Chapter 655: Lots of Impeachments
Lots of Impeachments . . .
Following the receipt of the report, Cha Nantian's actions provoked an immediate uproar in the court.
"Cha Nantian is a merciless butcher! While the grassland people may be unruly and brutal, what about the innocent children, women, the elderly, and the frail? He's become a heartless lunatic! Such a bloodthirsty slaughter!"
"Cha Nantian completely disregards the king's authority, wielding the army as he pleases. He's lost his humanity! I protest against this heinous crime!"
"He didn't even seek the court's approval before his merciless act! His arrogance knows no bounds, and I protest against Cha Nantian's insolence towards the king and the court!"
"Winning the war is a great achievement, but exterminating an entire race goes against the natural order! Your Majesty, Cha Nantian is steering the kingdom towards enmity with the rest of the world. His actions are deplorable."
"If we conquered the grassland people and made the Grassland Wolves our vassals, they would pay us tribute and accept our governance. Isn't that a better solution? Cha Nantian's actions undermine our authority on a global scale. He's squandering the opportunity for us to peacefully rule this vast northern land, this beautiful grassland."
"Your Majesty, Cha Nantian..."
"Your Majesty! Cha Nantian should be held accountable for his actions to quell public outrage and uphold justice! Please, my king, make the decision and punish him!"
"Please, Your Majesty! We beseech you!"
The officials knelt in the court, passionately expressing their grievances and concerns, as if they were mourning the fate of humanity and lamenting the state of the universe. They put on a show of righteous indignation, acting like saints.
However, three officials remained standing upright, silent and appearing as though they were old and weary. They seemed completely oblivious to the commotion.
In reality, they were quietly amused.
"What a bunch of fools!"
"I don't care if Cha Nantian's methods were right or wrong. Just his name alone is sufficient to vindicate him! Who is Cha Nantian? Punishing him? The king would never do that."
"These fools have been promoted too quickly. They are completely ignorant. They don't even understand basic facts like the earth being round and rocks being hard."
"Impeaching Cha Nantian? That won't work, and it will only bring disgrace."
"They should think deeper. Cha Nantian has always wanted to leave, but he never had the opportunity. Now these fools are trying to impeach him, possibly playing right into his hands. If it's part of his brilliant plan, it's a case of killing three birds with one stone. Our king has been working tirelessly to keep him here, but these idiots are trying to drive him away. It's foolish to dismantle our tower of strength."
The three old men exchanged sly glances, aware of one another's thoughts. They couldn't help but gloat, even as they maintained the facade of appearing oblivious.
The king, holding the war report with a stern expression, observed the officials kneeling before him. Suddenly, he felt anger welling up.
"We had an agreement. I saved his son, and he was to safeguard the northern territories for twenty years. It hasn't been twenty years yet, and all the northern enemies are vanquished. In fact, there won't be any threats to the north for two hundred years, even two thousand years. He's fulfilled his promise well ahead of time. He can leave at any moment. He doesn't need these fools' impeachment to depart."
"And yet, these fools persist in their efforts here, imploring me to punish him..."
"This is the ignorance of fools, a woeful and pathetic sight."
The king let out a heavy sigh and closed his eyes, deep in thought. "The Grassland Wolves posed a dire threat to my kingdom, jeopardizing the entire Land of Han-Yang. Even if we could defeat them and make them our vassals, once they grow stronger, they'll inevitably rebel. Those wolves are untamable, and these courtiers should understand this."
"If women and children were spared, in twenty years, new grassland tribes would emerge, launching relentless attacks. These officials understand the consequences."
"Yet, they seize upon this as an opportunity to impeach Cha Nantian. They are indifferent to the extinction of the grassland people, including women and children. Their primary concern is not allowing Cha Nantian to persist in his current role. They fear that other kingdoms worldwide will treat their generals similarly, and scholars will be relegated to ever-lower positions."
"They recognize the necessity of eradicating the Grassland Wolves, but they seek to uphold morality by impeaching Cha Nantian. Their aim is not merely to depose him; they seek to influence the kingdom's affairs."
"They are mobilizing the collective power of scholars to influence my decisions."
"Their goal is to attain higher positions in the kingdom. They are not acting for Cha Nantian's sake but for mine, the king's."
"Cha Nantian serves as their pretext."
"Do you have any idea of Cha Nantian's true power? He is a towering figure who long ago transcended the limits of this world. Now you wish to confine him within the realm of these rules. Do you understand the folly of this endeavor? A woeful and pathetic state of affairs!"
The king comprehended the situation but felt helpless as he gazed upon the officials below. He heaved a deep sigh and slowly opened his eyes. Observing the officials on the floor, he sensed the challenge they posed.
For the first time since Feng Zhiling had granted him the dan bead, extending his life, he sighed.
How many people sided with these officials?
Most of those who didn't align with these scholars in the court were generals. However, there were only a handful of generals in the kingdom. With the kingdom facing imminent danger, the generals who held sway in court were on the front lines. Those who remained lacked the power to confront the group of scholars, let alone the authority to voice their opinions.
The kingdom needed military leaders to wage war, but it also required these scholars to govern. Scholars and generals occupied opposing positions, yet they collaborated. In court, however, scholars consistently outmaneuvered the generals.
"Prime Minister Zuo, what are your thoughts on this?" the king wearily inquired.
Follow current novels on (f)reew𝒆bnovel