"Good, good, this dispatch of victory truly cos non-stop." Emperor Jing finished reading today's report, the smile on his lips never ceasing.
Many ministers in the court exchanged glances. This was too fast! It was only the second day, and the army had already reached the heartland of Hu Lu territory. Normally, they would not have even left the border by now.
"Your Majesty, Minister Wang's actions are a bit too cruel, are they not? We, the Great Celestial State, should prioritize etiquette and edification, not resort to brute force and violence."
"Massacring the Hu Lu injures the harmony of heaven." Soone stepped forward to admonish, his words dripping with benevolence and morality.
With soone taking the lead, many ministers from the Great Families naturally chid in, expressing that they should not resort to such violence and killing. This made Emperor Jing's face darken.
Those who spoke out were rely small fry; the real instigators stood at the front, feigning ignorance.
"Silence!" A eunuch at the side cracked his whip and shouted again.
The surrounding Imperial Guards and the Imperial Forest Army also drew closer, waiting only for Emperor Jing's command to draw their swords and spill blood in the great hall. Fortunately, many ministers still possessed so discernnt and fell silent upon witnessing this. Emperor Jing was truly prepared to kill, unlike the previous emperors whom they could manipulate at will.
"Your Majesty, the pillars of the court have significant objections to Sir Wang's actions. Perhaps we should recall Sir Wang and discuss the Northern Expedition further." At this mont, a leading minister stepped forward to state his position, intending for it to be the final word.
"Kong, if I recall correctly, you're from the Northern Kong Clan, aren't you?" Emperor Jing said nonchalantly.
A sense of foreboding crept into Kong Qian's heart.
"Indeed, Your Majesty. I am from the Northern Kong Clan," Kong Qian hurriedly replied.
"Very close to the Hu Lu, is it not?" Emperor Jing said slowly.
Upon hearing this, Kong Qian imdiately fell to his knees. "Your Majesty, the Northern Kong Clan is eternally loyal to Dajing!"
"I know. Yet, when Wang is on the verge of reaching the Northern Royal Court to capture the Khan alive, you jump out to oppose him, even inciting other court officials to pressure . It makes it very difficult for to trust you, Kong." Emperor Jing adopted a troubled expression.
He knew that when the Hu Lu had invaded, the Kong Clan was the first to draft a letter of surrender. In the subsequent dynasty, the Great Families were indeed annihilated, yet the Kong Clan preserved its lineage, becoming the Hu Lu's foremost loyal hound, existing in na but not in true power. This clearly wasn't rely the treatnt afforded to the first Great Family to surrender; it implied they had made other contributions to the Hu Lu.
The Hu Lu were ungrateful wolves nurtured by the Great Families—a fact Emperor Jing was well aware of. The Great Families had regarded the southern bandits and northern barbarians as re dogs, never imagining that these 'dogs', once maddened, could not only bite them but also devour them, hide, bones, and all. The Great Families were able to nurture these threats not because they themselves were powerful, but because they were cogs in the vast machinery of Dajing, relying on the tiger's might to project their own—a case of the fox borrowing the tiger's majesty. However, now that the tiger was dead, how could these little fox cubs possibly contend with vicious wolves?
What blasted use are the Great Families? It's not like they're immortal.
"We wouldn't dare!"
All those who had just spoken out in criticism prostrated themselves, a dense kneeling mass.
"So, Kong was not at fault; it is all of you who were wrong." Emperor Jing's gaze swept over the kneeling officials. "In that case, Kong, please rise. It seems I misunderstood you."
"As for those kneeling, since you were all pleading on behalf of the Northern Barbarians, you shall be charged with treason and collaborating with the enemy. Let all your Nine Clans be exterminated."
Emperor Jing sneered. It matters little if people die; there are plenty more waiting to take their places. This was coercion: either all their Nine Clans would perish, or they would sacrifice the Kong Clan. Isn't this just a ga of power? He knew how to play it too. He aid to drive a wedge between the Big Aristocratic Families and the smaller ones, preventing them from standing united.
"Your Majesty, this is an injustice! When did we ever collude with the enemy and betray the country?"
"We were rely speaking out of a sense of justice..."
"..."
They all cried out, lanting their fate.
"Pleading for the enemy in warti—if that is not treason and collaborating with the enemy, then what is? It seems you all tacitly admit your guilt. This matter, then, has nothing to do with Kong." Emperor Jing was indifferent as to whether it was the Kong Clan or the smaller families that perished. Ultimately, one side had to fall.
"Strip them of their official robes, take them into custody, and imprison their Nine Clans. They shall be publicly executed in three days." Emperor Jing was still giving them a chance—a chance to turn on soone else.
The mbers of the other Big Aristocratic Families dared not utter a word. Emperor Jing was determined to make this an unshakeable, ironclad case. Besides, this affair primarily concerned the Kong Clan's interests. The other families hadn't shared in the profits, nor were their factions suffering the losses, so they naturally remained indifferent. They weren't about to risk their own necks for the Kong Clan, especially since the Kongs wouldn't appreciate the gesture anyway.
