BSI Chapter 145 Attack on the Ancestral Temple of Noble Families
Chapter 145 Attack on the Ancestral Temple of Noble Families
"Let's get down to business first!"
Lu Xiao cracked his whip, and his warhorse neighed loudly, charging ahead first.
Behind him, eight hundred Red Valiant cavalrymen moved in unison, their hooves thundering across the earth and raising clouds of dust.
Ignoring the nearby Wagang Village, the group sped straight towards the Zheng family manor in Xingyang.
Wagang Village is right there, it can't escape. Right now, pacifying the Zheng family is the top priority.
"Time to dig up the grave!"
Yuwen Chenglong spurred his horse and followed closely behind Lü Xiao, shouting excitedly, his face beaming with eager anticipation.
As a member of a noble family, he knew all too well how wealthy these powerful clans had been for centuries.
It wasn't just gold and silver; it was also land deeds and books accumulated by countless generations.
However, it won't be long before, with just a little manipulation, these enviable accumulations will likely be transferred to the Lü family.
Rumble...
The iron cavalry swept across the vast fields and estates of the Zheng family.
It was the farming season, and many tenant farmers stopped what they were doing on the ridges between the fields.
He stared blankly as the heavily armored, menacing cavalry swept past in a whirlwind.
The procession moved extremely fast, and by the time the towering walls and watchtowers of the Zheng family manor appeared on the horizon...
The private soldiers of the Zheng family stationed in various places only seemed to wake up from their dream, and the alarm gongs that sounded in a hurry sounded chaotic and delayed.
The Crimson Vanguard Army did not slow down in the slightest; like a red-hot iron spear, they fiercely stabbed towards the main gate of the magnificent manor.
The heavy iron gates were violently flung open, and cavalrymen poured into the huge forecourt.
The horseshoes struck the bluestone slabs with a resounding, heart-stirring crack.
Such a commotion had already alerted the people inside the manor.
Many members of the Zheng family emerged from their respective courtyards and halls and gathered in the front courtyard.
"Who goes there? How dare you lead your troops to trespass on the territory of the Zheng family of Xingyang! Do you have a death wish?"
A man around forty years old with fair skin stepped forward from the crowd, his right hand behind his back, looking up at Lü Xiao, who was perched high on his horse.
The other members of the Zheng family watched coldly, showing little panic.
This is the foundation of the Zheng family; the land and people within a radius of a hundred miles all depend on the Zheng family.
The manor is home to over a thousand elite private soldiers, and there are countless tenant farmers and able-bodied men outside the manor who can be conscripted at any time.
In their view, this place was like a country within a country.
Even if Emperor Yang Guang himself came, he still had to act according to the rules of the aristocratic families.
As if to prove their confidence, hurried footsteps and the sound of armor plates clashing came from all directions.
Zheng's private soldiers, armed with swords and spears and dressed in uniform leather armor, swarmed in and surrounded the Chixiao Army from the outside.
"He is Lü Xiao!"
Suddenly, a younger member of the Zheng family pointed at Lü Xiao and exclaimed in surprise.
"Lü Xiao? The Lü Xiao who killed Zheng Kun?"
"Well, well! We haven't even gone to settle accounts with him yet, and he dares to come knocking on our door!"
"Kill him! Avenge Zheng Kun!"
The crowd immediately became agitated, and many of the Zheng family members turned red in the face and shouted loudly.
The private soldiers also pressed forward half a step, and the atmosphere instantly became tense.
"Wow, how arrogant!"
Yuwen Chenglong, watching from the side, couldn't help but click his tongue and whisper to Pei Yuanqing.
Pei Yuanqing replied in a gruff voice, "He needs to be taught a lesson!"
"The Zheng family." Lü Xiao's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly drowned out the noise in the room.
He remained seated on his horse, his gaze slowly sweeping over the angry or arrogant faces, a faint smile even playing at the corners of his lips.
