Chapter 52: Killing the Chicken to Frighten the Monkey
An unprecedented wave of excitement swept across the capital. The Women's College—a pioneering initiative masterminded by the future Princess Ye, Dongfang Yuning, with the full support of the current Empress, Dongfang Qiwu, and personally advised by the Empress Dowager—ignited a citywide debate as soon as its construction plans were released.
Huge advertising posters endorsed by members of the Yuxiu Tiantuan were plastered all over the streets and alleys. The women in the pictures were either writing, playing the piano, practicing martial arts, or doing arithmetic, with confidence and radiance in their eyes, attracting countless women to stop and watch, with their hearts yearning for it.
The effect is immediate.
The Empress hosted a tea party at Yueji Pavilion in the palace, and the door was practically bustling with people. The invited ladies dressed in their finest attire, and the conversation was no longer focused on jewelry and fine clothing, but rather on Yuxiu Academy's curriculum, faculty, and—
The most crucial issue was how to ensure their daughter could secure that precious degree. Nangong Yue, as a core member of the Yuxiu group and a royal princess, became the center of attention, surrounded by the enthusiastic ladies and nobles, leaving her with little time to even sip tea.
The old empress dowager was in great spirits and from time to time she would send someone to give her some suggestions, either about the layout of the garden or about etiquette and norms, all of which were very substantial.
The source of all this prosperity is currently sitting in an elegant room in the college's temporary preparatory office.
The room was filled with the scent of sandalwood and elegantly decorated. On the long mahogany table in front of Dongfang Yuning, piled not with account books but with… thick stacks of banknotes that smelled of ink!
She held a small jade-tube wolf-hair brush in her hand, and spread out before her a delicate gold-sprinkled notebook, carefully recording stroke by stroke:
"The daughter of Lord Li, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Li Wanqing, has a deposit of 10,000 taels... Um, she's in Class B, Number 3."
"Zhou Mingxuan, the second daughter of the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery, pays a deposit of eight thousand taels... Class C, No. 1."
"Shen Miaorong, the eldest daughter of the Jiangnan Weaving Master Shen family, has paid a deposit of 12,000 taels... Wow, what a generous sum! Class A, No. 2!"
…
With every record, the smile on her lips deepened, and the light in her eyes was brighter than the light reflected by the pile of banknotes on the table.
The lady in charge of collecting bills was very skillful. She checked, stamped and issued receipts with smooth movements. Even so, beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
There was a long queue outside the door, all of whom were the important housekeepers or ladies in charge of each mansion. They were all looking forward to it, fearing that if they were a little late, the quota would be gone.
【System~】
Dongfang Yuning almost hummed a tune in the depths of his consciousness.
[It's rich! My hands are cramping from counting the money! Look at all this banknotes, they're piled up like a mountain! Wow, it turns out that the celebrity effect and the appeal of the top circles should not be underestimated in any era!]
The Yuxiu Tiantuan team's card was truly worth playing! Nangong Yue is simply our lucky cat! Sister Qiwu and Queen Mother Old Baby are the stabilizing force!
System 118:
[Ding—Detecting a surge in host adrenaline and dopamine secretion. Data Analysis: The current total amount of receipts has far exceeded the expected model upper limit by 37.8%.
Recommendation: Host, control your facial expressions to avoid overexcitement that could damage your image. Also, please note that using the title "Old Baby" for one of the most powerful people in the world is extremely risky. It is recommended to replace it with "Respected Empress Dowager."
It reminds you in a tidy way that the data flow is smooth.
Dongfang Yuning:
[Oh, I know, I know. I'm just so happy! Old Baby is so kind! The Queen Mother is so generous and won't hold it in grudges! Besides, she can't hear!]
She happily made another note.
"Zhenguogong Mansion... a deposit of 20,000 taels?! Class A, number one! Done!"
Several trusted maids and stewards standing by in the elegant room, including several sharp-eared noblewoman stewards outside the door, all had a strange expression on their faces, as if they were trying hard to suppress laughter.
Naturally, they heard Dongfang Yuning's extremely clear inner voice - "I've made a fortune", "My hands cramped from counting money", "Lucky cat", "Old baby", "She can't hear again" - it was like putting a small loudspeaker next to her ear, loud and... down-to-earth!
A maid holding a teacup almost spilled the tea when her hand trembled, and she quickly lowered her head to cover it up.
A maid who was waiting outside the door covered her mouth with a handkerchief and shrugged her shoulders suspiciously.
Even the usually serious lady in charge of the cashier twitched her lips several times.
