Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 300 Sending the Clock
On the fifteenth of August, the moon was just rising.

The Guangzhou Governor's Mansion was no longer the solemn and imposing place it once was. From the gate to the inner hall, lanterns and colorful decorations were everywhere, and candles burned brightly, illuminating the entire mansion as if it were daytime.

Huge palace lanterns hung under the eaves, their tassels swaying gently in the wind, casting a warm yellow glow that imbued the guests' luxurious robes and smug smiles with an ethereal sense of wealth.

Outside the mansion gates, carriages and horses flowed in a bustling, splendid scene.

The provincial governor, the provincial judge, the prefects, assistant prefects, and sub-prefects of Guangdong Province, as well as the gentry, wealthy merchants, and clan elders who could shake the local area with a stomp of their feet, all attended in their finest attire.

They rode in sedan chairs carried by eight men or in carriages drawn by four horses, surrounded by servants, displaying an extraordinary air of grandeur.

They chatted and laughed, exchanging greetings with clasped hands, their words filled with confidence and control over the future.

In their view, this Mid-Autumn Festival banquet was nothing more than the young governor bowing down and seeking peace after taking a tour and recognizing reality.

This was a feast of dividing the spoils.

When they saw Lu Xiang-sheng, the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, a northern military leader rumored to be as tough as iron, standing at the entrance of the second gate with a beaming smile, welcoming each and every guest, their last trace of doubt vanished.

"Lord Zhang, you must be tired from your journey. Please take a seat!" Lu Xiang-sheng bowed respectfully to Zhang Bing-wen, the provincial governor whose eyes were puffy.

"Lord Qian, the moonlight in the south is just right. Tonight, let's get drunk together!" He then turned to the gloomy-eyed Provincial Surveillance Commissioner Qian Shilong, his enthusiasm overflowing.

This attitude further confirmed everyone's judgment, and their demeanor became even more arrogant, their backs straightening even more.

……

Inside the banquet hall, a variety of dishes, both land and water, were laid out, along with fine wines and delicacies, creating a dazzling spectacle.

Hundreds of prominent figures from Guangdong's official, gentry, and business circles sat around dozens of large round tables made of rosewood, with the sounds of string and wind instruments filling the air and flattering words permeating the atmosphere.

The atmosphere was warm and harmonious, as if it were a grand gathering truly set up to celebrate the festival and strengthen kinship among fellow villagers.

After three rounds of wine, five flavors of food.

Everyone's faces were slightly flushed, and their courage grew stronger.

At this moment, Chen Haiping, the patriarch of the Panyu Chen clan, who was seated below the head of the table, felt that his special status as the first person to curry favor with the governor and be accepted. He stood up triumphantly, raised the rhinoceros horn cup in his hand high, and, with a radiant face, loudly proclaimed to Lu Xiang-sheng, who was in the main seat:

"Lord Du Xian!"

His voice was so loud that it instantly drowned out the music and noise in the room.

All eyes were on him.

Chen Haiping thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of being the center of attention. He cleared his throat and asked in a tone that seemed concerned but was actually boastful:
"Your Excellency, you have worked tirelessly for the country and have come all this way from the south. I wonder if the little trinket I sent you a month ago, which was not very respectful, is still to your liking? Especially that Western clock, is it still accurate?"

Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent for a moment, then burst into laughter.

Lu Xiang-sheng still wore that gentle smile. He slowly put down his wine glass, even nodding slightly to Chen Haiping with a smile, and replied calmly:

"Mr. Chen is very thoughtful. That clock keeps perfect time, down to the second."

He looked around the room and added, "I, the Governor, am very pleased."

"Hahahaha..." Chen Haiping laughed even more heartily.

The laughter in the room grew increasingly unrestrained.

……

Just as Chen Haiping's laughter reached its peak, and he tilted his head back to down the wine in his glass—

Lu Xiang-sheng, who was in the main seat, slowly stood up.

The smile on his face vanished instantly, as if blown by a cold night wind.

Lu Xiang-sheng reached out and took a gavel from the guard beside him.

"Snapped!!!"

A loud, crisp, and explosive sound rang out, like a thunderclap that resounded through the noisy banquet hall!

The laughter that filled the room abruptly stopped.

Everyone was stunned by this sudden turn of events.

They stared in astonishment at the governor in the main seat, who was completely different from the man before them; the drunkenness and smiles on their faces froze instantly.

