

He's nothing but a dissolute medicine seller in Handan, Zhao, yet he dares to presume to call himself the King of Qin's stepfather?!

King Zheng of Qin tolerated the affair between Lü Buwei and Zhao Ji because they were his greatest support and his closest confidants when he ascended the throne at the age of thirteen.

What is Lao Ai?

They're nothing but pigs and dogs!

Zhao Ji: "That's because you don't understand how good he is!"

King Zheng of Qin was enraged and directly threw his two illegitimate sons to their deaths in front of her. "You chose this outcome, my Queen Mother!"

As for Lü Buwei giving away the Queen Mother of Qin like a commodity, even if it was out of consideration for his old age and frailty, what does that matter?

What does he take the monarchy for?!

This is a bottom line that no one can cross; it would be a great humiliation for any man.

Moreover, he was none other than King Zheng of Qin!

Killing him would not be enough to vent his anger!

Bai Qi waved away the Qin King's guards who rushed to protect him after hearing the commotion, and said with a serious expression, "The Qin court and the country still cannot do without Lü Buwei."

King Zheng of Qin frowned, his eyes bloodshot, and said coldly, "Bai Qizi, are you afraid?"

Bai Qi shook his head and pushed the ice-character token over.

King Zheng of Qin reached out and opened it, his brow twitching slightly.

Now that he's seen it, things are easier.

Bai Qi pondered for a moment and said, "Last night, after Marquis Wenxin left, the Empress Dowager cried and cursed all night long."

"Through bits and pieces, Bai has managed to piece together a rough outline of what happened back then."

"Your Majesty, in fact, the late King was the one who first stole her away..."

King Zheng of Qin froze, his lips barely moving.

"In the past, Empress Dowager Zhao Ji was just a rising young dancer in Handan, the capital of Zhao."

"It was only because of the appreciation of Lü Buwei, the white-robed merchant, that I was able to escape from the Tiger and Wolf Thousand Gold Pavilion."

"Afterwards, Lü Buwei attempted to propose marriage to Zhao's father, but was rejected and kicked out of the house."

King Zheng of Qin shook his head and said, "Seventh Master Bai, don't try to fool me. My maternal grandmother's family is just an ordinary one. Zhong... that Lu traitor was quite wealthy back then, how could he refuse?"

"It seems that this is something Your Majesty is unaware of."

Bai Qi explained, "Lu Buwei was just a lowly merchant among the seven kingdoms, but the Empress Dowager's surname was Zhao."

"The Zhao of the Zhao state! This is also why Zhao's father was unwilling for Lü Buwei to request it."

King Zheng of Qin frowned even more deeply.

"If his mother were a descendant of the royal family of Zhao, how could she..."

King Zheng of Qin's face darkened, his expression gloomy and unreadable, clearly indicating that he had thought of something.

"Back then, Your Majesty was still a child, and the late King and Lü Buwei fled to the State of Zhao. The Queen Dowager was merely a woman. How was she able to protect Your Majesty and ensure your safe return to the State of Qin?"

Bai Qi extended one finger.

"First, the Queen Dowager comes from a remote branch of the Zhao royal family, and the King is a male."

"At that time, the Zhao state's rulers and ministers urgently needed the protection of the Qin state's hostages, and they also thought that if one day, they could use the king's bloodline to disrupt the Qin state."

King Zheng of Qin said coldly, "Does Bai Qizi know how I lived in the State of Zhao?"

"The people of Zhao curse me as a Qin dog, and Zhao Guoxun, in order to humiliate Qin, frequently summons...songs and dances to entertain them!"

"Too many Zhao people died in the Battle of Changping," Bai Qi sighed. "The rational will take advantage of it, while the fearful will only bully the weak."

"But in any case, they only dared to verbally insult Zhao Ji; did they ever dare to actually lay a hand on her?"

King Zheng of Qin remained silent.

He was abandoned by his own father at birth, and the nine years he spent as a hostage in the State of Zhao were among the few years of fear and helplessness in his life.

He was insulted as a Qin dog by the nobles and children of Zhao, and the only person he could rely on was Zhao Ji, who gave birth to him.

The dancer Zhao Ji only offered songs and dances to the nobles of Zhao in exchange for a meager chance of survival.

He felt humiliated and could only rely on himself!

The nine years he spent as a hostage in his youth forged his stubborn character, determined to achieve his goals.

Bai Qi's expression froze for a moment, then he suddenly remembered that Zhao Ji, whose methods were crude but effective last night, seemed to have the same personality.

Does giving birth to a child resemble the mother?!

Bai Qi didn't want to think that way, but he had already been dragged onto the bed by Zhao Ji and couldn't get off.

Now, the only option is to try to dispel the humiliating urge to kill that King Zheng of Qin harbors in his heart.

