Chapter 588: Chapter 72: Killing the Chicken and the Monkey, a Bloody Reckoning

"What exactly is the Grand Tutor’s intention with this move? Is he planning to instigate a mass prosecution?" a wealthy merchant with a Guanlong accent couldn’t hold back, his voice rising sharply, eyes like knives. "If that is truly the case, are we just going to sit and wait to be slaughtered?"

"Silence!" Before he could finish speaking, someone urgently whispered, "If such words reach the ears of the Imperial Censorate, the grave charge of ’treason’ would be upon us in an instant!"

"Treason?" The merchant scoffed, full of disdain, "Does Grand Tutor Gu intend to place himself above the laws of the Great Tang?"

The news from Luoyang was completely sealed off by Gu Jing, not a drop leaking out.

Those trapped in this situation were gradually losing their composure under the heavy pressure.

"The profits from maritime trade may have originated from the Gu Clan, but executing it across the nation was of Taizong’s decree!"

"We’ve been operating for years, have taxes ever been short by a fraction?" another person trembled as they spoke, filled with unwillingness and fear, "What on earth is Gu Jing defying ancestral rules for by treating us so harshly?"

"Could it be that Gu Jing truly dares to disregard the reputation the Gu Clan has built over centuries?"

At this point, everyone fell silent again.

This was what they originally thought, which emboldened them to unite and try to use the great momentum to resist the Central Hub.

But now Gu Jing’s actions had completely exceeded their expectations.

Wu Sansi’s expression was also extremely complicated at this moment, looking at everyone present and sighing deeply: "How did the high officials you requested respond?"

— The merchants gathered here were seeking more than just wealth.

Wealth was merely the foundation.

They also had to look at the people behind them.

The current maritime trade was like this, where wealthy merchants would step forward to profit, then take the money to divide among the people behind them.

To put it bluntly, they too were simply being pushed out as pawns.

Hearing this, everyone present sighed again, immediately looking at each other silently, shaking their heads.

In the time before Gu Jing mobilized his troops.

These people still had contact with them, telling them not to panic and such.

But from the moment Gu Jing mobilized, these contacts were completely severed, and there was already an idea to push them out as scapegoats.

This was obvious to everyone.

But even so, they had no way out.

Bite back?

They dared not, for they still had family left in others’ manors, and doing such a thing would result in the immediate annihilation of their families.

"Lord Wu, is there any response from the Grand Empress Dowager?"

Seeing everyone like this, they couldn’t help but turn to Wu Sansi.

He was the most influential among them.

Although Wu Zetian had not become the Emperor as originally in history, the title of "Grand Empress Dowager" already carried considerable weight.

Seeing the hopeful eyes of everyone, Wu Sansi pondered for a long time, finally shaking his head.

In an instant, the atmosphere in the study became even more rigid.

Everyone continued to look at each other, with countless words they wanted to say, but found themselves unable to voice a single one.

But during this oppressive moment of secret meeting—

Bam! Clang!

A piercing sound of shattering objects and scolding suddenly exploded!

Immediately, the heavy clatter of armors and the orderly footsteps reverberated like distant thunder, shattering the dead silence of the study as they approached.

Everyone in the hall turned pale with shock, rising instantly!

Wu Sansi reacted swiftly, grabbing several brothers beside him and yelled, "Follow me!" The group hurriedly rushed toward the door.

The voice arrived before the person, Wu Sansi’s harsh shout already echoing through the courtyard:

"Audacious! Who dares to trespass the Wu Mansion?!"

— This was borrowing authority, but also seeking survival!

Even though his aunt Wu Zetian had abandoned them, at this moment, invoking her name was Wu Sansi’s only lifeline.

In the courtyard, Gu Qun stood in full armor before the stern soldiers, coldly watching the Wu family members file out, his face utterly calm.

As a twentieth-generation member of the Gu Clan, he might be of moderate talent, but in terms of family heritage, Gu Qun was unafraid of anyone.

Not to mention the newly risen and poorly born Wu Clan, even faced with real royal relatives, he might not even twitch an eyebrow.

Once the Wu family gathered, Gu Qun slowly raised his hand.

A guard immediately offered a thick stack of documents.

