Transmigrating to the Qi Family - Chapter 176

“We’re all from Linzhou City. Back then, we heard from the villagers that Liang Jing was recruiting workers. They say working for just three years can earn us enough silver to last a lifetime. We believe his words, scrape together enough money for the journey, and follow them here. But who would’ve thought…” The speaker looks regretful, his face full of remorse.

“Exactly. Before I leave, I even tell my parents to wait for me to come back and let them enjoy a good life. But it’s been five years since I came here, and I don’t even know how they’re doing now.”

A man in his thirties squats down and starts crying, his sorrowful expression making everyone present feel a pang of discomfort.

Pei Che says, “Once your identities are verified, I will arrange for people to escort you back to your hometowns. For now, you can rest and recover here in Cangzhou.”

“Thank you, my lord! Thank you, my lord!” The group is deeply moved when they hear this. Overwhelmed with gratitude, they drop to their knees to kowtow.

“There’s no need for this!” Pei Che quickly stands up and stops them. He then orders someone to take them to rest before continuing to question the next group of people.

Just now, they take a count: there are 72 guards at the bottom of the cliff and around 460 quarry workers. Among the quarry workers, besides the missing locals from Cangzhou, the rest have been deceived from other regions under various pretexts. Some have even come from places over 2,000 li away from Cangzhou.

These people have been uprooted from their homes, forced to do grueling and exhausting labor. Not only do they not earn a single coin, but they are also beaten from time to time. Some even have to watch as their fellow townspeople die one after another. They can’t even bury them, merely enduring each day in suffering, waiting for death to bring them relief.

As Pei Che reviews the testimonies and travel documents they have found in the guards’ quarters, his heart grows heavy.

If the officials in Cangzhou thoroughly investigate the matter when the first person goes missing, perhaps these people won’t end up stranded here for so many years.

Pei Che sighs deeply and calls out, “Bring the guards up here.”

“Yes, My Lord!”

Soon, a group of men, tightly bound with ropes, is brought forward. These guards are muscular and sturdy, their voices still strong and full of vigor despite being tied up all night. They are a stark contrast to the emaciated and feeble civilians.

“How long have you been here?”

Faced with Pei Che’s question, the men remain silent.

“Whose orders are you following to quarry stone here?” Pei Che asks again, but they still refuse to speak.

“Not talking, are you?” Pei Che loses his patience. “Start with the first one here. If they don’t answer, beat them.” These men aren’t virtuous to begin with, so it’s time for them to taste the suffering the common people have endured.

“Yes!”

Soon, the first man, who stays silent, is pressed onto the board and given five heavy strikes. The blows make him cry out in agony, screaming for mercy, but he still refuses to answer the questions. The rest of the men are the same. No matter how much they are beaten, they would rather endure the punishment than reveal anything about the person behind it all.

After several rounds of questioning and beatings, Pei Che realizes he won’t get anything out of them. He waves his hand, signaling for the men to be taken away, and turns his attention to the items confiscated from their quarters.

The two officials Pei Che summons are initially confused, but after seeing everything at the bottom of the cliff, their confusion turns to shock. They have been stationed here for years and have no idea a group of people is hiding in this place.

After their surprise subsides, excitement takes over. This is a major case. The fact that the prefect has called only them and no one else must mean he values them highly. They resolve to perform well to prove themselves!

Pei Che doesn’t notice their change in demeanor. His attention is focused on the letters laid out on the table. He sighs. The correspondence is all about trivial family matters. Not a single letter mentions anything about the person behind the scenes. There isn’t even a mention of the word “stone,” let alone the type of stone they are quarrying, where it is being transported, or who it is being delivered to.

He presses his fingers to his temples and continues sifting through the confiscated items.

…

Early the next morning, a carriage arrives at the quarry. Jiang Miao carries a food box and accompanies an elderly man toward the site. The constable guarding the entrance immediately recognizes him. After a polite greeting, they lead him to the temporary office Pei Che is using.

Pei Che, who hasn’t slept all night, holds a cup of strong tea to stave off exhaustion. It is a batch of low-quality tea they have processed themselves. Since it won’t fetch a good price on the market, they decide to keep it for their own use.

Knock, knock!

The door is suddenly knocked on. Pei Che puts down his tea, clears his throat, and says, “Come in.”

“Haven’t slept all night, have you?” Jiang Miao takes one look and makes his judgment. Pei Che always seems composed and in control, but in reality, he can’t keep things off his mind. If anything happens, he tosses and turns all night.

