Dream of the Red Chamber: After being exiled, I went on a killing spree in Liaodong.

Originally, he was too lazy to put on this act—it would have been much quicker to just order the execution of these parasites. But Lin Ruhai stopped him, saying that an interrogation would be beneficial to Jia Yi's reputation. If there was evidence, they could rightfully settle scores; if not, it would only delay things a little.

Considering his aunt Jia Min's affection for him, and seeing that Lin Ruhai was indeed thinking of him wholeheartedly, Jia Yi finally nodded in agreement.

Lin Ruhai straightened his robes, stepped forward slowly, and spoke in a voice that, though not loud, was as loud as thunder:

"Your support for the White Lotus Sect has been exposed."

As soon as the words were spoken, the assembled merchants trembled, and everyone's expression changed.

Dozens of eyes instantly turned to Hu Fanglin—

Boss, what do we do now?

Didn't you say everything was settled? How exactly did Lin Ruhai and his group manage to sneak into our house?!

"Lord Lin, what you said is quite interesting."

Hu Fanglin wore a forced smile, his palms were already sweating profusely, but he forced a calm and composed expression.

We, the salt merchants of Yangzhou, are favored by the Emperor. How dare we do such things that defy the principles of Heaven and deceive the Emperor?

He silently repeated to himself: Lin Ruhai is bluffing me! He has no clue whatsoever! Stay calm!

Jia Yi sat lazily in the chair, his fingertips lightly tapping the armrest, as if watching an utterly boring play.

Are these people still arguing?

Why not just kill them out? Why go through all this trouble putting on this act for whoever you're trying to impress?

"Lord Lin, could it be that the Duke of Qin has misheard the rumors?" someone echoed in a trembling voice, trying to argue their point.

"Yes, isn't there some misunderstanding?"

As they spoke, almost all the officials of Yangzhou, high and low, had arrived. They were used to raking in money hand over fist, and now, seeing the salt merchants who supplied their livelihood surrounded, how could they sit idly by?

They pushed forward one by one, speaking words of fairness, but their eyes were constantly glancing at Lin Ruhai—the intention to exert pressure was obvious.

"Uncle, isn't that enough?"

Jia Yi stood up abruptly, not even lifting an eyelid to look at those clowns jumping around.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was like a blade slicing through ice.

That's enough.

Lin Ruhai took a deep breath, his throat dry.

He knew all along that he couldn't get these old foxes to talk. These people had been slick and slippery for decades, so much so that even flies couldn't stand on them.

His gaze swept over Hu Fanglin, and he sneered inwardly: What a coward!

Hu Fanglin sensed the reversal of the situation, a smug smile playing on his lips, his wrinkles practically etched with pride.

"In that case, I shall take my leave..."

Before the words were finished—

Jia Yi gently raised his hand.

In an instant, the surrounding cavalrymen drew their swords in unison! The cold glint of their blades made their faces pale!

"Duke of Qin! What are you doing!"

"Even if you are a duke, you cannot kill innocent people indiscriminately!"

"Lord Lin! Stop him!"

The entire hall erupted in uproar; officials and salt merchants alike paled and screams filled the air.

Everyone turned their pleading eyes to Lin Ruhai.

But their response wasn't dissuasion, but a single word uttered calmly by Jia Yi—

"kill."

The knife flashed! Blood splattered!

There was no trial, no delay. The iron cavalry swept through the sheep like wolves, and the cries of agony ceased abruptly where the blades flashed.

No matter how large a fortune one possesses, it cannot withstand a single fatal blow.

"You can't kill me! I'm one of King Chungsun's men!!"

Hu Fanglin was terrified. Seeing the steel knife at his neck, he roared in a hoarse voice.

For a moment, the cavalryman holding the sword paused slightly.

The name of a prince carries weight, after all.

Jia Yi merely scoffed.

"hehe."

King Chungshun?

I castrated him myself and locked him in the dungeon to eat cornbread. Now he probably can't even cry.

Are you trying to use him to pressure me?

I said—

His gaze turned cold, and his voice was as cold as frost falling to the ground.

"Kill him."

"No--!!!"

Hu Fanglin's screams were cut off by the sharp blade. He collapsed into a pool of blood, his eyes wide open, unable to believe that he would really die here.

