In the entire eastern and western barracks, those who were trusted were all Duke Zhongqin’s underlings. Those who refused to submit to him or did not join his corruption were treated with disdain.

The best-case scenario was losing their positions as deputy officers or generals, becoming ordinary soldiers. Worse yet, they were driven out of the eastern barracks for various reasons.

Those who remained in the barracks were either indifferent to his actions or still worked for him, even though they knew about his crimes.

The general, after speaking, looked incredibly grim.

However, he still clung to some hope.

After all, Wen Yue Sheng was here today to recruit soldiers.

If she killed so many generals now, what would happen when the joint army exercises came soon? Without anyone to lead, how could the massive guard army participate in the exercises?

And how could she explain this to the emperor?

Thus, he hoped that by making such a statement, he was helping Wen Yue Sheng. She shouldn’t take his life, after all.

But to his astonishment, after hearing his words, Wen Yue Sheng simply coldly replied, “Do it.” Without hesitation, and with no emotion.

The sound of clubs hitting flesh echoed, sending shivers down the spines of those listening.

The entire eastern barracks was eerily silent. All that could be heard were the cries of the generals as they were beaten.

The scene was utterly silent.

No one expected that Wen Yuesheng, on her first day dealing with the three major guard armies, would execute so many generals.

And these people, from generals to deputy officers, even the common soldiers, were all not spared.

She directly and decisively removed the web of influence that had once loomed over the three major guard armies.

Even those generals who had either turned a blind eye to his actions or helped him in his wicked deeds were stripped of their military achievements and punished by military law.

And it didn’t stop there.

“Bring him up.” Wen Yue Sheng stood on the high platform, the golden sunlight shining behind her.

Upon hearing her order, all the soldiers turned to look.

This was when they saw the person being dragged up, not anyone else but Duke Zhongqin.

Even though the Duke had his title, they never expected he would be dragged in front of the whole army.

Unlike the others she had executed earlier, Duke Zhongqin was an influential noble, with his influence deeply rooted in the imperial court.

Not even when the Crown Prince was at his most rampant had anyone dared to touch such powerful figures.

But today, Wen Yue Sheng was not only moving against him, but doing so right in front of all four major guard armies.

Duke Zhongqin, once so powerful, was now nothing more than a man who had been rendered powerless by Wen Yuesheng.

When the soldiers stormed his residence in the northern barracks, he didn’t even have time to react before being arrested and dragged to the eastern barracks.

Until the general spoke earlier, he hadn’t been able to utter a single word.

Now, standing in front of the entire army, Wen Yuesheng, standing far on the high platform, looked down coldly at Duke Zhongqin, her eyes full of malice.

“Today, the reason for your execution is simple. The military strength of Da Hui has been exhausted for many years, and in the border wars, we’ve been losing ground. And now, the enemy’s 500,000-strong army is approaching.”

She pointed to the generals she had executed earlier, as well as to Duke Zhongqin.

“Their greed for power, their looting of resources, has only made our enemies stronger. And when the enemy comes, all these actions of greed will turn into the blades aimed at your parents, wives, children, and friends.”

The room fell silent.

Those who had once thought this power struggle had nothing to do with them now raised their heads in fear.

Wen Yue Sheng continued:

“Today, you may think you are far from the frontlines, but let me remind you, if the country falls, the enemy’s blades will not hesitate, whether you are a commoner, a soldier, or a high-ranking official. You will all perish.”

Her eyes grew colder, her voice unyielding.

“The soldiers of Da Hui must defend their homeland.”

“Those who disrupt the army’s discipline and disturb the morale of our forces…”

“Will be killed without mercy.”

The final words came out softly, but they were powerful, and after a moment of silence, the entire army cried out:

“Kill without mercy!”

“Kill without mercy!”

“Kill without mercy!”

The shout echoed through the sky.

“Place him before the army, decapitate him, and hang his head on the battlefield for three days as a warning.”

The wind blew through the autumn air as Wen Yue Sheng’s cold voice rang out.

As her voice fell, the executioner’s blade came down—

Thud!

The severed head fell to the ground, the last sound of defiance fading away.

Night had fallen, and the dew grew heavier.

Wen Yue Sheng walked back to the princess’s residence, her footsteps following the cool autumn wind.

As soon as she entered the estate, she saw the lamps flickering in the distance.

From where she entered, to the quiet pavilion in the side courtyard, every few steps, a bright lamp was lit.

Beneath these lights, the princess’s residence appeared tranquil and warm, as if even the desolate autumn wind had been softened.

When she reached the back of the pavilion, she saw the interior brightly lit. The brilliant lamps reflected in the autumn water, making it look as if the stars in the sky were scattered across the lake.

She had been busy lately, and all these lights had been arranged by Zhou Man Niang.

Tonight felt a little different. The two million taels of silver from Jiang Lu were something Wen Yue Sheng didn’t want. After thinking it over, she didn’t force the issue and instead used her own money to reinvest in her businesses.

Her ventures had been gradually getting on track, so Zhou Man Niang had arranged a feast to celebrate.

Besides them, there were also the Lu siblings, Jiang Lu, and…

Zhang Yu Lin followed behind Wen Yue Sheng as they entered the pavilion, his gaze immediately falling on the person standing in the corridor.

There was no moon tonight. He was dressed in a moon-white robe, standing tall and elegant at the lakeside.

