Accidentally dressed as an empress

Lu Zhen said, "Since no one can explain the reason, let's go back and conduct self-examination and self-correction. We should thoroughly check the selection of raw materials, iron ore smelting, and forging process."

Lu Bing walked into the warehouse and saw rows of retired weapons neatly arranged, seemingly impeccable. But Lu Bing's eyes were as sharp as an eagle. She carefully examined each weapon, looking for clues.

Finally, Lu Bing discovered a clue on a seemingly ordinary weapon. She gently stroked the Lu family emblem on the weapon, a cold look flashing in her eyes: "This emblem is fake."

Lu Zhen was also shocked when he heard this: "Bing'er means that this batch of weapons is not the same batch we originally produced, and someone has swapped them?"

Lu Bing nodded. As the eldest daughter of the Lu family, she had a deep understanding of their family's weaponry. These weapons were definitely not produced by the Lu family. Lu Bing said to Lu Zhen, "Mother, we must thoroughly investigate this matter and find the mastermind behind it."

Lu Zhen nodded and said, "When exactly was the package swapped? We need to carefully check every step, from packing to shipping."

The Lu family needed to resolve internal issues, and it was not convenient for Yunxiu, an outsider, to stay any longer, so she asked the Lu family guards to take the message and leave the Lu Mansion.

Yunxiu walked along the winding path, the sound of molten iron boiling in the smelting furnace and the clanging of hammers hitting anvils constantly coming to her ears. These sounds intertwined together and were somewhat shocking.

She walked through the busy smelting sites and saw the blacksmiths working hard and sweating profusely, with simple smiles on their faces.

These are all craftsmen who are dependent on the Lu family.

If the Lu family stopped supplying weapons to the imperial court, how many of these craftsmen would be unemployed?

A single decision by a leader can impact the livelihoods of countless people. The rise and fall of an individual, a family, a city, or even a business all hinges on the decision-maker's single thought.

Then, let’s show these craftsmen a clear way out and let them move to Lingyun City to make a living.

Your Majesty's intention to suppress the aristocratic families will not change. Her Majesty's exile of some aristocratic families is a constant reshuffling of the cards. Within Lingyun City, the aristocratic families have intermarried for generations, forming close alliances that pose a threat to imperial power.

The mausoleum town system existed in the Western Han Dynasty. Each generation of emperors built a mausoleum town and moved the aristocratic families in the capital to the mausoleum town to weaken the power of the aristocratic families.

Thinking about something, Yunxiu left the Lu residence and walked into a teahouse, intending to rest and get some information. The teahouse was bustling with people, and the sound of conversations in various accents came one after another.

Yunxiu found a seat in a corner, ordered a pot of tea, and began to pay attention to the conversations around her.

"Have you heard? Recently someone has been secretly buying up the ironware from our Wufeng City, and the price they paid is even higher than what the Lu family offered!" A voice caught Yunxiu's attention.

"Really? Someone is openly competing with the Lu family for business? What's the background?" another voice asked.

"I don't know, but it must be from a very big family."

"Won't the Lu family be in trouble then?"

Yunxiu had an idea. It was not normal for him to buy up ironware in such a large scale. Could it be that someone was going to start a rebellion again?

Yunxiu noticed a curly-haired man walking by out of the corner of her eye. She paused, her hand gripping the teacup still, and continued calmly drinking without even raising her eyes. Not wanting to alert the enemy, Yunxiu simply let the system track and monitor him.

The curly-haired man walked into a deserted yard, where there was a woman in black clothes.

"Young Master," the curly-haired man said to the woman in black, "The batch of goods that the High Priest sent to exchange has now been discovered. Should we hold back for the time being?"

Ji Yun said in a hoarse voice, "No, continue. We need to push out a scapegoat. I can't be exposed so quickly."

"Master Priest?" Yunxiu thought carefully and had a faint impression. That guy, what's his name, Yu Xi, hadn't given up on restoring his country? The Northern Rong people were truly tenacious, able to revive themselves.

Yun Ji, hasn't she given up yet? She's already faked her own death, changed her appearance, changed her name, and given a new surname. Can't she just find a place to start a new life? She's in the Lu family now, has a new job, and a new relationship. Isn't she doing pretty well?

Yunxiu thought of Yun Ji based on her own thoughts and felt that she should cherish this hard-earned stable new life.

The system silently showed her the surveillance footage, and then Yunxiu realized that she had underestimated this group of Beirong people who were determined to restore their country.

The curly-haired man said to Yun Ji, "Since the eldest princess has also come to Wufeng City, and she hasn't brought anyone with her, Young Master, should we just go all out..."

Yun Ji shook his head. "Let's hold our troops for now. A few days ago, some people fled from Baili City to Wufeng City for refuge. Today, more than 300 criminals have infiltrated Mingxiao Mountain, strengthening our forces. We should thank them for that."

As long as she doesn't block our way, let her pass quickly. Her presence will only bring more people to us."

Yun Ji's words made sense. The people hated a turbulent environment the most, and she had killed the governor of a city, causing unrest among the people of Baili City.

Yunxiu couldn't help but reflect on whether she was being too harsh.

No, only when the people are destitute will they join the uprising. It was the incompetent governor and the corrupt politics that swelled the ranks of the rebels, not her. She was out to eradicate the corrupt politics.