Chapter 1945: Enough Is Enough

Inside the Hall of a Thousand Autumns in the Purple Micro City, another gathering of meritorious officials was underway—several dozen nobles and imperial relatives assembled here, the scene similar to previous gatherings in the Hall of Meritorious Officials.

The atmosphere was equally oppressive and grave, and the expressions of the nobles present matched the mood of the occasion—each wore a solemn, stern face, and all knew in their hearts that the old Emperor had summoned them for one purpose: the Kang Ning case.

They all shared a common trait—either they had business dealings with the Kang family, or they had debt relationships with them. Quite a few had even put in a word at the Court of Judicial Review after Kang Ning's arrest, and now those very actions had become "evidence."

Many were nervous. After all, Kang Ning and the Kang clan had already been condemned by Emperor Liu as rebels—the severity of the charges was staggering—and how those with connections to them would be characterized, in a matter touching "rebellion," was by no means something that could be brushed aside easily.

Just yesterday, a large-scale execution had been held at the Southern Market of Luoyang. More than three hundred members of the "Kang rebel faction"—with Kang Ning at its head and Kang clan scions and close associates at its core—had been publicly beheaded. Every noble present had been required to witness the execution on site, seated in the front-row "VIP" positions.

Nobles, after all, were mostly military aristocrats—even the second and third generations had considerable experience fighting on the battlefield and had passed through the test of life and death. To them, death itself was not frightening; what was terrifying was a fate like the Kang clan's—the extermination of an entire house. That was far more fearsome than mere heads rolling.

Executed alongside the Kang clan members were several dozen officials of various ranks—all court-appointed officials in the capital region. Not all were high-ranking, but regardless of their posts, every one of them held real authority in a key position. The highest-ranking and most powerful among them was unquestionably Vice Minister Yang Xun of the Ministry of Personnel.

Executing several dozen officials—even publicly, with spectators invited to watch—was nothing new for the Great Han. There had been many executions on an even larger scale. In the Kaibao era alone, several thousand officials of various ranks had been put to death in the two capitals, and more than half of them had been implicated and executed in various political purges.

Of those, cases involving corruption, bribery, dereliction of duty, abuse of the law, or even callous disregard for human life that were connected to "rebellion cases" were extremely few. The last time had been during the Tangut Li clan's rebellion, but even then, not many had actually been dragged in and lost their lives.

Of course, what truly made one's heart race was the old Emperor's utterly ruthless methods, his decisive and merciless resolve—that authority that transcended all rules.

Where exactly the problem in the Kang Ning case lay—even now, some people were still confused, full of questions. Many knew in their hearts that the Kang family's influence was vast and that they had inevitably committed some illegal acts and crimes, but to say they had wanted to rebel—speaking honestly, that charge was far too severe.

Consider one basic fact: no matter how wealthy the Kang family was, they were merely merchants—"despised traders" in the eyes of the powerful. Their property, their enterprises, their family's very lives were all in the capital region, where imperial control was strongest, right under the Emperor's nose. How could they possibly stir up any trouble? With Kang Ning's shrewdness, no matter how arrogant or reckless he might have been, he would never have done something so foolish and deluded.

Therefore, after much deliberation, they arrived at this conclusion: the Kang family had offended Emperor Liu in some way, had touched upon the old Emperor's taboos, and that was what had brought down the calamity of clan extermination upon them.

As for the specific reason, everyone had their own guesses, and the most absurd among them was that the old Emperor had also coveted the Kang family's vast wealth and had exterminated the clan to seize their property...

It had to be said that Emperor Liu's decisions and actions before and after the "Kang clan rebellion case" did indeed leave much to be desired, and they had also produced some adverse effects.

What more serious, deeper consequences might emerge was still unknown, but for the present, there had been some tremors in the capital region, some disturbances had arisen, and many powerful figures were muttering uneasily to themselves.

Whether judging the matter on its own merits or empathizing with the victims, many people sympathized with the Kang family, but almost none dared to speak up for them. The case was already settled, the people already killed—at least within three generations, there would be no overturning it. At the same time, some of that sympathy was merely crocodile tears; the reason needed no explanation.

For the nobles in the Hall of a Thousand Autumns at this moment, the most important thing was not anything else but that the Kang Ning case end here—that it not continue to expand. Even if they could not stop the implications entirely, it should be limited to the "Kang clan" itself, and not drag them, these honored nobles, into it.

On this point, judging from Emperor Liu's act of summoning them to the Hall of a Thousand Autumns, the problem should not be too great. But to say they would get through this easily without paying any price—that was clearly unlikely. After all, so many officials had demonstrated with bloody reality how heavy the price was for being entangled in the Kang rebellion case.

Even though they were meritorious nobles, the old Emperor's own people by his own words, they did not think they could pass this test lightly. After all, Emperor Liu, that patriarch of the family, was harsh even with his "own people"...

With a herald's announcement, under the expectant yet reverent gaze of the assembled crowd, Emperor Liu's aged figure appeared—still with a bamboo staff in one hand, a black robe, his back still slightly hunched.

He entered the hall, ascended the imperial dais, and sat behind the imperial desk. The assembled ministers performed their bows. Emperor Liu, looking down from on high, swept his gaze around the room. Instead of bidding them rise as usual, he picked up a stack of documents from the desk and asked in a slow, deliberate tone: "You all went to watch yesterday's execution at the execution grounds, didn't you?"

