Inside a grand hall, the lights were dim, and the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood. Ying Zheng stood before a curtain, his gaze piercing; the wicked man and Han Fei stood respectfully on either side, silently facing him.
"Issue an order to the Black Ice Guard, overseeing all six departments, to thoroughly investigate all schools of thought." Ying Zheng spoke calmly, his tone not loud, yet it chilled the atmosphere in the hall. "Anyone who has colluded with or secretly instigated the rebellion shall be banned and severely punished without exception."
The wicked man clasped his hands in response: "Your subject obeys." His eyes were calm yet sharp, like a blade poised to strike.
Upon hearing this, Han Fei's expression turned solemn. After hesitating for a moment, he still whispered, "Your Majesty, the various schools of thought also have their merits. To wipe them all out at once would be to harm the foundation of the state. If we can divide and rule them, perhaps we can avoid some bloodshed."
"Han Fei is right." Ying Zheng looked at the evil man. "The Mohists, the Agriculturalists, the Medicalists, and the like, as long as they adhere to practicality and do not hinder my new policies, need not be abolished. But those who outwardly comply but inwardly defy, and who use the name of the sage to deceive the people, must be eradicated."
The wicked man nodded: "Understood. This cleanup will begin with those Confucian schools that collude with the rebels, and then gradually expand. Those who follow the Mohist school, agriculturalists, and physicians should be protected."
Ying Zheng nodded slightly upon hearing this. He waved to dismiss the guards around him, then said in a deep voice, "If we want to strengthen the country, we must unite the people and understand the way. Those self-important and closed-door theories have no place to stand. We need not only a unified empire, but also for all people to read the same books and learn the same laws."
After a long while, he paced back and forth, as if weighing something. When he turned around, his gaze fell on the wicked man: "This battle is of utmost urgency. Grand Commandant, mobilize the troops immediately. Han Fei, you will accompany the Grand Commandant to assist in the planning."
"Yes." Han Fei and the wicked husband bowed and accepted the order at the same time.
Ying Zheng took a deep breath, as if to expel all the pent-up frustration from his chest. "Once the cleanup is complete, I will open the imperial examinations again to cultivate new talents with new methods. I will no longer tolerate the old forces and will not allow the world to be thrown into chaos again."
......
The Grand Commandant's residence was brightly lit.
Inside the study, the wicked husband and Han Fei were engrossed in reading scrolls behind a curtain. On the table were intelligence documents sent from various places, listing the whereabouts of the various schools of thought in different regions, as well as some evidence of collusion with the old forces.
"Now that His Majesty's decree has been issued," the wicked man said, putting down the bamboo slip in his hand, his brows furrowed with murderous intent. "If the various schools of thought are willing to submit to the new policies, their merits can be retained; but those who outwardly comply but inwardly defy them, or who collude with rebels, must be eradicated completely."
Han Fei nodded slightly: "Yes. The new laws are about to be implemented and the new way is about to be established. If the old forces are allowed to occupy the four borders of Qi, Han, Wei and Yan, how can we promote unification? This purge, although extremely ruthless, is inevitable."
A cold glint flashed in the wicked man's eyes: "Lord Chang'an, Cheng Jiao, has been stationed in the former territory of Han and Wei for a long time and has always been trusted by Your Majesty. Now is the time to use him. As for Feng Jie and Zhang Han, they have established their authority in Qi territory and can be continued to be purged; as for the matter in Yan, Yang Duanhe is the only one who can handle it."
"Not bad." Han Fei closed the bamboo scroll. "Old Yang is currently purging the lawless Mo Xia and assassins in Yan. He must have gathered a lot of intelligence along the way, so we don't need to worry about him."
As the two were talking, an attendant came from outside the hall to report: "Grand Commandant, Lord Han Fei, the King's decree has been sent to the post station. You may go to the training ground tomorrow to coordinate the troop deployment."
The wicked man nodded slightly: "Let's go. The sooner we distribute the orders to various places, the faster we can start the operation."
...
The following morning, banners fluttered in the air at the drill ground south of Xianyang. Soldiers from various camps lined up in square formations, some carrying spears and halberds, others carrying bows and crossbows, standing solemnly and imposingly.
On the makeshift platform, the wicked man was dressed in military attire, Han Fei stood to one side, and the deputy envoy of the Black Ice Platform stood below the platform, occasionally relaying commands.
