Worldwide Awakening: My Soul Kinds Are Lost-Chapter 450: What? I rebelled? How come I didn’t know!!!_1
"What, that boy actually managed to take down the Barbarian Palace in just three days?!!" Kong Qian’s voice rose three octaves. He hadn’t expected the other party to move so fast. He had just established contact with the leader of Liu Kou and hadn’t even started negotiations, and yet they had already conquered the Barbarian Palace.
"Could it be a false military report? How could such a young boy..." Kong Qian still couldn’t believe it.
"The Barbarian Khan pledged allegiance in the imperial court today, and the entire Hu Lu Royal family was sent to the Capital," Kong Lei reported.
By now, the situation was clear. Within a month at most, the North would be pacified. But as for them, whether they could negotiate terms with Liu Kou within a month was another matter entirely.
If he dared to let Liu Kou into the Capital then, Liu Kou would arrive in the morning, and Wang Linchi would return with the Iron Wing Army by evening. Their entire clan would truly face execution.
"Give it up, Father. We’re no match for them," Kong Lei advised once more.
Hearing this, Kong Qian felt powerless. He had to admit that a Tri-Element Spirit Master capable of bringing about Dajing’s third great resurgence was indeed beyond his capabilities to deal with.
"Fine. We might as well lay low for a few years. The Kong Clan’s enterprises are vast. We’ll wait for the next Emperor Jing to ascend, and then we’ll contend with this young pup," Kong Qian finally conceded.
He still hadn’t realized the gravity of the situation.
In his eyes, the Kong Clan’s enterprises are vast and deeply entwined with many other Great Families. To move against the Kong Clan would be more difficult than to overthrow Dajing itself.
Big Aristocratic Families might suppress the Kong Clan, but they wouldn’t allow it to be wiped out. After all, they are all in the same camp; even the Royal Family would side with us.
BANG.
No sooner had his words fallen than a loud crash at the door startled Kong Qian.
"Go see what’s happening," Kong Qian commanded in a deep voice. Someone dares to cause a ruckus at the Kong Mansion’s gates? Utterly audacious.
The moment Kong Lei stepped outside, he was wrestled to the ground.
A large number of armored soldiers swarmed in, quickly taking control of the entire Kong Mansion.
Witnessing this, Kong Qian remained remarkably calm. He took a sip of tea and said, "Leader Zhao, to what do I owe the pleasure of you barging into my home?"
"Why?" Leader Zhao sneered coldly. "Your crimes have come to light: colluding with the enemy and treasonous rebellion! Today, not a single soul from your Kong Clan, down to all Nine Clans, will survive."
"Such a traitor isn’t fit to sit. Seize him!"
As he spoke, soldiers moved forward and restrained Kong Qian, stripping him of all composure and leaving him in a wretched state.
"You dare!" Kong Qian roared, his eyes wide with fury. "My Kong family has received imperial favor for generations! How could we possibly collude with the enemy or commit treason and rebellion? I demand to see His Majesty!"
He felt he was being unjustly accused.
"Hmph, His Majesty has seen the correspondence between you and the Barbarian Khan, as well as the ledgers for the supplies transported to the North."
"The evidence is irrefutable. How can you possibly deny it?" Leader Zhao showed him no leniency, landing two hard slaps across his face that left him disheveled.
"Impossible! This cannot be!" Kong Qian was in disbelief, unaware that Wang Linchi had doctored the evidence.
Therefore, it wasn’t just Emperor Jing who was furious; the other Great Families were first stunned, then enraged. Everyone had been preparing to bail him out, but it turned out he was planning to get them all killed.
It’s like they considered you a kinsman, and you went after their womenfolk! Who could tolerate that?
As for it being fake? The handwriting, the seal, the literary style—surely those couldn’t be faked, could they? Besides, with that bunch of Hu Lu Wild People, who would have the skill to forge such things?
As a result, no one pleaded for him; instead, they all added fuel to the fire. Thus, the extermination of his Nine Clans was decreed.
"There’s nothing impossible about it. Take them away," Leader Zhao ordered with a wave of his hand, and the soldiers escorted everyone from the Kong Mansion away.
For now, they were to be temporarily held in death row cells. Once all Kong Clan members were apprehended, they would be dealt with collectively. Thanks to the meritorious deeds of their ancestors, the Kong family would face direct execution; otherwise, it would have been death by slow slicing instead of simple public beheading.
Did they really think Emperor Jing was a man of good temper?
As he was being led from the Kong Mansion, Kong Qian spotted Zhang Lin standing not far away, looking at him as one looks at a dead man.
"Brother Zhang! Brother Zhang, this is all a misunderstanding! I would never rebel! I implore you, Brother Zhang, to plead with His Majesty for me!" Seeing him, Kong Qian desperately begged for help.
Zhang Lin, however, with a dark expression, turned and departed with a flick of his sleeves.
