Xiao Yunting moved with extreme speed. With thunderous force, he cut down almost all of Xunyang’s prominent households.
As the executions piled up, the influential families who’d initially planned to unite, resist, and apply pressure were stunned into silence and fear.
When he killed one or two, they thought he was just making an example.
When three or four were executed, they still held on to the hope: “He’s only targeting the most corrupt, the loudest troublemakers, the worst offenders. The rest of us will be fine.”
After all, isn’t there a saying?
The law doesn’t punish the masses.
He couldn’t possibly kill all the prestigious families in Xunyang, right?
Even Emperor Qin didn’t wipe out every noble in the Six Kingdoms!
Surely there’s a limit to everything. If he really goes on a killing spree, and the aristocratic clans unite, after all, they also have men under their command, wasn’t he afraid of chaos?
But reality quickly proved, Xiao Yunting really wasn’t afraid.
Because very soon, under his orders, Xu Mingqing announced this to the public:
Anyone with evidence of criminal activity by these wealthy families could bring their case directly before the Imperial Grandson.
And if the evidence was solid, if the accusations proved true, that person would be rewarded with a portion of the accused household’s property.
What kind of property?
That depended on the strength of the evidence. From mansions to silver, grain taxes, even farmland, everything was on the table.
And just like that, the gates of the prefectural yamen were nearly trampled down by the surge of commoners.
Xu Mingqing had never in his life seen so many people, let alone reviewed this many case files and complaints in one day.
Anyone who was even remotely literate in the office was put to work, copying testimonies, sorting documents, the place was a madhouse.
Meanwhile, Qian Yuan and his crew were busy confiscating properties.
After Wen Wei was executed, they discovered just how much he had extorted in Xunyang over the years. The land titles alone registered under his name were countless.
And the Wen family’s grain storehouses?
Overflowing.
Erhuzi, leading a team into the granary alongside Han Ding, teared up on the spot: “They kept telling us the court had no food, turns out it was all hoarded right here by scum like them!”
Qian Yuan, sweating profusely, ordered the food to be inventoried and registered. Then, by Xiao Yunting’s command, it was distributed to famine victims.
And to prevent disease, Xiao Yunting summoned monks from temples, priests from Daoist abbeys, and every doctor in the city to boil medicinal herbs and distribute them to the people.
Only then was the situation finally temporarily stabilized.
The powerful families?
Crushed.
If they only had to deal with Xiao Yunting, they could maybe think of ways to resist. But now they had to face the fury of the common people as well.
Those starving refugees now looked at them with blood-red eyes, itching to tear them to pieces.
And with Xiao Yunting looming like a god of death above them, they had no choice but to surrender.
In the end, every elite family that had colluded with the authorities in Xunyang lost everything.
Not even a single grain of rice remained.
As for Xiao Yunting, he brought the Ministry of Works engineers up to the levees.
He ordered paid labor from the locals to help shore up the banks, while mobilizing military garrisons from nearby to assist.
The rain still poured without end,
But the people finally felt a sense of stability.
They could tell, this prince was truly doing real work.
Following him, maybe they wouldn’t get rich, but at the very least,
They’d survive.
On the levee, looking at the flickering firelight and the figures bustling in the night,
Xiao Yunting finally let out a small breath of relief.
Of course he knew there weren’t enough swords to kill every corrupt official and he couldn’t save everyone.
But so long as he held the post, he had to fulfill its duty.
And the next step…
He narrowed his eyes and instructed Han Ding: “It’s time. Let’s head to Hongdu.”
—
When Qi Wang received the news, he gave only a casual “Oh,” and tossed the orange peel in his hand to the floor: “What, Xiong Liangyong and Huang Hongzhong are just waiting for me to clean up the mess while they sit there collecting benefits?”
Eunuch Xu understood what he meant. He leaned forward and whispered: “Please don’t worry, Your Highness. They’re planning to present the Imperial Grandson with a very generous gift this time.”
“A gift?” Qi Wang arched a brow, finally looking up from his blueprints, smiling. “What kind of generous gift?”
“Your Highness enjoys killing, don’t you?” Eunuch Xu smiled faintly. “They said they’ll offer you people to kill.”
Qi Wang looked puzzled, so Eunuch Xu leaned in and whispered something in his ear.
A moment later, Qi Wang’s eyes brightened into a grin: “Well now, that’s clever. Yes, let’s see how our oh-so-noble Imperial Grandson handles that!”
“Isn’t he all about righteousness and loving the people like his children?”
Let’s see how he gets through this.
Then, setting aside that conversation, he handed the blueprints to Eunuch Xu: “Give this to the Ministry of Works craftsmen. Have them build this courtyard exactly as shown for me, no cutting corners.”
“Didn’t Qi Yuan say I don’t know how to treat people well?”
“Well then, I’ll show her.”
“She’s not even here yet, and I’ve already prepared a house just for her, so thoughtful, right?”
Eunuch Xu accepted the plans with a soft “Yes, Your Highness,” and stepped out.
But once he was outside, his eyes narrowed.
Xiao Yunting can’t be allowed to live.
Qi Yuan can’t either.
He couldn’t allow anyone to hold more sway over Qi Wang than he did. That would be an enormous threat.
So… best to kill them both.
Strike while the iron is hot.
Now was the time.
He turned and asked Little Dongzi:“By the way, has Lord Gao sent word yet? Where is he now?”
Little Dongzi quickly answered: “Godfather, he’s also reached Xunyang.”
Because Gao Qing traveled light and moved quickly, he actually kept pace with the imperial envoy team who were detaining spies, executing officials, and building levees.
They had both arrived in Xunyang.
Eunuch Xu let out a sharp laugh: “Oh? What a coincidence. Isn’t that perfect?”
“Let’s make them a pair of doomed lovers.”
He waved Little Dongzi over and handed him a letter, face expressionless: “Send this to Gao Qing. Tell him to follow the instructions in the letter, it’s all by His Highness’s will.”
Little Dongzi, who could read, saw the destination written in the letter and was instantly alarmed: “Godfather, if the prince finds out you’re sending them to…!”
Eunuch Xu’s face turned dark instantly: “Which is why, he won’t know. He can’t know.”
Any message that reaches Qi Wang goes through his hands first. And he knew exactly how to deceive the heavens and cross the sea.
Little Dongzi’s scalp went numb, but under Eunuch Xu’s glare, he didn’t dare disobey. He quickly agreed.
When Gao Qing received the letter, he was confused: “Why is His Highness sending us to… Jinxian County?”
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