"Drag this eyesore out and feed it to the dogs!"
The wicked man handed the blood-stained sword to a guard, who immediately picked up Ran Zang's head, which was still wide open in death. Another guard then dragged the headless corpse away from the main hall.
Zhao Gao, who was serving from the side of the platform, immediately made a gesture, and an official stepped forward to clean up the bloodstains on the ground.
A short while later, the bloodstains on the ground were wiped clean, but the smell of blood lingered for a long time.
"Your Majesty!"
The wicked man returned to the center of the hall and said in a very heavy tone, "There are absolutely no ghosts or gods in this world. They are just crooked and evil ways to fool people."
"The people are already suffering enough. Why make them endure the pain of sacrifice and cause innocent lives to be lost for nothing?"
It's not that he's a saint; from a practical point of view, if the sacrifice really works, he would absolutely support it wholeheartedly. Trading a small price for great peace is a worthwhile deal no matter how you look at it.
but!
This ritual is nothing but a deceptive charade. Why waste the lives of innocent women and children?
"Natural disasters are uncontrollable, they are natural changes. We can glean some information and take preventative measures in advance, but it is impossible to reverse them with supreme power. This is beyond human capability."
"The original intention of sacrificial rites was nothing more than to pray for blessings and good fortune, and to seek auspicious meanings. Such unhealthy practices must be suppressed!"
Every word the wicked man uttered came from the bottom of his heart. Even though superstition was deeply ingrained in people of this era, he was not afraid and wanted to challenge those outdated ideas.
He knew that only by breaking superstitions could the people be freed from unnecessary fear and society move towards a more civilized and progressive path.
His words echoed in the hall, causing discontent and whispers among some, but also prompting others to fall into deep thought.
Ying Zheng remained silent, seemingly weighing his husband's words. He didn't care about killing Ran Zang, but his husband's words indirectly shattered his hopes, making it difficult for him to accept.
"well..."
Seeing that he remained silent for a long time, the wicked man could only sigh, understanding that this matter could not be resolved overnight. He could only bow and say, "Your Majesty, the people of Han and Wei are in turmoil. Your Majesty, I shall depart immediately..."
Ying Zheng snapped out of his daze and temporarily suppressed the chaotic thoughts in his mind. "You may go now!"
The wicked man bowed again and then strode away, but before leaving, he silently winked at Yang Duanhe.
......
Back at the mansion, the wicked husband ordered the servants to pack their belongings, while he waited for Yang Duanhe's arrival in the front hall.
About half an hour later, Yang Duanhe arrived quickly.
"Grand Commandant, what brings you here?" Yang Duanhe was slightly out of breath. He understood the look in his husband's eyes before he left, so he went straight to the Grand Commandant's residence after court.
"Please sit down!"
The wicked man pointed and, after the man sat down, said, "You saw what happened today. The reason I called you here is because we warriors don't believe in ghosts or gods, we only believe in the sword in our hands..."
Yang Duanhe grinned upon hearing this, "That bastard deserves to die. What ghosts, gods, or heavenly laws? Anyone who dares to harm my Qin Kingdom, even if it's right in front of me, I'll draw my sword and kill it!"
The wicked man nodded slightly and said in a deep voice, "The doctrines of heresy and evil are only harmful to the country and its people. You should be able to see that His Majesty has great faith in this doctrine and has always been thinking of seeking elixirs of immortality?"
"Immortality?!"
Yang Duanhe scoffed at this, saying, "If immortality truly existed, wouldn't the Zhou emperor have become an eternal tortoise? How could there be the current situation of the seven kingdoms vying for supremacy?"
"You understand, I understand, but as a king, it's understandable that he's reluctant to part with this beautiful land and can't see through the impermanence of life and death."
The wicked man sighed, a cold killing intent flashing in his eyes, "While I am away in Hanwei, you must complete the establishment of the Black Ice Guard as soon as possible."
"I'm giving you a secret order, as a trial battle for the Black Ice Guard!"
Yang Duanhe stood up, his gaze resolute. "Grand Commandant, please give your orders. I will not fail you. Once the Black Ice Guard is fully established, it will surely become the sharpest sword in the shadows of Qin."
He wasn't stupid; he could probably guess that the wicked husband's next order would definitely be related to those who sold ghosts and evil spirits.
As expected, the wicked man coldly ordered, "Once the training is complete, immediately begin to find those sorcerers among the common people. Anyone who dares to deceive the world with ghosts, gods, heavenly principles, and fate shall be executed!"
"Their entire clan of ten families will be implicated!!"
"Ten clans??" Yang Duanhe's face showed shock, but also a hint of doubt. He asked, "May I ask, Grand Commandant, I know about exterminating three clans, but what about exterminating ten clans...?"
The practice of exterminating three clans originated in the military. Emperor Yang of Sui expanded it to include nine clans, and Emperor Zhu Di of Ming developed a game called "Ten Clans Elimination Game" based on this. It is understandable that Yang Duanhe did not understand it.
There are two interpretations of the punishment of exterminating nine generations of relatives in later generations. One interpretation is that it includes nine generations of direct relatives from the great-great-grandfather to the great-great-grandson; the other interpretation is that it includes four members of the paternal family, three members of the maternal family, and two members of the wife's family.
The wicked husband didn't bother to explain in detail and said bluntly, "To make a long story short, you can understand it this way. In addition to your father's family, mother's family, and wife's family, cut off all your students and friends, as long as they are alive and breathing."
"Isn't this... a bit too harsh?"
Yang Duanhe was somewhat embarrassed. At present, the most severe punishment in Qin law was the extermination of three clans, which only involved the extermination of the parents, brothers, and wife's entire family, without pursuing the lives of relatives beyond five degrees of kinship.
That despicable man's extermination of ten generations of his family not only targets relatives beyond five degrees of kinship, but also murders his students and friends. The scope of this is far too broad!
By then, the number of heads under the blade will be countless!
"Heh..." The wicked man's lips curled into a contemptuous sneer. "The existence of these people is insignificant, but their manipulative skills can spread like a plague, and their pernicious influence can even be described as a malignant tumor that brings disaster to the country and its people."
Throughout history, tragedies of people suffering immense loss due to superstition and metaphysics have been commonplace.
The Qin state is still in its early stages of development, and various schools of thought are emerging like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. Cults are still in their infancy. If we do not seize this opportunity to eradicate them, they will become as uncontrollable as weeds in the future.
It should be noted that even in later generations with the information explosion and widespread education, these cults still lurk in the shadows like ghosts, waiting for their chance to strike, and cannot be completely eradicated.
Yang Duanhe's face was full of complicated emotions. "I, Old Yang, am an upright man. Let me make this clear first: if the King blames me... I'll just say that you forced me to do it."
"At that time... the impeachments from all the civil and military officials... might break my back."
Upon hearing this, a resolute glint flashed in the wicked man's eyes. "Let's see who dares!!" He paused, then abruptly changed his tone, "Of course, this Grand Commandant will certainly consult His Majesty first!"
Yang Duanhe was taken aback by his heavy breathing, then breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Yes, wasn't the original purpose of the Black Ice Guard to be the King's eyes and ears?"
"It's really not good for the Grand Commandant to interfere. Why don't we hurry to the palace to ask him? Old Yang also wants to experience what it feels like to have ten generations of a family executed!"
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