“Why are you here so early? And why aren’t you wearing more clothes?” Cangzhou is full of mountains, and the temperature difference between morning and evening is significant. Pei Che walks over, takes Jiang Miao’s hand, and notices it is a bit cold, causing his brows to furrow again.

Jiang Miao awkwardly pulls his hand back and gestures toward the elderly man behind him. The man, whose hair and beard are entirely white, watches the two of them with an amused expression.

“Please, have a seat, sir.” Pei Che pretends nothing has happened and gestures for the elderly man to come inside and sit. Though he doesn’t know who this man is, the fact that Jiang Miao has brought him is reason enough to treat him with courtesy.

“Master Tan, please come in and sit. After breakfast, he’ll take you over,” Jiang Miao says. He moves to the table and begins unpacking the food box, setting everything neatly. Jiang Miao and Master Tan have already eaten; this portion is specifically brought for Pei Che.

The familiar aroma makes Pei Che realize just how hungry he is.

After inviting Master Tan to sit, Pei Che picks up his chopsticks and begins eating. Even in the presence of others, his table manners are usually impeccable. But today, the speed at which he eats betrays his urgency.

While Pei Che eats, Jiang Miao and Master Tan chat on the side. From their conversation, Pei Che learns that Master Tan has worked for many years in an imperial mining operation and is highly knowledgeable about various ores. Only then does Pei Che understand why Jiang Miao has suddenly brought a stranger to him.

Yesterday, Pei Che had hurriedly handed over a small piece of stone brought back by his secret guards and left after giving a few quick instructions. He hadn’t expected Jiang Miao to take the initiative to help solve his problems—it is truly touching.

After finishing his meal, Pei Che leads them to the nearest quarry. Where they are now is the residential area for the guards. The nearby quarry is filled with pits and caves everywhere, from the mountain walls to the ground, leaving the landscape uneven and scarred.

The extracted stones are piled in one area. Each looks incredibly heavy, and it’s hard to imagine how the quarry workers, using only crude tools and their bare hands, have managed to mine them.

Master Tan, who has maintained a cheerful demeanor, grows extremely serious as soon as he steps into the quarry. He takes out a small hammer and begins tapping on the exposed minerals, occasionally using a dagger to scrape off stone powder and wrapping it in paper for later testing.

Pei Che and Jiang Miao follow closely behind, speaking in hushed tones to avoid disturbing Master Tan as he works.

“Did those people confess?” Jiang Miao asks.

Pei Che shakes his head. “The guards refuse to reveal anything, and the captured quarry workers claim they know nothing about the people behind this. They insist that, apart from themselves, they haven’t seen anyone else.”

Jiang Miao nods. “It seems the people behind this are either highly influential or have found some way to exploit these workers’ weaknesses, threatening them so severely that they’d rather endure government torture than give up any information.”

“That’s what I suspect as well. These people’s backgrounds are unclear, and even if I want to uncover the truth, it’s not something that can be done quickly. All I can do is piece together clues from the items found in their quarters,” Pei Che says, sighing at the thought of the useless evidence he reviewed the previous night.

“Stayed up all night for nothing, didn’t you?” Jiang Miao observes, reading the exhaustion on his face.

“Exactly. These people are extremely cautious. Whether in their letters or other belongings, there’s no mention of the stones or anything related to this place… I’ve been holding it in all night, and now I finally have someone to vent to,” Pei Che says, frustrated.

As Jiang Miao listens, he suddenly asks, “What do they eat?”

The sudden shift in topic catches Pei Che off guard. “From the kitchen supplies we confiscated, we found rice, flour, and some grains. I suppose they sustain themselves with those. Wait… are you asking where their food comes from?”

Jiang Miao nods enthusiastically. “Exactly! A group this large must consume a huge amount of food. But as far as I know, Fengshou Grain Store has never handled an order this big since opening for business. Could they be sourcing their food from outside Cangzhou?”

“That’s impossible,” Pei Che denies immediately. “I’ve stationed people at Cangzhou’s entry points. If anyone were transporting large quantities of grain into the area, they would have reported it.”

“If it’s not being sourced locally or brought in from outside, then this is strange. Are you suggesting their food is falling from the sky?” Jiang Miao says, resting his chin on his hand as he ponders.

“Not quite. Don’t forget—there’s another grain store in Cangzhou,” Pei Che suddenly remembers a store that lost to Fengshou Grain Store in a business rivalry last year.

“Datong Grain Store!” Jiang Miao immediately recalls it too.

“Exactly. Since that defeat, the store hasn’t reopened, but neither has it officially declared bankruptcy or ceased operations.”