Chapter 162 I Would Rather Remain Ruthless to the End

When has Jia Zheng ever witnessed such a scene? He was nearly frightened out of his wits. Jia Zheng was not the only one terrified; Yingchun was also shaken to the core, her face as pale as a sheet. Yang Xin had someone escort Yingchun to Wang Xifeng’s quarters, leaving the task of soothing her troubled mind to Wang Xifeng. As for Jia Zheng, Yang Xin showed no mercy, dragging him along toward the next group of servants.

Without exception, any servant who had ever abused their masters was beaten to death on the spot by Yang Xin’s orders, while the rest were all sent to the Five Cities Gendarmerie to be sold off as indentured servants.

With a pale and ashen face, Jia Zheng urged anxiously, "You should check on the Old Lady first! She has lost consciousness!"

"There's no rush!" Yang Xin completely ignored Jia Zheng, marching forward and ransacking the place step by step. Those who deserved to die were executed, and those who deserved to be sold were disposed of, until they finally reached the Qixian Studio, the private outer study used by Jia Baoyu.

"Hah! Look at these utensils used by the legitimate second son of my Rong Mansion—they are actually several times finer than those used by myself, the legitimate eldest son and First-Class Defender of the State! No wonder the public funds and properties of the clan have been embezzled to such a terrifying extent. Guards, ransack this place!"

Yang Xin dragged Jia Zheng along while confiscating the property. Once the search was completed, he bypassed the Rongxi Hall altogether, directly sealing the seized valuables into the estate’s treasury. Having no other choice, Jia Zheng could only plead with Yang Xin to release him. With a casual flick, Yang Xin threw Jia Zheng to the ground, leaving him sprawled out in utter humiliation.

It was not until the imperial physician arrived that Yang Xin leisurely stepped forward with an arrogant, swaggering gait, accompanying Physician Li to the Rongxi Hall. The once overwhelmingly opulent Rongxi Hall was now reeking heavily of blood, and a dozen freshly severed heads hung in plain sight, their glaring presence nearly blinding Physician Li.

Physician Li was no ordinary practitioner. He turned a blind eye to the dozen heads still dripping with fresh blood, showing utmost reverence toward Yang Xin instead. He lavished endless praise on the traditional methods of producing penicillin and treating smallpox through vaccination that Yang Xin had introduced, going so far as to treat him with the etiquette due to a master.

Since the man treated him with courtesy, Yang Xin found it difficult to wear a cold face. Seeing that Physician Li was exceptionally perceptive, Yang Xin was quite willing to offer a few pointers: "Has the penicillin been successfully produced yet?"

"It has been produced, but the process is extremely complicated, and the yield is extremely small—just barely enough for use within the imperial palace and among the highest nobility. If we want the common people to have access to this medicine, it will probably take a decade or two of effort. However, the vaccination method is indeed remarkably easy to popularize," Physician Li sighed.

"Something is better than nothing. Physician Li must be extremely careful regarding the penicillin. People in the palace are delicate; before administering penicillin, you must first perform a skin test to prevent allergic reactions," Yang Xin said calmly.

"What is an allergic reaction, and what is a skin test?" Physician Li asked in great astonishment.

Yang Xin blinked, organized his thoughts, and tried his best to explain in terms Physician Li could understand: "To prevent someone from having an adverse reaction, let me give you an analogy. Most people can smell the fragrance of flowers, but a very small number of people sneeze the moment they catch the scent of flowers—that is an allergy. Being allergic to flower fragrance might just make you sneeze, but a penicillin allergy can cost someone their life."

"Are such allergic people common?" Physician Li’s face turned pale with shock.

"About two or three out of every hundred people."

"Fortunately, fortunately... Even so, it is still a miraculous life-saving medicine," Physician Li exhaled a long breath of relief.

While they were talking, the two men arrived at the courtyard where Madam Jia (Lady Shi) resided in the Rongxi Hall. As soon as they stepped through the door, Yang Xin lifted the door curtain and announced, "Physician Li has arrived."

Since the imperial physician had arrived, the others could no longer afford to put on airs against Yang Xin and naturally allowed the physician to examine the patient first.

Yet Yang Xin paid them no heed and shouted sternly, " Guards! Seize everyone from Lai Da's household, Zhou Rui's household, and Wang Shanbao's household immediately!"

