Chapter 166: Lu Buwei’s Downfall. What is the Empress Dowager’s little mouth up to?
You think I can’t argue with you?
No worries, if you can’t argue, then find someone who can.
Li Mo’s arguing skills were something Zhao Ji had deeply experienced.
Even as the Empress Dowager, she couldn’t handle them!
But winning an argument wasn’t enough.
To bring down the Prime Minister, you need irrefutable evidence.
So even if you invited the National Advisor, without evidence, it would be useless.
However, a sudden unease flashed through Lu Buwei’s heart.
Li Mo’s figure appeared before everyone’s eyes.
He still had that calm and composed demeanor.
He walked in step by step from outside the door, impeccably dressed, exuding an extraordinary aura.
His eyes were covered with a black cloth, but every step was steady.
Zhao Ji’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.
This guy, when he isn’t annoying, does look somewhat respectable.
For some reason, she found Li Mo particularly pleasing to the eye today.
For a moment, she was completely absorbed in watching him.
“Greetings, Your Majesty, Empress Dowager.”
It wasn’t until Li Mo walked into the hall and greeted her that she was suddenly jolted back to reality by his voice.
Zhao Ji’s gaze flitted away.
She seemed unsure whether she should look at him again.
“Hmm, hmm, someone, grant him a seat.”
Entering without bowing, awarded a high seat in the hall.
Even the Prime Minister didn’t have such privileges.
In such formal settings, Zhao Ji naturally would not act like when they were in the bedchamber.
The National Advisor’s privileges he should have, she would grant, and the demeanor she should have, she would maintain.
No matter how fierce their arguments or disputes were.
Those were their private matters.
“There’s no need.”
Li Mo, however, refused.
Zhao Ji’s brows instantly furrowed.
Is he trying to disrespect me?
I’m giving you face, yet you want to embarrass me in front of so many people?
“Thank you, Empress Dowager. I just need to show something and then I’ll leave, so no need for the trouble.”
Only when Li Mo continued with the second half of his sentence, Zhao Ji’s expression brightened.
Why can’t you just say everything at once?
Lu Buwei cast a side glance at Li Mo.
What is it, what am I missing?
Why do I feel uneasy?
“Something? Why don’t you show it to me first?” Lu Buwei forced himself to stay calm.
At times like this, he couldn’t afford to be flustered.
Li Mo had to admire him a bit. Even now, he could keep his composure.
If someone didn’t know, they might actually believe he was being framed by Zhao Ji.
The civil and military officials were also curious about what Li Mo would bring out.
Today’s situation was something none of them had anticipated.
Emperor Qin and the Empress Dowager publicly questioning the Prime Minister.
No matter the outcome, this wouldn’t be easy to resolve.
If successful, it would mean the fall of the Prime Minister who had held power for nearly a decade.
If not, how could Lu Buwei let it go?
Li Mo turned his head, smiling slightly.
The calmer he was, the more nervous Lu Buwei felt.
It was like an atmospheric pressure.
One side strong, the other weak.
Moreover, Lu Buwei knew very well what he had and hadn’t done.
“It’s nothing valuable. Prime Minister Lu, if you want to see it, naturally you can.”
Li Mo reached into his robe and continued, “It’s just a piece of paper.”
Lu Buwei’s brain instantly felt as if it exploded.
He finally realized what he had missed!
The secret message!
The reason I believed Lao Ai succeeded was because of the secret message from the spy near the Empress Dowager.
The message claimed Lao Ai stayed in the bedchamber, deeply loved by the Empress Dowager.
But in reality, he was imprisoned and tortured nearly to death!
He never received Zhao Ji’s favor.
So why would the spy pass such a message?
There’s only one answer.
The spy had been exposed!
A cold sweat broke out on Lu Buwei’s back.
His hands trembled uncontrollably.
The exposure of the spy wasn’t the main issue.
The key was the reply I sent!
It clearly instructed Lao Ai on what to do!
How could I know his name if I didn’t know him?
If it wasn’t arranged by himself, then what is this secret letter all about?
Li Mo slowly took out a piece of paper.
Lu Buwei’s trembling gaze fell on it, shivering.
Instantly, his face turned ashen!
This piece of paper was exactly the secret letter he had replied to.
“So, Prime Minister Lu, do you still want to look at it?”
Li Mo waved the piece of paper in his hand with a half-smile.
Lu Buwei’s eyes twitched rapidly.
He stretched out a sweaty hand and said, “What… what is that? Let me see.”
Li Mo noticed his trembling hand and chuckled softly, “Alright, I’ll let you see it then.”
Weren’t you good at pretending just now? Now you know how to panic?
Lu Buwei snatched the piece of paper and tightly gripped it in his palm.
He shot Li Mo a cold smile, “I’m curious to see what’s written on it?”
Ying Zheng had already seen the contents of the paper.
It contained damning evidence against Lu Buwei.
However, the cold smile Lu Buwei revealed at this moment made the mother and son uneasy.
What was written on it, Lu Buwei should know better than anyone.
But, why was he no longer panicked after receiving the paper?
