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

After supporting the initiative for so long, it's time to relax a bit.

In the hot water pool, Changhou chuckled as she fed Cao Ze sliced ​​fruit.

"Sir is becoming more and more powerful."

Cao Ze chuckled, "The Queen is no less impressive."

He is said to be a master of the Qi of the liver and kidneys, and possesses great potential.

The Empress was also exceptionally gifted, able to endure for so long.

It can still devour so many of his heavenly soldiers.

"Your Majesty, His Highness is walking towards Chunqing Palace."

The maid whispered outside the door.

The Empress paused slightly on Cao Ze's shoulder and said, "I understand."

"Sir, let's change our clothes. Let's not let Qian'er see anything."

Cao Ze smiled and said, "What if Your Highness finds out?"

The Empress Dowager chuckled and said, "Then let's see if you can make Qian'er the Crown Prince sooner."

Cao Ze thought to himself, "Nobody wants him to be the crown prince."

But the thought of confronting Zhao Qian's mother in front of him is actually quite exciting.

After stepping out of the pool, water droplets splashed all over her body.

Various arcs and curves appear hazy and graceful in the rising steam.

She put on the queen's phoenix robe and went out first.

When Zhao Qian saw the Empress Dowager come out, he was extremely excited and said, "Mother, I just recited the Three Character Classic to Father. Father was very happy and even rewarded me with a set of ceremonial utensils!"

After brushing aside her slightly damp hair, she smiled and said, "Is that so? My son has finally become successful."

Zhao Qian looked around, "Where is Teacher Cao...?"

"Mr. Cao Ze had to leave early."

Zhao Qian was annoyed; he had wanted to show off a bit!

Cao Ze leisurely left through another door of Chunqing Palace.

He instructed Zhao Qian to provide cover then, and now that the fire behind the brothel has been extinguished, staying any longer would only make things difficult for him.

Chapter 106 Exchanging a Few Moves with the Giant Salamander

The lectures on logic are gradually coming to an end.

In recent days, Cao Ze has been paying close attention to the "righteous army" of Qin and the resulting upheaval in Handan.

He heard from Zhao Ya that Zhao Jia had invited many powerful figures from various families, as well as other princes and nobles from the six kingdoms.

However, the effect was poor, with few people responding.

The main reason was that Qin's "righteous army theory" was so lofty and righteous that it was practically unassailable, and few people were willing to humiliate themselves.

In late September, after Cao Ze finished explaining the last sentence of basic logic, he told his disciples that he would take a two-day break before resuming his lectures on the philosophy of mind.

Gongsun Long stood up somewhat dejectedly, "Is that all...?"

Of the representatives of the Hundred Schools of Thought who have persisted to this day and are still listening to Cao Ze lecture on logic, only Li Si of the Legalists and Gongsun Long of the Logicians remain.

Most of the other disciples of the Hundred Schools are still around simply because they want to hear the latest version of Journey to the West.

Cao Ze smiled and said, "There are still some, but they haven't been organized yet. I'm still working on them, so I won't take them out now."

Gongsun Long nodded: "I will help you compile your basic logic into a booklet and send it out. When you have time, you can visit Niushou Village more often, and we can discuss logic together."

Cao Ze said, "Thank you for your trouble, senior."

After Gongsun Long left, Li Si stood up, straightened his clothes, and said to Cao Ze, "Mr. Cao Ze, I would like to take the liberty of inviting you to Feixue Pavilion for a private chat."

Cao Ze said, "Okay."

Li Si is truly patient and composed.

I listened to him for over a month, and only at the very end did I ask him to speak to me privately.

In the elegant room of Feixue Pavilion, Xue Nu sat beside Cao Ze.

Li Si exclaimed, "I have long heard of Mr. Cao Ze's romantic reputation in Handan. It seems that seeing is believing. Miss Xue Nu has already fallen for him."

The Snow Maiden poured Cao Ze a cup of sake, remaining silent with a shy expression.

Cao Ze smiled. After more than a month of lecturing and telling stories about Journey to the West, his reputation in Handan had finally turned around completely. At least his reputation as a heartless and fickle man had vanished.

To be merely charming and romantic is already a great virtue.

"What brings you here, Brother Li?"

Li Si glanced at the Snow Maiden, hesitated for a few moments, and pondered.

Upon seeing this, the Snow Woman took the initiative to leave.

Li Si breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Brother Cao, please forgive me, it's not convenient for outsiders to be present at this matter."

Cao Ze said calmly, "Brother Li, you can speak now."

Li Si asked, "Brother Cao, what is your opinion of the Qin state?"

