Chapter 861: Chapter 40: Rebel’s Choice, One Month Later, Mysterious Treasure! (Da Zhang)
"Hmm." Luo Hou King nodded and said, "He refuses to speak, but I think it might be quite astonishing."
Prince Xin: "..."
Liu Yong was so agitated by these two enigmatic men that he wished he could grab Luo Hou King and Prince Anning by the throat to get a clear answer!
However, when he was first appointed as Governor King, much like Lingde King, he was a scapegoat and a mere mascot.
It was only at this time that he gained more real power, but he was still far inferior to Luo Hou King and Prince Anning.
"You two bastards, if you can’t speak, don’t play riddles in front of me, just transmit it!" Prince Xin flicked his sleeves and left cursing.
"Hahaha, he’s anxious." Prince Anning grinned.
Luo Hou King also chuckled, but there was no helping it; Prince Xin’s strength and status were lacking.
Like King Heavenly Destiny bringing Zhao Xing to the Star Palace to cultivate the Derivation God Decision, both he and Prince Anning had the right to know, but Prince Xin did not.
They couldn’t tell Prince Xin either, because King Heavenly Destiny hadn’t told them the detailed situation, clearly meaning the level of confidentiality was so high even between governors and kings it couldn’t be easily disclosed.
"We need to send someone to Tianhe Prefecture."
"Together, I need to send a royal order over."
Prince Anning and Luo Hou King quickly began arranging.
...
Above Tianxia County, Zhao Xing on the Mixed Element Battleship closed the Earth Mirror.
At the time, the sky was still black.
But on the ground, flames raging skyward.
Li Gan, Yao Yuanchun, Zou Yong, Ouyang Zhen led their men to swiftly eradicate the rebellious leaders.
Mainly officials of fifth-rank and fourth-rank.
Because Zhao Xing had already slaughtered a wave previously.
The flames and chaos lasted less than two hours before everything was completely calm.
At this moment, the sky hadn’t even begun to brighten.
Tianxia Royal Mansion, including the county city and the three garrison towns, were completely pacified.
"Mr. Zhao, General Li requests your presence at the Prince Mansion." Li Gan dispatched someone to fly up and report.
"Hmm." Zhao Xing rapidly took five warships and descended.
As for the remaining warships, they remained on high alert in the skies.
Swoosh~
Zhao Xing himself appeared at the gate of Tianxia Royal Mansion.
At this time, Li Gan was waiting outside the mansion with his guards.
"Sir, the rebels at the Prince Mansion, totaling eight hundred and ninety-five, have all been executed."
"Tianxia King’s family and servants, totaling five thousand four hundred and thirty-two, have been arrested."
"Any casualties in the City Guard Army?"
"Thirteen dead, sixty-six wounded," Li Gan reported, "I am incompetent."
"The Prince Mansion’s mechanical array is heavily fortified; it isn’t your fault." Zhao Xing said, "Upon returning, report this to the Prefecture authorities; the City Guard Army will surely receive great merit."
"Thank you, sir." Li Gan knelt on one knee, looking at Zhao Xing with immense admiration.
An ordinary City Guard Army officer like him never imagined he could so easily break into a king’s mansion.
Such a feat would be enough for him and his fellow guards to boast about for a lifetime.
"Why so many family members, over five thousand?" Zhao Xing looked at the list.
"The rebel concentrated his three families in Tianxia County," Li Gan said, "I suspect he had long planned to rebel."
"No resistance?"
"Yes, but not much," Li Gan said, "the order to apprehend came from Mr. Yao."
At this time, Yao Yuanchun also walked out from inside the mansion.
He bowed towards Zhao Xing and explained his reason for apprehending rather than killing: "All of Tianxia King’s sons were killed because they were all willing participants in the rebellion."
"As for their grandsons, half were killed, the remaining half knelt holding the Dan Shu Tie Quan, pleading for mercy."
"The reason why there are so many is mainly because of great-grandchildren, fourth and fifth generations, and female family members."
"Their clansmen cried out in grievance, claiming they were coerced by their ancestor, Tianxia King."
"How to judge, I ask you to decide, sir."
Yao Yuanchun and Li Gan dared not arbitrarily kill, because these people did not resist, and they produced the Dan Shu Tie Quan while kneeling for surrender.
What to do, Zhao Xing had to decide.
Zhao Xing handed the list to Li Gan, smiling: "Dan Shu Tie Quan does not exempt the crime of treason; for Tianxia King’s rebellion, extermination is rightful."
"He has saved us trouble by gathering the three families together."
"So do you mean to kill them now?" Li Gan asked.
"According to procedure, they should be escorted back to the Prefecture City, and then petition the court to issue a decree, choosing a date for execution. But we don’t have time for all that." Zhao Xing said.
"Brother Yao, could you invite the Three Legal Gods to witness, Li Gan, activate the Mirage Pearl and Echo Shell for record keeping."
"For now, let’s deal with these three families first, and as for whether the court later decides to execute five families or nine, leave that to the Ministry of Criminal Justice to handle."
Zhao Xing didn’t have leisure to follow those tedious procedures; at minimum, rebellion warrants exterminating three families, executing them is surely correct.
He managed a simplified process for now; with Luo Hou King’s royal order en route, Mr. Zhao needn’t worry about arising issues.
"Yes." Li Gan and Yao Yuanchun quickly ran back inside.
As the two left, Zou Yong and Ouyang Zhen hurried out.
"Sir, the inspection of the Prince Mansion is complete, and the rebel’s wealth has been roughly inventoried."
Zou Yong and Ouyang Zhen, both experienced in handling finances, stood at a substantial speed in tallying these stolen assets.
"Everything has been moved to a villa on the mansion grounds, please, sir, go take a look."
"Hmm." Zhao Xing nodded, following them to a large villa in Tianxia Royal Mansion.
The supplies here were piled as high as mountains, covering an area the size of ten football fields, all filled to the brim.
Zou Yong and Ouyang Zhen, truly clever fellows.
When Zhao Xing arrived, there wasn’t a soul in sight.