When people were in Qin, they captured Zhao and questioned Qin.

Chapter 49 Prostitute

The carriage left the palace grounds and turned onto the street leading to the north city, where the street gradually became lively.

Shops along the roadside gradually removed their doors, and shop assistants began cleaning the premises. Smoke curled up from the chimneys. Ji Cheng drove the car, glancing back into the vehicle from time to time, his excitement barely concealed.

"Young Master, you have no idea. Yesterday, news came from the palace that the King invited you to stay overnight and have a meal. When the Lady heard this, she was overjoyed. She burned incense and prayed in the mansion, and even ate half a bowl more at dinner. Everyone in the mansion breathed a sigh of relief. Madam Fu and her people cleaned the main hall several times, saying that they would celebrate your return properly."

Zhao Heng, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them and smiled slightly.

Ji Cheng continued, "That old man Zhao Su, when he heard yesterday that you were taken to the palace by Gao Qu, was initially acting suspiciously, pacing around the corridor several times, looking around furtively. Later, when news came from the palace that you had been invited to stay for the night by the King, his face immediately changed, and he retreated to his room and never came out again. He was working extra hard this morning, which shows how frightened he was."

Zhao Heng chuckled softly as he listened; Ji Cheng's description was indeed vivid and lifelike.

Ji Cheng scratched his head and couldn't help but ask, "But Young Master, Gao Qu was so arrogant when he came to our manor last time, and he never gives us a good look. Why did you call him over today, talking and laughing? I'm too stupid to understand."

Zhao Heng casually said, "I was just teasing him out of boredom. This man is used to bullying others by relying on his power. Today, I'll plant a thorn in his side in public and see how he behaves in the future."

These words were spoken casually, but Ji Cheng seemed to understand them only vaguely. After all, he wasn't Luan Ding, and his mind wasn't as meticulous. He couldn't figure out the details, but since the young master had said so, he nodded and didn't delve any deeper. He just thought he would ask Luan Ding about it privately later.

Zhao Heng pondered for a moment, then seemed to remember something and asked, "After I entered the palace yesterday, did anyone from your residence come to visit?"

Ji Cheng thought for a moment and said, "Nothing else. It was just that in the evening, Guo Kai came to the manor with two men and a cart full of things. He said that he was ordered by Young Master Yan to bring some tonics and medicinal herbs to help Young Master Yan recover from seeing that he had lost some weight in the palace."

As he said this, a hint of dissatisfaction crept into his voice:

"Madam was unaware of Guo Kai's sordid past. Seeing his polite words and the presentable gifts, she assumed it was genuine concern from Young Master Yan for his nephew, and accepted them with courtesy. She even had Madam Fu return the favor with some ordinary gifts and many words of thanks. We servants watched from the side, feeling indignant, but we dared not speak out for fear of worrying Madam."

Zhao Heng nodded.

As expected. Guo Kai is a master of appearances; even if they are secretly at odds, he will never neglect formalities. Sending tonics is a gesture of goodwill, a test, and a show for outsiders.

"Anything else?" Zhao Heng asked.

Ji Cheng thought for a moment: "There's no one else."

Zhao Heng nodded silently and began to ponder.

It seems that the woman in purple is indeed very composed.

Given her extensive network of information, she couldn't possibly be unaware that he had been summoned to the palace yesterday and even stayed overnight. Yet, she didn't send anyone to inquire or contact him; her composure and sense of propriety are truly admirable.

Zhao Heng enjoyed dealing with such intelligent and tactful people, as it saved him time and effort.

The others also had no reason to visit. Although Lord Xinling showed him goodwill, being too close to him could easily attract unwanted attention. As for the others, it was mostly because they were out of the loop.

The wheels rumbled, and the carriage swayed slightly.

Zhao Heng leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes to rest.

The key reason why he was allowed to stay overnight in the palace yesterday, despite the exception made by the King of Zhao, was that he had given a warning in advance, pointing out that the State of Yan was about to launch a large-scale invasion.