The Empress Dowager, who was sitting behind the screen, leisurely sipping tea and silently watching her future daughter-in-law's wealth-making career, had just taken a sip of tea when she clearly heard the crisp words "old baby" and "she couldn't hear it..."
"Puff—cough cough cough!"
The empress dowager choked on the tea and started coughing repeatedly. Her well-maintained face instantly turned red. The old nanny next to her was so scared that she quickly stepped forward to pat her back to help her calm down.
"Oh my! This little monkey!"
The Queen Mother finally managed to catch her breath, feeling both angry and amused. She pointed in the direction of the screen and said to the old nanny in a low voice,
"Listen! Listen! Old baby! I'm an old baby! And she can't hear me? I'm not deaf yet!"
Having said that, there was no anger in the Queen Mother's eyes. Instead, she was filled with a strange sense of freshness and a smile that could not be hidden, as she was "offended" by the younger generation.
"What a courageous girl! She and Ye boy are a perfect match! One is so daring, and the other... humph!"
The Queen Mother couldn't help laughing when she thought of her son who even used martial arts to woo his wife and kidnapped people in public.
The old lady also smiled so hard that her teeth were showing:
"Queen Dowager, calm down. The Princess is... just being true to herself! She's so happy inside, she can't hide it! It shows that she doesn't consider herself an outsider in front of you!"
The Queen Mother snorted, but the corners of her mouth curled up high:
"Never mind, let her be. This money-obsessed little girl's behavior... is actually quite pleasing to the eye."
She decided to remain deaf and enjoy this rare live broadcast of her inner voice.
Dongfang Yuning was completely unaware of this and was still immersed in the joy of collecting money:
[System, do you think we should raise the threshold for admission to our Noble Ladies Academy? This money comes too easily! It feels like picking up money!]
System 118:
[Warning: Excessive inflation can easily lead to poor decision-making. The current pricing strategy is based on a comprehensive assessment of cost accounting, brand positioning, and market tolerance. We recommend maintaining stability. Please pay close attention and record, as Class C spots are running out.]
Dongfang Yuning: [Okay, okay, I'll listen to you! Hey, the world of the rich is so beautiful~]
In sharp contrast to the bustling crowds and huge amounts of money at the Noble Ladies' College is the enrollment scene of the Commoners' Ladies' College.
It was located in a relatively secluded but spacious courtyard in the west of the city. There were no fancy decorations, no expensive deposits, just a few simple desks and a few female staff responsible for registration and initial screening. Several of them, with sharp eyes and capable demeanors, were the female secret guards secretly dispatched by Nangong Ye.
A prominent notice was posted on the courtyard wall: Free admission! Room and board included! Excellent students will be recommended for positions in workshops, shops, and even government agencies!
The only requirement: good character and diligent learning!
These conditions are like a blessing from heaven for common women, especially those from poor families who are determined to change their destiny.
A long line of applicants snaked from the courtyard to the alley entrance. There were timid yet eager farm girls, embroiderers with gnarled fingers eager to learn to read, and orphans with determined faces eager to learn a skill.
After Dongfang Yuning finished dealing with the matters at the Noble Ladies College, he changed into a simple and elegant casual outfit and personally presided over the final screening of the Civilian College.
She knows that free resources need to be cherished and used for those who really need and deserve them. She is responsible for the character assessment.
The screening process proceeded in an orderly manner. Dongfang Yuning, his gaze calm, spoke slowly and leisurely with each candidate, asking seemingly casual questions that were actually observations.
At this moment, a young girl approached the procession. She was about sixteen or seventeen, thin and frail, dressed in a washed-out, patched, coarse cloth. Her hair was dry and yellow, and her face was unnaturally pale and filled with fear. She lowered her head, her eyes evasive, and her hands nervously twisted the corners of her clothes, looking extremely pitiful.
【Host, pay attention to this person. 】
System 118's voice sounded without warning, with a hint of cold analysis.
Dongfang Yuning: [Hmm? She looks like she needs help.]
System 118:
[Initiating deep scan (only visible to host)… Scan completed. Target: Liu Cui'er, seventeen. Current status: Extremely poor, malnourished.]
Key information: The root cause of his poverty wasn't natural disasters or man-made calamities, but rather human factors. Three months prior, his mother fell seriously ill, and his father borrowed from relatives and friends to scrape together ten taels of silver to save his life.
That night, Cui Er stole the silver and eloped with Zhang Ergou, a fellow villager. Within half a month, they squandered all the ten taels of silver, and Zhang Ergou abandoned them in a neighboring county.