After a drumbeat, the wicked man, holding a scroll of silk, loudly proclaimed the king's decree: "By order of the king: starting today, the Great Qin will begin to purge the old forces and illegal schools of thought throughout the land."
"First, Lord Chang'an Chengjiao will continue to be stationed in the Han and Wei regions to thoroughly investigate any hidden rebels; second, Feng Jie and Zhang Han will remain in the Qi state to completely purge the Confucian schools entrenched there; third, Yang Duanhe, commander of the Black Ice Guard, will go to the Yan territory to eliminate the long-hidden Mohist knights and assassins, and will also be responsible for supervising the various schools of thought in the Yan region, and any unusual activity will be immediately eliminated!"
He declared loudly, "In addition, all six branches of the Black Ice Guard will be mobilized and cooperate with the border troops. Anyone who dares to obstruct the new policies or undermine the nation will be executed without mercy! Disperse!"
As soon as the word "Disperse" was uttered, the soldiers below responded with a thunderous roar, and the drumbeats resumed, their sound carrying for miles, as if to spread this killing intent in all directions.
The wicked man tucked the silk scroll into his robes, turned to Han Fei and smiled: "The chessboard of the world has been laid out. Now, let's see how everyone makes their moves."
Han Fei nodded slightly: "Cheng Jiao, Feng Jie, Zhang Han, and Yang Duanhe are all extraordinary figures, but the four regions of Qi, Han, Wei, and Yan are deeply intertwined and cannot be pacified overnight. We must also be careful to prevent the undercurrents from resurfacing."
The wicked man said in a deep voice, "Of course. You come with me back to the main hall, and we'll read through the Black Ice Platform's secret files again before we split up and do our own things."
The two stared at each other for a moment, then Han Fei turned and walked down from the platform. Beneath his fluttering robes lay a heart as cold as a knife. If the old forces remained obstinate, he, being a Legalist, would mercilessly include them in the ranks of those to be eliminated.
......
Long before the fall of Han and Wei, Lord Chang'an Chengjiao was ordered to garrison this place. On the surface, there seemed to be no war, but in reality, various undercurrents were surging.
Although he was a member of the imperial clan, he was still full of courage and had heard a lot about the Han and Wei gentry, and he despised their behavior.
After receiving the king's decree to "purge all schools of thought," he strictly ordered officials in the Xinzheng area to submit detailed reports on the backgrounds of various prominent families, schools of thought, and their retainers within one month. Anyone found concealing or falsifying information would be executed without exception.
Inside the main hall of an official residence outside Xinzheng City, Cheng Jiao, clad in light armor, sat in the main seat, surrounded by civil and military officials. A case of traitors had just been solved here; most of the scholars and local clans who had colluded with the rebels had been eliminated in a single day. Bloodstains still lingered in the hall, and a chilling atmosphere permeated the air.
"Report!" A lieutenant strode in and knelt on one knee. "The day before yesterday, we launched a surprise attack on the northern mountain fortress and seized a batch of hidden weapons. According to the interrogation, the group claimed to be from the Confucian school, colluding with the descendants of the former Wei prince, and plotting to incite a rebellion."
Cheng Jiao, expressionless, asked, "Are there any remaining followers still at large?"
The lieutenant said in a panic, "It is said that a few have escaped and fled into the depths of the wilderness. I am sending men to search the mountains, and there will surely be results soon."
Cheng Jiao narrowed his eyes and said, "Since this matter involves the remnants of Young Master Wei, it is by no means an isolated case. Issue my order: within three days, order the county magistrates in the surrounding areas to conduct a thorough investigation, and detain and interrogate all suspicious persons. Anyone who dares to disobey will be executed on the spot!"
He was always decisive and efficient, and now, having been fully entrusted with authority by the Grand Commandant's wicked husband, he wouldn't show any mercy. As soon as he finished speaking, all the generals in the hall clasped their hands in agreement, fearing that the slightest slackening would offend Lord Chang'an.
Cheng Jiao stood up and looked outside the hall: "The King and the Grand Commandant intend to use swift and decisive measures to eradicate the stubborn old regime and implement the new policies throughout the land. Send word to all the tribes that tomorrow they will accompany me to that wild mountain range to thoroughly annihilate the remaining bandits!"
The generals and soldiers in the hall responded in unison.
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