People in the Qin Dynasty, entertained during the Warring States period

"Cao Ze, I will ask you one more time: Did you collude with Consort Ya and others to raid the Prime Minister's residence at night and steal the Black Dragon Scroll?"

Cao Ze felt a little bit of a problem, but only a little bit.

“Your Majesty, I did not collude with Consort Ya and others, nor did I launch a night raid on the Prime Minister’s residence.”

"The Prime Minister was attacked last night by Xuan Jian, a former top-tier assassin of the Luo Wang organization, who was also the murderer who tried to assassinate the King."

Cao Ze calmly threw out a bomb that was even larger than the Black Dragon Scroll.

A Luo Wang assassin? An assassination attempt on the King of Qin?

In an instant, all the civil and military officials focused their attention on Lü Buwei.

Who in the Seven Kingdoms didn't know that the mastermind behind the Luo Wang (Net of Deception) was Lü Buwei?

And there is only one person who can mobilize the top-tier assassin of the Luo Wang organization to kill the king.

Lü Buwei, the Chancellor of the Qin Dynasty.

Although Ying Zheng was surprised that Cao Ze brought up this matter at this time, he knew that Cao Ze must have his own ideas.

"Your Excellency, how do you explain this matter?"

Lu Buwei lowered his gaze slightly, bowed deeply to the ground, and said slowly, "Your Majesty, I have made a mistake. Please punish me."

……

Chapter 429 Dedication

You could hear a pin drop.

Beside the rows of massive pillars carved with coiled dragons in the hall, all the officials were speechless.

Has Lü Buwei lost his mind?

Or did Cao Ze use some kind of bewitching magic from "Journey to the West" on Lü Buwei?

Cao Ze glanced at Lü Buwei with a serious expression.

He wasn't afraid of Lü Buwei denying or even turning the tables on him; what he was worried about was Lü Buwei not playing by the rules and using a strategy of retreat to advance.

Ying Zheng unconsciously clenched his hands on his thighs, his gaze fixed on Lü Buwei, who was bent over on the ground.

He was about to assume power, but Lü Buwei refused to relinquish it. Although he harbored resentment, he didn't think much of it. He never imagined that his mentor and friend from his youth would send assassins to kill him or bribe Fan Yuqi to stop him in Liyang.

"...Your Excellency, I demand an explanation!"

Ying Zheng said coldly and stiffly.

Lü Buwei straightened his back and met Ying Zheng's gaze.

With the eyes of an eagle and the gaze of a wolf.

Having been immersed in the officialdom for many years, how could Lü Buwei not see the coldness in Ying Zheng's eyes and the faint murderous intent?

His heart sank slightly. Even though he knew this might be the outcome, he still felt immense pressure when faced with it.

While he was in power, he was able to suppress and maneuver the situation, but once he left, he would inevitably face a fierce counterattack from this young king.

What's the solution to this situation...?

"Your Majesty, Xuan Jian was once a notorious thief feared throughout the martial world. Later, he joined the Luo Wang and became one of the top-ranking members of the Luo Wang."

"But later, while on a mission in Wei, he betrayed the Luo Wang and fell in love with Wei Qianqian, the daughter of Wei Yong, the Grand Minister of Works of Wei, and they had a child."

"But for some unknown reason, Xuan Jian went mad and killed everyone in Wei Family Village, causing the infamous Wei Family Village Massacre. I think Mr. Gai Nie should know about this."

"Xuan Jian was severely injured by the disciples of Guigu, and his whereabouts are unknown afterward."

Lü Buwei remained calm, as if he were recounting a past event that had nothing to do with him.

Ying Zheng said calmly, "Gai Nie, is what the Prime Minister said true?"

Lü Buwei was not worried at all that Gai Nie would lie, as these things were all recorded in the Luo Wang files and could not be faked.

