The wicked man nodded and said in a deep voice, "According to Qin law, Lü Buwei's crimes warrant execution!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the guests that Lü Buwei had placed in the court immediately stepped forward, knelt down, wept, and shouted.
"Your Majesty, please forgive the Prime Minister."
"Lao Ai's crime of treason does not lie with the Prime Minister. Humans have seven emotions and six desires, so how can the blame be entirely placed on the Prime Minister?"
"Yes, the late king and the prime minister shared a deep bond. Back then, the prime minister even gave away all his wealth to bring the late king back. How can he be executed for this?"
"......"
These people were indeed loyal; even under such circumstances, they dared to plead for Lü Buwei, and even said some things that couldn't be said openly.
Ying Zheng, standing on the high platform, thought of his father and his heart wavered. Seeing this, the people immediately increased their firepower.
Just then, the wicked man spoke up, "Your Majesty, Lü Buwei's crimes are inescapable, not to mention his elimination of dissidents, his manipulation of power in the court, his attempts to win over officials, and his vain attempt to usurp the throne!"
The wicked man knew what Ying Zheng was thinking. He was not indecisive, but he did not want to be criticized. Even though Zhao Ji had wronged him before, he could still remain calm and composed.
But how could he kill the person who had been kind to him when his father passed the throne to him? Wouldn't that be putting his father in an unjust position?
The wicked man had no intention of letting Lü Buwei off the hook. After his eyes darted around, he said, "Your Majesty, Lü Buwei's crimes are undeniable, but considering his meritorious service in assisting the late king, why not dismiss him from his position as prime minister and let him return to his fiefdom to live out his remaining years in peace?"
Upon hearing this, Lü Buwei suddenly looked at the wicked husband, thinking to himself that the wicked husband was indeed a good minister of Ying Zheng, just like the friendship between him and Ying Yiren back then.
Ying Zheng looked at his wicked husband's warning eyes, pondered for a moment, and then nodded, "Let's do as my wicked husband says."
The wicked man's lips curled into a smile, his heart filled with excitement. Today, with his help, Ying Zheng would truly assume power. This sense of accomplishment in changing the course of history made him so thrilled that he wanted to roar.
As for Lü Buwei, once he leaves the court, isn't his life or death entirely at Ying Zheng's mercy?
This person is indeed talented, but difficult to control. It is impossible for him to return to the imperial court in the future. It remains to be seen whether Ying Zheng will kill him or spare him.
Wang Jian and the others kept glancing at Ying Zheng and the wicked husband, lamenting in their hearts that they were getting old. The once arrogant and domineering Lü Buwei and the spoiled and proud Lao Ai had both fallen into the hands of two young men.
You have to understand, even they sometimes have to give in to these two!
"Qin belongs to the King, to the countless people of Qin. If anyone intends to use their status as a subject to suppress the king's power, they should abandon that idea as soon as possible," the wicked husband said coldly, looking around.
His idea was very simple: it was Ying Zheng who made Qin Shi Huang famous, not Lü Buwei or Lao Ai. Since no one could do it better than Ying Zheng, he would support Ying Zheng wholeheartedly.
Standing on the high platform, Ying Zheng was extremely satisfied with his wicked husband's performance. Without him, he didn't know how long he would have had to lie low before assuming full power.
With this matter settled, the wicked man returned to his rightful place, handing the main stage over to Ying Zheng. He could no longer afford to show his face and take over the important part of the upcoming events.
Ying Zheng stood up, his gaze fixed on the remaining thirty or so court officials below, and slowly said, "If there is nothing else, then the court session is adjourned."
"Your Majesty, I, Li Si, will risk my life to remonstrate with you!"
Li Si, who was standing at the end of the civil officials' ranks, stepped forward, walked to the center of the hall, bowed deeply, and then said loudly: "The Empress Dowager has been disrespectful and has disgraced the late King, causing shame to our Qin state and Your Majesty. I humbly request Your Majesty to dismiss the Empress Dowager."
Upon hearing this, the entire hall was filled with gasps of cold air.
The veteran ministers, including Wang Jian, looked at Li Si with horrified eyes, racking their brains but unable to figure out where this man got the audacity. He was no less ruthless than the wicked husband.
Ignoring the gazes of the crowd, Li Si continued, "Regardless of kinship or social status, judgments shall be made solely according to the law. How can the Empress Dowager be exempted from punishment simply because of her status?"
"In the past, Shang Yang's reforms made our Qin Dynasty's strength advance by leaps and bounds, giving us a fierce and powerful army. Ultimately, this was all about fairness and justice. Our soldiers fought bloody battles, unafraid of anyone taking credit for their achievements."
"If Your Majesty does not inquire because of the Empress Dowager's status, how will the people and soldiers of Qin view this?"
At this point, Li Si knelt down with a thud and shouted, "To ensure the fairness of Qin law and the people's trust, I humbly request Your Majesty to depose the Empress Dowager."
The veteran generals, including Wang Jian, turned green with rage. This man had dragged the Qin army into the mess, including them, the military officers.
"Your subject seconds this proposal!"
At this moment, the wicked husband broke the silence and spoke up in agreement.
Wang Jian glanced at the wicked husband, then at the composed Ying Zheng on the high platform, and immediately said, "This old minister seconds the motion. Now that Your Majesty is about to assume personal rule, you must not lose the prestige in the hearts of the soldiers."
Of the four great generals of the Warring States period, only Wang Jian died a natural death. This was not only related to the First Emperor's magnanimity, but also closely related to his ability to assess the situation.
Of all the military officers present, aside from the wicked husband who was the one who knew the truth and was playing the straight man, he was the one who reacted the fastest.
In official history, it was he who quelled the rebellion of Lao Ai, assisted Ying Zheng in dismissing Lü Buwei, and petitioned Ying Zheng to kill Lü Buwei. His courage was extraordinary, so he showed no fear whatsoever in seconding the motion to dismiss Zhao Ji.
When Meng Ao saw Wang Jian speak, he immediately seconded the motion. Although he was much older than Wang Jian, he was no match for him in terms of courage, boldness, and reaction speed.
In short, for him, following Wang Jian was definitely the right thing to do!
With the two military leaders speaking, the other generals no longer hesitated and began to agree.
Ying Zheng feigned reluctance and pondered, "I know what you all mean, but the Empress Dowager is, after all, my birth mother, so..."
He originally intended to persuade the law, but this would violate human ethics. He was then waiting for Li Si to continue the conversation and smooth things over, so that the matter could be settled half-heartedly.
Unexpectedly, a loud shout from outside the hall completely disrupted his plans.
"Report—!"
Zhang Han entered the palace, covered in snow. He knelt on one knee and said urgently, "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager... committed suicide in Qinian Palace."
"Only seven words were left on the table..."
Wow!!
These words were like cold water poured into a boiling oil pan, causing a great uproar.
Ying Zheng's pupils contracted sharply, and he shouted urgently, "Which seven words? Speak them quickly!"
"I have failed the late king and the current king!"
Ying Zheng felt as if half of his head had been struck by a hammer, making him dizzy and swaying.
"Your Majesty, please accept my condolences..."
All the ministers present looked concerned, but dared not step forward to help him up; they could only watch anxiously.
Only the wicked husband remained calm, showing no surprise whatsoever. What Zhao Ji did was not a major crime, and would be commonplace in modern times, but it was extremely unacceptable in this era.
He didn't want this matter to become a source of anxiety for Ying Zheng, which is why he gave Zhang Han the order to be executed when he left Qinian Palace.
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