Chapter 44

......

After feeding her a small bowl of red date porridge, Zhuminglang recalled something and felt it was better to inform Li Yunzi about it.

"I saw your sister at the academy," Zhuminglang said.

"Who?" Li Yunzi asked.

"Do you have many sisters?" Zhuminglang asked in confusion.

"What did she say to you?" Li Yunzi asked.

"The first time was at the bridge, where she was buying peaches next to me. I thought it was you, so I talked to her, but she didn't say much. Later, in the book pavilion, she disguised herself as you, and I was deceived." Zhuminglang described the situation to Li Yunzi.

Afterward, Zhuminglang learned that everyone at the Dragon Taming Academy knew about Nan Lingsha, but few had actually seen her. Many people only knew that she had a beauty that could topple a kingdom. In the foundry and nearby market, fewer people knew about Nan Lingsha, and no one had seen her. Only once, when Zhuminglang probed Nan Ye, did Nan Ye seem to understand the situation.

Nan Ye was naturally a member of the Nan family, with a high status, and it seemed only he knew about the relationship between Li Yunzi and Nan Lingsha.

"I've seen her." Li Yunzi seemed to understand something and nodded. After a moment, she said, "They shouldn't have been involved...?"

After saying this, Li Yunzi seemed a bit lost, her brows furrowing with worry.

"Involved?"

Zhuminglang couldn't quite understand the meaning of these two words at the moment.

"Do you suspect that your sister and the Nan family are also the ones who framed you?" Zhuminglang asked in surprise.

"I have many enemies," Li Yunzi said.

Zhuminglang didn't fully understand Li Yunzi's family situation and couldn't help her analyze it. However, he remembered the fox-like woman who called Li Yunzi "sister" in the dungeon. She seemed to have been killed by Luo Xiao. What was her original identity? It was clear that she was once close to Li Yunzi, but she was likely just an executor. Who was the mastermind behind it all?

Many enemies meant that many people were involved in her downfall and framing, including close relatives, old enemies, and distant enemies.

Thinking about it, Li Yunzi originally had many subordinates, her own military guard, and extraordinary powers. How could she have been reduced to a prisoner by an ordinary woman? The situation was far more complex than it seemed.

"What can I do to help?" Zhuminglang asked.

"Take care of yourself," Li Yunzi said.

Zhuminglang scratched his head awkwardly.

"Some of my enemies are still in the shadows. They will use you to their advantage. You need to be more careful from now on," Li Yunzi said seriously.

Zhuminglang nodded.

Luo Xiao clearly knew who the man in the dungeon with Li Yunzi was. He was a major threat to Zhuminglang, and those who didn't want Li Yunzi to rise again would not hesitate to exploit the situation!

Li Yunzi's situation in her family seemed to be improving, but Zhuminglang feared he had become her weakness.

At this moment, Zhuminglang thought about what Nan Lingsha had said.

For Li Yunzi, the best way to heal that wound was through her own transformation.

"You don't need to worry about me; I can handle it. But you should avoid hurting yourself in the future. If you faint, and there's no one as upright as me to take care of you, it's dangerous," Zhuminglang reminded her.

Li Yunzi chewed the red dates in her porridge slowly, her beautiful eyes looking elsewhere, perhaps finding a hint of insincerity in Zhuminglang's words.

At this moment, footsteps were heard in the courtyard.

It was Zheng Yu. He had actually come earlier but had gone for a walk to give them some private space and to calm the residents of Ronggu City.

"Milady."

"Brother Zhuming."

Zheng Yu maintained the etiquette of a scholar, always meticulously.

"Brother Zheng, what is it?" Zhuminglang's response was more casual, as he never considered himself a scholar.

"The supplies Milady brought are abundant. Although they haven't been fully distributed, I estimate they will last 8,000 households for a season. Chief Zhang is a thoughtful person. He and I discussed that instead of directly giving the excess food and clothing to the people of Wutu, we should employ some of them to mine the iron ore in the mountains north of Dongxu Fort, and pay them daily."

