You get Lu Bu as your starting character.

Chapter 117 This is the imperial court, not a marketplace.

The Hall of Nourishing Heart.

Zhou Chen issued several orders to Cao Zhengchun's Eastern Depot.

Zhou Chen knew that the Cui family of Boling was one of the seven great families of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and its influence was deeply rooted in the Great Zhou.

He wielded extraordinary influence both in the imperial court and in local areas.

To eradicate a powerful and influential family like the Cui family, which is deeply rooted in the Great Zhou Dynasty, is not simply a matter of sending a large army to wipe out the Cui family of Boling.

Furthermore, the influence of the Cui family in the imperial court and in the local areas must be completely eradicated.

Therefore, in addition to mobilizing Lü Bu's army to wipe out the Cui family of Boling, the Eastern Depot also needed to assist in arresting the officials of the Cui family of Boling in the court and scattered in the local areas.

Upon hearing Zhou Chen's orders, Cao Zhengchun immediately bowed and said, "This old servant obeys."

The Eastern Depot of today is not the same as it used to be; the number of its guards has increased significantly, and its power has expanded considerably.

While it's impossible to consider every part of the Great Zhou, it's still possible to take care of some areas.

Zhou Chen closed the memorial that Cao Shaoqin had sent back and casually tossed it to Cao Zhengchun; "And this one as well, deal with them all for me."

"Especially those from the martial arts world, who actually dared to interfere in the affairs of my court, joining forces with the Yellow Heaven Sect rebels to kill my Great Zhou's Grand Tutor, they really don't know what's good for them."

"Everyone involved, I will wipe them out."

"A knight-errant uses martial arts to break the law."

"My Great Zhou will not tolerate those who are above the law."

Zhou Chen said coldly.

Of the nine Grandmasters who surrounded and killed Grand Tutor Wen Zhong, three were leaders of the Yellow Heaven Sect, while the other six were all martial arts practitioners.

Although these six martial arts figures are all dead, Zhou Chen will not let it go so easily.

Those mere江湖人士 (jianghu figures) dared to oppose the Great Zhou Dynasty and kill its Grand Tutor. Even if they died, they would pay the price.

Zhou Chen intends to exterminate all relatives or sects related to these six martial arts figures, to give the martial arts community of the Great Zhou a wake-up call.

Let these people of the martial world see what happens when they oppose the Great Zhou.

"This old servant obeys the decree." Cao Zhengchun bowed his head again to receive the decree.

After issuing these decrees, Zhou Chen glanced at Cao Zhengchun kneeling on the ground and said, "This matter must be kept secret."

"I don't want these people to have already received word of this before I even take action."

Zhou Chen reminded Cao Zhengchun.

Zhou Chen had never underestimated the power of aristocratic families.

These aristocratic families have noses that are even more sensitive than a dog's.

As soon as the slightest rumor gets out, these aristocratic families will know immediately.

Especially for a behemoth like the Cui family of Boling, one of the seven great families of the Great Zhou Dynasty, their network of relationships and information may have already penetrated to an unknown extent.

If the Cui family of Boling were to hear of this, it would introduce many more uncertainties.

After all, the strength of a behemoth like the Cui family of Boling, one of the seven great families of the Great Zhou Dynasty, should not be underestimated.

If rumors were heard in advance and preparations were made, it could escalate into a significant upheaval.

Cao Zhengchun nodded; "This old servant understands."

"Then go and draft the decree and make the arrangements!" Zhou Chen waved his hand.

Upon hearing this, Cao Zhengchun got up and left the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

After Cao Zhengchun left, Zhou Chen tapped his fingers on the dragon table, his brows furrowed in deep thought.

Cui Songshan?
The Cui family of Boling?

What roles do the other six great families play?

Zhou Chen thought to himself, his eyes flickering.

Although there is no direct evidence to prove that the rebellion of Prince Xiaoyao Zhou Qian was directly related to the Cui family.

But Zhou Chen was certain that the rebellion of the carefree king Zhou Qian was inextricably linked to the Cui family.

Because the Cui family was the maternal uncle's family of Prince Xiaoyao, the Cui family was his supporter when he was still a prince.

Therefore, it was inevitable that the Cui family would secretly assist Zhou Qian, the carefree prince, in his rebellion.

There is no doubt about this.

Zhou Chen was pondering the roles played by the other six great families in this matter.

As far as Zhou Chen knew, the rebellion of the Carefree King Zhou Qian involved many experts, especially seven Grandmasters and more than a dozen Lesser Grandmasters.

Even for a family like the Cui family, one of the seven great families of the Great Zhou Dynasty, it would still be severely damaged if they sent out so many experts at once.

Without sufficient benefits, the Cui family would not have gone to such lengths to fully support the carefree Prince Zhou Qian.

Could this matter also involve the other six major families?
Thinking of this, a cold smile appeared on Zhou Chen's lips.

