The next day, neither Jonathan King nor Samuel King went to the Ma Family estate.
But even with their eyes closed, they could imagine exactly what was happening inside.
Hundreds of Black Armor Qin Troops lay in ambush at the Ma Family estate, waiting for those corrupt officials to enter—then swooped in to capture them all in one fell swoop.
Chancellor Evans’s style remained as decisive and ruthless as ever—after catching those officials, she listed their crimes, sentenced them, and executed them right on the spot.
That day, in the Ma Family courtyard, over a hundred heads rolled. Blood washed the ground clean, and the entire Kingston bureaucracy was purged.
On the very same day those officials were executed, the court-appointed replacements arrived in Kingston, personally assigned by Chancellor Evans to take over the vacant posts.
At the same time, ten thousand Black Armor Qin Troops were stationed in Kingston to maintain order.
By the time the Qian Family remnants got word, the corrupt officials were already dead, the new ones had taken office, and Kingston was under the control of the Black Armor Qin Troops.
No matter what the Qian Family remnants tried next, they couldn’t stir up any more trouble.
Just like that, this vital town of Kingston, in a whirlwind of blood and chaos, was officially taken over by the Palace of Qin at a truly astonishing speed.
The Qian Family never saw it coming—how could things spiral so wildly out of control? In a single stroke, they lost Kingston, their most important source of income.
Just a moment ago, Qiantang and Qian Miaomiao were gloating in the Palace of Qin, secretly delighted at having sabotaged Chancellor Evans’s business.
But in the very next moment, an urgent letter from Kingston arrived. Qiantang’s smug smile hadn’t even faded before he read the message—his blood rushed to his head and he fainted on the spot.
When Chancellor Evans returned to the Palace of Qin the next day, Qiantang had just woken up, diagnosed with a stroke—paralyzed, his mouth twisted, unable to move.
Qian Miaomiao saw her grandfather like this and collapsed in tears at his bedside.
“Marquis Qian, how did you suddenly have a stroke?” Chancellor Evans entered the room, still wearing her travel clothes, smiling sweetly at Qiantang. “Marquis Qian, I heard you were ill, so I rushed back to the Palace of Qin and came to see you before even changing. Oh, and I brought you a little gift from Kingston.”
Qiantang lay on the bed, paralyzed and unable to speak, his eyes wide and drooling as he glared at Chancellor Evans—if looks could kill!
Chancellor Evans clapped her hands, and two Black Armor Qin Troops carried in a pair of large chests, setting them on the floor.
“Open them up. Let Marquis Qian see what gifts I’ve brought him,” Chancellor Evans said.
The moment the chests were opened, heads piled high tumbled out and rolled across the floor.
Qian Miaomiao screamed in terror and collapsed by the bed. Qiantang struggled to speak, tried to sit up, but it was hopeless.
“These are all the corrupt Kingston officials I executed—every one of them a member of the Qian clan. I’m simply returning your people to their clan leader. By the way, Marquis Qian, as head of the family, you should really keep your clan in line. Otherwise, this is the fate that awaits.” Chancellor Evans smiled at him.
Seeing Chancellor Evans’s smiling face, Qiantang felt a chill down to his bones for the first time.
This woman—while Qiantang wasn’t looking, she’d grown so quickly!
She was once Queen Consort, clever and skilled in management; now, as Chancellor, she’d mastered the art of decisive leadership in no time.
So many people—she gave the order, and they were gone. With lightning speed, she purged Kingston and seized true control.
Qiantang glared at Chancellor Evans with venom, wishing he could slice her into a thousand pieces to avenge his fallen clan.
But now, all he could do was drool and glare at her with his twisted eyes.
So unwilling! So hopeless! So full of hate!