Chapter 11: Death Note

Wu Ciyun, after seeing Rong Tan, went straight to the study; in this, she had not lied.

Ning Prefecture was now in utter chaos, and coupled with her serious illness over the past few days, official business had piled up like a mountain.

Early this morning, an official from Prince Rui’s faction sent word, requesting an audience together with Ruijing Army’s commander, Su Wuke.

Last night, snow had just fallen, and today, for once, the weather was clear.

The pure white snow had piled up overnight, weighing down the tree branches.

Wu Mingzhu tricked Wu Liangyu into standing beneath a tree.

She was slightly taller than Wu Liangyu, and with a stretch of her hand, hooked a branch, causing the accumulated snow to fall in a flurry, landing right on Wu Liangyu’s face.

He was so furious he started chasing after Wu Mingzhu.

“Such mischief, never a moment of proper behavior all day long.”

Wu Ciyun, draped in a thick cloak, watched the two children playing from afar, unable to help but scold them with a smile.

A maid under the corridor quickly said, “This servant will bring Young Master and Young Miss back right away.”

“Let them play, there’s no need to restrain them.”

Wu Ciyun spoke gently, “I’ve had the kitchen prepare Ginger Jujube Soup. After they’re done playing, make sure Mingzhu and Liangyu each have some to ward off the cold, then bring a bowl to Rong Tan and say it’s from me.”

There were already two invalids in the household; if there were two more little sicklings, it would truly be one illness after another.

“My Lady, Lord Jo and General Su have arrived.”

“Let them in first.”

Wu Ciyun’s previously softened expression instantly turned cold.

After a pause, she added to the young attendant waiting under the corridor, “If Mingzhu and Liangyu want to come in later, you don’t need to stop them.”

The young attendant found this strange, but still quickly agreed.

The study had a heated kang, already warm enough, but because Wu Ciyun was frail and afraid of the cold, several more braziers had been added.

The official pushed open the door from the freezing world outside, and the rush of warm air melted the fine snow on his body.

He handed his cloak to a maid and said with a smile, “It’s icy and frigid outside, but here in your house, Lady Wu, it feels like spring.”

Wu Ciyun invited the two to sit.

The official did not refuse, boldly thanking her and sitting below her seat.

Su Wuke, being a military man, was not afraid of the cold, and instead found the warmth uncomfortable, so he simply sat by the window, the closest spot.

Wu Ciyun keenly noticed Su Wuke’s discomfort and instructed the maid, “It’s stuffy in here. Go open the window.”

The maid silently went over and opened half the window.

The cool air outside, mingled with a hint of plum fragrance, drifted in.

Wu Ciyun almost coughed instinctively, but managed to hold it back.

“I wonder if my lady’s health has fully recovered. As they say, ‘an illness leaves like silk drawn from a cocoon.’ Please do take good care of yourself.”

The official, seeing Wu Ciyun’s pale face, feigned concern with a few words, then had several official documents presented.

“Lady Wu has been ill these past days, and Ning Prefecture has been leaderless. His Highness ordered me to assist you. If there’s anything inappropriate, I hope you’ll be tolerant.”

Though his words were polite, he made it clear he was acting under Prince Rui’s orders, leaving no room for Wu Ciyun to object.

Wu Ciyun skimmed the documents at lightning speed.

They were all about the appointment and dismissal of Ning Prefecture officials and city defense arrangements—matters that should have been hers to decide, now all taken over by others.

Her expression remained unchanged as she said calmly, “Lord Jo has handled things well; I can’t find any major faults. There are just one or two oversights to correct.”

The official raised his brows and smiled, pressing, “Where exactly is the mistake? Please, enlighten me.”

Wu Ciyun chuckled, then called out for the guard outside.

“Ling Tian, go deliver my orders.”

“The Prefect Wang Zhong has harmed the country and the people. Since the twelfth year of Yuan Cheng, he has embezzled eight million, seven hundred and fifty thousand taels, half of which was Ning Prefecture’s disaster relief funds. His crimes are monstrous and he should be executed according to the law.”

“Lord Cheng’an, Xiao Siqi, colluded with the Prince of Pingnan to form factions for personal gain, used his influence to sell offices and titles, harmed colleagues, and pocketed nearly twenty million taels for personal profit. Execute.”

“Chief Historian Li Chengxi has been a heartless official, oppressing the people. Together with his elder brother, Li Chengjian, they have repeatedly defiled women and forced good women into prostitution. Both are to be executed.”

“Judicial Officer Zhang Shouzheng, cousin of Wang Zhong, beat an innocent person to death in the street in the thirteenth year of Yuan Cheng, forcibly seized a hundred mu of fertile land, and embezzled one million, four hundred and eighty thousand taels. Execute.”

***

As Wu Ciyun spoke, she marked the papers with a red brush, paying no heed to the official’s face, which had turned completely black.

She tossed the documents, now covered in her red annotations, to the guard.

The System was so stunned it kept clicking its tongue.

A set of documents for promotions and titles had been turned by Wu Ciyun into a Death Note.

“Lady Wu, what are you doing!”

The official slapped the table and shouted, “The appointment and dismissal of Ning Prefecture officials are His Highness’s will…”

“His Highness is not familiar with Ning Prefecture’s affairs, which is why he chose so many corrupt officials. Now I am helping him set things right. Why should Lord Jo be angry?”

