In the blink of an eye, the world turned upside down, and the people of the three counties were gripped by fear.

After all.

Saying it is one thing, but when it happens to you, it’s another matter entirely.

No matter how well the Fourth Princess’s propaganda was received, she was still seizing the territory of the Chongming Kingdom.

And seizing Chongming Kingdom’s territory meant war.

War meant glory for the generals and land for the monarch.

But for the common people, it meant death, displacement, endless taxes…

No one liked war.

But soon, the people of the three counties discovered that the Fourth Princess was truly different.

After her army took control of the counties, the first thing they did was not plunder, but distribute a pamphlet demanding everyone follow the principle of gender equality. They even established a Women’s Aid Office next to the county office to handle cases of abuse, coercion, and restrictions on women’s education, with equal authority as the county office.

They also required all academies and private schools to enroll female students equally, with severe penalties for those who refused, under the charge of gender discrimination.

Families that voluntarily sent their daughters to school would receive a plaque for being a model family after verification by the county office.

Those with a model family plaque would receive a one-time material reward and a tax exemption for their daughters until adulthood.

In short.

Under the Fourth Princess’s rule, the status of women was unprecedentedly elevated, surpassing even her previous promises of gender equality.

So much so that many men began to worry that if this continued, the roles of men and women might one day be reversed.

But soon.

They stopped worrying.

Because a wise rumor suddenly spread among the people.

After all.

This was Chongming Kingdom’s territory, and compared to the vast Chongming Kingdom, Luo Shuang’s few thousand troops were at most bandits, who could be driven away or wiped out at any time…

While she ruled, they would play along. When Chongming Kingdom reclaimed the lost land, everything would return to normal.

At worst, they would just send their daughters to school for a few days; they had nothing to lose.

In fact, if they didn’t send their daughters to school, the Fourth Princess might use it as an excuse to impose heavy taxes on them…

The model family plaque was just an excuse for the Fourth Princess to collect money and grain.

As the rumor spread.

All the stubborn people seemed to wake up instantly and rushed to send their daughters to school, then went to the county office to claim their model family plaques.

The gender equality policy seemed to align with public sentiment and was implemented very smoothly.

Not only that.

Using the same reasoning and excuses, organizations like the Chamber of Commerce and the Artisans’ Association, which advocated for equality, were also established very smoothly, with almost no resistance…

In just two or three days, the three counties taken by Huangfu Yue had already undergone a transformation, switching to a different operational mode.

It seemed as if everyone was a pioneer of change, with no conservative holdouts stepping forward to block the progress.

In the past, this would have been impossible.

Huangfu Yue had heard from her father about conquering the tribes outside the borders, and that educating them after winning the war was always the hardest part, taking at least decades to achieve.

But He Xu had created a few plaques and spread a series of rumors, easily transforming the counties into the model he wanted.

That despicable guy was terrifying.

Why would someone so talented fight in such a disgusting way?

These past two days.

Huangfu Yue had many things to do, but whenever she had a moment of leisure, the battle scene from that night would flash in her mind.

Her body would involuntarily break out in goosebumps, itching all over as if those water snakes were still wrapped around her.

Du Ge’s image and smile seemed to have taken root in her mind, impossible to shake off.

For two nights now, she had dreamed of water snakes dancing wildly.

Waking up feeling lost and empty.

By now, Huangfu Yue couldn’t tell if her feelings for Du Ge were hatred or something else.

…

Du Ge naturally knew about the public’s reaction.

That’s exactly what he wanted—something simple and easy to implement, regardless of the method!

Habits become second nature.

Once people got used to the current way of life, as long as he could hold his ground against Chongming Kingdom’s attacks, it wouldn’t be easy to overturn these established policies.

Everyone fears trouble.

With these three counties as a pilot, it would be easier to persuade others when they conquered more counties in the future.

For those who disagreed, they would wield the tax blade over their heads as the rumors suggested…

Truth and falsehood, reality and illusion.

Isn’t that what Sun Tzu’s Art of War teaches?

…

The issue of military provisions was also easily solved.

Du Ge issued a notice that those who voluntarily donated provisions, money, or cloth would receive a donation certificate from the Fourth Princess. After the restoration of the kingdom, they could use the certificate to claim triple compensation or convert it into military merit, with the highest reward being a noble title.

