Chapter 228: Ruthless Zhao Ji
Cheng Jiao coughed lightly and said, "Cheng Jiao knows his crime, but he also has a secret that he cannot explain."

Ying Zheng couldn't help but laugh. He knew that Cheng Jiao could see it and approved of Han Fei's vision.

"Cheng Jiao, what is so difficult to say? Just speak up. All the officials are witnesses and will not let you suffer in vain."

Cheng Jiao was certain in his mind; he knew how could the palace possibly be short of carriages.

It seems that it was not Lu Buwei who was disgusting him, but Ying Zheng who was behind it.

Was he trying to take advantage of the opportunity to launch an attack, or was he using it as a prelude to target Lu Buwei?
Cheng Jiao slowly told the story of entering the palace but not having a carriage.

By the way, I also complained about the fact that the palace was too big and had too many steps.

This caused many old officials to nod their heads slightly, which was indeed very unfriendly to the elderly.

Ying Zheng's expression turned cold.

"The palace is short of carriages? What a joke! Bring up the person who will lead the way today!"

Cheng Jiao glanced at Lu Buwei who still had no reaction. He knew that Lu Buwei could definitely see through this method which was full of loopholes.

Zheng Ge didn't even discuss it with him. If he were to do it, Old Lu would have to run to the palace to clock in.

Many ministers in the palace realized that something was wrong.

The hall became even more depressing, as if a storm was about to come.

A young imperial guard who had been stripped of his armor was brought into the hall. He remained calm even when he was surrounded by a group of people with top power in the Qin State.

Cheng Jiao looked at the young man. Isn’t this... Zhang Han?
Looking a little younger than Meng Tian, ​​he didn't expect that Zhang Han would be a guard in the palace.

It seems that what happened today was indeed planned by Ying Zheng on the spur of the moment.

Ying Zheng looked at Zhang Han, his tone unchanged, still cold: "What's your name?"

"Replying to the king, I am Zhang Han, and I serve as an instructor in the imperial army."

Changping Jun glanced at the handsome Zhang Han. He had already guessed that Chang'an Jun Chengjiao might have been the one who went to court on time today.

Under normal circumstances, as the King of Qin, he would not waste time asking for the name of a tutor at a court meeting.

Then the most likely reason is that Ying Zheng seemed to want to promote this young man and help him become famous.

In this era, as long as you are famous in the circle, you will have power, especially in the circle around King Qin.

Ying Zheng asked, "Today, Lord Chang'an is attending court. According to the rules, he can ride in a carriage into the palace. Why is there no carriage?"

Even though Zhang Han appeared calm on the surface, he was extremely nervous inside.

He had realized that he had been inadvertently drawn into a vortex of dispute.

One wrong move could cost him his life.

Although the Zhang family has fallen into decline, as the only son of the Zhang family, he has the necessary vision, insight and courage.

Through some detailed analysis, it seems that this young king wants to achieve some goals through his own hands.

And in return, he should be asked to say his name in the court just now.

So, the best thing for him to do now is -

Zhang Han remained as steady as a rock, describing some of the events and details that had happened today without concealing or embellishing.

Ying Zheng couldn't help but nod his head. As Gai Nie said, he was indeed a young man worth investing in.

Be brave and knowledgeable, and know what to say and what not to say.

Cheng Jiao couldn't help but sigh, he was indeed a figure who almost turned the tide in the history of the Qin Dynasty, and he was so capable at such a young age.

Judging from Zhang Han's apparent age, Brother Wei Zhuang should have just started his expedition at that time.

Ying Zheng said calmly, "I didn't expect that the palace's horse trainer was so incompetent that the horse became seriously ill. Moreover, it happened to be the horse that Cheng Jiao was going to ride. If it is a coincidence, can you believe it?"

Cheng Jiao vaguely realized why Ying Zheng did this.

No wonder he couldn't get on the carriage. If he had known, he would have come slowly instead of wasting time.

Everyone in the court was silent, which made Ying Zheng feel a little awkward.

Without the crown and personal rule, he will not be able to act freely. These shrewd ministers will never take the lead.

Cheng Jiao knew that Ying Zheng's intention was too obvious. He was simply telling the ministers that he wanted to deal with Lu Buwei.

Seeing that Lü Buwei remained the same and unmoved as before, Cheng Jiao had an idea and wanted to test him.

"It is said that the Grand Coachman, who is in charge of the palace's carriages and horses, was recommended by Prime Minister Lu. I wonder what Prime Minister Lu thinks of this?"

Since no one was willing to take the lead, Cheng Jiao certainly had to do it.