Historically, the State of Yan did indeed launch the Battle of Hao-Dai, which reportedly involved 600,000 Yan troops, with Li Fu as general, shortly afterward. The Yan army split into two routes and launched a major attack on Zhao. Although the battle was ultimately defeated by the veteran general Lian Po with 80,000 elite troops, and Zhao counterattacked to the Yan capital of Ji the following year, forcing Zhao to cede territory and sue for peace, it seemed that Zhao had won a great victory.

However, the process was far from smooth. The war dragged on for two or three years, with numerous variables and enormous losses. And the fate of Wei Jia, who was now involved, was beyond Zhao Heng's prediction or control.

Moreover, although the King of Zhao heeded his warning and promised to strengthen defenses on the northern border and send a fast horse north to investigate the military situation, he hesitated on the matter of recalling Wei Jia.

The biggest challenge lies in persuasion.

For an eleven-year-old prince to warn the King of Zhao based solely on a "premonition" is hardly credible. Given that the Yan state had just sent envoys to establish friendly relations, predicting an imminent large-scale invasion is hardly believable.

Even assuming otherwise, Zhao Heng calmly calculated that, based on the distance traveled, the delegation was likely already approaching or entering Yan territory. A fast horse might not have been able to catch up in time.

Even if they catch up, forcibly recalling them might alert the enemy and arouse the suspicion of the Yan state. If the Yan state were to launch an attack prematurely or change its plans as a result, it could put Wei Jia in an even more precarious situation and also jeopardize the Zhao state's potential preemptive advantage in preparing for war.

War is probably inevitable.

In Zhao Heng's own mind, it would be best not to start a war. However, considering Yan's consistent national policy of "taking advantage of Zhao's weaknesses to seek its own benefit," especially the historical precedent of launching an attack on Zhao when Zhao had just suffered a disastrous defeat at Changping and its national strength was at its weakest, this war could not be avoided.

Since this battle is inevitable, the focus is no longer on preventing it.

Rather, it was about how to enable the Zhao state, which had been severely weakened by the two catastrophes at Changping and Handan, to achieve the greatest victory with the least cost.

And how to protect teacher Wei Jia's life as much as possible.

King Zhao promised to strengthen defenses, which was the first step. But passive defense was far from enough. Although Zhao's national strength was greatly damaged by the battles of Changping and Handan, its good generals were still there and the people's hearts were not broken. Historically, when faced with Yan's large-scale invasion, Zhao was able to eventually gather tens of thousands of troops to organize a counterattack, and even drive straight in and besiege Ji City.

If we can plan ahead, we might be able to turn the tables and take control.

However, he currently lacks sufficient information on the specifics of the plan. He knows nothing about the situation in the court, the deployment of border troops, the grain reserves, or the thoughts of the generals.

I need to find an opportunity to get in touch with Zi Nu again, and I can also try to find out more from Master Xu.

The disciples of the Mohist school were spread throughout various states, and their channels of communication were far beyond what was common. Even if they could not obtain more information about the Yan state through the Mohists, they could still try to rescue Wei Jia, who was in danger, by leveraging the Mohists' power and channels at a critical moment.

At the same time, one can also learn about the situation within the Yan state indirectly through Yan Dan.

Zhao Heng frowned slightly when he thought of Yan Dan.

The State of Yan launched a war against Zhao, leaving Prince Dan, who was a hostage, in a predicament.

According to the custom of warring states, when two countries go to war, hostages detained in the enemy state are often the first to suffer. In the past, when King Huai of Chu was held hostage in Qin, Chu immediately installed a new king, which angered Qin. Before attacking Chu, Qin also killed Chu's hostages as a show of force.

Judging from the historical outcome, it seems that Yan Dan ultimately did not lose his life or remain imprisoned for long. Was it because the Zhao state won too quickly and did not have time to deal with the hostage? Or did Yan Dan receive advance warning and manage to escape?