"Wait, Your Majesty! This matter was instigated by Official Kong! He claid that Minister Wang's northern campaign was an act against human ethics and used his official position to pressure us, his subordinates!" At this critical juncture, an official suddenly stepped forward.
He wasn't a fool. Why should he and his entire family die, branded as traitors who collaborated with the enemy, just to pave the way for the Kong Clan? There were no benefits, only dire consequences and a reputation that would stink for millennia. Who would willingly undertake such a task?
With one person defecting, everyone else quickly changed their tune, directing all accusations squarely at the Kong Clan.
"Kong, do you have anything to say?" Emperor Jing looked at Kong Qian with a playful, mocking gaze.
"I... have nothing to say." Kong Qian lowered his head. He wasn't worried about himself. Emperor Jing might dare to kill mbers of the minor Great Families, but he would absolutely not dare to touch the Kong Clan.
And indeed, just as he had anticipated, Emperor Jing truly did not dare to make a move against him. If Emperor Jing targeted a minor Great Family, the other Big Aristocratic Families might simply watch from the sidelines. But if he touched the Kong Clan, the remaining Zhang Clan, the Five Surnas and Seven Hopes, and even his own Royal Family, would all rise up to stop him.
"Kong, return ho and reflect on your misdeeds. The other mbers of the Kong Clan are forbidden to leave their clan lands without orders. Those Kong Clan mbers holding official posts shall relocate to BeiPing Prefecture temporarily."
This move by Emperor Jing effectively severed the Kong Clan's political influence throughout Dajing. It was also a clear warning—killing the chicken to scare the monkeys—intended to make the remaining Big Aristocratic Families behave and refrain from stirring up trouble.
"I thank Your Majesty for your magnanimity." Kong Qian offered no defense.
A loss is a loss; there are no excuses.
Since the at was from his own pot, no one else would help him now.
After this display of killing the chicken to warn the monkeys, the entire court quickly quieted down. The session was soon adjourned.
"Official Kong, refrain from any further foolish actions. Otherwise, do not bla us for being ruthless." On the way out, Zhang Lin, representing the Southern Zhang Clan, issued this warning to Kong Qian.
If Kong Qian were to do sothing truly irrational, they wouldn't hesitate to turn on him. Did he really think a Big Aristocratic Family was untouchable? If he hard the interests of all, then he would have to die. His support for the Northern Barbarians had indeed gone a bit too far. What if, next, the barbarians sought to replace the Great Families themselves? Compared to the Liu Kou supported by the Southern Zhang Clan, the Northern Barbarians backed by the Northern Kong Clan were indeed showing signs of growing dangerously powerful.
"I know what I'm doing," Kong Qian retorted, glancing at Zhang Lin. As officials serving in the sa court, they were not on good terms, each harboring ambitions to swallow the other.
"It's good that you know. I'll be watching you." With that, Zhang Lin strode away.
His words implied that all the Great Families would be watching Kong Qian. The Northern Barbarians were originally the Kong Clan's exclusive prize. If Wang Linchi conquered them, they would beco a prize for all the Great Families. It was one thing when they couldn't defeat the barbarians themselves—how much could the Kong Clan monopolize then? But now that everyone had a chance to share the spoils, if Kong Qian dared to obstruct them, he shouldn't bla them for being rciless.
Watching Zhang Lin depart, Kong Qian's expression turned grim. This ti, it truly was a dead end. Once the Northern Royal Court, their Cornucopia, was gone, the lack of funds would make every step difficult. However, it was now too late to turn things around. The Northern Kong Clan was effectively under house arrest, and he was powerless. His supposed allies were already scheming to carve pieces from his flesh; they certainly wouldn't help him. If things continued this way, his Northern Kong Clan, once part of the renowned 'South Zhang North Kong,' might fall even below the Five Surnas and Seven Hopes. Decline was a very real possibility.
The Northern Barbarians are finished, but there's still a chance with the Liu Kou! A desperate plan began to form in Kong Qian's mind.
Since Emperor Jing wants the Kong Clan to decline, why not replace Emperor Jing himself? If the Liu Kou could march directly into the Capital, assassinate Emperor Jing, and eliminate the officials and Great Families... Then, his Kong Clan could install another puppet emperor. Wielding the banner of righteousness, he could manipulate this emperor to command the feudal lords, then drive the Liu Kou out and 'liberate' the Capital. At that point, he would beco the all-powerful Grand Tutor Kong! As for Wang Linchi, he had never taken him seriously. A simple edict from the puppet emperor ordering Wang Linchi to commit suicide, or his execution on so trumped-up charge, would be sufficient. Would Wang Linchi dare to rebel? Unlikely. What if Wang Linchi tried to find his own puppet emperor? That young whelp? As long as Kong Qian acted faster, the puppet emperor he installed would be the legitimate one. Then, he could issue a decree to the entire realm to eliminate the pretender emperor backed by Wang Linchi. With the Kong Clan's prestige, victory would naturally be his. How could so country bumpkin from an obscure backwater possibly win? However, there was one serious problem to solve: how to enable the Liu Kou to march into the Capital unimpeded. With a 100,000-strong army defending it, it wouldn't be easy.
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