Tie Ci noticed that when You Weixing saw them, his gaze became evasive and he kept retreating.

The others spoke incessantly while advancing step by step.

Tie Ci quickly walked over and grabbed You Weixing’s hand.

You Weixing instinctively tried to shake her off. His strength was considerable, but Tie Ci gripped him even more tightly.

You Weixing turned to see her and immediately calmed down, hiding behind her.

The several men opposite suddenly felt somewhat awkward.

The lead elder bowed slightly, then immediately straightened his back and said neither humbly nor arrogantly: “Your Highness, thank you for looking after Weixing, but our You clan’s descendants should be placed in the prince’s manor. The You family’s affairs…”

Tie Ci understood—You clan elders.

Yannan’s clan forces were powerful, and clan rules to some degree held more sway in the hearts of Yannan’s people than court regulations, especially for clans that had produced princes. Before coming here, she had heard much about the You siblings being suppressed by the clan elders.

Even You Jun, who held absolute power in Yannan, had never openly opposed the clan and maintained good relations with the elders, acting under the clan’s banner.

But for Tie Ci, these old and corrupt things were so putrid she couldn’t stand even looking at them.

You clan descendants had to respect the clan elders and listen to their words, or they couldn’t survive in Yannan.

But she wasn’t a You clan descendant.

She said: “Scram.”

The several elders all turned pale. Before they could become angry, Tie Ci’s guards had already escorted them out.

Tie Ci coldly watched those elders angrily looking back repeatedly, pointing and gesticulating, and quietly ordered: “The several You clan elders who came today—send people to ‘console’ them tonight. During my time in Yannan, I don’t want to see them pointing fingers and giving orders again.”

The power of rural gentry and clan forces ultimately relied on ethical teachings and customs that had been deeply rooted in people’s hearts for thousands of years. In the eyes of true rulers, they weren’t as worthy of attention as a patrol inspector who held military power.

If I treat you as somebody, then you are somebody.

If I treat you as dog shit, you can only stink up the streets.

Bu Qing accepted the order to “console” them. Being a straightforward desert man, he didn’t know how to “console” properly, but fortunately Pang Duan, representative of magistrates who destroyed families and prefects who ruined houses, would provide guidance.

They had to be questioned until they fled in panic and shut up for good.

Soon after, Murong Yi brought rather bad news—they hadn’t found You Weixuan.

Her courtyard was empty of people. Only now did Tie Ci notice that all the red decorations from her last visit were gone.

Of course, having lost You Weixing as a hostage, You Jun would naturally want to keep You Weixuan in his grasp.

Tie Ci didn’t stay in Yannan Prince’s Manor. At this time, her taking over the nest might provoke certain sensitive emotions among Kun Prefecture’s people. She simply paid handsomely for a mansion next to the prince’s manor and moved in. Of her three thousand guards, she kept only the most elite portion, with the rest stationed outside the city.

She ordered the coffin to be replaced and the royal tomb to be restored, commanding the prince’s manor ceremonial officials to choose an auspicious day to rebury Yannan Prince. On the reburial day, monks and Taoists from temples and monasteries throughout Kun Prefecture gathered for grand ceremonies, with Tie Ci personally presiding over the rites. Every household in Kun Prefecture burned incense and everyone prayed. For three full days, the entire city was bathed in the solemn yet rich fragrance of sandalwood.

This grand ceremony won Tie Ci much goodwill from Yannan’s people. Since her arrival, she hadn’t pursued the remaining officials who hadn’t followed the You father and son in their disappearance, even offering gentle reassurances. Once those anxious officials had set their minds at ease, Tie Ci smiled pleasantly and said to the various officials: “The You father and son have wolfish ambitions and act perversely. I have already collected much evidence of their illegal activities—enough to justify executing their entire family ten times over. But my understanding of the situation is one thing, while your consciences are another. You all worked day and night with the You father and son, serving alongside their lackeys. Naturally you know their conduct and behavior better than I do. I hope you will all soon demonstrate your loyalty to the court by reporting on these scoundrels and setting things right. I have people specifically recording this, and merit will be determined based on the order and circumstances of each person’s reports.” After sending away those whose faces had changed color, she finally stood on the steps pointing at the lantern hanging from the door eaves and smiled: “Everyone can rest assured—if you find daylight inconvenient, twelve hours a day, day and night, through snow and rain, this door will remain open for you until I leave Yannan.”

