Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 369 Nine Clans Elimination Game (8,000 words)

Are you sentimental?

For most people, valuing emotions is a good thing, but for politicians, emotions are a weakness, a loophole, a flaw. Especially for someone like Emperor Ninghe, who sits on the dragon throne, in some ways, emotions are the most important thing to give up. One must become like a cold, venomous snake; only in this way can one seize fleeting opportunities.

Just like Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, so ruthless that one might even suspect that the blood flowing from his body was ice-cold.

Emperor Ninghe had too many things he was unwilling to give up. From this perspective, he probably couldn't be considered a qualified emperor.

The palace, with its varying heights, was covered in snow, appearing pristine and white from afar.

The biting wind carried snowflakes, which swirled in the air, some landing on my head and face, feeling cool.

Night fell over the land.

The candlelight burning in the lanterns under the eaves cast a bright orange-red glow on the snow.

No one knew what Emperor Ninghe was thinking. He stood there quietly, motionless, like a statue, and Wei Zhong didn't ask.

After some time, Emperor Ninghe suddenly seemed to remember something: "After the New Year, Tianyi will be nineteen years old, right?"

"It's nineteen."

Emperor Ninghe smiled and said, "It's time to find Tianyi a good match."

"Yuheng, you just spoil this girl too much."

……

The snow fell silently.

The heavy snow finally stopped in the early hours of the morning.

In the inner city, lights shone in the luxurious mansions, and servants and maids were already busy preparing, as their master had to go to court and could not be delayed.

The thick snow covered everything in a silvery white expanse.

The snow-covered roads were slippery, so the carriage swayed slowly, making a creaking sound, and deep ruts appeared on the smooth, mirror-like snow.

Ordinary people get up even earlier.

The sky was just beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn, and figures could already be seen on Chang'an Street.

Occasionally, one could hear whispers about how the weather was getting colder and colder. After all, in Dongling City, it was normal for it to snow before the New Year, but snowfall after the New Year, especially at the end of the first lunar month, was really rare. Even when it did snow, it was mostly just snowflakes or sleet. Such a heavy snowfall, which blanketed Dongling City overnight, was unprecedented.

"It's freezing to death."

"Hey, when will spring arrive? We mustn't miss the spring planting, or this year will be tough."

People were talking incessantly.

Some people find humor in hardship, saying things like, "You don't understand, this is a sign of a bountiful harvest."

"Hey, Brother Liu, have you heard? Yesterday, the Marquis of Champion and Lord Fang Shan, the Prefect of Dongling Prefecture, joined forces to destroy the Ghost Cave." Suddenly, a voice rang out on Chang'an Street, attracting the attention of many people.

Turning my head, I saw two people under the eaves, whispering to each other. Although they were being secretive, their voices could be heard throughout the entire street.

The snow was so heavy that it was impossible to do anything at a time like this. So, some people moved closer to the direction from which the sound came, wanting to hear what was going on.

In ancient times, news was not readily available.

Yesterday, when Fangshan cleared out the Ghost Cave's ground stronghold, although it was a large-scale operation, it was unlikely to spread throughout Dongling City. Therefore, many people's first reaction upon hearing the news was disbelief. That was the Ghost Cave! In Dongling Prefecture, it was a place that could stop a child from crying; how could it be wiped out so easily?

"Are you bragging?" came a voice that played along perfectly. "Many prefects have said they would destroy the Ghost Cave before, but which one succeeded?"

The first man to speak felt deeply insulted and couldn't help but clench his fists and shout, "I swear, I'm not bragging this time. I saw it with my own eyes yesterday... Good heavens, you have no idea. Corpses were carried out of the ditch and piled up into a mountain. I heard that not counting the prisoners, there were four or five thousand corpses alone. Many of them were smashed into mincemeat."

"The Marquis of Champion said he would cut off these people's heads and make them into a mound of skulls."

"That's fucking satisfying."