Food will eventually run out.

What if next year's harvest is poor?

What if next summer is scorching, and the winter is even colder?

Zheng Yu believed that since Milady considered them her people, they should not just receive aid but should also work.

Every person affected by this disaster would understand that being able to work and earn a living is a precious thing.

Iron ore is in demand in all city-states. Selling the iron ore for food and clothing would provide Wutu with more security.

"Good suggestion. However, there's no need to mine cheap iron ore. I have a map of Wutu's mineral veins. I'll send someone to give it to you. You and Chief Zhang can handle this," Li Yunzi nodded.

"I had heard that Wutu has rare minerals. It seems Milady has already planned for Wutu's prosperity!" Zheng Yu bowed again, expressing his respect and admiration.

"The Flying Bird Camp will soon leave this place. Keep some upright people in the army. Wutu needs its own military. Their salaries for the next six months will be paid by me, and after that, by the profits from the mines. The nine cities of Wutu will be exempt from labor taxes for the next year," Li Yunzi said clearly.

"I understand!" Zheng Yu nodded. He had been about to mention this to Li Yunzi, and she had already considered it.

After this riot, Wutu was in chaos and needed to be reorganized and allowed to rest and recover.

Fortunately, everything was moving in the right direction, and Zheng Yu felt very relieved.

As long as there were no more widespread deaths and suffering, with the efforts of the military, officials, and people, they would not be destroyed by this disaster again!

Zheng Yu knew that Li Yunzi needed more rest and did not bring up other trivial matters, which should be handled by the officials.

"Zheng Yu is a capable person," Zhuminglang said to Li Yunzi.

Zheng Yu's actions to block the enemy with water had been discussed on the way to Wutu, and Li Yunzi's words just now indicated her intention to heavily rely on him.

"Yes, he defended Ronggu City and prevented the massacre of civilians, leaving room for recovery. If he can handle the tasks I give him, he can oversee the nine cities of Wutu," Li Yunzi nodded.

Understanding military strategy, city management, and the big picture while not neglecting the details, Li Yunzi could prevent riots, but true peace and prosperity would depend on people like Zheng Yu.

Moreover, the massacre of civilians was a terrible event. As one of the rulers of Zulong City, if the people of Ronggu City were massacred and she let the perpetrators go, it would be hard to explain to the people of Zulong City.

This outcome was a fortunate one amidst the misfortune!

Zhuminglang was also relieved. At least they could still enjoy the tranquility of the plum-filled courtyard, savoring this peace, which would otherwise have numbed them to the point of heartbreak.

However, this peace was a bit fleeting.

When it was time to say goodbye, Zhuminglang felt a bit reluctant.

"I'll go back to the academy," Zhuminglang said.

"I won't appear at the academy. The person you saw there won't be me," Li Yunzi reminded him.

Zhuminglang scratched his head, unsure if Li Yunzi was upset about him mistaking her, or if she wouldn't come to find him.

"Be careful about the person you met at the bridge; it wasn't a coincidence," Li Yunzi hesitated but still warned Zhuminglang.

"???" Zhuminglang wanted to ask more, but Li Yunzi had already stepped onto the flying sword woven from silver threads, leaving him with a stunning back view...

Zhuminglang watched her leave, soon falling into deep thought.

Not a coincidence?

So the meeting at the bridge was her initial test.

Then the encounter in the book pavilion...

At first, Zhuminglang had suspected that Li Yunzi might have a split personality, as the woman he met at the bridge and in the book pavilion looked so much like her. He had never heard that Li Yunzi and Nan Lingsha were twins.

Now it seemed he had been a bit fanciful.

Li Yunzi warned him to be careful about Nan Lingsha, either because she was worried he couldn't tell them apart and would be tricked again, or because she still suspected Nan Lingsha. For some reason, Zhuminglang felt that Li Yunzi was wary of Nan Lingsha.

Their relationship wasn't harmonious?

Twin sisters usually share the same fate, but perhaps it was because they grew up in different families, or perhaps they had some unpleasant history.