Xuan Jian did indeed betray the Luo Wang organization back then. As for Xuan Jian after he was captured, he was nothing more than an obedient murder weapon and could not be considered a human being.

Cao Ze thought to himself, "This old guy is not senile after all. He immediately distanced himself from the situation. Fortunately, Xuan Jian is not the only witness we have arranged today."

Gai Nie glanced at Cao Ze unconsciously and said, "Your Majesty, what the Prime Minister said is true."

Then Gai Nie recounted the whole story of the Wei Family Village massacre, which caused quite a stir in the court, moving and disgusting many people.

Greedy for money and bribery, lining his own pockets... To outsiders, the various crimes listed by Wei Yong, which were personally supervised by Lord Xinling of Wei in Daliang, were nothing more than a matter of the loser being the bandit and the winner being the king.

Little did I know that there was such a secret involved.

Using her only grandson to threaten her son-in-law into eliminating dissidents is just too much...

Cao Ze, however, remained completely unmoved, unlike someone from ancient times who had witnessed far more bizarre events in a single month than a modern person would have in their entire life.

Things like a normal romantic relationship, Schrödinger's virginity, insufficient evidence not constituting a false accusation, Dongping's laughter... these are all considered ordinary, trivial matters, nothing particularly bizarre...

Only when things go like a father-in-law wielding a knife and murdering his son-in-law's entire family, a daughter working overtime to personally write a letter of forgiveness for her father, and all the family's property and inheritance are snatched away... is it worth shaking your head and sighing, "Today we cheer for Zhu Xi, only because demons have returned..."

Ying Zheng took a deep breath, reminding himself to remain calm and to have the heart of an emperor.

"Mr. Cao Ze, do you have anything to say?"

Cao Ze cupped his hands and said, "What I say is irrelevant. Xuan Jian is right outside the palace. Your Majesty might as well summon him to speak with the Prime Minister. The truth will then be self-evident."

Lu Buwei lowered his gaze, not expecting Cao Ze to bring Xuan Jian along. Fortunately, he was cautious by nature, otherwise things would have turned out badly today.

However, this can also be considered a good thing.

So that Cao Ze would know what it meant to say, "Too clever by half, he ruined his own life."

Ying Zheng nodded slightly to Cao Ze, indicating that he could use his skills to the fullest today.

"Xuan."

A dozen or so breaths later, Xuan Jian, his body wrapped in bandages, entered the main hall step by step. He first glared fiercely at Lü Buwei, then bowed to Ying Zheng and said, "The sinner Xuan Jian kowtows to Your Majesty!"

Ying Zheng's eyes did not change at all; he had no hatred for Xuan Jian whatsoever. He had seen far too many such insignificant people in the first half of his life. They were all lowly soldiers who served their respective masters. If he wanted to hate them, he couldn't possibly hate them all.

This is also why he lightly dismissed the mention of Xuan Jian by Cao Ze earlier.

His only target was Lü Buwei, and only Lü Buwei was worthy of his hatred, resentment, and serious treatment.

“Recount in detail what happened to you when you attempted to assassinate me in Xinzheng a few months ago. Do not conceal a single word or fabricate a single story. If the mastermind is found, I will consider your merit and your crime will not warrant death. Otherwise, according to the laws of Qin, you will be torn apart by five horses!”

Xuan Jian's expression was cold and hard. "If there is even the slightest fabrication, this humble subject is willing to suffer the agony of being sliced ​​to death a thousand times!"

Lu Buwei snorted, "One of the people who attacked me that night with Wuming and Gongsun Long was Xuan Jian. Now it seems that the mastermind behind it all was indeed you, Mr. Cao Ze."

After being advised by Old Man Zheng, the city guards immediately stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, the night before last, I led the city guards in a search and personally witnessed Xuan Jian and Gongsun Wuming entering Cao Ze's residence!"

The court erupted in commotion again. Although Commander Fan did not hold a high official position, he wielded real power as the city's garrison commander, making him a well-known figure in Xianyang.