"Champion Hou and Fang Shan also rescued many trafficked children from the Ghost Cave, numbering in the thousands. Tsk tsk, those beasts in the Ghost Cave are truly inhuman. Most of the children have been tortured beyond recognition. Their arms and legs have been broken, and some have even lost their eyes, ears, and noses. It gave me nightmares all night."

"What a beast, what an animal!"

"Who says otherwise? I have a relative who works in the palace. I heard that His Majesty has already learned about this matter and is furious. He wants to hold a public trial for these beasts in front of the palace gates. Lord Fangshan will send those children there then, which will serve as witnesses."

"Huh? We can actually enter the inner city? His Majesty is going to personally interrogate the suspect?" Another person exclaimed excitedly, "Let's go, let's hurry over there! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! We'll have something to brag about with Tie Zhu and the others later, it'll be a real status symbol. If we get there early, we might even be able to get a good spot and have a chance to see His Majesty in person! Don't just stand there..."

With that, the two of them excitedly headed towards the palace.

The audience members who had been surrounding the scene now all had strange expressions on their faces. The emperor himself was trying a case... How could they not go and see? It didn't matter much whether they planted crops a day earlier or later, especially since the mountains were now blocked by heavy snow, so there was no way to plant crops even if they wanted to. But if they missed this kind of excitement, they would never have another chance.

Suddenly, dozens of people followed behind, heading towards the inner city in a swarm.

Similar scenes were playing out on several bustling streets in Dongling City.

Meanwhile, in a slightly less crowded area, some porters carrying sacks would pull anyone they saw into a corner, furtively pulling out a small piece of silver from their pockets. They would say that they would earn one or two taels of silver just for reaching the palace gates. The man, though somewhat dazed and incredulous, was immediately confronted with the real silver and turned back to his room. Not long after, he was back with his entire family, including the baby in his arms…

Such an opportunity to make money is rare. Not only his own family, but also all his relatives, including aunts, uncles, and other close friends, were invited.

If Song Yan were here, he would recognize this model at a glance... a pyramid scheme.

Meanwhile, carriages, escorted by constables, moved slowly forward... They were flatbed carriages, numbering in the dozens, each filled with children.

Both boys and girls are included.

Curled up in their tiny bodies, Fangshan found some winter clothes for these children, so they no longer had to suffer from the cold as before. But even so, their twisted limbs were still clearly visible, their scabbed, contorted eye sockets were still horrifying, and their faces without ears and noses were still enough to make one's scalp tingle.

At this moment, countless people on Chang'an Avenue were filled with utter anger.

Who doesn't have a few kids?
Seeing such a little child being abused by those beasts, everyone was filled with righteous indignation, cursing those people in the Ghost Cave as heartless beasts.

Most ordinary people are very simple and honest. In normal times, even if they see something bad and feel disgusted, they will mostly just mutter a few words in their hearts and will not dare to express it openly. However, humans are also creatures with a herd mentality. When some people are angry, if they are not controlled, this anger will spread rapidly and eventually ignite the entire group.

……

In the imperial court, on ordinary days, matters were reported in advance, and court was adjourned when there was nothing to report.

Unless it's a major court assembly like the Lantern Festival, the morning court session usually doesn't last too long, just an hour or two. But today, for some reason, the pace of the morning court session was unusually slow.

Yang Hetong frowned deeply.

Even the two attendants under his command, Chu Licheng and Gao Hong, looked suspicious.

I have a feeling that Emperor Ninghe is acting a bit strange today, but I really can't figure out what's wrong.

Something's also off about Fang De.

This old fox, who is usually dozing off and can't utter a single word, seems to have endless things to say today. He insists on bringing all sorts of messy matters that the Ministry of Personnel could handle to the imperial court, making Emperor Ninghe deal with them personally.

That's not all. Even Song Yan, who usually doesn't attend court, made an unprecedented appearance in the court today.

Before we knew it, it was noon.

After standing all morning, the civil and military officials' legs were stiff, as if they weren't even part of their own bodies. Their stomachs were rumbling with hunger, and their lower abdomens were bloated and aching. They wished they could find a secluded place to relieve themselves.

