Chapter 49: The Tragedy of the Yin Family

“No matter, the court’s determination to reform the salt monopoly this time surpasses any previous era.

The greatest obstacle has already been removed.

No matter how deep the salt merchants’ roots run, they will now be uprooted entirely.

If the scholars of the Two Huai regions cannot discern whom they ought to serve, then they have no reason to exist.

If we calculate the time, the purge should begin now!”

Li Mu’s words startled Lan Linjie.

Even though he had just entered the darkness of officialdom, he knew these secret details were not meant for him to know.

“Thank you, my lord, for the warning!”

Lan Linjie replied with a face full of gratitude.

Many scholars in the Two Huai region were tied to the salt merchants, including some of his own classmates and friends.

If the court aims to erase the salt merchants’ influence, scholars who spoke or fought for them would have no good days ahead.

If they failed to switch sides in time and became entangled in this treason case, death and clan annihilation were imminent.

…

“Blind dogs, this is the Yin…!”

Before the gatekeeper could finish his shout, he collapsed into a pool of blood.

“Embroidered Uniform Guard on official business! Anyone who obstructs will be killed without mercy!”

Hearing this, the gatekeeper in the blood pool twitched his fingers in protest.

It was unjust—he would never have been so bold if these Embroidered Uniform Guards had worn their official robes or announced their identity beforehand.

Immediately, countless soldiers crossed over the gatekeeper’s corpse and stormed into the Yin residence.

Every retainer and servant they encountered along the way paid with their lives, as if they had been sent solely to kill.

“Master, disaster!

The Embroidered Uniform Guards have broken in—they’re demons, killing anyone they see!”

The Yin family’s senior members in the inner courtyard were stunned by the news.

Everyone knew the Embroidered Uniform Guards’ reputation, but they were all part of the system—the Guards still had to follow rules when conducting investigations.

“Killing anyone they see” was not an investigation—it was extermination.

“The steward, organize the retainers to hold the rear! Everyone else, scatter in different directions!”

The elderly patriarch of the Yin clan gave the order without hesitation.

Though he did not know why the Embroidered Uniform Guards had turned on them with such fury, fleeing first was certainly the right move.

In the blink of an eye, the inner courtyard was emptied.

“Father, we must leave at once!

The enemy is advancing fiercely—the household retainers won’t hold them off for long.”

The middle-aged man urged urgently.

The senior members of the household had all fled; now only four from the main lineage remained.

“You two move the massive stone blocking the dry well. Once we’ve entered the secret passage, return the stone to its original position.

Then find a place to kill yourselves—leave no trace!”

Hearing the old man’s words, the two black-clad men walked silently to the dry well and began shifting the stone.

Soon the dry well came into view; without hesitation, the old man stepped first into the bamboo basket, letting the death-soldiers slowly lower the rope.

In an instant, all four entered the secret passage, and the sound of the stone being moved echoed again.

“Father, if there’s a secret passage right here in the inner courtyard, why risk our clan members by making them flee through the eastern and western courtyards instead?”

The middle-aged man frowned and asked.

Aristocratic families never lacked escape routes; the Yin residence alone had multiple secret passages.

“Third son, you’re still too green!

The Embroidered Uniform Guards monitor the entire realm—their intelligence-gathering ability is unmatched. Who can guarantee our household doesn’t harbor their moles?

Since they’ve chosen to strike us, this entire area must be under their surveillance.

If no one draws their attention, how could we possibly escape?

The enemy precisely timed their attack—perhaps even our family members and clansmen contain Embroidered Uniform Guards’ spies.”

The old man’s cold words sent chills through the three.

To risk a possibility, they chose to sacrifice countless family members—this flew in the face of everything they had been taught since childhood.

“Grandfather, this…”

Before the eldest grandson could finish, the old man cut him off:

“I know you harbor resentment, but some sacrifices are unavoidable.

This time, the enemy is not some rival clan—it is the court.

The resources the court can mobilize are beyond anything a single family can match.

If nothing unexpected happens, the officials in our clan serving in the court have already met their end.

Now that we’re facing the court, all past friends, relatives, students, and former subordinates are useless.

Do you believe that if we show our faces, we’ll be betrayed and handed over for court rewards?”

No matter how powerful the Yin family was, it remained a clan dependent on the Great Yu system.

When pitted against the system, the very connections they once prided themselves on now became death warrants.

The intelligence failure in the capital was the clearest sign—only they had failed to notice.

Mostly because they had relied too long on political rules, acting as local tyrants in the Two Huai region until they forgot someone existed who could transcend those rules.

“Grandfather, why would the court target us?”

The youngest grandson asked, puzzled.

In his memory, the Yin family of the Two Huai region had been exemplary gentry.

They had friends throughout the court and countryside, universally praised by neighbors.

“For money.”

The old man spoke bitterly.

In this moment of crisis, he suddenly realized how absurd the wealth and profit he had so desperately pursued truly were.

Salt was inherently a high-profit trade—even honest tax-paying brought immense returns.

Yet before the glittering silver, men always lost themselves to desire.

To maximize profit, the seven families secretly manipulated salt merchants to smuggle salt, steadily eroding the court’s salt taxes.

They believed that as long as they bribed the right people, nothing would go wrong.

Never did they imagine disaster would strike so suddenly.

In the past, whenever the court planned to reform the salt monopoly, rumors always leaked in advance.

With their network of connections, they could fill the court with opposition voices and defeat every reform proposal.

Officials sent by the emperor to investigate salt taxes were no match for their silver bribes—they all fell.

Occasionally, if they encountered a stubborn one, they could simply eliminate him physically.

One political victory after another gradually lulled them into complacency; they forgot that the rules only worked if the other side chose to follow them.

The Embroidered Uniform Guards’ slaughter shattered his illusions.

When the emperor decided to overturn the table, all their cherished connections became utterly useless.

“Father, now is not the time for grief.

The Embroidered Uniform Guards have struck—this means all our public operations are destroyed.

Without official backing, our underground forces could collapse at any moment.

Those ruthless thugs are ravenous wolves never satisfied.

Now that we’re down, they might well kick us while we’re down!”

The middle-aged man, now recovered, pinpointed the critical issue.

When wealth loses its protective power, it becomes meat on the chopping block—everyone wants a bite.

"Since the court has struck, it won't target only us—likely the other few families have also met their doom."

The secret passage ahead holds enough food, and I’ve stationed death-soldiers to guard it.

Stay in the hidden chamber for a few days. Once the Embroidered Uniform Guards’ attention shifts from us, we’ll leave.

Then you four will take a boat to sea and never return.

I’ll stay behind to seek justice for our fallen clan members—to make Emperor Tianyuan know the Yin family is not to be trifled with!”

(End of Chapter)