Yu Xunmei's words did not anger him. Yu Shida looked up at her, his sharp eyes filled with bloodlust and fanaticism.
"Right now, powerful clans and families across the land are vying for the throne under various pretexts. With the Wang clan of Dongyue leading the way, why shouldn't I join them?"
"Ha, the ambitions of you men are truly insatiable!" Yu Xunmei did not want him to follow the Dongyue royal family.
"Amei, everything I've done is for you, for the Yu family!"
"Our Yu family has money and grain, so why should we use our money, grain, and people to curry favor with the Wang family of Dongyue? And why should we risk our lives for them?"
"You don't understand. That Grand Secretary Wang told me that it's not just the Wang clan of Dongyue, but also the Wang clan of the Central Plains. They will rise up together, and their combined forces will number a full 300,000. If the Wang clan succeeds, our Yu family will have rendered meritorious service. Looking across the entire South, no other aristocratic family will dare to look down on us!"
"In Nanzhou Prefecture today, all the powerful families see us as a thorn in their side. How easy is it for us to grow stronger?"
With Feng Yongyan above him keeping things under control, and Yun Zhenchuan taking away half of the power, he also had people from Longtan backing him up.
If this continues unchecked, the Yu family will face dire straits in Nanzhou Prefecture and be slowly devoured by other powerful families, with the Fan family serving as a cautionary tale.
After several encounters with the people of Longtan, the Yu family suffered defeats each time. In particular, after Yu Shida was injured, he realized that the people of Longtan were not simple, which made him fearful and determined to find outside help to fight against Longtan.
In the end, Yu Shida knew that Yu Xunmei was worried about him leaving.
He gripped her shoulders and said in a deep voice, "Don't worry, I will definitely come back safely. When that time comes, we will definitely take back the Xihe Iron Mine and Saltworks that belong to the Yu family, as well as all the land and people in Longtan. We will take them all back."
Yu Xunmei was somewhat swayed by his words, and seeing this, Yu Shida continued to offer her rosy promises, eventually succeeding in obtaining the key to the Yu family's warehouse.
As she held her only grandson in the backyard, a cold smile crept onto her lips as she listened to the news relayed from the front yard by the servants.
"Go! Leave the Yu family immediately, and it would be best if you died out there and never came back!"
She finished speaking through gritted teeth, and the baby in her arms whimpered twice in dissatisfaction. She immediately put on a loving expression and gently coaxed the baby in a soft voice.
"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, Xiao Bao is the best. Sleep peacefully. With Grandma here, those evil spirits won't be able to get close to you."
This baby boy is her son's only bloodline in this world; the only legitimate son of the Yu family was born to the pregnant maid half a year ago.
The mother died from postpartum hemorrhage after giving birth.
Her beloved grandson lost his parents at birth, which is truly pitiful.
The more Madam Yu thought about it, the more heartbroken and resentful she became. She vowed to take back everything that belonged to the Yu family, everything that rightfully belonged to her son. Even if her son was gone, it was still her grandson's property.
Why should that concubine's son be able to so easily obtain everything that belongs to his son?
And then there's that ungrateful dog I raised.
This time, she's determined to find a chance to teach her a lesson!
It is the third month of spring, when all things are reviving.
The warm spring sunshine shines on the vast fields, creating a vibrant scene.
In the fields, fields of golden wheat sway in the wind and gleam in the sunlight.
The village was devoid of any joy of harvest; instead, faint sounds of crying, shoving, and shouting could be heard.
A disheveled woman knelt on the ground, pleading with the soldiers who had come to conscript her.
"Sir, I beg you, please don't take my son away! He's just turned fifteen, the only son in his family, and he's not even married yet! His father was conscripted two years ago to fight the Hu people, and his fate is still unknown. Please spare him!"
However, the soldier showed no mercy and kicked the woman hard to the ground.
He glared at her and said fiercely, "Stop talking nonsense. This is an order from the military government. Do you intend to disobey it?"
After the officers finished speaking, they stepped past the woman, grabbed the boy by the collar, and dragged him outside no matter how much he struggled and cried. They then tied his hands with rope.
The villagers watching were filled with fear and helplessness. Looking at the soldiers with long knives at their waists, none of them dared to step forward to stop them.
After tying the person up, the officers and soldiers marked a place in the booklet on their hands with a pen, and then moved on to the next house.
In an instant, the entire village was plunged into chaos and despair.
Cries, pleas for mercy, and curses echoed over the village.
The woman endured the pain, carrying a bundle in her hand, and lagged far behind the rest of the group.
While the soldiers went in to arrest the man, the woman approached her bound son.
The soldiers on guard immediately stopped them, shouting, "What are you doing? No unauthorized personnel are allowed to approach!"
The woman pulled out several dozen copper coins hidden on her person. "Sir, the child is young, and I'm worried about him. I'll just give him a few words of advice and then leave. What do you think?"
"Go on, but don't linger." The soldier took the copper coin from his hand and put it in his pocket; even a mosquito's leg is still meat.
The woman walked up to the boy and handed him the bundle, tying it to his back.
The boy saw the bloodstains on his mother's lips that hadn't been wiped away, and tears streamed down his face.
The woman whispered, “Don’t cry! There are cakes and the money your parents have saved over the years in this bag. Take it! Listen to your mother, once the rope is untied, run up the mountain and don’t look back! Once you’re out of the mountain, run towards Dragon Pool.”
"Mother, what about you?" The boy was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening.
Be careful on the road! Your mother can't take care of you anymore.
The woman wiped away her tears and used her body to block the soldiers' view. She then pulled out the dagger left by the child's father from under her clothes and cut the rope binding the boy's hands.
She turned around quickly and, before the soldiers could react, plunged the dagger into their chest, just as he had done for her earlier.
The soldier looked at the woman, then at the dagger in his chest, opened his mouth to shout, but blood kept gushing from his mouth, and he slowly collapsed to the ground.
The boy and his fellow villagers, who were also tied up, were terrified.
The woman, her hands covered in blood and trembling uncontrollably, saw the group still standing there blankly and shouted, "Run! Run!"
The boy glanced at his mother, and following her instructions, he ran up the mountain first.
The others then realized what was happening and hurriedly followed behind the boy.
Hearing footsteps coming from the house behind her, the woman bent down and drew the broadsword from the soldier's waist, gripping it tightly with both hands, facing the two soldiers who came out of the door.
"No one is taking my son away today."
Her eyes were bloodshot, and she was on the verge of madness.
When the officers and soldiers saw her comrades lying in a pool of blood behind her, and then saw that the soldiers they had brought earlier were nowhere to be seen, they drew their broadswords and pointed them directly at the woman.
"You wicked woman, how dare you assassinate soldiers! I think you have a death wish!"
"I'd rather die with you than let you take my son away," the woman laughed loudly.
Other villagers, carrying hoes and shovels, arrived upon hearing the commotion, shouting, "Kill them! Don't let them take our children away!"
Public sentiment surged immediately.
The two soldiers were quickly surrounded by villagers, and they could no longer care about anything else, so they started slashing with their knives.
As the saying goes, two fists can't beat four hands.
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