Chapter 9: The Last King's Order
With the arrival of winter, the world became much quieter, and the attacks between nations also stopped temporarily due to weather conditions.

In Xianyang City, court officials each went about their business, and the city was peaceful but also free of disturbances.

At today's grand court meeting, everything that needed to be agreed upon has been completed, and all the ministers are waiting for the court to adjourn.

Just when everyone thought the court was about to be dismissed, Ying Zifei, the Marquis of Zhen'an, who was kneeling in the hall, stood up, saluted the King of Qin Ying Zheng on the throne, and then said: "Your Majesty, I have a memorial to report."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's brows jumped.

Zhen'an Marquis Ying Zifei rarely attends court due to the special nature of his position in charge of the Black Ice Platform.

Even when he entered the palace to attend court, he was like a deaf and blind man. He did not say a word and did not ask about state affairs.

What is he going to do today?
"Come on!"

King Ying Zheng of Qin spoke, and Ying Zifei bowed again before saying, "Your Majesty, before the late king passed away, he summoned me to see you."

"The previous king left a will for me, which I shall now proclaim."

The court officials looked at each other in bewilderment. The late king actually left a will to Ying Zifei?

Could it be a back-up plan left by the previous king? Some people subconsciously looked at Lu Buwei.

A powerful person like Lu Buwei had obviously already touched upon the royal power. With the wisdom of the previous king, he would surely have been able to foresee this.

Lu Buwei narrowed his eyes slightly and fixed his gaze on Ying Zifei.

The last will of the previous king? Is it true?
King Ying Zheng of Qin stood up from the throne, took a few steps, and stood beside the throne.

His action was a sign of respectfully listening to the will. Seeing this, the court officials also stood up and bowed in waiting.

Ying Zifei bowed respectfully in the direction of the throne, then turned around and faced the court officials.

"Please ask Duke Mu to suppress the Qin Sword!"

Ying Zifei shouted loudly and looked towards the direction of the palace gate. Soon, the elder of the royal family who was guarding the temple came with a sword. When the court officials saw him, they bowed to him respectfully.

King Qin Ying Zheng also bowed and then bowed his head slightly. The elder handed the sword to Ying Zifei, who stood with the sword in his arms and said loudly: "The late king left a will, and all the ministers listen respectfully!"

"We are listening attentively!" All the court officials bowed again and pretended to listen attentively.

"The king ordered: Marquis Wenxin Lü Buwei is in harmony with me as a monarch and minister, and has the ability to stabilize the country."

"After my death, the new king is still young. With the ability of Marquis Wenxin, he will surely be able to support and protect him and stabilize the Qin State."

"The new king's wedding is on schedule, which shows the contribution of Wenxin Hou Lu Buwei in supporting the king."

"At this time, Marquis Zhen'an Ying Zifei should follow the will and go to the ancestral temple to respectfully request Duke Mu's sword to suppress Qin, and then go to the court to announce it and tell King Qin Ying Zheng to serve Marquis Wenxin and respect him as "Second Father". The monarch and his subjects should get along well and plan for the strength of Qin."

The echo of Ying Zifei's words could still be heard in the hall, but many people were already confused.

At this time, Lu Buwei was also very confused. He looked at Ying Zifei and then at King Qin Ying Zheng, not knowing what to think.

Everyone came back to their senses and saw Ying Zifei standing with a sword in his arms. The sword of Duke Mu in his arms told everything.

This will cannot be fake!

"Ying Zheng respects his father's will!"

The voice of King Ying Zheng of Qin resounded throughout the hall. He walked down the steps and first saluted to the Sword of Qin held in Ying Zifei's arms. Then he came to Lu Buwei and bowed slightly to him.

"Father Zhong!"

The greeting brought Lü Buwei back to his senses. He hurriedly returned the greeting, then knelt down in the direction of the throne, performed a great kowtow, and cried, "The late king was very kind to me. How can I repay him?"

When everyone saw Lu Buwei like this, they all had complicated expressions. Although the late king had calculated something behind this will, it was also a recognition of Lu Buwei.

With such great favor, it was worthwhile for Lu Buwei to work hard to support the previous king in winning the throne.

At this time, Lu Buwei bowed deeply again. He was truly moved. Thinking back to the hardships and murderous intentions he had encountered in the past, all that was left was the sincere feelings of supporting and encouraging each other.

……

The court has been dispersed, but today's events have caused all factions to begin preparing for the next changes in the court.

The call of "Zhongfu" from King Ying Zheng of Qin will make Lu Buwei's path to power smoother.

They knew Lu Buwei, this guy would never stop pursuing power.

While he ensured that King Ying Zheng of Qin remained in power, he would certainly suppress him. Although they had common interests, they also had conflicts over the division of power.

In the palace, Queen Mother Huayang leaned on the couch, and the temperature of the burning charcoal made her hands feel very warm.

After Xiu Yu finished reporting today's events, Queen Mother Huayang sighed and said, "Sure enough, there is no getting around this."

She knew the late king's last will and edict, and so did the chief of the royal family.

This will was a guarantee left by the late king to his son Ying Zheng.

Perhaps you, Lu Buwei, will suppress the new king, but there will always be a time to retreat. As long as you ensure that King Qin Ying Zheng's position is stable, power will eventually return to him.

Wasn’t King Zhaoxiang of Qin also suppressed by Queen Dowager Xuan for many years?

When there is no choice but to find the best option.

From today onwards, when King Ying Zheng of Qin addresses him with a respectful title, Lu Buwei must do his utmost to protect the legitimacy of King Ying Zheng of Qin's throne. This is the real purpose of the late king's will.

From then on, the Qin court truly belonged to Lu Buwei.

"Xiu Yu, go tell Xia Ji and Cheng Jiao that from today onwards, tell them not to have any other ideas."

