Chapter 148 Objection

At a critical juncture, an objection was raised.

Indeed!

Qin Huaiyu also felt a trace of anxiety, fearing that he might ruin everything.

"We have prepared everything, and implementation is imminent. Are we going to call it off now?"

"Young Lord Qin..."

"You needn't say another word!"

Though Qin Huaiyu harbored doubts in his heart, he could not resist the temptation of achieving great military merit.

Once the order to attack was given, every single prominent family in Taiyuan would be thoroughly and utterly wiped out overnight.

...

After long and careful consideration, Qin Huaiyu finally succumbed to temptation. He slammed his hand on the table and declared, "Let's do it! Even if the sky falls, I will hold it up!"

"Prefect Li, go make the arrangements!"

"This subordinate obeys!"

As a senior regional official, he was not originally required to take orders from Qin Huaiyu.

However, consumed by an eager desire to win merits and achievements, he could no longer afford to care about such details.

"It is now dusk. Once night falls, we shall take action! I have already ordered the garrison troops in Jinyang to surround the manors of all the noble families simultaneously at that appointed hour!"

"Good!"

The two men reached a consensus, awaiting only that fateful moment to arrive.

Night.

Luo Tong’s Golden Blade Guards were still lying unconscious, completely unaware that the political landscape across all the commanderies of Taiyuan was on the verge of a drastic upheaval.

Clatter, clatter, clatter...

Beneath the pitch-black canopy of the night, the sound of neat and orderly footsteps echoed through the air as numerous squads dispersed toward various locations within the city.

Simultaneously, the same scene was playing out in the other county towns across Taiyuan.

Boom, boom!!

In the northern part of Jinyang City, the grand estate of Li Dejiang was forcibly breached by government troops.

The guards stationed at the main gates were killed on the spot!

Thud, thud...

Awakened from his deep sleep, Li Dejiang was filled with shock and fury. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Clan head, government soldiers have broken into the estate by force and are killing everyone in sight! We have already lost more than half of our guards!"

"What!"

Li Dejiang roared in anger, "How dare they?"

Led by the powerful noble families of Guanzhong, the various clans had long discussed the current situation. They believed that the imperial army, fearing that the noble families would cut off their food supplies, would not dare to engage in a direct conflict, which was why they had only dispatched Luo Tong to carry out assassinations.

In other words...

No matter how the noble families stirred up trouble, as long as they controlled more than seventy percent of the nation's wealth and grain stores, Emperor Li Shimin could do nothing to them, let alone attempt forcible arrests.

Such a move would result in half of the country's population starving to death.

"Clan head, it seems the authorities are determined to drive us to our deaths! They outnumber us heavily, and we are no match for them. Shouldn't we quickly flee Jinyang City?"

"Yes, absolutely!!"

Li Dejiang immediately issued an order for the entire clan to evacuate through the secret tunnel.

The government troops rushed into the inner courtyards, conducting a thorough and intensive search, coming close to turning the ground upside down.

Yet, they failed to find Li Dejiang or any members of his family.

"They've escaped?"

Upon receiving the news, Qin Huaiyu rushed to the Li estate, a heavy premonition gripping his heart.

"Search the entire estate, inside and out. See if there is a secret tunnel!"

"Yes!"

Li Longjiang stepped forward and said, "Young Lord Qin need not worry. I have already ordered all four city gates to be completely sealed. There is no way they can escape Jinyang!"

"What if they have a subterranean passage that leads directly outside the city?" Qin Huaiyu asked.

"That is even more impossible! There is a moat running along the base of the city wall; they cannot cross it!"

Li Longjiang was extremely confident.

He had his men carefully search the estate before them, and before long, they discovered a concealed cavern.

From this exit, one could travel straight to the outskirts of Jinyang.

Hiss...

Li Dejiang drew in a sharp breath of cold air. "The Li family actually dug a secret tunnel in advance, stretching over ten miles. This... this project is simply too massive!"

"For a noble family, digging a ten-mile-long secret tunnel is nothing extraordinary! What I am worried about is..." Qin Huaiyu said grimly, "If all the noble families have escaped through secret tunnels just like the Li family, then our entire plan has fallen through!"

"This..."

Li Longjiang was deeply anxious as well.