The Taifu who was standing in the hall had sweat on his forehead. As a person with long experience in officialdom, how could he not know that the young king wanted to take back his royal power from Lu Buwei.

Lu Buwei finally raised his head, glanced at Cheng Jiao indifferently, and then faced Ying Zheng.

"The Imperial Household has failed in its duty and should be punished."

Cheng Jiao was a little stunned. He didn't expect Lao Lu to surrender so readily.

All the nonsense he had prepared was completely useless.

Ying Zheng frowned slightly. Lü Buwei knew that he was targeting him, but he still took the initiative to hand him a knife. This...

He subconsciously looked at Cheng Jiao.

Now he didn't know whether he should take the opportunity to capture the Grand Coachman.

It was not until his first head-on confrontation with Lu Buwei that he realized that he was still too young.

Cheng Jiao thought to himself, what are you looking at me for? You attacked the Grand Coachman without even telling me in advance. After all, he is still one of the Nine Ministers.

Lu Buwei half closed his eyes. Ying Zheng's little tricks seemed a joke to him.

If he were to do it, he would at least have to cast a net and slowly erode away.

Zhao Ji glanced at Lu Buwei with a somewhat cold look in her eyes.

She is no longer as helpless as when she first entered Qin.

Now everything about her is closely related to Ying Zheng. Lu Buwei actually took action against Ying Zheng behind her back, which is challenging her bottom line.

Although she doesn't understand political affairs, she has plenty of ways to bully people.

Cheng Jiao glanced at Zhao Ji, who was keeping silent with her lips pursed, and thought of Old Zhao.

He pondered and said, "My brother, ministers. Our ancestor Qin Feizi was granted land for his good horse breeding, which led to the establishment of the Qin State today. If the other six countries knew what happened today, wouldn't they be laughed at?"

Lu Buwei frowned. He didn't expect Cheng Jiao to bring up the founding monarch of Qin.

If we exaggerate like this, the matter can be a big deal or a small one.

Ying Zheng's eyes lit up. If it weren't for Cheng Jiao's quick wit, he would not have thought of this matter.

"Cheng Jiao is right. Our Great Qin was founded on horses, but now something like this has happened. It is a disgrace to our ancestors."

Without hesitation, Ying Zheng directly determined the nature of the matter. Since it concerned the honor and disgrace of his ancestors, no one would say anything even if he captured the Grand Coachman.

Now that things have come to this point, the first confrontation between him and Lu Buwei is no longer just a question of whether or not to take down the Grand Coachman, but involves the question of which side the court officials will take.

Lu Buwei was a little hesitant, thinking that it was just a small act by Ying Zheng, but Cheng Jiao's few words turned it into a factional struggle.

What should he, the leader, do?
He had already planned that as long as Ying Zheng did not target him, he would slowly transfer the power in his hands.

First, it was used to paralyze Ying Zheng, so that he would have time and opportunity to arrange a retreat for Niang Rong and the others. He only needed five years to ensure that Niang Rong left safely, and ten years to ensure that he could also retire safely;

Second, he was already old, and the wise men in the court could certainly tell which one was more worthy of following, him or the King of Qin. If Ying Zheng and Cheng Jiao died, and Fusu, who was not even three years old, succeeded him, his position as the top brother would still be as stable as Mount Tai, and the ministers would not dare to have other ideas before he died.

But now...

Lu Buwei glanced at the young King of Qin and took a deep breath.

He planned to use Taifu to test Ying Zheng, while also showing his goodwill to Ying Zheng.

He has lost the possibility of communicating with Ying Zheng. Nothing he says will be believed, and even his previous actions will be doubted.

But he believed that Ying Zheng was a very qualified politician. Politicians only care about interests. Even if he had attempted to assassinate Ying Zheng, it would not matter as long as he was willing to do so, especially willing to sacrifice his life.

"Your Majesty, speak the truth. The Imperial Household has failed in its duty. He has dishonored our ancestors and should be...dismissed."

Cheng Jiao and Ying Zheng, Lord Changwen and Lord Changping all looked at Lu Buwei in surprise as he abandoned the Grand Coachman, one of the Nine Ministers.

Taifu's brain was working like crazy. He ate well and slept soundly, thinking that it was just another court meeting to punch in and out and slack off. However, it turned out to be the focus of the game between the current number one in Qin and the King of Qin who may become the number one in the future.

If he didn't do anything, he would lose the position of Taifu that he had worked so hard to get.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help cursing Cheng Jiao in his heart. Why did he bring up the ancestors of the Qin State for no reason? Can't we both take a step back?

