In this day and age, becoming a slave is permitted to be bought and sold freely. Of course, this issue was not resolved even thousands of years later in the Qing Dynasty.
The elder's expression changed. Staring at Diao Chan, who arrived late, he suddenly knelt on the ground, trembling. They knew clearly that Diao Chan had once protected the Chu King's mansion. Even men would find it difficult to achieve such a feat.
Now that they had fallen into Diao Chan's hands, their branch of the family would be in grave danger. This was absolutely impossible!
After thinking this through, the elder forced himself to speak, "I never knew how I offended Madam to warrant such a devastating calamity."
"Madam!" Pleading voices, accompanied by entreaties, continued to ring out. But how could Diao Chan easily forgive these people? She let out a cold laugh, "You truly have impressive skills. Using this method, you've made the Chu King soft-hearted countless times. But I, this Madam, will not fall for it!"
"Does Madam wish to watch the Chu King's life's work be destroyed!" the elder shouted bravely, his voice trembling.
No wonder they say that old age brings wisdom. This sentence truly struck Diao Chan's most vulnerable spot, and she twisted her handkerchief tighter and tighter.
To avenge Ye Feng or to fulfill his last wish, Diao Chan had no choice. She could not let Ye Feng down.
"Good boy, today this Madam shall see what other tricks you have up your sleeve!" Diao Chan could never just raise her hand and then lower it. She gave Yu Huatian a look, and Yu Huatian immediately understood. The clan elder, the woman, and the villagers were dragged out and thrown heavily onto the ground.
"Madam, how should these people be dealt with!" Yu Huatian cupped his hands and asked respectfully. However, he knew very clearly that given Diao Chan's personality, she would never let these people live.
"Since they have all been talking about the King's dying wish, then send them to accompany the King!" Diao Chan stated coldly, then lightly covered her nose with her handkerchief, "Don't forget, the King always liked cleanliness. Don't do anything foolish!"
"Yes!"
Diao Chan nodded slightly, suppressing her tears. "Where did the King fall? Take me to see!"
"Madam, I fear that now!" Yu Huatian deliberated before speaking, still unsure how to proceed. "The King would not wish to see Madam like this!"
"How dare you!" Diao Chan cursed angrily and slapped Yu Huatian hard across the face. "What I want to do is none of your business. Send someone to take me there!"
Out of respect for Ye Feng, Yu Huatian, though feeling helpless, could only comply. One or two young Embroidered Uniform Guards led Diao Chan to the bombed-out ruins.
"Madam, this is where the King met his end!" the young Embroidered Uniform Guard hurriedly bowed his head and explained, wiping away tears.
"Does General Lu Bu know about this matter?" Diao Chan asked calmly, trying hard to control her emotions. "If not, send someone to deliver a message first, then bring him over. Madam has something to instruct him."
As the young Embroidered Uniform Guard was about to leave, Diao Chan added, "Tell him to have his men guard the doors and windows. If anything goes wrong, Madam will not forgive him!"
"Yes!"
After giving all the instructions, Diao Chan sat on the ground as if all her strength had been drained. Staring at the empty crater before her, her face was grim, and she clenched her fists tightly.
"Great King, rest assured, I will make them all pay!" Diao Chan sneered. Just as she was about to get up and leave, she saw a pouch faintly visible in the distance among the ruins.
She didn't know about other things, but she knew this. She hurriedly moved aside the stones, and a well-preserved pouch appeared in Diao Chan's hands.
"Great King, this is the pouch Madam gave you. I didn't expect you to still keep it!" Diao Chan gently stroked the crude embroidery with her hand. "If I hadn't fled, perhaps you wouldn't have died here."
"Great King!" Diao Chan let out a heart-wrenching cry to the heavens, tears streaming down her face. "It's all my fault, Madam has ruined you!"
Lu Bu heard it clearly and thought to himself, "Not good." He rushed over after finishing his task. Midway, he saw Yu Huatian cleaning a bloodstained Spring Robe knife. His expression remained unchanged, and he said coldly, "Since you're doing it, do it cleanly. Our Lord cannot tolerate messy things!"
"General, rest assured. I know these rules very well. As Madam instructed, the remaining people have all been made slaves, to toil day and night without rest." Yu Huatian said slowly. "As for their descendants..."
Before he could finish, everyone's hearts tightened. Weren't they striving for the sake of their descendants? Now, even that was to be lost? They wanted to resist, but how could they be a match for the elite? Their clenched fists slowly loosened. One person knelt on the ground and wept bitterly, and like a chain reaction, everyone began to cry!
"What's all this crying? If you like crying so much, send them all down to accompany the Great King, but don't forget, the Great King likes peace and quiet. Cut out their tongues!" Lu Bu commanded ferociously. "All children who do not exceed the height of a cartwheel shall be made slaves."
With Lu Bu's words, everyone finally understood how kind and considerate Yu Huatian was compared to him. "General, spare us."
"Spare us, the main culprits have already been punished!" one person wept bitterly. "Does the Chu King intend to destroy everything?"