Cao Ze raised the corner of his mouth slightly, "Brother Li, you're not asking me what my opinion is on the Qin state, are you?"

Li Si's expression turned serious, and he cupped his hands, saying, "With Brother Cao's talent, you will surely be buried in Zhao. Why not come with me to Qin to realize your ambitions?"

"If we can assist the King of Qin in unifying the seven states in the future, we will surely rise to the highest positions among the ministers."

"And it is not impossible for Brother Cao to become the next Prime Minister Lü."

He believed it would be more advantageous to bring along Cao Ze, a famous figure, rather than to enter Qin alone.

Cao Ze thought to himself, "If I go with you to be a retainer of Lü Buwei, wouldn't that be like throwing good money after bad?"

Seeing Cao Ze remain silent, Li Si continued, "Brother Cao has already distinguished himself in Zhao, yet the King of Zhao has only appointed him as the tutor of Prince Qian. I think Brother Cao understands Prince Qian's character better than anyone else. If Zhao falls into Prince Qian's hands one day, will Zhao have any future?"

Cao Ze asked, "How do you know that the Zhao Kingdom will fall into the hands of Prince Qian in the future?"

Li Si said, "The faction of Crown Prince Jia has always been at odds with Guo Kai's faction. What if Brother Cao were Guo Kai?"

"Furthermore, Prince Jia's faction is mostly supported by the military. What if Brother Cao were the King of Zhao?"

Cao Ze admired Li Si somewhat; having only been in Handan for a little over a month, he was able to grasp the current situation of the Zhao court.

Zhao Jia may seem to have a significant advantage, but if he is not careful, he could arouse Zhao Yan's suspicion and instantly fall to the bottom.

In other words, to prevent the tragedy of King Wuling of Zhao from repeating itself, King Xiaocheng made Zhao Yan swear an oath and designated Zhao Jia as the crown prince.

Otherwise, Guo Kai's faction would have already started making things difficult for Zhao Jia.

The simple statement that the crown prince supports the army is enough to send chills down the spines of most people in power.

"Thank you for your kind offer, Brother Li. I have already decided to lecture at the Hundred Schools Forum in Handan for a year. As for what you said, Brother Li... we'll talk about it then."

Li Si gave Cao Ze a deep look. "I'm sorry to have bothered you, sir."

Cao Ze smiled and said, "Please have some wine."

"please."

After leaving Feixue Pavilion, Li Si did not return to his inn, but went straight out of Handan City and whipped his horse toward the Qin State.

Since Cao Ze was unwilling to go to Qin with him, he wasn't going to gamble on whether Cao Ze would betray him.

Retreat is the best course of action.

The Snow Woman walked in and saw Cao Ze drinking alone. She asked curiously, "Where is that person?"

"gone."

"Gone? Where did they go?"

"The State of Qin".

Cao Ze ate a fried peanut.

He chuckled softly, "He also wants to drag me into this."

Xue Nu smiled gently, "Why go to Qin? I heard it's incredibly boring there. All you do is farm and join the army. It's nowhere near as prosperous as Handan."

Cao Ze nodded slightly.

Although the State of Qi was also prosperous, it was not the Age of Exploration anymore.

The reason for its prosperity was simply that the State of Qi had enjoyed years of peace, which led to the loss of its ambition to compete for hegemony during the Warring States period. From top to bottom, it turned to entertainment and commerce, just like the Little Green Building developed by Guan Zhong, which was once again promoted and became famous throughout the seven states.

The prosperity of Handan is not only reflected in its commerce, but also in its culture.

It served as the center of Zhao culture during the late Warring States period, as well as a trade center between various states and the northern grasslands.

These two points are something that the grand and majestic Xianyang cannot match.

With Consort Ya absent, Snow Maiden, as the second-in-command, is letting loose and doing as she pleases.

Cao Ze and I played to our hearts' content at Feixue Pavilion.

Cao Ze thoroughly enjoyed the joy brought by the Snow Woman.

As night fell, after Ya Fei returned, Xue Nu reverted to her previous hesitant demeanor, as if the person who had acted so erratically just moments before was not her.

Cao Ze returned to Qingping Residence alone.

Looking at the bright moon and sparse stars in the night, I listened to the occasional barking of dogs outside the courtyard.

I finally get to rest for two days and don't have to lecture at the Hundred Schools Forum, so I can relax properly.

Go and have a go at his giant salamander.

At night, Cao Ze sneaked into Jing Ni's bed.

He and Jingni went online again in bed.

Jingni glared at Cao Ze, "Why do you always do things like this?"