Chapter 297 – Diwu Qing Rou’s purging
This situation lasted a full twenty days!
This New Year’s eve, for the sake of that sword, the young masters didn’t return home. Everyone was worried that once they left, what if the sword was found the next day?
They all had the same mentality of; Better to wait longer, best if everyone leaves and I’m the last to remain.
However, the Dong family clan had left. The Luo family clan had left and even the Ji family clan left…..as for the rest, it was utter stillness. No one else left…….
This posed tremendous frustration for Diwu Qing Rou!
Having to find the time to pacify these second generation ancestors, it was like a hundred knots of worry in his intestines.
Moreover, the royalists of the Great Zhao incessantly introduced probing assaults or repeated impeachment during this period of time; suppressing the Diwu faction, and actually acquiring consecutive advantages!
Following that, the Royalists slowly gathered courage and started defeating several important characters of the Diwu faction. Of course, if the Diwu faction immediately retaliated now, they would still enter an instant ceasefire.
However…….Diwu Qing Rou made no attempts in retaliating!
Everything was going downhill!
In a flash, rumours starting springing out from all sides, suggesting that Diwu Qing Rou had lost favour, the Emperor had retracted all his privileges and Diwu Qing Rou was now suspended and idling at home…….
Thus, larger waves toppled over each other!
Those court councillors that were originally spectating… several old dudes that were hibernating for years….several officials that were suppressed by Diwu Qing Rou in the past…….
They all rose up!
Momentarily, the tides seemed to threaten to overturn the skies……
The Great Zhao Emperor had all along been sitting steadily on his fishing boat, serenely observing the winds. Yet as the mood in his court became increasingly intensified, it was like the Emperor caught scent of an unusual breath. He gradually shed his former low-profile image, slowly making an appearance…..
Diwu Qing Rou had offended dozens of superpower clans in the Middle Three Heavens, and those clans were currently seeking Diwu Qing Rou’s trouble! Diwu Qing Rou’s fate wasn’t far away!
Such news, after the Emperor had verified its authenticity, immediately burst into loud chuckles.
Hence, the Emperor gradually took the initiative to manage certain affairs boldly……
Gradually took initiative…….eh?
Wasn’t it exercising his authority as sovereign?!
Screw it! It was an overwhelmingly smooth affair!
Thus, the Great Zhao Emperor commenced his conspired reform; from private underground meetings, to gradually escalating into tiny scaled banquets; and then slowly and surely, directly developing to…….official business of his imperial court!
A bold and decisive reformation was inaugurated!
Once after a bout of drinks, the Emperor got drunk and even proclaimed sorrowfully to his Empress – Ever since we ascended the throne, today is the day that we have been finally able to taste the true joys of sovereignty!
So much so, that two division of armies gathered from distant parts, exhibiting their clear stance – Execute Diwu! Purge the tyrant! Exterminate Qing Rou! Return us clear skies!
In a flash, turbulent times descended over the Great Zhao.
During this period, the King of Hell Chu made no actions. A rare slice of tranquility.
Minister Chu understood that such a scenario, may have been inspired by Diwu Qing Rou himself. With Diwu Qing Rou’s style of ruling with an iron fist and his supreme control over the Great Zhao, such a scenario as this was essentially impossible!
I’m afraid the reason for such a deterioration, it must be immensely associated with Diwu Qing Rou…..
Therefore, it is inadvisable to get dragged in right now.
If Diwu Qing Rou was really attempting to capture the melon by following the vines, then Minister Chu would be resentful even in death if he got wrongly involved…….
Hence, the King of Hell Chu was currently sitting on the mountains while watching the tigers fight; feeling much more content with this simple life than back at Iron Cloud. He looked forward to spectating the bunch of family clans causing a ruckus daily; best if they bickered more zealously…….
It was only these dozen few family clans that were Diwu Qing Rou’s true frustrations! Moreover, because of their disturbance at home, Diwu Qing Rou could not undertake the task of reconstructing the Golden Horse Rider Department base.
Although someone else could take responsibility, but……another’s manner of handling compared to Diwu Qing Rou’s personal handiwork was simply as different as black and white!
The longer you bicker, the more time you’re delaying for me, ah. Drag on, drag on, drag for a year and a half, I wouldn’t even care. Haha……
Even the Royalists were praying for those clans to hurry up and eliminate Diwu Qing Rou….
