Chapter 605: The King’s Fury!
The King's Fury! . . .
Crown Prince quivered uncontrollably, his teeth chattering, and not a word escaped his quivering lips.
The court officials cast their collective gaze upon the Crown Prince, their eyes wide with anticipation, waiting for him to provide some semblance of an explanation.
"Speak! Why the silence?" The king erupted like thunder, his voice crashing through the hall. "Tell me! Why?"
Crown Prince lay prostrate on the floor, his spirit utterly broken.
[Second Prince, with his influential allies, was an overpowering figure in his father's heart. The king favored him deeply. I felt threatened...]
These were the unspoken reasons, the thoughts festering within Crown Prince's mind, but he dared not utter a single word, not under these circumstances.
"You, all of you. Explain this to me. Who can elucidate this enigma?" The king's gaze swept across the officials, his bearing imposing and imperious.
The officials, gripped by terror, knelt before the king, their foreheads pressed to the ground, and chorused, "We are guilty! We merit death!"
The king, breathless with agitation, bellowed, "Guilty? Death? Do you assume I lack the authority to impose penalties?"
The king singled out Prime Minister Zuo, his eyes fixed on the apprehensive man. "Minister Zuo, Mei Jianli was your protégé! Explain why he conspired with Crown Prince in acts of treason. Offer me a reason! Grand Tutor, Qu Wuqi is your son-in-law. Tell me, what drove him to betrayal? Grand Preceptor, Lan Zhongxin was your pupil. Speak!"
The elderly officials all knelt on the floor, beads of sweat trickling down their brows. Fear had taken a stranglehold on them.
What they initially believed would only implicate Prime Minister Zuo had now ensnared them all in a tangled web of trouble. They were, indeed, unfortunate.
Prime Minister Zuo silently lamented, [Throughout my life, I have presided over the examinations on countless occasions. It's not even feasible to recall the precise number, but it undoubtedly surpasses a dozen times. As the chief examiner, I have overseen the evaluation of countless students, time after time. Across those many years, my duty was to examine and grade papers; how could I foresee that certain individuals would partake in treasonous deeds years later?]
Grand Tutor muttered, [My daughter has been married for a staggering twenty-five years now. Who could have foreseen that her spouse would one day betray the realm?]
Grand Preceptor Song mumbled, [I have held the esteemed position of chief examiner as frequently as the venerable Prime Minister Zuo, or even more so. Over the years, I have encountered numerous students, including one Lan Zhongxin... or so I presume. Do I even know him?]
"Enough of your talk about guilt and death! You three, investigate this case thoroughly!" The king rose to his feet, slamming his hand against the table. "Provide me with an explanation for their treason, or you shall bear the very charges you seek to unravel!"
[What more does he wish to know?] The three elderly men were utterly flabbergasted, struggling to grasp the king's demands.
"Do not concern yourself, your majesty... your majesty..." The three elders were dumbfounded, their voices faltering. "We... we..."
The king stormed off the platform in a fit of rage, failing to halt his advance even when he passed by the fallen Crown Prince.
Crown Prince witnessed the king's robe brushing past him like a spectral wraith, and he cried out in a frenzy. "Father... Father... Please, I can explain..."
At long last, the king came to a halt, positioned at the threshold of the hall, his back to the court, his face bathed in radiant sunlight. He spoke in a low, resonant tone, "You need not explain. You only succeed in repulsing me!"
"I never wish to lay eyes on you again!"
Crown Prince was consumed by an icy chill. It was apparent now; his father possessed irrefutable evidence and was aware of even more revolting transgressions beyond the scope of treason.
Repulsive.
Crown Prince howled and spat out blood, collapsing in a state of unconsciousness within the court.
The king concluded his statement and proceeded to exit the hall.
In that very instant, a messenger rode in on horseback and rushed to the hall, exclaiming, "Report, your majesty! All the perpetrators have been apprehended, with none escaping capture! Your majesty, we await your orders!"
The court officials were gripped by a chill that ran through their hearts.
[Already captured?]
[The swiftness and efficiency of the king's actions are simply astounding!]
King Chen Xuantian's voice was as cold as the north wind, cutting through the air like a blade. "Order? What order? They are all traitors or kin to traitors! End their lives with bludgeons! Cast their lifeless bodies into the wilderness! Exterminate their clans!"
A faint question lingered in the air, "Your majesty... what about... the Mu Clan..."
"Wipe them out! Show no mercy!" The king's iron-clad determination left no room for negotiation.
With a dismissive flick of his robe's sleeve, King Chen Xuantian made his exit, moving with purposeful strides. Under the early morning sun, his elongated shadow on the floor seemed to mirror his profound solitude.
The crown weighed heavy, and royalty was inherently solitary.
---
News of Crown Prince's treason erupted like a tempest, sweeping across the entire kingdom. The Kingdom of Chen found itself entangled in an ever-deepening quagmire of adversity, besieged on all fronts.
Four adversarial forces converged upon the realm, waging battles spanning thousands of miles. In the midst of this external turmoil, the kingdom now faced turmoil within.
Crown Prince's treachery had shattered the kingdom's equilibrium, sending shockwaves throughout its entirety.
Treason.
A word that carried with it the weight of unforgivable sin.
The king's sovereignty had been dealt two devastating blows within the span of a mere seven days. Thousands of souls within the Crown Prince's Palace met their demise at the hands of merciless bludgeons in a single day. Not a single survivor remained.
And in the course of a single night, the Crown Prince's magnificent residence was razed to the ground.
The fury that surged within King Chen Xuantian was unlike any other he had ever displayed in the annals of history.
It was not just a matter of treason; it was the unspeakable violation of the king's own harem, a flagrant assault on his dignity both as a ruler and as a man.
The king was consumed by an unrelenting rage that eclipsed all other considerations.
Death! Death! Death!
Crown Prince was destined for an execution. Officials affiliated with him would share the same grim fate, as would anyone associated with him.
Loyalties to the Crown Prince, no matter how steadfast, were destined to vanish into oblivion.
---
Upon hearing the news, Cha Eun Xiao was left stunned.
He had anticipated a swift response from the king, but the speed of the unfolding events had caught him off guard.
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