Having said this, she went back to sleep, not caring what turmoil now roiled in these people’s hearts.

After these people returned to their residences, she ordered people to stand guard outside their mansions. They did nothing else except prevent these people from sending others out to collude and exchange information. Anyone seen was knocked unconscious.

When those officials who had sent stewards and servants to coordinate between residences sat in their homes waiting for news that never came, and upon inquiry discovered that those they had sent out had either disappeared or been knocked out with clubs at their own back doors, they understood the Crown Princess’s meaning.

She wouldn’t allow collusion, wouldn’t allow factionalism, wouldn’t allow any coordinated action. She wanted them to stay home, anxious and restless, constantly speculating about whether anyone had gone to report, who had gone first, and what they had said.

What they didn’t know was that Tie Ci had blocked their doors not only to prevent them from communicating with colleagues, but also to prevent the You father and son from sending people to continue their connections with them.

Having temporarily expelled the You father and son, though uncertain whether they had any backup plans, Tie Ci wanted to take advantage of this rare window of time and the You father and son’s temporary weakness to first settle the officialdom of Kun Prefecture and surrounding cities.

Once the core region was stabilized, everything else would be minor skirmishes.

Since You Jun lacked the determination to fight to mutual destruction and chose to temporarily withdraw, he had to be prepared for a retreat that could become a thousand-li rout.

After all, in these officials’ eyes, Yannan’s military forces no longer belonged to him. How could he contend with the Crown Princess who carried elite guards and had Qian Prefecture and Xiao Xueya’s armies responding from the borders of both regions? Yannan’s submission to the Crown Princess was almost unquestionable.

And these officials—who among them hadn’t gotten some dirt on their backsides over the years? Now locked in their homes with wild imaginings, they couldn’t help but become increasingly frightened, fearing their colleagues would use them as tribute to first satisfy the Crown Princess’s appetite.

The first to “visit” the Crown Princess was Kun Prefecture’s prefect.

With the You father and son controlling everything, Kun Prefecture’s prefect was like their little follower. Now seeing the wind had changed direction overnight, his thoughts became active.

As they say, wealth comes from taking risks. Kun Prefecture’s prefect gritted his teeth and knocked on the mansion’s back door.

He was quietly brought inside and emerged not long after with a face full of spring breeze, holding an exquisite little box. When people inquired, he didn’t avoid the topic, smiling as he said it was a gift from the Crown Princess, who had also promised him a capital official position at no lower rank than his current one.

Both might be fourth rank, but a fourth-rank capital official and a fourth-rank official in this frontier region were completely different matters.

When the first person came knocking, Tie Ci ordered the blockades on various residences to be lifted.

So when other officials sent people to gather intelligence, they saw that someone had already gone to submit their pledge of loyalty and obviously received very good treatment.

People began going out one after another. Generally, those who went earlier came out later with more relaxed expressions.

Those who went later came out faster with more serious expressions.

It was said that later the Crown Princess no longer received visitors personally—all were received by Pang Duan, the prefect of Pingyun Prefecture in Qian Prefecture.

Having a mere prefect receive these high local officials made the Crown Princess’s displeasure obvious.

Even more people couldn’t sit still.

There was another type of person who couldn’t sit still.

The first to visit—Kun Prefecture’s prefect—was riding in his sedan chair back to his residence when he was assassinated just three zhang from his gate.

More than ten assassins first fired a volley of crossbow bolts, then drew blades and jumped down from rooftops, shouting “Kill those who betray Yannan! Kill those who betray the Commander!” as they charged toward the sedan chair.

The leader struck at the sedan curtain with his blade, the stroke heavy and powerful, determined to kill this ringleader of betrayal before his own gate as a bloody warning to all fence-sitters.

Then kill everyone in the residence.

To make them understand that even though Commander You had temporarily withdrawn, Yannan still belonged to Commander You.

And Commander You would absolutely not allow traitors to live!

The blade struck down, cutting the sedan curtain cleanly in half, but no screams came from within.

Probably scared unconscious. The assassin’s blade tip thrust forward to cut the traitor in half as well, using the most horrifying death to shock hearts and minds.

But the blade suddenly caught, then retreated inch by inch. The assassin watched the blade slowly withdraw until he saw a muscular, tattooed arm.

The arm was garishly decorated with who knows what, the five short fingers all calloused, and the blade tip was gripped in those five fingers. Then with a snap, the blade tip shattered.

