I, the most powerful minister of the Tang Dynasty, have been exposed by the heavens.

The Zhenguan era.

Li Shimin's anger flared up when he saw the group of timid officials in the sky.

"A bunch of useless trash!"

He slammed his hand on the table, making the teacups clang loudly.

"When they were forcing us to abdicate, everyone was shouting louder and kneeling faster than the last!"

"And now? They're all cowered and backed down when asked to read a self-reproach edict aloud from the city wall?"

He pointed to the officials with their heads bowed in the sky, his fingers trembling:

"Are these still officials of my Great Tang Dynasty? Are these still pillars of the court?"

"Let me tell you, I wouldn't even want someone like this working for me!"

Li Shimin became more and more enraged as he cursed, and stood up pacing back and forth:

"They talk big and pontificate all the time, pontificating and acting all capable. But when it comes to actually needing people, they all become cowards!"

"Lu Wuming is right. The Tang Dynasty has become like this not just because of Li Longji! Every single one of these officials is guilty!"

"Hiding from trouble, shifting blame, and seizing credit—is this what the imperial court of later generations is like?"

He gasped for breath and plopped back down on the throne.

"Pah! Shameful!"

Wei Zheng, unusually, did not remain silent but spoke up directly:

"Your Majesty is right to scold me."

"Such an official is not worthy of being called a subject of the Tang Dynasty."

He paused, his voice cold and hard:

"They hold positions without doing their jobs and always try to protect themselves when things get tough. When the country needs them, they are all unreliable. These are not officials; they are parasites."

"The Tang Dynasty's empire was gradually eroded by these parasites."

Fang Xuanling nodded as well:

"I second that opinion. Officials should prioritize the well-being of the nation. These officials, concerned only with their own safety and disregarding the overall interests of the court, have indeed neglected their duties."

Changsun Wuji quickly followed:

"Your Majesty is wise; Wei Zheng and Xuanling are right. As for these officials, they are truly... alas, words cannot express it all."

Li Shimin's anger subsided a little after hearing their words, but his expression remained grim.

He stared at the sky, looking at Lu Wuming.

He was very curious about what Lu Wuming would do next.

……

Above the sky.

Sitting on the dragon throne, Li Longji looked at the officials and ministers bowing their heads and shrinking back, and a feeling of indescribable pleasure welled up in his heart.

No one stepped forward.

not a single one.

Those who were shouting so loudly just now are now all mute.

Lu Wuming stood there holding the edict of self-reproach, asking three times, but no one dared to take it.

Li Longji's lips curled up slightly.

He glanced at Lu Wuming's back, that hunched, stubborn figure that hadn't taken him, the emperor, seriously since entering the hall.

Old man, you've finally met your match?

Aren't you powerful? Aren't you capable of forcing me to kill Yang Guozhong, confiscate the Yang family's property, depose the Imperial Concubine, and issue an edict of self-reproach?

What now?

Now, among all the officials in the court, who dares to help you?

Li Longji felt so comfortable, sweeter than if he had eaten honey.

He picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, and stared at Lu Wuming as if watching a good show.

He wanted to see what the old man would do next.

Lu Wuming turned around and glanced at the group of ministers with their heads bowed.

He saw the smug smile on Li Longji's lips.

They also noticed Crown Prince Li Heng's lowered eyelids.

He suddenly laughed.

The smile was faint, almost imperceptible, yet it sent a chill down the spine of anyone who caught its gaze.

"OK."

Lu Wuming spoke, his voice not loud, but it carried clearly to everyone's ears:

"Nobody dares to step forward, right?"

"Then I'll ask you a few questions."

He took a step forward, his gaze landing on an official in the front row:

"Don't you know how much money Yang Guozhong embezzled and how many people he harmed during his years in power?"

The official shuddered and lowered his head even further.

Lu Wuming shifted his gaze to another one:

"An Lushan has become too powerful, and the military governors of the three towns hold significant military power. Haven't you noticed the problem?"

The man's face turned deathly pale, and he dared not utter a sound.

Lu Wuming then looked at Crown Prince Li Heng:

"Your Highness, as the heir apparent, what have you been doing all these years? Yang Guozhong has seized power; have you ever offered any advice to His Majesty? The court is in disarray; have you ever stood up for what is right?"

Li Heng's body trembled. He raised his head as if to say something, but met Lu Wuming's cloudy yet sharp eyes. He opened his mouth, then lowered his head again.

Lu Wuming sneered:

"Neither of you are going to say anything? Fine."

"Then let me say a few more words."

His voice suddenly rose in pitch:

"The Tang Dynasty has become what it is today not solely His Majesty's fault. Every single one of you is responsible; none of you can escape blame!"

"Who ceded Yang Guozhong's position step by step to allow him to rise to that level? Who turned a blind eye and allowed An Lushan to grow so powerful?"

"You think you can get away with it by keeping quiet? You think you can hide by bowing your head?"

"I'll tell you!"

He pointed to the officials who had been shouting the loudest just moments before, but were now shrinking back the fastest:

"You are even more hateful than Yang Guozhong!"

"Yang Guozhong is greedy and bad, but at least he does it openly. What about you? You're playing dumb, pretending to be ignorant, and changing your tune with the wind!"

"When Yang Guozhong was in power, you wagged your tails; when he fell, you were quicker to kneel than anyone else; now that you're asked to do something, you've all shrunk back!"

"Do you think you can keep your positions and your lives this way?"

Lu Wuming paused, then said, slowly and deliberately, "Dream on."

The hall was deathly silent.

The officials whose names were called turned pale, and some even began to tremble.

Li Longji's hand, holding the teacup, froze in mid-air.

He did not expect that Lu Wuming would suddenly turn his anger towards the court officials.

What I didn't expect was that this old guy could curse people even more harshly than he could curse the emperor.

Looking at the trembling officials, Lu Wuming suddenly sighed:

"That's enough."

"I didn't originally intend to go too far."

"But since you insist on forcing this old man..."

He turned and said in a deep voice towards the outside of the hall:

"Someone, bring these things up!"

The palace gates opened.

Several guards carried three large chests in single file.

"Thump."

"Thump."

"Thump."

The box hit the ground with a dull thud that was particularly jarring in the silent hall.

All eyes of the courtiers fell on the three boxes.

The box was very ordinary, just a regular wooden box.

But the moment everyone saw the box, an ominous premonition welled up in their hearts.

Because this box is exactly the same style as the box that contained Yang Guozhong's incriminating evidence.

Lu Wuming walked to the box, patted the lid, and made a muffled sound.

Then he raised his head and looked at Li Longji on the dragon throne.

There was a hint of amusement in his eyes:

"Your Majesty, would you like to guess what's in this box?"

Li Longji was stunned.

He stared at the three boxes, then looked at Lu Wuming's old face, and a strong sense of unease suddenly welled up in his heart.

That old guy...

How much more is he hiding? How much more does he know? How many trump cards does he have up his sleeve?