Qin Shi: I only work eight hours

Chapter 364 Internal and External Cooperation

“If Brother Guo’s residence is considered a humble abode, then there are probably few places in the world that are not humble abodes.”

Xu Lin joked with a smile.

He had a fairly good impression of Guo Kai, because Guo Kai was the kind of person who would do things as long as he got paid.

This type of person is easy to get along with.

Guo Kai didn't care about loyalty or country; all he cared about was money.

In Guo Kai's view, in this chaotic world, money is everything.

After a few rounds of drinks, Guo Kaiping dismissed his attendants.

"Brother Xu, you didn't go to Handan just to have a drink with Guo, did you?"

Guo Kai asked with a smile.

He has a very high alcohol tolerance, so he is still very sober at this moment.

"Entrusted by others, loyal to others."

Xu Lin nodded.

He has a low alcohol tolerance and drinks very little, so he remains quite sober.

"Is it related to the fighting on the front lines?"

Guo Kai asked tentatively.

Guo Kai couldn't think of anything else that would make Xu Lin personally go to Handan, besides the war at the front.

Indeed.

"I heard that Brother Guo also dislikes Li Mu?"

Xu Lindao.

Whether I like it or not is not important.

"As long as the price is right, she'll be the Empress Dowager..."

Guo Kai smiled broadly.

Zhao King Yan's principal wife, Lady Chang, who is now Empress Dowager Chang, was in her thirties and still retained her charm.

"Brother Guo, aren't you afraid the King of Zhao will find out?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Xu Lin's eyes.

He never expected that Guo Kai would even dare to sell out the Empress Dowager of Zhao.

"Guo's men are everywhere inside and outside the palace. How did he find out?"

Guo Kai looked calm.

During the reign of King Yan of Zhao, he did not yet hold absolute power; now, he wields immense influence throughout the court.

"In that case, I would really like to take this opportunity to meet him."

"However, this is an extra transaction. I will have someone send two more truckloads of money after I leave."

Xu Lin said solemnly.

He was more interested in using her than in her physical body.

Even if a woman were to become plump, could she still compare to Zhao Ji or Lady Mingzhu?

"No problem."

Guo Kai readily agreed.

Then they switched from wine to tea, and it was time to get down to business.

Xu Lin wanted Guo Kai to replace Li Mu, but Guo Kai said that if Li Mu were replaced, he would have to take Li Mu's life.

He and Li Mu were at odds, so Li Mu had to die.

In fact, Xu Lin admired Li Mu to some extent, but it was basically impossible for him to get Li Mu to switch sides.

After a moment's thought, he accepted Guo Kai's suggestion.

"Li Mu will die within a month at most."

Guo Kai promised.

Xu Lin hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

"The Empress Dowager's residence is located here. With this token, you can see her."

Guo Kai gave Xu Lin a scroll of bamboo slips and a wooden plaque.

Although paper prices in the Zhao state were getting cheaper and cheaper, Guo Kai, being a traditionalist, still preferred to use bamboo slips.

"it is good."

Xu Lin accepted it.

Then he turned and left the Guo residence.

In order to achieve twice the result with half the effort, after leaving Guo Kai's residence, Xu Lin wrote a letter to Wang Jian, asking Wang Jian to chat with Li Mu outside the city in a few days to confirm that Li Mu was suspected of colluding with the enemy.

If Li Mu is unwilling to leave the city for idle chatter, then one can write a letter to Li Mu, and in the last letter, deliberately make some scribblings on it. In this way, the King of Zhao will surely become suspicious.

With Guo Kai secretly assisting them, why should the Zhao state not change its general?

……

More than half an hour later.

Xu Lin arrived at the residence of Empress Dowager Chang.

Although Empress Dowager Chang was the Empress Dowager, she did not live in the Zhao King's Palace; her residence was quite far from the palace.

It wasn't that King Zhao Qian was unwilling for Empress Dowager Chang to live in the palace, but rather that Empress Dowager Chang herself was unwilling.

"Empress Dowager."

“Li Mu does not respect the king, keeping him alive will cause great trouble.”

"I suggest that Li Mu be replaced immediately and a member of the imperial clan be sent to the front line."

"Li Mu has been facing off against the Qin army at the front for so long, has he achieved anything significant?"

