I am not a seventh-generation descendant of Lord Wu'an from the Qin Dynasty.

Xianyang, the residence of Prime Minister Lü.

"Prime Minister, Bai Qi has arrived. The King went to the outskirts of Xianyang, and the two of them paid their respects to Lord Wu'an together."

Lü Buwei gave a soft hum, but his gaze remained fixed on the scroll in his hand.

[Bai Qizi departs from the Han army camp, and Wang Yi personally escorts him with his fine steed, the Snow-Treading Black Steed.]

[The white-haired clerk rode swiftly out of the camp, sword in hand, while the two young generals, Wang Wei and Meng Tian, ​​entered Xianyang under cover of night.]

[When Bai Qizi left the camp eighty li away, the three elders of the Bai clan personally came to greet him from ten li away, presenting him with two granddaughters, a bronze armor set with dragon, tiger, and pixiu motifs, and a number of servants and valuables.]

[The old Qin man, surnamed Bai, led eighteen outstanding men, fully equipped with armor and horses, straight towards Xianyang.]

[Bai Qizi traveled 150 li in two days, and the elders of the Sun clan were unable to intercept him and bypassed him. Upon hearing the news, the Meng clan rushed to meet him ten li in the dead of night, presenting him with a granddaughter, a three-stone dragon-tongue bow, nine-coin arrows, and a number of servants and valuables.]

[Thirteen outstanding men from the Meng clan of Qin, fully equipped with armor and horses, set out at night and headed straight for Xianyang.]

[Bai Qizi rode his horse slowly for seventy li over three days, and happened to meet three elders of the west clan, who gave him a granddaughter, a nine-year-old bronze spear, and some servants and valuables.]

[Eleven outstanding men from the Meng clan of Qin, fully equipped with armor and horses, set out at night and headed straight for Xianyang.]

[Bai Qizi rode his horse slowly for sixty li on the fourth day, and happened to meet three elders of the Zhao clan, who gave him a granddaughter...]

Lü Buwei had lost interest in watching anymore.

He was frightened by the old Qin man's reaction.

He felt that the throne of the Prime Minister of Qin, which he had held firmly for six years, was now in grave danger.

The first challenger was King Ying Zheng of Qin.

At the age of sixteen, she was the daughter of Chu, the adopted grandson of Empress Dowager Huayang, the biological grandson of Empress Dowager Xia, and the biological son of Empress Dowager Zhao.

The legal basis for the Qin prime minister's regency, and the undisputed young successor to the throne of Qin.

He's come of age! He's married! He's eager to take over the reins of power!

Although Lü Buwei didn't know why he had suddenly pulled this stunt after he had already stabilized King Zheng of Qin by focusing on his studies.

However, the competition between the power of the prime minister and the power of the king had already begun.

He had no right to refuse!

The second challenger is Bai Qi, who is suspected to be the posthumous son of Qi, the granddaughter-in-law of Lord Wu'an.

At sixteen, with his wife pregnant for the first time, he was a lucky man who had nothing on the surface.

In reality, as he stormed into Xianyang, he was backed by the collective will of a million soldiers and civilians of the entire Qin state.

The Qin army makes a bet, and the King of Qin assumes personal rule!

This is a struggle between civil and military affairs, and he must take the initiative to fight it, and he absolutely cannot lose!

Thinking of this, Lü Buwei felt deeply weary.

Qin Shi Huang could be defeated countless times, and Bai Qi could also be defeated several times as long as his army's morale remained high.

He alone cannot afford to lose even once!

The third challenger was a vast number of ambitious individuals who secretly coveted his position as the strongest prime minister in the seven kingdoms.

Putting everything else aside, just look at Li Si, the subordinate he reluctantly appointed—his impatient ambition and desire are practically bursting out!

Lü Buwei silently shook his head; this situation was rather difficult to resolve.

Upon seeing this, a retainer in the palace had an idea and said obsequiously, "Prime Minister, the King has secretly left Xianyang Palace to meet with his close ministers. You may secretly inform Empress Dowager Zhao..."

"madness!"

Looking at this man, Lü Buwei wondered how someone so foolish could have become a guest minister under his patronage.

Is it that he doesn't want to move? No, it's that he can't move!

As the father of the King of Qin and the Prime Minister of Qin, his every word and action was closely watched.

Believe it or not, the moment he expressed his dislike for the king ruling in his own right, Empress Dowager Zhao Ji, who was all lovey-dovey with him, would immediately turn on him.