Just then, Emperor Ninghe suddenly stood up: "My beloved ministers, please follow me to the Meridian Gate. There is one last matter. Once that is settled, you may return to your residences."

Without giving the civil and military officials time to think, he headed towards the palace gate, surrounded by several imperial guards and eunuchs.

Many officials could only follow suit.

As soon as they arrived near the palace gates, they sensed something was amiss. The guards on duty inside the palace stood ramrod straight, their faces tense, and some even had beads of cold sweat on their foreheads, as if they had seen something terrifying. Outside the palace gates, there was a commotion.

It felt as if the voices of thousands of people were converging, only causing irritation.

Emperor Ninghe, his face grave, led his civil and military officials up the palace walls. The moment they saw the scene outside the palace gates…

hiss.

A collective gasp filled the air along the entire city wall.

In a daze, the temperature around me seemed to rise considerably, as if all the cool air had been sucked away.

What did they see...?

The densely packed, surging heads resembled a huge, heavy dark cloud that blotted out the sky and covered the entire ground. Everywhere one looked, there were people from Dongling.

How many exactly are there?

Ten thousand, twenty thousand? Fifty thousand? Or one hundred thousand?

Could it be that all the people of Dongling City have gathered here?
What exactly is this supposed to do?
Are these peasants planning a rebellion?

Those who can navigate the court are all seasoned veterans, experienced and ruthless, yet even they couldn't help but feel their scalp tingle and their palms sweat when suddenly seeing so many people gathered together. They finally understood why the guards and eunuchs in the palace showed such tense expressions; they would have been just as flustered if they were in their shoes.

Even Song Yan was somewhat surprised. He originally thought that it would be quite difficult to attract a few thousand or ten thousand people, but who would have thought that so many would come.

That's not all. Right outside the palace gate, at the very front, dozens of carriages were parked, each carrying a young child with contorted limbs. In front of the carriages stood Fang Shan, the Prefect of Dongling Prefecture, kneeling respectfully on the ground, holding a book in his hands.

Fangshan District announced yesterday that it had eradicated the Ghost Cave.

The civil and military officials didn't really believe it.

After all, Ghost Cave had been entrenched in the dark ditch for decades, enduring dozens of sieges and raids, yet it remained thriving. While Fangshan might have some skill, the idea of ​​annihilating Ghost Cave was simply a pipe dream. Although reports of over 1,900 beheadings circulated, few took them seriously. In the eyes of most, it was merely Fangshan exaggerating his achievements.

The fact that only a few dozen of the Dongling Prefecture's constables were lost is even more unbelievable. The exact number of people and martial artists in the Ghost Cave remains a mystery; no one knows for sure, but it certainly couldn't have been resolved with just a few dozen casualties.

Looking at the current situation, many people are still confused.

As the people outside the palace watched Emperor Ninghe make his appearance, they became restless, and some even instinctively pushed forward, creating a situation that seemed on the verge of chaos.

"quiet."

Just then, Song Yan shouted.

The sound, like the morning bell of an ancient temple, echoed in the ears of everyone in the surrounding area.

The initially agitated crowd gradually calmed down.

“Your Majesty, it is not safe here. The rioters may cause chaos. Please, Your Majesty, consider the well-being of the nation and return to the palace to rest. We will handle these rioters properly.” Yang Hetong said quickly, his throat slightly moving.

A bad feeling grew stronger in my heart.

He had to stop Emperor Ninghe from taking any further action.

As he spoke, Yang Hetong gave a signal, and immediately two palace guards moved closer to Emperor Ninghe, preparing to escort him back to the palace.

Song Yan, however, stepped aside and stood between the two palace guards.

Emperor Ninghe glanced at Yang Hetong: "Minister Yang, you are overthinking it. With so many people gathered together, there must be some public resentment. Since there is public resentment, as the emperor, I should deal with it. How can I avoid it?" After speaking, before Yang Hetong could reply, his gaze fell on Fang Shan: "Minister Fang, please rise. Is there anything you wish to report?"

