The Great Purge

Sean Hayes was more than satisfied as he tucked the list of charges into his chest. Once he handed this over to Princess Jade Hayes, it would be the perfect evidence for the Qian Family purge.

Seeing Sean Hayes so pleased, Eric Qian immediately kowtowed, begging, "General Sean, I've told you everything! Please, spare my life!"

Sean Hayes looked down at Eric Qian, grinning coldly, "Eric Qian, after all the evil you've done, you still think you deserve to live?"

"Me?" Eric Qian stared at Sean Hayes, utterly shocked. Before he could react, Sean Hayes kicked him straight out, sending him flying into the sea.

In the vast expanse of the sea, falling overboard was as good as a death sentence.

"Sink this ship and withdraw!" Sean Hayes ordered.

All the Black Armor Qin Troops retreated, sinking Eric Qian's last ship.

The sea swallowed everything. The surface returned to calm, as if the chase had never happened.

The red-painted main gate was covered with wooden crates again, making the fleet look like ordinary merchant ships.

Leonard Yuan stepped out from the cabin, looking at Sean Hayes in astonishment.

"All right, the pirates have been driven off," Sean Hayes said to Leonard Yuan with a smile.

Leonard Yuan was no fool. Seeing Sean Hayes and the Qin Troops, he immediately guessed, and anxiously asked, "General Sean, did my sister send you? Did you all know Eric Qian would disguise himself as a pirate to kill and rob?"

Sean Hayes burst out laughing, "Pirates? They're nothing to worry about! If you ever run into real pirates, they'd be the ones scared of you. Your ship is fast and sturdy, and you've got all those red-painted cannons. Out here, you're the kings of the sea—fight whoever you want!"

The fleet returned to Ningport. Sean Hayes led the Black Armor Qin Troops ashore and, sticking to the original plan, swept through the Ningport bureaucracy with lightning speed.

Edward led the fleet back out to sea, embarking on a distant journey.

Just like Kingston, Ningport was purged before anyone could react.

Relying on Eric Qian's confession, Sean Hayes rooted out every last Qian Family remnant in Ningport, leaving no one alive who deserved punishment. The imperial court promptly sent new officials to take charge of the city.

After dealing with Ningport, Sean Hayes and the Black Armor Qin Troops raced back to Charleston, handing Eric Qian's list of names to Princess Jade Hayes.

This time, Princess Jade Hayes showed no mercy. She immediately ordered a full-scale purge of the Qian Family.

The Qian Family was caught completely off guard. Before they could react, the entire clan was arrested.

The Qian Family had committed every imaginable crime over the years.

Princess Jade Hayes acted swiftly and, following the laws of Qin, executed those Qian Family members who deserved death and exiled the rest to Yunchester to mine coal.

The Qian Family of Southeast Province collapsed overnight. Less than a year after the House of Zhao fell, the two most powerful clans in the region had been uprooted by Chancellor Hayes.

This time, the Qian Family was wiped out completely. Unlike the House of Zhao, whose ordinary folks could still live quietly, the Qian Family left nothing behind.

The purge of the Qian Family also brought in a fortune. True to their name, the Qians were far wealthier than the Zhaos.

Not only did the Qian Family own vast lands, but their riches were beyond counting.

With the Qian Family's downfall, the royal treasury was filled to the brim. For the first time in ages, Qin's coffers were finally flush, thanks to their seized assets.

It took less than ten days for the Qian Family to go from glory to ruin. Meanwhile, Mia Qian had no idea her family was finished.

Mia Qian watched as Quentin Qian's health failed to improve, and began plotting her next move.

With Quentin Qian so gravely ill, the second uncle was sure to become the next patriarch. Mia wondered how she could persuade him to oppose Princess Jade Hayes.