Chapter 50: Purge the Corruptors at Court

The grand mobilization of the Embroidered Uniform Guard could not be kept secret; news of the Yin family’s confiscation spread rapidly throughout the Two Huai region.

“This is outrageous!

These military brutes are utterly lawless!

……”

Xu Xintian shouted in panic.

The court had moved against the salt monopoly, yet as Superintendent of Salt Transport for the Two Huai, he had received not a single hint of it beforehand.

When salt merchants had first been arrested, he had sent men to inquire.

Letters from his colleagues in the capital all assured him to remain calm—the court’s arrests targeted only private salt traders.

The matter would not extend beyond the merchants.

The private salt case had indeed been dropped, but the Yin family’s confiscation was justified under the charge of treason.

“Superintendent Xu, calm yourself. The Embroidered Uniform Guard has acted recklessly for far longer than just a day or two.

Though the Yin family is prominent in the Two Huai region, across the entire Great Yu they are merely second-tier; naturally, the Embroidered Uniform Guard pays them no mind.”

Nearby, the Salt Inspection Censor Xia Shigao spoke calmly.

Unlike Xu Xintian, who held the post of Superintendent of Salt Transport, Xia Shigao had only recently assumed his role as Salt Inspection Censor, just a few months prior.

Though he had accepted many gifts from salt merchants, his ties to them were shallow.

A relationship based on payment for services was not enough to make him risk opposing the court for the sake of the salt industry’s survival.

Corruption was routine in the Great Yu; as long as one did not go too far, there was always room for maneuver.

Those who secured the lucrative post of Salt Inspection Censor naturally had powerful connections behind them.

The Senior Grand Secretary Xu, who was currently en route from the capital, was his own mentor.

Even if you don’t respect the monk, respect the Buddha.

As long as he did not take sides recklessly, he would face no major trouble.

“Censor Xia, you speak lightly enough.

Though the Seven Great Families of the Two Huai have their disputes, they have always stood united against outsiders.

With the Yin family confiscated, the other six will surely act—there’s a real chance the Two Huai region will descend into chaos.

There’s no time to explain, Censor Xia—we must immediately mobilize troops and stop the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s brutality!”

Xu Xintian said, his face filled with anxiety.

He didn’t care whether the Two Huai descended into chaos—he feared the Embroidered Uniform Guard would drive the other six families into rebellion.

Any connection to treason would force the court to investigate to the very end.

As an official closely tied to the salt industry, even if he now wished to sever ties, there was no time left.

If branded a traitor’s accomplice, he would lose his head at best, or see his entire clan exterminated at worst.

To reverse the situation, he must first restrict the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s actions and stabilize the other six families.

If they could withstand the first wave, a glimmer of opportunity would emerge—they could mobilize their networks in court to change the court’s decision.

“Superintendent Xu, you must not speak so carelessly.

If the great families of the Two Huai are secretly forming a faction and plotting rebellion, we must report it to the court at once!”

Xia Shigao feigned ignorance.

Xu Xintian was deeply compromised, cast aside by the Pure Stream faction—but he was not.

Under these circumstances, his duty was to stabilize the Salt Transport Office and await his master, Senior Grand Secretary Xu.

He was not foolish enough to risk angering the Emperor, the nobility, and the eunuch faction by openly confronting the Embroidered Uniform Guard for the sake of the salt merchants’ survival.

The rebellion of the Six Great Families would be a disaster for the entire Pure Stream faction, yet for individuals or small groups within the Pure Stream, it could be an opportunity.

The moral pressure to stand by one’s allies vanished—no one wished to be associated with traitors, no matter how close their former ties.

With the purge of the Two Huai gentry, numerous official posts would open up in court, increasing everyone’s chances of advancement.

The Two Huai region was economically prosperous and culturally vibrant, long a cradle of juren and jinshi.

Due to the treason case, next year’s imperial examination turnout would drop sharply; with fewer influential candidates competing, the likelihood of his own family members passing would rise greatly.

While some officials would suffer reduced gains, those who lost out were not necessarily the same ones who gained.

Even with salt's immense profits, it could not buy off every official in the Great Yu—most officials had no qualification to take bribes.

……

“Ancestor, the Yin family was not merely confiscated—they were targeted for extermination.

Witnesses say the Embroidered Uniform Guard took only three prisoners alive; all other men, women, and children were slaughtered.

The court is coming for us—if we don’t resist now, we’re all finished!”

The young man said, his emotions flaring.

His sister had married into the Yin family just months ago—and now this sudden disaster had struck.

Disasters unfolding before one’s eyes are the most painfully felt.

The Yin family’s charge was treason; under the Great Yu Code, he himself was on the list of those to be executed.

“Enough. It is not that we are disloyal to the court—it is that treacherous officials rule within, seeking to kill loyal subjects like us.

If they leave us no path to live, then none of us shall live.

I intend to rally troops, purge the court of corrupt eunuchs, and restore peace to the realm.

Ziping and Zijie, stay behind. The rest of you, prepare!”

The elder said, his expression grave.

Rebellion was still a daunting prospect for a traditional scholar like him.

The sages’ texts had never taught him how to rebel.

Seven great families had become six; the court’s blade now rested on their necks—they had no choice but to rebel.

The others departed nervously, leaving only the three generations of the Zhou family.

“You two, pack your things immediately and take the family fleet to sea—disappear, assume new names, and preserve our bloodline.

Unless our rebellion topples the Great Yu’s rule, never return!”

The elder’s words startled Zhou Ziping and Zhou Zijie.

They hadn’t even raised their banner yet, and he was already ordering them to flee—this would crush morale.

“Grandfather, don’t belittle yourself.

The Great Yu is a crumbling house, riddled with termites; a little more wind and rain, and it will collapse entirely.

Our uprising now aligns with the will of heaven—we may even march on the capital, overthrow the dynasty, and establish a Zhou dynasty of our own!

Zhou Ziping protested.

“You foolish boy, what do you know!

Since ancient times, those who first raise the rebel banner have always been forerunners to kingship—how could we be any different?

The Two Huai’s garrison troops may be useless, but that doesn’t mean all imperial troops are.

Don’t be fooled by the ferocity of our salt soldiers—they’re skilled in street brawls, but they’re nothing against a proper imperial army!”

The elder could not help but rebuke him.

If rebellion were so easy, the Great Yu would have changed dynasties countless times already—why wait for them?

“Grandfather, if our chances of success are so slim, then let us simply flee the entire clan.

The seas are no wilderness—we’ve been involved in overseas trade for years; we have the means to send ourselves away!”

Zhou Zijie spoke up beside him.

Compared to fighting the court, he believed escape offered far better odds.

Hide abroad for decades, wait for the storm to pass, then return—it would be no great loss.

“Leave together, and we’re all dead.

The seas are no peaceful haven—our family’s accumulated wealth will draw every predator’s eye!

Enough. Pack your things. Leave at midnight, each of you on separate routes.

I’ve arranged substitutes for you—henceforth, you are dead men. Never use these names again.”

……

(End of Chapter)