Wu Ciyun took a sip of tea and said lightly, “A Ming, bring the Account Books and Case Files for Lord Jo to see.”

A Ming, already prepared, placed a pile of Account Books and Case Files in front of the official.

He barely glanced at a few pages before slamming the books shut, his face ashen.

These were all found in the homes of Ning Prefecture officials and could not be faked.

Prince Rui was not unaware of the corruption in Ning Prefecture, but to win people’s hearts, he had to handle these matters gently.

Wu Ciyun, however, insisted on doing the opposite.

Anyone who didn’t know better would think she was a paragon of justice.

“Lady Wu, if you insist on this, I cannot object, but since this is such a serious matter, why not send a letter to His Highness for instructions before taking action…”

“What’s the point in sparing such corrupt officials who harm the people?”

The silent Su Wuke suddenly spoke, ordering the guard directly, “Why are you still here? Go deliver the orders!”

The guard responded at once, grabbing the documents filled with red marks and quickly leaving.

“General Su, you…”

The official trembled with anger, but was powerless.

Though it was called the Ruijing Army, its power structure was complex.

In reality, Prince Rui’s direct command was only about forty percent.

Su Wuke, though the commander, was not Prince Rui’s vassal.

Now that he supported Wu Ciyun’s proposal, even if the official invoked Prince Rui’s name, it was useless.

“Since further talk is pointless, I’ll trouble Lady Wu to explain to His Highness in person. I take my leave!”

With a cold face, the official left a threatening remark and stormed out without hesitation, planning to gallop off and inform Prince Rui.

For a moment, only Wu Ciyun and Su Wuke were left in the study.

Su Wuke glanced at Wu Ciyun’s calm face and was about to speak when laughter and cheerful voices came from outside the window.

“Big Brother, guess what we brought you!”

At the sound, Su Wuke instinctively turned his head and, seeing the two children at the window, was thunderstruck, staring at their faces in a daze, unable to utter a word.

Wu Mingzhu and Wu Liangyu, seeing Prince Rui’s official leave, thought Wu Ciyun was finally free.

Since the young attendant hadn’t stopped them, they snuck over to surprise him, not expecting there was still a guest in the study.

Su Wuke, nearly forty, had a cold, stern appearance, and years of military life gave him an air of killing intent.

Wu Mingzhu and Wu Liangyu were startled, shrinking back, wanting to run away.

“Mingzhu, Liangyu, come in.”

Wu Ciyun called them in. Wu Mingzhu and Wu Liangyu, who loved clinging to him the most, didn’t think much of it and ran into the study.

“Big Brother, Ginger Jujube Soup.”

Wu Liangyu, eager for praise, placed the warm Ginger Jujube Soup on the table.

Wu Mingzhu, acting mysterious, sidled up to Wu Ciyun and whispered, “Big Brother, give me your hand, I have something good for you.”

Wu Ciyun couldn’t help but laugh.

She casually stretched out her left hand, and Wu Mingzhu immediately took out a string of vibrant jade prayer beads and wound them around her wrist.

Wu Ciyun was a bit surprised and asked, “Where did you get this?”

Wu Mingzhu grinned, “Housekeeper Rong gave it to me. It really looks good on you, Big Brother.”

“Lady Wu, these two children…”

Su Wuke finally recovered from his shock.

Staring at their faces, so similar to his late sister’s, his voice trembled.

Wu Ciyun replied calmly, “These are Mingzhu and Liangyu. The names were chosen by my teacher’s wife. They are seven years old this year.”

“Good, good…”

Su Wuke never imagined his sister still had living descendants.

He burst into tears, repeating, “Heaven truly has eyes…”

Back then, the entire Wu family had been executed, not even sparing infants in swaddling clothes.

He always thought these two children were gone as well, never expecting they had survived.

Wu Liangyu and Wu Mingzhu didn’t know what had happened or why the stern man before them was suddenly weeping.

Frightened, they clung to Wu Ciyun.

With a gentle face, Wu Ciyun comforted them, “Don’t be afraid. You haven’t met him before—this is your uncle, Mingzhu and Liangyu’s family.”

She took the bowl of Ginger Jujube Soup and said softly, “I won’t drink this. Take it to your uncle and let him have a taste.”

Wu Mingzhu nodded.

The two children, one carrying pastries, the other the Ginger Jujube Soup, piped up, “Uncle, don’t cry, have some soup.”

Su Wuke took the bowl.

He smelled a familiar scent, but whether it was from medicinal herbs or mingled with his tears, the taste was bitter, nothing like what his sister used to make.

But he still finished the bowl in big gulps, then pulled the two children into his arms.

Thinking of his sister, now long buried, his heart ached all the more.

Wu Mingzhu and Wu Liangyu didn’t know how to comfort him—one used a sleeve to wipe Su Wuke’s tears, the other hurriedly stuffed a pastry in his mouth.

Wu Ciyun didn’t interfere, resting her chin in her hand, watching the three of them together, a smile unconsciously appearing on her face.

The System rarely saw such unguarded emotion from Wu Ciyun.

It whispered, [I always thought you were a heartless cold-blooded animal…]

Wu Ciyun couldn’t be bothered to answer.

She and Prince Rui were allies, but both guarded against each other.

Prince Rui was unwilling to give her real power, and she was unwilling to obey him completely.

Today’s conflict would inevitably lead to more struggles in the future.

But it didn’t matter.

Because from today on, the Su Family, who held military power, would surely give her their full support.