Chapter 162: Killing a Chicken to Warn the Monkeys

Outside the Jin King's residence, the scent of blood drifted far on the wind.

The dozen or so heads that were just moments ago still alive now resembled a bunch of ripe grapes, strung together, about to be taken to the military camp.

Leading them was the chief, the Hall Front Commandant Zhao Heihu.

His copper‑bell‑like large eyes were still wide open, filled with terror and resentment, as if silently asking, Why? Why would this old brother who fought the empire alongside the emperor meet such an end?

The remaining generals collapsed on the ground, each lacking the strength even to stand.

They stared at their former comrades, now only blood‑soaked heads hanging there swaying in the wind, a chill seeping up from their feet.

It's over!

That was the only thought in their minds.

They had thought that by uniting to pressure Prince Jin, even if they couldn't drive away the pretty boy Wang Hao, at least they could make him restrain himself and not overreach.

Who could have imagined that the usually composed His Highness Prince Jin, who sat calmly in the residence's study and always greeted others with a gentle smile, would, once he acted, display a ferocity even colder than his father Guo Wei!

He ordered the killing and killed without even blinking an eye.

This is no demonstration; it's clearly a case of killing a chicken to warn the monkeys!

The generals present hung their heads, daring not to breathe heavily. All they thought was the same: they were the monkeys whose courage was shattered by His Highness Prince Jin's ruthless hand, and henceforth would never dare any slack or disrespect.

Guo Rong's cold gaze swept over each of them.

"Did everyone see clearly?"

His voice was not loud, but to the generals' ears it was no less than a thunderclap.

"I… I see clearly…"

A trembling general answered, his teeth chattering.

"Seeing clearly is enough," Guo Rong nodded, "I will ask again: regarding the military merit ledger system, does anyone still have objections?"

"None! Absolutely none!"

"We, the junior generals, firmly support His Highness Prince Jin's wise decision!"

"Lord Wang Hao… no, Staff Officer Wang is a talent that spans heaven and earth! The system he implements is for the good of Great Zhou, for our good!"

The instinct to survive instantly changed their tone.

All talk of brotherly bonds or a warrior's dignity seemed laughably futile before the gleaming butcher's blade.

Now they only wanted to stay alive.

"Very good." Guo Rong was pleased with the effect.

He knew that from today onward, no one in the army would dare openly oppose this reform.

"All of you, retreat back!" Guo Rong barked, "From tomorrow, if any camp is found by me to be taking idle pay or slacking in drills, Zhao Heihu will be your fate!"

"Yes! Yes! The junior general obeys!"

A group of generals, as if granted a pardon, scrambled up, rolling and crawling, and fled in a disheveled rush from Prince Jin's residence.

Watching their frantic, fleeing backs, Guo Rong showed not a hint of smugness on his face.

He turned and walked back to the study.

Wang Hao stood there quietly.

From start to finish he said nothing, merely watching Guo Rong handle everything in silence.

But his heart was far less calm than his outward demeanor.

When Guo Rong ordered the killings, his heart was still sharply tugged.

In the Wang Family's lineage studies, he learned mathematics, economics, how to create the greatest value with the least cost.

He knew killing was a means, but never imagined he would one day become the fuse for a slaughter.

The evidence of Zhao Heihu's corruption was compiled by his own hand.

One could say it was his ledger that sealed those men's fates.

The feeling was strange!

It blended a thrill of wielding power with a reverence and unease toward life.

"Sir, were you frightened?" Guo Rong's voice pulled him back from his reverie.

Guo Rong had sat back down, the murderous aura on his face dissipated, returning to his former gentleness.

"Your Highness is being facetious," Wang Hao shook his head, gathering his thoughts, "I only wonder, though Zhao Heihu and his men deserve their punishment, they have been veteran generals serving Your Majesty and Your Highness for years. Could today's handling provoke unrest in the army?"

He wanted to know whether Guo Rong's decision was a spur‑of‑the‑moment impulse or a carefully considered result.

Guo Rong smiled.

He knew what Wang Hao was worrying about.

"Sir, do you think I killed them merely because they stole a few coins and blocked your path?"

Wang Hao said nothing, waiting for his follow‑up.

Guo Rong's fingertip rested on the table, his eyes flashing coldly: "I killed them not out of a fleeting impulse, but because these people have long rotted to the core.

They secretly formed cliques, placed their own men in all key military posts, clutching military power tighter than anyone! In all these years, have they ever truly regarded me, Prince Jin, in their eyes? Have they ever truly revered the imperial authority of the Father Emperor?"

"Yesterday, in front of my residence's gate, they dared to collude and pressure the palace, forcing me to retract the decree to reform military discipline. Tomorrow, on the battlefield, they will dare to hoard troops, refuse to aid the dying, even turn their guns on us!"

