The prince is more stable

Chapter 604 The Royal Army Suppresses the Rebellion
The entire army set off, with ten thousand soldiers heading straight for Chaijiazhuangzi.

Amidst the raging snow and the vast expanse of white, the people of Chaijiazhuang huddled indoors, warming themselves around the stove.

No one expected that in such terrible weather, a force of ten thousand men would silently march towards Chai Family Village.

The journey through the snow was difficult, but Zhe Keshi's 10,000 troops still managed to travel swiftly for ten miles and arrive outside Chai Family Village.

Everything they did was in accordance with the methods of a regular army, and their level of professionalism far surpassed that of the roughnecks from the Chai family.

Before the main army arrived, the spies had already quietly approached Chai Family Village, identified more than a dozen sentries outside the village, and silently shot them down with crossbows.

After the sentry posts were removed, the main army arrived suddenly. At Zhe Keshi's command, 10,000 soldiers split up to encircle Chai Family Village.

Finally, the entire army lined up, rows of imperial troops holding firearms standing on the pristine white snow, their gun barrels, colder than the snow itself, aimed at a vast expanse of white houses.

Even after all this was done, no one in Chai Family Village realized that they had been surrounded by an army. The village was quiet, with only the sounds of dogs barking and roosters crowing.

Inside the main hall of a luxurious mansion in the center of the village, Chai Ruona, wrapped in a fur cloak, sat by a charcoal stove to keep warm. Outside, the wind and snow howled, but inside the main hall, it was not so cold.

Chai Ruona was also holding a courtesan in his arms. The courtesan was quite beautiful and had been half-bought and half-robbed by Chai Ruona from a brothel in Daming Prefecture.

Originally, the courtesan was unwilling to submit to him, but the Chai family was ultimately too powerful, and after Chai Ruona took her back, the deed was done.

Later, the courtesan resigned herself to her fate and stayed faithfully by Chai Ruona's side, waiting for the day he would tire of her and send her away, or give her to some hero in the manor.

At this moment, Chai Ruona held the beauty in his arms, but his heart was not with her.

He frowned, staring intently at the glowing embers, lost in thought.

These past few days, he'd felt uneasy, with a premonition of impending doom. But premonitions are unpredictable, and Chai Ruona didn't want to take them seriously.

However, after much deliberation, Chai Ruona felt that she should still make some preparations.

It didn't matter before; the Chai family was practically like local tyrants in Daming Prefecture, acting without any scruples.

However, ever since Zhao Xiaoqian wiped out all of the Chai family's influence in Zhen Ding Prefecture, Chai Ruona has essentially become Zhao Xiaoqian's enemy.

This prince is no ordinary man. In terms of his achievements, his prestige in the court and among the people, and the emperor's favor, Zhao Xiaoqian is far superior to the Chai family.

To be honest, Chai Ruona was a little apprehensive about making such a formidable enemy. He had secretly resolved to find a suitable opportunity to visit Zhen Ding City again to mend the relationship between the Chai family and Zhao Xiaoqian, even if it meant apologizing once more.

More importantly, Chai Ruona needs to clear herself of all wrongdoing. Her past actions don't matter, since the Chai family has a certificate of merit. However, the man named He Xiong, whom she recently took in, is ultimately a threat to the estate, and she must get rid of him as soon as possible.

He didn't care about committing other crimes, but he truly dared not touch the crime related to treason, because even the imperial edict couldn't protect him from that crime.

Feeling increasingly uneasy, Chai Ruona felt inexplicably palpitated, as if there was something wrong with her heart.

So he secretly decided to get these two things done as soon as possible, as soon as the snow stopped.

Just as they made up their minds, they suddenly heard the dogs in the village barking wildly as if they had gone mad. One dog infected all the dogs in the village, and the barking suddenly rose and fell, creating a cacophony of sounds.

Chai Ruona frowned, about to call over a servant to inquire, when a servant rushed in in a panic.

"Master, something terrible has happened! The estate is surrounded!"

Chai Ruona raised an eyebrow and sneered, "Someone actually dares to surround my manor! What kind of bastard is so courting death? Don't they even know the background of the Chai family!"

"It's...it's government troops!" The servant gasped for breath, then corrected, "No, it shouldn't be government troops, it's the Imperial Guard. The Imperial Guard has surrounded our manor, they've surrounded it from all sides, and judging by their numbers, there are probably over ten thousand of them!"

Chai Ruona trembled all over. The beauty in her arms no longer smelled sweet. She got up and pushed the beauty aside, her eyes flashing with fear.

"Imperial Guards? What are they doing here? What are they up to?" Chai Ruona asked somewhat flusteredly.

"No, I don't know. The people in the village were panicked. Several of them grabbed knives and tried to rush out, but the Imperial Guards took them down in a few rounds. They were stabbed several times and were clearly not going to live."

Chai Ruona's heart sank to the bottom.

He knew trouble was coming, and big trouble at that.

Everyone in the land knew that the Chai family possessed an ironclad certificate, and no one dared to offend them. In the past, no matter how serious the crime, the prefect of Daming would only smile helplessly, silently withdraw the lawsuit, and close the case without mentioning it again.

Knowing full well that the Chai family possessed an imperial edict of merit, the fact that the imperial guards still managed to surround their estate without warning indicates that the Chai family is in deep trouble, a trouble that even the imperial edict of merit may not be effective against.

"Quickly send someone to find out which imperial guards they are, who their commander is, and what their purpose is in surrounding my estate!" Chai Ruona roared. The servants scrambled away in a panic.

