Chapter 760: Purge

Bei Di, Qian Zhou.

Thirty-six noble families gathered together, jointly appointing King Wu Ji Quan as the Grand Alliance Leader. They sealed their alliance with blood, vowing to resist the southern army led by Wu Zhi, marking a grand occasion.

The night was as serene as water.

After the banquet, Ji Quan sipped the hangover soup brought by a servant, feeling immensely satisfied and proud.

Although these thirty-six noble families were united in name only, harboring mutual distrust and almost coming to blows upon meeting, ultimately, through his strategies, they had been reluctantly molded into an alliance, one that acknowledged him as their leader!

Even if it had cost him dearly, it was entirely worthwhile. At least now he was the nominal ruler of the north!

With righteousness and legitimacy on his side, making the nobles submit in the future would be natural and justified. Perhaps he could even establish a new dynasty and become its founding emperor!

Thinking of this, Ji Quan’s heart burned with excitement.

“Your Majesty! Urgent news from the south!”

At this moment, Prime Minister Zhang Jie hurried over, his expression grave. “A dramatic change in the southern court! Prince Ding has deposed the young emperor and will soon offer sacrifices to Heaven and ascend the throne!”

“What?”

The news was earth-shattering. Ji Quan couldn’t help but tremble slightly as he held his soup bowl: “Is this true?”

“Absolutely true!”

Zhang Jie handed over the official report. Ji Quan read it and involuntarily inhaled sharply: “The secret decree incident has been exposed! Prince Ding deposed the emperor! He purged the officials of the old court—it’s not even a peaceful abdication…”

Throughout history, when a dynasty changed hands and a powerful minister usurped the throne, it was usually done through a peaceful abdication to maintain political stability.

But Wu Zhi had the confidence to directly depose the emperor and then offer sacrifices to Heaven herself, indicating that her legitimacy did not come from the previous dynasty but was ordained by Heaven itself!

As a result, although political instability and social unrest were inevitable in the short term, once stability was achieved, it would mark a fresh start for the new dynasty, completely free from the influence of the old regime.

“Prince Ding is truly a heroine among women. Her decisiveness… I cannot match!”

Ji Quan put down the intelligence report and sighed deeply: “She’s launching a major purge. It seems she has no intention of launching a northern campaign in the near future. How annoying!”

He understood deeply that the only reason the current alliance could barely maintain its unity was due to the immense external pressure from Wu Zhi. Now that Wu Zhi had offered sacrifices to Heaven and ascended the throne, she would naturally prioritize stabilizing her internal affairs first. With no northern campaign imminent, the nobles within the alliance would inevitably scatter and might even start fighting among themselves.

不仅如此，联军规模庞大，消耗惊人——每一张嘴、每一匹马的粮草都要由他这个盟主筹措。更何况，为争取各路诸侯支持而许下的诸多承诺，如今已根本不可能兑现。

Ji Quan had originally thought this title was quite advantageous, but now he felt like he was being roasted alive: “Fate plays tricks on people!”

“Your Majesty…”

Prime Minister Zhang Jie’s eyes also showed signs of moisture.

At this moment, with Wu Zhi focused on defending the south, relying on this motley crew to defend the north might still have some hope, but to launch a southern campaign and compete against Prince Ding’s elite troops and capable generals was absolutely impossible.

On the contrary, internal conflicts within the allied forces would erupt first. This was a strategy of delay, waiting for the enemy to collapse from within! Unfortunately, it was a grand and open scheme, with no way to counter it!

Even though Ji Quan was exceptionally talented, without the favor of timing, what could he do?

At this thought, he almost wept in despair…

…

Ding Zhou.

The city was filled with a solemn atmosphere. The streets were nearly deserted, and occasionally, a squad of soldiers armed with spears and swords, clad in leather armor and with sharp expressions, could be seen patrolling.

Several former officials connected to the rebellion were now in deep trouble. Their homes were directly attacked, their families arrested, and all their property confiscated.

“Misunderstanding, General! Although I was an official of the old dynasty, my heart has always been loyal to Prince Ding. I have never harbored any thoughts of rebellion!”

Inside a mansion, the middle-aged master of the house, who had once served as the Minister of Justice, could not help but turn pale in the face of this calamity.

“Minister Zhang… rest assured, our King will not wrong a good person!”

The leading officer grinned: “But you contacted the north, and previously even betrayed our military intelligence. You hardly look like a good person. Now the evidence is conclusive, so don’t bother denying it…”

He immediately waved his hand: “Seize him, kill anyone who resists!”

“Fight back!”

Suddenly, chaos erupted from the back courtyard as a group of elite household guards rushed out.

“Fire arrows!”

The officer sneered coldly and gave the order without hesitation.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Dozens of crossbow bolts swept across, leaving no blind spots, killing all the skilled household guards. Then, the soldiers in iron armor rushed forward without mercy.

“Haha… We are the authorities, you are bandits! Did you really think you could resist?”

The officer laughed smugly.

He was the imperial army, able to openly deploy heavy weapons, while the other side was just ordinary guards, even wearing simple leather armor would be considered illegal. How could they possibly be a match?

Soon, a subordinate came to report: “Reporting, Officer, the house has been cleared, and we’ve seized countless gold and silver!”

“Haha! Excellent!”

The officer laughed heartily and glanced at the scribe beside him, a government clerk with a gloomy expression, slightly twitching his lips: “Issue the order, all spoils are to be confiscated, no private hoarding. The King has already declared that for this confiscation, we will receive thirty percent as reward!”

