Imperial warlords: Cannons are the only truth

"master!"

"Something terrible has happened! This is awful...!"

Just as Zhou Youdao finished instructing the assassins on the details of the operation and stepped out of the storeroom, he ran into Cai Jinfu, the butler, who was rushing over in a panic.

"What are you panicking about? What kind of behavior is this, stumbling around like this?" Zhou Youdao looked at Cai Jinfu, who was panting heavily. "As long as it's not someone surnamed Shen who comes, the sky won't fall down."

According to news from Qingcheng, Shen Moshen is still in Qingcheng.

Moreover, Zhou Youdao had received very reliable information—Shen Moshen was busy distributing land to the people of Qingcheng.

Therefore, even if Shen Moshen wanted to come to Qingzhou, it wouldn't be possible for him to arrive so quickly.

"No! The man surnamed Shen didn't come! But a troop suddenly marched into Qingzhou Prefecture!"

"Moreover, a large force is heading this way!"

"The Yang family mansion, which is closer to the city gate, has already been occupied by soldiers..."

"I don't know how many people came, but there were soldiers everywhere, it was terrifying!"

"What? Has Qingzhou been attacked by mutinous troops?" Zhou Youdao realized the seriousness of the situation upon hearing this: "Chaos! Utter chaos!"

"A strange 398th Regiment just appeared in Qingcheng. Where did this team come from that beat the Shen family to it and come to our Qingzhou?"

Zhou Youdao never even considered that the troops that suddenly entered the city were Shen Moshen's 398th Regiment.

Because he had just received very "definite" news—Shen Moshen and his 398th Regiment were still in Qingcheng at this time.

Although Qingcheng is not far from Qingzhou, it would still take at least a day to bring the troops over.

Moreover, the 398th Regiment didn't move at all.

Therefore, Zhou Youdao subconsciously regarded the troops that had suddenly entered the city as unidentified armed groups taking advantage of the chaos.

"Don't panic! What's meant to be will be!" Zhou Youdao was quite bold, and then he led the steward to the front yard.

Because Zhou Youdao knew that he couldn't rely on his guards and servants at all when faced with the raging chaos of the soldiers.

Instead of closing themselves off and resisting, they should take the initiative to go out and talk to the leading officer.

Zhou Youdao wasn't too worried about the warlords entering the city.

As long as they're not bandits, there shouldn't be a big problem...

-------------------------------------

"Quickly prepare some wine and food for all the soldiers!"

"Sir! I am Zhou Youdao from Qingzhou. May I ask which department you belong to?"

As soon as Zhou Youdao stepped into the front yard, a group of fierce-looking soldiers rushed in.

The leader was an officer with the rank of major.

The major glanced at Zhou Youdao, who was all smiles, and casually asked, "Are you Zhou Youdao, the richest man in Qingzhou?"

"Yes! Yes! Yes! It is indeed I!"

"Then that's it." The major waved his hand, and the soldiers behind him immediately sprang into action.

The servants and family members of the Zhou family compound were immediately driven away and gathered together, and a large number of soldiers began to put seals on the doors of each room.

"Sir! Isn't there some misunderstanding?"

"What are you doing...?"

"There is no misunderstanding. We are acting on orders from our superiors—the 398th Regiment is stationed in Qingzhou and is confiscating all the properties of the three major families."

"What? The 398th Regiment? Shen Moshen's 398th Regiment?" Zhou Youdao's head buzzed, and he was completely stunned: "How could you...?"

"Master Zhou didn't expect us to arrive so quickly, did he?" The major's face revealed a playful smile: "In order to get to Qingzhou as quickly as possible, we have been traveling day and night without daring to delay for even a moment!"

"Our regimental commander said that he can't stand those who wreak havoc on the local people and bully men and women. The 'prestige' of your three families is known to everyone in Qingzhou!"

"We're here to fight a preliminary battle, to get rid of you bad apples beforehand, so our commander won't have to worry about you."

"Sir! Please pass on a message to Commander Shen: Our Zhou family is willing to hand over all our assets, just so you can spare our lives!"

"We admire Commander Shen from the bottom of our hearts. We were even discussing holding a grand welcoming ceremony for him today..."

"If that's all there is to it, then there's no need to trouble you to relay it to our commander." The major brushed the dust off his clothes with his white gloves.

"Our commander had already given instructions before we came."

"There's no need to go to any more trouble with the three major families of Qingzhou and those unscrupulous gentry with their long history of bad deeds. Just execute them all with your eyes closed; you absolutely won't kill a single one unjustly!"

"As for what Master Zhou just said about being willing to give up all his family fortune..."

The major smiled and said, "Then there's even less need—our regimental commander said that you don't need to hand it over voluntarily; we'll take it ourselves if we shoot you!"

"Shen Moshen!!!" Zhou Youdao's eyes were filled with resentment.

The next second, Zhou Youdao, completely broken down, screamed hysterically: "You surnamed Shen, I'll curse your ancestors for eight generations!!!"

After all that, it turns out all my scheming was nothing but a joke.................

From beginning to end, they never took us seriously at all.

Zhou Youdao only just realized that in Shen Moshen's eyes, the so-called three major families of Qingzhou were not even qualified to rush to host a welcome banquet for them!

This perfectly illustrates the current state of affairs in the Great Qian Empire—no noble families or gentry are anything but in front of warlords who wield guns!

However, Shen Moshen's arrangement was indeed somewhat unconventional.

No one expected that Shen Moshen would not even give the wealthy gentry of Qingzhou a chance to meet before directly starting the ransacking of their homes...

Before Zhou Youdao could utter a second curse, a gun butt slammed into his head.

Then, several soldiers subjected Zhou Youdao, who had fallen to the ground, to a violent attack.

Insulting Shen Moshen in front of these system-produced soldiers is just asking for trouble!

After a while.

The major leading the group glanced at the barely alive Zhou Youdao and casually ordered the soldiers beside him, "Alright, tie him up first."

"They will be taken outside the city and executed by firing squad in a short time!"