Chapter 44: Five Million Taels of Silver!

Just as the entire Xue family was plunged into deep water and scorching fire, Tian Yueying took the initiative and stepped out from behind the screen.

The moment Yuan Tianze caught his first sight of her, his eyes glazed over and he froze entirely.

Dignified and peerless in appearance, capable of causing fish to sink and geese to drop from the sky, of putting the moon to shame and making flowers blush...

In a single instant, countless superlative adjectives used to describe a woman's supreme beauty flashed through Yuan Tianze's mind.

Yet even so, he still felt that these words were far too constrained, completely incapable of matching the breathtaking presence of the beauty before him.

This Xue family truly was a remarkable place that nurtured gorgeous women!

Yuan Tianze considered himself a man who had seen countless women in his lifetime, yet he had never laid eyes on a woman as heaven-sent and ethereal as Tian Yueying!

"Hehehe, good, wonderful! Little beauty, since you are so proactive, this official shall take you as a concubine. It's just that my desires are rather large, so when you serve me in the future, you will have to endure a bit of hardship!"

As soon as these words fell, Yang Chuan also walked out from behind the screen.

Putting aside just how many women in Xiaocheng Yuan Tianze had intended to bully, the mere fact that he used such frivolous language to insult the Empress of Great Qi was already a crime punishable by death!

With yet another man abruptly stepping out from behind the screen, Yuan Tianze instantly caught a whiff of danger.

Averting his greedy gaze from Tian Yueying, he turned his head and glared viciously at Xue Zong.

If only a single beautiful woman had offered herself voluntarily, he would have assumed the Xue family wanted to protect their second daughter and was willing to let another woman of the household bear her fate.

Yet the appearance of Yang Chuan clearly meant this was an assassin ambush prearranged by Xue Zong!

The ridiculous thing was that the man before him looked more like a weak scholar; how could he possibly deal with someone as burly and rough as himself, not to mention the dozen or so martial artists standing behind him?

"Hoh! Master Xue, it seems you are truly tired of living. I warned you before: if you dared to interfere in the matter between me and your second daughter, the lives of all thirty-odd members of your Xue family would be sent down to the netherworld!"

"Yet what about you? You actually dared to ambush two assassins behind the screen. Do you really take me, Yuan Tianze, for someone easy to bully?"

"You... you two! I bitterly advised and urged you to stay hidden in the back and not come out! Look at this now! Today, our entire Xue family will have to forfeit our lives here along with the two of you!"

Hearing the implication in Xue Zong's words, Yuan Tianze suddenly realized there was another layer to this situation.

It seemed this man and woman before him had voluntarily come to help the Xue family?

Since that was the case, he would all the more have to let them witness the true power of the local tyrant of Xiaocheng!

"Lads, get them! Teach this pair of adulterous wretches a thorough lesson! Since they dared to step out and meddle in this business, this shall be the last time they ever lay eyes on the sun!"

Just as the words faded, a martial artist brandished a broadsword and charged directly toward Yang Chuan and his companion.

Unexpectedly, before he had even taken two steps, he felt a powerful force lifting him up into mid-air.

Yang Chuan calmly kept his right hand behind his back while his left hand formed the shape of a claw.

Following the upward and downward movements of his left hand, that martial artist swung back and forth in the air just like someone riding a playground swing!

After a few rounds, Yang Chuan grew tired of the game.

With a sudden clench of his fingers into his palm, blood instantly gushed out from the seven facial orifices of the martial artist, who collapsed instantly into a pool of blood.

The gushing blood splattered across Yuan Tianze's face, instantly shocking his arrogant heart back to reality.

Oh no!

This person showed not the slightest trace of martial energy, yet judging by the power behind this feat, his cultivation was definitely above the fifth tier!

"You... exactly who are you?"

Throughout the entire city of Xiaocheng over the past three years, no martial cultivator had ever reached such a realm of power.

Yuan Tianze instantly realized that the extraordinary-looking man and woman before him likely hailed from the capital!

"I am an official directly appointed by the Empress. Coming to Xiaocheng today is precisely to claim your life!"

As the words fell, Yang Chuan moved as if teleporting, appearing directly in front of Yuan Tianze, wrapping an arm around his throat and lifting him straight up into the air.

In an instant, everyone present drew in a sharp breath of cold air.

Yuan Tianze stood nine feet tall and weighed around two hundred catties, yet this delicate-featured, slender-framed man lifted him up as effortlessly as if he were picking up a wooden stick!

"Cough, cough..." With his throat locked, Yuan Tianze's breathing turned difficult in an instant. He coughed with great difficulty, barely managing to squeeze a sound out from deep within his throat.

"You... are you one of the Empress's people? Since... since we are both people of the royal court, can you show me some respect today?"

"If... if you can spare my life, I am willing to offer five million taels of silver, and gift it all to you unconditionally!"

When this astronomical sum echoed in their ears, Tian Yueying, standing behind Yang Chuan, instantly widened her eyes in shock.

Five million taels of silver!

Such an immense fortune, spoken so casually from Yuan Tianze's mouth as if those figures were merely a trivial number to him!

From this, it was easy to deduce that the wealth this man had embezzled behind the scenes was no less than tens of millions!

"You want me to spare your life? Very well. But you must tell me, who is the heavyweight in the capital backing you up from behind the scenes?"

As he spoke, Yang Chuan increased the pressure in his grip, instantly squeezing Yuan Tianze's eyes to the point where they almost popped out of their sockets.

Originally, the Xue family had thought these two "imperial court officials" wouldn't be able to help at all. It wasn't until they witnessed this scene that Xue Zong's heart finally settled completely.

At the same time, he felt immensely fortunate that he hadn't offended the two officials earlier; otherwise, today, no one would have stepped forward to wash away the grievances of the Xue family in blood!

"I..."

Seeing that Yuan Tianze was struggling so hard he couldn't even speak a complete sentence, the martial artists behind him hurriedly chimed in: "The backer behind our Lord Yuan is none other than the current Prime Minister, An Xunlu!"

The moment these words were uttered, Yang Chuan immediately put on an expression of shock, loosening his grip on Yuan Tianze's left hand.

Indeed, over the years, certain legends had been circulating among the common folk.

That legend was that although the current Empress appeared to be seated upon the imperial throne, the power in her hands had long since been hollowed out by the powerful ministers beneath her.

And among the two most famous powerful ministers, one was the Grand Marshal Cao Ding, and the other was the Prime Minister An Xunlu.

Although An Xunlu rarely attended court sessions and rarely partook in affairs of state, during the three years the Empress was away from Great Qi, he had relied on his original network of connections to plant his trusted confidants throughout the entire territory of Great Qi!

In other words, no matter which city of Great Qi one traveled to, the Prime Minister's factional members could be found everywhere.

Noticing Yang Chuan display a hint of timidity, Yuan Tianze, who had just caught his breath, immediately wore a wicked and seductive smile.

Hmph, so what if he was an official bestowed directly by the Empress?

Upon hearing the name of the Prime Minister, wouldn't he still have to show some shred of respect to the Prime Minister's factional subordinates?

Moreover, Yuan Tianze had recently heard that several months ago, the Empress had brought back a man named Yang Chuan from Da Kang, appointing him as Prime Minister right upon his entry into court, bestowing upon him the Nine Imperial Bestowals, and honoring him as the Prince of Equal Rank.

Yet what was the result? Because this fellow had offended the current Prime Minister, he had been jointly impeached by a multitude of officials and directly stripped of his post as Prime Minister!

If even someone of that stature fared thus, let alone other ordinary officials?