She dragged her to a secluded corner of the Castle Lord’s Mansion.
Looking around to make sure no one was there, Nidnia finally let go of Willis.
When she turned around, she saw that half-smiling expression on the other’s face.
She became even more irritated.
“Xiao Wei! Be serious!”
Seeing the other’s solemn look, Willis suppressed her smile.
She asked, “What’s wrong?”
“What do you mean what’s wrong? That Anne—she’s someone from the First Princess’s side!”
“How long have you even known her? And then… and then…”
After hesitating for a while, Nidnia finally gritted her teeth and said, “And you stuck so close to her?”
“I saw you two, your chests were almost touching!”
“Huh? Was it that exaggerated?”
Willis exclaimed in surprise.
“You’re mad about this?”
“Then what else would I be mad about?!”
Nidnia poked Willis’s forehead, hating her for being hopeless.
“Don’t you realize your current status—you’ve just become an Imperial Princess!”
“Everything must be done cautiously!”
“We’ve just arrived at the Castle Lord’s Mansion, and the First Princess hasn’t become suspicious yet, but if you get so close to her people…”
“What if they notice something’s off? I know you’re pretending that Willis likes women.”
“But you…”
Nidnia bit her lip in frustration, looking firmly at Willis.
“But did you have to act so realistic?!”
“Oh?”
Willis held back her laughter and asked,
“Then what do you think I should do?”
“You should first learn more about the former Willis’s habits, and for anything different, just use the excuse ‘I’ve been wandering outside for years, many habits have changed’ to cover it up.”
“In any case, you absolutely can’t get that close to those women again—at least not until you completely become Willis!”
Facing Nidnia’s forcefulness, Willis was puzzled.
“Then when is it considered complete?”
“That…”
Nidnia was momentarily at a loss for how to judge.
In the end, she could only say, “I’ll help you decide when the time comes!”
Willis’s eyes widened.
Let you decide?
What if you never acknowledge it?
Besides, I’m the real Willis, how much more can I change?
“I heard there are also Elves captured by Willis inside the mansion?”
“Yes!”
Willis’s eyes shifted.
“At the time, I met Sielyou as the real Willis and revealed my identity. My royal sister believed me right away.”
“She even said that it was no wonder her royal sister’s personality suddenly changed and became cruel one day years ago—it turned out she’d been swapped.”
“So, those Elves captured by the fake Willis naturally helped attack her subordinate Nightfall out of hatred.”
Of course, these lines were nothing but Willis’s impromptu lies.
After all, Nidnia and Borden weren’t present during the incident at the Castle Lord’s Mansion, so she could make up whatever she wanted.
The truth was, the Elves acted because they were threatened by Winnie’s safety.
Of course, this was also related to the fact that Willis had never harmed them.
No matter what, Willis had saved these Elves from the hands of the Rebels.
On that night in the mountains outside Yufeng Valley, if Willis hadn’t arrived in time, they would have been wiped out.
The women would have been sold, the men killed.
It couldn’t have been more tragic.
Although Willis’s reputation was bad, and she didn’t treat the Elves courteously,
She was still their savior.
Though the Elves didn’t say it out loud, they acknowledged this in their hearts.
So asking for their help wasn’t too difficult.
The problem now was hiding all this from Nidnia and the others.
[It’s better to find a chance to send them away. Staying here won’t get us anywhere.]
[But I do want to see Nidnia’s reaction if she learns the truth. No, no, better not in the short term…]
Thinking this, Willis heard Nidnia whisper in her ear.
“If that’s the case, then these Elves can be used by you!”
“Even if they can’t stay, you should still build good relations.”
“Elves are always clear about grudges and gratitude. You saved them, they helped you, so we’ve established a friendship.”
“With this connection, we might be able to gain some support in the future.”
Willis couldn’t take it anymore and quickly said,
“Nidnia sis, let’s not worry about these things for now. Let’s focus on the mines.”
“Go find Commander Wei Fu and have him take people to the mines.”
“There aren’t enough supervisors now, so let’s just get those ten or so large mines running first.”
The foundation of Ushi City was mining and its related industries.
After the great battle, the mines had been left unattended for two or three days.
Willis wouldn’t let her wealth stagnate like this.
“As for miners, hehe, you know, right?”
Nidnia showed a satisfied smile.
“Of course. The families of the noble clans, the rich, and the Rebel soldiers are all being watched…”
“Uncle Borden was complaining to me last night that there were too many people wailing and crying, and he wished he could just shoot them all.”
After all, being the family of those villains, being hated was only natural.
But how could Willis let them off so easily?
“That won’t do. These people are all free miners!”
She said, showing an insidious smile.
“Their masters, husbands, sons, brothers… Rebels, parasites, not executing them for their crimes is already a mercy!”
“Now, as an Imperial Princess, I’m being merciful by sending them to the mines to atone for their sins.”
“You’re so bad!”
Nidnia punched her chest, laughing.
“But I like this punishment.”
Now, since they lost their civilian or noble status due to guilt by association, they were basically slaves.
They’d be branded, and their status would be even lower than the current civilian miners.
“But there are many women and children among them. What should we do with those?”
“Mm, that is a problem…”
Willis rubbed her chin, thinking.
“Women don’t have to be miners, but they can do other work like weaving and other crafts.”
“As for the children…”
Willis sighed.
“Gather them together, train them, and form a Xiaoyu Corps, drilling by day and teaching by night.”
Willis had decided—these children were highly adaptable.
With proper education, they could become excellent soldiers in the future.
Of course, any who proved stubborn would have to face her ruthlessness.
“Everywhere needs manpower and stability now. Nidnia sis, I have to rely on you all.”
If it were the Dead Fake Princess, she might have killed everyone involved without hesitation.
But Willis wouldn’t do that.
They were wealth, a source of money.
They were also soldiers and free labor!
Because of their criminal status, no one would plead for them.
Punishing them was only right.
Even Nidnia felt that Willis’s arrangements were letting them off easy.
“But since they’re miners now, their workload and living conditions have to be improved. We can’t use the old standards.”
Willis said.
“They’re our property now, so at least let them live at the minimum standard of ordinary people.”
“If they die, who will we exploit… No, they’d have no place to atone for their sins.”
At this, Nidnia laughed.
“That’s being merciful. Let them and their descendants serve Ushi City forever!”
With that, Nidnia left to find the new Mangyin Army commander—Wei Fu.
She began organizing with him.