Chapter 214:
Dying now might still avoid implicating family.
Anyway, in a border small town, a few deaths are commonplace and won’t reach the capital city.
Even going so far as to say, even if it did reach there, it wouldn’t matter.
Being able to vent the Prince’s anger is their good fortune.
Soon, within Lu City government office, screams, pleas for mercy, and shouts shook the heavens.
The commotion was so great that many passing commoners heard it and were shocked.
……What major event has happened?
However, this was merely the beginning.
Within a single day, all ferry crossings along Dayang Lake spanning several cities were sealed off, prohibiting any ships from passing. Even ships and fishermen that had passed through this lake area in recent days, as well as commoners passing through the ferry crossings, were all captured for interrogation.
Some ships’ destinations were not in Lu City, yet without regard for the trouble, the deputy general personally led troops to pursue them.
That very night, villagers in the village near Dayang Lake faintly heard some commotion.
The bolder ones secretly peeked outside and saw a massive tower ship anchored on the lake surface not far away, with soaring flames rising from the deck.
By the firelight, they could clearly see the sails flapping loudly in the gale, while the deck was densely packed with kneeling people.
Their hands and feet were bound, mouths gagged, and they were thrown one by one into the icy lake like dumplings.
Over a hundred people were sunk into the lake.
This matter was not deliberately concealed, so the news began to spread wildly the next day.
Combined with the order from above to seal all ferry crossings, even the most ordinary commoners knew that something enormous had absolutely happened on Dayang Lake.
All sorts of rumors were endless.
Some said that a certain major figure’s family member had met with trouble here.
Some said that a treasure had been discovered at the lake bottom, which was why those generals and soldiers were salvaging day and night without stop.
Even more exaggerated ones said that the Jin Kingdom had sent many spies over, a batch had been caught and dumped into the lake, but a few tough ones had escaped, and all this effort from above was to capture the spies.
In short, the news grew more exaggerated with each retelling.
In just a couple of days, neighboring Hezhou also became lively.
The Li Family in Hezhou was a renowned wealthy household. They say wealth doesn’t last beyond three generations, yet their family had passed it down for over a century, flourishing with nearly a thousand people including the collateral branches.
They curried favor on all sides, flattering officials above and placating bandits below, while unarmed commoners could be bullied at will. With money in hand, they were invincible in everything, and their business was thriving.
A young master of the Li Family once joked over drinks that a family like theirs would probably only be destroyed overnight if the Jin army breached the city.
Otherwise, even with prodigal descendants squandering it all, it would take several generations to ruin, still leaving a chance for a comeback.
However, the Jin army did not attack, yet the Li Family suddenly faced the calamity of ruin without warning.
Ming Feng personally selected troops and went to Hezhou. Within a single day, this great clan of nearly a thousand mouths completely vanished.
Completely vanished.
Not only the people, but all archways, inscribed tablets, records, and even mentions in the county annals related to the Li Family had their names erased.
The Li Family of Hezhou ceased to exist.
Perhaps after many years, some elderly person might vaguely remember that in their childhood, there was once a prominent Li Family in Hezhou City.
But that would be all.
There would be no records proving they had ever existed.
Xie Wanning heard this news after leaving Lu City for over half a month.
By then, she was no longer in the Northern Region but had already set foot in the South.
She even spent Lunar New Year’s Eve and the Lantern Festival alone on the road.