Cui'er was desperate and heard that this place recruited female students for free and provided food and accommodation, and had a promising future, so she came to sign up.
Motives: Escaping reality, seeking free meals and possible future job security, not genuine academic pursuits. Moral assessment: Extremely low. Loyalty: Seeking profit and avoiding harm, with no bottom line. Recommendation: Immediate dismissal, never rehired.
Dongfang Yuning: [!!!]
Her hand holding the pen suddenly stopped, and the look she gave Cui Er instantly changed from sympathy to cold scrutiny.
[Holy shit! Is there such a thing?! Stealing your mother's life-saving money and eloping?! Is this something a human would do?!]
At the moment when Dongfang Yuning was roaring inwardly, the eyes of a calm and capable female teacher (pretending to be the leader of the secret guards) who was in charge of taking notes and standing behind her suddenly became sharp.
She sensed the princess's intense emotional fluctuations, and also heard the horrifying truth! According to the prince's strict order—
At any time, in any place, the princess must not be allowed to notice that her secrets have been revealed! She must immediately and discreetly smooth things over!
The leader of the secret guards reacted as fast as lightning. Before Cui'er could sense the subtle change in the atmosphere around her and was about to answer Dongfang Yuning's question, she had already stepped forward and bowed respectfully to Dongfang Yuning. Her voice was clear and steady, enough for everyone around to hear clearly:
"Princess, please allow me to report. This person's name is Cui'er, she is seventeen years old, and originally from Liushutun, a suburb of Beijing."
Her eyes were as sharp as a knife, shooting straight at Liu Cui'er, as if they could penetrate her disguised skin.
"Under the orders of the prince, we will conduct a preliminary check on all applicants at the beginning of the enrollment period to prevent those with ulterior motives from sneaking in and tarnishing the reputation of the academy and betraying the young lady's kindness."
She paused, her voice suddenly turned cold, and every word fell like ice beads:
"After investigating her hometown and the records of an inn in a neighboring county, we've discovered that this woman, Liu Cui'er, stole ten taels of silver from her seriously ill mother three months ago and eloped with a fellow villager, Zhang Ergou! After squandering the money, Zhang Ergou abandoned her at an inn in a neighboring county! Lacking the funds for medical treatment, her mother died last month..."
“Wow!”
The moment these words came out, the whole audience erupted in an uproar! The women in line looked at Liu Cui'er with eyes filled with shock, contempt, and intense anger!
So that's it! No wonder he looks so pitiful, he actually stole his mother's life-saving money! He killed his mother!
The leader of the secret guards continued with unquestionable authority:
"This woman was desperate. When she heard that the academy was accepting female students for free, providing food and lodging, and promising a bright future, she lied, claiming both her parents were dead, in an attempt to get away with it, and came here to seek asylum. Her behavior is truly despicable!
The prince has already ordered that those who are disloyal, unfilial, and without moral integrity must be strictly investigated and shown no mercy! "
Her words were logically clear and supported by solid evidence (at least that's how it sounded), directly exposing Cui'er's true identity and despicable intentions to the public!
It perfectly explains why everyone (including Dongfang Yuning) feels such a strong dislike for Cui Er—it's because the palace conducted a background check ahead of time! It's because of the prince's wisdom! It's because of the effective work of the secret guards!
Cui Er was completely horrified by this blow! She never expected that her shameful past would be exposed so clearly!
Even the specific time, place, and amount were clearly stated! She was instantly overwhelmed by panic and shame.
[System! This secret guard lady is amazing! She gave me all the information! Are Nangong Ye's men so efficient?! They even checked the inn records?!]
Dongfang Yuning was surprised and delighted, and she was full of admiration for the secret guards' timely rescue and Nangong Ye's foresight. At the same time, it also completely dispelled her momentary doubt that "everyone reacted too quickly" - the royal palace had already found out everything!
System 118:
The source of the information has been rationally explained. The secret guard's actions align with proactive risk elimination. The prince's intervention has improved screening efficiency. The host is advised to proceed accordingly.
Cui Er looked at the gazes around her that seemed to want to eat her, and listened to the curses that could no longer be suppressed:
"brute!"
"You killed your own mother and you still have the nerve to come here!"
“Get out!”
My mind is completely broken! It's over! Everything is over! Not only is my free meal ticket gone, but my reputation is completely ruined too!
"No! No! You're talking nonsense! You're slandering me!"
The extreme shame, anger and despair made her burst out with the last bit of madness. She raised her head suddenly, her face twisted and ferocious, pointing at the leader of the secret guards and Dongfang Yuning and screaming.
