You get Lu Bu as your starting character.

Chapter 106 Anyone Dares to Resist…

Qinghe Prefecture, Cui Family.

in the hall.

The head of the Cui family sat in the main seat, with more than twenty people sitting on his left and right sides.

These people are all from various prominent families in Yanzhou, and they hold pivotal positions within their respective families.

After receiving the contact from the Cui family, all these people gathered at the Cui family's residence.

It can be said that the powerful and influential families that can influence the entire Yanzhou situation are now mostly sitting in this small hall of the Cui family.

The atmosphere in the hall was quiet at this moment.

Even with more than twenty people, it didn't seem noisy.

Everyone remained silent, their expressions varied, but without exception, their brows were furrowed.

The head of the Cui family, seated in the main seat, glanced at everyone and broke the silence first: "Gentlemen, you must have all received news of what the imperial envoy sent by the court to Yanzhou City has done."

"The officials arrested by that imperial envoy have intricate connections with each of our families, and most of them are even members of our families."

"Now that these people have been arrested, you should know what that means?"

“None of us have clean hands. If those who are arrested can’t withstand the interrogation of that imperial envoy and reveal something, we will all be in big trouble.”

"Especially the purpose of the imperial envoy sent to Yanzhou, you should all have figured it out."

"His real intention is not what it seems, but rather the power in Yanzhou."

"In just two days, not only were more than half of the officials in the prefectural government arrested, but many officials in various prefectures and counties were also arrested."

“If things continue like this, none of us will have any say in Yanzhou anymore.”

"So, I'm contacting each of you to meet so we can discuss how to resolve these issues?"

"What should we do next?"

The head of the Cui family, seated in the main seat, surveyed the crowd below with a solemn expression and spoke.

His voice was deep and resonant, making everyone present feel a sense of weight in their hearts.

The twenty-odd people sitting below all looked solemn after hearing the words of the Cui family patriarch in the main seat.

Because they knew that the Cui family patriarch sitting in the main seat was right, and there was no exaggeration in his words.

Indeed, none of their families had clean hands, and the officials arrested by the imperial envoy were mostly from their respective families.

This is a key reason why each of them was able to influence the situation in Yanzhou and control the power in Yanzhou.

The arrest of these officials not only cuts off their respective tentacles of power in Yanzhou, but may also implicate them.

If these arrested officials couldn't withstand the interrogation of the imperial envoy and confessed things that were detrimental to their families...

That would cause them all a lot of trouble.

Most importantly, the imperial envoy sent by the court arrested a large number of officials in Yanzhou in just two days, from the prefect to the county magistrate.

None of those found to have problems were spared.

Such swift and decisive measures were clearly intended to thoroughly purge the officialdom of Yanzhou and threaten the interests of powerful families in the region.

This is the real reason why these wealthy and powerful families are so solemn.

The twenty-odd members of prominent families exchanged glances, their already furrowed brows furrowing even more deeply.

They all understood what the Cui family patriarch, sitting in the main seat, was saying, but none of them dared to speak up easily for the time being.

After all, this matter is not just about the life and death of one or a few people, but about the prosperity and interests of each family.

One careless mistake could have immeasurable consequences.

The head of the Cui family, sitting in the main seat, saw that everyone below was silent, so he also stopped speaking.

Anyway, these matters don't just concern the Cui family; they concern the entire aristocratic families of Yanzhou.

The Cui family has already taken the lead in speaking out, so now it's up to the other prominent families to decide.

The atmosphere in the hall remained somber for a moment.

A slightly overweight middle-aged man sitting in the first seat on the right said to the head of the Cui family in the main seat, "Elder Cui, we understand what you're saying."

“Yanzhou is a place where our families share common interests. That imperial envoy has arrested so many officials; I doubt any of us will be spared.”

"Most importantly, the court is not just moving a few officials; it is trying to take away our family's voice in Yanzhou."

"So what I mean is, we must not let that imperial envoy continue like this; we must stop the court from reaching out its hand."

"Otherwise, we'll all probably be in big trouble."

The slightly overweight middle-aged man said with a solemn expression.

"That's right, aging is what I mean too."

“Yanzhou is the foothold of each of our families. If the imperial court wants to take a piece of Yanzhou, it will have to ask each of us for permission first.”

"I will fully cooperate with any good countermeasures or methods to accelerate aging."

Following closely behind the slightly overweight middle-aged man, another member of a prominent family spoke up.

These members of prominent families all understood that the reason they had gathered here was for these very reasons.