These powerful and wealthy families were truly remarkable; they managed to clean up all traces so thoroughly that even the Eastern Depot couldn't find a single clue.

There are indeed some tricks to it.

But even so, do you think everything will be fine?

"hehe."

"When I, Zhou Chen, the emperor, want to kill someone, sometimes I don't even need evidence."

Zhou Chen stood up, a cold smile on his face, and walked into the inner hall of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

……

the next day.

The morning court begins.

Inside the Golden Palace, civil and military officials filed in according to their rank.

After Zhou Chen ascended the dragon platform and sat on the dragon throne, all the civil and military officials knelt down to pay their respects.

"Long live the Emperor, long live the Emperor."

The civil and military officials knelt down and shouted.

Zhou Chen placed his hands on the armrests of the dragon throne, looked down at the officials, and said, "All of you, please speak calmly."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

After the officials knelt in gratitude, they stood up one by one.

"When there is something going on, we will start, and when there is nothing going on, we will retreat."

Cao Zhengchun, who was standing beside the dragon throne, shouted sharply.

"Your Majesty, I have something to report."

As soon as Cao Zhengchun's sharp voice fell, an official stepped forward and spoke.

"speak."

Seeing that the person who stepped forward was a censor, Zhou Chen uttered a single word.

The so-called "censors" were officials who had the power to report on matters they heard, and their power was considerable.

"Your Majesty, I wish to impeach Minister Fang Xuanling of the Ministry of Personnel."

"The Emperor entrusted Lord Fang with an important task, appointing him as Imperial Commissioner to provide disaster relief to the people of the four northern prefectures."

"But Lord Fang, relying on his power as an imperial envoy, went on a killing spree in the four northern prefectures. A large number of local officials in Yan Prefecture were innocently arrested by Lord Fang, causing turmoil in the local government of Yan Prefecture."

"Lord Fang also confiscated the property and exterminated most of the aristocratic families in Yanzhou, and even in Daizhou, he was simply lawless."

"Your Majesty, I accuse you of abusing your power as an imperial envoy to indiscriminately kill innocent people and wreak havoc in the region."

"I implore Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly."

After this official stepped forward, he loudly criticized Fang Xuanling's actions in Yanzhou and Daizhou.

His tone was so intense, and his expression so indignant, that it seemed as if Fang Xuanling had really committed some heinous crime in Daizhou and Yanzhou.

what?
Shenfang Xuanling?

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chen's expression clearly froze for a moment.

Before Zhou Chen could react, another official stepped forward. "Your Majesty, I also wish to impeach Minister Fang Xuanling of the Ministry of Personnel."

"As the imperial envoy for disaster relief, Lord Fang should have devoted himself to disaster relief and rescue, and to appease the local people."

"But Lord Fang has stirred up a great deal of imprisonment in Yanzhou and Daizhou, causing turmoil in the two prefectures that had just begun to settle down."

"It is utterly disgraceful to the Emperor."

"I implore Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly."

The official who spoke out stepped forward and sternly impeached Fang Xuanling.

"Your Majesty, I also wish to petition the Minister of Personnel, Fang."

"Your Majesty, I also wish to impeach Fang Xuanling."

……

Following that, one official after another stepped forward to impeach Fang Xuanling.

Each of them wore an expression of righteous indignation, and their accusations against Fang Xuanling were largely the same.

It was nothing more than Fang Xuanling wreaking havoc in Yanzhou and Daizhou, arresting many officials and confiscating the property of many powerful and wealthy families.

Zhou Chen sat on the dragon throne, listening to the officials step forward one by one to impeach Fang Xuanling, his eyes narrowing slightly.

To be honest, Zhou Chen really didn't expect that an official would stand up and impeach Fang Xuanling at today's morning court session.

And there are so many officials.

Did these people not know that Fang Xuanling was one of the emperor's men?

Can't you guess that all the things Fang Xuanling did in Yanzhou and Daizhou were at the behest of the emperor?

Clearly, these people all knew this.

No official in the entire court could fail to guess that Fang Xuanling was acting on the emperor's orders.

However, these officials still stood up to criticize Fang Xuanling's actions in Yanzhou and Daizhou.

It seems some people are getting restless.

"Your Majesty, I also wish to impeach Fang Xuanling."

"As an imperial commissioner, Fang Xuanling did not think about disaster relief and saving the people. Instead, he used his power as an imperial commissioner to arrest local officials and confiscate the property of prominent families."

“Even the Cui family, my relatives in Qinghe Prefecture, were inexplicably raided and exterminated.”

"I beg Your Majesty to uphold justice for my clan."

"Remove Fang Xuanling from his position as Imperial Commissioner and recall him to the court for questioning."

After other officials had finished impeaching Fang Xuanling, the Minister of Works also stepped forward to impeach him.

Compared to the officials who had previously served under Fang Xuanling, this Minister of Works, one of the six ministers, was undoubtedly much more important.

