You, a tyrannical ruler, roam the heavens; you cannot understand my joy.

The warm pavilion in the back garden of the Yongning Earl's Mansion.

Marquis Yongning, Zhao Youxiang, leaned against a folding chair covered with brocade, toying with a warm, smooth jade cup in his hand, a nonchalant smile on his face.

Three people sat at the lower end of the table; all of them were prominent heads of wealthy and influential families in Lin'an Prefecture.

To the left was a plump, white-skinned old man named Qian Tonghai, who was in the business of canal transport and grain, and owned no less than 5,000 mu of farmland.

He stroked a few sparse strands of his beard and said slowly, "My lord, that minor official from the Ministry of Revenue left looking utterly humiliated today."

"You didn't see his face, haha, it looked like he'd swallowed a fly."

Sitting opposite him was a lean, sharp-eyed middle-aged man named Sun Maocai. His ancestors had produced scholars who passed the imperial examinations, and now he had amassed a fortune through lending and the silk business.

He interjected, "It's more than just eating flies!"

"In my opinion, Zhou Qin is just bottling up his anger with nowhere to vent it."

"I don't know what's gotten into the imperial court this time, actually wanting to buy our land at half the market price?"

"That's absolutely out of the ordinary!"

The last person was a slightly plump middle-aged man with cautious eyes. His surname was Li and his given name was Shouye. Although his family owned less land than the previous two, they had been rooted in Lin'an Prefecture for generations and had a wide network of connections.

He carefully considered his words before speaking, "Uncle Qian, Brother Sun, though that's true..."

"But this time it was an official edict issued by the court, and His Majesty personally set the tone."

"I heard that Commander Han Shizhong at the Jianghuai camp has received strict orders to fully cooperate."

"Should we...wait and see?"

"Wait and see?" Qian Tonghai scoffed, slamming his teacup down. "Brother Shouye, what are you afraid of?"

"The imperial court? Even the imperial court has to follow the rules!"

"Our land wasn't stolen or robbed; it was all legally purchased through generations of hard work!"

"He thinks he can just take it for half price with just a word from the emperor?"

"There's no such logic in the world!"

He grew more and more excited as he spoke, his chubby face flushed: "Yes, His Majesty has won a great victory! How glorious!"

"But did he single-handedly shoulder the burden of the entire Song Dynasty?"

"Without us gentry paying taxes and provisions, without us maintaining the local order, how would they fight the Jurchens?"

"We are the foundation of this great Song Dynasty!"

"By attacking us, he is attacking his own foundation!"

Sun Maocai nodded in agreement, his eyes gleaming with shrewd calculation: "Old Qian is right."

"Furthermore, the law does not punish the masses."

"How many wealthy families are there in Lin'an Prefecture, and even the entire Liangzhe Circuit?"

"Every family owns tens of thousands of acres of land."

"If the imperial court dares to use force, isn't it afraid of inciting a popular uprising?"

"Jiangnan is the imperial court's purse and a major source of tax revenue. His Majesty must understand this."

"In my opinion, this edict is all bark and no bite; it's just for show and to appease the displaced people."

"If we hold on, the court will eventually have to give in, and we might even be able to negotiate and raise the price a bit."

Zhao Youxiang had been listening the whole time, and only now did he speak slowly, his tone carrying the unique reserve and arrogance of a nobleman: "What you two say is correct."

"Your Majesty is young, has only recently ascended the throne, and has just defeated the Jurchens, so it is inevitable that you are somewhat... overly ambitious."

"Thinking you can change the world with just a decree?"

"Ha, you're oversimplifying things."

"The title and land of my Zhao family were bestowed by Emperor Taizong himself, in recognition of the merits of our ancestors."

"Let alone 50%, there's no reason to sell it at the original price."

"This is disrespectful to our ancestors and disloyal to the emperor's grace."

He took a sip of the warm yellow wine in his cup and continued, "Today, I had the steward send Zhou Qin away, to set an example for the imperial court and for other families in Lin'an."

"We are all of the same blood; we share the same fate, whether it is prosperity or ruin."

"As long as we hold on, the others will naturally know what to do."

"The imperial court?"

"Without us, the imperial court would be unable to move an inch in this Jiangnan region."

Li Shouye felt a vague unease.

He recalled the various rumors that had been circulating in recent months.

He purged Qin Hui's faction with swift and decisive action, and his word was law in the imperial court.

