Chapter 141 is no different from ransacking a house. "If you treat Lin Daiyu well..."
Although the emperor ordered Mu Chuan to lead people to seal the family, he couldn't do it alone.
As soon as Mu Chuan came out, he saw Bai Zhong excitedly and eagerly approaching him. He lowered his voice and said, "The General is a real lucky star. It's a serious crime of treason. After it's over, we people will at least get promoted one rank. Not to mention there will be confiscation of property."
After saying this, Bai Zhong calmed down a little and said, "Today I was serving in the Imperial Study when I happened to run into a team of guards, a team of Embroidered Uniform Guards, a total of two hundred people, and twenty eunuchs from the Eastern Depot. General, we are just waiting for your order."
Mu Chuan opened the box in his hand and showed him the emperor's seal. Bai Zhong shuddered: "General, this servant has already sent people to the Imperial Clan Court to retrieve these family registers. Not a single one will be lost."
After saying that, he added a reminder: "...you have to get some benefits out of it."
Mu Chuan chuckled and patted him on the shoulder: "I've raided more than one or two houses in Pingnan Town." He actually had experience with this kind of thing.
"His Majesty ordered the investigation of the Four Kings and Eight Dukes. I remember that some of them have already had their titles revoked. These families will be dealt with last. First, go to the families of the Prince of Beijing and the Prince of Nan'an. Also, have people close the city gates and strictly check travel permits, especially those going to the Western Sea. Not a single one can be let through. Then, have the night watchmen come out and put the city under martial law. We will only reopen the city after it is completely sealed off."
Bai Zhong first arranged for someone to handle this matter.
Mu Chuan then instructed the guards, imperial guards, and eunuchs who were handling this matter: "Get the job done first, then we can talk about other things."
There is no overturning of the case for the crime of treason. The difference is whether the entire family is executed, three generations are wiped out, or nine generations are exterminated. Extermination of ten generations has also happened before.
Therefore, there's no special treatment involved; basically, whoever takes action during the sealing process will reap the benefits. Of course, the biggest advantage will come after the investigation and subsequent confiscation of the property.
"Search the study and bedroom thoroughly, and don't overlook the correspondence and gift lists between the document room and the accounting room. If anyone destroys evidence, kill them without mercy."
Mu Chuan looked them up and down. They were all dressed warmly for winter, so if he really wanted to stuff them with valuables, he could stuff them with quite a lot.
Whether it's the Embroidered Uniform Guard or the palace guards, their uniforms are all about aesthetics. If someone were to actually tuck their clothes in, it would still be noticeable.
“We’re here to find evidence. I know that Prince Bei Jing is known for his humility and respect for scholars, but if I find out which of you is hiding evidence—” Mu Chuan’s expression turned cold, “the four of you will be held accountable.”
Mu Chuan's oppressive aura instantly reached its peak, and he ordered, "Keep your belts and clothes in order; you won't be shortchanged."
The Imperial Guards and their attendants instinctively straightened their clothes before mounting their horses and following Mu Chuan out of the imperial city.
The four kings and eight dukes were all meritorious officials during the founding of the country. Like the Rongguo Mansion, their mansions were in good locations and close to the palace. Mu Chuan led his men out, and before the horses even started running, they had arrived at the Prince of Beijing's mansion.
Before confiscating the property, Mu Chuan led the remaining men inside. They checked the floor plan and personnel list from the Imperial Clan Court and had each person sign their name.
The once dignified and handsome Prince Bei Jing has now lost his composure. With his crown removed and his hair disheveled, coupled with his shrill voice, he seems to have gone mad.
Mu Chuan had already written the IOU, a simple sentence: On a certain day of a certain month of a certain year, Marquis Zhongyong borrowed a box of gold and a box of silver from the Prince of Beijing's residence.
Mu Chuan signed and pressed his fingerprint on the two IOUs, then glanced at the one he had brought for him and asked, "You know how to choose, right?"
"We know, we know!" One guard and one eunuch from the Embroidered Uniform Guard went to the storeroom first. "I must say, this method is much better than what we used to do."
"Treason is a heinous crime. Let alone three months, it would be a miracle if it lasted even a month. Who else would they give it to?"
"Yes, there's a chest of gold and a chest of silver, but who knows how big those chests are?"
"But only the Marquis of Zhongyong would dare to use this method. No wonder those people are all appointed as commanders of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, yet they are still willing to serve as guards in the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion."