“Understood!”

One of his attendants immediately went to deliver the order. Not long after, he hurried back: “Sir, we found a secret room, filled with a large amount of weapons and armor…”

“What? What did you say?”

The officer snapped to attention.

Storing weapons privately was an even more serious offense. He immediately went to investigate.

This secret room was hidden underground, disguised as a warehouse on the surface. If it weren’t for moving aside some bulky items, it would have been hard to discover.

The officer sniffed the air and found it slightly stuffy but without any foul odor. He then descended, and under the torchlight, saw a cellar filled with spears and swords, numbering no less than a hundred, along with several sets of iron armor and even a crossbow. This changed everything.

Storing weapons secretly in the capital—was this preparation for rebellion? Not to mention the crossbow, which could be used for assassinations?

The officer sneered cruelly: “Our King is merciful and has already declared that this time we won’t engage in collective punishment. Originally, this matter would have only resulted in the execution of the ringleader, with the family’s property confiscated and the rest exiled. But now, not a single member of his nine clans will escape.”

“Bring in the men, document every piece of evidence, not a single item should be missed!”

…

“Only after this investigation did we realize the situation was truly shocking…”

In the Prince Ding’s palace, Wu Zhi read through the reports, rubbing her temples.

“The Great Zhou dynasty ruled for centuries, so its influence naturally cannot be erased in a day or two… But even among those who claim to be loyal subjects, there are distinctions… Some merely spoke of loyalty, or even had written evidence, but that’s not really significant, considering the Great Zhou was still the legitimate dynasty at the time. However, those who secretly stored weapons, leaked secrets, and had entered the practical preparation phase cannot be allowed to remain. They must be severely punished to serve as a warning to others!”

Wu Ming wore a simple robe and a bamboo crown, looking like a refined young gentleman in troubled times: “Take this opportunity to clean up your ranks as well!”

Without purging those old officials, how could the new generation rise? And without removing those who held positions without contributing, wouldn’t they just be a drag on progress?

Maintaining the ability to self-cleanse is the key to an organization’s continuous progress.

As for gaining a reputation for being ruthless? Worrying that no one will join you? Nonsense! This world is never short of people who want to become officials. Even in the past, when Emperor Taizu of Ming executed many meritorious officials, it didn’t stop scholars from taking the imperial exams.

“Yes, since I deposed the emperor, there has been some unrest in the south. It seems we won’t be able to launch a northern campaign in the near future…”

Wu Zhi said with a slight note of regret.

“At this time, our Mandate of Heaven is not yet stable. We should cultivate it patiently… We must not engage in large-scale warfare again!”

Wu Ming shook his head: “However, after eliminating these parasites, we should not be too harsh on the former imperial clan. Simply revoking their privileges and confiscating their illegal assets should suffice…”

Throughout history, every rebel who seized the throne made capturing and exterminating the former imperial clan their top priority, but in reality, it was just a sign of their own insecurity.

If the people truly support you and the scholars submit to you, what threat could a few members of the imperial clan pose?

Wu Zhi was self-reliant and strong, and she never needed such measures. Besides, even if she killed all the imperial clan in the south, there was still Wu Wang Ji Quan in the north.

“I naturally understand this. Even that Ji Lin won’t be executed, just placed under house arrest…”

Wu Zhi smiled sweetly: “That Princess Duan Rui has been coming to you crying quite often lately, hasn’t she? I don’t want to cause you any trouble at home…”

“Not at all. This girl understands the situation well and has never asked me for anything…”

Wu Ming said, then sighed.

The princess, now a concubine, understood the importance of being cautious. Although she was clearly distressed, she never resorted to crying, making scenes, or threatening suicide like a spoiled girl.

Not that Wu Ming would have been swayed by such tactics anyway.

“What a clever girl indeed!”

Wu Zhi winked: “Then you should comfort her properly, my husband!”

“Haha…”

Wu Ming touched his nose, walked out of the palace, and directly went to a small hall at the back.

This was the Shuhua Hall, where Princess Duan Rui resided.

“You all may leave!”

Wu Ming strode in, dismissing the maids and nannies. Immediately, a graceful and beautiful young lady stepped forward to greet him: “My husband!”

This was Princess Duan Rui. She wore light silk robes, her face thin, her eyes slightly red, clearly troubled by the recent news.

“Don’t worry. If Ji Lin accepts his fate, his life can be spared. The same goes for the rest of the Great Zhou imperial clan!”

Wu Ming knew exactly what Duan Rui wanted to hear and said directly: “From today on, everything outside has nothing to do with you. Just live peacefully as a member of the Wu family!”

After speaking, he felt a bit awkward and didn’t stay, turning to leave.

“Thank you, my husband!”

Behind him, Princess Duan Rui’s voice, filled with joy and tears, echoed.

Despite her intelligence, she was still a young girl. Facing such a dramatic upheaval, what could she do?

She was not only worried about the safety of her brothers and the rest of the imperial clan outside but also had to be careful not to be implicated, which would only deepen their despair.

She had long realized that her husband was unfathomably deep, holding absolute authority within Prince Ding’s palace, even the senior wife Wu Zhi had to obey him.

Yet, she remained wise and considerate, never directly asking him for favors that might put him in a difficult position.

Now that she had received a favorable outcome, she could no longer contain her emotions, and tears streamed down her cheeks.