Deposed? I couldn't be happier! I wouldn't even be a dog to the crown prince.

As that crimson firework exploded in the night sky, the once silent and stagnant city of Chang'an instantly came to life.

This is not a lively boil, but rather an explosion like water droplets falling into a pot of oil.

On Zhuque Avenue, the rapid sound of horses' hooves shattered the tranquility of the night.

Hundreds of Imperial Guards, carrying torches and embroidered spring knives at their waists, surged into Yongxingfang, a gathering place for the powerful and wealthy, like a winding fire dragon, exuding a suffocating aura of murderous intent.

There were no shouts, no slogans.

The only sounds were the uniform footsteps and the clicking of armor rubbing together, which sent chills down one's spine.

At the very front of the group, Shen Lian's angular face remained expressionless.

The embroidered spring knife in his hand was not even sheathed; the tip of the blade pointed diagonally at the ground, occasionally drawing a string of dazzling sparks on the bluestone slab as the warhorse galloped.

On the other side of the group, a sinister and eerie figure flickered about like a ghost.

That was Yu Huatian, the head of the Western Depot.

He was dressed in a silver-white flying fish robe, his cloak as white as snow, holding a clean white handkerchief in his hand, a faint, cold smile on his lips, but his eyes were colder than the autumn night wind.

"Commander Shen, what do you mean?"

Yu Huatian spoke softly, his voice high-pitched yet penetrating, "Should we try diplomacy first, or..."

"present?"

Shen Lian sneered, his eyes revealing a murderous intent.

"His Highness said there will be no formalities tonight, only soldiers."

He suddenly pulled on the reins, the warhorse neighed, its front hooves raised high, and it stomped heavily in front of the gate of the Zheng family's villa in the capital.

"Then, let's get started."

With a flick of her orchid-like fingers, Yu Huatian's figure instantly transformed into a blur and vanished from the spot.

"I'll go block the back door; you're in charge here."

Shen Lian stared at the tightly closed vermilion gate, on which were the two large, gilded characters “Zheng Mansion”, which looked particularly glaring in the firelight.

In the past, even if the Prefect of the Capital had ten times the courage, he wouldn't have dared to knock on this door in the middle of the night.

But today, Shen Lian didn't come to knock on the door.

He's here to destroy the house.

"Bump him!"

Shen Lian roared angrily.

The Imperial Guards behind them were prepared. They carried a thick battering ram, chanting slogans, and rammed it hard against the gate that symbolized the dignity of the aristocratic family, as if they were attacking a city.

"boom--!!!"

A deafening roar shook the sky.

The heavy nanmu wood door, along with the bolt behind it, shattered in an instant, sending wood chips flying everywhere.

The servant in the gatehouse had just woken up from his sleep and hadn't even had time to put on his trousers when he was slammed against the wall along with the door panel by a great force, and couldn't be pried off.

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard is on duty! Authorized by imperial decree! Any unauthorized personnel will be spared death upon kneeling!"

Shen Lian drew his sword, spurred his horse, and was the first to rush into the courtyard.

"Who?! How dare you!"

In the inner courtyard, the head guard of the Zheng family rushed out carrying a large knife, followed by dozens of servants, each looking fierce and menacing.

"How dare you trespass on the Zheng family's property? Are you tired of living?!"

"Noisy."

Shen Lian didn't even lift his eyelids, and the Embroidered Spring Blade in his hand drew a semi-circle in the air.

"Pfft—"

Before the instructor could finish speaking, the man's head had already flown three feet into the air, and blood gushed from his neck like a fountain.

"Ah—! Murder!"

"Run!"

The servants, who had originally intended to bully others, were terrified upon seeing this scene. They dropped their weapons and fled in all directions, crying and screaming.

"Leave no one alive, capture them all (referring to the master)."

Shen Lian coldly gave the order, and the Imperial Guards behind him rushed into the inner courtyard like tigers among sheep.

Cries, pleas for mercy, and the sound of shattering porcelain instantly echoed throughout the Zheng residence.

The head of the Zheng family, the same Zheng who had previously clamored in the dilapidated temple about "driving away wolves and devouring tigers," was now fast asleep, embracing one of his concubines.

"Bang!"

The door was kicked open.

Zheng, the steward, was so frightened that he rolled off the bed, naked, and crawled on the floor like a white maggot.

"Who...who are you?!"

He stared in terror at the Imperial Guards bursting in, his voice trembling, "I am the head of the Zheng family! I hold a title of nobility! You cannot..."

"Snapped!"

Shen Lian walked over and slapped him hard across the face, leaving him stunned.

"Fame and fortune? Save that for the judge in the underworld."

Shen Lian grabbed his hair and dragged him out like a dead dog.

"take away!"