Now that someone has taken the lead, there is no longer any need for them to conceal their intentions.

They all spoke up, and everyone's meaning was more or less the same. They simply didn't want the imperial court to touch their share of interests in Yanzhou.

Listening to the opinions of the more than twenty members of prominent families below, the head of the Cui family, sitting in the main seat, nodded solemnly; "Since everyone agrees, then things will be much easier."

“Yanzhou is the place where our families stand. If the imperial court takes away our power, you all know what kind of situation we will be in, so I don’t need to say more.”

"Therefore, in order to preserve our respective voices in Yanzhou, we must all work together and take some risks."

"Let the people sent by the imperial court stay in Yanzhou first, and make sure that none of our families are implicated."

"I think you all know exactly how to do it."

The head of the Cui family, seated at the head of the table, glanced at everyone.

None of those sitting here are ordinary people; they are all influential figures from various prominent families in Yanzhou.

Those who can use this kind of method are all experts.

After hearing what the Cui family head said, the twenty-odd members of the prominent families exchanged glances.

They all understood what the head of the Cui family meant.

This is indeed a bit risky.

If things go wrong, your entire family could be wiped out.

However, compared to their shared interests, they seem to have no other choice.

One of the members of a prominent family frowned and reminded them, "Don't forget, General Lü Bu, who quelled the rebellion, has already wiped out the Prince of Xiaoyao and pacified Daizhou."

“In Daizhou, there is a 100,000-strong imperial army of the Divine Martial Guards to quell the rebellion.”

"With cavalry, it would only take a little over a day to get from Daizhou to Yanzhou."

These words caused a slight change in the expressions of everyone in the hall.

Yes!

The imperial army of 100,000 had just wiped out the carefree Prince Zhou Qian and was still in Daizhou.

If something goes wrong in Yanzhou, the imperial army to quell the rebellion can arrive in Yanzhou in no time.

In particular, Lü Bu, the General Who Suppressed the Rebellion, and his three thousand Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry left an indelible impression on the powerful families of Yanzhou.

They came and went like the wind, their speed astonishing. It would probably take them less than a day to travel from Daizhou to Yanzhou.

The atmosphere in the hall instantly became somber after this reminder from the member of the aristocratic family.

No one could ignore the 100,000-strong army that the imperial court had sent to quell the rebellion, not even these powerful and wealthy families.

They feared the imperial army of 100,000 men tasked with suppressing the rebellion, but they feared even more Lü Bu, who led 100,000 troops and was appointed General of the Army for Suppressing the Rebellion by the imperial court.

Three thousand wolf riders pacified Yanzhou.

The carefree king was destroyed in one battle.

A rare half-step Celestial Realm expert in the world.

Any one of these would be enough to make one's face turn solemn.

Little did they know that this very person, whom they feared, had already led his troops to Qinghe Prefecture for their sake.

If these members of prominent families present knew this news, I wonder what they would think.

……

Outside the Cui residence.

Lu Bu stood upright on his horse, with three thousand Bingzhou wolf cavalrymen standing in perfect formation behind him.

There were also 5,000 elite Divine Martial Guards surrounding the entire Cui residence, making it completely impassable.

Beside Lü Bu, Cao Shaoqin also rode a horse, standing side by side with Lü Bu.

Behind Cao Shaoqin were hundreds of guards from the Eastern Depot dressed in eagle-patterned uniforms, carrying crescent-shaped knives and wearing jade belts.

Cao Shaoqin glanced indifferently at Lü Bu beside him and said, "General Lü, this matter can be resolved by me with five thousand Divine Martial Guards. Why bother General Lü to personally lead three thousand Wolf Riders on this trip?"

Previously, Fang Xuanling sent a letter to Lü Bu.

Upon receiving Fang Xuanling's letter, Lü Bu, in order to arrive in Yanzhou as quickly as possible, only brought the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry and five thousand elite Divine Martial Guards, without bringing more troops.

In Lü Bu's view, three thousand Bingzhou wolf cavalry were enough to suppress everything in Yanzhou.

The extra 5,000 Divine Martial Guards were brought only as a precaution.

When Lü Bu led his troops back to Yanzhou, Cao Shaoqin just happened to receive news that powerful families had gathered at the Cui residence.

In addition, in the past two days, the Eastern Depot has pried open the mouths of many officials and dug out a lot of useful information, including that many powerful and wealthy families are involved.

