"I wonder what brings the Broc... what business brings you to our gates, my lord?"
"To confiscate your estate."
"..."
"Don't worry. We'll avoid killing anyone as far as possible."
Seeing that the man was somewhat dazed, and had actually been willing to come out and negotiate, Zhang Xing answered sincerely. "Go back and tell whoever makes the decisions in your family that outside right now are four companies, twelve squads, totaling six hundred regulars from the Jiangdu Grand Camp, plus one company of three squads, totaling a hundred and fifty Jinwu Guards, seven runners from the Danyang Commandery office, nineteen runners from the Lishui County office, and eight Brocade-clad Patrol Cavalry from the Jing'an Directorate in the Eastern Capital, along with a son of Deputy Warden Zhou, who can call upon the Jiangdu Grand Camp's troops at any time... tell them to think it through themselves. If someone with authority comes out of their own accord to speak with me face-to-face, even the confiscation can be negotiated. Otherwise, not a chicken or dog will be left alive... the deadline is noon. We can wait a little."
Indeed, the skies had cleared after the snow. That morning, when the army suddenly surrounded the main residence of the Yu Clan of Danyang in Lishui, the person who came out to negotiate was actually a middle-aged chief steward, rather than any of the older members of the clan's direct line, or even any of those men in their prime celebrated as Jiangdong talents, the Three Waters of the Yu Clan.
After hearing the gist of it, the chief steward turned ashen with fright, his limbs trembling. Not daring to utter a sound, he stumbled back through the gates. Yet even when the sun had nearly reached due south, there was still no