The Deepest Affection in Qin's Time

Looking at the empty house, Madam Hu no longer felt lost and disappointed. Instead, she felt anticipation and longing, looking forward to the days when she, her daughter, and Cao Yuan would live a happy life together.

……

The sky was bright.

Cao Yuan returned to his courtyard, retrieved Honglian's necklace, and prepared to go to the palace to give it to Honglian.

He was walking on the main street of Xinzheng when suddenly a sleek yet luxurious carriage appeared before him, escorted by palace guards in front and behind, clearly a carriage from the palace.

A fragrant breeze wafted by, and the carriage curtain was lifted slightly.

Cao Yuan caught a glimpse of the languid yet beautiful woman inside the carriage and was slightly stunned.

"Beauty Hu..."

Cao Yuan murmured to himself, recalling the charming and delicate appearance of Consort Hu just now, and continued on his way to the palace with a faint smile.

What Cao Yuan didn't know was that after Hu Meiren's carriage passed by him, it went straight to Liu Yi's residence to visit her sister, Madam Hu.

……

"Madam, Madam, Her Majesty has arrived."

Mrs. Hu was half asleep when she heard someone knocking on the door, which startled her.

She breathed a slight sigh of relief after she understood.

Just as she was about to answer and leave, she remembered that Cao Yuan had exhausted her last night, and if she got out of bed and walked around, it would be hard not to attract attention.

"I...I'm not feeling well, let my sister come over..."

Mrs. Hu told a small lie.

Fortunately, the sisters are close, so they don't have to worry about etiquette; otherwise, they would easily become the subject of gossip.

"Sister, sister, are you alright?"

Before the people arrive, the sound comes first.

Hu Meiren pushed open the door to Madam Hu's room, her charming face full of concern.

Madam Hu glanced at the palace maid following Consort Hu, then hesitated to speak.

Consort Hu was a shrewd person. It would be difficult for someone who wasn't shrewd to navigate the harem so skillfully, preventing Lady Mingzhu from finding fault with her and still maintaining her favor.

"You may leave. I wish to speak privately with my sister."

"Yes."

Only Madam Hu and Hu Meiren remained in the room, and Madam Hu breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Hu Meiren then took a good look at her older sister.

Upon closer inspection, it was astonishing.

She couldn't tell if her sister was unwell, but she could tell that her sister was radiant and that there was still some lingering affection between her brows.

This……

Hu Meiren raised an eyebrow and asked curiously, "Sister, did you share a room with Liu Yi last night?"

“Uh…” Madam Hu shook her head repeatedly: “No, no, how could I possibly share a room with him? I would rather die than share a room with him.”

Hu Meiren was puzzled.

But seeing that her sister was unwilling to say more, she had no choice but to give up.

"Hehe, it's almost my sister's birthday. I wonder what gift you'd like?"

Hu Meiren sat on one side of the bed, holding her sister's hand, and said with laughter, "Sister, just say what you want, and I will definitely fulfill your wish."

My sister has been in low spirits for the past few months, but today, remembering her birthday, I decided to visit her and celebrate with her.

"A gift..."

Madam Hu pondered deeply, wondering whether she should go to see a play with her sister, just like she had done the previous two years, when for some reason she remembered Cao Yuan's poem "Snow Maiden Song".

"I heard that Mr. Cao Yuan has come to Xinzheng. I wonder if I could ask him to compose a poem for me?"

Madam Hu tentatively asked, concealing her own selfish desire to have Cao Yuan write a poem for her.

"Cao Yuan?" Hu Meiren was slightly surprised. "Is it Cao Yuan who wrote 'Snow Maiden Song'?"

Even though she was often in the inner palace, she had still heard of this poem and was amazed when she first heard it.

“It was him…” Madam Hu suppressed her embarrassment and tried her best to make her tone natural.

But what Madam Hu didn't know was that, in Hu Meiren's eyes, her expression was full of flaws and suspicious points.

Could it be that my sister was with... last night?

Although Hu Meiren noticed something amiss and secretly speculated about it, she remained outwardly calm.

“Alright, now that Mr. Cao Yuan has come to Xinzheng, then I’ll think of a way.”

Hu Meiren smiled and agreed, keeping Cao Yuan in mind, planning to find out more about him when the opportunity arose, to see if he was having an affair with her sister.

She thought to herself that if Cao Yuan really was her sister's lover, then she had to meet him. If he was a decent person, she would think of a way to train him and make him serve her sister well, so that her sister wouldn't suffer any losses.

My sister is unaware of the wickedness of people's hearts; I must not be foolish or careless.

……

The palace of the King of Han was very large and magnificent, no smaller than those of the states of Qi and Yan.

