Chapter 1383 – South Sheng, Autumn of Chaos (9)
Unlike the “bloody chaos” in Zhangzhou, things were much quieter here in Wanzhou.
Jiang Pengji casually found an excuse to send two high-quality fakes back to their hometown for a “rebirth,” and ordered her people to cast their nets to catch fish.
“The Tao Clan has been bouncing around for too long,” Jiang Pengji said, munching on a slender bamboo stick, exuding her domineering CEO aura. “The weather’s getting cooler; it’s time for them to go bankrupt.”
Yang Si and the others had no objections—after all, it wasn’t the first time their lord had gone off the rails.
However, Li Yun, the earnest one, pointed out a flaw in her statement.
“My lord, spring plowing has just concluded; the weather will only get hotter.”
Jiang Pengji shot him a secret glare and sighed dramatically, “Han Mei, you and I have a generation gap; you don’t even understand the latest young people’s jokes.”
Li Yun: “…”
True, he was a few years older than their lord, but surely it wasn’t enough to create a generation gap?
Yang Si chuckled, “Han Mei really doesn’t seem like a young person.”
Li Yun was baffled, suddenly feeling as if he was out of touch with the times.
Yang Si continued, “Didn’t Zai Chi the Scholar just release a new story? There’s a line that says, ‘The weather’s getting cooler; let the Wang family go bankrupt,’ it sounds strange, but when you think about it, it’s actually quite interesting. I didn’t expect our lord to be a fan of Zai Chi’s works.”
Jiang Pengji replied, “Zai Chi? Of course, I like him; I admire him from head to toe.”
Speaking of which, Wei Ci co-authored that new book with her.
Although her only contribution was the absurd line, “The weather’s getting cooler; let the Wang family go bankrupt.”
She thought it was a clever pun, but Wei Ci thought otherwise.
“Sigh, Zixiao, you don’t love me anymore.”
Jiang Pengji squatted beside him, looking at him with puppy eyes, hoping he would add that line.
Wei Ci was at a loss, ultimately defeated and stripped of all armor. Thus, this phrase, later regarded as an early internet catchphrase, was recorded in history; in addition to being labeled as the “pioneer of realistic and dark-themed storytelling,” Wei Ci also earned the nickname “Playful Ci,” thanks to the increasing number of playful and humorous lines in his later works, making him the ancient equivalent of an internet sensation.
Wei Ci: “…”
I didn’t, I wasn’t, don’t say that!
The Tao Clan and others eagerly awaited good news, but instead received one piece of bad news after another.
When aristocratic clans swallowed up the land of common folks, their methods were usually not very clean; Jiang Pengji meticulously investigated and could uncover everything.
With the clan’s large population and varying qualities, it wasn’t surprising if the Tao Clan’s young members committed heinous acts against the people.
No matter who within the clan was responsible, in the end, the entire clan would bear the blame.
Jiang Pengji didn’t use the crime of illegal salt trade to target the Tao Clan; instead, she opted for other charges unrelated to salt.
Just that alone resulted in over thirty various charges!
As the leader of this interest group, the Tao Clan enjoyed the most benefits, thus accumulating the most charges.
Resolute in her intentions, Jiang Pengji made sure to give them no time to flee or react.
Although the Tao Clan had raised many private soldiers, most of them were ordinary folks who had never seen battle. They looked hefty and intimidating enough to scare the common people, but against Jiang Pengji’s elite troops, they were just delivering themselves to their doom.
In no time at all, the residences of the Tao Clan were completely surrounded. Uninformed clan members and servants felt their hearts race, and the cries of children and women drifted through the tall inner walls, reaching Mrs. Han’s ears. Having seldom left her quarters, Mrs. Han was startled and added a hint of worry to her expression.
She asked her devoted Maidservant, “What’s happening outside?”
The Maidservant, with tears streaming down her face, cried out, unsure whether to sob over the fate of her family or her own life.
“I heard that Lan Ting sent troops to raid our home—what should we do now, madam—”
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Han felt her head spin, as if something was exploding one after another, leaving her ears ringing.
After a moment, she regained her composure.
“Raid our home? What nonsense?”
The Maidservant couldn’t clarify, but it was undeniable that the Tao Clan’s estate was surrounded.
Mrs. Han’s expression changed dramatically; she suddenly leaped from her seat, about to dash out when she heard the sound of hurried footsteps.
Peeking outside, she saw rows of armored soldiers armed with guns entering.
“Preposterous!”
Fueled by righteous anger, Mrs. Han couldn’t help but shout, reprimanding these thuggish soldiers for their actions.
“Who allowed you to enter without permission?”
The leading soldier politely asked, “May I inquire who this lady is? Are you a guest here or a member of the Tao Clan?”
Mrs. Han responded with another question, “Why are you entering without permission?”
The leading soldier replied, “The Tao Clan intends to rebel, framing the governor; I have received orders to apprehend the criminals.”
Mrs. Han nearly exploded with anger.
“To fabricate a crime, there’s no shortage of pretexts.” She swallowed the iron taste rising in her throat and scolded, “The Tao Clan has lived here for generations, building their fortune through hard work. How could they possibly intend to rebel at this critical moment? It’s obviously that Liu Lanting is coveting others’ property, using this as an excuse to rob! The most wicked bandit in this world is none other than Liu Lanting, and you lot are complicit!”
Initially, the soldiers were polite, not using force against anyone nor causing a ruckus.
Compared to examples from before, they could be considered refined and courteous.
Who would have thought that their politeness would earn them a deluge of scolding?
It wasn’t enough to just get scolded; this madwoman also dragged their lord into it.
How could this be tolerated?
Endless patience has limits; it was time to arrest everyone!
Mrs. Han was just an ordinary inner housewoman. How could she compete with grown men in strength?
As the two sides argued, Xie Ze’s voice rang out.
“What’s going on here? Have you all forgotten the lord’s orders to not use force against the womenfolk?”
Everyone paused, bowing to Xie Ze.
Xie Ze was familiar with Mrs. Han and paid her proper respect due to Han Yu’s standing.
“Lady, please do not obstruct my duties. The crimes of the Tao Clan are evident, with irrefutable evidence.”
Mrs. Han stubbornly refused to listen to reason.
In desperation, Xie Ze could only threaten Mrs. Han with the other members of the Tao Clan, making her furious.
Xie Ze too felt helpless; inside the residence, aside from Mrs. Han, he didn’t care about anyone else’s opinion. If they wouldn’t listen, he could just use force to take them away. But how could he treat Mrs. Han with force? Even if they divorced, she would still be Mrs. Han, the rightful wife of Mr. Han Yu.
Given that little bit of face, Xie Ze couldn’t afford to be disrespectful to Mrs. Han.
Mrs. Han was taken to the women’s quarters, where several sisters-in-law and younger relatives looked at her with fiery glares.
They hadn’t forgotten it was Mrs. Han who returned to her family just before the troubles began.
Even more unexpectedly for Mrs. Han, as soon as she was locked up, before she could even ask about her mother, her mother approached and slapped her hard, leaving her right ear ringing and one side of her face swelling visibly.
“You daughter of a lost star!” her mother scolded, “You didn’t come home to make peace; you clearly came back to be a spy, plotting against the Tao Clan!”