These words immediately chilled the room. The nobles exchanged uneasy glances, and for a moment, no one dared to respond. After scanning them for a few moments, Emperor Liu looked at Zhao Kuangyi: "Guangyang Earl, you speak!"

Zhao Kuangyi was not the highest-ranked noble present, but his power was unquestionably the greatest. Since he was here, he naturally drew the most attention, even being regarded as the "leader." So the esteemed Guangyang Earl, Chancellor Zhao, was also implicated in the Kang case... When the sky falls, there are always the tall ones to hold it up. Watch Zhao Kuangyi, and one could discern the direction this matter would take.

Whatever turmoil was churning inside Zhao Kuangyi at this moment, his expression remained utterly calm, living up to his reputation for "deep scheming." Facing Emperor Liu's question, Zhao Kuangyi replied with great composure: "In answer to Your Majesty, we were all at the execution grounds yesterday and witnessed the executions with our own eyes."

"And what did you think?" Emperor Liu pressed.

Zhao Kuangyi bowed a little deeper, still unhurried: "The Kang rebel faction harmed the realm for many years. Your Majesty's keen discernment saw through everything, and in one stroke swept away the scourge and eliminated lawlessness—truly a cause for great satisfaction..."

"And the rest of you?" Emperor Liu straightened up, his voice suddenly rising sharply as he addressed the others.

At this, many reacted with visible alarm, but they all quickly spoke up, joining the ranks of those "condemning" the Kang rebels.

"Among you, there are not a few who were on intimate terms with the Kang family. Is there no one who sympathizes with them, who feels regret for their fate?" Emperor Liu asked again, his voice cold and eerie.

At these words, several people could not help but shiver—clearly identifying themselves with the description. Their reactions were even faster, almost without thinking, in a ragged chorus, they firmly declared that they were irreconcilably opposed to the Kang rebels, that they could not coexist under the same sky...

Emperor Liu watched their performance calmly, and only when they fell silent and the hall gradually quieted did he cast down the stack of documents in his hand and say in a deep voice: "These are some pieces of evidence seized from the Kang household. Recorded here are the records of monetary transactions and debt relationships between you and the Kang family. Every single entry is written clearly, including the time, place, the person who handled it, and the relevant matters..."

At these words, the nobles changed expressions as fast as if they had learned Sichuan opera—some turned as dark as water, some broke out in cold sweat, and some had hands and feet trembling uncontrollably.

Though there had been optimistic predictions, Emperor Liu's tone of settling accounts and meting out punishment still made hearts pound with fear. After all, no one could guarantee they could guess the old Emperor's thoughts correctly. At the same time, any so-called "sympathy" for the Kang family vanished without a trace, replaced even by burning rage. That Kang family truly were traitors—leaving behind these records, they had harbored malicious intent all along. Their hearts deserved death; their deaths were not worth regretting...

"No need to be nervous!" After observing them for a moment, Emperor Liu flicked his robe and said lightly: "If I intended to deal with you, you would not be standing here in this Hall of a Thousand Autumns right now!"

"Your Majesty is wise!"

"Your Majesty sees all!"

"We thank Your Majesty..."

The crowd, as if pardoned, showered Emperor Liu with endless flattery.

Watching their posturing, Emperor Liu kept his face stern and said in a cold tone: "However, this matter will not pass so easily.

The accounts recorded here are clear and detailed. The Kang family's money was all ill-gotten gains that should be confiscated. What you owe the Kang family, you owe the state treasury. You might dare to renege on the Kang family's accounts, but the treasury's money cannot be defaulted on. Hand over all the money you owe to the state treasury to settle the accounts.

Furthermore, this matter has implicated many of your clan's young scions. These pampered wastrels need not remain in the capital. I give them two choices: either go overseas to open new territories, or join the army to guard the frontiers!

What say you?"

As the questioning tone of Emperor Liu's final words fell, after a brief silence in the Hall of a Thousand Autumns, the nobles, having quickly digested the old Emperor's intent, expressed their approval one after another.

Even Li Ye, the imperial uncle now notorious for his greed, had no complaints about Emperor Liu's handling of the matter. After all, when rebellion was involved, the fact that Emperor Liu could offer a smooth landing was already an immense act of grace.

Of course, compared to the benefits Li Ye had extracted from the fallen, those two hundred thousand strings he had borrowed in the first place were nothing. That famed "Eight Directions Tower" of the Northern Market was now the imperial uncle's property. It had been closed for less than ten days before resuming business as usual—the same people, only the signboard had been changed...

Compared to the merciless, no-room-for-negotiation executions of those officials, Emperor Liu's handling of the nobles was indeed lenient. The fundamental difference between the two treatments lay in their difference in status and standing.

In Emperor Liu's view, officials were more susceptible than nobles to being driven and controlled by cunning merchants like the Kang family, and the actual harm they could cause was greater. The Great Han had many officials—killing some did not affect the overall situation. But nobles were different.

Of course, Emperor Liu did not care overly much about public opinion, and it was not as if he had never considered using this opportunity to prune some nobles. It was just that this time, too many people were implicated—so many that even the old Emperor could not help but feel some hesitation.

And so, at the level of the court's powerful elite, the Kang Ning case was declared to have entered its closing phase...