At this point, Guo Rong slammed his hand onto the table, the tea cup rattling, "The Five Dynasties' chaos has lasted nearly a hundred years! Where do you think the chaos lies? It lies in the hands of these arrogant, over‑confident generals who disregard the throne!"

"The Father Emperor fought south and north, exhausting himself to secure Great Zhou's realm, allowing the people to finally breathe."

"This foundation was built with countless lives; I will not let it be destroyed by these power‑hungry warriors, nor let the world revert to those chaotic, war‑torn days!"

"Therefore, I must kill. Not only kill, but do so with fanfare! I will make every soldier see clearly that this army bears the name Guo! Not Zhao, not Li, not any general who holds military power!"

"Henceforth, anyone who dares covet military power or challenge imperial authority will see these men's fate as a warning!"

Guo Rong's words rang out with weight.

Only then did Wang Hao fully grasp the reason; previously he had been speculating that Prince Jin's harsh killing of Zhao Heihu over a mere military merit ledger oversight was excessive.

But now, after hearing these words, the doubts instantly evaporated, leaving only the sudden realization that it was I who had been misled.

Zhao Heihu falsified military achievements and altered the accounts, but it was merely a pretext for Guo Rong to act, a convenient excuse placed on the table.

What the Prince of Jin truly intends to move against has never been Zhao Heihu alone, but the tangled interest group behind him, the arrogant generals who dare to form cliques within the army and covet Military Power.

This is not about punishing a rogue officer; it is plainly using Zhao Heihu as a head, striking the mountain to frighten the tiger and cutting off the tangled roots!

He intends to use this opportunity to purge the disobedient forces in the army and seize Military Power firmly in his own hands.

Wang Hao gazed at Guo Rong's stern face and felt that this young His Highness the Prince of Jin was far more scheming and daring than he had imagined.

He had previously thought him only to have inherited the late Emperor Guo Wei's martial valor, but now sees clearly that he possesses not only a commander's decisive resolve but also a statesman's far‑reaching foresight.

He knew that killing Zhao Heihu would stir the old troops, yet he insisted on using the incident to establish his authority, both eliminating the hidden threat and gripping Military Power tightly; every step was taken with precise ruthlessness.

He suppressed his thoughts, stepped forward, bowed deeply to Guo Rong, and in a tone full of genuine admiration said, "Your Highness, brilliant! I previously could not see the deeper meaning, but now understand that this act of yours clears obstacles for the stability of the Great Zhou realm; this foresight and decision I both respect and proclaim!"

"It is not my brilliance, Sir, but your ledger that handed me a knife," Guo Rong said to him sincerely, "Without you, I would not have known they had decayed to this extent."

"Sir, rest assured and act boldly." Guo Rong gave him a calming pill.

"From today onward, the Military Merit Accounting Office shall be independent of all military posts and answer directly to me alone. I will issue you a royal decree allowing you to inspect any army's accounts and personnel at any time and place. Whoever dares not to cooperate shall be beheaded before reporting!"

"I obey!"

The palace, the imperial study.

Guo Wei was listening to his subordinates report on the slaughter outside the Prince of Jin's residence.

When he heard Guo Rong, before all the generals, enumerate Zhao Heihu's crimes and then, without hesitation, order his beheading, his hand trembled imperceptibly.

It's too similar.

It's truly too similar.

He seemed to see his own younger self reflected in Guo Rong.

The same decisive killing, the same iron‑blooded hand.

"Your Majesty, is His Highness the Prince of Jin's action perhaps… overly radical?" Prime Minister Fan Zhi said anxiously from the side.

Although he supports Guo Rong, he fears the prince's youthful impetuosity may lead to mishandling and provoke a mutiny.

"Radical?" Guo Wei shook his head, a hint of pleased smile appearing, "Prime Minister Fan, you are mistaken."

"This is not radical; it is skillful maneuvering."

"If he lacked even this bit of resolve, how could I dare entrust this vast realm to his hands?"

Guo Wei rose and walked to the window, gazing toward the Prince of Jin's residence.

"Transmit my decree: Prince of Jin Guo Rong, decisive in affairs and dear to my heart. Hence, reward him with a hundred taels of gold and a hundred bolts of brocade. Moreover, grant him the command of the Front Hall Department as well."

"What?!" Fan Zhi exclaimed, pale, "Your Majesty, that cannot be! The Front Hall Department is the head of the Imperial Guards! Your Highness is already the Prefect of Kaifeng; to also command the Front Hall, that… that power is too great!"

"Not too large." Guo Wei's tone left no room for doubt, "It is only natural that my son commands my army."

"I am old. The burden of the world should now be shouldered a bit more by him."