Meanwhile, at the back gate of the Zheng residence.

Several members of a collateral branch of the Zheng family, carrying large and small bags of gold, silver, and valuables, were trying to slip away through the back door.

"Hurry! Quickly! As soon as we get out of this door, we'll go seek refuge with the Lu family!"

The young man in the lead urged them on impatiently.

However, the moment they opened the back door, everyone was filled with despair.

There was a person standing outside the door.

A man more beautiful than a woman.

Yu Huatian stood in the shadows, toying with a few steel needles in his hand. Looking at the group of aristocratic scions who were in a panic like stray dogs, a mocking smile appeared on his lips.

"Hey, gentlemen, where are you headed?"

"It's so late, aren't you afraid of encountering ghosts?"

"Get out of the way! A good dog doesn't block the road!" the young man roared, his voice trembling with fear. "We're from the Zheng family, so know what's good for us..."

"call out--"

A glint of cold light flashed.

A red dot appeared between the young man's eyebrows, and he fell straight backward, his eyes wide open. He died without ever seeing how the other person had made the move.

"Ah—! Murder!"

The remaining few people were terrified and turned to run back.

"Now that you're out, don't go back."

Yu Huatian moved swiftly, like a butterfly flitting among flowers, weaving through the crowd.

"Bang bang bang—"

Several muffled thuds were the sound of kneecaps cracking.

The few people who had tried to run away were now all kneeling on the ground, clutching their legs and groaning in pain.

"We hate people who don't follow the rules the most in our family."

Yu Huatian wiped his hands in disgust, waved his hand into the darkness, and said, "Tie him up and take him to the front yard."

"Oh, and drag out that fat guy who tried to crawl through the dog hole too."

In the corner, a middle-aged man, as fat as a ball, was stuck in the dog hole, unable to move forward or backward, his buttocks sticking out, trembling.

"The supervisor has a sharp eye."

Two agents from the Western Depot walked over with smiles, grabbed the fat man's ankles, and yanked him hard.

"Ouch—my back!"

The fat man was dragged out screaming, his face covered in mud and dog excrement, looking as wretched as a beggar.

No one was destined to sleep that night.

The Lu family of Fanyang, the Wang family of Taiyuan, the Li family of Zhaojun...

One by one, the once invincible mansions of powerful families suffered devastating blows tonight.

Shen Lian and Yu Huatian were like two sharp scalpels, precisely and ruthlessly removing these malignant tumors attached to the body of the Tang Dynasty.

There was no trial, no process.

Only the most direct violence and the most naked cleansing.

As dawn approached.

Dozens of prison wagons, carrying all the branch leaders and core members of the five surnames and seven clans in Chang'an, drove in a grand procession toward the same place.

That place used to be the mansion of the Cui family of Boling.

Now, it has become a gathering place for these remnants of powerful families, or rather... a slaughterhouse.

Torches blazed brightly in the square of the Cui family mansion.

Hundreds of important figures, usually impeccably dressed, were now herded together like livestock, surrounded by menacing Imperial Guards and the Snow Dragon Riders.

Some were still crying, some were still cursing, but for most, their eyes revealed deep fear and despair.

"Why...why is this happening?"

Lu Zhaolin, with disheveled hair, knelt on the ground, looking at the pairs of cold eyes around him, still unable to accept reality.

"We are a prestigious family! A family with a history spanning thousands of years!"

"How dare Li Shimin? How dare that little beast?!"

"Don't be afraid, everyone!"

Although Zheng had been beaten to a pulp, he suddenly perked up and struggled to his feet, shouting at the people around him.

"There are so many of us! Hundreds of lives! And we're all from gentry families with official titles!"

"The law doesn't punish everyone! I refuse to believe that Li Chengqian would actually dare to kill us all!"

"That's right! The law doesn't punish everyone!"

"Let's all cry out for justice! Let all scholars in the land know of the Crown Prince's atrocities!"

A group of people, as if grasping at a straw, echoed each other, their voices rising higher and higher, as if this could scare away the executioners wielding sharp blades.

Just then.

A crisp sound of horses' hooves shattered the darkness before dawn.

A pure white warhorse, carrying the boy they both hated and feared to the core, slowly entered the square.

Li Chengqian, mounted on his horse, looked down at the group of aristocratic scions who were still dreaming, a cruel smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"Does the law not punish the masses?"

"Who told you that?"

He picked at his ear and asked Xu Xiao beside him, "Old Xu, is there such a clause in the laws of the Tang Dynasty?"

Xu Xiao grinned, revealing a set of large yellow teeth, his voice hoarse like that of a night owl.

"Return to your highness."

"In our country, there is no law that does not punish the masses."

"Only by... eliminating the root of the problem can we succeed."