The Villainous Minister 08

Immediately afterward, a band of ragtag rebel soldiers charged in for the kill.

None of the garrison troops even considered putting up a fight. Over the years, the military outposts had become nothing more than hollow shells. The soldiers there merely clocked in before returning home to tend their fields. Now, faced with ruthless rebels who killed without blinking, how could they muster the courage to resist?

"Wait—the noble families!" General Wang suddenly remembered that the noble clans maintained private militias. He turned and sprinted in another direction, unaware that the rebel troops were coldly watching his fleeing figure. One of them blew a sharp whistle.

In Huaiyang City, the Ji and Sun Families were the wealthiest and most powerful, with members serving in the imperial court. Little did they know, however, that their court-appointed relatives had already been beheaded by the Xuanjing Bureau.

General Wang dashed through the gates of the Ji Family estate, but before he could explain the situation, a swarm of rebels stormed in. The unprepared Ji Family guards fell in pools of blood.

"By the Heavenly King’s decree! Drop your weapons, kneel, and cover your heads—spare your lives!" someone shouted. Dozens of voices echoed the command, the sound reverberating through the entire Ji compound. After cutting down a few resisting martial instructors, the wavering servants dropped to their knees. General Wang, however, stood frozen, staring at the rebels who had just surrounded and killed one of the instructors. Something was off—their coordination was unmistakably military. He then noticed their weapons: though their clothing was mismatched, their blades were uniformly standard-issue.

A terrifying realization dawned on him.

Wang Shouhe opened his mouth: "The impe—" Before he could utter another word, a thin red line appeared across his neck. A shrill voice whispered in his ear, "General Wang, for years you’ve embezzled military pay, oppressed the people, and seized land. By order of my master, your head is forfeit."

The last thing Wang Shouhe saw was the grinning face of a pale man in filthy clothes.

The same scene unfolded in the Hu Family. The rebels seemed to harbor deep hatred for noble houses—they slaughtered anyone who resisted before ransacking the estates. Still unsatisfied, they kidnapped the young masters of the Ji and Hu Families, demanding ransom for their release.

The rebels moved with alarming efficiency. Knowing the common folk had little wealth, they targeted the city’s elite—plundering gold, jewels, and hostages like seasoned bandits.

Not long after they left, the imperial Feixiong Army arrived. They took over the city’s defenses, posted notices to reassure the populace, and even distributed food and money.

Fang Zhiyi coldly observed Governor Hu kneeling before him. "Are you saying you and Wang Shouhe were drinking and carousing when the rebels attacked?"

Sweat poured down Governor Hu’s face. "General, you know how it is—the south has been peaceful for years. We never expected—"

With a glance from Fang Zhiyi, someone tossed Wang Shouhe’s severed head at Governor Hu’s feet.

Governor Hu nearly lost his mind in terror.

Fang Zhiyi cleared his throat. "Answer me this—which noble families supported the plan to abandon the capital and enthrone Prince Dai?"

Governor Hu looked up, stunned. "You—how did you—?"

Fang Zhiyi leaned down. "Did you think the Xuanjing Bureau was just for show? Hu Lai, your family never valued a mere bastard like you."

Governor Hu’s legs gave out. Fang Zhiyi even knew about his family’s contempt for him!

"Speak clearly, and I’ll spare you. Otherwise, you can join Wang Shouhe in the afterlife." Hu Lai glanced at the dead general’s glaring head and nearly wet himself.

That night, a freshly compiled list landed on Fang Zhiyi’s desk. Tapping the table, he began formulating his next move.

The Heavenly King’s rebels continued their rampage across the south. Sometimes they disguised themselves as peasants to infiltrate cities and seize the gates; other times, they outright stormed the walls. The thirteen southern cities, long accustomed to peace, fell one after another. Fortunately, the rebels seemed desperate for wealth rather than bloodshed—they spared commoners but ruthlessly looted the wealthy, especially the great clans. They ransacked mansions, seized hostages, and vanished as quickly as they came.

And each time they fled, the Feixiong Army arrived right after—posting imperial edicts, calming the people, and securing the cities.

Nearly every southern noble family had been stripped of their wealth, their heirs taken captive. While most hostages remained unharmed, a few powerful clans met grimmer fates. The Li Family, whose influence spanned seven cities and whose patriarch held a top court position, was exterminated down to the last servant. Rumor had it even the eggs in their kitchen were smashed—no one knew what grudge the rebels held against them.

The same fate befell the Hu, Yang, and over a dozen other families.

Observers noted a pattern: these families had all championed the abandonment of the capital and the enthronement of Prince Dai. Before this theory could gain traction, news spread that the Heavenly King’s rebels had been annihilated in the southern forests. As for the hostages, the Feixiong Army would escort them to the capital for the emperor’s judgment.

By the following March, a new residential quarter had been built north of the capital to house these noble scions.

The imperial treasury overflowed. The Minister of Revenue laughed in his sleep. Emperor Shunying’s private coffers grew even richer than the state’s. Delighted, he lounged atop a mountain of gold and jewels, roaring with laughter. "Zhiyi, how did you come up with this? Disguising our men as bandits to plunder the nobles, then shedding the disguise to ‘reclaim’ the cities as imperial forces!"

Fang Zhiyi replied calmly, "The noble families cannot be eradicated—new ones will always rise. Instead, we discipline them, take their heirs as hostages, and stabilize Your Majesty’s reign."

Emperor Shunying theatrically received the nobles "abducted by bandits," then "compensated" them with worthless titles and mansions in the capital, ensuring they stayed put.

Some southern clans, shrewd enough to piece together the truth, found themselves powerless. Their wealth was gone, their heirs held hostage, and their local officials imprisoned for negligence. New administrators—handpicked by Fang Zhiyi, including former rebels of humble origins—took their places.

Their private armies had been slaughtered during the "rebel" raids. The military outposts were disbanded, and city defenses handed to Fang Zhiyi’s troops. They had no cards left to play. The Wang Family’s elder had hidden something troublesome, but before his men could dig it up, the Xuanjing Bureau executed him on the spot. The entire Wang lineage—seventy-three souls—was exiled to the frozen north.