Chapter 17: Go, Retrieve Da Xi Jue's Genealogy for Me!

"Lord!"

"Brother!"

It wasn't only Chen Yan; Ye Ningxuan, Chu Xiaofeng and the others were also stunned, their eyes wide with shock at this sudden turn of events.

No one had expected that a maid ignored by everyone could commit such an earth‑shattering act...

"Protect the elder!"

"Young Master!"

Song Fei and Zhu Yi, seeing the situation, immediately moved to his left and right, shielding Chen Yan with the utmost speed to prevent any further sudden incidents.

Why is this woman unharmed... Chen Yan muttered to himself, placing a hand on the two's shoulders, "No problem!"

"She isn't trying to kill me..."

Having said that, his deep gaze examined the sole variable in his meticulous plan.

Da Xi Jue clutched his chilling chest, blood seeping crimson from the dagger wound; he glanced back, uttering his final words of this life, "You have been hiding this all these years..."

"Dantai Mingyue, what have you done!"

"Why did you kill the lord!"

Ye Ningxuan collapsed onto the ground, trembling all over, and began to roar with frantic accusations.

Dantai Mingyue had long lost the previous gentle compliance and harmlessness; in its place was a bone‑chilling cold, and she retorted, "Madam, my dear madam, are you truly unaware of the reasons behind this?"

"I..." Ye Ningxuan was stunned, speechless.

The previously intense scene fell cold and silent once more.

"She knows, but I don't!"

Chen Yan suddenly spoke, breaking the awkwardness, and asked with curiosity, "Dantai Mingyue, why don't you tell me?"

His intuition told Chen Yan that there must be some hidden twist, definitely a big revelation...

"No comment!"

Dantai Mingyue loosened her dagger and coldly spat out four words.

"Little lady, do you know who you killed?"

"Before the Court has issued a verdict, he remains a Court‑appointed official; you have committed a capital crime!"

Zhang Wenqian hurried forward, staring at Da Xi Jue lying in the pool of blood, and gritted his teeth, saying.

The rebel conspirator dying at the hands of an outsider is the fault of the Mirror Hall, a dereliction by people like us.

If we were to be held accountable...

"It doesn't matter!"

Dantai Mingyue still wore that ice‑cold demeanor, calmly saying, "Now my great revenge is fulfilled; kill or dismember, I leave it to your discretion!"

Her words revealed a complete indifference to life and death.

"Still Xiao Lajiao!"

Chen Yan, intrigued, surveyed the scene, walked slowly forward, stopped before Da Xi Jue, and drew his dagger at a steady pace.

"Sss!"

In the next instant, the dagger plunged again into Da Xi Jue's chest.

The once barely living Da Xi Jue, after a brief shudder, completely lost all vitality.

The scene faded into darkness.

"Next time you stab someone, remember to add a few more thrusts, lest the heart be off‑center and let them escape a disaster..."

Chen Yan withdrew the dagger, stood up, tossed it casually to Zhu Yi, and nonchalantly instructed.

He paused, then continued, "Enough, Da Xi Jue's stubborn resistance and defiance of capture are now killed by me!"

A simple sentence fully defined Da Xi Jue's death.

The scheming, failed rebel Grand General, after his plot was exposed, attempted to resist; his crime was elevated, and the Mirror Hall's Zhuque Mirror Keeper, handling the case, executed him on the spot, a just punishment.

"You..."

Dantai Mingyue heard the words, stared blankly at Chen Yan.

She didn't understand why this stranger, whom she had never met, would help her...

"Come, men!"

Chen Yan ignored the woman's surprised expression and shouted to himself.

"Here."

Several Embroidered Attire Envoys responded and stepped forward.

"Take her away, bring her back to the Zhuque Guard for detention, and I will personally interrogate her," Chen Yan raised his hand, pointed, and ordered.

Beyond the woman's actions that piqued Chen Yan's interest, what mattered more was...

The surname Dantai!

"Yes."

Two Embroidered Attire Envoys took Dantai Mingyue away.

Chen Yan waved, summoned Zhang Wenqian, and whispered in his ear, "Old Zhang, after we return, investigate this woman's background thoroughly!"