The news spread quickly, and everyone searched even more diligently. They even found letters between the Prince of Bei Jing and the Northern Barbarians hidden in the walls, which included information about the garrison commander of Ping'an Prefecture.
The Imperial Guards were very proud of finding the item: "The room is warm, but one of the four walls is ice cold. They must have blocked the ventilation to hide something."
Mu Chuan first glanced at the letters found in these hidden places. As for the others that were out in the open, he would take them back and let the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot read them slowly.
Since the emperor had given him the seal, it was naturally a matter of discretion. Mu Chuan then dispatched a team of men, which Bai Zhong led to seal the residence of the Ping'an Prefecture garrison commander in the capital.
As darkness fell, Mu Chuan arrived at the Rongguo Mansion with his men. Although he hadn't paid much attention, he still managed to hear news from the Rongguo Mansion.
For example, Rongguo Mansion is now shaped like the number 6.
Furthermore, most people would have been terrified and resigned to return to their hometowns long ago if His Majesty disliked them so much. They are still stubbornly holding on. Can we really think that this is His Majesty's test?
To toil one's muscles and bones, starve one's body and skin, and so on.
The weather was cold, but the Xue family still had two shops, and Xue Pan could go out every day. He also secretly found some good, odorless charcoal outside, though not much. So Xue Baochai slept with Aunt Xue at night to save some money.
“I heard something these past two days…” Aunt Xue said hesitantly, “The Wu family who died on the charcoal stove were murdered by their in-laws. They only moved in together after they were dead. It was all for Wu’s money.”
"No way!" Xue Baochai exclaimed. "They live right next door to us, and I didn't hear a thing that night."
Aunt Xue said, "That's strange. You're so young and you love to sleep, but I'm so old. I usually wake up at the slightest noise, but that night I slept through the night. I heard that the people living in the front yard of the Wu family also woke up before dawn."
Xue Baochai remained silent for a long time. Aunt Xue sighed, "I think... we should move away. I'm always so anxious here, how can I feel at ease?"
Xue Baochai remained silent. How many years had they lived in the Jia family? Moving away from the Jia family was not an easy decision, but if they didn't move, the Jia family was becoming increasingly chaotic. Even if they weren't targeted for murder or robbery, there was no guarantee that thieves wouldn't break into their door one day.
"I--"
Suddenly, a commotion arose outside: "Get up! Get dressed!"
Interspersed among them were countless cries: "They've confiscated our property! They're going to be beheaded!"
The mother and daughter of the Xue family were so frightened that they hugged each other. Aunt Xue, trembling, immediately thought of Xue Pan: "Luckily, your brother went out drinking with some people. If he... if he comes back and sees this mess, he probably won't rush back. We can't let him get caught."
Xue Pan's identity is actually somewhat problematic. After getting into a lawsuit, the Xue family left Jinling. Back then, they all had identity documents and travel permits; otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to travel all the way to the capital. Even if the checks on the road weren't strict, they would still be checked when entering the capital.
After the lawsuit was settled, Xue Pan became an unregistered resident, but because he lived in the Rongguo Mansion and his identity and travel permit were issued by the government, it didn't cause any major problems.
However, none of his certificates could withstand close scrutiny. A quick search back in Nanjing would reveal that he had already cancelled his household registration.
"Don't be afraid!" Xue Baochai quickly hugged Aunt Xue. "We didn't do anything. We were just implicated. Brother isn't stupid. He'll hide when he sees something's wrong. We have houses in the capital. Where can't we stay? As long as we explain things clearly, they'll let us go."
No sooner had she finished speaking than there was a loud banging on their door: "Get up and get dressed right away!"
Through the window, Xue Baochai could still see a figure dressed in armor, the torch in his hand reflecting on the window paper, making him look particularly ferocious.
Xue Baochai exclaimed, and Aunt Xue said tremblingly, "There are women inside."
"Stop talking nonsense! Come out now!"
Aunt Xue tried to get up, but her legs and hands were weak, and before she knew it, she fell off the bed.
If even the Xue family, who were merely temporary residents, were like this, then the Jia family, who were of the main clan, were even more so.
When Grandmother Jia was woken up, her heart pounded in her chest. When she heard that the family was to be sealed off, her whole body went limp. Yuanyang helped her put on her clothes, but she couldn't even lift her arms.
