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

Zhao Ji suddenly reached out and grabbed Bai Qi's vitals: "Why are you jumping around so much right now?"

Bai Qi tried his best to maintain a calm tone, saying, "Using the royal family's gold and silver to support the army is tantamount to having the king's private army. Who in the court or the public would dare to criticize the king?"

Zhao Ji suddenly sat up. "Your heart is beating again! And it's beating really fast!"

Bai Qi was speechless. "This is the important matter."

"What I'm saying is the important matter!"

Zhao Ji clapped her hands lightly, "Clap clap!"

Suddenly, a large group of young dancers, each wielding a soft sword, surged into the hot spring pool of Ganquan Palace.

The music started, and the sword danced like the wind.

"I've heard that Bai Qizi prefers young women from Chu, and these are all genuine Chu women!"

"this……"

Bai Qi smiled bitterly, his eyes were fixed, and he refused to speak any further.

"Sigh, fame is exhausting!"

However, before completely falling into the hellish realm of mortal girls, Bai Qi still looked slightly guilty.

"The King and Queen are still performing ancestral rites. If they hear any noise here..."

"Yesterday, after His Majesty went to Liyang to pay respects at the tomb of Duke Xian, he instructed before leaving that he should also go to Xianyang to pay respects at the tombs of Duke Xiao, Lord Wu'an, and Lord Shang."

Zhao Ji narrowed her phoenix eyes slightly, exuding a seductive charm.

"This child has always been calculating and never speaks clearly. I don't know who he took after."

Despite this, both men were fully aware of the truth. This matter could not be kept from King Zheng of Qin after he came to power.

He was intentionally avoiding suspicion, but also subtly comforting Bai Qi, the descendant of Lord Wu'an, who had been assassinated.

His willingness to pay homage at the tomb of Lord Wu'an with the dignity of a King of Qin indicates that he is willing to acknowledge the mistakes of his ancestors.

In other words, after this year, the thirty-three-year-old Empress Dowager Zhao Ji forcibly took the sixteen-year-old grandson of Lord Wu'an, Bai Qi, as her concubine. Strictly speaking, Zhao Ji still won this matter.

The struggle for political power is often unpredictable and doesn't go as planned.

Empress Dowager Zhao Ji originally thought that her power would greatly decline after she handed over the regency and moved into the Ganquan Palace in Yongcheng.

Unexpectedly, as King Zheng of Qin's authority grew stronger day by day, the nobles throughout the Qin state moved in response, and her power as empress dowager increased day by day.

Conversely, the glorious aura of empress dowagers on Empress Dowager Huayang and Empress Dowager Xiaji completely faded away.

Zhao Ji then understood the true meaning of the Empress Dowager Huayang's words that night, far from Xianyang: "What kind of Empress Dowager is she if she has no heir!"

She also realized the true answer to the question Empress Dowager Huayang had asked that night: "What is the true nature of power?"

As long as she, Zhao Ji, remains the mother of King Zheng of Qin, she is the uncrowned queen, second only to the king, in this vast and powerful Qin kingdom.

She can indulge in pleasure at will, she can keep male lovers at will, and she can summon her favorite lover to accompany her day and night.

Bai Qi just wasn't happy about it. She couldn't handle a young man as fierce as a tiger either.

As long as she doesn't interfere with royal power, what are Zhong Xiang Lü Buwei, what are the nobles and members of the Qin royal family, what are the kings and marquises... in her eyes, they're all nothing!

All of this was because she gave birth to a fine son, who is now the King of Qin, Ying Zheng!

The essence of power is that simple.

As long as her son remains the King of Qin, it doesn't really matter whether she, as the Empress Dowager, acts as regent or not.

Because Zhao Ji only knew how to enjoy herself in the harem and didn't play any of the power politics games in the outer court.

In these quiet days, Zhao Ji, who had a group of beautiful and intelligent young advisors, had already come to a realization.

This is probably why Bai Qizi compromised so quickly when he woke up on the bed in Ganquan Palace.

Such is the struggle for political power; if Bai Qizi does not seize the opportunity to rise to power decisively...

After a moment of embarrassment and anger, Zhao Ji asked herself honestly, and she guessed that if it weren't for the presence of Bai Qizi, a more handsome young man, that night...

In the end, she would probably have to obediently follow the will of Chancellor Lü Buwei and keep the broad-faced and slick Lao Ai in order to consolidate the power of the Qin state.

As for whether the other person can get into her bed, that depends on whether he is long enough.

As the saying goes, when men judge a woman's beauty, they mostly look at whether her breasts are big, her waist is slim, her legs are long, her face is pretty, her toes are delicate, and her pubic hair...

In any case, according to Empress Dowager Zhao Ji's standards for evaluating men, there was only one criterion: was it long enough?

At most, it would be even better if you were good-looking.

In fact.

Bai Qi's considerations at the time were simpler.

This occurred in the third year of King Zheng of Qin's reign.