Empress Dowager Huayang, having just forced King Zheng of Qin to accept a woman from Chu as his queen by threatening to step back from the limelight, will immediately turn against him.

Even Empress Dowager Xia Ji, who had always disliked King Zheng of Qin, had to hold her nose and watch him beat her.

Not to mention the Qin royal family, Qin generals, and local governors and magistrates, they would all try to suppress him to the death.

The mere thought of this possibility sent shivers down his spine.

To put it bluntly, Lü Buwei only became the prime minister of Qin after betting on Ying Zichu's succession by "hoarding rare commodities."

Who can understand his precarious situation?

"If Li Si were still alive, he would never have asked such a foolish question... Bah, you traitor who let the wolf into the house!"

For a time, Lü Buwei was utterly exhausted.

"His Majesty is the King of Qin; he can go wherever he wants and see whomever he desires. Do not overstep your bounds!"

The last sentence was noticeably harsher.

Seeing him humiliated, the other retainers immediately covered their mouths and snickered.

At this moment, someone seized the opportunity and reported, "Your Excellency, the person with the special skills you are looking for has been found."

What are your special skills?

Lu Buwei was taken aback for a moment, then said urgently, "Quickly, bring him up! Wait, let's go into the inner room!"

Not long after.

A tall, robust, and honest-looking man in his thirties entered the inner room of the Prime Minister's residence.

The moment he opened his mouth, he exuded a slick, worldly air about him, a man who came from the lower rungs of society.

"This humble servant, Lao Ai, pays his respects to Your Excellency! May Your Excellency enjoy longevity and your descendants' noble titles endure for generations!"

Lu Buwei's voice was deep as he looked down at the documents in his hand. "The medicine seller from Handan?"

"Yes."

"Do you desire great wealth and prosperity?"

"I've been wanting this for ages!"

"Please begin your performance."

Lao Ai lowered his head and remained silent for a moment, then glanced at Zuo Jin and whispered something.

"Your Excellency, my skills are crude and I need a small wheel to demonstrate."

Lu Buwei remained silent for a while, then coughed lightly, his voice hoarse.

"Someone, prepare the wheels!"

The retainer, who must have seen it before, pushed in a small wheel made of paulownia wood upon hearing the sound.

Under Lü Buwei's wide-eyed gaze, Lao Ai lifted his robe with one hand, took out his homemade Lao's medicated oil, and began to pat and shape it...

He wrapped it in linen, slipped it onto a small paulownia wood wheel, and the wheel spun freely, whistling through the wind.

Holy crap!

Witnessing this scene for the first time would be incredibly damaging to any man.

Lu Buwei closed his mouth, which he could not hide, in shock, and coughed lightly, covering his mouth.

"Enough, that's enough. Stop!"

Lao Ai obeyed and stopped, his face showing that he was still not satisfied.

Performing his unrefined skills in front of the Prime Minister of Qin would surely make his Lao Family Medicinal Oil a bestseller.

Even if he is expelled from the Prime Minister's residence this time and cannot become a guest minister, he can still be considered wealthy and worry-free.

Sure enough, Lü Buwei's next words confirmed his guess.

"Are you selling this prescription?"

Lao Ai was quite straightforward; he simply took out a piece of parchment and handed it over, though with a tactful admonition on his face.

"Your Excellency, this prescription is something I obtained in my early years, and it initially had remarkable effects. However, unless one is exceptionally gifted, its efficacy will not increase much; it is better than nothing."

Although Lü Buwei was unaware of the breast augmentation that would later occur, he knew that barren land could not produce a great emperor.

Hearing this, he wasn't surprised and waved his hand, "A hundred taels of gold will be awarded, and a guest minister will be accepted! A house, a residence, and maids will be provided..."

A series of hefty rewards completely overwhelmed this nobody from humble beginnings.

Lao Ai was terrified and knelt down.

"This humble servant thanks Your Excellency for your generous reward. I am willing to go through fire and water for Your Excellency without hesitation!"

Lu Buwei waved his hand, clearly used to hearing auspicious words, and bowed his head to the guest minister who had introduced him.

"You too, go and collect fifty gold coins."

"Thank you, Your Excellency, for the reward!"

But as he bowed his head to receive his reward, he didn't see the fleeting murderous intent that flashed across Lü Buwei's eyes.

"Let's have someone try this prescription first. If it's truly effective, then the matter of Ganquan Palace will be settled."

"Then comes the power struggle with two children! Hmph, with this little strength, you think you can make Lü Buwei abandon his pawns and admit defeat? Not so easy!"