Alexander Hayes nodded in satisfaction and instructed several people to tell their families to bring the land deeds for processing.
Next, Sean Hayes continued to distribute the denunciation letters to the remaining 'would-be rebels.'
That crowd had learned their lesson—after seeing Zachary Yan and the others fall, none dared utter a word. They obediently donated grain and handed over their land.
"You all brought the land deeds, right? Good. Go over there and finish the paperwork," Sean Hayes said to the terrified Zhao family members.
Zachary Yan and Edward Yu each held the land deeds delivered by their families, eyeing the nearby officials who were already prepared for the property transfer. Their hearts were heavy with frustration!
It turned out Alexander Hayes had planned this all along, setting his sights on the Zhao family’s farmland. He’d even arranged for the officials to be here ahead of time, just waiting for them to fall into his trap.
The Zhao family members, faces covered in dust and shame, went to complete the property transfer. Each one forced a smile, not daring to show their displeasure—lest they catch Prince Alexander Hayes’s eye.
These 'would-be rebels' were all the most powerful branches of the Zhao family, holding the most land. Now, with the transfers complete, eighty percent of the prime farmland around Anchester was owned by Alexander Hayes.
And he even had the Qin army farming the land—not ordinary civilians. Even if the Zhao family wanted to stir up trouble, they wouldn’t dare mess with a field full of soldiers!
If anyone tried to cause trouble, they’d be facing a bunch of young, well-trained soldiers. That’d be a death wish—they’d get beaten to a pulp!
After about half an hour, every last plot of land had changed hands—quick and clean.
Alexander Hayes eyed the stack of deeds, finally breaking into a smile. He handed the box to Lily Evans with a flourish. "Queen, these lands are yours now. I trust you'll whip them into shape!"
Surprise flickered in Lily's eyes—Alexander knew she was the real brains behind the operation, so he handed her the reins without a second thought.
Lily took the box, grinning. "Leave it to me, Your Majesty. I'll make sure every inch of it flourishes."
And just like that, the 'almost-rebellion' was put to bed—for now, at least—at the cost of money and land.
Zachary Yan and his cronies shuffled back into the crowd, their swagger gone, looking as limp as eggplants hit by frost.
The House of Zhao’s heavyweights glared at each other—after all the snitching and backstabbing, they were left nursing their wounds and grudges.
The once-unbreakable House of Zhao had been split and scattered by Alexander Hayes’s masterstroke, their unity shattered for good.
The mighty House of Zhao, once lording it over the southeast, was now marching straight down the road to ruin.
With the rebel mess swept aside, Alexander Hayes turned to the next order of business: picking the new head of the House of Zhao.
Zachary Yan and Edward Yu were still smarting, but the thought of snagging the patriarch’s seat—and maybe milking it for some perks—had them perking up, eyes glued to Alexander Hayes.
Alexander Hayes scanned the list of hopefuls and announced, "Most of these candidates were just tangled up in that near-rebellion. Sure, you’ve coughed up grain and land to prove your loyalty, but who knows what’s simmering beneath the surface? Only time will tell. I’m not about to hand the family reins to someone with a cloud over their head. So here’s my compromise: I’ll pick a temporary patriarch from the rest. Show me you’re trustworthy, and maybe—just maybe—I’ll make it official."
With a decisive gesture, Alexander Hayes plucked a young, no-name Zhao out of the crowd to be the stand-in patriarch.
Right now, Alexander Hayes’s word was gospel—no one dared argue, not even a peep.
Zachary Yan and Edward Yu finally got it—they’d lost everything. Wife? Gone. Wealth? Gone. Dignity? Gone. It was a total wipeout!