The head of the Ma family has disappeared, and no trace of him can be found in the entire Lizhou.
No one used Ma Chong'an's life to demand money.
So it's not for money.
If the rest of the Ma family knows, then the Ma family's secret can probably no longer be kept.
So the Ma family sprang into action, sold off their possessions, and fled under cover of night.
Li Ting watched as they absconded with the property, then sent a message to Dong Qi, ordering him to lead troops to guard the border, as a group of spies from the Great Yue Kingdom were trying to escape from the Southern Chen Kingdom.
Once caught, they should be executed on the spot; there's no need to investigate their secrets.
Fu Qing's two children were also among the fleeing group.
They didn't know why they had suddenly become people of the Great Yue Kingdom.
The Great Yue Kingdom and the Southern Chen Kingdom have always been at odds. If they cannot escape the border, will they have any chance of survival?
Thinking about it, I haven't done anything immoral or heinous, so why should I be born into the Ma family?
Halfway there, the siblings discussed escaping back to the capital. They remembered that they had a cousin who was now the Crown Prince's tutor, and they believed he could save them.
However, Ma Chong'an's son, Ma Xiaolian, saw through the deception.
"Your mother has the lives of members of the Li family on her hands. Do you think you can save your lives by going to Li Ting?"
"Your second maternal uncle was poisoned to death by your mother. Li Ting's wife was almost poisoned and persecuted by your mother."
"Your mother died in the lowest and most filthy place in Nanchen Kingdom, probably because of Li Ting's methods!"
"You brainless idiots! Don't you even remember who raised you all these years? How dare you betray the Ma family!"
Ma Xiaolian, who was skilled in martial arts, drew his sword and stabbed the brother and sister to death.
Li Ting's men followed, but none of them offered any assistance.
Even if the Ma family were to be buried alive with him, they could not bring Master Li He back to life. Therefore, they deserved to die.
The blame lies with them for being born into the Ma family, and for enjoying the family's ill-gotten wealth and living a life of luxury.
When the Ma family fled to the southwestern border, they planned to cross over a place called Wushan, which would allow them to reach the territory of the Great Yue Kingdom and thus ensure their safety.
Little did they know that halfway up Wushan Mountain, they were blocked by an army.
Since the founding of the Nan Chen Kingdom, anyone wishing to travel to the Dayue Kingdom could do so by following the normal border between the two countries. Anyone crossing the Wushan Pass was considered a spy.
Anyone from Nanchen Kingdom who captures someone crossing Wushan Mountain can kill them on the spot.
Upon seeing this, Old Master Ma, the leader of the Ma family, ordered a halt.
The Ma family changed their name and surname from the Great Yue Kingdom and lived in the Southern Chen Kingdom for more than a hundred years across five generations. They were single-mindedly trying to disrupt the order of the Southern Chen Kingdom. Just when their great cause was about to be accomplished, they didn't know where things went wrong.
In an instant, the Ma family was exposed and forced into this predicament, without even a messenger to deliver a message.
Now, before achieving his goal, he has withdrawn prematurely, regretting only that his skills were inferior and he made a wrong move.
"May I ask how you knew that someone would cross Mount Wu?" Old Master Ma Yinghao of the Ma family asked Dong Qi calmly.
He made a hand gesture.
The younger generation of the Ma family understood instantly upon seeing the gesture.
"Naturally, it was the wronged souls that your Ma family has murdered in Nanchen Kingdom over the years who tipped me off, prompting me to come and avenge them!"
"What a joke! My Ma family has never harmed a single person."
"Indeed, you haven't killed anyone, but because of your Ma family, many people in Nanchen Kingdom have died. The charges are here; would you like to see them?"
“The things you do are more terrifying than murder and arson.”
Ma Yinghao's hands behind his back were clenched into fists.
The young man from the Ma family immediately rushed in front of Ma Yinghao and drew his weapon.
Seeing that they were about to die but still wanted to struggle, Dong Qi gave an order for the archers to take their positions.
"Don't leave any survivors. Bury them on the spot, bury them deep, and then plant a few cherry blossom trees. I'm sure the scenery here will be even more beautiful in the future."
Dong Qi stepped back, leaving his position open for the archers.
The Ma family was no match for the regular army, and they were silenced in no time.
The people of the Great Yue Kingdom are truly loyal to their ruler and country! If the Southern Chen Kingdom does not strive to improve itself, it will be annexed by the Great Yue Kingdom sooner or later.
Dong Qi pondered, deciding to increase the training time by one hour starting tomorrow.
After finishing the matter, Dong Qi wrote to Li Ting, informing him that everything had been handled cleanly and asking him to rest assured.
Meanwhile, Li Ting, accompanied by Leng Bing, personally interrogated Ma Chong'an in the desolate mountains and wilderness of Lizhou.
They found out from Ma Chong'an where Zhao Yunchen's privately maintained soldiers were located.
In recent years, the Ma family has provided some of the money they have earned to Zhao Yunchen, sent most of it to Zhao Yunwan, and kept a portion for themselves.
In the past, the people of Nanchen Kingdom thought that the Ma family was relatively wealthy, but not to an outrageous degree.
Now it seems that the Ma family's wealth is comparable to that of Huo Shan, the third richest merchant in Jiangnan.
Zhao Yunchen amassed his private army in a valley at the border of the northwest and Daliang, which was the weapons manufacturing site that Leng Feng had previously investigated.
Li Ting held the map and sketched out the valley.
The private army was located next to the siege tower where weapons were manufactured, and there was also an iron mine nearby.
So the private soldiers are currently definitely being used to mine iron ore.
With weapons and a private army, Zhao Yunchen's dream of becoming emperor had been built up over many years.
The Northwest Army has been under Zhao Yunchen's control for three years. In these three years, he should have cultivated many confidants. So how many of them will join Zhao Yunchen in rebellion?
Li Ting thought that he should go to the Northwest after the New Year.
Ma Chong'an didn't want to die, so he revealed all his secrets, including how he met with Zhao Yunchen's private soldiers, how he secretly transported supplies, the route maps, and so on.
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