If you're made a fake emperor, why did you change the country's name?

Qinggang City, the main hall of the prefectural government.

Li Gang sat at the head of the table, with a row of clansmen kneeling below him in a dark mass.

He slammed the teacup on the table with a loud thud.

"My father and the clan elders have repeatedly emphasized that no sons who are already serving in the imperial court should have any involvement in the recruitment of soldiers."

"This city lord has repeatedly emphasized this."

"Why are there still people who dare to disobey orders today!"

His voice wasn't loud, but it lowered the temperature in the hall by a few degrees.

The crowd below was completely silent, not daring to utter a sound in the face of this young man in his late twenties.

Because Li Gang, who is at the top of the list, is not only the lord of Qinggang City, but also the eldest son of Li Qiang, the current head of the Li family, and the undisputed next head of the family.

After a long while, a middle-aged clansman finally raised his head shakily and said with a hint of grievance:

"Lord, that's real military power! Giving it to those lowly illegitimate sons is just too much..."

Before he could finish speaking, Li Gang's icy gaze had already fallen on him.

"Too much? Explain yourself!"

The man immediately fell silent, quickly lowered his head, and cold sweat poured down his forehead.

Li Gang slowly stood up, putting his hands behind his back.

"So what if he's a son born out of wedlock?"

"In the end, isn't it all the blood of the Li family that flows?"

"The clan rules are here. Even if they seize military power, they'll have to obediently hand it over after two months when a clan decree is issued."

He changed the subject, his tone softening slightly.

"Moreover, I, the city lord, have long noticed that the illegitimate sons in the clan have a lot of complaints about the allocation of resources, and they harbor quite a bit of resentment."

"This is a good opportunity to give them some incentives so that they can calm down and dedicate their strength to the tribe."

"It kills two birds with one stone, why not?"

Li Gang looked around at everyone, his voice suddenly becoming stern.

"The current young emperor is unusually muddle-headed, relinquishing military power. This is a golden opportunity for our aristocratic families to rise again!"

"Everyone must be extremely cautious."

"If I, the city lord, discover anyone else disobeying orders, they will be punished as traitors, without exception!"

"Yes, Lord City Lord."

Everyone hurriedly agreed in unison, but their voices were weak and listless, clearly indicating that they were not truly convinced.

Li Gang shook his head slightly, a hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the mansion gate.

A servant rushed in to report.

"Reporting to the city lord, the gate guards report that the royal inspection team has arrived!"

Li Gang raised an eyebrow and immediately stood up.

"I've said everything I needed to say. Those of you who aren't 'clean,' you have one hour to wash yourselves clean!"

"The rest of you, follow me out of the city to greet them!"

..............

At the city gate, a procession carrying the Great Liang Imperial Banner slowly entered the city.

Li Gang and his clansmen greeted them with beaming smiles.

"Gentlemen, you have come from afar and must be tired from your journey. Why don't you rest in my residence for a while..."

He stopped mid-sentence, interrupting himself with polite remarks.

The members of this inspection team were all teenagers aged seventeen or eighteen!

Li Gang's heart skipped a beat, sensing something was wrong, but he maintained his smile.

The young man leading the inspection team waved his hand expressionlessly, his voice indifferent.

"No need. We are on official duty and have been ordered to supervise. We will go to the prefectural government to check the accounts now."

After saying that, he didn't wait for Li Gang's response and led the team directly towards the prefectural capital.

Li Gang and his entourage were left standing there, looking at each other in bewilderment.

Inside the state capital, the inspection team acted swiftly and decisively.

They first retrieved all the recruitment records and carefully checked them one by one.

He then went to various training grounds in the city and inspected them one by one.

Throughout the process, these young inspectors moved skillfully and cooperated seamlessly, showing no signs of youthful immaturity, but rather exuding a well-trained and sharp demeanor.

Li Gang stood by, his doubts growing ever stronger.

After a thorough inspection, the inspection team found no problems and returned to the inn to rest.

After seeing the inspection team off, an elder breathed a sigh of relief.

"Lord, thankfully it was cleaned up beforehand, so nothing bad happened."

"Now we just need to wait for them to rest for a few days before they leave..."

Something's not right!

Li Gang suddenly raised his hand, stopping him from saying anything more.

He frowned and lowered his voice.

"These inspectors are too young, but they act like they're made of unbelievable skill."

"And have you noticed that their demeanor and temperament are completely different from those of ordinary officials?"

"It's more like..."

He paused, then uttered a few words, one by one.

"They're more like the assassins in our own household!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed.

Li Gang gave the order in a deep voice.

"I suspect their daytime patrols are just a pretext; their real purpose is yet to come!"

"Remember, don't alert them. Just keep watch, don't get too close."

Several trusted confidants quickly accepted the order and left.

As night fell, the inn was brightly lit.

The clansmen in charge of surveillance hid in the shadows on the opposite rooftop, keeping a close eye on the movements of the post station.

He discovered that the members of the inspection team were not resting, but were gathered in a room, discussing something in hushed tones.

Suddenly, the window in the room was pushed open a crack.

Several members of the inspection team changed into night clothes, and seemed to be carrying something in their hands, and silently climbed out of the window.

They moved nimbly, landing silently, and disappeared into the darkness in a few flashes.

The clansmen who were monitoring him gasped in shock and quickly slid down from the roof to run back and report.

Li Mansion Study.

After hearing the report, Li Gang's face turned ashen.

He slammed his hand on the table, making the teacups jump.

"really!"

"This isn't an inspection team at all; it's that little emperor's mob!"

He stood up and paced back and forth in the room, squinting and gently stroking his beard with his fingers.

"Fortunately, the people we sent reported that their cultivation levels were not high."

"Send the order down to the experts enshrined in the city to find their whereabouts and secretly follow them."

"This city lord wants to see what they're up to!"