During the Qin Dynasty, he was in charge of the net.

The following evening, as the sun set, Xianyang Palace was bathed in a cold, solemn golden light.

The royal road in the capital was clean and tidy, lined with guards, their spears and halberds menacing. Court officials would be more reserved upon seeing it, and ordinary martial artists would be even more terrified.

Lu Buwei wore the brocade robe of a prime minister, with a jade belt hanging down his sash, and walked with a calm and steady gait.

He did not bring many attendants, but only took Li Ji with him into the palace, keeping a very low profile.

Li Ji was still dressed in a black robe, without any luxurious embellishments. He stood tall and straight, with his hands hanging at his sides, and his steps were light and silent.

"I've heard about what happened to Steward Wang; it was my fault for not taking good care of him."

After this matter is resolved, I will apologize to you.

The two walked on the bluestone road. Lü Buwei looked ahead and suddenly spoke slowly.

Clearly, Lü Buwei was not entirely unaware of what was happening in his household.

However, there are some things he can pretend not to know, but there are others he needs to treat with caution.

"The word 'care' from Prime Minister Lü means that he treats me as his guest."

If I were truly a guest of Prime Minister Lü, I imagine I would still be in your courtyard right now.

Li Ji walked beside Lü Buwei and replied calmly.

Upon hearing this, Lü Buwei was slightly taken aback at first, then a slight smile appeared on his lips as he said:

"I misunderstood. I'll have Wang Wen apologize to you another day."

Wang Wen was the real name of Steward Wang.

The reason why Lü Buwei called Wang the steward by his real name at this time was to express a certain attitude.

Li Ji remained noncommittal. He wouldn't consider what would happen next, nor was it within his scope of consideration. It was Steward Wang who should be thinking about this.

The two walked to the gate of Ganquan Palace, where the palace guards checked their waist tags and compared them with the documents in accordance with the law.

Ganquan Palace was Zhao Ji's temporary palace within the Xianyang royal city.

Lü Buwei handed over the official documents that had been prepared beforehand, which contained records of Li Ji's new identity.

The Imperial Guards only dared to glance briefly at Lü Buwei's waist tag, but carefully verified Li Ji's identity.

Seeing that the files were complete and the handwriting and official seals were genuine, the Imperial Guards only asked Li Ji a few simple questions.

This includes name, age, and background.

The file on Li Ji records his name as Li Ji, and his age as twenty-three, which is older than his actual age.

Seeing that Li Ji's answer was completely normal, the imperial guards immediately bowed and let him pass.

Passing through layers of palace corridors, the daytime music and music had ceased; there was no noise, only the deathly silence of the deep palace.

Occasionally, they would encounter palace maids and eunuchs along the way, but upon seeing that the person was the Prince Qin's advisor, they would all lower their heads and press themselves against the wall to avoid him.

The two walked to a side hall inside the Ganquan Palace, which was where Empress Dowager Zhao held private meetings. If Li Jizhen really became the commander of the Shadow Guard, he would probably see Empress Dowager Zhao here often.

The palace doors slowly opened, a warm fragrance filled the air, curtains hung low, and the light was soft and dim.

Most of the palace attendants and maids had already retreated outside the palace, leaving only three maids standing beside the phoenix bed to serve.

The phoenix couch was surrounded by sheer gauze, and the brocade-covered surface of the couch shimmered with light, with gold and jade ornaments hidden among the gauze.

In the hazy light, a female figure could be seen lying on her side on the phoenix couch, dressed in phoenix robes and a magnificent crown, her face obscured by a white veil.

Lü Buwei entered the hall first and bowed respectfully according to the etiquette between ruler and subject:

"Your subject Lü Buwei pays respects to the Empress Dowager."

Today, I have brought a suitable person into the palace and humbly request the Empress Dowager to verify their qualifications for the position of Commander of the Imperial Guard.

Li Ji followed closely behind, bowed deeply, and said, "I am Li Ji, paying my respects to the Empress Dowager."

Zhao Ji raised her hand to decline the formalities, her gaze first falling on Lü Buwei, who held immense power in the court, and then slowly sweeping over Li Ji, who stood silently with his head bowed beside her.

"I have read the document that Minister Lü handed over."

There's nothing wrong with the document, and I trust Chancellor Lü.

However, the commander of the Shadow Guard is, after all, a military officer. This young man brought by Prime Minister Lü is quite handsome, but he doesn't seem like a warrior; he's more like a scholar. Is he up to the task?

