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

"Lord Xinling is dead. It's now the third year of King Zheng of Qin's reign, and the course of history remains unchanged. That's good news!"

Bai Qi bowed and said, "Your Majesty has a vague memory of what happened after that."

"Your Majesty, I dare to ask, what is your opinion of Empress Dowager Zhao Ji?"

"Empress Dowager?" King Zheng of Qin shook his head, looking troubled. "Empress Dowager is innocent and straightforward by nature; she's just an ordinary woman. What is there to say?"

Bai Qi laughed and said, "If Your Majesty thinks so, you are underestimating Empress Dowager Zhao Ji."

King Zheng of Qin's brow twitched slightly. This sentence sounded very familiar, as if Bai Qi had just said it.

"A frail woman who had just given birth was able to protect the infant king in the capital of Zhao, a city that hated the Qin people, for a year after General Wang Yi's defeat in Handan."

Bai Qi rationally said, "Although the Empress Dowager has the bloodline of a remote royal family of Zhao to protect her, the dancer Zhao Ji will only suffer more during the King's nine years as a hostage."

"Your Majesty is protected by the bloodline of the King of Qin, while the dancer Zhao Ji is nothing more than a woman in Zhao who is dispensable and carries the child of an enemy."

"Kill them without hesitation!"

King Zheng of Qin looked thoughtful, rubbing the ice-character token in his palm, remaining silent in contemplation.

"The King and Queen Dowager have been hostages in Zhao for nine years and have no foothold in Qin. They can only rely on Chancellor Lü."

"Empress Dowager Huayang was furious that the late king had honored her birth mother, Lady Xia, as Empress Dowager Xia. Empress Dowager Xia, on the other hand, favored Prince Chang'an, Chengjiao, who had been raised in the Qin palace since childhood..."

"Enough!" King Zheng of Qin said angrily, "Bai Qizi claims to be of humble origins and uneducated, so how can he know so much about the secrets of the Qin palace?!"

Bai Qi's heart skipped a beat. "Oh no, I spoke too quickly. I've revealed too many historical secrets, and it's aroused Zheng Ge's suspicion about my dubious origins."

But then his eyes lit up and he immediately came up with an excuse.

"Sigh~"

Bai Qi sighed heavily and apologized, "Bai Qi did not want to spy on Your Majesty's palace, but since I entered Xianyang, I have heard too much."

"An old Qin man?" King Zheng of Qin frowned, already convinced of the claim with preconceived notions.

"The late king favored Lady Han and treated the king poorly, but in the end he still managed to secure the throne of Qin by sharing the power of regency with Prime Minister Lü and Empress Dowager Zhao."

Bai Qi asked with his eyes, "Perhaps Your Majesty is unwilling to delve deeper because you haven't considered it from another perspective."

"Queen Zhao Ji's situation at that time was actually a thousand times more difficult than that of the king."

"She was originally a dancer in the Qianjin Pavilion of Handan, Zhao State, which entertained the masses. In the Qin King's palace, which was full of noble ladies from various countries, she was extremely lowly."

She was abandoned by her husband in an enemy country shortly after giving birth to her child. After serving as a hostage for nine years, she returned home only to be greeted by her husband's new lover, who then spit on her face and cursed her as "a dancer from Handan, a lowly concubine of Zhao."

King Zheng of Qin's eyes were red, with tears glistening in them, and he was speechless with unease.

He thought of the difficult years he and his mother spent struggling to survive in the State of Zhao, and the times his younger brother Chengjiao, who lived a life of luxury in the Qin Palace, would constantly ridicule him after they returned home.

In the end, he ascended to the throne of Qin, while Cheng Jiao could only bow down and kneel before him with jealous eyes.

King Zheng of Qin had never thought of this before, simply because he was the eldest son of King Zhuangxiang of Qin and believed that he should inherit everything of the Qin state from birth.

Now that I think about it carefully, after he and his mother entered Xianyang Palace, his mother did indeed occasionally look worried.

Is there something he doesn't know?

"Empress Dowager Huayang turned a cold eye, Empress Dowager Xiaji was aggressive, and the late king's favorite concubine Hanji even tried to trick the late king into establishing two queens in the East and West Palaces."

King Zheng of Qin's expression tightened; he had never heard his mother mention this matter before.

But in a moment's thought, he realized the other party's sinister intentions: they wanted to seize his status as the eldest son of the King of Qin.

"But Empress Dowager Zhao Ji endured all of this and managed to win back the late king's favor..."

"Until the third year of King Zhuangxiang of Qin's reign, he finally died due to excessive and unrestrained debauchery and pleasure."

Last night, when Bai Qi pressed Empress Dowager Zhao Ji for details about the matter, he was completely stunned.

His memory of palace intrigue involved sending spies, bribing palace maids, and poisoning and framing others.

But when it comes to Zhao Ji, the whole situation changes drastically. She directly takes the wicked man who has changed his heart and indulges in lust day and night.

