"Enough."

The Emperor grew irritated by the wailing below, waving his hand as if to shoo away flies. In the next moment, the entire grand hall fell silent. All those who had just been sobbing stopped at once, as if by signal.

"Pang Ban."

"Your servant is here."

"The Xuanqing Guard’s ’Jingxi’ operation was a great success. According to your original plan, clean out all the vermin in the Jingxi Territory—leave not a single one. Execute those who should be killed, imprison those who should be locked up, and anyone who dares obstruct shall be implicated as well. As for places outside Jingxi, transfer them to the Ministry of Justice for investigation."

Pang Ban said no more, bowing deeply in acknowledgement. Though this outcome was not the optimal result, being able to purge even just Jingxi was already a harsh blow to the civil servant group. Pang Ban believed that, now armed with this Holy Edict and with the Jingxi Governor Jiang Cheng’s methods, Jingxi Land would surely be turned upside down.

"Ma Xuanlin."

"Your servant is here."

"The Xuanqing Guard will hand over the firsthand intelligence for areas outside Jingxi to your Ministry of Justice. Based on that intelligence, your ministry must investigate thoroughly. I am giving you two months; in one month’s time, I will demand a progress report. If I find that you are shirking your duties, I will have the Xuanqing Guard take over again. Do you understand?"

"This lowly official understands and will not disappoint Your Majesty!"

This was a hot potato. Whoever caught it would undoubtedly be hit from all sides. Yet Ma Xuanlin had no choice but to volunteer for the task. Better to wield the knife himself than let the Knife Master’s blade land in the hands of the Xuanqing Guard; at least this way, he had some say over where and how deep it would cut.

The Emperor nodded, rose to his feet, said simply, "Court is dismissed," and left. Before departing, he pointed to the pile of documents at Pang Ban’s feet, which had yet to be read; the clerk quickly came forward to carry them away.

This scene made the eyelids of the civil servants twitch uncontrollably. Such a great stack of documents must surely belong to the same case files as those Pang Ban had read earlier. But the contents were unknown to them—who could know how many cases outside Jingxi were hidden within? If the Emperor remembered them and, a month later, the Ministry of Justice had yet to investigate, wouldn’t that spell disaster?

"Lord Pang, do those files His Majesty just took have any copies? Our ministry would like to retain a set."

Pang Ban glanced at the smiling Ma Xuanlin as he walked over, then ignored him entirely, turning instead to cup his hands in farewell to Yang Yansi, and left the Ten Thousand People’s Palace without a backward glance.

Who has the mind to bother with you?

Ma Xuanlin’s face turned ashen.

Once the Emperor departed, the grand hall grew lively again. Whispers, quiet laughter, military officials on one side all wore looks of satisfaction, feeling they’d finally vented their long-held frustration. Especially since, in the coming month, the Ministry of Justice would be making a major sweep through the ranks of the civil service—no one knew how many would be made into expendable pawns or collateral victims.

There’s nothing better than watching dogs bite dogs. This time, much thanks to the Xuanqing Guard.

Tch, Pang Ban—what a sly man behind that smile. Without a word, he made his lethal move. Pity that His Majesty still favored the civil servants; otherwise, if the Xuanqing Guard were allowed to purge the entire local government office system, what a spectacle it would be—these lords of the Temple Hall would know the meaning of hell. What a pity.

Ye Lansheng walked at the rear, his eyes glancing over those around him. An old, stooped figure—like a meditating monk roused from stillness—smiled and nodded at him, then shuffled away unhurriedly.

That was Right Minister Cao Guobang. A withered man of eighty-nine years, with Cultivation at the Qi Refining Realm Fourth Layer. He’d long been oppressed by Ye Lansheng, never resisting nor currying favor, as if determined to remain a lone minister, just like Pang. Yet this time, this isolated figure emerged unscathed.

Such is the impermanence of the world!

"Lord Ye, shouldn’t there be some kind of procedure regarding this?" Bai Changqing whispered from behind. He was well aware that, after the Ministry of Justice took charge, only Ye Lansheng could truly determine how hard or soft they’d strike. He thought it best to decide swiftly.

A month is not a long time.

Ye Lansheng nodded, didn’t greet anyone, and made for the palace gates. The others followed, exiting the Imperial Palace and entering the Ministry of Justice—now slated as the main center of investigation, with Ye Lansheng choosing it as the place to convene.

Once the tea was poured, the attendants were dismissed. In the Ministry’s conference hall, more than a dozen people sat. Of the Six Ministries, only the Ministry of War and Ministry of Works were absent; the chief officers of the other Four Divisions—Revenue, Justice, Rites, and Personnel—were all present, along with several representatives of the Cultivation Race. All wore dark expressions.

"Lord Ye, this time the Xuanqing Guard came prepared, and His Majesty deliberately indulged them. We’re caught riding the tiger here."

Ye Lansheng said nothing.

Someone beside him interjected, "The real trouble is in that stack of files His Majesty took. Who knows how many cases outside Jingxi are hidden there? It’s like a blade dangling over our heads—impossible to relax."

"And then there’s Jingxi. Are we really just going to stand by and watch as the Xuanqing Guard does as they please? If they crackdown hard there, it’ll be hard for them to ever stand with us again."

"It’s tough! Abandoning Jingxi was an act of desperation."

With so many gathered, none were sighing with resignation; every pair of eyes was fixed on Ye Lansheng, who sat in silence, deep in thought. Today, this chief of the civil servants would decide the fate of many.

The murmurs in the hall gradually faded as all waited for Ye Lansheng to speak.

At length, Ye Lansheng said, "Gentlemen, this time Pang Ban’s move caught us off guard, and, indeed, many rotten bugs have sprung up in our own ranks. Though the lesson is bitter, perhaps this is also an opportunity for self-purging. Therefore, I propose we start from the bottom and, as His Majesty demands, deal with it strictly."

This was the safest course, but those dragged down by implication, hoping for rescue, would be done for.

"Everyone?!"

No sooner had Ye Lansheng spoken than all present were startled. If they carried out strict punishment across the board, it would hardly be any better than letting the Xuanqing Guard do it.

Ye Lansheng shook his head. If they really did that, the entire civil service apparatus would surely collapse, and even he, the Left Minister, wouldn’t last in his seat.

"We’ll assign by the old rules. Each submits a quota, then add or subtract as needed."

All fell silent. Absurd as it seemed, they had to admit, it was at least an effective way to solve the biggest issue quickly and directly.

Simply put, Ye Lansheng’s "assignment" meant each person present would choose a number of their own subordinates to send to the Ministry of Justice—to their deaths.

Make up the numbers, and once the tally was reached, the entire affair could be closed.

Sacrifice a small number to save the majority. Of course, those directly involved in the smuggling case could not be saved—they must die. The ones to be shielded were those implicated only peripherally, whose offenses were not so grave.

In the end, Ma Xuanlin collected over a dozen sheets filled with names, totaling two thousand six hundred eleven people. These were categorized into various levels: those to be executed, those to be exiled or imprisoned, and still others merely dismissed or docked pay. Final adjustments would yet be made, based on new intelligence from the Xuanqing Guard.