"Silence!" Lu Bu raised his hand and smashed a large marble slab into pieces. "Anyone who speaks another word will be like this stone. If you wish to live, await Madam's decision!"
"We thank the General for sparing our lives!" one person quickly kowtowed in gratitude. Seeing this, Yu Huatian shook his head repeatedly. It was good to teach them a lesson while Ye Feng was away, lest any further incidents occur.
"General, please take your leave. Leave the matters here to me!" Yu Huatian said with a smile. "I will definitely not let them off easily!"
Suddenly, everyone had the illusion that Yu Huatian, who was squinting, was not as fierce as Lu Bu. They sat on the ground, silent and dejected, unwilling to speak.
"You'd best be quiet. Perhaps if Madam comes, she might spare your lives!" Yu Huatian reminded them subtly.
"If it weren't for you, why would we have provoked the ferocious Lu Bu? And now you pretend to be good!"
"Who said that? I think he just wants us to be grateful to him, pretending to be a big shot!"
"If you have the guts, then kill us! Stop pretending to be good!"
Such voices continued to be heard. Yu Huatian heard them clearly and felt a surge of anger, but he suppressed it fiercely and sat aside, waiting for Diao Chan to arrive.
When Lu Bu arrived at the ruins, Diao Chan was struggling to move stones, muttering to herself, "The Great King is fine, the Great King will definitely be fine. I just heard his voice."
"Why aren't you all coming over to help Madam? Are you courting death!" Diao Chan rebuked sharply. "When the Great King returns, he'll make you all regret it!"
Seeing the frantic Diao Chan, Lu Bu felt an inexplicable pang of sadness. He quickly went up and grabbed Diao Chan, "Madam, the Great King is gone. Please calm down!"
Diao Chan's eyes brightened when she saw Lu Bu. She took out the pouch and said hastily, "This is the pouch Madam gave to the Great King. The pouch is intact. How could the Great King be dead!"
"I just heard it, I heard the Great King's voice!" Diao Chan jumped anxiously. "General, believe me, believe me, I really heard it. Madam is sure the Great King is not dead!"
"Alright, this General will help you!" Lu Bu sighed. Without further hesitation, he ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guards and everyone else to work together to clear the ruins. "Alive or dead, we must find the Great King. Rewards will be given for finding him, even the slightest trace, and this General will not be stingy with the rewards!"
With both sides working together, the ruins were soon cleared. However, all that remained were a tattered cloak and a messy crown.
At this point, it was clear. Diao Chan struggled to hold back her tears. Lu Bu knelt on the ground and said hastily, "Please, Madam, pull yourself together and return to the Chu King's mansion to take charge of the overall situation!"
"Please, Madam, take charge of the overall situation!"
Diao Chan gathered the cloak, the found crown, and the fragments of clothes. With a sincere expression, she headed towards the Chu King's mansion. Lu Bu and a group of Embroidered Uniform Guards followed behind. Someone found a piece of white cloth, and each person was given one to tie around their head.
"Madam, what about these people?" Yu Huatian asked cautiously. "Please give Madam your instructions!"
Diao Chan's expression was solemn. "For the sake of the Chu King's dying wish, these people are innocent. However, the ringleaders and those who harbored them will be ground to ashes. The rest are not allowed to leave Liangzhou. As soon as the goods arrive, construction of the school will begin immediately!"
"Thank you, Madam!"
"Thank you, Madam!"
Diao Chan, carrying the items, respectfully arrived at the Chu King's mansion. After placing them on the table, she issued orders, "In this Chu King's mansion, I, a small woman, should not be making decisions. However, since the other Madams are not here, Madam can only act as the head of the household. I ask all Generals to cooperate!"
"We have seen Madam's abilities. Please instruct us on how we should proceed. The school, still..." Before a General could finish his sentence, he quickly covered his mouth, afraid of touching a sore spot for Diao Chan.
"It's alright!" Diao Chan said expressionlessly. "Since it was instructed by the Great King, these matters must be done. Other matters will be decided later!"
"Madam is right. It's just that it might be difficult!" a General sighed. "Originally, Emperor Ling feared the Great King's power, so he grudgingly accepted it. But now that His Majesty is not here, Emperor Ling will surely be happy and set off firecrackers. How could he agree?"
"That is not for him to decide!" Diao Chan's face was filled with reverence. "Thanks to the Great King's prior dealings with the aristocratic families, Lu Zhi also supports us now. If they want to control us, they are dreaming!"
"In this case, the matter should be a great success!"
"Yu Huatian, instruct someone to invite the Madams to Liangzhou. Relying on Madam alone is like a solitary tree that cannot stand. Also, Lu Bu, take Madam's calling card, affix the Chu King's great seal, and deliver it to the patriarchs of the aristocratic families, inviting them to the mansion for a meeting." Diao Chan hastily explained everything clearly to everyone. "If anyone refuses, ask them if they have forgotten the benefits the Chu King gave them?"