Yun Shu's expression remained unchanged. She naturally could not believe that these fair-weather ministers were genuinely repentant.
However, none of this mattered.
With a wave of her sleeve, she infected all of them with a rare Gu insect that fed specifically on wicked people—the Evil-Devouring Gu.
Before anyone could react, they felt a slight numbness in their wrists, as if bitten by a mosquito.
Someone subconsciously rolled up their sleeve to check.
Then, he discovered in horror that a butterfly-shaped mark had appeared out of thin air on his wrist.
“W-What is this?!”
“I have one on my hand too!”
“Divine Lady, what is this?”
“We beg the Divine Lady to enlighten us!”
The Divine Lady's expression remained as detached as the misty mountains.
“This mark will follow you for the rest of your lives. Only when the good deeds you perform offset your sins will it disappear.”
She paused.
“Conversely, if you harbor evil thoughts or commit evil deeds, you will suffer a backlash from the mark and die a sudden death.”
Everyone's faces instantly stiffened.
According to what the Divine Lady had just said, this butterfly-shaped mark was, to them, an executioner's blade that could fall at any moment.
Fortunately, however, their lives were temporarily spared.
“Thank you, Divine Lady, for sparing our lives! We will certainly keep your teachings in mind and perform more good deeds in the future...”
The Divine Lady listened to the ministers' unison of pledges, her expression showing no change, making it impossible to read her mood.
Just as the ministers were feeling anxious and uneasy, Pei Du stepped out of the military formation and walked up to the Divine Lady.
He bowed to the Divine Lady with cupped hands. His voice was not loud, but every word was exceptionally clear. “Divine Lady, many cities in the south have not yet been reclaimed. Remnants of the old regime still occupy them, and the common people are suffering. I, Pei Du, boldly request your permission for General Feng and me to lead the Zhenbei Army to reclaim the lost territories, pacify the chaos, and restore peace to the realm.”
The Divine Lady nodded slightly. “Granted.”
Pei Du's expression relaxed. Just as he was about to kowtow in gratitude, the Divine Lady's gaze swept past him and landed on the group of ministers kneeling on the ground, still clutching their wrists and trembling. She spoke again.
“Although your moral conduct is lacking, you are familiar with the administration and local conditions of the southern cities. You may accompany the army to redeem yourselves through service.”
As soon as these words were spoken, the ministers' faces turned even paler than when they had been dragged out by the golden ropes earlier.
Accompany the army?
Were they, a group of civil officials who usually lived in pampered comfort, expected to climb mountains, cross rivers, and go to war alongside a bunch of rough soldiers?
In the crowd, several elderly ministers had already begun to tremble all over, wishing they could faint on the spot.
However, the strange butterfly-shaped mark on their wrists was faintly burning, as if silently reminding them of the consequences of defying the Divine Lady—with the State Preceptor as a recent warning.
“We... we obey your command...”
A scattered chorus of responses rose, their voices tinged with an unmistakable weakness.
The Divine Lady did not even spare them another glance.
She turned. The twelve-tasseled imperial crown emitted a soft, rustling sound of clashing beads. As her robes fluttered, her figure slowly rose into the air, surrounded by a swirling golden light, looking like a rising sun.
Immediately after, the golden light around her suddenly flared, so bright that everyone on the plaza closed their eyes and shielded their faces.
By the time they opened their eyes again, the Divine Lady had long vanished. Only the remaining golden specks of light slowly drifted down from the sky, like a silent snowfall.
Once she was invisible, the first thing Yun Shu said to the little fox was, “Tongzi, install monitors on these ministers.”
Human survival instincts are very strong.
There were many noble families in the south, with deeply entrenched power. If she pushed them too hard and made them feel they had no way out, they would most likely rise up in rebellion against her, the Divine Lady.
It would not be difficult for the Zhenbei Army to wipe out these noble families, but once force was used, it would inevitably lead to a bloodbath. Many innocent lives would be sacrificed, which was not what she wanted.
The best approach right now was to use these ministers to reclaim the seven southern prefectures first, then slowly weaken the influence of the noble families, returning power to the hands of the common people.
Although she had infected them with the Evil-Devouring Gu, she still did not trust these slippery old ministers. To prevent them from defecting at the last moment, she had to have the little fox monitor them at all times.
“Host, the monitors have been installed,” the little fox said, looking up to claim credit from Yun Shu. “Can I have an extra pork shank today?”
“I'll let you have two extra,” Yun Shu replied, reaching out to pat the little fox's head.
Meanwhile, back on the plaza.
A long while after the Divine Lady had vanished, the ministers, who had been kneeling on the ground for a long time, finally dared to stand up, trembling.
They looked at each other, the terror still lingering on their faces, but their minds had already begun to calculate by reflex.
Now, they were essentially criminals seeking redemption. According to the Divine Lady's intent, they would probably only survive if they achieved great merits in the upcoming war to unify the north and the south.
Thinking of this, they gathered around Feng Chunya and Pei Du in unison, eager to secure an opportunity to earn merit.
“General Feng, I am an old acquaintance of the defending general of Wu Commandery! I can go to Wu Commandery to persuade him to pledge allegiance to the Divine Lady!”
The minister did not know Feng Chunya, but he was observant. He could see that her prestige in the Zhenbei Army was extremely high, and he was naturally not stupid enough to look down on her just because she was a woman.
Nearby, someone else looked at Pei Du with a flattering expression.
“Young Master Pei, I am from the Feng family of Heluo, so we are fellow townsmen! I can return to my hometown and persuade my father!”
“General Feng, I can donate grain to the Zhenbei Army...”
Feng Chunya looked at Pei Du. Seeing him nod, she then spoke to the gathered ministers. “It is naturally excellent that you all have this intention. The Zhenbei Army will depart from the city tomorrow at the Hour of the Monkey. A list of required provisions will be delivered to your estates shortly. I hope to see your sincerity before dark.”
Having set out with the Divine Lady, the Zhenbei Army had brought more than enough provisions and did not need these ministers to prepare any. She only thought of the starving, skeletal citizens in the city; if she could use the grain wrung out from these ministers to relieve them, it would be a good thing.
Yun Shu stood nearby, having not yet left. Her gaze toward Feng Chunya was filled with appreciation and pride.
“Not bad. She even knows how to seize the opportunity to squeeze these ministers and make them spit out the grain they extorted from the common people.”
The little fox lay in Yun Shu's arms. “Host, Feng Chunya used to be such an honest person. Now that she's spent so much time around scheming scholars like Pei Du, she's become quite sharp too.”
Yun Shu said, “Every one of them is making progress.”
The little fox was about to agree, but then suddenly remembered someone. “Well, maybe not everyone. Aside from growing taller every year, I have no idea what progress Fang Shuo has made.”
Yun Shu: “...”
She had actually forgotten about that mascot.
“All right. While Feng Chunya and the others reclaim the south, we should also hurry up and get to work.”
As she spoke, she had already opened the system wardrobe and found the fully leveled Peerless National Beauty Set.
Many cities in the south were plagued by toxic miasma, making the local residents prone to headaches and generally short-lived. The skill of Rippling Lotus Leaves, the handheld piece of the Peerless National Beauty Set, was to dispel all toxic miasma, which was perfect for solving this problem.
Furthermore, it could also improve the soil quality and water sources along the way.
The people of this world suffered too much. Since she had the power to change their living environment, she naturally had to do it.
Rate on N.U.
