In a grand mansion north of Jiangdu Prefecture's administrative seat, five unusually well-dressed, elderly men sat in the hall, conversing.
Jiangdu had always been one of the foremost places in prosperous Jiangnan, and its northern quarter was especially packed with wealthy magnates; nobles and aristocrats filled every street and alley.
One of the Sun Household's major strongholds in Jiangnan was Jiangdu Prefecture, and this grand mansion likewise belonged to the Sun Household.
"Gentlemen, I believe you all understand the present situation clearly. Of the seven lineages including the Gao Clan, five have been arrested, and their household wealth has been almost completely swept away. What Qiu Yan has done can only be called utterly heartless and frenzied."
Seated in the place of honor was an elder of the Sun Household, Marquis of Liyang Sun Yun.
The Sun Household had once founded a dynasty and ruled one region, only to be pacified later. Yet the lineage had not been destroyed. It continued without end, becoming one of Jiangdong's foremost Noble Clans. Every dynasty that wished to stabilize Jiangnan required the Sun Household's aid. During the successive reigns of Great Rui, the north had first been pacified before the armies marched south.
Though Great Rui at that time possessed Heaven's Mandate and its overwhelming tide was impossible to resist, had the Jiangnan Noble Clans not seized the opportunity to submit, it would still have taken no small effort, followed by countless reversals. Thus, several great Jiangnan lineages received ennoblement during that process. Some households even received more than one title of nobility, and the Sun Household was one such lineage.
Marquis of Liyang was one of the Sun Household's titles. The current Marquis of Liyang, Sun Yun, was highly senior within the family and held Jiangdu in command. He was also among