Queen Mother Huayang said, her tone became solemn, and she added: "Tell them clearly that after today, Lu Buwei will step by step eliminate those who threaten Zheng'er's throne." "Lu Buwei needs power to realize his ambitions, and anyone who stands in his way will be annihilated by him."

Xiu Yu agreed and turned to leave. Queen Mother Huayang rubbed her forehead with her hand, feeling a little headache, and murmured: "I hope you can be more sensible."

In terms of closeness, both she and Xia Ji were closer to Cheng Jiao. Cheng Jiao had been raised in the palace since he was born, but Ying Zheng was held hostage in Zhao for nine years. After returning to Qin, the relationship between them as grandparents and grandchildren seemed distant.

It was because of this that after the former King Ying Yiren ascended the throne and became Queen, the struggle for the crown prince and later the struggle for the throne were full of dangers.

Although Ying Zheng won in the end, the interest groups behind Cheng Jiao and Cheng Jiao's own thoughts have not yet dissipated.

This is also the reason why King Ying Zheng of Qin has never been able to secure his throne.

After all, before King Ying Zheng of Qin had an heir, once he was dead or alive, the situation would change and opportunities would arise.

One of the reasons why the Chu faction chose to suppress Ying Zheng was that the Queen Mother Huayang also knew about the previous king's last will.

From today onwards, as long as King Ying Zheng of Qin can tolerate Lu Buwei's encroachment on his power, his position will be secure.

So, in the following period of time, regarding the issue of agreement between Lu Buwei and King Ying Zheng of Qin, all obstacles and threats standing in their way will be destroyed by the two of them working together.

If Cheng Jiao did not know what was best for him, his only ending would be death, and he would become another corpse in the fight for royal power.

……

In the mansion of Lord Changping, he knelt behind the desk and thought about today's events. He sighed and said, "The Chu clan will be quiet for a few years."

After he finished speaking, Changping Jun's eyes sparkled. He was not afraid of remaining in silence, but he was afraid that he would never have another chance.

There will be opportunities, and they are foreseeable opportunities.

How many more years could King Ying Zheng of Qin endure Lu Buwei's greed for power?
When King Ying Zheng of Qin could no longer bear it and wanted to destroy Lu Buwei's power, he could only seek help from other factions.

And because of this marriage, the Chu clan will become a force that King Qin Ying Zheng can trust in the future.

Only then will the Chu faction turn things around!
Collecting his thoughts, Changping Jun stood up and went outside, his eyes looking towards the direction of Chu State.

Whether for his own fame, fortune or for the Chu State of his dreams, he needed to be in power in Qin.

Only by being in the court of Qin in person can one realize how terrible this country is.

The method of farming and warfare, coupled with a path to military merit that could lead to fame, wealth and honor, made the Qin State the ruler and instigator of wars.

This country only needs a slightly wise person to sit on the throne to be able to unleash 50% of the power of the Qin sword.

This five percent of power alone is already a disaster for the six nations.

"I often wake up from my dreams at night. The black dragon flag has already been planted in the land of Chu."

"My predecessors, you must protect Xiong Qi and allow him to do what he wants."

With a murmur, Changping Jun turned and went back to the house.

……

At the Prime Minister's Mansion, in response to the guests' congratulations, Lu Buwei did not hold a grand banquet. Instead, he went back to his room, changed out of his court clothes, and put on the same type of clothes that Xi Nian wore when he met the former king Ying Yiren. After having someone prepare the offerings, he went towards the royal tomb.

He wanted to personally offer sacrifices to the late king Ying Yiren, firstly to preserve the trust and gratitude between the monarch and his subjects, and secondly to bring a perfect ending to today's court affairs.

Some people were very sad about Lu Buwei's behavior, some people just felt that he was hypocritical, but there were more people who understood that Lu Buwei's behavior was just right, making it difficult to blame him for it.

No matter what others think, the matter has become a foregone conclusion. When King Ying Zheng of Qin met Lu Buwei, he used the respectful title "Zhongfu".

In just half a month, Lu Buwei's power became increasingly overwhelming, and all factions chose to be patient and no longer fight each other fiercely.

Although the success was short-lived, it made Lu Buwei very happy. He often held banquets with his guests, enjoying delicious food and fine wine, which was quite a scene.

……

In the residence of Marquis Zhen'an, Ying Zifei sat cross-legged in the pavilion admiring the falling snow.

The first snow this year came earlier than in previous years.

In the pavilion, the charcoal in the copper stove glowed red, and the warmth it emitted blended with the cold wind.

There was a barbecue grill placed on top of the copper stove, and the chef in the mansion was carefully preparing the meat slices.

Smelling the aroma of meat, Ying Zifei came back to his senses a little. The Chiyou sword that was standing upright and gently rotating beside him seemed to stop for a moment, then resumed its original rhythm and began to rotate gently.

The cold light of the sharp blade gives people a very restrained and contradictory feeling at this moment.

When man and sword know each other and move according to their hearts, this kind of scene can appear.

When his mind abated a little, Ying Zifei flicked the sword lightly and it returned to its sheath.

"It's worth the many times of enlightenment, and I've gained a lot."

With a murmur, Ying Zifei's mouth corners raised, obviously he was very happy.

Man and sword know each other well. Although he cannot perform flying sword skills like immortals, his sword mind is in tune with the sword and he does have the appearance of a "fairy sword".

Within three feet, sword energy is generated, and the sharp sword moves back and forth as easily as using one's arm.

“I really don’t know what it would be like when everything is a sword and heaven and man are one.”

Amid the murmurs of longing, Ying Zifei stood up and stretched, then picked up the wine gourd and began to drink heartily.

A famous sword goes well with wine, the more you drink, the more you gain!
(End of this chapter)