Fang Shan took a deep breath, stood up, but still maintained his bowed posture, and held the account book in front of him: "Your Majesty, I, Fang Shan, the Prefect of Dongling Prefecture, yesterday joined forces with Marquis Song Yan to besiege Ghost Cave. In a fierce battle, we killed 2,147 members of Ghost Cave and captured 224 members alive."

"At the Ghost Cave stronghold, 493 children were rescued from the Ghost Cave. Among them, 397 children had been mutilated, with broken legs and arms, gouged eyes, cut ears and noses, and were unable to take care of themselves."

"The master of Ghost Cave, a scholar, was killed on the spot."

"A ledger was found on the body of the Ghost Cave Master. According to the ledger, in the sixty years since the Ghost Cave was established, it has murdered 17,700 children, abducted 8,663 women, and assassinated 3,541 people..."

hiss!
A collective gasp immediately rose from all around.

Although they had known for a long time that the Ghost Cave had committed many evils, when this series of numbers actually appeared, they still felt their scalps tingle.

More than 10,000 children.

Nearly 10,000 women.

Three thousand five thousand assassinations.

The ferocity of the Ghost Cave exceeded everyone's expectations.

However, although they were shocked, they didn't have many other thoughts. After all, to these scholars, the dead were just some peasants, so what was the big deal?

Only some officials' expressions changed drastically; their faces turned pale and their bodies trembled involuntarily.

The crowd stirred once again.

"Beasts." "They're all beasts."

How could they do such a thing?

"Lingchi (death by a thousand cuts), it must be lingchi."

The various sounds blended together, like a roaring mountain and a tsunami.

Emperor Ninghe had already seen the account books, but upon hearing these numbers, he still felt a chill run down his spine, and his face turned extremely gloomy.

Fang Shan's voice continued: "Because the matter is far too significant, I dare not make a decision on my own. I humbly request Your Majesty to handle it personally."

As Fangshan spoke, officers escorted 224 prisoners forward, who knelt on the ground. Each of them was bound hand and foot and covered in blood, clearly indicating that their captivity had been difficult and that they had likely suffered abuse.

As they were talking, a eunuch lowered a hanging basket, and Fangshan placed the account books and several sheets of Xuan paper inside.

Emperor Ninghe flipped through the blood-stained account books. The palace and its surroundings were deathly silent. All eyes were fixed on Emperor Ninghe, especially on the people outside the city, whose eyes were full of anticipation, as if they wanted to see how His Majesty would deal with these beasts.

Such quiet times feel particularly oppressive.

Everyone's heart is heavy.

Especially for those who were captured, the fear was palpable, and the wait for trial was truly agonizing.

About fifteen minutes later, Emperor Ninghe slowly closed the account book, looked at the densely packed crowd outside the palace, and took a deep breath:

"kill!"

The voice was not loud, but it had a sense of majesty.

Upon hearing this, some members of the Ghost Cave immediately went limp, some even struggling desperately, and some opening their mouths as if to beg for mercy. Even though these people had committed countless evils and were no longer considered human, but merely humanoid creatures, they still wanted to live.

Fangshan gave a signal, and a group of constables drew their swords in a flash.

laugh.

One after another, the curved blades slashed down.

Fresh blood spurted out immediately.

The surrounding ground was then stained crimson.

These are constables, not professional executioners.

Some heads were chopped off and rolled far away in the snow.

Some heads had been chopped off in half, drooping, blood streaming from the torn back of their necks. The excruciating pain caused them to scream incessantly, prompting a constable to step forward and deliver the final blow.

The faces of all the civil and military officials turned pale.

A thunderous cheer erupted from the surrounding crowd.

Praises of His Majesty's wisdom and sagacity arose one after another.

Only the hundreds of children on the carriage looked blank, as if nothing had happened... These children had long been tortured to the point of losing their human consciousness.

More than two hundred corpses lay scattered on the ground, blood gushing from their severed necks, pooling together and melting the cold snow.

A strong, pungent smell of blood drifted slowly on the breeze.

