In the Great Qin Dynasty, I, the Unruly Commander, begin by dual-cultivating with Yan Ling Ji.

As night fell, inside the Zhangtai Palace,

Today, Zhangtai Palace has changed its usual somber and solemn atmosphere. The palace is brightly lit with candles, and hundreds of tables are placed on both sides of the main hall. The tables are already filled with fine wine and delicacies, and behind each table stands a beautifully dressed maid.

On either side of the Qin King's throne at the very top, there was a small table.

At that moment, a melodious bell rang out.

Civil and military officials entered the palace in turn, and soon almost all the officials were seated.

The military general sitting at the head of the table on the right is Meng Ao, a veteran general with white hair who has served three generations.

Following Meng Ao is Wang Jian, a current military general with numerous military achievements.

Looking at the magnificent spectacle at Zhangtai Palace tonight, Wang Jian sensed something unusual. With his keen mind, he guessed that something big was probably going to happen today.

The first among the civil officials on the left naturally belonged to Lü Buwei, but Lü Buwei had not yet arrived, causing the civil officials to whisper among themselves.

"Brother Zhang, why do you think the king would suddenly hold such a grand banquet?"

"Brother Li, do you see the seat next to the throne? The Empress Dowager may also be here tonight, or perhaps the King has something to announce."

"Brother Zhang, why are there two tables next to the King? One belongs to the Empress Dowager, and the other belongs to whom?"

The official lowered his voice and whispered, "It might be for that eunuch Lao Ai, who was recently granted the title of Marquis of Changxin by the Empress Dowager."

"Does that pickled meat deserve to be ranked above us?" another official said indignantly.

Before the official could say anything more, the eunuch outside the door shouted at the top of his lungs:

"His Majesty has arrived!"

At this moment, Ying Zheng, dressed in a dark gold dragon robe and wearing a pearl and jade crown, slowly walked in.

The hall fell silent, and all the officials' eyes were on Ying Zheng.

Ying Zheng slowly ascended the steps, step by step walking to the black throne that symbolized supreme royal power.

Ying Zheng turned around, his face calm yet exuding an imposing and dignified aura. With a flick of his sleeve, he sat upright on the throne.

At this moment, all the officials stood up, bowed, and said:

"Your Majesty, may Your Majesty live ten thousand years! May the Great Qin Dynasty live ten thousand years!"

Ying Zheng's majestic eyes swept over all the officials present, and he said calmly:

"Everyone loves you."

The ministers returned to their seats, and Ying Zheng glanced at the empty seat at the head of the table on his left.

With a calm expression, he said:

"Why hasn't Prime Minister Lü arrived yet? Do any of you know where he is?"

The ministers looked at each other blankly, and no one came forward to answer.

At that moment, the eunuch's voice rang out again outside the palace:

"Chancellor Lü Buwei entered the palace to pay his respects."

Dressed in a white brocade robe, Lü Buwei slowly entered the hall. Facing Ying Zheng's condescending gaze, he calmly bowed and said:

"This old minister's leg problems caused my late arrival. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."

Ying Zheng's face remained expressionless, his gaze towards Lü Buwei as still as a deep well, and he spoke:

"In that case, Prime Minister, please take a seat."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

A glint of light flashed in Lü Buwei's lowered eyes; it seemed this probing had yielded nothing.

He sat down in the first seat on the left, and Ying Zheng remained silent afterward, as if waiting for something.

Finally, the eunuch's voice rang out again from outside the door.

"When the Empress Dowager arrived, Marquis Changxin, Lao Ai, entered the palace to pay his respects."

Lao Ai, dressed in brocade robes, helped Zhao Ji, who was wearing a red robe, into the main hall.

Even her long robe couldn't conceal Zhao Ji's voluptuous figure, and her alluring face still carried a hint of the Empress Dowager's majesty.

Zhao Ji walked directly to Ying Zheng's left. At this moment, Ying Zheng calmly said:

"Mother, this is not your seat. Your seat is on the right."

In the Qin state, the left was considered the most honorable position, and as the Dowager Zhao Ji, she should have sat on the left. However, Ying Zheng instructed her to sit on the right.

The ministers below exchanged bewildered glances, and a hint of surprise also flashed in Lü Buwei's eyes.

Zhao Ji stopped in her tracks, her captivating phoenix eyes fixed on Ying Zheng's chiseled, resolute face, and said coldly:

"Zheng'er, what did you say?"

Ying Zheng repeated what he had said earlier:

"This is not your place, Mother."

Hearing Ying Zheng's firm words, Zhao Ji's pretty face first showed a hint of anger, which was then replaced by a sorrowful expression.

Zhao Ji said softly, "Zheng'er has grown up. Your mother is no longer important to you. So be it. It's your mother who hasn't realized her current status."

As Zhao Ji was about to sit down on the right, Ying Zheng calmly watched her. Zhao Ji stiffened, but in the end, she still sat down on the right.

Zhao Ji looked at Ying Zheng with resentment in her eyes. She wanted to see who else in the Qin Kingdom was qualified to sit in that position besides herself.

"Zheng'er, why don't you arrange a seat for Marquis Changxin?"

Ying Zheng glanced at Lao Ai and said indifferently:

"Since Marquis Changxin serves Your Majesty, he should naturally stand behind you so that he can serve you at any time."

Lao Ai's expression changed, and he wanted to get angry, but he held back when he saw Ying Zheng's deep and unfathomable eyes, and stood silently beside Zhao Ji.

Zhao Ji's eyes showed even more resentment towards Ying Zheng. Even when beating a dog, one should consider its owner; Ying Zheng's words were clearly disrespectful to her.

Lu Buwei was secretly alarmed. In the past, Ying Zheng had always been very respectful to Zhao Ji and had also tacitly accepted the various behaviors of Marquis Changxin. Why was he so tough today?

He felt vaguely uneasy.

Ying Zheng stood up, put his hands behind his back, looked down at the important ministers of Qin, and said in a calm tone:

"I know you are all very curious about who is reserved for this seat next to me. You will find out soon enough."

A hoarse, deep voice rang out just in time outside the palace gates:

"The Unruly Marshal Tian Anxing greets the King of Qin."

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a tall and agile figure enter the main hall.

He wore a dark blue robe, with dark silver armor covering his upper body. A black and red horizontal sword, the Greedy Wolf, hung at his waist. He wore a fine iron hat and his face was covered by a scarlet Shura mask.

The moment Ying Ziqing stepped in, it was as if a gust of wind rushed into the hall, his robes fluttering in the wind, his right hand resting on the Greedy Wolf Blade at his waist.

He seemed to be surrounded by a terrifying aura and a chilling killing intent.

A look of horror flashed in Wang Jian's eyes as he looked at Ying Ziqing. The murderous aura was so intense that it seemed as if he could see mountains of corpses and seas of blood behind him.

Lu Buwei's face was also somewhat gloomy. He had heard of this man before. His martial arts skills were unparalleled and he could cause a great deal of trouble in the state of Han. How could he be here?

Could it be...? A somewhat uncertain thought flashed through Lü Buwei's mind.