Or perhaps Zhao did not harm him for some reason, such as not wanting to completely break with Yan, or wanting to keep Prince Dan as a pawn for future negotiations.

However, with war yet to begin and everything still shrouded in mystery, directly addressing Yan Dan might backfire. It would be better to observe for now and see if the Crown Prince of Yan makes any unusual moves or contacts; perhaps then we can glean some clues.

With this thought in mind, Zhao Heng opened his eyes and lifted the small curtain: "Luan Ding, come in and talk."

Upon hearing this, Luan Ding immediately handed the reins to Ji Cheng beside him, bowed and nimbly climbed into the carriage, knelt down opposite Zhao Heng, and listened respectfully with his head bowed.

"Yesterday you mentioned that Wu Ji eloped, and wasn't alone. What happened afterward?"

"As instructed by the young master, I inquired through various channels in the marketplace. According to some elderly people who frequented music halls in the past, when Wu Ji was in Handan, she had a close friend who was also a courtesan in a music hall. It is said that she was exceptionally skilled in dancing and had a nickname in Handan. However, no one can say for sure whether this woman was also proficient in playing the xiao (a type of vertical bamboo flute)."

Zhao Heng nodded slightly, signaling him to continue.

"According to legend, when Wu Ji eloped with that wandering knight, it was this friend who helped her pack her belongings and may even have provided some of the travel expenses. It is also said that not long after Wu Ji left, this friend was redeemed by a nobleman, married, and left the music hall. This matter was quite talked about at the time."

"And then?"

"After the siege of Handan was lifted, Wu Ji returned to Zhao in a sorry state, with no relatives or friends and no means of livelihood. It is said that it was this friend, who was already married, who secretly helped her and, through various connections, managed to get the manager of Zuiyuelou to take her in. But after that, this friend seemed to disappear completely behind the scenes, and no one knew anything about her anymore, and even her name was gradually forgotten."

Zhao Heng pondered for a moment, organizing his thoughts.

A former courtesan, redeemed by a nobleman and taken as his principal wife, secretly lends a helping hand to an old friend in distress, yet hides herself so well that she seems to deliberately erase her name...

Who is this person?

Who is that important person?

"Is the source reliable?"

"This information was pieced together by Ji Cheng through scattered inquiries with some old acquaintances from the music hall, and then by me piecing together and verifying it with the help of several old servants in related trades. During the inquiries, as instructed by the young master, I also asked some questions about the rumors surrounding the new manager of Zuiyue Tower, Miss Zi Nu. Therefore, even if outsiders noticed, they mostly assumed that the young master was interested in Miss Zi Nu and did not connect it to the old story of Wu Ji."

Outside the car window, Ji Cheng, who was driving in front, heard himself mentioned, turned around and gave a simple smile, scratching his head somewhat embarrassedly.

They were old acquaintances, several good sisters he had befriended when he frequented music halls in the past, thanks to his generous personality.

However, Zhao Heng simply nodded: "Meticulous work, and knows how to conceal it, not bad."

He pondered for a moment and said, "Now that we know this friend of yours once married a nobleman, we have a direction to follow. Marrying a courtesan as one's principal wife is unusual among nobles and will surely attract gossip and leave traces. You can try to start by investigating which noblemen of considerable status in Handan City broke the rules and married courtesans as their principal wives more than ten years ago."

"I understand. I will go back and begin a thorough investigation."

Zhao Heng hummed in response, and was about to give further instructions when a vague thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

Marry a prostitute...

He frowned slightly, and for a moment he thought of someone.

However, it is not advisable to draw any conclusions at this time.

So he simply added to Luan Ding, "Master Xu's journey to find Mohist craftsmen is extremely important. If any news comes back or he returns in person, report to me immediately."

"Young Master, rest assured, we have been keeping an eye on things."