Instead, the ruthless reality quickly struck against the heads of King of Hell Chu and the Royalists of Great Zhao.
The Middle Three Heavens suddenly issued a convening decree – ordering for every clan disciple to make haste in returning to Middle Three Heavens! An emergency was unfolding!
After this matter occurred, several clans immediately withdrew and left. Amongst those include Ao Xie Yun. Since the Sunlight Saber was in his hands, even if the Moonlight Sword landed to others, that person would still have to come looking for him…….
Xie Dan Qiong and Ou Du Xiao left…….
Mo Tian Yun too, helplessly returned.
After stalling for a long time without any harvest, Li Xiong Tu turned into a wide mouth lion before he departed; pillaging a considerable amount of gold and silver treasures…..
Tu Qian Hao followed that exemplary behavior, conducting himself in the same manner……
Still, there were few clans that raised all kinds of request in succession – Everyone felt an enormous bitterness for wasting time here…….
Diwu Qing Rou resolutely offered this sacrifice of blood, sweat and tears, before finally sending away those second generation ancestors…….
After the source of this devastating disorder had finally left, the Jiang Hu people of Continent Center Citadel had mostly fled. In consideration, of the complete disarray of his Golden Horse Rider Department, in consideration, of the chaotic mess that was Continent Center Citadel; in consideration that he had expended great efforts but still ended up with nothing, only accumulating, not even 3,000 people, Diwu Qing Rou…totally flipped!
As for the increasingly rampant and unbridled Royalists and members of the Imperial family, they directly suffered the overflowing torrential wrath of Prime Minister Diwu!
On the second day of the various major clans departure, Great Zhao’s Continent Center Citadel was suddenly surrounded by three colossal army battalions!
Following that, the three colossal battalions marched into Continent Center. The city militants and everyone in Continent Center had all assembled. Within a day, every street of Continent Center was thriving with troops; so much so that with every two steps, one would encounter two fierce soldiers stationed there.
Diwu Qing Rou’s long awaited purge had commenced. This time, without a shred of mercy!
The third day, Continent Center was dyed in blood!
The awful stench of blood pervaded towards the heavens!
Han Bu Chu was wrapped in a thick marten coat, and heaved a cumbersome imperial tutor chair along; finally taking a seat uprightly at Meridian Gate! Behind him stood a squad of Martial Warriors, whom all possessed a skyrocketing murderous aura.
(TN: I’m pretty sure it’s called Meridian Gate (午门), basically i think it’s like the main gate of the city)
Martial Warriors repeatedly rode in to make reports, their blade tips still dripping red.
Han Bu Chu held a thick stack of listed names in his hands, ordering his squad to initiate a genocide! Analogous to drawing the lottery; whoever died had their names crossed on the namelist. After finishing a massacre of one sheet; throw and begin one anew!
Beheading entire households!
An extermination of nine generations!
Diwu Qing Rou had never incited such a nationwide holocaust before. Yet this time, he resembled one who consumed an indomitable steelyard weight. Every order to kill was absolutely irrevocable!
He would rather slay the innocent than spare the guilty!
The former Prime Minister, high officials, Imperial censor…..and so on. Even certain Royal Uncles, Emperor’s son-in-law, Princes, relatives were all in queue for the slaughter!
Like wolves and tigers, whenever troops invaded the courtyards of large households, blood gushed to the heavens accompanied with the lingering screams of despair; infiltrating to the inner quarters, the ground littered with corpses.
Upon arrival at the Imperial palace, when General Manager Lu Ren Jia issued orders to resist the rebels; the generals guarding the imperial palace instead adopted a countenance of flattery as they shoved the gates open, welcoming these ‘rebels’ as though they were their fathers.
Following which was a merciless massacre on all corners!
This was because Diwu Qing Rou had personally declared before – The vilest creature in this world are court eunuchs!
Thus, that statement served as foundation to spare no eunuchs of the imperial palace! The general tasked with the mission of slaying the eunuchs was an official that had been harmed by General Manage Lu Ren Jia before. That dear friend committed a performance to everyone’s satisfaction – Commanding Lu Ren Jia to be handled last. Whenever a eunuch was beheaded, he would press Lu Ren Jia’s face against the severed neck; allowing the wild gushes of blood to spurt at his face…….
