Cultivation Simulator: Starting From The Empress' Palace

Anyone who obstructed the investigation has been executed.

Those still alive, except for the few who took their own lives, have all been gathered together, all of whom are family members of Hong Qianyan.

The Hong Mansion was splendid, and its interior decorations were as magnificent as the Suzhou gardens Chen Mo had visited in his previous life, if not more majestic. The rock garden made of exquisite rocks was incredibly beautiful.

Many soldiers and members of the Imperial City Department were patrolling the area around the rock garden with swords, emanating a restrained aura.

The people of the Hong Mansion have been brought to this place.

Seeing Chen Mo entering, Qi Sanfan hurried to greet him.

Chen Mo dismounted, and Gao Zheng brought over a Hu chair from who knows where for Chen Mo to sit on.

Once Chen Mo was seated, Gao Zheng served tea.

Qi Sanfan: ”...”

Qi Sanfan cupped his hands toward Chen Mo and said, ”General Chen Hong, how should we handle Hong Qianyan’s family members?”

Chen Mo looked at the men and women kneeling not far away. As they met his gaze, each quickly looked away, especially the women, who were too frightened to lift their heads.

Because they knew that, with things escalating to this extent, the fate awaiting them would undoubtedly be tragic.

”Wait.” Chen Mo held the teacup in one hand, took a sip of tea, and gently tapped the armrest with the other hand.

”Wait?” Qi Sanfan and the others were startled. Aren’t we supposed to take them to the Imperial Prison? After all, Hong Qianyan committed a crime punishable by execution of his entire family.

Chen Mo nodded.

This waiting, for Hong Qianyan’s family, was a form of torture.

It’s like having a blade placed on your neck, yet it doesn’t cut, but the edge presses into your flesh, making you feel the threat of death.

And you can’t move that blade away.

Time gradually passed.

Until a soldier rushed in with a letter, which he handed to Chen Mo. After reading the letter’s contents, Chen Mo rubbed it between his fingers, igniting it into ashes.

Chen Mo said to Qi Sanfan, ”Search, turn the Hong Mansion upside down, search every inch, and don’t leave even a penny behind.”

”Yes, sir.”

Soon, a more thorough confiscation of property began.

Indeed, they did as Chen Mo instructed, even digging several feet into the ground, and discovered a dozen boxes of treasures buried there.

This astonished Hong Qianyan’s family. Even they weren’t aware of the hidden treasures in the ground, yet they were uncovered.

It’s conceivable that something must have gone wrong with the master of the house.

While Qi Sanfan was searching, Chen Mo whispered a few words into Gao Zheng’s ear, after which he and his group withdrew.

Soon after.

”General Chen Hong, we found a total of 25.6 million silver taels, plus three boxes of calligraphy and paintings, thirteen boxes of jewels... all here.”

Qi Sanfan waved his hand, instructing people to bring the confiscated items before Chen Mo.

Chen Mo stood up, took out a silver ingot, and while stuffing it into his pocket, said, ”I never expected that this corrupt official, Hong Qianyan, would amass so much wealth from the people’s hard-earned resources. When I was in Nanyang, so many people couldn’t even have a full meal, truly deserving of death.”

Qi Sanfan’s eye twitched, and he quickly flattered, ”Hong Qianyan deserves death. You are truly concerned for the country and the people, General.”

Immediately, Gao Zheng came over and whispered a few words into Chen Mo’s ear.

Upon listening, Chen Mo was furious and exclaimed, ”I hate corrupt people the most. Once this matter is resolved, I will report to Your Majesty to have the corrupt punished by dismemberment.”

Even Hong Qianyan’s family shivered.

Qi Sanfan’s face also turned a bit unnatural, and he said, ”General, I almost forgot. There are still a few boxes of silver in the Hong family’s underground treasury that haven’t been counted. I suggest moving all the silver to the General’s Mansion so you can count it first before reporting.”

However, as he spoke, Chen Mo glared at him, ”Scoundrel, what do you take me for?”

”Forgive me, General, forgive me. I misspoke,” Qi Sanfan hurriedly laughed off to the side.

Chen Mo took another silver ingot and slowly stuffed it into Qi Sanfan’s pocket, saying, ”A few boxes of silver? At most, it’s ten thousand taels.”

Hearing this, Qi Sanfan was taken aback, pondering for a moment before saying, ”The General is right. I will make a note of it.”

Chen Mo nodded, then patted Qi Sanfan on the shoulder and said, ”Commander Qi, you are indeed a pillar of our Great Song. I will surely speak kindly of you to the Grand Commandant afterward.”

”Thank you, General Chen Hong.” Qi Sanfan immediately bowed and cupped his hands.

”Sir, how should we deal with these family members?” Qi Sanfan began to follow Chen Mo’s orders without question.

”Investigate. If they have committed crimes in the past, using the Hong family’s influence to bully others and weren’t caught, send them to the Imperial Prison. The men will be exiled, and the women sent to the Teaching Department.”

”Yes, sir,” Qi Sanfan respectfully nodded and instructed someone to bring the case files.

The information on the Hong family’s people had long been investigated by Qi Sanfan.

Among them, several uncles and cousins of Hong Qianyan had previously been involved in cases with human fatalities. Only because Hong Qianyan hadn’t fallen from power, they weren’t prosecuted.

”Please forgive me, General.”

”Spare me, General, I’ll never do it again, I truly won’t.”

Even before the case files were brought over, more than a dozen people kneeling below had already begun pleading for mercy, some even literally scared to wet themselves.

Chen Mo was indifferent.

Once the case files arrived, all of Hong Qianyan’s family members were taken away one by one by the Imperial City Department’s people.

In the end, less than thirty people remained.

Hong Qianyan’s family originally had about a hundred members, and those who hadn’t committed crimes were less than thirty.

To Chen Mo’s surprise, among these less than thirty, twenty-one were men, and only six were women.

”Register these men as slaves and release them,” Chen Mo said.

”Yes, sir,” Qi Sanfan nodded, then his face changed, ”Release... release them? General... did you misspeak?”

Being part of Hong Qianyan’s family, how can they be released?

”This is an order from above.”

Chen Mo offhandedly said, then approached the six women kneeling below.

Qi Sanfan and Gao Zheng hurriedly followed.

Once Chen Mo stopped, Qi Sanfan quickly said, ”Reporting to General Chen Hong, these are all concubines of Hong Qianyan.”

Chen Mo nodded.

Gao Zheng then shouted, ”Raise your heads for me.”

The six were trembling with fear, continuously sobbing, looking incredibly pitiful, evoking sympathy.

To be honest, Hong Qianyan had quite the eye.

These six concubines had appearances comparable to that of Chun Lan, and judging by their looks, the oldest was likely just in her early twenties, while the youngest was only thirteen or fourteen.

Qi Sanfan was told to release the minors, leaving four still under custody, among whom one concubine’s uncle was one of the top merchants in Bianliang City.

Of course, this concubine’s uncle’s house would also be confiscated.

Chen Mo cleared his throat: ”So young and already forced to become Hong Qianyan’s concubines, they must have been coerced, truly pitiful. Send them to the General’s Mansion so I can properly comfort them.”

”...Yes, sir.”