Cao Yuan followed behind a eunuch, his eyes scanning the surrounding buildings, savoring the profound and magnificent atmosphere unique to this era.

But when he thought of the devastation and misery of Korea, and then looked at the luxurious and elegant royal palace that exuded aristocratic grandeur, his expression turned somber.

It's a pity that every penny taken is wasted, like dirt...

The Han King's Palace was like this, the Epang Palace was like this, and what about the palaces to come...?

"Brother Cao, you've arrived very early."

Han Fei, standing before the Red Lotus Palace, spoke with veiled meaning, even carrying a hint of sarcasm.

It's not his fault. Anyone who knew that a womanizer was trying to seduce their sister with ill intentions would not speak or give them a pleasant look.

Han Fei believed he was still able to remain calm; anyone else would probably have already drawn their sword and dueled with Cao Yuan.

The eunuch bowed to Han Fei and left.

Cao Yuan smiled faintly: "To relieve Brother Han's worries, of course I couldn't be late."

Han Fei was taken aback by the remark and looked displeased.

If he had known this would happen, Han Fei would have rather starved to death on the road than pawn his necklace to that scoundrel Cao Cao, even if it meant never drinking alcohol for the rest of his life!

He now always feels like he has harmed his sister and sent her into the lion's den.

"Let's go, give the necklace to my sister and leave quickly."

Han Fei finished speaking in a bad mood and walked straight ahead.

Cao Yuan followed behind his brother-in-law Han Fei and asked, "Brother Han, are you really that worried that Honglian will marry me?"

Han Fei turned his head and glared at Cao Yuan.

"If you have the ability to get my sister to marry you, I will agree without hesitation."

Cao Yuan asked in surprise, "Then why is Brother Han always wary of me?"

Han Fei sneered, "Of course, it's to prevent you from taking my sister's body and heart. If she doesn't marry you in the end, wouldn't she be heartbroken?"

"Don't you know that, given Honglian's status, her marriage is destined to be unpredictable, and even I can't decide it?"

He didn't say that he would definitely find a way if his sister liked it.

All he wants now is for Cao Yuan to back down and get as far away from his sister as possible.

"Oh, I see..."

Cao Yuan suddenly realized that he had almost forgotten that Honglian was still a princess.

He chuckled softly, "Isn't that simple? Brother Han becoming the King of Han would solve the problem, wouldn't it?"

Han Fei immediately stopped and frowned, saying, "This is the royal palace. Don't talk nonsense."

Cao Yuan said earnestly, "Brother Han has been back in Xinzheng for a few days now, so you should know the current situation, right?"

Han Fei sighed, "It's more complicated than I thought. The night is truly all-pervasive and omnipresent."

"Has there been a breakthrough?"

"No, for now. Brother Cao, do you have any suggestions?"

"I wouldn't call it a suggestion, but Brother Han might as well try starting with the Zhang family."

Han Fei frowned and said, "I tried yesterday, but I couldn't even send out the visiting card. I returned empty-handed."

"And you may not know this, but the Zhang family has served as prime ministers of Han for five generations, always loyal to the King of Han and ignoring everyone else. This is their way of survival, and it is hard to change."

Cao Yuan smiled calmly and said, "Brother Han, don't be in a hurry. Sometimes you don't need to personally step in to change him. You just need to wait patiently for the right opportunity."

Han Fei understood immediately, "Brother Cao, are you perhaps suggesting that Ji Wuye will take action against the Zhang family?"

Cao Yuan nodded and said, "That's right. Although Ji Wuye is now all-powerful, he is not without rivals. Given the opportunity, Ji Wuye will definitely take action against the Zhang family. When the Zhang family has nowhere to retreat, they will naturally... hehe."

Han Fei smiled wryly, "It's easier said than done..."

Anyone could easily see that Zhang Kaidi, the Prime Minister, was brought out by his father to keep Ji Wuye in check.

So, if you want to force the Zhang family to that point, you have to force his father to that point first.

Cao Yuan chuckled and said, "In return for your kindness, as long as Brother Han stops getting involved in the matter between me and Honglian, I will tell Brother Han some good news."

Han Fei raised an eyebrow and asked, "What news?"

Cao Yuan didn't force Han Fei to express his opinion. He chuckled and said, "I learned by chance that Ji Wuye seems to want to embezzle the military pay of the border army after the New Year and use this as an excuse to eliminate Zhang Kaidi's faction."

Han Fei's pupils contracted, and he almost cried out.

Is this true?

If Ji Wuye were to embezzle all the military pay of the 100,000 border troops, it could easily lead to a mutiny.

More importantly, these 100,000 border troops were the last remaining force in the hands of the Han royal family.