The great victory in Jianghuai, taking the head of a general amidst ten thousand troops, his martial arts skills were simply superhuman.

And that cement factory recruited refugees at an incredible speed, offering such good benefits that it made people envious...

All of this indicates that the current emperor's style of doing things is completely different from that of any previous emperor.

He opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something more.

Just then!

Boom!

A deep, thunderous roar suddenly came from the direction of the front yard, making the windows of the warm room vibrate and hum.

Immediately following was a cacophony of heavy footsteps, the clattering of armor plates, and short shouts and screams, all rushing closer like a tidal wave.

The expressions of the four people inside the warm pavilion changed simultaneously.

"What's going on?" Zhao Youxiang sat up abruptly, the nonchalant smile on his face vanishing instantly.

Qian Tonghai and Sun Maocai were also startled and stood up, listening intently.

The unease in Li Shouye's heart suddenly magnified, turning into a chilling coldness that crept up his spine.

"My lord! My lord! Something terrible has happened!"

A young servant in blue robes scrambled into the warm pavilion, his face ashen: "Soldiers...soldiers! So many soldiers!"

"Surround the mansion! The front gate... the front gate has been broken down!"

"What?!" Zhao Youxiang was both shocked and furious. "Where did these soldiers come from? Who's leading them? How dare they break down the gates of my Marquis's residence?!"

Before he could finish speaking, a cold voice came from outside the warm pavilion: "Yang Tiexin, Left Commander of the Imperial Guard New Army, is here on imperial orders."

As the words were spoken, Yang Tiexin, dressed in light black armor and a scarlet cloak, strode into the moon gate of the back garden with more than ten personal guards.

Behind him followed Zhou Qin, the head of the Ministry of Revenue, who was pale and whose official robes seemed to be covered in dust, and Sun Jing, the military advisor of the Lin'an Prefecture, who was almost on the ground.

The servants of the Earl's mansion who had been standing in the garden had long been brutally driven into a corner by the surging soldiers, trembling with fear.

Zhao Youxiang took a deep breath, suppressing the shock and anger in his heart, straightened his clothes, and walked out of the warm pavilion.

Qian Tonghai and the other two exchanged glances and reluctantly followed him out.

They couldn't believe that anyone would dare to attack a hereditary earl in broad daylight.

Yang Tiexin stood with his hand on his sword, his gaze sweeping over Zhao Youxiang and the others before finally landing on the head steward of the Earl's mansion, who had rushed over upon hearing the news. He was the same portly old man who had "politely" seen Zhou Qin off that morning.

The head steward's face still showed traces of shock and anger, but even more so, his usual arrogance.

He stepped forward, blocking Zhao Youxiang's path, and pointed at Yang Tiexin, shouting sternly, "Where did this soldier come from, daring to trespass into the Earl's residence and disturb the Earl?"

"Do you even respect the law?"

"I know this is..."

Yang Tiexin drew his long sword with a clang, the gleaming blade drawing a cold arc in the autumn sunlight.

Pfft!

The dull thud of a sharp blade slicing through flesh and severing bones was so clear it made your teeth ache.

The steward's expression froze instantly, changing from arrogance to utter astonishment and bewilderment.

He opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but could only make a "hoarse" sound.

Then, his round head separated from his neck, slid off at an angle, and rolled into a patch of blooming chrysanthemums. The headless corpse swayed, gushing blood as it fell forward.

Warm drops of blood splattered onto Qian Tonghai's face, who was standing a little closer.

The plump old man who had just been talking at length about the "foundation of the Great Song Dynasty" was now trembling violently all over, his eyes were wide open as if they were about to burst, and strange "clucking" sounds were coming from his throat, but he couldn't utter a single word.

The strong smell of blood instantly filled the garden that was originally full of chrysanthemum fragrance.

Sun Maocai's legs went weak and he collapsed to the ground. Li Shouye covered his mouth tightly, his stomach churning, desperately suppressing the urge to vomit.

The color drained completely from Zhao Youxiang's face in an instant.

He pointed at Yang Tiexin, his fingers trembling violently: "You...you...you actually dared to...indiscriminately kill innocent people!"

"I am the hereditary Earl of Yongning, a title bestowed upon me personally by Emperor Taizong!"

"How dare you, a mere fifth-rank martial artist, act like this?"

"I want to submit a memorial to the emperor; I want to impeach you!"

"innocent?"