But he knew that he was able to become the Grand Coachman thanks to Lu Buwei's recommendation, which made his official career smooth, but he was also labeled as a member of Lu's party.

But this does not mean that he can be abandoned by Lu Buwei at will. With his status, he is qualified to negotiate some conditions.

in particular……

Taifu looked at Lü Buwei, who had aged greatly this year, and thought that it was time for him to change his allegiance.

Lu Buwei knew that his action would cause resentment in some of the ministers who followed him, but they didn't know that he had attempted to assassinate Ying Zheng. He had already started to fight for his life, so how could he care about them?

Glancing at Cheng Jiao who remained expressionless, he knew that if this boy was not eliminated, he would continue to cooperate with Ying Zheng to cause trouble for him, and even endanger his life and plans.

Lord Changping.

Lu Buwei knew that he was not strong enough to deal with Cheng Jiao alone, but with the help of Changping Jun, he was sure that he could expel Cheng Jiao from the court.

He needs to do it before Cheng Jiao obtains the fiefdom, otherwise there will be too many variables.

In his heart, he sneered at Cheng Jiao's ignorance of his status years ago. He did not want the fiefdom, went to Korea to make money and play with women, and did not even care about the throne.

He has no ambition and his talents are useless.

Lu Buwei commented silently that he did not think that Cheng Jiao had everything under control and that it was all just a coincidence that Ying Zheng returned to Xianyang alive.

It was a coincidence that Ying Zheng went to Xinzheng, and it was also a coincidence that Cheng Jiao was in Xinzheng.

After a brief hesitation, Ying Zheng prepared to take down Taifu and replace him with his own man.

"Your Majesty, I have something to report!"

As a top master, Cheng Jiao could see at a glance that the imperial servant's court robes were soaked with sweat.

Ying Zheng asked in surprise, "What's the matter?"

"Li Feng, the Minister of the Imperial Chariot Office, accepted bribes with unclear intentions."

The Imperial Sergeant took a deep breath and spoke word by word.

This Minister of the Imperial Chariots was a close confidant of Lu Buwei and was promoted through him.

Lu Buwei's body trembled slightly. He didn't expect that the Grand Coachman would bite him back at this time.

Cheng Jiao smiled and said, "The Minister of the Imperial Chariots is the Minister of the Imperial Chariots in the palace. He is responsible for the management of the king's carriages and horses and for accompanying the king on his travels. He can even personally drive the king. This position is extremely important. To accept bribes like this, haha..."

Ying Zheng's face turned pale. He knew that there were many spies of Lu Buwei around him, otherwise Lu Buwei would not have already made arrangements in Xinzheng before he arrived there.

The good mood of seeing that Lü Buwei was sensible also disappeared. The imperial servant looked at the King of Qin nervously. He was gambling now, and he could not accept that he would become Lü Buwei's consumables.

If the King of Qin had not taken action against Lu Buwei as he expected, he would probably be punished later.

In order to make Ying Zheng want to eliminate Lu Buwei, he said some taboo things.

Ying Zheng was not in the mood to continue the court meeting.

"This matter will be investigated by the Imperial Household. You can take this merit to atone for your sins and leave the court."

Taifu breathed a sigh of relief that he was not dismissed from his post. This was a way of making a big deal out of a small matter. He only sacrificed a subordinate who had nothing to do with him and saved his position. It was worth it, more than worth it.

As for Lu Buwei, the King of Qin has already spoken and he will not be suppressed for the time being.

He became aware of this when he entered officialdom.

If you want to get promoted in the officialdom, you must either take sides or gamble.

He originally hated gambling, but reality forced him to stop gambling or face a miserable end.

He is not reconciled...

Lu Buwei passed by the side of the Grand Coachman and snorted coldly with a flick of his sleeves.

Just because of Taifu's words and his own actions, he was destined to become a joke today.

Taifu was sweating profusely. After all, Lu Buwei was still the number one in Qin State. If he was suppressed specifically, he would not be able to withstand it for many times.

Suddenly someone patted his shoulder. The Imperial Coachman looked over and saw Chang'an Jun Chengjiao looking at him with a smile.

"You are very good. I will report this to my brother."

As the first person to openly betray Lao Lu was also a Nine Ministers, he believed that Zheng Ge would not miss this opportunity to buy horse bones for a large sum of money.

The imperial servant's face lit up with joy: "Thank you, Lord Chang'an."

"Oh, by the way, I don't know your name, sir?"

"My last name is Gao Yao."

"Gao Yao? Hiss~"

Cheng Jiao looked at the Grand Coachman Gao Yao, who was at least forty years old.

