If I send you to join the army and marry a woman, will you conquer the Empress?

"Yes."

The guards received the order and vanished from their spot in a flash.

Qin Feng stood up and glanced at the group of Li clan members trembling like leaves on the ground.

There was no trace of pity left in his eyes.

"Yueshan".

"Your subordinate is here!"

"I'll leave this to you."

Qin Feng's voice was icy cold, devoid of any emotion.

"All core members of the Li clan, and all those involved in this treasonous plot, regardless of age or gender, shall be arrested!"

"The remaining clansmen are demoted to commoners, all their property is confiscated, and they are forever barred from holding official positions in the court!"

"As for these..."

Qin Feng kicked at the pile of gold and silver jewelry under his feet.

"All of it will be distributed to the people who started the uprising in the city."

"Tell them they deserve it!"

"Your humble servant obeys!"

Yue Shan readily accepted the order, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

Qin Feng didn't linger and turned to leave.

"No! No! Your Highness, spare me!"

Behind them came the heart-wrenching, desperate cries of Li Boyong and the others.

But Qin Feng didn't even turn his head.

He mounted his horse and galloped towards the capital, facing the rising sun.

It’s just a good show.

……

Three days later.

The Regent's Palace in the capital.

A secret meeting that will determine the fate of countless people is being held here.

Of the five surnames and seven prominent families, apart from the Longxi Li family whose property had already been confiscated, the heads of the other six families were all "invited" to attend.

But their expressions at that moment were even more grim than if they had lost a loved one.

Everyone slumped into their seats, utterly dejected, as if all their energy had been drained away.

Just now, they witnessed with their own eyes the hundreds of bloody human heads being transported back from the ancestral home of the Li family in Longxi.

The one at the head was none other than Li Boyong, the head of the Longxi Li family, who had been drinking and scheming with them just a few days ago!

That terrified face, with its eyes wide open in death, struck everyone's heart like a heavy hammer.

Qin Feng is a madman!

He truly did what he said he would do!

If I say I'll wipe out your entire family, I will show no mercy!

Fear, like an invisible vine, tightly bound everyone's hearts, making even breathing difficult.

Qin Feng sat leisurely in the main seat, picked up his teacup, and gently brushed away the tea leaves floating on the surface of the water.

He didn't speak, but the atmosphere in the entire hall was so oppressive it was suffocating.

After a long while, he finally put down his teacup, and a crisp, light sound rang out.

The sound made all the family heads present tremble, like birds startled by a bow.

"Gentlemen."

Qin Feng's gaze slowly swept over the pale, paper-white faces.

"I have invited you all here to discuss a deal."

Discuss a deal?

Cui Jingshan, Zheng Yuanli, and the others looked at each other, their eyes filled with confusion.

At this point, what deal is there left to discuss?

Before anyone could speak, Qin Feng gave a wink to the guards behind him.

The guard understood immediately, placed a heavy iron box on the table, and then opened the box in front of everyone.

Upon seeing the familiar yellowed letters inside the box, the pupils of all the family heads present suddenly contracted!

A fear and despair a hundred times stronger than when he saw Li Boyong's head instantly swept over his entire body!

"This...this is..."

Zheng Yuanli, the head of the Zheng family in Xingyang, pointed at the letter, his lips trembling, unable to utter a complete sentence.

"Doesn't Patriarch Zheng recognize him?"

A sinister smile curled at the corner of Qin Feng's mouth.

"There are quite a few replies written by you personally in these letters."

"Shall I take it out and help you recall it properly?"

"No! No, no!"

Zheng Yuanli was so frightened that he slid off the chair and fell to his knees, begging for mercy.

"Your Highness! Your Highness, spare my life!"

"It was all that treacherous Ying Wuji's doing. He contacted us unilaterally; we never agreed!"

"Yeah yeah!"

Cui Jingshan, the head of the Cui family of Boling, also tumbled and crawled to his knees, bursting into tears.

"We are all loyal subjects of the Great Xia Dynasty, how could we possibly collude with the enemy and betray our country?"

"We were fooled by that old scoundrel Li Boyong!"

In an instant, cries and pleas for mercy rose and fell throughout the hall.

These aristocratic family heads, who were usually high and mighty and could decide the life and death of thousands with a single word, now displayed the utmost shamelessness in order to save their own lives.

They desperately shifted all the blame onto Ying Wuji and Li Boyong, who were already dead and unable to testify, thus absolving themselves of any responsibility.

They seemed like a group of innocent people who had been deceived by villains.

Qin Feng watched this clumsy performance with cold indifference, feeling nauseous.

"Oh? Is that so?"

He picked up a letter and flicked it lightly between his fingertips.

"According to you all, you are all innocent people?"

"Yes, yes, yes! We are innocent!" The crowd nodded frantically, like chickens pecking at rice.

"Since that's the case..."

A cold glint flashed in Qin Feng's eyes.

"Then I will make these letters public."

"Then send all of you to the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice for joint trial!"

"Let the court officials clear your names!"

What do you all think?

As soon as he finished speaking, all the crying and wailing stopped abruptly.

Cui Jingshan and the others stood frozen in place, their faces drained of all color.

Should it be submitted to the joint review by the three judicial departments?

This is simply unbelievable!

These letters are irrefutable evidence!

Once the information is made public, the charge of treason and collusion with the enemy will be definitively established!

At that time, not only will they not be able to clear their names, but all the members of the six great families will suffer the same fate as the Li family of Longxi, and their entire families will be executed!

"No...no! Your Highness!"

Cui Jingshan was the first to react, rushing forward to hug Qin Feng's leg, tears streaming down his face.

"We are guilty! We know we are guilty!"

"He was momentarily blinded by greed and committed such a heinous crime!"

"We beg Your Highness to remember our ancestors who fought and bled for the Great Xia Dynasty and give us a chance to reform!"

"Your Highness! We are willing to give up our entire fortune to atone for our mistakes!"

The others quickly echoed and begged for mercy.

At this moment, they finally realized what was happening.

From the very beginning, Qin Feng never intended to kill them all.

What he truly wanted was for the six great families to completely submit.

"Chance?"

Qin Feng sneered and kicked Cui Jingshan away.

"I have given you countless chances in the past."

"It is you yourselves who, time and time again, discard them like worn-out shoes."

"Now you're begging? Too late!"

He stood up, looking down at the group of sycophantic nobles.

"However, I am not unreasonable."

"It's not impossible to live."

He picked up a document that had already been prepared from the table and threw it in front of everyone.

"Sign this surrender agreement."

"I will forgive all previous crimes."

The heads of the family were overjoyed and hurriedly snatched the document to read it carefully.

But after just one glance, everyone's faces turned extremely pale, as if they had swallowed gall.

What kind of surrender agreement is this?

It's clearly a contract of servitude!

The terms of the agreement are clearly stated:

First, 60% of the assets under the names of the seven major families will be unconditionally transferred to the national treasury.

Second, abolish the tax exemption privileges and hereditary titles of all members of the seven great families;

Third, scions of prominent families had to pass the imperial examinations to become officials in the court;

Fourth, disband all family private armies and strictly prohibit the private maintenance of armed forces under any pretext.