As soon as she finished speaking, several giggles filled the hall.

It was made by several palace maids serving Zhao Ji by her bedside. One of them was patting Zhao Ji's shoulders, another was massaging her feet, and yet another stood by, ready to assist her at any moment.

Upon hearing Zhao Ji's last words, they all turned to look at Li Ji.

They didn't know what the Shadow Guards were, nor did they know what the Shadow Guards Commander was, but at this moment they all giggled, their laughter containing both flattery of the Empress Dowager and agreement with what had just been said.

Upon seeing this, Lü Buwei's face instantly darkened.

No wonder the sages said that women and petty men are the most difficult to deal with.

They're discussing important national affairs and important positions in the imperial court. What is this, child's play?

Moreover, he had already reached an agreement with Zhao Ji in private.

It's like a transaction where the buyer has already paid, but the seller says they won't sell it anymore and won't refund the money.

Only a petty person or a woman would do something so shameless.

But he was Lü Buwei after all. Although he was displeased, he showed no sign of it on his face, only his words were colder:

"Your Majesty is mistaken. As the saying goes, one cannot judge a book by its cover, nor can one measure the depths of the sea."

Judging by appearance alone, Mr. Lü was just an ordinary merchant.

But setting aside appearances, Yanzi, who was less than six feet tall, was able to assist King Qi in conquering the other feudal lords. Baili Xi, with his white hair and beard, was also able to help Duke Mu achieve hegemony.

It is evident that a person's true abilities lie hidden in their physical strength and cunning, not in their facial features or physical appearance.

The person I recommend, though young, is steady and trustworthy. I hope Your Majesty will not judge him by his appearance.

Faced with Lü Buwei's explanation, the languid figure on the phoenix couch merely shifted her position, crossing her fair legs, and slowly said:

"Prime Minister Lü is indeed very knowledgeable, but I don't know anything about Yanzi or Xizi."

Those things must have happened a long time ago, who knows if they're true or not?

All I want to know is what abilities this young man possesses that allow him to protect me and the King of Qin.

If the young master doesn't have much ability, Prime Minister Lü might as well recommend someone else.

Upon hearing this, Lü Buwei was momentarily at a loss for words to comment on the Queen Dowager of Zhao in Qin.

Ignorant, yet so self-righteous.

He personally supported Ying Zheng to become the King of Qin and made Zhao Ji the Empress Dowager of Zhao, not so that Zhao Ji would play tricks on him.

If this matter doesn't succeed today, he will have his own ways to make this Empress Dowager Zhao behave herself later.

Fortunately, he had anticipated this situation and knew that besides Zhao Ji, there was another influential figure in the palace who could make the decision.

Just as Lü Buwei was preparing to devise another plan, Li Ji, who was beside him, slightly raised his head and looked at the figure on the phoenix bed, slowly saying:

"I have three matters to present to the Empress Dowager."

One could withstand a sharp blade and survive, sacrificing himself to protect his lord;

Secondly, they possess keen insight and can uncover hidden schemes and conspiracies.

The three powers can cut off the pathogenic qi, allowing the dying to be brought back to life.

His three skills naturally have their origins.

One of them comes from his Water Element Illusion Body, which is derived from his Transformation of a Serpent into a Dragon Technique.

Secondly, it originates from the forbidden techniques of the Yin-Yang School, specifically the Heart-Observation Incantation.

As for the third one, it comes from the Broken Water Sword.

Behind every skill lies something that people fear and dread, but if you put it another way, it evokes a completely different feeling.

The palace maids stopped laughing and even became quieter. They secretly glanced at Li Ji before immediately lowering their heads.

Lu Buwei stood to the side, his expression unchanged, but a glint of shrewdness flashed in his eyes.

Zhao Ji, who had been leaning languidly against the phoenix couch, now straightened up slightly, all her weary charm vanished, and she carefully examined the person who had just spoken:

"Is there such a bizarre ability in the world? Impervious to weapons, and able to bring the dead back to life?"

In all my years, I have never heard of anyone possessing such extraordinary abilities.

But words alone are not enough; I would like to see it for myself.

You don't need three; as long as one is genuine, the Shadow Guard Commander position is yours for the taking.

Is there anything you need to prepare in advance?

Li Ji stood with his hands at his sides in the hall, replying calmly:

"No preparation is needed; the results can be verified on the spot inside the hall."