Emperor Ninghe's face was solemn. He lowered his head and bowed, a simple gesture that represented the emperor's apology.

"The Eastern Mausoleum Imperial City is located right under the emperor's feet."

"Such a shocking thing has happened. This is my fault. I shall announce it to the world and ask for forgiveness."

Although it wasn't a formal document, it could be considered a self-reproach edict.

After speaking, Emperor Ninghe straightened up and reopened the account book: "Indeed, the Ghost Cave is just a minor ailment."

"A group of rats roaming in the dark ditches, numbering only a little over two thousand, have been able to roam freely in the Eastern Mausoleum Imperial City for sixty years, running rampant and harming tens of thousands of people. The imperial court has launched several sieges against them, but all have ended in vain. They have become a thorn in the side of Ning Kingdom. Why is that?"

"Because the real threat to Ningguo lies not in the Ghost Cave, not in the White Tower, not in the foreign tribes on the border, but in the court!" Emperor Ninghe's voice was filled with sorrow and anger: "Right here in the Great Ning Palace, right among my ministers."

Perhaps to let more people hear him, his voice was very loud.

Accompanied by the cold wind, it echoed in everyone's ears.

There was a rustling sound in the crowd.

Suddenly, someone shouted, "These are beasts too! If it weren't for their protection, how could Ghost Cave have committed such evil deeds? They are even more despicable than Ghost Cave. Kill them!"

"Kill them."

"Kill them."

"Kill them."

In an instant, a roaring sound filled the air, like muffled thunder.

Many officials were pale-faced, swaying precariously, their eyes filled with deep fear.

Damn it, they're just a bunch of peasants, how dare they?

How dare you?
Who gave them the courage?
Emperor Ninghe ran his fingers over the ledger of the Ghost Cave. At this moment, in the eyes of some people, this ledger was like the Book of Life and Death of the King of Hell.

“Wei Dongling…”

A name was uttered from the mouth of Emperor Ninghe.

Wei Dongling was the commander of a unit of the Imperial Guards and also served as the Vice Minister of War.

No one expected that the first name to come out of Emperor Ninghe's mouth would be this one.

Then, among the military officers, a middle-aged man in his forties trembled, his face instantly turning ashen. His legs buckled, and he knelt on the ground with a thud, large beads of sweat rolling down his forehead: "Your Majesty..."

Emperor Ninghe's eyes were filled with even more regret: "Wei Dongling..."

"The ancestors of the Wei family followed Emperor Taizu in expanding the territory and establishing the Ning Kingdom."

"Your father, elder brother, and younger brother all died in the war against the Xiongnu. The late emperor and I have bestowed many rewards upon the Wei family. Are those riches not enough for you to spend?"

"Two hundred and seventy thousand taels."

“You collected a total of 270,000 taels from the Ghost Cave.”

"That money was obtained by harming the people of Ningguo. Did you feel at ease spending it?"

Wei Dongling pressed his forehead to the ground, trembling: "Your Majesty, I am ashamed."

Emperor Ninghe took a deep breath: "The Duke of Wei is hereby demoted to the Marquis of Wei. The entire lineage of Wei Dongling is to be executed, and his property confiscated. His title will be inherited by his sons and nephews who are of good character."

Wei Dongling, a tall man, seemed to have all his strength drained away at this moment. Although he was somewhat mediocre, he understood that when tens of thousands of people gathered in front of the palace gates, things had already escalated.

No one listed in the ledger will escape unscathed.

The fact that the Duke of Wei's family can still retain some lineage is already thanks to His Majesty's consideration for their ancestors, father, and brothers.

A bitter smile spread across his face.

He couldn't even remember why he became the protector of the Ghost Cave. Was it because of that box of dazzling silver, or because the Ghost Cave offered him that delicate and frail woman?

After bowing respectfully to Emperor Ninghe, Wei Dongling stood up and, in the next second, leaped off the high city wall.

This is the city wall of the imperial palace, which is three or four zhang high, and it's upside down.

