After transmigrating into the book, I helped my mother reconcile with her divorced husband.

The Crown Prince had been to the Ministry of War and had also spent a year in the Ministry of Works, so he was no stranger to blueprints and intricate mechanisms, but he had never seen what was drawn on these blueprints before.

He knew his Ah Yuan was no ordinary person, and he also knew that she was very knowledgeable in ink painting, and that her paintings had been praised by court painters. However, there is a difference between painting and drawing, especially when it comes to detailed weapon illustrations.

"Did A-Yuan draw all of these?"

Lu Zhiyuan rested her chin on her hand and looked at him: "So, it turns out that what Crown Prince said about liking me was fake?"

The Crown Prince was looking at the picture when he was startled by Lu Zhiyuan's words and quickly said, "Where is it fake? Heaven can bear witness to my heart for A-Yuan!"

"You talk a good game, but you can't even tell the difference in my painting." Lu Zhiyuan pouted. "My paper, my ink, and my lines are all different from everyone else's."

Ancient people used brushes to draw, but this pseudo-ancient person used pencils and outlining pens. She made her own pencils and outlining pens, though not as good as those of her time, they were still much better than brushes. As a modern person inhabiting the body of an ancient person, even with a few years of calligraphy practice and some basic drawing skills, using a brush to draw, especially such detailed drawings, was truly difficult for her.

The prince noticed that the lines on the drawing were sometimes solid and sometimes faint, and there were traces of alteration.

"That's not what I meant. What I meant was that this picture is so detailed and amazing. How did you come up with it, A-Yuan?"

“I used my brain to think about it.” Lu Zhiyuan gently tapped her head. “As you can see, the blueprints are very complicated. Without my supervision and my careful explanation to the craftsmen, they couldn’t have made them. So, Crown Prince and Mother will return to the capital first. I will wait for my maternal grandfather in Ganzhou and take care of the firearms shop matter while I’m at it.”

"I'll stay with A-Yuan."

“I also wish that my brother, the Crown Prince, would stay in Ganzhou with me, but the Emperor is critically ill, and the Empress has already issued three secret edicts. A country cannot be without a ruler for a day, and my brother, the Crown Prince, must return to the capital in time to take charge of the overall situation.”

The Emperor's matter cannot be delayed any longer, and with the Marquis of Yongchang already back in the capital, turmoil is bound to erupt once again.

It's good to go back to the capital first and take care of all those messy things, so that A-Yuan won't be upset when she goes back.

“Then let’s do as A-Yuan says. I’ll return to the capital first to deal with my father and the Marquis of Yongchang.” The Crown Prince paused. “Is this firearm truly feasible to manufacture? And will the manufactured firearms be sold in the Xie family’s shops? If ordinary people buy them, will…”

"Your Highness has so many questions, which one should I answer first?" Lu Zhiyuan held his hand. "First, I can build all the firearms on these blueprints. Second, the firearms won't be sold in the Xie family's shops, but they will be displayed there so that merchants from all over the country know that our Northern Liang possesses such powerful weapons. Third, the firearms won't be sold to ordinary people; they are controlled weapons. At that time, Your Highness will need to appoint a trustworthy person to manage them. In addition to the firearms themselves, the blueprints, raw materials, and craftsmen will also need to be controlled."

"Does 'control' mean to keep them under surveillance?" The Crown Prince pondered Lu Zhiyuan's suggestion with a deep look in his eyes.

“It’s guarding, but not the kind you’re thinking of.” Lu Zhiyuan dipped her teacup in the water and drew on the table: “Choose a secluded location near the capital, one that’s flat and secluded. The Ministry of Works and the Ministry of War will send people to build a firearms factory there. The Ministry of Works will be in charge of supervising the construction, and the Ministry of War will be responsible for internal and external security. Centered on this firearms factory, there will be sentries every five li and guard posts every ten li, to prevent spies from entering or internal personnel from escaping, and to prevent the leakage of data or parts.”

The crown prince was delighted: "What else?"

"This firearms factory should not only manufacture firearms, but also provide accommodation and meals. We can build a village around the factory to house the artisans and their families, with the court providing them with a certain salary and subsidies. The courtyards can be large enough for them to have enough space to grow crops, raise ducks, chickens, geese, and pigs in their own yards, with the court providing seeds or young piglets. This will not only allow the artisans to stay in the firearms factory with peace of mind, but also reduce some of the court's expenses, and allow their children to become the next generation of artisans in the factory, ensuring a continuous supply."

"Ah Yuan's consideration is indeed thorough." The Crown Prince dipped his finger in water and drew a small square in the village area: "We also need to build a private school so that the children can learn some characters. The most outstanding ones can directly enter the Ministry of Works or the Ministry of War when they grow up."

"As expected of my Crown Prince brother, he is very thoughtful." Lu Zhiyuan continued, "Everyone who comes out of the firearms factory must be inspected. No raw materials, blueprints or parts are allowed to be taken out. In addition, the firearms factory should be carefully divided, and different parts should be made by different craftsmen. In this way, even if someone has ulterior motives, there is no fear of secrets related to firearms being leaked."

The crown prince pondered for a moment: "How about the Eight Trigrams?"

Lu Zhiyuan didn't hear clearly and asked, "What?"

The Crown Prince patiently explained, “Build a firearms factory in the shape of a Bagua diagram. The very center is the core, where the chief official conducts his duties. From the core outwards, there are eight areas, each corresponding to one of the eight departments. Further outwards are villages, divided into sixteen, each corresponding to one of the eight departments. If A-Yuan thinks this is feasible, I will have the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of War discuss the specific details.”

Lu Zhiyuan nodded: "The raw materials are overseen by the imperial court, but they cannot be left in the hands of one person. Good fortune doesn't last three generations; too much power can easily breed ambition."

“Those who are capable have always held positions of power.” The Crown Prince blinked. “Don’t worry, A-Yuan, what emperors excel at most is checks and balances.”

"You forgot the most important thing: firearms need shells or bullets. Without shells and bullets, they're just a paper tiger, a mere showpiece." Lu Zhiyuan held the blueprints in her hand.

"I drew the blueprints, I manufactured the firearms, and the Xie family must be the producers of these shells and bullets."

The Crown Prince squinted his eyes: "Whatever A-Yuan says goes."

Lu Zhiyuan leaned forward slightly: "Isn't Your Highness afraid that my Xie family will rebel with firearms?"

The Crown Prince shook his head: "I'm not afraid! If A-Yuan wants this world, I'll gladly give it to her."

Lu Zhiyuan pinched his face: "I didn't expect my Crown Prince brother to be such a love-struck fool, wanting only a beauty and not the throne. Be careful, those historians might write books to slander you and say you're a tyrant."

The Crown Prince retorted, "Your Crown Prince brother is not a tyrant! If my A Yuan wanted to rebel, why would she give me these blueprints, why would she teach me to build an arms factory, why would she teach me to guard it so strictly? Besides, I trust A Yuan, I trust General Xie, and I trust everyone in the Xie family. They would never betray Bei Liang or harbor any rebellious intentions."

"I'm so touched, what should I do?" Lu Zhiyuan kissed the Crown Prince. "I believe in my maternal grandfather, my uncle, my mother, and I also believe that during your reign, our Xie family will be absolutely loyal to you and to Beiliang. However, with each new emperor comes a new court, so you should think ahead and not completely trust my cousins. In ten or twenty years, if these things fall into their hands, you will need to find a way to keep them in check."