"Granted," The Emperor said. "I will also place Elder Wang in charge of eliminating the whole Lan and Chen clans. Not one must escape or be left alive. Elder Wang have the Imperial census dig into all the genealogies that were confiscated during the arrest of the ministers. Dispatch the Qiú Fàn and the Shā Qì Warriors to eliminate any of the Chen of Lan clan members living outside of the Imperial City. Have them also retrieve the genealogies of all the distant relatives that share the same bloodlines." The Emperor said in a hard, grim voice.
The hearts of many of the Noblemen, Officials, Ministers, and retired Elders gathered in the Imperial Meeting Hall shook. Some were so shocked they actually staggered in place as though hit by a heavy blow. Some were so stunned they momentarily felt dizzy. Everyone gawked at the emperor in complete disbelief. Many thought they misunderstood or heard the Emperor wrong.
Many whispering side conversations started taking place among the gathered Nobles, Ministers, retired Elders, and Officials, who was in complete disbelief or denial. They turned to confirm with each other to make sure they didn't hear wrong or misunderstand.
The Emperor was not going for nine familial exterminations!? Instead, he was going for complete clan annihilation!? Not even distant relatives who were far removed from the original bloodline were exempted as long as they shared a drop of the same blood!?
What madness is this!? Did the massive purge drive the Emperor crazy? When did the Emperor become this tyrannical? Is this what the Emperor meant when he said he would no longer be lenient?
This was something never heard of in the Tolling Lands. A clan consisted of thousands of family members. Some clans numbered in the ten thousandths. Some clans numbered even higher than that. Some of the members of these clans were many times removed from the original bloodlines.
Some were so far removed from each other. They used a different genealogy book and didn't even know of the existence of each other or that they shared the same ancestor. However, if the Emperor run around snatching genealogy books of distant relatives. What if one of the genealogy books showed that they are a distant relative who unknowingly shared the same ancestor hundreds of years ago! Or what about the next time!?
"Your Majesty, please reconsider," some of the shocked officials could help but involuntarily yell out in complete utter shock and beg the Emperor for mercy. They weren't pleading for the Lan and Chen clans. They were pleading for themselves in self-preservation.
"Your Majesty," the Minister of War said in a shocked urging manner. "I do not plead for Minister Lan and Elder Chen. They deserve the harshest death possible. However, to exterminate an entire clan, I ask His Majesty to be lenient for the last time. A nine familial extermination is just and fitting. I ask Your Majesty to reconsider the extermination of the entire clans." The Minister of war kowtowed after pleading for the Emperor to reconsider.
"Must I tolerate the existence of the bloodline of Emperor killers?" The Emperor questioned reminding the officials that the late Emperor was also his father.
"Your Majesty," an old retired Elder stood out. He was once the Minister of Rites. "Never in the history of the Tolling Lands have an Emperor or regent order a complete clan annihilation and included distant relatives that was far removed from the original bloodline exceeding past the second or third cousins. This must not be done. Please reconsider your Majesty!" The old minister said in righteous indignation before kowtowing.
"I see no one is protesting the fact that the Ministers and Elder Chen gloated at killing off the previous Emperor who was their Master." The Emperor said in a cold hard voice.
"Your Majesty," an old retired white-haired Elder who was once a historian, stood out. "This must not be done. The consequences for this are too far-reaching. You are a wise and just ruler. It would pain my heart if years later scholars look back on this moment and label you a despotic Emperor! We, as your advisors and subjects cannot allow that Your Majesty! You are justified in being angry, Your Majesty. I plea not for the Lan and Chen Clan. I plead for my Emperor, who is just and wise and whose reign has been very prosperous and blessed by the heavens. Please reconsider your Majesty." The old retired historian pleaded in the most earnest manner that he could and kowtowed.
"What you say have merit Elder. However, I see you failed to mention how the scholars will also look back to see how the traitors who killed an Emperor was punished. They will look back to see how treasonous Ministers who were charged with running the country was punished for plotting against loyal subject who gave their all in standing guard over the country. The Scholars will also look back to see how these traitors were punished for colluding with outside forces and deliberately weakening the Tolling Lands. Elder, it's not one or two crimes these criminals are being charged with. I wonder if you would say the same if it was your daughter who was defiled and mocked after being defiled. Why must I tolerate a tree with rotten roots?" The Emperor countered in an ice-cold domineering voice.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
However, to exterminate a whole clan? That was too overbearing, that was just too much.