"Do you... have a brother-in-law named Yi Xiaochuan?"

Gao Yao said blankly: "I don't have a sister. I am the sixth of six children in my family."

Cheng Jiao shook his head. This is Qin's Moon, not Myth. What is he thinking about?

It’s a bit of a pity, as there is an elixir of life in mythology.

Cheng Jiao, who was about to leave the palace, saw Gai Nie waiting for him halfway.

He said helplessly: "Mr. Gai Nie, why didn't you tell me about this yesterday?"

If he didn't have some ability to read people's expressions, Ying Zheng probably wouldn't have been so successful today.

Gai Nie said calmly: "Your Majesty said that Mr. Han Fei once said that you have a quick wit. After seeing it today, I admire you."

Cheng Jiao still doesn't know how many layers of buff his brother-in-law Han Fei has added to him.

"Please lead the way, Mr. Gai Nie."

He knew that Gai Nie was probably sent by Zheng Ge to invite him over.

When Cheng Jiao went to Ying Zheng, Lu Buwei, who was about to return home after court, suddenly changed direction and went to Ganquan Palace to meet Zhao Ji.

Yong Palace, study.

Ying Zheng stood by the window, looking into the distance.

When Cheng Jiao came in, Ying Zheng still did not look back.

Gai Nie stood aside, holding the Linyuan Sword, with his head down and keeping silent.

Cheng Jiao knew that Ying Zheng was in a complicated mood, so he brewed a cup of Snow Top Silver Shuttle and tasted it by himself.

By the way, I took a look at the big golden scale used by Brother Zheng.

It is piled with bamboo slips, which shows that Zheng Ge has not started to deal with government affairs today.

Maybe I have to stay up late.

It was estimated to be at least a hundred kilograms. Cheng Jiao evaluated it silently.

"Duke Jian lost to Tian Cheng, Duke Jin lost to the six nobles, and both their states and their own lives were lost. Cheng Jiao, do you know why?"

Ying Zheng turned around and saw Cheng Jiao looking at the large golden scale he had specially ordered with great interest, and then he began to ask.

Cheng Jiao withdrew his gaze. He didn't know how Duke Jian of Qi and Duke Jin died, but there was an eighty percent chance that Zhengge died of exhaustion.

"The power of a ruler is the source of his power. The power of a ruler is greater than that of his subjects. If it is lost, it cannot be regained."

He also took time to read his elder brother-in-law Han Fei's chapter "Yu Lao".

Ying Zheng nodded and said, "A fish lost in the deep cannot be recovered, and a ruler losing his power is more serious than a minister and cannot be recovered. Han Fei saw it clearly, but it's a pity that he is unwilling to join Qin to help me."

Cheng Jiao groaned and said, "Brother Wang, you are impatient."

Ying Zheng did not deny that he was indeed a little impatient. Before he had made any plans and before he was crowned and took power, he openly competed with Lu Buwei.

All this was because her mother asked him to get closer to Lu Buwei when she scolded him yesterday.

Feeling upset, he revealed the incident of the assassination in Xinzheng.

Zhao Ji was shocked, but from just a few words, she analyzed some secrets. His grandfather died three days after he ascended the throne, which seemed to be closely related to Lu Buwei.

But seeing Zhao Ji's expression, he had a bad guess that his mother seemed to be involved in this matter.

He was in an even worse mood and started to take actions against Lu Buwei without consulting Cheng Jiao.

What Cheng Jiao didn't know was that the sick horse was caused by Gai Nie himself...

"Since I learned about Lu Buwei's plan, I can no longer endure lying dormant."

It was fine before, after all, Lü Buwei was nice to him on the surface. Although he had heard about the scandal with his mother, the Qin State was open-minded, and his mother didn't say anything, so he didn't care. He just complained about Lü Buwei's delay in his coronation and taking power, but he could tolerate it.

But now it is discovered that Lu Buwei may have not only planned the death of the former king within three days, but also wanted him to die as well.

If he could endure this, he didn't know how to deal with himself.

Cheng Jiao was helpless. Ying Zheng's move had completely shattered his plan to take a few months off.

"That's fine. If my brother keeps a low profile, Lu Buwei might not feel at ease."

Ying Zheng, who had been stern all the time, couldn't help but smile: "In that case, it was also a blessing in disguise."

Good fortune lies where misfortune lurks, and misfortune lies where good fortune lurks.

Gai Nie thought of a sentence from Laozi.

He was quite surprised that Chang'an Jun was able to discover his own advantage in such a short time.

Cheng Jiao was not so optimistic. After all, Old Lu had a huge influence and there were countless high-ranking officials behind him.

