When the Side Character Gets a System and Travels through Difference Worlds

Tan You couldn’t help but shrug at the thought. "The day after tomorrow is the Double Ninth Festival. On a day of such universal celebration, it’s the perfect time for us to add to the festivities."

Having freshened up, Chen Xi arrived with Fang Qiao. Along the way, they ran into a cheerful Chen Yue and Fang Zhi. The two palace maids exchanged glances, clearly thinking their new mistress had a decent personality—at least she wasn’t the cruel, murderous type.

And so, everyone gradually began to feel at ease. Unfortunately, their peace of mind was premature. It wasn’t until they reached the study that they learned the true meaning of ruthless and cruel.

Chen Xi pushed open the door and entered. "Mother, let me handle these matters."

Not to be outdone, Chen Yue said, "I can do it too. And so can An Wen."

Tan You didn’t argue with them. "These great clans all have family registers. Go through the registers and call them out one by one. I’ll give you a list. Anyone who has committed evil deeds is to be locked up in the Imperial Prison."

"If anyone resists, execute them on the spot."

"As for their family assets, seize all of them. Yuan Cheng, have your men provide backup for them. Yue Shu, I have another mission for you. Prince Yong is on his way to the capital. You’re more skilled in military campaigns than I am, so you know what to do, don’t you?"

Yue Shu understood. "My Lady, rest assured. I will definitely bring Prince Yong back."

Tan You smiled. "Go. And be careful."

Yuan Cheng had no objections to being left in the capital while Yue Shu was sent to lead troops against Prince Yong. When it came to military campaigns, no one in the entire army could compare to Yue Shu. As for himself, he was better suited for defense.

Now, following Chen Xi, Chen Yue, An Wen, and the others to confiscate assets, Yuan Cheng couldn’t be more thrilled. He didn’t have many other hobbies; for years, his main interest had been seizing property.

Tan You was extremely strict in her command. When she ordered assets to be seized, none of the soldiers were allowed to pocket anything for themselves. Initially, of course, some were unhappy, as the perks had visibly dwindled.

But rules were essential for order, and the compensation Tan You provided her soldiers was extremely generous. Who didn’t know that what Tan You valued most was a strong army? The soldiers’ compensation was always the best.

She took special care to provide for soldiers who could no longer go to battle due to illness or injury. After all, if soldiers were to shed their blood and sweat on the battlefield, she couldn’t let them shed tears after they retired, could she?

Although they couldn’t take spoils openly, Tan You offered generous rewards. If soldiers discovered a secret stash of wealth, Tan You would give them a portion of it as a reward. This was the real reason everyone was so willing to do this work.

So, as they followed Chen Xi, Chen Yue, and An Wen, the soldiers’ eyes glinted brightly, like searchlights, as if they wanted to scrape off a layer of the very walls.

To say they would dig three feet deep was no exaggeration at all.

For the great clans of the capital, this day was like the end of the world. Among the great clans, there were almost none that were truly clean and innocent, save for the young children.

Carrying the lists of evidence provided by Tan You, Chen Xi and her group went from one clan to the next, calling them out by name. The clans that were called out were completely baffled until Chen Xi clearly recited their crimes from over the years.

"Ten years ago, you coveted an estate on the outskirts of the city. The Chang family refused to sell, so you had someone lure their eldest son, Chang An, into frequenting gambling dens. After Chang An amassed a huge gambling debt... the estate successfully changed hands, Chang An was beaten to death by the gambling den’s thugs, and the elderly Chang couple ’coincidentally’ ran into bandits after leaving the capital."

Chen Xi turned a page and glanced at a middle-aged man from the Wang family. "As for what happened with those ’bandits,’ we both know the truth."

"Five years ago, you took a liking to the Liuu family’s second daughter in the eastern part of the city and forced her to become your concubine..."

"Less than two months after she entered your manor, you grew tired of her and casually gave her away as a gift to..."

"Three years ago..."

Reading through the long list of crimes, Chen Xi’s mouth went dry. In the end, she simply shoved the documents into the hands of a young officer beside her. "You read."

The members of the Wang family couldn’t help but sneer. ’They’re just a bunch of uncouth soldiers. How many words could they possibly know?’

But then, something happened that stunned them. The young officer read the entire thick stack of names and evidence flawlessly, without stumbling once.

When he finished, he couldn’t help but complain, "Young Miss, I request a rotation. This is exhausting—more tiring than going into battle."

Chen Xi waved her hand. "Granted. Take everyone named on the list away."

"Also, have the assets been seized?"

Yuan Cheng strode in, his sword at his hip. "All sealed up. Everything has been inventoried and recorded. If anything goes missing, we’ll be having a serious talk."

Chen Xi nodded. "Good. I’ve always had faith in General Yuan’s work."

Similar scenes were unfolding in the manors of all the great families across the capital. Chen Xi’s methods were considered gentle. The people she brought in at least didn’t have to wear shackles, allowing them to retain a sliver of dignity.

Chen Yue, however, was different. She’d never had any fondness for these noble clans, and after catching these parasites, she had them stripped to their undergarments, tied them to the back of horses, and forced them to run along.

Those who couldn’t keep up were dragged, their bodies turning into a bloody mess as they screamed in pain, but Chen Yue simply pretended not to see.

There were bolder commoners among the populace; some climbed their courtyard walls, while others cracked open their doors to peek outside. When they saw these nobles being humiliated in such a way, they all clapped and cheered. Truly, these great clans had been high and mighty for too long, and the people had long suffered under them.

Tan You also witnessed this scene, but she showed no reaction. ’Chen Yue is young and impetuous,’ she thought. ’She can’t stand this kind of filth. Besides, her methods aren’t too extreme. At least she hasn’t killed them, right?’

With the army’s protection, Chen Xi and the others made quick and smooth work of dealing with the great clans. In less than half a day, the Imperial Prison was completely full, and a continuous stream of prisoners was still being sent there.

The once glamorous and arrogant scions of the great clans now huddled and trembled in the Imperial Prison like frightened chicks, hoping their main family branches would do something to help.

Unfortunately, their hopes were doomed to be dashed. The great clans’ shops, estates, and other properties had all been seized, and their family members were all forbidden from leaving their homes. How could they possibly spare a thought for them?

This great purge of the capital lasted for three days. Three days later, rivers of blood flowed at the public execution grounds. Those executed this time were almost all nobles from the great clans, specifically those whose crimes were the most heinous.

This was only the first wave. The trials to determine who should be imprisoned and who should be sentenced to penal servitude had yet to begin. Leading a group of officials from the Ministry of Justice, Chen Yue showed no mercy whatsoever.

And so, after earning the title "Fiend," Chen Yue was happily bestowed with the new moniker of "the Cruel Official."

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