The officials in the distance felt their legs go weak, and some even had to hold onto the wall to keep from kneeling.

This guy is insane... He's really insane!

A trusted confidant of King Chungsun, executed without warning?!

In the blink of an eye, all the salt industry tycoons of Yangzhou were executed, their corpses lying on the spot.

Bloodshed and carnage, nothing more.

"Uncle, I'm leaving the confiscation of your property to you."

Jia Yi patted his sleeves as if he had only crushed a few ants.

"I have to get to Shenjing."

If it weren't for the Mongol Yuan dynasty's unrest in the northern border region and the urgent situation at the border, why would he let someone else take on such a lucrative post?

—Raiding a house is like winning the lottery!

"it is good."

Lin Ruhai nodded, paused, and then added, "Yi-ge'er, be careful on the road."

He then took out several letters from his bosom and handed them over: "Please take these to Daiyu for me. I should have asked you to do this in Jinling, but I was too busy and forgot."

"Um."

Jia Yi took it and stuffed it into his pocket.

He leaped onto his horse, his battle robes fluttering in the wind. At his command, the iron cavalry swept away, kicking up dust, their momentum like a dragon breaking through the clouds.

The wind and sand swept by, leaving only corpses and trembling bureaucrats.

After a long while, Lin Ruhai watched the departing figure, and suddenly smiled:

"If my father-in-law could know this, he would probably be smiling in his grave to see such a person as his grandson."

"Master Lin!"

An official immediately approached, his tone dripping with sarcasm:

"You should have advised them earlier! If we just kill them all, what will happen to the salt administration of Jiangnan?"

"Yes! This year's tax collection isn't even finished yet. If the imperial court holds us accountable, who can bear the consequences?!"

A group of people pointed and whispered beside the corpse, as if they hadn't just been the ones kneeling and begging for mercy.

Lin Ruhai turned around, looked at the ants, and simply smiled.

"hehe."

"With so many merchants in Jiangnan, surely I can find people to replace these salt merchants?"

Lin Ruhai's words were like a bucket of cold water poured into boiling oil, instantly igniting a storm of thoughts throughout the room.

Those adults who had previously been sarcastic and indifferent were now darting around, their minds already racing—

When the salt merchants went bankrupt, the vacant positions became mountains of gold and silver!

As long as you pull some strings and insert your own people, you'll live a life of luxury for the next ten years!

Who would dare to disagree at this time?

One by one, they immediately dropped their sarcasm, turned around and left, their footsteps practically creating sparks, eager to get back and plan their share of the profits.

When faced with personal gain, a fence-sitter can change their mind faster than the wind.

-

Thousands of miles away, deep in the south.

When the White Lotus Sect's holy maiden received the secret report, the teacup in her hand shattered on the ground with a "crack".

Li Tianyi is dead.

The leader of the sect has been arrested.

The Jiangnan stronghold was completely annihilated.

Her face was deathly pale, her fingertips trembled, and she could barely stand.

"Damn it... Great Qian, you just wait!"

She suddenly looked up, her gaze sharp as a knife, chilling to the bone.

Although Jiangnan has been defeated, there is still an opportunity to take advantage of the situation in the south!

According to the latest intelligence report, the Prince of Nan'an is preparing for a southern expedition, intending to wage a protracted war of attrition against a small border state.

The people were already suffering, and this battle was like adding the last straw.

A slow, manic smile crept across her lips.

When public resentment boils over and cries of despair fill the land, she will raise her voice again—

A colossal wave is about to sweep across the south!

Even... they could capture the Prince of Nan'an alive on the battlefield!

At that time, the Great Qian Dynasty will lose all face, and the world will be shaken!

She closed her eyes, as if she could already see the flames of war spreading across the plains and the people responding in kind.

"I won't let you have a single day of peace."

-

Half a month later.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated at the gates of the capital when the sound of horses' hooves broke the dawn.

Jia Yi led his loyal and brave army back to the capital in triumph, their armor covered in dust and their banners fluttering in the wind.

"Your Majesty! The Duke of Qin has returned!"

Xia Shouzhong practically ran into the palace, his voice cracking.