Chai Ruona wrapped her fur cloak tighter around herself and was about to go out to take a look when she heard a sharp and piercing whistle arrow soar into the sky. The long trailing sound stopped abruptly in mid-air and finally exploded with a loud bang.

Immediately afterwards, a rough, powerful roar came from outside the manor.

"Upon investigation, it has been found that the Chai family of Daming Prefecture, relying on their merits, has become arrogant and domineering in the countryside, harboring criminals and plotting rebellion. They are suspected of treason. After verifying the facts, Zhao Xiaoqian, the Pacification Commissioner of Hebei West Circuit and Prince of Hejian, has dispatched troops to suppress the rebellion. No one is allowed to resist. Anyone who disobeys will be treated as an accomplice to treason and will be beheaded!"

The rough voice echoed through Chai Family Village, like a booming bell or a thunderclap, making the ears of the villagers ring.

Inside the Chai family mansion, Chai Ruona was completely stunned.

It turned out to be soldiers sent by Zhao Xiaoqian?

After all, I was still one step late!
"Quickly, quickly pass on my order! All servants and guards in the manor, lay down your weapons! Absolutely no resistance is allowed!" Chai Ruona shouted sharply.

When the imperial army launched a crackdown, their first words labeled the Chai family as "harboring a wanted criminal, plotting rebellion, and suspected of treason." This was far too serious for the Chai family to bear.

If anyone in the village dared to resist at this point, wouldn't that play right into Zhao Xiaoqian's hands, allowing him to justifiably wipe out the Chai family as traitors?

After giving the order, Chai Ruona turned and rushed into the back room. With a pale face, she took out a black plaque with some rust stains from the room. This plaque was the iron certificate bestowed by the founding emperor, the Chai family's life-saving charm.

Despite having the imperial edict in hand, Chai Ruona was still pale. In the past, with this certificate, the entire Chai family was extremely confident and had a lot of nerve when they committed crimes in the local area. They all knew that the imperial court would not dare to deal with the Chai family, and the local government would not dare to touch them either.

But now, with the imperial edict in hand, Chai Ruona's mood grew increasingly heavy. He was no longer sure whether this token could truly protect the Chai family.

After all, the Imperial Guards were mobilized by Zhao Xiaoqian, and Zhao Xiaoqian might even have led them personally. Since he mobilized the Imperial Guards to surround the village, it means that Zhao Xiaoqian must have some evidence, and the evidence must be related to treason. Otherwise, if there was no evidence, Zhao Xiaoqian would not have taken action.

Thinking of this, Chai Ruona suddenly thought of He Xiong, and then gritted her teeth inwardly.

It must be him! He's the one who gave Zhao Xiaoqian leverage over the Chai family!
The crime committed by He Xiong must be inextricably linked to treason.

The Chai family's act of taking in He Xiong has already drawn them into the case.

Chai Ruona, the Duke of Chongyi of this generation, was not stupid after all; he had already vaguely sensed the conspiracy.

As fate would have it, just a few days after he offended Zhao Xiaoqian in Zhending Prefecture, He Xiong showed up at his door, and Zhao Xiaoqian immediately mobilized troops to surround him...

This looks like... a honey trap!
Chai Ruona's eyes widened in fury, and he clutched the imperial edict tightly in both hands, roaring, "Quickly find He Xiong, now!"

Chaos reigned in the courtyard of the Chai family mansion. The servants were running around like headless flies. These servants were all corrupt. The government dared not investigate them normally, and no one cared. But if someone did investigate, at least half of these servants would be sentenced to death.

Everyone was worried about their own lives. Chai Ruona shouted several times, but no one paid any attention to him.

Finally, a servant came running over, looking pale, and said, "Master, He Xiong said he had a stomachache an hour ago and has disappeared."

Chai Ruona swayed slightly, sensing that the conspiracy was growing stronger.

She almost ground her two rows of white teeth to powder, her mind filled with Zhao Xiaoqian's voice and smile.

What deep-seated hatred or grudge could there be? It was just a minor conflict. Why go to such lengths to destroy me and the Chai family?

If you, Zhao Xiaoqian, have such a narrow mind, why haven't you been beaten to death in the court yet?
Chai Ruona couldn't understand why he had offended Zhao Xiaoqian so thoroughly, nor could he understand why Zhao Xiaoqian's revenge was so intense and deadly, as if he wouldn't stop until he had brought the Chai family to their deaths.

The snow was still falling heavily, but for some reason, Chai Ruona didn't feel cold at all. Instead, her back was covered in cold sweat, and her clothes were steaming.

Straightening his clothes, Chai Ruona left the mansion with the imperial edict in his arms, ignoring the panic and chaos among the servants. At this moment, he couldn't care less about the servants; saving his own life was the most important thing.

As soon as Chai Ruona stepped out of the mansion, she heard a burst of gunfire, followed by another.

From afar came the mournful screams of the villagers before their deaths. Chai Ruona's heart tightened, and she quickened her pace, running towards the sound of gunfire.

As they were leaving the village, Chai Ruona finally saw the battlefield.

Groups of villagers ran out like madmen, knowing full well the power of the Imperial Guards' firearms, yet they still charged forward, as if they were willing to pay any price just to escape Chai Family Village.

Chai Ruona felt a chill in her heart, sensing that something was wrong.

That's it! Rebelling against the imperial army is an even greater crime. The Chai family's treason is confirmed, and he can't possibly bear this blame!
(End of this chapter)