Lu Xiang-sheng's gaze swept across the entire room, finally settling on the astonished face of Chen Haiping. He parted his thin lips slightly, and every word he uttered sounded like a judgment from the deepest hell:
"The time has come!"

The words have not yet been spoken!

"Boom!!" "Boom!!"

The vermilion gate at the back of the banquet hall was heavily closed and locked from the outside with a bolt!
The heavy impact sounded like the slamming of the gates of hell, extinguishing all hope.

Immediately following was the uniform sound of the rubbing of the armor plates and the "click" of the mechanism being wound.

Behind the huge decorative screens around the hall, in the shadows of the pillars, and even backstage where the opera troupe had just been performing, hundreds of soldiers in light armor, wielding unsheathed steel swords, suddenly emerged!
They were expressionless, with cold eyes, and moved like a sophisticated killing machine.

At the same time, more soldiers poured in through the gate, carrying military crossbows with their bows already drawn and arrows gleaming with a blue, poisonous light!

Swords flashed like a forest, crossbow bolts rained down, and a chilling killing intent emanated from all directions, aimed at the hundred or so pampered officials and gentry in the hall.

In the blink of an eye, this warm and cozy hall has been transformed into a bloody prison where escape is impossible and danger lurks everywhere!

……

Dead silence.

The aroma of wine and meat, along with the sweet scent of cosmetics, that had just filled the air seemed to have been instantly severed by a sharp blade, leaving only an overwhelming sense of fear.

The officials and gentry who were arrogant just moments before now looked ashen-faced.

Some people's wine glasses clattered to the ground and shattered; some people's legs buckled and they slid off their chairs to the bottom of the table; many more people were stunned, their minds blank, completely unable to comprehend what was happening before their eyes.

In the suffocating silence, Lu Xiang-sheng unfurled a bright yellow scroll that had always been placed on the table beside him.

That dazzling bright yellow stung everyone's eyes!
Imperial decree!

“The…Imperial decree…” someone uttered these two words, trembling.

Holding the imperial edict, Lu Xiang-sheng's voice was no longer the calm official tone, but rather filled with the air of war and battle:

"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:"

His booming voice echoed in the deathly silent hall.

"In the lands of Guangdong and Guangxi, deep-seated problems have accumulated. Officials and gentry collude to exploit the people; they seize farmland and evade national taxes; they engage in smuggling and collusion with bandits, undermining coastal defenses. As a result, the national treasury is empty, the people are living in misery, and the law has been disregarded! I am heartbroken!"

"Hereinafter, Governor-General Lu Xiang-sheng, in charge of military affairs in Guangdong and Guangxi, is hereby ordered to thoroughly cleanse the corrupt officials of Guangdong and Guangxi with swift and decisive action. He is hereby granted the Imperial Sword and is authorized to act at his discretion!"

Upon reading this, Lu Xiang-sheng emphasized his words, his gaze sharp as he swept over the faces that had already lost all color. "...Anyone who embezzles, perverts the law, wreaks havoc in the local area, forms cliques for personal gain, or defies the law, regardless of rank or status, if the evidence is irrefutable—"

He paused for a moment, then, with all his might, roared out the last four words:

"Execute him on the spot! Without mercy!"

"Appreciate this!"

The imperial edict was issued with overwhelming imperial power!

The four words "immediate execution without pardon" crashed down like an invisible mountain!

The more than one hundred officials and gentry present could no longer hold on and collapsed instantly.

The timid ones had already soiled themselves and collapsed on the ground.

Provincial Treasurer Zhang Bingwen, Provincial Surveillance Commissioner Qian Shilong, and others were ashen-faced and trembling like leaves. They now understood that this was not even a trap, but a execution banquet!

From the very beginning, this young governor did not intend to share the spoils with them, but rather to take the whole pot and boil them all alive!
……

Lu Xiang-sheng solemnly handed the imperial edict to Lu Jian-xing beside him, and then stepped down from the main seat.

The sound of his military boots pounding on the gleaming ground was like the footsteps of death, striking everyone's hearts with every step.

He walked to the center of the hall, where two bodyguards had already brought up the magnificent Western clock and placed it in front of Chen Haiping, who was slumped over.

Lu Xiang-sheng's gaze pierced through countless terrified eyes, fixing intently on Chen Haiping, whose face was ashen.

“Clan Chief Chen.” His voice was eerily calm.

Chen Haiping trembled and looked up to meet those eyes burning with anger and murderous intent.

"You just asked me whether this clock is accurate."

Lu Xiang-sheng spoke slowly, word by word.

