Chương 529: The Sky Over Wen County Has Changed

It turns out that from the very beginning, they had no way to survive.

It wasn't because they did anything wrong, or because they broke any laws, but because the emperor wanted them dead.

All the struggles, all the scheming, all the cleverness—it was all just a joke.

What a huge joke.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but couldn't utter a single word.

His face changed from deathly pale to ashen, then from ashen to deathly gray, like a face changing, until finally it became a dull, ashen gray.

My whole body started trembling, as if all my strength had been drained, and I felt like a withered tree that could fall at any moment.

Sima Lang, Sima Fu, and others nearby also heard Lu Bing's words. Although his voice was soft, the hall was quiet, and everyone could hear him clearly.

They were all ashen-faced, slumped on the ground as if their bones had been removed.

Sima Fang couldn't catch his breath, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted. He fell to the ground with a thud, hitting the back of his head on the blue bricks, and lost consciousness.

"Father!"

"Father! Father, what's wrong?"

The sons quickly surrounded him and burst into tears.

Sima Fu held his father's head, tears streaming down his face; Sima Lang knelt beside him, trembling all over.

Sima Yi stood motionless, as if his soul had left his body.

Lu Bing straightened up, patted the dust off his clothes as if brushing off something dirty, and waved to the Imperial Guards:

"Take them all away! The entire Sima family, from eighty-year-old elders to newborn infants, spare no one! Anyone who dares to resist, kill them without mercy! Men, women, and children, register them all!"

"promise!"

The Imperial Guards rushed forward, took out iron chains, and locked up the Sima family members one by one.

The clicking sound was like the footsteps of death.

Sima Yi was dragged out by two Imperial Guards.

Like a dead dog, he was dragged across the corridor, across the courtyard, and across the door that had been kicked open.

He didn't struggle or shout; he just kept his head down.

He lowered his head, his eyes filled with resentment, despair, and bitterness.

That look in his eyes was like that of a venomous snake cornered and still wanting to take one last bite.

He spent his entire life enduring hardship and scheming, hoping to achieve great things in this chaotic world, but before he could even begin, it all ended.

Before he even emerged from seclusion, before he could showcase his talent, before he could even face someone of equal strength, everything was over.

The moment he was dragged out the door, he saw the sunlight, the warm sunlight of early April, shining on the ground, on the flying fish robes of the Imperial Guards, and on the faces of the onlookers.

But the sunlight could no longer warm him.

Lu Bing looked at the Sima family members being escorted away and said to the commander beside him:

"Take an inventory of everything in the mansion. Register all gold, silver, jewelry, grain, cloth, land deeds, and confiscated goods, and transport them back to Luoyang."

Pack the valuable antiques and paintings separately and send them to His Majesty. There are several famous paintings from previous dynasties in Sima Fang's study; don't damage them.

"Yes, Your Majesty! I understand!"

Just then, a member of the Imperial Guard ran over, carrying four tightly sealed jars of wine, the mouths still sealed with yellow mud, and excitedly shouted:

"My lord! Four jars of fine wine were found in a secret room in Sima Fang's study! They're at least several years old!"

Lu Bing's eyes lit up. He walked over and opened a jar. A rich aroma of wine wafted out instantly. The aroma was mellow and lingering, and just one whiff was intoxicating, as if it could steal one's soul.

The entire hall was filled with the aroma of wine, and even the Imperial Guards couldn't help but swallow hard.

"Good heavens! Not bad, this is truly fine wine!" Lu Bing said with a smile, patting the jar with a deep, resonant sound like a bell.

"Don't confiscate this. Pack it up separately and we brothers can share it. His Majesty doesn't like this kind of food. You've all worked hard these past few days, enduring wind and rain. It's time to reward everyone. One bowl each, but don't drink too much. We still have a long way to go."

"Thank you, sir!" The Imperial Guards shouted happily, and smiles finally appeared on their faces.

Wang Defu watched from the sidelines, inwardly clicking his tongue in astonishment: Everyone says the Embroidered Uniform Guard is ruthless, but today I've witnessed it firsthand. They can turn the world upside down with a flick of their wrist, wiping out whomever they want. But the Sima family really deserved it...

Half an hour later, everything was inventoried and filled sixty carts.

The Sima family members were also put into prison carts, young and old, crying and huddled together.

Lu Bing glanced at the once-illustrious Sima Mansion, with its blue bricks, gray tiles, carved beams, and painted rafters, now deserted.

He told his men, "Burn it. Don't leave a single bit. This is what His Majesty specifically instructed."

"promise!"

Several imperial guards took torches and lit them up everywhere.

The torches were thrown into the main hall, into the study, into the bedroom, and into the storeroom.

Soon, the raging fire engulfed the entire Sima Mansion.

Flames licked at the roof beams, engulfed the carved window frames, and burned through the vermilion pillars.

The crackling sounds were like the weeping of the Sima family's ancestors.

Flames shot into the sky, turning half of Wen County red; they could be seen from dozens of miles away.

The once ornate pavilions and towers were transformed into a sea of fire in the blink of an eye, with thick smoke billowing into the sky.

The upturned eaves collapsed in the flames, the artificial hills cracked under the high temperature, and the water in the pond was heated up.

Lu Bing, mounted on his horse, glanced back at the burning Sima Mansion, a smile playing on his lips.

He patted his horse's neck and said to the Imperial Guards behind him, "Let's go! Back to Luoyang! To report back to His Majesty!"

The large group of people rode away in a cloud of dust, the sound of hooves gradually fading into the distance, leaving only Wang Defu and a group of terrified civilians standing there, staring blankly at the fire.

Looking at the sea of fire, Wang Defu sighed and murmured, "The world in Wen County has changed."

...

Upon returning to Luoyang, Lu Bing immediately went to the palace to report to Liu Ce.

Inside the greenhouse hall, Liu Ce was sitting at his desk reading memorials when he saw Lu Bing enter and put down his pen.

"Your Majesty, the Sima family has been completely dealt with." Lu Bing bowed, a hint of pride in his voice.

"More than a hundred members of the family, not a single one was left... The Sima mansion was also burned down, completely destroyed, not a single tile remained. All their property was confiscated and inventoried; the ledgers are here."

Liu Ce put down the memorial, smiled and nodded: "Well done. Wenfu, I trust you with your work. In this world, the Embroidered Uniform Guard is still the most capable."

Lu Bing laughed and said, "These powerful families are all incredibly wealthy, yet they can't bear to give the common people a single bite to eat. Just the Sima family alone yielded a great deal of gold and silver, as well as grain, potatoes, and some ancient books, which are said to be unique copies from before the Han Dynasty, priceless treasures. If we wipe them out, the confiscated property will be enough to exempt all the people in our country from taxes for a year."

Liu Ce nodded, then looked out the window with a deep gaze, looking through the layers of palace walls into the distance.