"It's you! It's you high and mighty nobles who look down on us poor people! You deliberately made up all this to frame me! What about free admission? It's all a lie! You just want to make us look bad! You're all hypocrites! I'm going to sue the authorities! I'm going to..."
While screaming, she pounced on Dongfang Yuning's desk like a madman, trying to overturn it and create chaos!
[Fuck! You still dare to act like a spoiled brat?! You're trying to turn the tables?!]
Dongfang Yuning leaned back in shock.
[Alert! Target is losing control of their emotions and becoming aggressive! Physical isolation recommended!]
The electronic sound of System 118 sounded rapidly.
At the moment when Cui'er pounced with her fangs and claws, another gray figure flashed in front of Dongfang Yuning like a ghost. It was one of the secret guards who was in charge of registration just now.
Her eyes were icy, and her movements were as fast as lightning! Everyone felt their eyes flash before their eyes, and then they heard a very slight "crack" sound (the jaw joint was dislocated), followed by a short, strangled "Ugh—"
All of Cui'er's shouting and actions stopped abruptly!
The secret guard held Liu Cui'er's chin firmly with one hand to ensure that she could not make any sound or bite her tongue, and with the other hand pressed a precise position on the back of her neck.
Liu Cui'er's eyes rolled back, and her body collapsed to the ground like mud, completely unconscious, and she could only make meaningless "ho ho" sounds. The whole process was swift and silent, and it was extremely shocking!
The entire place fell silent again! But this time, the silence was filled with awe for the palace's methods and contempt for the shameless man.
The secret guard who subdued Liu Cui'er lifted her up like a chicken and nodded to Dongfang Yuning and the leader of the secret guards:
"Chief, Princess, this beast is not only of corrupt character, but he also dares to slander in public and intends to commit murder. Your subordinates will immediately transfer him to Jingzhao Prefecture and punish him severely!"
"Well, go ahead. Deal with him according to the law, and make sure the Jingzhao Yin knows of this beast's evil deeds and the prince's strict orders."
The leader of the secret guards gave orders in a deep voice, his eyes sweeping across the entire room with an invisible pressure.
The secret guard received the order and quickly left with the limp Liu Cui'er.
Dongfang Yuning took a deep breath, suppressed her fear, and stood up. The leader of the secret guards' resounding revelation and the solemnity of his current expression perfectly paved the way for her next statement.
She swept her eyes over the silent team, her voice clear and majestic:
"You've all seen it! You've all heard it! Yuxiu College opens its doors to ambitious women from all over the world. We don't care about your background, we only seek good character and hard work!
We provide opportunities and we cherish them! But we have sharp eyes! We will punish those with bad intentions, bad conduct, those who try to take advantage of the situation, or even those who maliciously cause trouble——"
Her eyes were like torches, fixed on the direction where Liu Cui'er was being dragged away.
"This princess will not tolerate this! This is the end! The academy is not a place where filth and corruption can be tolerated! I hope you all will respect yourselves and not make mistakes!"
Her voice, combined with the thunderous tactics displayed by the secret guards and the palace's sense of authority, which seemed to have long understood everything, produced a powerful deterrent effect. The team instantly fell silent, orderly, and filled with a deep sense of awe.
[Huh… this coordination is incredible! Killing the chicken to scare the monkeys, the effect is outstanding! System, is my leveraging this opportunity awesome?]
System 118: [The deterrent effect has reached 99.5% of the expected value. The early intervention of the guards and the release of this information have significantly enhanced credibility and deterrence.]
The host's timing and content were appropriate, fully utilizing the element of 'royal authority'. Handsomeness rating: Excellent.]
Dongfang Yuning: [Excellent! Hehe, that's pretty good! Keep working!]
She sat down again and resumed her calm and capable appearance.
The leader of the secret guards retreated behind Dongfang Yuning and scanned the team with sharp eyes to make sure there were no more disturbances.
She and her companion exchanged a look that only they understood: "The prince's orders, safety first, the situation must be resolved promptly and perfectly." The princess's thoughts? That was the palace's top secret, and it must remain hidden.
Nangong Ye, far away in the palace, stroked the jade pendant with his fingertips, a satisfied smile on his lips. The urgent report from the secret guard commander and Ning'er's excited exclamations of "Great assist" and "High efficiency" arrived almost simultaneously.
Well, very good. The situation was resolved beautifully, and the deterrent was effective. Two chicken legs each for the leader of the secret guards and the secret guard who took action.
His little princess always brings him unexpected "surprises" and "fun" that requires him to be on his side at all times.
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