With a loud thud, he fell into the snowdrift. His neck was likely broken, his head was tilted to one side, and blood was seeping from his mouth.

For a time, all the officials were silent, trembling with fear.

The commander of the Imperial Guards and the Vice Minister of War lost his life just like that.

Emperor Ninghe slowly turned to the next page of the account book:
"Left Vice Censor-in-Chief, Cao Jie."

The person whose name was called trembled, his face instantly drained of all color, and he knelt on the ground with a thud: "Your Majesty, I am innocent..."

"Injustice? In the fourth year of Yuanjing, you served as the Prefect of Dongling Prefecture. At the end of the year, Guidong gave you 70,000 taels of silver."

"In the fifth year of Yuanjing, 80,000 taels."

"In the sixth year of Yuanjing, you were transferred to the Censorate. Guidong gave you 60,000 taels of silver... During your tenure, you provided protection for Guidong, which allowed Guidong to run rampant in Dongling City."

“I’ve written it all down, one by one.” Emperor Ninghe shouted sternly, “Do you want me to read it all to you?”

Cao Jie's body trembled, and he opened his mouth wide, but no sound came out.

"kill him!"

The sound that had just stopped started again, this time even more violently than before.

"kill him."

"kill him!"

Cao Jie trembled violently, his face filled with despair.

Emperor Ninghe's voice was extremely cold, devoid of any warmth: "Cao Jie has embezzled a huge amount of money, indirectly harming tens of thousands of people in Ning Kingdom. His property shall be confiscated, and his entire family shall be executed."

These words sent chills down the spines of all the officials.

The Left Vice Censor-in-Chief, the second most powerful figure in the Censorate, a high-ranking official of the third rank, was just like that—his family was raided and his clan exterminated?

For a moment, the civil and military officials felt their minds buzzing, and even had a sense of unreality.

Cao Jie was also an official from Bailu Academy. Some civil officials from the Bailu Academy faction were eager to plead for him. But all he did was protect the Ghost Cave, kill a few peasants, and embezzle more than 800,000 taels of silver. What was the big deal?
Confiscating property and exterminating the entire clan is truly excessive.

However, Chu Licheng and Gao Hong immediately swept their stern gazes across them, stopping their actions.

joke.

Look, the moment Emperor Ninghe announced the extermination of nine generations of his family, tens of thousands of restless people gathered outside the palace.

Listen to that voice, like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing, that screams, "Kill him, kill him, kill him!"

At a time like this, whoever pleads for Cao Jie will die.

That's a brilliant tactic, truly a brilliant tactic.

If this were in the imperial court, they would naturally have had enough ways to save Cao Jie's life, at most he would be demoted. Who would have thought that Emperor Ninghe could mobilize tens of thousands of people so quietly?

No matter how much these civil officials, scholars, and aristocratic families looked down on these peasants, when these peasants gathered in the tens or hundreds of thousands, even these high-ranking people had to lower their proud heads.

The roaring sound and the excited faces were like the fiercest tsunami, crashing against everyone's hearts. The invisible pressure was almost suffocating.

Song Yan walked up to Cao Jie with a smile, grabbed Cao Jie's head, and crushed it with a snap in front of everyone.

Brain matter and fresh blood slowly dripped down his fingers.

With a casual toss, the body was thrown outside the city wall.

"Guo Ying, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, once served as the Prefect of Dongling Prefecture. He received 660,000 taels of silver from the Ghost Cave."

"Confiscate their property and exterminate their entire family."

"Shi Tiancai, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, once served as the Prefect of Dongling Prefecture. He received 640,000 taels of silver from the Ghost Cave."

"Confiscate their property and exterminate their entire family."

"The Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Liao Guoming, received 520,000 taels of silver from the Ghost Cave."

"Confiscate their property and exterminate their entire family."

"Left Attendant Gentleman of the Palace, Left Envoy...confiscate their property and exterminate their nine generations of relatives."

"Zhang Yang, Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue... his home is to be confiscated, and his entire family is to be executed!"

(End of this chapter)