"The evidence of their collusion with the rebel bandits of Wagang Village is conclusive. By imperial decree, their entire clan shall be exterminated."
The words "extermination of the entire clan" reached everyone's ears.
Many members of the Zheng family turned pale instantly.
They did have some secret dealings with Wagangzhai, but why would that lead to the catastrophic extermination of their entire clan?
"Where's the evidence, Lü Xiao? Don't you dare make baseless accusations!"
Another member of the Zheng family, who was slightly older and more composed, stepped forward, forcing himself to remain calm, and said sternly.
"Slander?" Lu Xiao seemed to have heard something extremely ridiculous.
Such a day has actually come; even members of noble families now value evidence.
"I said you colluded, so you colluded!"
Pei Yuanqing could no longer contain himself and roared in a booming voice.
Yuwen Chenglong put his hand to his forehead and said helplessly, "Your statement makes us sound like barbarians who came here to settle personal scores."
Pei Yuanqing stiffened his neck and asked seriously, "Then how should I say it?"
Yuwen Chenglong immediately straightened his back, cleared his throat, and said in a more self-righteous, almost rogue-like tone:
"You should say, 'The prince said you colluded, so you did collude!'"
"Lü Xiao! You...you are utterly lawless!"
The pale-faced man was so angry that his fingers trembled.
"kill."
Lu Xiao withdrew his gaze and turned it back to the group of people in front of him, the smile on his face completely disappearing.
"kill!"
The Crimson Valiant Army had been poised for action for some time, and upon receiving the order, their momentum was overwhelming.
The cavalrymen in the front row roared in unison, spurred their horses, and charged forward with neighing, their gleaming sabers flashing in deadly arcs.
Screams, roars, the clash of weapons, and the pounding of horses' hooves erupted instantly.
Although Zheng's private army was well-trained, how could it compare to the Red Vanguard Army?
The Red Valiant cavalry were like tigers among sheep; with a flash of their blades, limbs and severed bodies flew through the air.
Where the iron hooves pounded, the sound of bones cracking was enough to make one's teeth ache.
They continued their silent slaughter, ignoring the stern warnings and pleas for mercy from the Zheng family members, who claimed to be Zheng Clan member and whose uncle held a high-ranking official position.
In their eyes, there are only enemies, and the identity of the enemies is meaningless.
"Back off! Back off! Go to the ancestral temple!"
Zheng's resistance quickly collapsed.
The private army was routed as easily as cutting melons and vegetables, and the Zheng family members were terrified.
Under the desperate cover of the guards, the front courtyard and main hall were abandoned.
In a disheveled state, they made their way to the deepest part of the manor, which they considered the safest place, where the Zheng family temple, where the ancestral tablets were enshrined, was located.
Inside the ancestral temple, incense smoke wafted, and hundreds of black lacquered memorial tablets with gold lettering were stacked on top of each other, silently looking down at the disheveled descendants below.
The Zheng family members, who had survived the ordeal, seemed to have grasped at the last straw.
They all fell to the ground, banging their heads on the ground and wailing in grief.
"Ancestors! Open your eyes and see! Your unworthy descendants have suffered such a calamity; treacherous people are plotting to destroy my Zheng family!"
"Our ancestors have shown themselves! Quickly show your power! Slay the invaders and protect our family!"
Cries, prayers, and pleas were mixed together.
However, the cold memorial tablet remained silent, with wisps of smoke rising straight upwards, showing no sign of any divine intervention.
"boom!"
With a loud crash, the heavy copper-clad wooden door of the ancestral temple was smashed open by several brave soldiers of the Red Guards using large battering rams, sending wood chips flying everywhere.
The Red Vanguard infantry, who had been waiting for a long time, immediately surged in like a tide.
Lu Xiao rode his horse slowly and steadily across the steps, through the front yard, and straight to the entrance of the main hall where the memorial tablets were placed.
Inside the hall, the last few dozen members of the Zheng family leaned against the shrine and offering table, weapons in hand, trembling, their faces covered in tears and fear.