Yuanyang cried as she served Grandmother Jia, whose throat seemed to be full of phlegm, and her voice was hoarse: "Quickly send someone out to seek help! Go to the Prince of Beijing's mansion, to the Prince of Nan'an's family, to the Shi family—go find the Marquis of Zhongyong!"
The Marquis of Zhongyong was standing at the gate, still feeling a bit absurd. Although it wasn't a complete confiscation of his property, it was pretty much the same thing.
Unexpectedly, it really was him who came to raid the Rongguo Mansion. Originally, he had planned to find an opportunity for his nephew Li Chengwu, who was in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, to raid the Jia family.
Mu Chuan used to visit the Jia family often, and even though he was already in his mid-twenties, his appearance wouldn't have changed much. The Jia family's current steward, Lin Zhixiao, knelt on the ground, his voice trembling as he begged for mercy, "Young Master—"
Bai Zhong enthusiastically kicked them, saying, "Gag them all. This is a serious crime of treason. If they try to twist the facts and fabricate some shocking secrets, even if you claim to be government officials, you won't be able to get away easily."
The male members of the Jia family were quickly brought out, and Mu Chuan stepped forward to call out their names one by one, then made them put their fingerprints on the document: "Take them away!"
According to Shi Guangzhu's report, the masterminds were Prince Bei Jing and Prince Nan An. Both families sent all their male and female members to the Northern Garrison Command. The remaining male members went to the Northern Garrison Command, while the female members were confined to their homes, forbidden from entering or leaving, with only a small door open for food delivery.
After leaving the Rongguo Mansion, the remaining families were those who, although listed among the Four Kings and Eight Dukes, had had their titles stripped by the emperor last year.
After watching them affix the seals, Mu Chuan took out the official seal and stamped it on each of them one by one.
Bai Zhong was still sighing, "The way the lord stamps the seal... I don't even dare to say I'm a eunuch in front of the lord."
The night went smoothly, and Mu Chuan relaxed. He laughed and said, "You dare to talk about me again? Before, when you called me 'servant,' even the master was afraid."
Bai Zhong chuckled twice: "In the past, when we stamped our seals, we stamped them on the seal strips. To be honest, it was all thanks to the glue that it held together. It wouldn't have been difficult to peel it off. Now, you've stamped half on the seal strips and half on the door panels. If you peel it off, anyone can see it."
After sealing the area, the two went to the front yard.
Jia She stared intently at Jia Zheng with eyes full of hatred.
He did nothing wrong, so the only reason the Jia family was raided was because of the second branch of the family. He was thinking about the resignation letter in his arms, about his mother, son, and brothers. People just saw him as a sucker.
If he hadn't been pinned down, Jia She would have loved to pounce on him, devour his flesh, and drink his blood!
As soon as he saw Mu Chuan approaching, Jia She immediately shouted, "I want to resign! I've already written the petition. This matter has nothing to do with me! I'm innocent!" As he spoke, he struggled to pull the petition out of his robes.
Mu Chuan gave a wink, and immediately someone brought over a memorial.
Mu Chuan opened it and read it. It was basically saying that he couldn't control his family, and because of the principle of kinship, he couldn't report it to the authorities. He felt ashamed of his ancestors and the emperor, so he decided to resign and return to his hometown. In this way, his clansmen would no longer be able to use this title to do evil.
"Understood." Mu Chuan packed his things. "Next place."
Mu Chuan left with his men, leaving only a few to guard the gate. The torches outside went out, and the noise subsided, but none of the women gathered in Grandmother Jia's room calmed down.
Grandmother Jia was lying on the bed, but rather than being asleep, she was in a coma.
Li Wan and Xi Chun exchanged a glance, each more regretful than the other.
Jia Lan had already visited four nunneries in the suburbs of Beijing. They had even specifically chosen the direction, since the Jia family would either have to go south or east to return to Jinling. Therefore, the nunneries they chose were all in the northwest, to avoid the Jia family as much as possible.
Both of them knew that this opportunity would only come once, so they were extremely cautious. Little did they know that Lan'er would be arrested, and the Rongguo Mansion... what difference is there between this and confiscating their property?
He was born without a father and never enjoyed a single day of happiness. Everyone in the Rongguo Mansion said he had a strange temper and was stubborn and unruly. Why! Why should Lan'er be implicated in the sins committed by those people!
Li Wan glared at Madam Wang with hatred: "If you had only treated Lin Daiyu better back then, we wouldn't be in this mess!"
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