People in the Ming Dynasty are lawless

Chapter 524 Remember this, otherwise you won't even have the chance to kneel here
The sky over the capital city of Sanfuqi was covered with a thick layer of dark clouds, as if foreshadowing an impending storm.

In the mansions of the major wealthy families, the lights were on all night long. The heads of the families and the elders of the clans sat together with solemn expressions and talked a lot.

Ever since the respected elder of the Bolu family, Bayas, surrendered to the Ming Dynasty, and the Empress Dowager's family was wiped out overnight, all the wealthy families in the capital have been shrouded in an unprecedented fear.

The Hardiran family residence.

"What do you think of Xia Yuanji's order?" The head of the Hadilan family, a middle-aged man, spoke in a low and powerful voice. His eyes swept over the people sitting below, looking for resonance.

"This is obviously a trap!" An elderly man slammed the table and stood up, his eyes flashing with anger and anxiety. "First, they appeased the Bolu family, and then ruthlessly eliminated the Queen Mother's family. Now they want to catch us all in one fell swoop?"

"Don't talk nonsense." Another calmer old man shook his head. "Xia Yuanji is a cautious person. If he really wanted to attack us, why would he go to such great lengths to summon us?"

"But we can't take it lightly." Patriarch Hadilan paused for a moment and continued, "We must unite to deal with this crisis together. After all, each of our families has been cultivating this land for many years and has its own power and influence."

……

The Sukadi family secret room.

Meanwhile, in the Sukadi family's secret room, a more secret meeting was taking place.

The head of the Sukadi family, a middle-aged woman with a stern face, was listening to the opinions of the clan's think tank.

"I think Xia Yuanji's move may not be aimed at all of us." A young strategist analyzed, "He may want to take this opportunity to test our attitudes and see which families are willing to sincerely submit and which have ulterior motives."

"That's right." The head of the Sukadi family nodded in agreement. "We must show our sincerity and strength, but we must also remain vigilant just in case."

She looked around with a determined look in her eyes. "Pass the order on and have the elites in the family be prepared to deal with any possible changes at any time. At the same time, we must also maintain close contact with other families and discuss countermeasures together."

……

The next day, representatives from five or six families gathered in a secret manor in the capital.

The manor was heavily guarded and the atmosphere was tense and solemn.

Representatives of each family sat around a long table, wary of each other but also willing to cooperate.

"We cannot fully understand Xia Yuanji's intentions for now." The head of the Hardilan family spoke first, "But one thing is certain, we can't just sit there and wait for death."

"Yes!" Patriarch Sukadi took over the conversation, "We must unite and face this crisis together. Whether it is the threat from the Ming Dynasty or the suspicion and fighting between us, we should put it aside at this time."

"I agree." The representative of another family nodded in support. "We can first send an envoy to express our sincerity and concerns to Xia Yuanji, and put forward our demands and conditions. If he can give a reasonable response, we may consider surrendering; but if he continues to use high-pressure tactics, then we will have to take self-protection measures."

The meeting lasted for several hours, with representatives from various families expressing their opinions one after another, and finally reaching a consensus: unite to jointly deal with the threat from the Ming Dynasty; at the same time, remain vigilant and be prepared to deal with possible changes at any time.

As the meeting came to an end, representatives from each family left the manor and returned to their respective residences to prepare to implement their next plans.

Xia Yuanji was sitting in the study of the Governor's Mansion. It was dark outside the window, but the lights in the study were still on.

He tightly grasped the statement jointly issued by several powerful families in his hand, a sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth, and his eyes revealed a complex emotion - both ridicule for the powerful families who overestimated their own capabilities and indifference due to their deep understanding of the situation.

"The Grand Commander, the Marshal, General Wang, and the Commanding Officer want to see you." A guard reported softly outside the door.

"Please let them in." Xia Yuanji put down the instructions in his hand, straightened his clothes, and restored the dignity as a governor.

Soon, Lan Yu, Wang Bi and the commander-in-chief walked into the study, all with a look of anxiety and dissatisfaction on their faces.

Lan Yu, a veteran commander, exudes an unquestionable dominance;

Wang Bi was a wise general known for his calmness, but at this moment he could not hide his anger;

"Grand Commander, I heard that you have received statements from those powerful families?" Lan Yu went straight to the point, with a hint of displeasure in his voice.