He was about to explode with anger. How utterly shameless and despicable must this person be to dare say such a thing?
Previously, in his letters, Kong Qian had fawned over the Barbarian Khan. He had offered to send my, Zhang Lin’s, female family members to the Hu Lu to serve as prostitutes and even suggested I be made to kneel and watch! After inflicting such humiliation, he still expected me to plead for him? Did he take me for some kind of pushover?
This attitude completely bewildered Kong Qian. Though we had our struggles, we were still fundamentally allied. Why this reaction?
Before he could utter a second plea, he was slapped twice more and then forcefully shoved into a prison cart.
Kong Qian quieted down. He was certain now; something he didn’t know must have transpired. Otherwise, their attitude wouldn’t be like this.
And it happened so quickly that even his informant within the imperial court hadn’t had time to send word.
In reality, it wasn’t a lack of time; the informant simply chose not to send the intelligence.
My old boss is offering his whole family to appease the Hu Lu; no matter what, I can’t actually let my own family be sent over too, can I?
So, he had directly switched sides, completely ignoring Kong Qian.
"Might I ask, Leader Zhao, what exactly has happened?" Kong Lei, standing nearby, inquired.
He didn’t want to die in ignorance.
"What happened? Your Kong Clan knows perfectly well." Leader Zhao had no desire to converse much with him. This brat is just feigning ignorance.
As the eldest legitimate son of the Kong Clan, how could he possibly be ignorant of these affairs? He was likely involved.
Thus, he shot Kong Lei a warning glance, as if to say that another word would earn him a slap.
Kong Lei wisely remained silent. He tentatively suspected that their plan to allow Liu Kou into the Capital had been exposed, leading to their current predicament.
Otherwise, he truly couldn’t think of any other reason.
It was precisely because leading Liu Kou into the Capital would harm the interests of all the Great Families that no Great Family came to their aid, and even Zhang Lin adopted such an attitude.
Hopefully, the sentence will be lenient. Kong Lei thought. Emperor Jing must be acting out of extreme anger to decree the extermination of Nine Clans. Once his temper cools, it’s unlikely he would truly annihilate the entire Kong Clan. At most, our branch will perish, and another will be supported to carry on the line.
But Kong Qian thought differently. Judging by Zhang Lin’s attitude, my Kong Clan is surely doomed. A monarch does not jest; words spoken cannot be retracted.
Especially now, with such a perfect opportunity to eradicate the Kong Clan, how could Emperor Jing possibly pass it up?
So be it. This is fate. If I had known this upstart could become a Tri-Element Spirit Master, I would have eliminated him before he ever rose to prominence. Kong Qian felt a wave of desolation. To think that my family’s legacy, built over generations, is now ruined at the hands of this country bumpkin!
As for Dajing’s third great resurgence? What has that to do with my Kong Clan? I am from a Great Family, not the Royal Family.
The two Spirit Masters who orchestrated Dajing’s previous two periods of flourishing, despite strengthening Dajing, met miserable ends. After all, they infringed upon the interests of the Great Families and thus rarely died peacefully.
I just didn’t expect this third one to be so capable, actually managing to topple a Big Aristocratic Family like mine.
However, this is likely just the beginning. Once Wang Linchi loses his value, Emperor Jing will inevitably cast him aside as a scapegoat to appease the wrath of the Great Families.
The Great Families can only make their move to persecute him once Emperor Jing is finished using him.
...
Emperor Jing still hadn’t cooled down; he wished he could subject the Kong Clan to death by a thousand cuts.
No wonder the Hu Lu found it so easy to invade through the passes in later ages, and the Great Families perished under their blades! Yet your Kong Clan, even when merely existing in name, still managed to secure positions of nobility. It turns out you were colluding with the enemy from the very start!
I certainly didn’t know this before. After all, in that later era, the King Heaven Equivalent had to contend not only with external enemies but also with internal factions. Eliminating the threats of the Southern Bandits and Northern Hu Lu was already a remarkable feat; complete annihilation was hardly feasible.
"Your Majesty, all Kong Clan traitors within the Capital have been apprehended. Pursuit of those in other regions is underway," Leader Zhao returned to report.
"Have the other Great Families cooperate. Ensure that not a single one escapes," Emperor Jing instructed.
This time, the Great Families would surely not obstruct; indeed, they would offer their full assistance.
This was not only a prime opportunity to carve up the Kong Clan’s assets while they were down but also a chance to openly and righteously exact revenge.
"We will not fail Your Majesty’s trust," Leader Zhao declared immediately.
"Very well. You may leave," Emperor Jing said, waving him away.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Leader Zhao saluted and departed.
Emperor Jing lowered his eyelids, his expression tinged with fatigue.
The curse has intensified. I might not even last a year. Several names floated in Emperor Jing’s mind—potential candidates for adoption as his heir. Yet, even now, he had not decided whom to choose.
