Only to see the other two concubines, as well as two daughters and two sons, immediately came forward and knelt before Mu Rufeng, pleading for mercy.
Yet unexpectedly, the most favored concubine, Lin Yu, and her son Li Zhonglin seemed to have been startled into inaction and remained frozen in place.
"Rise," Mu Rufeng commanded sternly, looking at the crowd.
However, no one rose, and they continued to kowtow and plead for mercy, led by Liu Ruyu.
With a wave of his hand, Mu Rufeng caused everyone to be helped to their feet by a force.
"Seven million taels of silver, that is seven million taels! Your master is doomed to die, and your family’s wealth must also compensate those fallen soldiers."
Otherwise, it will be difficult to appease the public’s wrath. Ah Liang, after your father’s death, you shall inherit his title of Marquis," Mu Rufeng declared before walking away.
"Your Highness," Liu Ruyu wept, knowing that today her master’s death was certain.
"Your Highness, Mother," Li Zhongliang, Visit NovelHub for more amazing novels and chapters.
"Mother, Brother," Li Zhongliang’s full sister also hurried over, her body still trembling with fear.
"It was... someone else who framed me. I... I was wrong. Don’t... kill me; I’m your maternal uncle. Your mother told you to look after me."
Lying on the ground, wailing with pain, the Marquis Xuanping also became aware of his fate. He did not want to die; he was still young, barely past fifty, with vast wealth, beautiful wives at his side—he did not want to die.
"Your Highness, my Ah Lin is the true eldest son of the household, and he should inherit the Marquis’ title," Lin Yu finally reacted and shouted loudly.
"What are you saying?" Mu Rufeng asked, looking at Lin Yu with a cold voice.
"I..." Lin Yu shuddered under Mu Rufeng’s gaze.
But recalling that it was a hereditary Marquis title, what else had she spent her life pleasing Marquis Xuanping for, if not for her own son to inherit it?
"Your Highness, my Ah Lin is the eldest son; the title of Marquis should be his," Lin Yu said through clenched teeth.
"What a joke, you are nothing but a concubine. What right does a concubine’s eldest son have to inherit the Marquis title?"
"And you, this useless thing, if you ever force yourself on a decent woman again, I will castrate you," Mu Rufeng said, looking at Li Zhonglin, not hiding the malice in his heart.
Back in the day, when he controlled an army of fifty thousand, he naturally needed many trusted aides.
Marquis Xuanping recommended his eldest son to the Ninth Prince.
The Ninth Prince thought just because the father was useless didn’t mean the son had to be, so he accepted him.
Then he misbehaved in the camp, relying on his relation to the Prince, and was directly driven out of the camp by Mu Rufeng.
Afterward, there were reports of him assaulting women, and upon learning of this, Mu Rufeng sent a trusted aide to teach him a lesson, which somewhat curtailed his behavior.
Now 26 years old, he was still unmarried, yet his number of concubines already exceeded that of his father.
"Yes... Yes, Your Highness!" Li Zhonglin, frightened, fell to his knees before Mu Rufeng.
Mu Rufeng called out.
"This servant is here," a little eunuch, about seventeen or eighteen years old, stepped forward in response from behind Liu Ming.
"Take a few people with you, wait upon my aunt, teach the household rules, and while you’re at it, make an inventory of the household wealth," Mu Rufeng said nonchalantly.
"Yes, Your Highness," Little Gui replied expressionlessly.
Afterward, Mu Rufeng and his people, carrying the nearly lifeless Marquis Xuanping, departed the estate.
"Madam, let’s return to the manor first," Little Gui approached, respectfully bowed to Liu Ruyu.
Liu Ruyu, pale-faced, nodded, then was Visit NovelHub for more amazing novels and chapters.
"No, why? My Lin’er is the eldest son; the Marquis title belongs to my Lin’er, it’s mine."
Lin Yu, regaining her senses, stood up and started screaming in fury.
In the household, her status was not the least beneath that of the chief wife, Liu Ruyu, so when she threw a tantrum, no one dared to provoke her.
With a "slap!" sound,
Little Gui struck Lin Yu across the cheek with his palm, using force but not his full strength, causing a few teeth to fly out with a spurt of blood.
"Ahh!" Lin Yu screamed in agony and fell to the ground.
"You are just a concubine, how dare you question the Prince’s words? Who gave you the courage? If you speak nonsense again, I will cut off your tongue," Little Gui said coldly.
Little Gui was no ordinary person; he also possessed Cultivation, although not very high. Still, Level 4 Bone Refining Realm was considered strong in the eyes of ordinary people.
After all, not everyone under the Da Li Dynasty could cultivate; just the Refining Skin stage had stopped many.
Resources, suitable only for those strong, were still an insurmountable Heavenly Chasm for common folk.
Martial Artists remained figures of high status.
"Mother, say no more." Li Zhonglin, scared out of his wits, hurriedly helped his mother up.
Lin Yu, terrified as well, did not dare to speak further and looked fearfully at Little Gui, then was Visit NovelHub for more amazing novels and chapters.
Soon, the group rode away in carriages toward the city.
Mu Rufeng had initially intended to bring Marquis Xuanping to the villages of the fallen soldiers to execute him in front of them.
But considering that the fallen fifty thousand elite troops spanned a two hundred-mile radius,
Mu Rufeng instead sent his subordinates to each village, sending representatives from each to gather outside the Imperial City.
He wanted to explain everything before everyone, execute Marquis Xuanping, and thus regain the people’s trust.
Likewise, it would take him a day or two to arrange for the seven million taels of silver.