Chapter 10: Too Late! There Are Rivals!

Chapter 10: Too Late! There's Competition!

Like a gang of bandits tearing through the place, the group came and went for two hours straight.

By the time they left, even the jade beads embedded in the fat steward's shoes had been pried right off.

As for the women, their necks, wrists, and ears were completely bare.

The chicken coop, sheep pen, and stable were picked clean of everything.

Even the rare plants growing on the rockery had been dug up root and all on Yun Ran's orders.

"Careful, don't damage the roots. And grab some dirt too."

The whole crew was hauling bags and bundles toward the gate when Yun Ran seemed to remember something and raised a hand.

"Wait! What about the things hanging in the kitchen..."

"Don't worry, boss! They're all right here! I didn't leave so much as a single veggie leaf behind!"

Chang Yuan's weathered face split into a huge grin, his thick waist wiggling as he proudly patted the bulging burlap sack hugged against his chest.

He'd already thought of all the meat, veggies, and eggs hanging in the kitchen...

Before heading out, he'd swept the whole lot into his sack.

The kitchen didn't have a single grain of salt or rice left.

Yun Ran was very satisfied. She tucked her little dagger into her sleeve, nodded, and said,

"Not bad. You've passed the test."

Chang Yuan was overjoyed.

He was a rough-and-tumble guy.

As a general, he figured war was the same—looting was the best part!

After the group left, the townsfolk came out to gawk.

Everyone gasped and covered their mouths, pointing at the wooden cages pulled behind the carts and whispering among themselves.

"Since when does a raid involve hauling off chickens and ducks? Are the Regent's livestock guilty of something too?"

"They're carrying lots of sacks too! Look, all different sizes, all bulging. You think those are chopped-up arms and legs in there?"

"God, that's terrifying! That one's way too vicious. We better never break the law around here..."

The main group slowly disappeared into the distance.

Hong Shan, the Beggar Sect chief who'd been hiding nearby the whole time, finally spoke up.

"Alright, boys, move out! This score'll keep us fed for a whole year!"

After a whirlwind of rooftop hopping and ransacking every box and cabinet,

a young guy with a wild afro and a mask ran out sobbing and reported to Hong Shan.

"Elder Hong, we're too late! Someone else already beat us to it!"

Hong Shan's white eyebrows shot up in disbelief!

"How the hell is that possible?! I've been camped right here without budging an inch!"

"It's true, I swear!"

The young man sobbed.

"The bodies are stripped bare—not a single brocade robe, jade pendant, or piece of jewelry left on 'em. Everyone on the ground is down to plain hemp underclothes. The kitchen's totally bare—not just no meat, there's not even a drop of oil!"

"No way! What about the rock garden? Did you check the steward's quarters?"

"Don't even talk about the rock garden. There's not a single weed or wildflower left. The lotus pond's been stripped of those priceless out-of-season lotus pods and blooms! All that's left are two withered stems and leaves—not even a single baby fish in sight."

"The steward's room's even worse—the floorboards are ripped up everywhere! You can see the dirt underneath!"

Hong Shan went pale with fury, his beard quivering. He had to take a few deep breaths to calm down.

He shot into the steward's room himself.

The second he looked, he saw a fat guy lying on the floor,

stripped totally naked—not even a pair of drawers left on him.

Guess the steward was dressed too fancy, so they'd taken every last stitch...

"This is insane! Absolutely insane! These people have no martial honor, no code of ethics! With moves like this, how can they call themselves part of the martial world?"

At the sight, Hong Shan nearly choked and keeled over on the spot.

The Beggar Sect had been picking up scraps for years, but this was the first time they'd been so humiliated. If the other sects found out, how could they ever show their faces again?

Damn scoundrels! I, Hong Shan, will hunt them down!

I'll teach them what the martial world is all about—how dare they mess with the top sect in Chang'an...

From that day on, Chief Hong staked out the Regent's estate day and night.

————

On the way back to the palace, it started to snow.

In the distance, the high walls, red tiles, golden roofs, and upturned eaves were all dusted with a layer of powdered sugar.

Inside the grand palace, fiery red winter plums blazed against the snow-white walls.

The lunar New Year was right around the corner. What would this year bring...

Back at the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Yun Ran hurried to the storeroom.

Seeing the piles of gold on the floor, her mood soared!

She called Chang Yuan over, and the two of them started counting.

"Ten, twenty, thirty..."

In the twenty chests, the total came to a whopping fifty thousand taels of gold!

Yun Ran thought back to the currency exchange rates of this era,

One tael of gold equaled ten taels of silver, which equaled ten strings of copper coins, which equaled ten thousand copper coins,

And a single copper coin could buy five eggs! A typical farming family only spent one or two taels of silver a year,

Which just goes to show how this bloodsucker had been bleeding the people dry.

Fifty thousand taels of gold was a big deal for the empty national treasury, but for Yun Ran, it wasn't nearly enough,

"Chang Yuan, that's too little! I'm going to raid a few more households in a bit!"

"Huh? Again? Isn't this a bit too much, Your Majesty? If the ministers catch wind of this, they'll definitely submit formal complaints."

Chang Yuan worried that at tomorrow's court session, the emperor would be caught in the line of fire.

Little did he know that Yun Ran, being from the modern era, wasn't about to give them that chance.

"Memorials? They can't complain—they'll be dead, so how could they!"

Yun Ran laughed heartily, hands behind her back, and headed straight into the imperial pharmacy.

Chang Yuan steeled himself—what's losing your head but a bowl-sized scar!

Time to get it done!

Knockout drugs, even poisons—she could whip them up with ease,

As the most powerful martial artist in this dynasty, and being the Monarch herself,

She really couldn't think of any reason to swallow her pride!

——————

The next day,

Yun Ran went to court as if nothing had happened,

"Why do my beloved ministers all seem like they're holding back?"

The ministers exchanged uneasy glances, until finally one couldn't take it anymore and stepped forward,

"Your Majesty, we haven't seen the Regent for two days, and..."

Yun Ran could see it clearly—the parasites had lost their leader and were panicking.

"The Imperial Uncle hasn't been feeling well lately and is resting at home. No need to worry,"

"Now, my beloved ministers, come closer. I have something to say."

They all crowded around, wondering what the emperor was up to,

Yun Ran gave a signal, and Chang Yuan, along with the eunuch Xiao Louzi who was waiting in the hall, quickly shut the big doors,

Even bolting them shut.

"What's the meaning of this?"

Confusion spread as everyone started whispering among themselves, showing not the slightest bit of respect for Yun Ran.

But within just fifteen minutes, everyone in the hall had passed out.

Shadow guards suddenly appeared from all corners of the hall!

"Kill them all right here and now!"

Indeed, using Dan Junlin's memories, Yun Ran recalled that every official in this court had been replaced by the Regent,

The ones who remained were all lackeys of the noble families!

She naturally didn't show any mercy.

The officials from her father's reign had either been framed and thrown in prison, forced to resign and go back to their hometowns, or sent off to some godforsaken backwater,

And some had just been outright beheaded.

"Your Majesty, it's all taken care of."