The Ethereal Domains

Chapter 728: Purge!

Purge! . . .

What Zuo Wuji had uttered was already considered crude for the court's decorum, yet the king himself shockingly erupted with profanities, a testament to the intensity of his anger.

Evidently, he was incensed.

"Rubbish! At the commencement of the war, it is true that our treasury faced a deficit, but Feng Monarch of Ling-Bao Hall contributed billions of money! We procured vast quantities of provisions, medicines, and other essential supplies. We have been victorious in the south and maintained a balanced struggle on the other fronts. We have not exceeded our means in this war. Why do you believe our treasury is depleted? Our treasury is brimming!"

The king vented his frustration, his eyes brimming with fierce determination. "You bunch of imbeciles have luxuriated in your high positions, leading pampered lives, and now you dare to conspire against our hero? The kingdom entrusted you with authority, and yet you engaged in such nefarious actions! How can you still speak so haughtily in my presence?"

"Do you genuinely think I am so gullible?"

The king's voice resonated with a thunderous roar, his eyes aflame with rage.

The courtroom fell into an eerie silence, the hundreds of officials trembling in the wake of the king's tirade.

Only Zuo Wuji stood steadfast, his voice unwavering as he began, "Your majesty, I have a declaration to make!"

The king flicked his sleeve, granting permission. "Go on!"

"I hereby formally charge Cheng Ziqi, Kong Yujin, Zhao Zifang..."

As Zuo Wuji continued listing names, Prime Minister Zuo was taken aback and utterly stunned, his gaze fixated on his grandson.

Zuo Wuji proceeded to name a total of two hundred and seventy individuals, with one hundred and thirty of them currently present in the court.

[What is he thinking? Is he out of his mind?]

[This is not how impeachment works! How can he accuse so many people at once?]

"... They have abused their authority for personal gain. They manipulated the placement of their nephews and sons into positions of power, suppressing deserving individuals... When the kingdom was in dire straits, these individuals placed their own kin in secure positions and acted arrogantly and imperiously in the capital... This is one of the reasons Commander Cha penalized so many of them before departing. They were all nephews and sons of these ineffectual officials!"

He went on, "Our kingdom has been at war for many years, with four simultaneous battlefronts this year. The majority of our kingdom's men have been sent into battle, fighting for their homeland. Meanwhile, the younger generations of these men cowered behind the shield of the royal guards, knowing that the royal guards would remain with the king until the very end!"

"Some of them previously served in the Western Army... Some in the Southern Army..."

Zuo Wuji denounced, "They are self-serving, pay no heed to law and discipline, and repress those with merit in the court. They are nothing but rapacious cowards. Those who perished under Commander Cha's command deserved their fate! The individuals present here have never genuinely considered how to repel the invaders from our kingdom. Instead, they coordinated efforts to engineer Commander Cha's death, even when they were aware that it would usher in the kingdom's downfall!"

"They withheld the soldiers' salaries, detained provisions, and obstructed the deployment of reinforcements to support Commander Cha. He waged war without receiving adequate provisions or reinforcements from us. We could have decisively defeated the enemy, yet due to these individuals, we lost that opportunity. These individuals are all traitors! They are ruthless! They disdain the royal authority and care nothing for the lives of our people..."

"These plotters and traitors are a scourge upon our kingdom! Please, your majesty, uphold justice!"

Kneeling on the floor, Zuo Wuji raised the report in his hands, ushering in a profound silence that permeated every corner of the courtroom.

All eyes were fixed on the report clutched in Zuo Wuji's trembling hands. The courtroom itself seemed to hold its breath.

[Is he planning to obliterate every official in this courtroom?]

[We might harbor disdain for Cha Eun Xiao, and we may have uttered harsh words in his name, but was that enough to warrant this? Is he seeking to eradicate us all?]

The king's visage grew increasingly ominous. He dispatched a eunuch to retrieve the report from Zuo Wuji's hands.

"I believe," Zuo Wuji proclaimed loudly, "that though our external adversaries may be vanquished, we still harbor enemies within our own walls. To cleanse our system and bring harmony to the world, we must first rid ourselves of the corruption festering within. We must restore internal peace before we can seek dominion over the external world."

"This marks the inception of a new era," he continued. "How can we expand our influence if we do not first purge the corrupt elements within our own ranks? We must eliminate the vermin and parasites, guaranteeing a just system for the deserving."

His words cut through the air with sharp precision, and the assembled officials felt their legs quiver, particularly those who found their names on Zuo Wuji's damning list. It felt as though a bomb had detonated within their minds, causing some to collapse to the ground.

The courtroom atmosphere grew heavy and stifling, making it difficult for some to even draw a breath.

The king's face darkened as he pondered the situation. His fingers rapped impatiently against the arm of his chair as he muttered to himself, "The external enemies are vanquished, but the internal enemies remain."

He sat motionless, yet an aura of murderous intent emanated from the king, filling the entire courtroom.

It was evident that he had made a decision – one that involved retribution.

"Your majesty, please, Zuo Wuji's words cannot be trusted!" Over a hundred officials cried out, tears streaming down their faces as they knelt in desperation. "Your wise majesty, we implore you to deliver justice. We are not..."

"Silence!" The king's eyes gleamed with a frigid light.

"Take those officials listed in the report into custody!"

"Prime Minister Zuo!"

"Yes, your majesty!"

"Grand Tutor!"

"Yes, your majesty!"

…

The king summoned five individuals by name, and five aged officials stepped forward. "You five, undertake this case. Investigate each individual meticulously."

"Yes, your majesty!"

"Zuo Wuji!"

"Yes, your majesty!"

"From this day forward, you shall be the Vice-Minister of Penalty. You are entrusted with this case. Do your utmost!"

"Yes, your majesty!"

A sweeping purge unfolded within the Kingdom of Chen like a sudden tempest. It was an entirely unexpected turn of events.

Before Zuo Wuji had submitted his report, not even the king or his grandfather could have foreseen this outcome.

The officials' attempt to frame Cha Eun Xiao was but a minor catalyst. Their hostility toward him, under the circumstances, was somewhat understandable.

Yet, it was not the primary reason for the purge.

What inflamed the king's ire were the other revelations contained within Zuo Wuji's report.