Forced Demolition and Heavy Fines
"Move! Let's check the fields! Lucky, send someone to notify Mr. Lawrence, now!" Lily Evans burst out the door, Lucky and Egghead hot on her heels. By the time they reached the gate, Arthur Evans was already waiting by the carriage.
They piled into the carriage and sped toward Tenmile Hill. Lily Evans was a bundle of nerves—her greenhouse was her life's work. If those thugs tore it down, she'd be heartbroken!
When they reached the fields at Tenmile Hill, about twenty uniformed officers stood guard. Governor Yale, oozing arrogance, was front and center, with Samuel Evans and May Parker—the scheming siblings—right beside him.
"Figures—it's them stirring up trouble!" Lily Evans muttered, instantly piecing together the scheme when she spotted the Evans siblings.
May Parker caught sight of Lily Evans and, seeing her sour face, smirked. She turned to Governor Yale and declared, "Uncle Yale, that's her!"
Governor Yale glared at Lily Evans, sizing her up with clear disdain. "You're the owner of this land?"
Lily sized up Governor Yale—a man in his early forties, belly bulging, face flushed with indulgence. He looked utterly spent, probably addicted to pleasure. No wonder he and the Evans family were thick as thieves.
"Governor Yale, this land belongs to my family. May I ask why you're tearing down the house we've built here?" Lily Evans asked, her voice polite but steely.
May Parker strutted forward, acting chummy with Governor Yale. "Lily Evans, your family's broken the ancestral rules by building on farmland! You've messed up Clearwater City's feng shui! The snow disaster this winter? All your fault for disturbing the spirits—you killed so many innocents!"
Lily Evans raised a brow. "A snow disaster is a natural calamity—what's that got to do with me? And since when did our ancestors forbid building on farmland? What's it got to do with feng shui?"
May Parker jabbed a finger right at Lily Evans's nose. "Still making excuses? Uncle Yale, don't fall for this woman's slick talk!"
Governor Yale stroked his beard, towering over Lily Evans with smug superiority. "I won't be swayed by a peasant woman's chatter. Evans, I order these eyesores in your fields demolished, and fine your family one million taels of silver—let that be a lesson!"
"What a rotten official... General Hayes, what now?" Egghead eyed Governor Yale coolly. Just a second-rank bureaucrat, daring to act up in front of his general—if General Hayes weren't keeping his identity secret, he'd have sliced this corrupt dog down on the spot.
General Alexander Hayes was calm as ever, unlike the impatient Sean Hayes. He looked at Lily Evans, pride and trust shining in his eyes, and whispered to Sean, "This is nothing. Watch how your future princess handles it. Lily's sharp, you'll see. And with me here, she won't lose out."
Sean Hayes frowned, doubt clouding his face. Was General Hayes really that confident in Lily Evans? They were up against a second-rank official—could she really pull this off?
But with General Alexander Hayes staying silent, Sean Hayes didn't dare make a move. He just hung back, listening. Worst comes to worst, with the general backing them, they'd be fine.
May Parker shot Lily Evans a smug look and rolled her eyes, then buttered up Governor Yale. "Uncle Yale, you're so wise! Trouble-makers like her deserve a heavy punishment! She killed so many—she should be locked up for it!"
Lily Evans's anger flared—she stepped forward, voice sharp. "Governor Yale, exactly which law says you can tear down my house and fine me?"
Governor Yale was stunned—a farm woman dared question him! He snapped, "My word is law! If you dare get in the way, I'll have you thrown in jail!"
Governor Yale gave the signal, and a swarm of officers surged forward, shoving Lily Evans and her people back. A dozen soldiers, sledgehammers in hand, stormed the fields to smash up the earthen greenhouses.
The farmhands, seeing their hard work about to be destroyed, rushed to block the officers, eyes red with fury. The scene turned chaotic. Governor Yale shouted, "Brazen peasants! How dare you interfere with the law! Anyone who gets in the way will be thrown in jail! Smash it! Tear down every single one of these mud houses!"