Hearing the sound of footsteps, he looked up.

“Master Yan?” Gu Yu asked in surprise.

It was already quite late, and she hadn’t expected to see Yan Ling at the princess’s residence at this time.

Yan Ling’s eyes, which seemed to swirl like mist, turned toward her. He spoke softly, “Princess.”

Wen Yue Sheng gave a slight nod.

“Princess has returned.” Behind him stood the delighted Zhou Man Niang, Jiang Lu, and the others.

“Quick! Prepare to start the feast,” Zhou Man Niang said softly, leading Wen Yue Sheng inside.

Gu Yu took off Wen Yue Sheng’s cloak, noticing that Zhou Man Niang had already led Wen Yue Sheng to the main seat.

The table was filled with exquisite dishes. Since Wen Yue Sheng practiced Buddhist rituals, most of the food was vegetarian, though not entirely so, since she wasn’t a monk.

After Wen Yue Sheng sat down, Zhou Man Niang found herself in a bit of a dilemma. She hadn’t expected Yan Ling to attend, and given his status, it seemed inappropriate to seat him anywhere.

At her side, Jiang Lu chuckled and suggested, “Why not seat Master Yan next to the Princess?”

Since Sun Ming Yuan’s death, Jiang Lu had grown more radiant, her complexion improving day by day, and the scars on her body were healing with Zhou Man Niang’s medicinal salves.

Now, she appeared lively and vibrant, almost as if she had been reborn.

Zhou Man Niang agreed, and without further hesitation, moved Yan Ling to the seat beside Wen Yue Sheng.

Meanwhile, Lu Qinghuai couldn’t stop glancing at the two of them. He was curious—how had this ruthless and powerful minister suddenly started mixing with them?

Unable to figure it out, he looked up and asked, “Princess, was the troop inspection today successful?”

Zhang Yulin scratched his head and replied, “It was successful, I suppose—just a few people got killed.”

Lu Qinghuai:?

Upon hearing that Wen Yue Sheng had beheaded the Duke of Zhongqin, his expression darkened.

However, he wasn’t too shocked. Perhaps being around Wen Yue Sheng for so long had given him the impression that it was entirely normal for her to kill anyone she wanted.

But…

“The Duke of Zhongqin had a noble background. Now that the Princess has used him to establish her authority in the military, this might stir some trouble.”

But Lu Qing Huai wasn’t overly concerned. The Great Hui Dynasty had long been more focused on literature than the military. Their border forces were strong, but the troops in the capital, including the Imperial Guards, had many long-standing issues.

The people in charge were often incapable leaders.

With these soldiers, how could they possibly match the tens of thousands of troops from Hao Zhou?

The emperor had given her a golden belt to eliminate corruption.

So, even if the nobles caused some trouble, it wouldn’t have much impact on Wen Yue Sheng.

Unexpectedly, it was Yan Ling who responded.

This usually aloof man spoke in his cold, detached voice.

“It is precisely because of this that the matter cannot be allowed to spread only among the nobility.”

Everyone paused.

Lu Qing Huai, who had just picked up a shrimp, froze and looked up at him.

Yan Ling’s gaze, however, was fixed on Wen Yue Sheng. “It must not be allowed for them to seize the initiative and tarnish the Princess’s reputation.”

If today’s events were left unaddressed, and if those people were allowed to spread rumors, it would easily lead to accusations that Wen Yue Sheng was cruel and ruthless.

But everyone knew the real reasons behind the deaths of those soldiers.

Yan Ling spoke softly, “The Princess has done good, and she should not be left with a bad name.”

What he didn’t say was that in his world, even if Wen Yue Sheng did something evil, he would make sure she earned a good reputation.

She was already caught in a whirlpool, and if she didn’t fight back, she would only be passively beaten.

There were some things she didn’t want to do, so he would do them for her.

Jiang Lu was the first to speak. “Master Yan is right. For us merchants, if we do good, we must let others know.”

“I don’t do good for fame, but once good is done, I can’t just let others slander it.”

Lu Hong Ying asked, “But how can we make people know this is a good deed?”

Yan Ling’s gaze was deep and still. “Does Miss Jiang own any tea houses, taverns, or bookstores?”

Jiang Lu quickly understood. “Yes.”

“Then leave this matter to me. Please rest assured, Master Yan and the Princess.”

“I can also help, Miss Jiang,” Yan Ling said after a pause. “The smoke-filled houses and the Fan Lou in the capital are all my properties.”

Lu Qing Huai:…

He almost couldn’t hold back.

As a government official himself, he had no idea that Yan Ling was so wealthy.

That was Fan Lou, after all.

Anyone in Great Hui would know how expensive the drinks there were.

The tavern wasn’t just in the capital; it was all over Great Hui.

And he had only just found out that it was Yan Ling’s business.

Moreover… Jiang Lu was one thing. Everyone knew the real reason she was handling these properties. But how could Yan Ling, of all people, be helping Wen Yue Sheng like this?

Did Wen Yue Sheng put some kind of spell on him?

“The evil deeds of the Duke of Zhongqin must be made known to the world, not just the army or the court,” Yan Ling continued after a pause. “The army has long been corrupt, with many chronic issues that are hard to fix.”

“But there are many intelligent people in Great Hui. Reputation is crucial, whether for those who wish to join the Princess or the army.”

The room grew quiet.