In front of the civil and military officials, Lu Buwei slowly unfolded the paper.
After glancing at it, his face darkened and he shouted angrily, “Good, you National Advisor, you plan to incriminate me with this?”
“Why don’t you see for yourself what’s written on it?”
He opened the piece of paper, displaying it to everyone, “A blotch of ink, the writing indistinguishable.”
“As if a child’s scribble!”
The civil and military officials stretched their necks, closely examining the paper he displayed.
The paper was soaked in water, already tattered.
There were indeed traces of writing, but as for what was written, it was almost unreadable!
Zhao Ji and Ying Zheng’s faces changed drastically!
Even if Zhao Ji hadn’t had the chance to see what was written on it, she could guess its importance.
Well done, Lu Buwei!
No wonder he was desperate to see the contents of the paper.
Just now, he was scared into a cold sweat, his palms were all sweaty.
With the paper in his hand, he only needed to grip it tightly for it to turn into a crumpled mess.
They knew the contents, but the civil and military officials did not.
Without public proof, they couldn’t convict him.
Without this crucial piece of evidence, it would still be slander!
The thing was indeed destroyed in his hands.
But now it was ruined.
Who could prove what was written on it before it was destroyed?
If it couldn’t be proven, would they expect so many people to blindly believe them?
Ying Zheng’s brows furrowed deeply, his eyes filled with infinite anger.
Lu Buwei had left no room for witnesses; relying on Lao Ai’s words alone couldn’t shake his position in the court.
Zhao Ji’s heart raced with anger.
She wasn’t angry at Lu Buwei, but at Li Mo.
This bastard, wasn’t he usually very smart at her palace?
He could guess everything correctly.
He even knew when she would bathe or change clothes.
But now, why so stupid? If Lu Buwei asked to see it, you’d show him?
You, you… infuriating!
Sooner or later, I’ll want your head!
If the occasion wasn’t inappropriate, Zhao Ji would have wanted to run over and kick him.
Such a perfect opportunity, just gone like that!
Who knew when they could corner Lu Buwei again?
Why did you show it to him, why!
Zhao Ji almost ground her teeth to pieces.
She wanted to bite Li Mo’s smugly curved lips.
Still smiling?
At a time like this, and you can still smile!
Li Mo was smiling, and Lu Buwei was also smiling.
He was smiling coldly: “Hehehe, National Advisor, the Empress Dowager slanders me, and you aid her in this slander?”
“One wonders what makes the National Advisor and the Empress Dowager trust each other so much. If you can’t bring me down today, then you both will be the ones falling!”
If these two had an affair, it would come out sooner or later.
At that time, he would ensure their utter disgrace, without a place to die in peace.
Li Mo’s lips twitched slightly, and he laughed lightly: “Let me first apologize to the Prime Minister.”
As soon as he spoke, Zhao Ji’s face changed dramatically.
Apologizing to Lu Buwei?
Today’s failure to bring down Lu Buwei will certainly lead to his retaliation.
Is this man afraid of him?
Ying Zheng frowned.
Compared to Zhao Ji, he knew Li Mo a bit better.
He did not believe Li Mo was someone who would apologize.
Nor did he believe he would submit to Lu Buwei because of a single miscalculation.
Lu Buwei laughed loudly towards the sky.
“Hahaha, apologize?”
“Too late!”
“All civil and military officials are here watching, everyone has witnessed it firsthand.”
“The laws of Qin are always harsh, how can an apology be enough?”
Lu Buwei began to act strongly on the spot.
Now you know to apologize, where were you before?
If Li Mo had not smashed his door, he might have considered bringing him into his camp.
After all, not only was this man oneself strong, he also had “Liu Sha” in his hands.
But now, it’s too late for everything!
When you die, yours will become mine!
Li Mo shook his head: “You don’t even know why I’m apologizing, how do you know it’s too late.”
Speaking, he reached his hand into his sleeve.
Smiling, he said: “Sorry, I remembered wrong earlier.”
“That secret letter, I actually put it in my sleeve.”
After saying that, he took out a piece of paper identical to the previous one from his sleeve.
He provocatively shook it with his fingers towards Lu Buwei.
Everyone was stunned!
Zhao Ji widened her eyes, slightly opening her mouth.
With a shocked expression, she looked at the paper in his hand.
So this whole time, you were intentionally messing with him?
Oh yes, oh yes.
This guy kept telling himself that Lu Buwei was an old, cunning fox, how could he not have been guarded against him?
Zhao Ji’s eyes flashed with delight.
She stared intently at Li Mo’s handsome and elegant figure.
This bastard, not only did he mess with Lu Buwei.
He even deceived me!
Making me so worried just now.
He’s really unforgivable!
I’ll chop off your head one day!
Lu Buwei’s face turned pale, staring at the paper in Li Mo’s hand, completely stunned.
“How could this be, how could this be?”
“You’re playing with me!”
Nobody but a fool would believe his words of taking the wrong paper.
It was clear that he had already secured victory and was deliberately toying with him.