"Now, I can tell you plainly and unequivocally. It moved...perfectly accurately!"

His voice was filled with endless mockery and murderous intent!
"You said you were sending me a clock! I've accepted this generous gift! Today, I'll return the favor with an even greater gift—"

He bent down abruptly and grabbed the Western clock with both hands.

"I, the Governor, will personally send your entire Chen family to their demise!"

The moment he uttered the last "end," he lifted the heavy Western clock high above his head and, with all his might, slammed it down hard onto the hard floor tiles!

"Clang—crash! Cra ...

With a deafening roar, the Western clock, a symbol of wealth, power, and arrogance, shattered into pieces!
The intricate gears, the beautiful casing, and the clear bells were scattered all over the ground, turning into a lifeless pile of scrap metal.

The bell tolls, then falls.

The trial begins.

"Guards!" Lu Xiang-sheng shouted sharply, his voice sounding particularly cold amidst the lingering echoes of the broken bell.

"The ringleader, Chen Haiping, and his entire Chen clan of Panyu, colluded with pirates, monopolized smuggled salt, established their own courts, and disregarded human life—their crimes are heinous! Drag them out—"

"cut!!"

"No! Your Excellency, spare me! Spare me! I know I was wrong! I..."

Amidst Chen Haiping's piercing, inhuman screams, two fierce-looking guards rushed forward. One grabbed one of his arms and dragged him off the ground like a dead dog, towards the banquet hall entrance.

He struggled all the way, leaving a long, pungent, wet trail between his legs.

Just outside the hall door, under the moonlight, a flash of cold light appeared!
"Pfft!"

A fine head flew into the air, and scalding blood splattered like a fountain onto the doorposts and then dripped onto the inside and outside of the threshold.

The head that had rolled to the ground had its eyes wide open, its face frozen in extreme fear and disbelief.

The banquet hall was deathly silent.

Everyone watched this bloody scene unfold before their eyes, forgetting even to breathe.

Lu Xiang-sheng stood in the center of the hall. Behind him was the imperial edict held high by Lu Jian-xing; at his feet were the broken remains of a Western clock; and before him were bloody heads and pools of blood that had not yet congealed outside the door!
He slowly turned around and picked up a list with a blood-red cover that had been prepared beforehand from the table.

Lu Xiang-sheng's voice was devoid of any emotion, as if he were reading an ordinary official document, and he began to read the second name.

“Zhang Bingwen, the Provincial Administration Commissioner of Guangdong.”

Zhang Bingwen, who was lying on the ground, trembled violently, as if he had been struck by lightning.

"He has seized tens of thousands of acres of government land and evaded 270,000 taels of national tax, undermining the foundation of the nation. His crime is equivalent to treason. Drag him out and behead him!"

"Injustice! Commander! Commander, spare my life! I...I am willing to offer up all my possessions! Ah—!"

Another series of shrill screams and dragging sounds followed.

Lu Xiang-sheng's gaze fell on the third name on the roster.

"Qian Shilong, the Provincial Judicial Commissioner of Guangdong, has colluded with bandits and robbed merchant ships, showing utter disregard for the law. He shall be executed!"

"Zhou Tingbo, Prefect of Guangzhou, has plotted to murder the Imperial Envoy and deceived the Emperor. His crimes are unforgivable! He shall be detained for now, and his entire family shall be executed by slow slicing after this Governor has investigated them! Arrest him!"

……

Saying a name is like hearing a heart-wrenching wail; accusing someone of a crime is like being dragged away in a brutal and resolute manner.

The banquet hall, which had been filled with laughter and joy just moments before, had now become a living hell.

At this moment——

"boom--!!!"

A deep, loud cannon shot rang out from a high point outside the Governor's Mansion, echoing throughout the night sky of Guangzhou!
At this very moment, in Guangzhou, and even in the strategic locations of the entire Guangdong province, countless "execution teams" that had been waiting in the wings tore open the lists in their hands and smashed open countless vermilion doors.

Arrests, raids, suppression, massacres...

A brutal purge, unfolding with overwhelming force, began its bloody curtain on this full moon night.

At the heart of this storm, inside the banquet hall of the Governor's Mansion, Lu Xiang-sheng still stood there, the blood-red register in his hand still unread.

His figure, illuminated by the flickering candlelight and the pale moonlight outside the window, resembled a demon from hell.

The Western bells have already stopped ringing.

Inside the governor's mansion, blood flowed like a river!
(End of this chapter)