He unrolled them leisurely, his gaze sweeping over Wu Sansi and the others like icy blades, his voice low yet striking like a hammer: "The Wu family, illicitly merged official silver, concealed maritime accidents, colluded with foreign giant merchants, evaded imperial taxes..."

Each charge clear and resounding.

"By order of the Grand Tutor," Gu Qun closed the document, his voice suddenly turning fierce, "Arrest them!"

The air instantly froze!

"Slander! This is entrapment!!" Seeing the soldiers rushing in like wolves and tigers, Wu Sansi’s eyes nearly burst as he roared, "I want to see the Grand Tutor! I want to pay respects to the Empress Dowager!!!"

Gu Qun watched him in his near-madness, shook his head slightly, a barely discernible pity flashing in his eyes.

He reached into his robe again, took out a letter, and began to read it aloud slowly and clearly in front of Wu Sansi.

The words in the letter were phrases of plea all too familiar to Wu Sansi and others!

Everyone’s faces suddenly turned ashen, cold sweat dripping.

After reciting, Gu Qun raised his eyes, the last sentence like a poisoned icy sword, piercing accurately into Wu Sansi’s heart: "The Grand Tutor says, the Empress Dowager is wise and judicious, and this act of righteousness over kin is indeed for the good of the nation and people, a blessing for the state."

"Thud!" "Thud!"

Several people at the scene couldn’t withstand this fatal blow, their vision went black, and they fainted to the ground.

Even Wu Sansi, always seen as the pillar of the Wu clan, stumbled violently as if struck. He instinctively held onto the door frame, turning his head with difficulty to look in the direction of Luoyang Palace, his eyes full of disbelieving despair and venom.

He couldn’t understand, couldn’t understand!

Why.... why could his high and mighty aunt be so heartless!

Could it be..... could it be that she really fears the Gu Clan to this extent?

The affection of the past between aunt and nephew, the imperial favor.... all those praises for him are now entirely disregarded.....

She even actively sold them out.

He clenched his fist tightly, but couldn’t say anything more, allowing the soldiers to seize them.

The whole Wu Mansion was in chaos.

Gu Qun just stood silently at the front gate waiting, when suddenly more soldiers reported: "To the Imperial Censor, there are outsiders in this Wu Mansion...."

He reported each name interrogated.

Gu Qun listened, a smile gradually appearing on his face: "Oh?"

"An unexpected boon?"

"Seize them all!"

Meanwhile, this scene was occurring all over Mingzhou, with various decrees heading to each place.

Donglai, Panyu, and other important ports.

Gu Jing showed no mercy in this operation, yet he did not rush there.

A bunch of merchants, after all, Gu Jing never devoted all his mind to them.

Gu Jing dispatched troops from the capital for the people behind them, including many officials at various port locations.

These were the ones he needed to deal with.

Since the decree from the Central Hub was issued, the embezzlement in maritime trade was exposed like a dam burst.

Once the Imperial Censorate thoroughly investigated tax records, incidents of accidental fires at local offices reached no less than ten!

This was the most evident, yet who knows how many dealings were hidden in the dark, Gu Jing was too lazy to consider.

This was his focus.

It wasn’t that the governance of the Great Tang had deteriorated.

It was negligence.

In the past, the Imperial Censorate often targeted corrupt officials ignoring the people, but never dealt with officials colluding with merchants.

This was the flaw in the system.

Maritime trade greatly stimulated economic effects, leading merchants to rise continually, and naturally developed a relationship.

Gu Jing now needed to rectify these people.

Including his high-profile departure from the capital, which was a strategy.

To deter the four corners, forcing all forces to see the direction, voluntarily "cut off the tail to survive," surrender those who should be surrendered;

And also... there was room left.

Gu Jing deeply understood the way of governance; relying solely on the Gu Clan to sustain the whole world was like draining the pond to catch the fish.

This restraint was the wisdom of a politician, and a necessary concession.

And beyond that —

Whether it was aristocratic puppet masters, foreign conspiracies, or exiled small countries, he personally led the army to crush these scourges of rampant plundering that destabilized the nation!

At this moment, on the vast waves, Gu Lang stood atop a building ship, holding Gu Jing’s secret order, breaking the waves forward.

The destination was directly — Ryukyu!...

....

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