Chapter 972: Seize the Opportunity to Eradicate Completely

After the Jingzhao Fu investigators obtained a useful name, they were ecstatic and reported it to the Jingzhao Yin at once.

That’s the suspect—grab him immediately.

When the Jingzhao Yin saw the name Chen Guanlou, his temple veins bulged; he wanted to slit the throats of every investigator under him—useless fools.

Then he thought of another idea.

The Ministry of Justice refused to take the case, and Sun Daoning avoided him entirely. Now that Chen Guanlou, the Tianlao prison warden, is implicated, Heihei —let’s see if Sun Daoning can keep avoiding this.

“Don’t rush to arrest him! That Chen bastard is a ninth-rank martialist—you’re no match for him. One misstep and the situation spirals out of control. Hold your ground, keep investigating—the man may not be the killer. Wait for my orders.”

“But the Zhang family is pressing hard.”

“Forget the Zhangs. Zhang Yulang was originally involved in the cheating scandal, yet he was released mid-case because he nearly died. There’s something shady going on.”

“So you mean Chen Guanlou had no motive for murder?”

“No, no, no… On the contrary, the motive is obvious. But under no circumstances should you act on your own. Wait for my orders.”

Chen Guanlou didn’t yet know he’d been named a suspect in Zhang Yulang’s murder.

He was still lamenting that Zhang Yulang, this Huohai , had ignored advice—if he’d just kept a low profile and not rushed out to carouse, he might have escaped his fate.

Unbeknownst to him, the Jingzhao Yin had already sent a formal request to the Ministry of Justice for the Zhang Yulang cheating case files.

When Sun Daoning learned of this, he knew the Jingzhao Fu had gotten wind of something.

When the Jingzhao Yin sent another invitation to pay a visit, he did not refuse—he received him.

The two shut themselves in for private talk.

According to those present, loud quarreling erupted from inside the room—intense, furious. No one knew what they argued about, but it was certainly tied to the case.

In the end, they parted on bad terms.

Meanwhile, that same night, a brothel caught fire, its gates locked from the outside.

Over a hundred people were inside; twenty to thirty died on the spot, the rest survived with injuries.

Everyone knew this was the Zhang family’s revenge.

Unable to find the killer, the Zhangs, in fury, set fire to the brothel.

But there was no evidence.

The Jingzhao Yin arrived at the scene himself. Seeing the twenty to thirty charred corpses, the wailing survivors, the wreckage—he felt his chest surge with rage.

Someone, indignant, muttered angrily: “The Zhangs are bullying us too far!”

The Jingzhao Yin glanced at the speaker but said nothing.

He was racing to uncover the truth, yet the Zhangs struck from behind—leaving him completely on the defensive.

Such a massive case, dozens dead overnight—it couldn’t be hidden. By morning court, he’d be held accountable. The Emperor would demand an explanation.

He rubbed his throbbing temples.

“Send for my carriage. I’m going to the Zhang residence.”

When the brothel burned, the flames were fierce—many saw it.

Sun Daoning, in his own mansion, roared at the Zhangs for their madness, their reckless arrogance. What had been a simple murder had now become a tangled mess, even drawing the palace’s attention.

Utterly foolish!

The best way to handle this case was to downplay it—make the big thing small, the small thing vanish. Just find a few vicious criminals to blame, close the case.

He never imagined the Zhangs would act so insane, so brazen, with zero regard for consequences.

If the palace got involved—if the Emperor personally inquired— Heihei … some things best left buried might be dragged into the light.

Xie Changling had swiftly ended the cheating scandal with ruthless methods; now, with Zhang Yulang dead, he might be forced to reopen it.

Ruined! Ruined!

A family of fools!

He wondered if Xie Changling was even angrier, even more hateful toward the Zhangs right now.

When Xie Changling learned the brothel had burned and twenty to thirty had died overnight, he was indeed furious.

His servant was helping him change his robes.

Dawn hadn’t broken—he had to hurry to morning court.

The steward stood bowed beside him, reporting the fire scene.

Xie Changling’s expression was cold, commanding without raising his voice. After hearing the full account, he sneered: “The Zhangs have grown accustomed to smooth sailing these years—they truly believe no one matters to them.”

I turned a blind eye to Zhang Yulang’s release, giving the Zhang family face—but they repaid me with ingratitude, letting Zhang Yulang roam free.”

Now that trouble has come, they set fire and kill to vent their rage—clearly they don’t respect me, or the state’s laws.”

It’s time to teach them a lesson.”

“Send word to Sun Daoning—during morning court, watch my signals and act accordingly.”

“Yes, my lord!” the steward bowed.

The private secretary cleared his throat and suggested: “My lord, why not seize this chance to expel the Zhangs from the capital and seize their interests here… to demonstrate the majesty of state law? The Zhangs have dominated the capital for years—if we eliminate them now, it will greatly aid your future plans!”

Eradicating the entire Zhang clan was impossible.

But wiping out the Zhangs in the capital? Still possible.

Once the Zhangs were gone, their spoils would go mostly to the Xie family, with smaller factions picking up scraps.

To crush the Prince of Chu and achieve political goals, the Xie family had promised many favors. Now, extracting compensation from the Zhangs seemed necessary.

Xie Changling weighed the pros and cons—was it worth going all the way?

He was a decisive man.

Before reaching the palace, halfway there, he had made up his mind.

Do it.

This move must be made.

The Zhangs handed me their own evidence—so insolent, so obstructive—don’t blame me for being ruthless.

In officialdom, every step is hard-won; no room for caprice. The Zhangs acted like madmen—they must pay for it.

Thus, during morning court, under Xie Changling’s direction, it became a full-scale campaign against the Zhangs.

No solid evidence was needed—not even witnesses. The brothel arson, twenty to thirty dead—those facts alone pinned the blame squarely on the Zhangs. If you did it, own it!

Add to that the Zhangs’ past misdeeds—pick any few, each one violated state law.

Sun Daoning, as Minister of Justice, held many dark secrets on the Zhangs. When Xie Changling sent word to cooperate, he guessed what was coming and prepared in advance.

His preparation paid off.

When he methodically presented the Zhangs’ crimes—with time, place, people, events, consequences—each one laid bare—the court erupted. The Emperor was stunned. The Censorate officials went wild, furious they’d had no time to prepare—only one night had passed.

Otherwise, today’s court session would have seen tenfold the fury unleashed on the Zhangs.

Zhang family officials were stunned.

Because of one arson case, they’d abandoned old ties and sought to exterminate the Zhangs completely.

You bastard Xie Changling—you truly have a black heart and rotten guts.

Could it be… Zhang Yulang’s death was arranged by Xie Changling himself?