Of course, this was why Cao Mao had put Zhong Yu in charge of Zhong Hui's affairs.
Zhong Hui wanted to broaden the scope of the Sun Yu case and use it to get rid of more small fry. Cao Mao actually supported this idea, but Zhong Hui had been somewhat too radical in carrying it out.
To keep any ministers from pointing fingers, Zhong Hui had decided he might as well kill them all.
Once these people were dead, all that remained would be their vacant posts. With no further opportunities to exploit them, the ministers would naturally lose interest.
Among the local officials, the most vicious bunch had already been dealt with by the palace officials. Those who remained now merely fell short of Zhong Hui's standards at most; it was not as though they necessarily had to be disposed of.
If they purged everyone by Zhong Hui's standards, Great Wei would have few people left.
Useful as Zhong Hui was, he had to be handled with great care, especially when one's ideas differed from his.
To keep Zhong Hui from flying into a rage over this, Cao Mao had brought out his own elder brother to go through his list.
Zhong Yu's temperament was the exact opposite of Zhong Hui's. Steady and broad-minded, he could naturally spot what was wrong with his younger brother's list and make corrections.
Unfortunately, Zhong Yu's allegiances were far too ambiguous, and he could not be trusted completely either. That was why someone from the Imperial Clan, such as Xiahou He, was needed to review his list.
This was what balancing the imperial court meant.
Cao Mao said helplessly, "Shiji, your elder brother has talent. How could I keep him at home forever?"
"A minister has advised me that Lord Zhong could