The two of them had orchestrated this purge of the Taiyuan noble families at the risk of incurring the imperial court's severe wrath. If they failed to achieve a total victory and instead provoked a fierce backlash from the clans, the consequences would be far beyond what they could bear!

...

Over the next few hours, the major noble families within the city were thoroughly plundered.

Nearly a thousand men and women were rounded up and escorted to the commandery prison.

All shops and properties belonging to the noble families were sealed off completely.

All financial assets were confiscated and handed over to the government authorities!

"Report!"

A guard from the prefectural office ran over and reported, "My lord, Young Lord Luo has regained consciousness, and he urgently requests to see you!"

"Uh..." Li Longjiang glanced at Qin Huaiyu.

What should they do?

How were they supposed to explain this to Luo Tong?

Were they supposed to tell him that the noble families had already been wiped out?

"Why are you looking at me? When you see Luo Tong, just tell him the truth. I will shoulder the responsibility for any consequences!" Qin Huaiyu replied straightforwardly, proactively taking the blame upon himself.

"Very well!"

Li Longjiang acknowledged and hurried toward the prefectural office.

Upon waking up, Luo Tong had found the estate in utter chaos with a great deal of shouting and commotion outside, leaving him wondering what on earth had happened in the city.

Seeing Li Longjiang return, Luo Tong sat up and asked, "Prefect Li, where have you been? Why do you look so flustered and out of breath? You haven't been up to any illicit mischief, have you?"

"Young lord jests, how could I possibly be up to any mischief?"

"Then what is the meaning of all this?"

Luo Tong motioned for him to sit down.

"Young lord, please take a seat as well, and listen as this subordinate explains in detail!" Li Longjiang thought to himself that since he could not avoid it anyway, he might as well spill everything at once.

Even if something was amiss, it would allow them time to remedy the situation!

Li Longjiang began, "To help the young lord strike a swift blow against the noble families, this subordinate and Young Lord Qin formulated a flawless plan..."

"By now, all the noble families in the city have been arrested. Those in the other commanderies and counties surely cannot escape either, and will soon be rounded up as well!"

The so-called flawless plan left Luo Tong feeling dizzy with panic!

"You!"

Luo Tong sprang to his feet in fury and shouted, "What kind of damn plan is this? Didn't I tell you a few days ago that Prince Jin sent me here to assassinate the noble families for profound and deliberate reasons? Why did you act on your own authority?"

"If government intervention was all that was needed, would I have traveled thousands of miles to Jinyang?"

...

Panic gripped Luo Tong's heart!

The noble families controlled more than seventy percent of the nation's wealth and grain. If they were driven to desperation and turned against the imperial court, countless innocent citizens across the empire would starve to death!

"Where is Qin Huaiyu?"

"Young Lord Qin hasn't returned yet, but he should be here soon..."

"Once he comes back, we must figure out a way to rectify the grave mistake you two have made! The imperial court cannot openly strike at the noble families, and especially must not harbor murderous intent. If they are pushed into a corner, the consequences will be utterly unthinkable!"

"Yes!"

A bitter taste filled Li Longjiang's mouth.

Having finally managed to secure a measure of merit, it had instantly turned into a grievous offense.

He was done for this time.

When the imperial court came to settle accounts later, what was he supposed to do?

...

At daybreak,

Qin Huaiyu escorted over a dozen prominent figures of the noble families back to the prefectural office.

Spotting Luo Tong, Qin Huaiyu stepped forward and asked about his injuries, "How are you feeling now?"

"I was almost recovered, but you gave me such a fright... Both my old wounds and new injuries have flared up at once. Whether I survive this is a genuine question!" Luo Tong rolled his eyes.

"I gave you a fright?"
Qin Huaiyu looked baffled, wondering, "How on earth did I frighten you?"

"You explain it to him!" Luo Tong was so angry his hands were trembling, and he signaled Li Longjiang to provide the explanation.

"Young Lord Qin may not realize this, but the imperial court does not permit local authorities to intervene in the suppression of the noble families. That is precisely why Young Lord Luo was sent here at the head of the Golden Blade Guards. By arresting the prominent families of Taiyuan like this, we have essentially declared war between the imperial court and the noble clans. This will bring immense hardship and turmoil to the common people everywhere!" Li Longjiang said.