It's easy to imagine that someone who could earn the title of favored concubine Han Ji must have been a seductive beauty, and coupled with the historically infamous licentious Zhao Ji, they were like two beauties on either side...

Tsk tsk, the late king was quite lucky with women!

While enduring Zhao Ji's methods of exploiting the late king, Bai Qi continued to investigate the root cause.

Zhao Ji's crude and ruthless scheme led to a scandalous affair within the Qin palace.

Lord Anguo, also known as King Xiaowen of Qin, was the 15-year-old crown prince in history who was fond of women, the father-in-law of Zhao Ji, and the husband of Empress Dowager Huayang.

After the death of his father, King Zhaoxiang of Qin, who was known as the longest-reigning king of the Warring States period, he observed a year of mourning, ascended the throne for three days, and then died for reasons unknown.

Anyway, the description Zhao Ji received from the old men in the Qin palace was that it seemed to be a case of stroke while riding a horse. Six white horses!

Tsk tsk, looks like they've been holding it in for ages!

"Empress Dowager Xia Ji intended to join forces with Empress Dowager Hua Yang to enthrone Chang'an Jun Chengjiao as king."

"At this critical juncture of life and death, Queen Zhao Ji, who had just gained a foothold in the vast Qin palace, decisively chose to ally with Chancellor Lü Buwei..."

Bai Qi clasped his hands together and shut his mouth.

Because of time constraints, Bai Qi couldn't get much detail out of the two of them how they secretly joined forces.

But those who know, know!

King Zheng of Qin understood, his expression hardening, he hesitated several times before finally managing to utter a word.

What should he say? He's stuck with this kind of birth mother and this kind of living environment.

Even if they were in each other's shoes, King Zheng of Qin could not come up with a better solution.

Moreover, his birth mother was just an ordinary singer and dancer from Handan.

What could King Zheng of Qin do? He couldn't choose his own birth, so he could only forgive her!

The two remained silent for a long time before Bai Qi, as a subject, finally broke the silence.

"The Empress Dowager has a question for the King."

"Um?"

"Zheng'er is getting married and is now the King of Qin. Does he want the Qin empire or posthumous fame?"

King Zheng of Qin frowned slightly. He sensed the tension in Bai Qi's tone, as well as a barely perceptible hint of unease... Was this question really that important?

Bai Qi told him with his eyes that it was very important.

"As the King of Qin, I must naturally prioritize the stability and prosperity of the Qin empire, carry on the legacy of the past, complete the unfinished work of previous Qin kings, and usher in a new era of prosperity!"

Bai Qi breathed a sigh of relief. "That makes things easier. Hang in there, Zheng-ge!"

"Yesterday, the three empress dowagers summoned each other. Empress Dowager Huayang mentioned attacking Han, while Empress Dowager Xiaji avoided meeting them. Bai Qi was exhausted, but fortunately, he slept soundly in Ganquan Palace until late at night."

"Marquis Wenxin has arrived. He brought with him a fake eunuch named Lao Ai, who said he wanted to present him to the Empress Dowager."

Before King Zheng of Qin could show a dark expression, Bai Qi spoke quickly, "The Empress Dowager was furious, rebuked the traitor Lü, and ordered palace servants to throw the two traitors out!"

"Upon returning to Ganquan Palace, seeing that the foreign officials were still there and that the Empress Dowager was of sound mind, she devised a plan."

"After the King's wedding, he intends to rule personally. If Lü Buwei is left to support him in the outer court, the throne may be unstable."

"The Empress Dowager could neither completely refuse nor refuse all of Marquis Wenxin's requests."

Bai Qi bowed deeply, "The Empress Dowager rebuked the traitor Lü, drove away Lao Ai, and allowed Bai Qi to stay overnight at Ganquan Palace!"

King Zheng of Qin's face was ashen, and a gloomy atmosphere permeated the air.

Imagine, who would accept that a younger brother they've only known for two days would suddenly climb into their mother's bed?

"The Empress Dowager's actions were intended to tarnish her own reputation, disrupt Marquis Wenxin's plans, and pave the way for the King to assume personal rule."

Ha, so you're doing this for my own good?!

"Bai Qi dared not act on his own initiative, nor did he dare to refuse, so he could only spend the night with a palace maid from Ganquan Palace."

King Zheng of Qin relaxed slightly. If it were just a palace maid in Ganquan Palace, he could accept it.

only……

"Is she really just a palace maid?"

Bai Qi stretched out his hands and raised them high.

The King of Qin, puzzled, asked again, "What do you mean by this?"

"Bai Qi was absurd, sleeping with ten women in one night, the leader of whom was Hong'er, a female official of Ganquan Palace, and the other nine."

"Anyway, he's telling the truth, so it's not deception. He risked his life last night!"

King Zheng of Qin breathed a sigh of relief. "Ten? He only has five at most. He must be exhausted."

"Alright, get up! If it was just to appease that old scoundrel Lü, it's not a crime!"

Bai Qi knelt down and bowed again.

"And that's not all."