The officials who previously served Fang Xuanling were all insignificant, while the Minister of Works was one of the six ministers, holding a high position and great power.

When such a high-ranking official of the court stood up to impeach Fang Xuanling, the weight of his words far surpassed that of any other official before him.

Zhou Chen squinted at the twenty-odd officials who had stepped forward to impeach Fang Xuanling, then expressionlessly swept his gaze over the other civil and military officials; "Is there any other minister who wishes to impeach Fang Xuanling?"

Zhou Chen's gaze swept over the other civil and military officials who had not spoken.

Zhou Chen glanced at the officials from powerful and influential families in the court, such as Prime Minister Yuan Bo, the Minister of Revenue, and the Minister of Justice.

Zhou Chen knew that Fang Xuanling's sweeping actions in the four northern states had made some powerful and influential families uneasy.

"Your Majesty, I dare not agree with the views of Minister Cui and the other ministers."

At this moment, the Minister of War stepped forward and spoke with righteous indignation.

"The four northern states suffered a severe drought, the people were displaced, and corpses littered the fields. In the end, a popular uprising broke out, causing great chaos in the four northern states."

"Aren't the local officials in the four northern prefectures also guilty?"

"As officials of the imperial court, they were responsible for governing a region and managing the area, yet such chaos occurred. Their guilt is inescapable."

"As an imperial envoy, was it wrong for Minister Fang to arrest them?"

"As for Minister Fang's confiscation of the powerful families in Yanzhou and Daizhou, I believe he was not wrong."

"The Yellow Heaven Sect rebels have been operating in the four northern states for quite some time now. I do not believe that the powerful families in the four northern states were completely unaware of this."

The Minister of War's words caused the expressions of many officials in the hall to change simultaneously.

Because of this, anyone with a brain could think of it, but no one dared to say it out loud.

But now, the Minister of War has spoken this out loud, directly plunging the powerful families of the four northern prefectures into hell.

The Yellow Heaven Sect raised its flag in rebellion, and failing to report it is a serious crime.

Furthermore, according to the Minister of War's intentions, other prominent families and powerful clans would also be implicated.

After all, even the powerful families in the four northern states knew about the Yellow Heaven Sect's affairs, so how could a powerful family like the Cui family of Boling, one of the seven great families of the Great Zhou, not know about it?

Who would believe this?
"Your Majesty, I agree with the Minister of War's opinion."

"The local officials in the four northern prefectures are corrupt, and they even dare to embezzle the disaster relief funds of the imperial court. The powerful and wealthy families are even more unscrupulous. Lord Fang's decision to take down these officials and wipe out the powerful families is an act of popular will."

"Your Majesty, please make the judgment."

An official stepped forward and agreed with the Minister of War's opinion.

"Your Majesty, I agree with what the Minister of War said. What Lord Fang did must have been based on some solid evidence. Otherwise, Lord Fang could not have arrested local officials and wiped out powerful families without cause."

……

Following this, a dozen or so officials stood up to agree with the Minister of War's opinion, creating a standoff with the more than twenty officials, including the Minister of Revenue, who had impeached Fang Xuanling.

Upon hearing the words of the Minister of War and these officials, the Minister of Works looked displeased and said to the Minister of War, "Minister Li, what do you mean?"

"You need to have evidence to say that; you can't just make things up."

"If you have no evidence, then this is slander."

The Minister of Works looked at the Minister of War with ill intent and said.

Other officials who agree with the Minister of War are not worthy of being challenged by the Minister of Works.

Therefore, the Minister of Works could only confront the Minister of War head-on.

evidence?

"Minister Fang will bring the evidence back for you to see later."

"I do not believe that Minister Fang would wrong an innocent person, but I do believe that Minister Fang would certainly not let a bad person go unpunished."

The Minister of War glanced indifferently at the Minister of Works and spoke.

"Minister Li, you..."

The Minister of Works was about to say something when Zhou Chen, sitting on the dragon throne, interrupted him.

"All right."

"This is the imperial court, not a marketplace."

"You are all important officials of the imperial court. Look at yourselves now, do you still have any semblance of the demeanor of important officials?"

Zhou Chen coldly surveyed the two opposing officials and rebuked them in a cold voice.

"I already know about Fang Xuanling's matter, and I will have the Eastern Depot investigate it."

"So be it!"

"Retreat."

Zhou Chen left after saying that.

However, as Zhou Chen left, he gave the Minister of Works a deep look.

Perhaps no one knows the deeper meaning behind Zhou Chen's glance at the Minister of Works.

However, Cao Zhengchun, who was by Zhou Chen's side, knew this.

Because the Minister of Works was a member of the Cui family of Boling, and was the representative figure of the Cui family's voice in the court.

Therefore, the deeper meaning behind Zhou Chen's glance at the Minister of Works is self-evident.

(End of this chapter)