Li Mo waved the paper in front of Lu Buwei’s eyes: “Really remembered wrong, sorry for that.”
A flash of ruthlessness appeared in Lu Buwei’s eyes.
He pounced like a hungry tiger, grabbing the paper from Li Mo’s hand.
He dashed a few steps, opened his mouth, and stuffed the paper into it.
Zhao Ji was furious.
“Stop him, stop him now!”
What is he dazing out for?
Where was the strength when you grabbed my leg and tore my skirt?
Now you let that old rat Lu Buwei rob you!
The palace fell into chaos.
Civil officials subconsciously dared not step forward.
Although the current situation was unfavorable to Lu Buwei, his influence as the Prime Minister still lingered, not enough for everyone to push against him.
Moreover, once he fell, those close to him would surely be implicated.
The military officials had long wanted to act, kicking tables and chairs, rushing forward.
At this moment, who couldn’t tell that the National Advisor had evidence to solidify Lu Buwei’s crimes?
It was close but safe just now.
But now, if the evidence were eaten by him, it would truly be a big issue!
Lu Buwei suppressed his nausea, forcibly swallowing the paper.
The military officials halted their steps.
Still one step too late!
“Hehe, hehe!”
Swallowing hard, Lu Buwei even squeezed out tears.
He glared at Li Mo with a grimacing face and cold smile.
As long as the evidence is gone, nobody can do anything to him.
Li Mo smacked his lips, asked: “How?”
“What how?”
Lu Buwei panted, that scramble had tired him.
But it was all worth it.
Li Mo laughed: “I asked how does the paper taste, Prime Minister?”
“If it’s not enough, I still have more here.”
As he spoke, he pulled out a stack of papers from his sleeve.
Mentioning Lu Buwei, he shook it in front of him.
“Is it enough?”
“Have you eaten your fill?”
“If you’re not full, I have plenty more here.”
The entire hall fell silent.
Gazes fell on his hand one after another.
Zhao Ji blinked, her brain momentarily stalled.
Where did you get so many pieces of paper?
Li Mo seemed to hear her inner question.
He smiled and said, “I picked up the wrong one just now, what I have in my sleeve is the family letters my wives sent me.”
“Haven’t seen them for a long time, they miss me a lot, so they sent a few more.”
“Not too many, just enough for Prime Minister Lu to eat half full.”
Zhao Ji looked at the stack of notes in his hand and pursed her red lips tightly.
You sure have a lot of wives!
Lu Buwei almost spat out old blood.
Shaking his finger at Li Mo, his eyes nearly burst as he said, “Are you treating me like a monkey?”
Li Mo flicked his sleeve and snorted coldly.
“Yes, I am treating you like a monkey.”
He finally pulled out the real piece of paper.
With a light shake, it unfolded before Lu Buwei’s eyes.
“What do you think you are? Do you think you can snatch evidence from me?”
Not to mention the aged Lu Buwei.
Even if his Luo Network’s Yan Ri and Six Sword Servants came, they wouldn’t touch a corner of his clothes.
In the entire Luo Network, the only one who can take things from him is Jing Ni!
“Guards, arrest Lu Buwei!”
Zhao Ji shouted in anger, and a group of imperial guards immediately rushed in from outside the door and surrounded Lu Buwei.
Lu Buwei’s anger shot through his crown, he shouted, “Who dares!”
“I am the current Prime Minister, the emperor’s foster father.”
“Who dares to arrest me!”
The group of guards was momentarily intimidated and did not dare to step forward.
Civil and military officials exchanged glances.
They all knew that Lu Buwei’s behavior just now was due to a guilty conscience.
What Lao Ai said was likely true.
At this moment, Ying Zheng stepped forward.
The emperor’s aura fully opened, majestic and solemn.
He said gravely, “Now, you’re not!”
“Lu Buwei schemed to frame the Empress Dowager, attempted to corrupt the harem, and seize the state of Qin.”
“Arrest him and throw him into Yunyang Prison, and after investigation, punish him severely according to the law!”
A group of guards swarmed up, firmly controlled Lu Buwei, and dragged him away.
“Outrageous, outrageous! I am the Prime Minister, who dares to arrest me!”
“Even the Emperor of Qin has no right to arrest me!”
“You are bold!”
“Guards, come, quickly come.”
Lu Buwei’s roar grew fainter.
The Prime Minister who once held great power over the court, eventually became a prisoner.
The hall fell silent.
Some were still in shock, some were anxious.
Lu Buwei’s fall, next would be their accounting.
Ying Zheng stood on the high steps, his face solemn.
Wang Jian’s tiger eyes were heavy, casting a meaningful glance at Li Mo.
In less than ten days, he overthrew the illustrious Lu Buwei.
This National Advisor’s surprises are truly one after another.
Zhao Ji’s breathing was slightly rapid.
The jade hand on her lower abdomen clenched tightly.
Her bright red lips slightly moved, seemingly repeating something to herself while staring at the open palace gate.
Li Mo frowned.
He had studied lip-reading, but Zhao Ji’s lip movements were too slight.
He could only barely discern that she was repeating two homophonic characters.
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