"That's right." Xia Yuanji nodded slightly and handed the instructions to the three people. "Take a look, it's really ridiculous."

The three of them took the instructions, quickly glanced through them, and their faces gradually became gloomy.

Wang Bi couldn't help but sneer: "These noble families are so naive and cute. We have already occupied their country, and they are still here to negotiate with us?"

"Yes, Lord Xia." The commander couldn't help but interrupt, "Don't they understand that the current situation is no longer up to them?"

Wang Bi seemed calmer. After a moment's silence, he said, "Perhaps because of their long-standing sense of superiority, these powerful families cannot accept the changes in reality. But this also reminds us that we must be more cautious in the process of implementing new policies and stabilizing the situation, so as not to provoke greater resistance."

Xia Yuanji nodded in agreement, and said slowly: "General Wang is right. Although these powerful families are powerful, they are ultimately just a mantis trying to stop a chariot in the face of the overall situation.

However, we cannot take it lightly and must properly handle our relationship with them to avoid unnecessary trouble in the implementation of the new policy."

"What does the governor mean?" Wang Bi asked.

Xia Yuanji smiled slightly, with a gleam in his eyes.

Xia Yuanji stood on the high platform of the Governor's Mansion, looking at the dimly lit mansions of the wealthy families in the distance, a cold smile appearing on the corner of his mouth.

"Since those families who claim to be local overlords are now ready to make a move and try to maintain their shaky power through negotiations, we have no choice but to teach them a lesson."

"Pass the order down and let the Jinyiwei captains take action." Xia Yuanji's voice was low and powerful, as if it could penetrate the night and reach the hearts of those families.

He had long anticipated that these families would try to unite in resistance, and he had already laid a tight net, waiting for the right time to give them a fatal blow.

As Xia Yuanji's order was spread, the Jinyiwei captains hiding in the dark of the major families quickly took action.

They were like ghosts, silently approaching their respective targets.

These captains are elites who have undergone rigorous training and are skilled in assassination and lurking. Every action they take is like a precise scalpel, aiming directly at the vital points.

……

The Hardiran family residence.

The Hardiran family mansion seemed particularly quiet in the night, with only the occasional sound of the night watchman breaking the tranquility.

However, beneath this tranquility, there is a storm that is about to break out.

Jinyiwei Captain Ah Hu was lurking under the outer wall of the mansion. His eyes were as sharp as an eagle, closely watching every move inside the mansion.

Finally, he found his chance.

Taking advantage of the gap between the guards' shift changes in the mansion, Ah Hu climbed over the high wall like a ghost and approached the courtyard where the target was quietly.

His target was a young man from the Hadilan family, who was arrogant and had publicly questioned the rule of the Ming Dynasty many times.

Ah Hu sneaked into the house, the dagger in his hand gleaming coldly in the moonlight.

He found his target quickly and accurately and killed him with one blow.

Then, he quietly left his room with the target's head. …

Sukadi Family Secret Room

At the same time, in the secret room of the Sukadi family, Jinyiwei Captain Abao also took action.

He used his superb stealth skills to avoid the heavy guards in the mansion and came out of the secret room.

He knew that important figures of the Sukadi family were discussing countermeasures in the secret room, and his mission was to eliminate the most critical one among them.

Abao waited patiently for the opportunity until the lights in the secret room suddenly went out. He quickly rushed into the secret room and aimed the sword in his hand straight at the target's heart.

With a scream, the target fell in a pool of blood.

Abao quickly cut off the target's head and disappeared into the secret room.

……

Similar scenes were also played out in the mansions of other families.

The Jinyiwei captains were like messengers of death, silently taking away the lives of the younger generation and hanging their heads on the main doors of their respective families.

This move was undoubtedly a heavy blow to these families and a severe warning to them if they tried to resist the rule of the Ming Dynasty.

As the first rays of morning light penetrated the mist, the bloody heads in front of the mansions of the major families seemed particularly dazzling in the morning light, as if they were a ruthless mockery of all those who dared to resist.

The Hardiran family residence.

