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

The Zhenguan era.

Li Shimin's eyes lit up when he saw the three large chests in the sky.

"Good heavens!"

He slapped his thigh: "This Lu Wuming is truly capable!"

"Look at all these officials! They were all cowering like turtles just now, but now they're completely dumbfounded!"

He pointed at the pale-faced officials in the sky and laughed heartily:

"Weren't you so good at shrinking just now? Keep shrinking! Now that the boxes are up here, let's see how you shrink now!"

After laughing, Li Shimin fell silent, a thoughtful look appearing in his eyes:

"But then again..."

"This Lu Wuming is really good at hiding."

"He came to the court today, first killing Yang Guozhong, then forcing the emperor to issue an edict of self-reproach, and now he has brought out three large boxes. He is taking everyone into account step by step."

He stroked his beard and said slowly:

"He has evidence of Yang Guozhong's crimes. He also has leverage over the officials. And he understands the emperor's thoughts perfectly."

"Every step is perfectly timed, and every move has a backup plan."

Li Shimin nodded, his tone carrying a hint of appreciation:

"Old ginger is spicier."

"I'm 137 years old, and I haven't lived in vain."

"A deep and calculating mind, a meticulous plan, and a refusal to fight a battle he's not sure he can win—that's what makes a true old fox."

But after saying this, Li Shimin frowned slightly.

He stared at the hunched yet upright figure against the sky, and suddenly sighed:

"only……"

"Isn't this something the emperor should be doing?"

"Investigating officials, finding fault with them, and controlling the court—these are things that I should be doing."

"And now? This Lu Wuming has done it all."

He paused, then lowered his voice:

"He did the job of an emperor, so what's the point of being an emperor?"

Wei Zheng, who was standing to the side, twitched slightly upon hearing this.

He knew what His Majesty was worried about.

Lu Wuming wielded far too much power.

He killed the prime minister, deposed the imperial concubine, forced the emperor to issue an edict of self-reproach, and now he can easily find incriminating evidence against all the officials.

If someone like that wanted to change the emperor, would it be difficult?

Not difficult.

Fang Xuanling lowered his head and remained silent. But he knew in his heart that His Majesty's concerns were not unfounded.

Changsun Wuji remained completely silent.

Who would dare to take on this kind of topic?

The hall was quiet for a moment.

Li Shimin waved his hand and did not ask any further questions.

He simply stared at the sky, his gaze complex.

……

Above the sky.

Li Longji remained silent.

He looked at the three large boxes, his eyelids twitched, but he ultimately chose to remain silent.

Guess what's inside? No need to guess, he knows.

Those boxes probably contained the exact same evidence of Yang Guozhong's crimes as before, except this time, it contained incriminating evidence against the entire court.

A complex and indescribable emotion suddenly welled up in Li Longji's heart.

There was anger, fear, and a hint of... schadenfreude.

Weren't those officials all shrinking away quite quickly just now?

Now look what you've got, let's see how you shrink back now.

He picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, and prepared to watch the show.

But he didn't realize that his own hands were also trembling slightly.

Your Highness.

The ministers' faces were already contorted with rage.

They came in all sorts of colors: pale, sallow, and bluish-gray.

Some people had beads of sweat the size of soybeans on their foreheads, some had cramps in their calves, and some had pale lips and were trembling like leaves.

Who doesn't have some kind of relationship with Yang Guozhong?

"Filial piety" during holidays is the most basic thing.

When Yang Guozhong promoted officials, who didn't offer "thank you gifts"?

When Yang Guozhong framed Zhongliang, who didn't chime in or offer him a hand?

And those shady things...

Everyone has a guilty conscience.

Everyone was afraid that the box contained their name.

Even Crown Prince Li Heng didn't look too good.

He kept his head down, his palms sweaty.

He did indeed not get along with Yang Guozhong, and had suffered a lot of mistreatment from the Yang family over the years.

But... he wasn't completely clean either.

There are some things he has done.

He has said some of those things before.

If the old prime minister really wants to settle scores...

Li Heng dared not think any further.

Lu Wuming stood beside the three boxes, his gaze slowly sweeping over the people in the hall.

He saw terrified faces, evasive eyes, trembling hands, and shaking legs.

He smiled, a faint, cold smile.