The next execution, another ‘in your face’ blood spurt…..
Until the slaying ceased, General Manager Lu had been drenched by blood countless times and could only unleash an enraged bellow in his anger, “Ahhhhhhh!” His four limbs convulsed, followed by a simultaneous eruption of his lower front and back! Finally, he collapsed in his own mud…..unexpectedly petrified to death.
Anyone well-informed of the underlying story, could only nastily spit their saliva and utter three words – Serves you right!
It was indeed well deserving. If not for General Manager’s one phrase, the thousands of lives loss today would’ve been avoidable. Putting up pleasing imagery of false pretence, laughing in appearance but disunited at heart; one could still mingle on for dozens of years…….
However his words had aroused a great conflict! Ultimately, causing a path of no return!
From an average person’s perspective, this fanatical massacre hinted at accumulated grievances throughout the years, finally divulging from Diwu Qing Rou.
Weren’t you dissatisfied with me? Weren’t you guys conspiring against me?
Fine! Then everyone shall perish! Sparing myself from your dirty tricks in the future.
However, only a tiny handful of enlightened individuals could see; Diwu Qing Rou’s purging today, was completely and utterly prepared! Preparations in lieu of warring against King of Hell Chu and Tie Bu Tian in the near future!
Years gone by without personal involvement in battle; yet this time, Diwu Qing Rou personally directed the battle to defy the dynasty of heaven!
For the sake of war against archnemesis, no obstructions were to be permitted; no disharmonious melody to be sang! If Diwu Qing Rou was out at war and these old foxes of the court stabbed his back……this wasn’t something Diwu Qing Rou could tolerate!
Regardless of army provisions, weapons, warhorses, troops, logistics and whatever else; one overlooked miscalculation was sufficient for eternal damnation!
Facing the formidable opposing alliance of King of Hell Chu, Tie Bu Tian and Tie Long Cheng; Diwu Qing Rou did not dare to be careless. A single negligence was all it would take for his enter army to be annihilated!
Diwu Qing Rou’s original nonchalance had stemmed from his confidence in controlling everything, be it at court or in the wild. Yet after consecutive failures in just this recent year; even though it was all localized and he hadn’t actually suffered a single harm, the defeats had propelled Diwu Qing Rou’s vigilance to its maximum!
After the purging of Continent Center, tides of today’s blood reeked events would continue to ripple throughout every part of the whole nation.
Every vacant position were all filled by Diwu Qing Rou’s people!
A wholehearted unification.
Rumour has it that after the great purging had concluded, Diwu Qing Rou stood at the head of Continent Center Citadel; basking amidst the spiralling blood mist of the nation as he stared over the innumerable influx of vengeful spirits. With hands folded, he made an indifferent declaration…
“I’ve proclaimed this before and I shall do so again; I will cause all under heaven to unify in my hands! Even if not by my hands, it will still pass through it!”
“Alas, what is a million lives worth, compared to dominion over the universe?!”
As he declared, biting cold winds brewed over the Great Zhao, sending hunting banners fluttering alongside it. Throughout vast thousands of li, the icy winds carried traces of spring.
TN/Dedition: Readers have been expressing confusion to the levels as it seems they’ve forgotten the rankings, so here’s the glossary! :)(From Walk the Jiang Hu’s glossary)
Ranks/Levels of Martial Strength:
9 grades per rank. Within each grade a person can go step by step from beginning of grade (low-level) to mid-level to top-level to peak and breakthrough to beginning of next grade.
Martial Pupil 武徒
Martial Warrior 武士
Martial Artist 武�
Martial Master 武师
Martial Great Master 武宗
Revered Martial Artist 尊
Martial King 王
Martial Emperor 帝
Martial Monarch 君
Martial Saint 圣
Supreme Martial Artist 至尊
Dedition: Hey again, would you tell me if you prefer the text to be more condensed or broken up into little chunks like this? Sometimes the author has a tendency to write some stuff that doesn’t flow well in the same line of text, which leads me to breaking them up into another line of their own. But that’s just my opinion, so I’d like to know if you want them more together like the author intended or if you’d like them this way because you feel it’s more readable this way in English…thanks in advance.