Due to the previous rumors, most people still hoped for Chongming Kingdom to reclaim the lost land and were not enthusiastic about donating provisions for titles.

The slogan of gender equality was false, but the provisions in their hands were real. Once donated, they were truly gone, and the Fourth Princess’s certificate would be just a piece of waste paper if she died…

But Du Ge had his ways.

After the announcement, Du Ge had Huangfu Yue find a bunch of stooges to create the illusion of enthusiastic donations.

Truckloads of provisions were sent to Yutang Pass.

The landlords and wealthy merchants who received the donation certificates became honored guests at Yutang Pass, returning to the county every day with glowing faces. But when others tried to find out what benefits they received, they got nothing.

Yet, more and more provision carts headed to Yutang Pass, one after another.

The public confirmed through the servants loading the provisions that the wealthy were indeed sending real provisions, not fakes…

The wealthy families represented the trend, and the public believed in their judgment. Moreover, they didn’t seem coerced.

So.

Those with surplus provisions also tentatively carried and hauled their excess to Yutang Pass, exchanging it for a donation certificate from the Fourth Princess. The certificate was gilded, placed in a red silk-wrapped wooden box, looking quite luxurious.

Moreover, they were draped in red and honored at Yutang Pass, speaking on stage before neatly arranged soldiers, receiving the Fourth Princess’s grand thanks and VIP treatment. By the time they returned home, they were still in a daze.

They felt like they were walking on clouds, thinking the donated provisions were well worth it…

After all.

In this world, commoners rarely had such a chance to be in the limelight, treated with such importance.

With the first household, there came the second, and more and more provision carts headed to Yutang Pass, perfectly solving the food crisis for the defending soldiers.

…

“Master, is what we’re doing really right?” Luo Shuang looked at the incoming batches of provisions, feeling a bit uneasy. “Do we really have to return these provisions to the wealthy?”

“Of course, we have to return them. Didn’t I say before? A person without integrity cannot stand. If you don’t fulfill your promises, you’ll never gain their support again.” Du Ge said, “Princess, those who win the people’s hearts win the world. If you lose the people’s hearts, we’ll never have a chance to restore the kingdom.”

What do you mean I’ll lose the people’s hearts!

If anyone loses the people’s hearts, it’s you!

If the public knew what you were doing, they’d tear me apart first…

Luo Shuang muttered to herself, feeling aggrieved. “Returning the wealthy’s money in full, but splitting the commoners’ money seventy-thirty. Isn’t that too unfair to the commoners?”

Beside her.

Huangfu Xing observed silently, his mind in turmoil.

He never imagined that Du Ge would use such a method to deceive provisions, returning the wealthy’s money in full but splitting the commoners’ money seventy-thirty. This guy’s heart was completely black!

At this moment, Huangfu Xing even suspected that He Xu had already conspired with the Fourth Prince. With this approach, no matter how stable Chongming Kingdom was, it wouldn’t take long before it was thrown into chaos.

He didn’t even need to do anything else, just run off with the collected money and provisions.

“Unfair?” Du Ge smiled. “Didn’t the commoners get what they wanted? We told them the purpose of the donation certificates from the beginning, we didn’t deceive them! The provisions were voluntarily given by them…”

“That’s true, but…” Luo Shuang frowned.

“Princess, don’t you have confidence in yourself?” Du Ge looked at Luo Shuang, casually pulling out a cane. “Has a small Yutang Pass made you forget your goal?”

“Master, I haven’t.” Luo Shuang tensed up the moment she saw the cane, stuttering.

“Then that’s good. Once you restore the kingdom and fulfill their promises, there will be no problem.” Du Ge said sternly, “Princess, I never intended to deceive the people. All the donation certificates are signed in your name, and those wealthy merchants were moved by your credibility.

If you want to preserve your reputation and not disappoint those who have high hopes for you, you must put all your effort into restoring the kingdom.

This is both your pressure and your motivation. Otherwise, if you fail, you’ll become the most infamous princess in history, remembered for your disgrace…”

But you did all of this!

Luo Shuang’s tears welled up but she didn’t voice her complaints about Du Ge.

She knew that everything Du Ge did was to help her seek revenge, and she should bear the consequences.

Otherwise.

With her master’s talent, why would he do such dirty work!

Luo Shuang took a deep breath. “I understand, Master.”