Lord Chunping offered his advice.

He and Guo Kai are birds of a feather, so after receiving Guo Kai's letter, he came here directly.

He has been coming here frequently lately because he wants to take his relationship with the Empress Dowager Chang to the next level.

When the late king passed away, he should have succeeded to the throne, but he was in the state of Qin at the time.

This is why the young Zhao Yan succeeded to the throne. If he hadn't been held hostage in Qin at the time, the throne of Zhao would have been his.

At that time, Lord Chunping was still a man who cared about the world.

Later, after returning to Zhao, King Qian of Zhao became even more ruthless after ascending the throne, which made Lord Chunping feel that life is too short to ignore.

So he tried staying overnight at brothels and drinking with Guo Kai, and over time, he grew to like the feeling.

He wasn't the King of Zhao, so what did the fate of the Zhao state have to do with him?

"This is a very important matter. Let me think about it some more."

The chief minister, however, remained serious and unsmiling.

Although she came from a brothel, she became increasingly conservative as she grew older.

The key point is that she didn't like Chunping-jun.

Chunping Jun was the older brother of her deceased husband Zhao Yan, and she found it hard to accept that he had an affair with her.

"Your Majesty should rest early."

Chunping nodded.

He wasn't in a hurry.

Because taking control of the capital is only a matter of time.

After Lord Chunping had gone some distance, a maid came to report that a man surnamed Xu was outside requesting an audience.

The Empress frowned, then had a maid bring Xu Lin in.

From the outside, the Queen's residence looked ordinary, but once inside, it was no less impressive than the royal palace.

Pavilions and towers, small bridges and flowing water, gold, stone and jade artifacts—it was the epitome of luxury.

The State of Zhao was on the verge of collapse, so Xu Lin did not disguise himself.

"Who are you?"

After seeing Xu Lin through the curtain, the Empress asked in confusion.

She was wearing a long purple dress, reclining languidly on the phoenix couch, holding a jade ornament in her hand.

"I have long admired the Empress Dowager."

Xu Lin smiled.

Then he teleported to the front of the Queen.

The Empress was shocked; she hadn't expected that Xu Lin, who looked like a frail scholar, would have such a high level of cultivation.

What do you want to do?

"I am the Empress Dowager of the Great Zhao!"

She moved in a little further inside.

With Xu Lin's cultivation level, killing her and leaving would be a very simple thing for him.

The young empress, barely in her thirties, didn't want to die, so she didn't dare call for help.

Hearing that something was wrong, the maidservant standing guard outside hurriedly asked the Empress Dowager if she needed help.

"fine."

The only recourse after the proposal is to refuse.

Xu Lin was right there; did she have a choice?

"The Empress Dowager is well-preserved."

Seeing that the woman's skin was fair, Xu Lin said loudly.

"Sir, you are no less than me."

"When you first arrived, I thought you were a male concubine sent by Qian'er."

She smiled charmingly afterward.

What storms hasn't she weathered?

So they quickly regained control.

Xu Lin had bright, sparkling eyes. He was around twenty years old and possessed a very high level of cultivation. It wouldn't be a loss for her to advance further with Xu Lin.

The key point is that sometimes the more you want something, the less likely the other person is to give it to you.

Therefore, she had to act as if she wanted to.

If she shows resistance, it will only fuel Xu Lin's desire to conquer her.

"No wonder Zhao Yan was so easily manipulated by you."

Xu Lin thought to himself.

If he hadn't been a womanizer, he might very well have been manipulated by the empress.

Because the Empress knew her strengths, she deliberately inhaled while speaking, causing her chest to heave violently.

"So, does that mean the Empress Dowager has taken a liking to me?"

Xu Lin asked with a smile.

Although he was not Cao Cao, he did not mind widows.

"Sir, aren't you asking a question you already know the answer to?"

She smiled gracefully afterward.

She then swept her hair back.

"Wait a moment."

Xu Lin stopped him.

Then he took out a pill from his storage space and asked the queen to open her mouth.

After the incident, a sudden jolt went through him, a sense of foreboding washing over him.

But did she have a choice?

Therefore, after a short while, the queen slowly opened her mouth.

Xu Lin looked satisfied and stuffed the pill into the queen's mouth.

The elixir melted instantly upon entering the mouth. (End of Chapter)