Externally, the Qin Dynasty suffered a recent defeat at Hangu Pass after being united with five states. The Qin, like a pack of wolves and tigers, had no hope of expanding eastward.

Internally, King Zheng of Qin had recently taken a new queen from Chu, and his power in the royal palace was increasingly consolidated, causing his father, Lü Xiang, to grow increasingly fearful.

Faced with the established fact created by Empress Dowager Zhao Ji's actions of letting the fish into the alley, he had no right to refuse.

If he doesn't take the position, then it's Lao Ai, the Marquis of Changxin, whom Lü Buwei has put forward.

At that time, Bai Qi will face the worst political environment in the history of Qin.

The three empress dowagers, the king's brother, and a fake eunuch in Xianyang Palace looked around the king, but could not find a way to pierce him with a needle.

With Lü Buwei, the Chancellor of the Outer Court, and Meng Ao, the General of Qi, the two were a perfect match, one in the world and the other in the civil and military.

If the King of Qin were to assume personal rule at the age of 21, then he would face...

Abandoned by his father at birth and held hostage in another country for nine years, he miraculously ascended the throne at the age of thirteen. However, his birth mother had an affair with his uncle, resulting in scandalous behavior within the palace...

During this period, the rumor that Ying Zheng was suspected to be Lü Buwei's adopted son spread like wildfire throughout the court and the seven kingdoms.

Empress Dowager Xia Ji died of anger, and her brother, Lord Chang'an Chengjiao, rebelled in Tunliu, but was quickly defeated and killed, eventually defecting to the State of Zhao.

At the age of twenty-one, he was about to assume personal rule when the affair between Marquis Changxin, Lao Ai, and Empress Dowager Zhao Ji was exposed.

Fearing for his life, Lao Ai stole the Qin King's imperial seal and the Empress Dowager's seal and launched a rebellion, which led to the Qinian Palace Incident.

In the end, the king was heartbroken, threw his two sons to the ground, imprisoned the Empress Dowager, and dismissed Chancellor Lü in one fell swoop.

It seems very satisfying, but upon closer examination, it becomes clear that all officials and ministers in the Qin court will face an even more challenging and hellish challenge in the future.

Having completely transformed into a solitary ruler, King Zheng of Qin will officially fulfill the destiny bestowed upon him by history: "to conquer the six kingdoms, unify the four seas, and become the first emperor of all time."

At this point, who dares to reason with him? And even if they did, would he listen?!

From the moment the entire world submits to him, there will be no reason in his world.

Given Bai Qi's current impulsive nature, if he had unintentionally angered him back then, the next step would probably have been...

"Within ten miles, not a single chicken or dog will be spared!"

Thinking of this, Bai Qi, who was enjoying a life of luxury, trembled almost imperceptibly.

Empress Dowager Zhao Ji instinctively handed over the sword of Lord Wu'an, chuckling, "Can't handle it anymore, can you!"

Bai Qi snatched it, muttering, "Tch, who do they think they are?"

He didn't even consider the mere Chu Kingdom Sword Maiden Dance Troupe a threat.

Zhao Ji's beautiful eyes sparkled as she looked at the stubborn young man, and she giggled sweetly, "What about the seven-nation coalition?"

Zhao Ji clapped her hands lightly, "Clap clap clap!"

Han Ji, dressed in a semi-transparent gauze dress, walked in with a blush on her jade-like face, hesitant to speak.

Then there's Hong'er, the baby-faced palace maid, and Zhuanpo and Miehun from the Six Sword Slaves.

The leader of the Chu Women's Sword Dance Troupe, Shan Shan, with fair skin and rosy cheeks, stumbled to her feet and stood at the very back.

Zhao Ji gestured with her jade-like fingertips, while continuously counting aloud.

"Han, Wei, Qi, Qin, Chu, Zhao... alas, in the end, we were missing Yan."

Bai Qi's hand holding the sword stiffened slightly, and his lips twitched as he looked at her regretful expression.

He considered himself to be the epitome of debauchery and shamelessness, capable of accepting anyone who came his way.

The Guoyong Pavilion, the Chu Nu Song and Dance Troupe, with all kinds of beauties, both plump and slender, and a large group of young palace maids kept in his mansion—there were so many that they could hardly eat them all.

In some ways, this could be considered worldly-wise, right?

But in Zhao Ji's eyes, who was still not satisfied, the Qin twins were just a bonus.

No wonder, once ordinary people travel through time, they immediately start trying to become kings and conquerors.

This stuff gets cloying after a while!

Bai Qi clutched his chest, his heart skipping a beat. Even with the Blood Spirit's enhancement, he was genuinely a little apprehensive this time.

"That harlot Zhao Ji, could she really want him to follow in the footsteps of King Zhuangxiang of Qin?"

"Even if you've missed a few days of her time, does it have to be so reckless? Are you even trying to make a living?!"

Bai Qi quickly pulled back the eager Zhao Ji, "This, let's not rush. Uh, no, um... I mean, let's put off the Seven Kingdoms Alliance for now."