Unstoppable Martial Arts: Starting with brother's wife and young sister Chapter 863 - 468: Chaos? Then Kill! (Part 2)

Hidden Kill eliminated a single member at the seventh level of the Dao Realm, while the Great Yu suffered losses involving over a dozen experts in the same realm.

We shall consider that a draw.

Presently, during this precarious juncture, Zhou shares this exact perspective, ensuring that neither faction desires the outbreak of open hostilities.

"As you command, Your Majesty."

Duke Qin provides his response leisurely, yet he appears hesitant to elaborate further.

"Imperial Uncle, speak your mind without reservation."

"Then I shall speak, Your Majesty."

Duke Qin discards his hesitation and continues, "Zhan Tian’s recent maneuvers have infringed upon the interests of many parties. As Your Majesty is well aware, the noble families, along with numerous ministers of the Great Yu, all maintain some level of commercial involvement."

"With the Three Judicial Departments out on their daily investigations, their profits are being undermined."

"A wave of discontent is beginning to swell among the lower ranks."

"Hmph!"

Emperor Yu emits a sudden, frigid snort that causes the entire chamber to tremble momentarily.

"Officials and merchants are strictly forbidden from colluding. For years I have played the fool and looked the other way, yet they now have the audacity to express dissatisfaction!"

A look of raw fury crosses Emperor Yu’s features.

It is not that he lacks the desire to rectify the situation; however, nearly ninety-nine percent of the Great Yu’s officials hail from these powerful houses, where ties to private business are essentially unavoidable.

He cannot possibly purge them all.

As long as they refrain from creating turmoil, he remains content to tolerate their behavior.

The critical reality is that not only the ministers but the Imperial Family itself is deeply embroiled in these dealings, particularly his own sons, who act with breathtaking recklessness.

This is precisely why Zhan Tian possesses such audacity; he has successfully deduced the Emperor’s secret desires.

Naturally, Emperor Yu finds this development quite favorable.

The Great Yu is ailing, and it is in desperate need of a total shake-up.

"Imperial Uncle, deliver a message that all parties should practice extreme discretion. There are several perilous frontiers currently short on personnel; if anyone feels entitled to grumble, I would be delighted to dispatch them there."

Hearing this, Duke Qin casts a penetrating look toward the Emperor.

"Understood, I shall convey your directive."

Since the Emperor has firmly committed to his course, further attempts at persuasion would be futile.

He rises slowly, offering a subtle bow to his Sovereign, "I take my leave."

"Hmm!"

...

The directive of Emperor Yu was disseminated by Duke Qin with haste, rippling through the upper echelons of the Imperial City.

Deep within the Fourth Prince’s Mansion.

Qin Hong appears visibly troubled, never having anticipated his father would harbor such aggressive designs.

Had he foreseen this, he would never have authorized the deployment of men to Molan Mansion at this time.

"There is no cause for such alarm, Your Highness. Compared to your fellow princes, your personal holdings are quite modest."

Wu Ma attempts to soothe him from the side.

"Hmm!"

Qin Hong nods slowly, acknowledging that his assets are indeed negligible in comparison.

The eldest brother possesses the greatest share.

His empire touches every corner of the Great Yu Hundred Mansions, which serves as the primary reason for his extensive following of loyalists.

"Instruct our agents to move the funds through multiple intermediaries to ensure no clear trail leads back to my own coffers."

Qin Hong muses deeply; abandoning his ventures is an impossibility, and the same logic applies to his brothers.

Maintaining an army of supporters behind the scenes requires astronomical sums of gold to cover daily overhead.

The struggle for the supreme throne is anything but simple.

....

"No mystery now as to why Zhan Tian is so bold; that explains everything clearly."

Qin Tiandao whispers to himself.

"It seems as though Your Majesty plotted this outcome long ago, it is only..."

Mr. Wu pauses, fixing him with a solemn gaze, "It is only that the ministers of the Great Yu are practically all descendants of elite clans, their webs of influence too complex, and the ramifications too vast. Even though many officials have registered protests against the Three Judicial Departments, Your Majesty acts as if he sees nothing."

"The true intent of the throne remains impossible to fathom."

He exhales a heavy, involuntary sigh.

"This endeavor is doomed to fail."

Qin Tiandao shakes his head.

Throughout the tens of thousands of years of the Great Yu, the bureaucracy has unfailingly been staffed by these selfsame clans.

The commercial networks of these families have woven themselves into every fabric of the nation.

Furthermore, the tradition of intermarriage only serves to further entangle their interests.

A complete cleansing is structurally impossible!

Even if one were to purge everyone, the court would be left empty; who would rise to fill the vacancies?

Absolutely no one!

Relying on the common peasantry for governance?

What an absurd notion!

A rarity that occurs perhaps once in a millennium.

For this reason, despite the current actions of his father and the Three Judicial Departments, Qin Tiandao remains convinced that a total cessation of hostilities is inevitable.

Besides....

A flicker of icy light manifests in Qin Tiandao’s eyes.

The Three Judicial Departments are about to face the most harrowing crisis of their existence.

....

Within the headquarters of the Three Judicial Departments.

Inside Zhan Tian’s private courtyard, Liu Sheng sits directly across from him.

"Did you manage to predict His Majesty’s intentions from the very start?"

Liu Sheng watches him closely; this old man, despite his irritable disposition, remains an incorrigible, obstinate scoundrel.

Even he had failed to see this development coming, yet this uncouth man had seen it all along.

It leaves him feeling somewhat uneasy.

"Was it truly so difficult to perceive?"

Zhan Tian swirls his wine cup, speaking in a detached, level tone.

"The officials of the Great Yu are born from these houses; considering my own background, climbing from the mud to the top, how many such men have even existed over these past ten millennia?"

"As a servant of the Great Yu, I harbor no doubts regarding their loyalty to the crown, but what of their personal aspirations?"

"These ministers rely on family backing; it is far too effortless for them to abuse their authority for personal enrichment."

"The Great Yu has been rotting for an eternity; His Majesty is a sovereign of immense wisdom, he understands this clearly, yet he is effectively paralyzed by this dilemma."

"He might as well allow me to stir up the hornet's nest!"

Upon finishing his sentence, Zhan Tian drains his cup in a single fluid motion, appearing entirely iron-willed.

Despite the immense heat this situation generates—enough to make even Emperor Yu cautious—let alone him.

But across from him, Liu Sheng keeps his silence, for he, too, carries the weight of the Liu Family lineage on his back.

Though he has never personally abused his position, the mere association with the family name is enough to draw suspicion.

Even if he refuses to wield his influence, others insist on catering to him as if he were a king, leaving him utterly without recourse.