Like ravenous wolves and fierce tigers, the guards swarmed forward instantly. Aside from Jia Shi's senior maid, Yuanyang, everyone else was subdued by the guards on the spot.

Everyone was furious, but what enraged them even more was Yang Xin's next decree: "Men, take my name card to the Five Cities Gendarmerie and order the Commander to execute Lai Da, Lai Shangrong, Zhou Rui, and this bunch right on the spot! Beat Lai Da's wife and Zhou Rui's wife to death so that their families can be reunited in the afterlife!"

"You beast, how dare you!" Lady Shi could no longer afford to feign unconsciousness; she jolted upright with a start.

"Why wouldn't I dare? I am the true master of the Rong Guo Mansion! A mere steward actually expected me, the legitimate eldest son of the Rong Guo Mansion, to address him as 'Grandpa Lai,' subjecting me to constant verbal and physical abuse while holding me under their thumb at every turn. Those who know the truth realize this manor bears the surname Jia; those who don't would think it belongs to the Lai family! Do it!" Yang Xin waved his hand dismissively and said coldly.

If they ransacked their homes, these people would undoubtedly hate him to the core. Rather than waiting for them to bite back, it was far better to strike them down with one decisive blow!

"You dare! As long as I, this old woman, am still breathing, let's see who dares to make a move!"

Yang Xin said nothing, merely letting out a soft, cold hum. That subtle, cold sound terrified the guards, instantly reminding them of the hellish training regiment Yang Xin had put them through back in Yangzhou. Subconsciously shaken, the guards snapped out of their hesitation and charged forward brutally, apprehending all the servants without exception.

Lady Shi was consumed by rage and truly fainted this time. Yang Xin ignored her completely, knowing full well that her health was robust enough...

"Lin Zhixiao," Yang Xin called out sharply.

"This humble servant is here," Lin Zhixiao hurried in from outside the room.

How could Lin Zhixiao have remained unaware of such a massive commotion kicked up by Yang Xin? Fortunately, although Lin Zhixiao was a steward—specifically one tasked with assisting in the management of the estate's treasury—he usually maintained a low profile, neither currying favor with the powerful nor stepping on the weak, and always observed the proper etiquette toward his masters. Therefore, he did not fall within Yang Xin's purge zone.

"From now on, you are the head steward of my Rong Mansion. Do not take orders from anyone except myself and Sister Feng! If anyone pressures you, no matter who they are, you have my permission to call the guards directly and arrest them on the spot!" Yang Xin said coldly.

"Mrs. Lin Zhixiao."

"This maid is here." Mrs. Lin Zhixiao had long since been terrified out of her wits by Yang Xin's decisive bloodshed. Having watched Lai Da's wife and Zhou Rui's wife beaten to death right before her eyes, she trembled violently at the sound of Yang Xin's call and dropped directly to her knees on the ground.

"Get up!"

"This maid will listen while kneeling. Does the master have any instructions?"

"Go and fetch Sister Feng."

"Yes." Mrs. Lin Zhixiao scrambled away toward Wang Xifeng's courtyard and summoned her promptly.

When Wang Xifeng arrived at the Rongxi Hall accompanied by Ping'er, she caught sight of the heads hanging outside the hall, witnessed the beaten corpses of Lai Da's wife and Zhou Rui's wife, and saw that nearly all the maidservants and retainers had been arrested, leaving everyone else trembling in absolute terror.

"My dear lord, what on earth has happened here?" Wang Xifeng asked with a charming smile.

Having taken up martial arts and now possessing genuine internal strength as her backing, Wang Xifeng radiated supreme confidence. Furthermore, the inner cultivation art of the Mount Hua Sect possessed inherent rejuvenating properties, making her skin glow with radiant health. Coupled with her strikingly long legs, the sight momentarily dazzled Yang Xin.

"Guard against thieves day and night, but family thieves are the hardest to prevent. I'm just dealing with some domestic traitors," Yang Xin said with a light smile. "They call me ruthless, but I would rather remain merciless to the end than let outsiders say the Rong Guo Mansion lacks proper family discipline. From now on, the management of this household is entrusted entirely to my wife."

"Oh," Wang Xifeng nodded softly. Perhaps due to her obsession with martial cultivation, she felt no sense of arrogant triumph upon seizing supreme authority, simply acknowledging it with a calm nod.

"Hand it over." Wang Xifeng stretched out her hand placidly toward Senior Madam Wang.

"What?" Lady Wang froze in a daze.