Therefore, Cao Shaoqin wanted to take this opportunity to wipe out all the powerful and wealthy families gathered at the Cui residence.

Fearing that Cao Shaoqin would be unable to handle the situation alone, Fang Xuanling sent Lü Bu with the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry to accompany Cao Shaoqin.

Upon hearing Cao Shaoqin's words, Lü Bu stared intently at the Cui family and said, "Although these aristocratic families in Yanzhou don't have any powerful experts or strongmen, they still have some foundation."

"Lord Fang was afraid that you would make a mistake and lose control of the situation, so he had no choice but to send me to put in charge for you."

"Don't worry, these people are not worthy of my attention."

"I will only guard the outside; the real action of arresting people will be handled by your Eastern Depot."

"The five thousand Divine Martial Guards will still be under your full command."

Lu Bu said indifferently.

Lu Bu felt neither hostility nor fondness towards eunuchs like Cao Shaoqin.

Cao Shaoqin gave Lü Bu another sinister look; "Then I must thank General Lü for keeping watch over me."

Cao Shaoqin said, feeling somewhat displeased.

What do you mean by being afraid he'll make a mistake and lose control of the situation?

When has the Eastern Depot ever been involved? When has it ever failed to control the situation?

Could a few powerful and wealthy families in Yanzhou possibly cause any trouble in Cao Shaoqin's hands?
Cao Shaoqin stopped wasting words with Lü Bu, reined in his horse and stepped forward, flicking his fingers: "Make your move, don't let any of them escape."

“Anyone who dares to resist…”

"Kill without mercy."

As soon as those three words were uttered, Cao Shaoqin leaped up like a roc spreading its wings and was the first to rush into the Cui residence.

The soft sword at his waist was drawn.

Before the guards of the Cui residence could react, they felt a sharp pain in their necks and then collapsed to the ground.

As Cao Shaoqin made his move, the imperial guards behind him also charged into the Cui residence, brandishing their crescent blades.

Following closely behind the Imperial Guards were elite Divine Martial Guards in full armor.

"kill."

The sound of gunfire immediately alarmed the entire Cui family.

Upon hearing the commotion, the guards and some experts from the Cui residence rushed over, only to be met with a barrage of crossbow bolts from the Divine Martial Guard.

Faced with a national war machine like the 5,000 Divine Martial Guards, a few guards within the manor and ordinary experts simply couldn't stop them.

In an instant, the Cui residence, which was completely unprepared, was stormed by the Imperial Guards and the Divine Martial Guards.

Cao Shaoqin rushed towards the hall, blood dripping from the soft sword in his hand.

Along the way, any expert who stood in Cao Shaoqin's way or came towards him was sent to hell by Cao Shaoqin with a single sword strike.

Following closely behind Cao Shaoqin were hundreds of factory guards, each of them wielding a crescent-shaped knife dripping with blood.

……

In the hall.

The somber atmosphere was suddenly broken by the sound of gunfire outside.

Everyone was startled and stood up in unison.

Even the head of the Cui family, who was in the main seat, was no exception.

You must understand, this is the Cui family's territory. Who would dare to start a war here? They must have a death wish.

"what happened?"

The head of the Cui family, who was in the main seat, stood up and walked directly outside.

Seeing this, the other members of prominent families also followed suit and went outside.

As soon as he stepped out of the hall, the scene before him caused the Cui family patriarch's expression to change.

The courtyard outside the hall was littered with corpses, and arrows rained down everywhere.

Screams filled the air, and the sounds of fighting were incessant.

Especially when the head of the Cui family saw the Flying Eagle Suit with its distinctive attire, his pupils couldn't help but shrink.

Eastern Depot's henchmen?

The head of the Cui family never expected that the Eastern Depot's guards would actually break into his Cui residence, along with the armored Divine Martial Guards.

How is this going?

Why did the Eastern Depot and the Divine Martial Guard suddenly storm into the Cui family?
When did the Divine Martial Guard return to Yanzhou from Daizhou and arrive in Qinghe Prefecture?

But the Cui family didn't receive a single message?
Even the other members of the aristocratic families who came out with the Cui family head were shocked.

None of them expected that the people from the Eastern Depot, along with the Divine Martial Guard, would suddenly storm into the Cui residence.

What is this scenario?
Did those arrested officials succumb to the interrogation of the imperial envoy and say things they shouldn't have?

Or was it that the news of these aristocratic families gathering at the Cui residence to discuss how to deal with the imperial envoy leaked?
(End of this chapter)