The Ethereal Domains

Chapter 551: What about Your Clan?

What about Your Clan? . . .

The challenge of comforting the king and seeking exoneration for Second Prince weighed heavily on the officials' minds. They recognized that, irrespective of their own moral compass, attempting to console the king and absolve Second Prince was a misguided endeavor. To complicate matters further, if anyone suspected a connection to Second Prince's illicit enterprises, it could lead to unsavory consequences.

After a period of contemplation, the King resolved not to conceal the truth any longer. The royal house no longer needed the thin veil of secrecy. Concealment could never be a permanent solution, and the king could not bear the burden of moral transgression.

Over the course of three days, the assassins traversed half the Kingdom of Chen with unparalleled stealth and speed. Their actions were swift and surreptitious. In a mere half-day's time, they would reach another location, an accomplishment that would typically require a full day's journey on horseback. As soon as they arrived at their destination, they embarked on their relentless killing spree without respite.

Without pausing for rest, they orchestrated a relentless massacre over five days and four nights, culminating in the deaths of over a hundred thousand individuals. Their victims included officials, royal kin, nobility, and common citizens, most of whom were recorded as patrons of the local Voluptuous Flower Buildings.

Such a relentless and macabre massacre appeared to defy the very laws of nature, yet the king found himself without the grounds to intervene. Capturing the perpetrators seemed inconceivable. How could he halt the avengers of justice when he had not meted out retribution to his own son, the perpetrator of grievous, unforgivable crimes?

The King grappled with a sense of shame and moral responsibility. Royal figures could not act with such shamelessness. The royal court, meanwhile, meticulously gathered information on the widespread crimes and amassed the documentation from all Voluptuous Flower Buildings throughout the kingdom.

The king compelled officials from the Penalty Ministry to sift through the amassed information, a task that consumed an entire day. Minister Wang, overwhelmed and indignant, was on the brink of cursing aloud. Had it not been the king's son responsible, he would have been unequivocal in his censure.

The revelations bore witness to the atrocities committed over a decade. In that time, Voluptuous Flower Building had covertly erected eighty-five branches, with an additional thirty-three kept in secret. These establishments spanned eleven locations within the Kingdom of Tian-Yu and nine within the Kingdom of Lan-Feng, bringing the total to one hundred and thirty-eight.

Furthermore, the official record of victims revealed a staggering tally. One million and two hundred seventy thousand young women had fallen victim to these heinous crimes. Minister Wang's voice quivered with distress as he articulated the death toll, his eyes welled with tears. In a resounding shout, he exclaimed, "One million and two hundred seventy thousand young women! One million and two hundred seventy thousand lives!"

His proclamation resounded through the royal court, and it was met with a collective sigh from the assembled officials. There were two exceptions, however. Two officials, who had not directly participated in Second Prince's sordid ventures but had accepted the girls as gifts, sought to avoid eye contact, clearly struggling with their conscience.

Minister Wang, with a pointed gaze, addressed them directly. "My esteemed colleagues, what is your stance on this matter?"

Overwhelmed by guilt and fear, the two officials prostrated themselves before the king, begging for mercy. "Your majesty, please, we acknowledge our wrongdoing. We deserve punishment."

The King regarded them with disdain. While he had previously commended these officials for their diligent work, he now pronounced, "Since you admit your transgressions, so be it. Someone, take them away. Execute them both. Wipe out their families and obliterate their clans."

His declaration sent the two officials into a state of abject despair.

Within the court, the guards swiftly converged, seizing the two officials and unceremoniously dragging them toward the exit, their pleas for mercy growing increasingly desperate with each step.

One of them, a voice trembling with anguish, suddenly erupted, "Annihilate my clan if you must! But may I pose a question, your majesty? I merely accepted one woman, and I have never wronged her! Am I truly beyond redemption? If you decree the obliteration of my entire lineage, then what of you? Your son, Second Prince, perpetrated such egregious offenses!"

"Even the king must abide by the law like any common citizen," he continued with defiant resolve. "Second Prince has committed countless transgressions. Should you not hold him accountable as his father? If you choose to exterminate every official present, can you possibly conceal the truth that such heinous crimes originated within your own royal family?"

Laughter, filled with bitter irony, burst forth. "Wipe out my clan, by all means! I acknowledge my wrongdoing and anticipate my descent into hell. Yet, I implore you to one day issue the order to annihilate your own kin. I am eager to witness how you can carry out the eradication of your own family, all while convincing the world of your justification."

Recognizing their inevitable fate, the two officials resolved to face death with unwavering candor. In their present circumstances, fear held no dominion over them. They boldly expressed the thoughts that had burdened their hearts.

In truth, they had a valid point. They had not been complicit in Second Prince's illicit operations. Their involvement had been limited to harboring the women bestowed upon them by Second Prince, a practice that had become tacitly accepted within the court. Moreover, they had treated the women with respect and had never caused them harm. They were wholly ignorant of the origins of these women.

Their fate was particularly harsh, driven by the extraordinary circumstances and the king's seething anger. Under normal circumstances, the penalty for their actions would not have extended to execution and the extermination of their clans.

The courtroom fell silent, the echoes of the two officials' impassioned pleas still reverberating in the air. The king's visage contorted, bespeaking a tumultuous medley of emotions — despondency, melancholy, rage, guilt, and remorse.

The impassioned protestations of the doomed officials had pricked at the king's conscience, compelling him to confront a vexing question: Were they right in their assertions? Despite his complex internal struggle, he ultimately exhaled a weary sigh and delivered a verdict. "Retrieve them. Suspend their duties for six months. Let us assess their conduct after this time."

His eyes were shrouded in gloom. "They speak the truth. My son has committed unforgivable deeds. I cannot unleash my anger upon others with a flimsy excuse."

The gravity of the situation weighed heavily on his heart, leaving him to grapple with his moral quandary.