"It seems His Majesty cannot guess."

His voice echoed in the hall: "Then this old minister will speak for himself."

He walked up to the first box and casually opened the lid.

It was completely filled with account books and files.

He picked up a book at random, opened it, and read aloud:

"The Imperial Censor-in-Chief is Lu Youlin."

Wow!!!

All eyes in the hall instantly focused on one person.

Lu Youlin stood in the train and heard his name called. He was stunned, as if struck by lightning, and his face turned deathly pale.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but couldn't utter a single word.

Lu Wuming raised his head: "Where is the Imperial Censor?"

Lu Youlin's legs went weak, and he knelt down with a thud.

He practically crawled out, trembling uncontrollably, kowtowing repeatedly: "Your Excellency...Your Excellency, spare my life! Your Excellency, spare my life!"

Lu Wuming looked at him calmly: "I haven't even said anything yet, and you're already begging for mercy?"

"Wait until I finish speaking before you beg for mercy."

He lowered his head, looked at the booklet in his hand, and read it aloud, word by word:

"Lu Youlin, in the fifth year of the Tianbao era, became a follower of Li Linfu and acted as his henchman, impeaching Wei Jian, the Junior Guardian of the Crown Prince, which led to Wei Jian's exile and execution."

"In the sixth year of the Tianbao era, he participated in framing the Crown Prince's faction, fabricating charges, and implicating hundreds of people."

"From the ninth year of Tianbao to the present, he has relied on Yang Guozhong, controlled the criminal justice system, abused his power, accepted bribes, and disregarded human life."

"In any major case handled by him, the innocent will be implicated, they will be tortured into confessions, and their families will be raided and their clans wiped out."

After Lu Wuming finished reading, he raised his head and looked at Lu Youlin, who was kneeling on the ground trembling:

"Four charges: colluding with treacherous officials, framing loyal and virtuous people, abusing the law, and embezzlement and perverting justice."

"Lu Youlin, do you plead guilty?"

Lu Youlin was trembling so much that he couldn't speak.

He lay prostrate on the ground like a dead dog, repeatedly kowtowing: "I...I confess...I confess...Your Majesty, spare my life...Your Majesty, spare my life..."

He suddenly remembered something, turned sharply to the dragon throne, and began to kowtow frantically:

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, save me! I am utterly loyal to Your Majesty!"

"When I impeached Wei Jian, it was all for Your Majesty's sake! Yang Guozhong ordered me to do it, and I dared not disobey, Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty, please have mercy! Your Majesty, please spare my life!"

His forehead slammed against the ground with a loud thud, and blood quickly appeared.

But Li Longji sat motionless on the dragon throne.

He looked at Lu Youlin kneeling on the ground begging for mercy, then at the three boxes, and then at the trembling officials in the court.

Suddenly, he smiled.

That smile was complex, containing bitterness, mockery, and a hint of indescribable sorrow.

Loyal?

For my sake?

How dare someone like Lu Youlin claim to be loyal?

When Yang Guozhong was in power, he ran away faster than anyone else.

Now that Yang Guozhong has fallen, he's kneeling here again, begging for help.

Are these my subjects?

Is this my court?

Li Longji suddenly felt very tired.

Then Lu Wuming said, "Your Majesty, what do you intend to do with him?"

Li Longji feels very tired now, he is really tired!

So he waved his hand, his voice weary: "Since this evidence was found by the old prime minister, then let him handle it."

Upon hearing this, Lu Wuming's lips curled into a slight smile, and he replied, "Yes, sir!"

Lu Youlin was stunned, completely stunned!

He raised his head, looking at Li Longji on the dragon throne, and then at Lu Wuming standing beside the box.

It's over, it's completely over!

The emperor ignored him.

He slumped to the ground, like a lump of mud.

Lu Wuming didn't look at him, but closed the booklet and said to the imperial guard beside him:

"Take him down. Lock him in the imperial prison. After we've investigated everyone involved, we'll deal with them all at once."

"Yes, sir!"

Two imperial guards stepped forward and dragged the limp Lu Youlin away.

The hall was deathly silent.

No one dared to speak.

No one dared to breathe.

Lu Wuming picked up the booklet again, opened it, and his gaze swept over the assembled civil and military officials:

"Who will be next...?"