"Alright," Zhang Wenqian nodded.

After completing the arrangements for Dantai Mingyue, a cold smile flashed in Chen Yan's eyes; he snapped his fingers at an Embroidered Attire Envoy and ordered, "Go, retrieve Da Xi Jue's family genealogy for me!"

The envoy took the order and hurried away.

"Chen Yan, what do you intend to do!"

In a daze, Ye Ningxuan had a bad premonition.

And it was extremely intense...

"Madam Ye, I know you're anxious, but don't be hasty yet!"

Chen Yan shrugged, gave a calm smile, and said, "When the genealogy arrives, won't we know then?"

A moment later.

The embroidered‑cloth messenger returned, still holding a yellowed document, and respectfully said, "Sir, the genealogy is here!"

"It really is a hefty volume…"

Chen Yan took it directly, flipped through it casually, then tossed it to Song Fei, "Lao Song, strangle to death all the male members on this genealogy who are older than the wheel!"

There was no hint of emotion in his words.

Calm as if arranging a routine matter.

Rather than eradicating the roots.

Song Fei offered no objection, only paused in thought and said, "So that's all those over six years old…"

But before the sentence finished, Chen Yan waved his finger and cut him off, "No, no, no!"

"I mean the wheel laid flat…"

At those words, even Song Fei couldn't help but turn pale, "Sir, isn't that a bit too cruel…"

A wheel laid flat implies even infants in swaddling cloth would not be spared…

"Old Zhang, you finally hit the point…"

Chen Yan's mouth curved into a smile and said, "Our Vermilion Bird Guard brothers, many of them haven't taken wives or concubines yet, right?"

"Isn't that just perfect then?"

Da Xi Jue has many concubines, daughters, and maidservants; rather than have them be sent to the Jiaofang Si, it would be a boon for the Vermilion Bird Guard brothers.

It spares them from endless long nights, when they would otherwise lie awake alone, gripping a staff in solitary combat.

It also lets us use these to buy a wave of public sentiment; why not?

Lao Zhang, your words finally hit the point....

The embroidered‑cloth messengers in the Shufang heard this and all lit up.

Everyone knew the newly appointed Mirror Keeper was a good person, but no one expected him to be this good…

"Madam Ye?" Zhang Wenqian pursed his lips and pointed at Ye Ningxuan.

His eyes were full of covetous desire.

Chen Yan saw through someone's petty thought at a glance and laughed, "This middle‑aged woman, if you like, you can take her back…"

Even though Chen Yan admired Meng De and bore the lingering aura of Wei Wu, women over fifty were still unnecessary.

Zhang Wenqian would give it to him if he liked.

Qin Jinglan, hearing that Chen Yan wouldn't even spare Da Xi Jue's widow, immediately cursed, "You Chen bastard, you truly are a beast!"

"General Qin, is that you?"

Chen Yan followed the voice, half‑smiling, "Hold off on the insults for now…"

After a pause, he continued, "After all, your family's method is the same; your wife and daughter would also become slaves and maidens!"

As a master of serving water, Chen Yan adheres to treating everyone equally.

Not only the Qin family, the Chu and Ding families are no exception.

Qin Jinglan, upon hearing Chen Yan, even didn't spare Da Xi Jue's widow, and immediately shouted, "You Chen‑surname bastard calf, you really are a beast!"

Qin Jinglan, furious and exhausted, forced his frail body, lifted his knife, and tried to strike.

Chen Yan pursed his lips, kicked Qin Jinglan to the ground, and said, "Enough already!"

He paused briefly, then continued: "After all, your family's way of handling things is the same; your wife and daughter will also be made slaves and maids!"

As a master of serving water, Chen Yan adheres to treating everyone equally.

Not only the Qin family, the Chu family and the Ding family are no exception either.

"You mixed‑up thing!"

Qin Jinglan, in a fit of rage and desperation, forced their weakened body, grabbed the knife and was about to strike.

Chen Yan sneered, kicked Qin Jinglan to the ground with a foot, and said, "Enough already!"