Bu Qing, who had been sitting in the sedan chair all along, grinned fiercely and backhanded a punch, driving the broken blade into the assassin’s heart.

Outside, those assassins had already been counter-killed by people Tie Ci had arranged, leaving no survivors.

If someone wanted to kill to make an example for her, she absolutely wouldn’t hesitate to make a counter-example.

You Jun wanted to use brutal killing methods to demonstrate he still possessed strength, intimidating those officials who were always best at being fence-sitters, making her lose the initiative.

She would use the same methods to show those officials—rest assured, the Crown Princess can handle it.

Before Kun Prefecture prefect’s gate, blood flowed like a river.

Those who had wanted to slaughter everyone in the residence now had their heads hanging on the walls in a neat row.

The struggle between the Crown Princess and You Jun, from dawn to dusk, from wisdom to courage, never retreated.

Such shocking news usually spreads quickly, instantly blowing like wind through all the residences in Yannan qualified to participate in this struggle.

By dawn, the Crown Princess widely distributed invitations and held a grand banquet, inviting the first batch of officials who had come to surrender the previous day to sit at the head table. She praised them lavishly and promised on the spot to promote them two ranks.

This was both bestowing favor and roasting them over a fire. Those officials had secretly surrendered, still hoping to play both sides, but the Crown Princess immediately cut off that path.

Probably only Kun Prefecture’s prefect sat calmly and drank happily without psychological burden.

After all, You Jun couldn’t tolerate him anymore either. Now his only path was to cling tightly to the Crown Princess’s coattails.

After three rounds of wine, Chi Xue quietly entered and handed over an invitation in a bright red envelope.

Seeing Chi Xue’s expression, Tie Ci knew something was amiss. Indeed, Chi Xue whispered that the invitation was delivered by a small beggar outside the door, who threw it at the entrance and left very nimbly. She had ordered people to pursue, but they might not catch up.

Tie Ci glanced at the seemingly unconcerned but secretly observing gazes of those below and calmly opened the envelope.

After reading it, she raised her eyebrows and smiled.

“Commander You is inviting me to drink at the young lady’s wedding wine.”

The entire hall was shocked.

“Mm, including all of you present as well.”

The Kun Prefecture officials were even more alarmed.

Tie Ci slowly folded up the invitation.

There were words she didn’t say, lest these grass-like people be beaten down by frost too early.

You Jun had not only formally invited her to drink at You Weixuan’s wedding, but also invited all the officials present—those who had come to surrender last night and those drinking today, with not a single name missing, even arranged according to the order of their visits last night.

This was equivalent to telling her and all the fence-sitters that Kun Prefecture remained under his control, and he could see everything.

But so what?

Tie Ci casually tossed aside the invitation and turned to discuss with Chi Xue trivial matters like what congratulatory gifts should be sent for wedding wine in Yannan and what clothes she should wear. The officials had initially been somewhat panicked, but seeing her completely unconcerned, their hearts gradually settled.

After finishing the wine, Tie Ci headed to the back courtyard. Passing through the garden, she saw Murong Yi sitting there flipping through some book.

Tie Ci was greatly puzzled.

Murong Yi’s learning wasn’t poor, but he didn’t enjoy reading. In all their time together, she had only seen him flip through pirated copies of “Chronicles of Ci’s Heart.”

To him, books were sometimes table leg supports, sometimes pillows that were still too hard.

Tie Ci curiously approached and saw that Murong Yi was not only flipping through a book, but had brush, ink, paper and inkstone prepared beside him. You Weixing was diligently grinding ink—the ink on the orange clay crouching tiger inkstone was already so thick it was about to overflow, yet he continued grinding earnestly.

These past few days You Weixing had been following Murong Yi around. Murong Yi treated him differently than Tie Ci did. Tie Ci always integrated various knowledge into daily life to teach You Weixing, constantly guiding and reminding him, while Murong Yi treated him completely like an ordinary person, never helping him, even ordering him around. When displeased with his service, he would scold him. Like now—seeing too much ink at a glance, he raised his hand to pat You Weixing’s head and told him to change inkstones and wash his hands.

But he never called You Weixing stupid.

You Weixing trotted off to wash his hands. Tie Ci looked at what Murong Yi had written and discovered it was actually dates, one by one.

Looking at the book again—ah, an almanac.

Tie Ci immediately knew the enchantress was about to cause trouble.