When the members of the Hardiran family woke up in the morning and prepared to start a new day, they were completely stunned by the scene before them as soon as they arrived in the hall.

On the main door of the hall, a familiar and young face was stained red with blood. The eyes that were once full of pride were now empty and lifeless, staring directly at everyone who stepped into the mansion.

Everyone in the family, young and old, had expressions of fear on their faces, and some even felt their legs go weak and they almost collapsed to the ground.

"Who did this?" The head of the Hardilan family, an old man who was usually very dignified, lost his usual composure and asked in a trembling voice.

However, no one answered, only the terrified gasps of the people around and the noise coming from afar.

At this moment, a young servant was so frightened that he wet his pants and incontinence, and an unpleasant smell instantly spread.

This scene filled everyone present with despair and helplessness.

……

The Sukadi family.

The situation of the Sukardi family was equally dire.

When family members discovered that the key figure in the secret room had been killed and his head was hung on the main hall door, the entire family seemed to be defeated by an invisible force.

The female members of the family screamed and fled the scene, while the male members looked at each other, at a loss.

A warrior who was usually known for his bravery turned as pale as paper in an instant after seeing this scene.

He tried to stay calm, but his legs began to tremble uncontrollably.

In the end, under tremendous psychological pressure, he was not spared and also became incontinent and wet his pants.

……

Similar situations occurred in the mansions of other families.

Those family members who were once high and mighty now seemed to have been stripped of all their dignity and courage, leaving only endless fear and despair.

They scream, cry, or become incontinent.

The human heads hung on the main hall door became witnesses of this terror.

They watched all this quietly, as if telling a cruel but true fact: in this world where the strong are respected, any resistance will be futile.

Xia Yuanji stood on the high platform of the Governor's Mansion, listening to the report from the Embroidered Uniform Guards, without a trace of sympathy or compassion on his face.

"What a bunch of ignorant ants!"

The sun shone mercilessly on the streets of the capital, dazzling every stone slab.

Hassan, the head of the Hadiran family, knelt on the ground, sweat and tears mixed together and slid down his cheeks and dripped into the dust.

He looked up at the towering Governor's Palace and shouted in a hoarse voice: "Grand Admiral, we were wrong! Please forgive our ignorance and arrogance!"

Not far away, the warriors of the Sukadi family knelt in a row. Their head, Amir, said with a trembling voice: "Grand Commander, we are willing to do everything to make up for our mistakes, just to save our family."

The warriors around him echoed this, with desperate pleas in their voices.

People around began to gather and discussions arose one after another.

An old woman said to the young man next to her: "Look at these people who are usually so arrogant, now they are afraid."

The young man nodded, with a complex emotion flashing in his eyes: "Yes, under power, who can escape?"

At this moment, the door of the Governor's Mansion slowly opened, and Xia Yuanji's figure appeared in everyone's sight.

He was dressed in gorgeous official uniform and had a stern expression on his face. He walked down the steps step by step until he stood in front of the family members who were kneeling on the ground begging for mercy.

"Are you scared now?" Xia Yuanji's voice was not loud, but it was loud enough for everyone present to hear it clearly.

Upon hearing this, Hassan's body trembled even more violently. He kowtowed desperately, and the blood and dust on his forehead mixed together. "Grand Commander, we know we were wrong! We are willing to pay any price, just to give our family a chance to survive."

Amir was not to be outdone. He looked up at Xia Yuanji with a determined light in his eyes. "Grand Commander, our Sukadi family is willing to be your most loyal servants, as long as you can spare us this time."

The other families also kowtowed and begged for mercy.

Xia Yuanji nodded slightly, with a barely perceptible satisfaction flashing in his eyes: "Okay, since you know you are wrong, I will give you a chance. But remember, you only have one chance."

Upon hearing this, the family members kowtowed and expressed their gratitude, their voices filled with gratitude and relief.

Xia Yuanji turned around and was about to leave, but suddenly stopped and looked back at the figures still kneeling on the ground: "Also, remember what happened yesterday. If this happens again next time, you won't even have the chance to kneel here and kowtow."

After saying that, Xia Yuanji strode back to the Governor's Mansion, leaving the family members standing there, looking at each other with mixed feelings...

(End of this chapter)