Many of the Nobles, Officials and Ministers began to think 'What I would do if I found out I had a random cousin that was twenty times removed from my family? Now, what if this random cousin offended the Emperor? What if this stupid random cousin has just one drop of my blood? Ah!? You mean to tell me I have to die because of this stupid random cousin that is twenty times removed from my family offended the Emperor? Why must I die because of some random stranger whom I never even shared a cup of tea with managed to somehow have a drop of my blood?! What kind of situation is this? Ah!? What madness is this?'
When the officials realized just how dire this situation could be, they decided that this must be stopped at all costs. What if the next time the emperor called for a clan extermination, they somehow end up as the relative of the stupid random cousin because of one drop of blood. The officials, Nobleman, retired Elders, and Ministers, were thinking, "I have enough enemies to worry about! Why must I now worry about losing my head over some stupid random cousin that managed to be related to me by one drop of blood? Ah!? Ridiculous! Preposterous! Absolutely unacceptable! This is too oppressive! We must not allow the Emperor to become a despotic Emperor!'
All the officials wanted to shout at the Emperor. Just kill off Minister Lan and Elder Chen and all nine generations of their family. Why are you making things so complicated? Ah!? Why must random strangers get dragged into this? Your Majesty, do you realize just how massive a clan could be?
But of course, they couldn't say that, so as though it was choreographed, all the Nobles, Officials, retired Elders and Ministers began to kowtow and beg, "Your Majesty, please reconsider," over and over.
After several moments the Emperor looked over to Elder Wang. The Emperor asked, "Elder Wang, what is your opinion on this matter?"
The Emperor saw a twinkle of amusement flash through his Imperial Grandfather's eyes. Of course, his grandfather knew that he wasn't going to exterminate a whole clan. The Emperor's agenda was Elder Chen and the Chen Family with this little scheme of his. He wanted to cut off all roads of possible negotiations.
The Chen Family was a tree with very deep roots. Many of the Nobles, Officials and Ministers currently attending court owed favors to the Chen Family and Elder Chen. The Officials, Ministers, and Nobles were furious at Elder Chen now.
But what about later? What if later the Chen clan or supporters of Elder Chen and the Chen Family began collecting on the debts that many of the Nobles, Minister, and Officials owe the Chen Family?
If pressured hard enough, many of the same Officials, Minister, and Noblemen screaming for Elder Chen's death at the moment will be the same ones later to turn around and began pressuring the Emperor for leniency.
However, the Emperor turned the situation around to where they were now begging the Emperor to only kill Elder Chen and nine generations of his family instead of the whole Chen and Lan clans. The Emperor left no room for possible negotiations.
Now which member of the Chen clan or Chen Family supporters would dare to pressure the Nobles, Ministers, and Officials to open negotiations on behalf of the Chen Family or Elder Chen after this. No one would dare to support the Chen Family or Elder Chen now. To do so would put their own neck at risk.
Although some of the older officials, ministers, and retired Elders who weathered my storms and schemes of the Imperial courts were starting suspect the Emperor was using this as a scheme. They didn't want to take a chance. What if the Emperor wasn't bluffing?
Elder Chen was once the Prime Minister of the Tolling Lands before he retired. He had dipped his fingers into many pots. However, all paths of retreat or progression was now cut off.
"Your Majesty," Elder Wang said. "It is my opinion that the Nine familial exterminations are Just and Fitting. It is not necessary to exterminate the whole Chen and Lan clans." The whole court breathed a sigh of relief to hear those words.
"Since Imperial Grandfather shared the opinion of the officials, and Ministers gathered in court today. Then for the last time, I will be lenient. I will allow Imperial Grandfather to interrogate Elder Chen and Minister Lan on the premise that the Chen and Lan Nine Familial extermination be carried out first. I will leave the details for Imperial Grandfather to carry out." For the first time ever, many of the officials were thankful that Elder Wang showed up in court.
Little did they know it was only a scheme of the Emperor to cut of Elder Chen's path of retreat or progression completely. They would have cough up a mouthful of blood and passed out had they knew that the main person who hinted at the scheme and gave the Emperor the idea was Elder Wang himself when he offered the genealogy books of the Lan and Chen families to the Emperor earlier.