Seeing that King Zheng of Qin remained silent for a long time.

Bai Qi continued, "In order to improve the status of merchants, Lü Buwei tried to win the favor of Zhao Ji and took the opportunity to propose marriage, but Zhao's father resolutely refused, which greatly embarrassed and angered him."

"But at the same time, his desire to get rid of the lowly status of a merchant grew stronger."

"So he went to the late king, Ying Yiren, who was then a hostage in the state of Zhao."

"Lü Buwei sold off the wealth of Zhao and obtained a thousand gold pieces. He gave five hundred gold pieces to the late king to purchase an estate and make friends with guests, and presented five hundred gold pieces to Lady Huayang and her brother."

After persuading Lady Huayang, Lü Buwei took the jade disc as a token and rushed back to Handan overnight. Taking advantage of the escalating Battle of Changping, he helped the late king escape back to Qin. For his merit, he was appointed as the Prime Minister of Qin.

King Zheng of Qin scoffed, "Lü Buwei is a rare commodity; his achievements will earn him the position of Prime Minister, Qin Zhongfu!"

Bai Qi, unaware of Qin Wangzheng's thoughts, dared not respond rashly and could only continue speaking.

"However, something trivial and amusing happened during this time."

"The late king, having suddenly acquired wealth and being rich after a long period of poverty, did not know how to spend it. So he sought out Zhao Ji, a dancer who was still entangled with Lü Buwei, and thus became acquainted with her."

"The two traveled to Handan, spending much of their time together. The young man, captivated by the Empress Dowager, began a fervent pursuit..."

In reality, Zhao Ji, seeing Yiren's wealth, subtly charmed him, and the two of them went along with it and ended up having an affair.

Seeing that King Zheng of Qin finally smiled, Bai Qi described it in an exaggerated tone.

"After returning from Qin, Lü Buwei was completely stunned to see Zhao Ji, who was pregnant, in the arms of Prince Yiren of Qin, whom he had sought refuge with."

"Can Your Majesty understand that feeling? Lü Buwei devoted himself wholeheartedly to the late king, spending all his wealth in Qin, just to gamble on a sliver of hope for survival."

"As soon as he returned to Zhao, he lost his home, his money, and the girl he admired was pregnant."

"You're such a smooth talker!" King Zheng of Qin could no longer hide the pleased smile on his face. He glared at him irritably and said coldly, "Continue!"

"Oh, so you haven't heard enough yet!"

Bai Qi could only intensify his efforts, feigning helplessness as he shrugged and said, "There's no other way. The money's been spent, the job's done, and the die is cast."

"Lu Buwei could only suppress his inner turmoil and congratulate the late king on taking a beautiful woman as his concubine."

"But he underestimated the Empress Dowager's methods. On the very night that she and the late king consummated their marriage, the Empress Dowager had already coaxed the late king into taking her as his wife and making a vow to stay together until their hair turned white."

"But the good times didn't last long."

Bai Qi's tone finally turned serious as he got down to business.

"As the Battle of Changping intensified, the Zhao state replaced the experienced and prudent Lian Po in order to achieve a quick victory."

"Lü Buwei sensed a warning from Empress Dowager Huayang and hurriedly advised the late king to flee to the State of Zhao."

"The late king was reluctant to take the Empress Dowager back to Qin with him. However, the Empress Dowager was heavily pregnant at the time and could not walk properly."

"However, Qin and Zhao had been at war for years and were already exhausted. In order to win a quick battle, Lord Wu'an came out of seclusion."

"The Battle of Changping began the moment Lord Wu'an raised his great banner, marking the end of a war that had claimed over a million lives."

"Zhao Kuo died on the way to the charge. More than 200,000 Zhao soldiers died in battle, and more than 200,000 were buried alive."

"In the fiftieth year of King Zhaoxiang of Qin, General Wang Yi besieged Handan with his army, and the court and people of Zhao were sharpening their swords."

"The late king grew increasingly fearful and could no longer bear the hateful gazes of the Zhao people. He left some gold and silver and care for Zhao Ji, and together with Lü Buwei, bribed the garrison commander of Handan. In the end, he fled to the Qin army camp."

Whether the late King and Lü Buwei tried to rescue the Empress Dowager and the King back then is unknown now. Perhaps the King could write to General Wang Yi to inquire.

King Zheng of Qin waved his hand, indicating that he would not ask about this matter, nor could he reveal it to outsiders.

Bai Qi sighed, "The Battle of Changping! Lord Wu'an died, Zhao Kuo died, General Wang Yi was defeated in Handan, and the Qin and Zhao states suffered no less than a million casualties."

In the end, it only enhanced Lord Xinling's reputation for stealing the tally to rescue Zhao.

King Zheng of Qin also sighed, "Lord Xinling is also dead, killed this year by Lü Buwei's counter-espionage scheme."