Yang Tiexin flicked the blood off his knife, his gaze piercing Zhao Youxiang like ice: "Obstructing the court's national policies, defying the imperial edict, and mocking the emperor are acts of disloyalty."

"To annex farmland from the people, collude with corrupt officials, and seize property by trickery and force is inhumane."

"You occupy this land, sucking the marrow from the people, and yet you dare call yourselves the foundation of the nation? You are nothing but parasites on the country!"

He stopped looking at the crazed Zhao Youxiang, turned his gaze to the soldiers standing solemnly behind him, and his voice suddenly rose, echoing throughout the garden and even drowning out the commotion in the distance:

"His Majesty has decreed: Anyone who dares to refuse to sell will be punished for deceiving the Emperor, obstructing the Northern Expedition, and treason!"

"Earl of Yongning, Zhao Youxiang, has defied the imperial decree; the evidence against him is irrefutable!"

"Kill without mercy."

As soon as the last word "pardon" was uttered, the New Army soldiers who had been unable to restrain themselves all around the garden responded with a roar, like tigers released from their cages!

"kill!"

The blades flashed like snow, and the guns clashed like a forest.

Zhao Youxiang's angry curses and explanations were drowned out by the deafening shouts and screams.

His guards, nephews, and Qian Tonghai and Sun Maocai, who were unable to escape, were instantly overwhelmed by the surging soldiers.

These new army soldiers were well-trained, coordinated perfectly, and ruthless. They didn't care who their opponents were; they only obeyed Yang Tiexin's orders.

Li Shouye slumped in the corner, watching helplessly as the usually arrogant Earl of Yongning was pierced through the chest by a long spear, as Qian Tonghai's obese body was hacked down by a flurry of blows, and as Sun Maocai was beheaded with a single stroke amidst his desperate cries...

His vision was filled with splattered blood, fallen corpses, and the cold, indifferent faces of the soldiers. His mind went blank, filled only with boundless fear, and he almost fainted.

Zhou Qin and Sun Jing stood to the side and behind Yang Tiexin, their faces equally pale.

Although Zhou Qin was mentally prepared and knew that His Majesty's methods were ruthless, he did not expect such a cruel and direct bloody suppression.

The killings didn't last long...

The new army completely overwhelmed these poorly armed guards and pampered sons of noble families.

In less than a quarter of an hour, all the men of the Earl's mansion who were still standing in the garden, except for the servants who had already knelt down in surrender and were trembling with fear, were gone.

The cries of women and children could be faintly heard from the inner quarters, but the soldiers followed Yang Tiexin's tacit instruction to "only punish the ringleaders and not harm the women and children" and did not storm the inner quarters.

Yang Tiexin sheathed his sword and said to a squad leader beside him, "Count the corpses. All of Zhao Youxiang's direct descendants and the guests who conspired to resist today should be beheaded."

"Yes, sir!"

Soon, more than a dozen bloody heads were chopped off and impaled on spears. Among them were the faces of Yongning Earl Zhao Youxiang, Qian Tonghai, and Sun Maocai, still bearing traces of fear and resentment.

Yang Tiexin glanced at Zhou Qin and Sun Jing, who were almost exhausted, and said indifferently, "Zhou, the chief clerk, and Sun, the military advisor, come with me."

He turned first and walked out of the mansion. Soldiers followed closely behind, escorting the surviving servants and carrying the dozen or so severed heads.

Outside the main gate of the Earl's mansion, the crowd of people who had rushed over upon hearing the news had already formed a dense throng.

When the crowd saw Yang Tiexin walk out covered in blood, with a string of still-dripping heads impaled on the tips of soldiers' spears behind him, they were first deathly silent, then erupted into huge gasps and uproar!

"That's...the Earl of Yongning?"

"My God! They really killed him!"

"And Master Qian! Master Sun!"

"The imperial court... the imperial court is serious!"

Yang Tiexin mounted his horse and ordered the captain: "Hang these heads at the four gates of Lin'an and leave them exposed for three days. Post notices stating that they have committed the crimes of disobeying imperial orders and obstructing the Northern Expedition."

"yes!"

The soldiers, carrying prisoners and heads on their shoulders, marched in orderly steps toward the city gate.

Bloodstains dripped and stretched from the front of the Yongning Marquis's mansion.

Zhou Qin and Sun Jing were helped onto their horses, both looking dazed, as if they had just woken from a bloody nightmare. The autumn wind, carrying a strong smell of blood and a faint fragrance of chrysanthemums, blew through Qinghefang and across Lin'an City.