Lord Changping held his tablet, looked down at the floor of the main hall, and thought to himself, "I didn't expect Lü Buwei to have infiltrated the city guards so deeply. He was able to easily persuade Commander Fan to come forward and testify. It seems that the rumors that Commander Fan is a dog kept by Lü Buwei are true."

Faced with Lü Buwei's counterattack and Commander Fan's slander, Cao Ze simply smiled faintly.

In his view, this was Lü Buwei running out of ideas and resorting to haphazard, indiscriminate attacks.

Ying Zheng waved his hand and said, "This matter will be put aside for now. I only want to know who the mastermind behind the assassination attempt on me is."

The court fell silent once again.

Lü Buwei's expression turned somewhat unpleasant.

Damn it, I've been tricked by that kid again.

Compared to the momentous event of assassinating the king, the assassination attempt on himself was a minor matter.

If major issues are not resolved, even minor issues will be difficult to address.

I've always heard that Cao Ze is quick-witted and resourceful, and seeing him today, I can confirm that his reputation is well-deserved.

Upon realizing this, Lü Buwei simply closed his eyes and remained silent.

Xuan Jian seized the opportunity to say, "After I was seriously injured by the disciple of Guigu, I fell into a deep coma and was taken back to Luowang by Ba Linglong."

"While the Net was treating the common people, its leader, Yan Ri, took the opportunity to use a secret technique to control their minds, turning them into the Net's killing weapons..."

Xuan Jian recounted each and every matter in detail, and soon he got to the crucial part.

"Just a few months ago, I became increasingly cruel and my desires were amplified due to being corrupted by the power of the Eight Linglong. Therefore, when Lü Buwei approached me and offered me the position of leader of the Luo Wang organization to assassinate the king, I agreed and went to Xinzheng to track down the king."

Ying Zheng's face was ashen, and he resisted the urge to summon the imperial guards to the palace to arrest Lü Buwei.

He knew that if Lü Buwei was not condemned for regicide and was instead removed from office in the court, it would cause turmoil throughout the Qin state.

Lü Buwei had so many protégés and former officials who were deeply rooted in the Qin state that he could only focus on the major ones and let go of the minor ones, but could not and would not uproot them all.

"Your Excellency, what is your explanation?"

Lü Buwei was very averse to this passive situation.

"Slander! This is slander! I have always been loyal to the Great Qin, how could I have done such a treasonous thing?!"

"Your Majesty, this matter must be a conspiracy between Xuan Jian and Cao Ze to sow discord between us as ruler and subject."

Lord Changping thought to himself, "Back then, the Tian family in Qi also claimed to be loyal to the King of Qi, but now they've replaced the Jiang family and turned Jiang Qi into Tian Qi..."

Many people share similar thoughts with Changping Jun.

However, they knew very well that, given Lü Buwei's abilities, as long as he dared to act, he wouldn't be afraid of being bitten back, because the one who held absolute power in Qin was not Lord Changping, nor the royal family, but Prime Minister Lü Buwei himself.

Not long after Lü Buwei finished speaking, a cold laugh rang out from the palace gate.

Lord Chang'an, Cheng Jiao, strode in and stood before the steps. "Your Majesty, I have something to report."

Ying Zheng said without hesitation, "Speak."

The incident happened suddenly, and he was unaware of Cao Ze and Cheng Jiao's discussion. But now that the assassination plot had been exposed, he naturally had to do his utmost to achieve the desired result.

Cheng Jiao said, "Not long ago, Li Si was sent as an envoy to Xinzheng in Han. Why doesn't Your Majesty summon him for an audience?"

Ying Zheng's lips curled up almost uncontrollably; he knew Cao Ze wouldn't only have one method.

"Let Li Si enter the hall."

Lü Buwei's expression grew even more somber.

Ever since the night he was assassinated, he had suspected Li Si.