"Father."
Qin Zheng didn't dare to delay at all on his way back to the Qin residence, and hurriedly went to the study of the Qin family patriarch.
"Why are you back so soon?" A hint of doubt flashed in the Qin family patriarch's eyes. "Didn't you reach an agreement?"
"The talks have been settled, but..." Qin Zheng pursed his lips, "Father, I have a bad feeling about this."
After Qin Zheng explained Gong Liusheng's method to the Qin family head, the Qin family head fell silent. "Zheng'er, does the Sun family have no objections to this method?"
"No, everyone thinks this method is feasible. We can push all the blame onto the Yun family, so that no matter what Yun Zhi reveals later, it will have nothing to do with us."
Qin Zheng tried to convince himself, but his expression betrayed him. "Father, but I always feel that this is forcing the Yun family into a corner."
"Zheng'er, if you were Yun Hui, what would you do?"
“Yun Hui is just a weak woman, what can she do? She can only hide in the Yun mansion and not come out.” Qin Zheng spoke almost without hesitation, and even the Qin family head relaxed his brow.
"If that's the case, then don't overthink it."
Although the Qin family patriarch realized that the Yun family might have a last resort, he did not believe that Yun Hui, the current patriarch of the Yun family, would have the guts to betray the ancestors of the aristocratic family.
Therefore, they let their guard down.
Just when everyone thought the Yun family was bound to take the blame, the Dayu soldiers in Luoming suddenly appeared and came to the outside of the Yun residence.
"I have come on the orders of the Empress Dowager of Dayu to deliver a decree—"
A deep, resonant voice rang out, and the gates of the Yun residence, which had been closed for several days, slowly opened.
Yun Hui, dressed in a blue robe, stood at the front, followed by all the servants of the Yun family.
Just as Yunhui stood still, dark clouds suddenly filled the sky, accompanied by lightning and thunder.
The rumbling noise silenced the entire Luoming for a few moments. The people gathered outside the Yun residence shivered in the cold wind, but they all stared intently at Yun Hui.
Yunhui's knees slowly bent, and finally, she knelt down before the imperial edict.
"Yun Hui, head of the Yun family, receives the imperial decree."
As soon as Yun Hui finished speaking, various sounds erupted around them as if from an explosion.
"Has the Yun family received the imperial decree?"
"The Yun family actually knelt before the imperial edict of Dayu. Has the Yun family abandoned the dignity of a noble family?"
“Hasn’t our Luoming been taken over by Dayu long ago? The Yun family is also a family that exists in name only, so it’s not surprising that they made this decision.”
Yun Hui listened to the cacophony of sounds around her, but her expression remained unchanged.
"By the Empress Dowager's decree, the Yun family shall submit to Dayu from this day forward. Yun Hui, the head of the Yun family, shall be granted the title of King Yun. Luoming shall henceforth be under the jurisdiction of Dayu. Anyone who is detrimental to the Yun family and Luoming shall be regarded as an enemy of Dayu."
The soldiers' words signified that the five great families that had existed for thousands of years were now reduced to only four, and for the first time, the indestructible power of these families had been defeated by a single nation.
"Your subject obeys the decree."
The moment Yunhui picked up the imperial edict, her heart was completely at peace.
"I have a request that I cannot make."
Yun Hui looked at the person who came and said, "My half-sister is still in the Gong family. I am worried that the Gong family will do something to harm her."
"Your Highness, rest assured, my elder sister is almost at Luoming."
"What?"
Upon hearing this, Yun Hui seemed somewhat incredulous at her ears.
"Absolutely true, we should arrive in an hour."
......
"Yun Hui, your submission to Dayu is a betrayal of our ancestors. If the past patriarchs of the Yun family knew this, they would surely become vengeful ghosts to claim your life!"
A roar rang out from the crowd, followed by a series of people standing up to accuse Yun Hui.
"You would do such a thing for your own life. The Yun family's evil deeds are countless. You probably don't dare to admit it, so you're begging Dayu not to hold it against you and are willing to submit. Bah!"
“You are not from Luoming.”
Yun Hui suddenly spoke, her voice filled with coldness.
"I, Yun Hui, have no great ambitions, nor do I want to participate in any grand blueprint for aristocratic families to control the world. I only pray for the safety of Luoming, the safety of the people of Luoming, and the safety of the Yun family."
"But the powerful families have forced me to this point, pushing all the things that involved more than just my Yun family onto my Yun family, making my Yun family unable to hold its head up. If you were in my shoes, could you tolerate it?"
"The Yun family submits to Dayu because Dayu will protect us and will also reveal the truth about what happened back then. I, Yun Hui, acknowledge what my family did, and I will spend the rest of my life repenting for my ancestors. As for the others, the grievances will be settled and the debts will be paid!"
"From this day forward, the Yun family shall sever ties with the aristocratic families and submit to the Great Yu as our master. From this day forward, the descendants of the Yun family shall never harbor any rebellious thoughts. Anyone who disobeys shall be expelled from the family genealogy."
Yun Hui's words mingled with the thunder, and as the rain poured down, a single thought arose in everyone's mind:
“Dayu...is unlike any other country before.”
The events that happened in Luoming that day spread rapidly, even faster than the previous rumors spread by other groups spreading rumors about the Yun family.
Upon receiving the news, the Qin, Sun, and Gong families all vomited blood.
Only Jiang Yu, sitting calmly in the Dayu Imperial Palace, let out a hearty laugh.
"This is the first time I've seen Mother smile so happily in so long." Gu Qingyan's eyes crinkled with laughter. "Recently, tunnels have been discovered in various regions, and I have sent people to deal with them."
Jiang Yu nodded upon hearing this, then lazily nestled in the recliner.
"Now it's the aristocratic families who should be worried."
"Yes, Mother, the Qin, Sun, and Gong families must be furious. But this time, the Pei family seems to have managed to stay out of trouble again." As Gu Qingyan spoke, a cold glint flashed in his eyes. The Pei family was so good at hiding themselves, but they secretly harbored the same ambitions as the other three families.
"The Pei family..."
Jiang Yu murmured softly, "I always thought the Pei family was innocent and different from the other families. I never imagined they were the wolves hiding the deepest."
"The Pei family is most skilled in making poisons and medicines; I am worried..."
For some reason, ever since Chen Ping exposed the true nature of the Pei family, Gu Qingyan felt an intense sense of unease whenever he thought of them.
"Back then, when Pei Jian was seriously ill, Pei Zhi had no choice but to seek the Jiang family's blood as an antidote. Ayan, do you think this story is true or false?"
Jiang Yu turned the prayer beads in her hands, now feeling that even what happened back then was a conspiracy.
Every step Pei Jian took was meticulously planned and flawlessly executed.
"The Pei family! Mother, rest assured, I am already investigating the Pei family in secret. Now the Pei family is in the open while we are in the shadows, and the Pei family's fate will not be good."
A soft sigh escaped Jiang Yu's lips, "What a pity about Pei Zhi, she really seemed like an upright girl."
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