......

Two days later.

In Lin'an City, on the shore of West Lake, in a secluded villa by the water.

Seven or eight middle-aged or elderly men, dressed in silk robes but with rather unpleasant expressions, gathered together, the atmosphere so heavy it seemed to drip water.

They were heads of several other wealthy families in Lin'an Prefecture who owned considerable land. Today, they were secretly meeting to discuss matters concerning the Yongning Earl's Mansion.

"Uncle Zhao...and Old Qian, Brother Sun, they're all gone just like that?"

An elderly man with a goatee spoke in a trembling voice, the teacup in his hands shaking violently: "Not a single male member of the entire family survived!"

"His head is still hanging on Qingchun Gate!"

"I passed by yesterday, but I didn't dare to look too long!"

Another round-faced man, resembling a wealthy merchant, wiped the cold sweat from his brow: "I've inquired through connections, and the government has seized all of the Earl's estates and shops!"

"They say it's going to be confiscated and incorporated into those so-called 'official garlic fields'!"

"Even the mansion is sealed off!"

"They've gone mad! The imperial court has gone mad!"

A hot-tempered, dark-skinned man growled, "The Earl of Yongning has a title! You think you can just kill him like that?"

"Is there no law anymore?!"

"The law?" A gaunt old man who had been sitting at the head of the table and had remained silent finally spoke. He was Wang Yunzhong, the head of the Wang family in Lin'an Prefecture, whose reputation was decent and whose land holdings were mostly from legitimate businesses.

He sighed, his voice weary: "What His Majesty decrees is the law."

"Disobeying imperial orders, obstructing the Northern Expedition, and treason... These accusations are too heavy for even a prince, let alone an earl."

He looked around at everyone and said slowly, "Everyone, wake up."

Things are different now.

"This emperor is neither Emperor Renzong nor Emperor Gaozong."

"He possesses martial arts skills capable of defeating thousands of soldiers, the mighty army of Jianghuai that has just won a great victory, and that new army full of murderous intent."

"It seems there's absolutely no turning back what he's doing."

The pavilion was deathly silent. Only the autumn wind swept across the lake, rustling the withered lotus leaves.

"Then... what do we do?"

"Are we really going to sell our ancestral property to the imperial court at half price? Then...then we might as well kill me!"

"Sell?" Wang Yunzhong shook his head with a wry smile. "Lord Zhao does want to 'sell,' but has he even given him the chance?"

"His Majesty's intention is probably not to 'buy' at all, but to 'acquire'."

"The only difference is whether we 'offer' ourselves and can still retain some dignity and a way to survive, or whether we are like the Yongning Marquis's family, who are 'killed' at their doorstep and lose both people and land."

He paused, then lowered his voice: "I've received information that this isn't just happening in Lin'an."

"In the past few days, several wealthy individuals in nearby prefectures and counties have also died suddenly or from sudden illness..."

"Their deaths were all quite suspicious. It's said to be some kind of underworld trickery."

"Think about what this means?"

Everyone's faces turned even paler.

This means that the imperial court not only mobilized the army openly, but also secretly used even more insidious methods!

This was a complete and utter crushing defeat, leaving them no room to resist or maneuver.

"The best course of action now..."

Wang Yunzhong took a deep breath:

"The only way to survive was to cut off one's own arm. We voluntarily donated some of our family's land, especially those with questionable origins or those in suitable locations for growing garlic, to the imperial court as 'official garlic fields'."

"Furthermore, we must publicly declare our firm support for His Majesty's national policies, our support for the Northern Expedition, and our compassion for the displaced people."

"Free of charge?" someone exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes, without compensation." Wang Yunzhong's eyes were dark. "Only by doing it without compensation can we show that we are not resisting, but rather that we are 'deeply aware of the greater good' and 'voluntarily donating'."

"Only in this way can we perhaps dispel the court's murderous intent and preserve the family's foundation and remaining assets."

"Money may be gone, but you can earn it back."

"Even if the fields are gone, as long as people are alive, there may still be a future."

"But if a person is gone... then nothing is left."

He looked out the window at the gloomy sky and the desolate lake, and murmured, "The sky over the Great Song Dynasty... has truly changed."

"The old rules no longer apply."

"Those who don't want to be crushed must learn to bow their heads and follow the rules of the new emperor."