A Taifu, one of the Nine Ministers, was rejected just like that. Who knows how many of the officials were Lu Buwei's men.

If Lu Buwei is not handled properly, it will definitely cause turmoil in the prosperous Qin State, delay the progress of unifying the seven countries, and even destroy the foundation of Qin State to conquer the six countries. It is not impossible.

Otherwise, when he returned to Xianyang, he took everyone to have tea with Lao Lu. Did he really think he had no temper?
"My brother, from the rebellion of Grand Coachman Gao Yao today, it is clear that Lu Buwei's side is not unbreakable. Why not follow the example of King Zhao of Yan who spent a huge sum of gold to buy horse bones and entrust Gao Yao with an important task."

"That's what I was thinking, and it's also an unexpected gain today. I also want to take this opportunity to purge Lü Buwei's influence in the palace and promote some trustworthy people. What do you think of the young man named Zhang Han who was in the court today?"

Ying Zheng admired Zhang Han's performance today and planned to promote him to be his trusted subordinate. He had read Zhang Han's information. He was from a good family in Xianyang. His ancestors were nobles, but later fell into decline. Most importantly, he had no connection with any forces and was clean.

"He is a rare talent. My brother, let him have a trial and then you can entrust him with an important task."

Who is Zhang Han? He is the tough guy who almost cleaned up the mess caused by Zheng Ge and Qin II.

"Haha, if it weren't for Mr. Gai Nie's keen eyes, I'm afraid I wouldn't know there are such talents in the palace."

Cheng Jiao muttered to himself that Uncle Gai Nie's vision was truly remarkable and he was worthy of being the soul figure in The Qin Dynasty.

Ying Zheng and Cheng Jiao continued to negotiate for more than an hour, but in the end, they could not come up with a good plan that could both eradicate Lu Buwei and not affect the development of the Qin State.

He just laughed at Cheng Jiao's joke that told Lao Lu to recognize the situation, voluntarily hand over power, and finally commit suicide.

For an old fox like Lu Buwei, I am afraid that after the assassination attempt on the king fails, he will not easily reveal his fox tail again, so that he can grasp the fatal flaw.

"Cheng Jiao, you have been back in Xianyang for many days and have not yet visited the Queen Mother. This is not acceptable."

Ying Zheng no longer mentioned Lu Buwei, but smiled and asked Cheng Jiao to meet Zhao Ji.

Although he was reprimanded yesterday, he spoke well of Cheng Jiao in front of Zhao Ji, who was so moved that she asked to meet Cheng Jiao.

He knew that his mother and Cheng Jiao had an average or even bad relationship because of the past generations.

Now that he is the King of Qin and Cheng Jiao assists him wholeheartedly, he wants to make amends.

After all, they are a family...

Ganquan Palace.

Zhao Ji was dressed in a gorgeous phoenix robe, looking elegant and graceful.

"Lü Buwei, you still have the nerve to come to see me."

Lu Buwei put one hand behind his back. From the moment Zhao Ji opened her mouth, he knew that he had planned the assassination.

But he was not afraid at all.

He knew too much about Zhao Ji's affairs, and that many of Zhao Ji's deeds were extremely outrageous through his hands.

If he had not covered up the truth himself, no one would have known that King Xiaowen of Anguo died three days later at the hands of his daughter-in-law Zhao Ji.

When he found out the truth later, he was almost scared to death. This woman was so cruel.

But he also knew that the reason Zhao Ji took the risk was to allow Ying Zichu to take the throne and completely cut off the hopes of Weiyang Jun Yingxi.

Just because An Guojun had just come to power and began to favor Weiyang Jun, and even quarreled with the Queen Mother Huayang over this, Zhao Ji felt deeply uneasy.

"Haha, Zhao Ji. Back then, you were able to allow the former king to take the throne for only three days because of Zichu. Why did I not dare to see you?"

Zhao Ji took a deep breath. That was the craziest but also the most correct thing she had ever done. Even after Zichu knew about it, he did not blame her. At the same time, it also allowed Ying Zheng to secure his position as crown prince.

and so……

"Lü Buwei, from now on, you and I have nothing to do with each other. You can be your prime minister, and I will be my queen mother!"

Between Ying Zheng and Lu Buwei, she chose Ying Zheng without hesitation.

Today, Ying Zheng made his attitude clear to her. Even if she was stupid, she knew that Ying Zheng could no longer tolerate Lu Buwei in his heart.

　Thanks to [Su Tan'er] [Book Friend 16112122] [1455214] for their monthly tickets!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)