Transmigrating to the Qi Family - Chapter 180

“…Later, he ordered me to deliver food to the people at the bottom of the cliff. At first, I didn’t want to agree, but he threatened and coaxed me. In the end, I had no choice but to follow his orders. Sir, I truly don’t know what they are doing! If I had known they were mining iron, I wouldn’t have done it, even if I die!”

He Gui bursts into tears. He never expects that he has fallen into Xu Youdao’s trap from the very beginning. Eventually, he figures out why Xu Youdao sought him out. The man likely notices his talent for accounting. In truth, it is his skill with numbers that has allowed him to cover his tracks all these years.

“In other words, you’ve never met the owner of Datong Trading Company? The only one you’ve dealt with has always been that Steward Xu?” Pei Che asks.

He Gui nods repeatedly. “I’ve always followed Steward Xu’s orders, never met the owner, and don’t know who he is! But…”

He hesitates, unsure whether to speak further.

“But what?” Pei Che presses, his instincts telling him that He Gui might know something.

“Once, when I delivered the account books to Steward Xu, he was talking with someone, and I overheard him mention a surname.” He Gui thinks for a moment, then says, “At the time, he says someone is foolish enough to go against the Liu family. The malice in his words still gives me chills when I think about it.”

“He calls himself Xu Youdao, yet claims to be a member of the Liu family. Could his credentials be fake?” Pei Che wonders aloud, suspecting that Xu Youdao might be using an alias.

He Gui shakes his head. “Impossible. I’ve seen his pass before, and it’s stamped with the government seal. Both the name and the other details match his identity.” He Gui has been with Steward Xu for a long time, and Xu isn’t particularly wary of him.

“An official seal?” Pei Che’s mind clicks into place. He asks, “Which office’s official seal was it?” Every official seal is unique, and for example, Cangzhou has the Cangzhou city imprint.

He Gui scratches his head, trying to recall. Suddenly, he slaps his thigh and exclaims, “I remember! The seal has the characters for Xinyang County on it!”

“Xinyang County? The one in Nanyang Prefecture?” Governor Lin asks.

He Gui replies, “It should be that one.” Now that he thinks about it, Steward Xu’s speech seems to have a slight accent from that area.

“Lord Lin, have you ever been to that place?”

Governor Lin says, “It’s a coincidence. When I’m first assigned a position, it’s in Nanyang Prefecture. But not in Xinyang County, rather in Qujiang County.”

“I see, no wonder you recognize it right away, Lord,” Pei Che says. “But, have you ever heard of the Liu family in Xinyang County?”

Governor Lin replies, “Xinyang County is part of Nanyang Prefecture, which is more than three times larger than our Chengtian Prefecture. It is rich in resources, with countless wealthy families. I only know that the wealthiest man in Nanyang is surnamed Gu, but I’ve never heard of the Liu family. However, it’s not impossible to find out. During my time in Qujiang County, I made quite a few friends. Let me write a letter and inquire, and we can make a judgment afterward.”

“That would be much appreciated, Lord!” Pei Che says, cupping his hands. Governor Lin smiles in return.

“He Gui, do you have a way to contact that Steward Xu?” Pei Che turns to He Gui and asks. To find out the truth, they still need to catch Steward Xu and ask him directly.

The guards at the mine have already confessed after enduring the torture, saying that their only job is to extract and place the ore. Every few months, a caravan comes to transport it away. When Pei Che asks when the last shipment was, they say it was last winter.

Pei Che is somewhat puzzled, but after thinking it over, he understands. It isn’t that the men don’t want to transport the ore, but because Pei Che has stationed guards at the Cangzhou exit, and they thoroughly check everyone’s identity. If the caravan comes, it would surely be impossible to conceal from the authorities.

“Lord, how could I contact Steward Xu? Whenever there’s something to instruct, he sends someone with a message.”

The clue ends there, but Pei Che isn’t discouraged, because the big fish has already surfaced. The rest is just a matter of time.

He Gui is taken away, and he will be dealt with once everything is clear.

After discussing with Prefect Lin, Pei Che decides that Prefect Lin will report the matter to the emperor and arrange for illustrations of Steward Xu and the members of the caravan to be made. These will be sent along in case a nationwide wanted notice needs to be issued.

…

After eating at a restaurant near the yamen, Pei Che takes Governor Lin to the mine at the foot of the cliff to inspect it. The ore, which has been mined but not yet transported, is piled up on an empty lot near the entrance, guarded by personnel to prevent any disturbances.

Governor Lin looks at the scattered ore on the ground and sighs deeply. “If only we had known there was an iron mine here earlier, Cangzhou wouldn’t have fallen into such poverty. However, since Lord Pei’s arrival, things have improved here. I heard that the tea I drank today was Cangzhou Green, produced locally?” He suddenly changes the topic and asks about something else.

He has heard of Cangzhou Green before, but his impression of Cangzhou is still that of a poor and destitute place. When tea from such a place is sent to him, he has no interest in it and casually gives it away to his subordinates. Looking back now, he regrets it somewhat.

“Indeed, Cangzhou Green tea has a clear broth, a rich taste, and a lingering sweetness. Many tea merchants praise it, and it has also benefited the people of Cangzhou. This year, we decided to plant more, hoping to turn Cangzhou into a northern tea town, so we won’t have to rely on the southern tea gardens for supply.” Pei Che, of course, doesn’t want to be overly modest about the local specialty that hasn’t yet made a name for itself. He was completely ignorant about business at first, but after spending so much time with Jiang Miao, he picked up some skills in speaking the language of commerce.

“A northern tea town? Hahaha, that’s ambitious! If Cangzhou becomes the northern tea town, Chengtian Prefecture will have you to thank,” Governor Lin says, stroking his chin and laughing heartily. He has tasted the tea himself, and it is just as Pei Che has described. If he hadn’t been accustomed to other teas, he would have bought some to take back and savor. If they can become self-sufficient through tea sales, that would be excellent for Governor Lin.

Cangzhou is the poorest area under Chengtian Prefecture’s jurisdiction. Not only does it fail to meet its annual tax quota, but it often has to send letters asking for relief. Unfortunately, Chengtian Prefecture itself isn’t wealthy, so it has to bear the burden. The annual evaluation of officials rarely rates higher than average.

Thinking about the tea mountain in Cangzhou and the impending iron mine, Governor Lin’s thoughts shift. He suddenly feels that these accomplishments might allow him to advance further in his career.

The two are engaged in lively conversation when a commotion suddenly breaks out outside. Pei Che sends someone to investigate and learns that people accidentally discover a new mining site nearby. However, it isn’t exactly new; the site is actually an abandoned mine pit that these people had previously dug. But it is easy to uncover, and there is still much ore left untapped.

Pei Che immediately orders them to continue searching the area to determine how many more places have been mined.

After a few days of searching, Pei Che discovers that this is not the first mining site. In other locations, they find two more abandoned mine shafts. One of them is very close to the main road, only separated by a few dozen meters, but because the mountain wall is too high, it is not visible.

When Jiang Miao hears about this, he immediately connects it with the landslide that occurred seven years ago.

“I knew it! Cangzhou has high mountains and many trees, and there have been no earthquakes here. How could there have been a landslide? It turns out they were mining here! The people who got buried these past few years were not victims of a natural disaster but of human error! It’s such a tragedy!” Jiang Miao is furious.

When he first hears from the old man about the incident, he feels sorry for those who die. They are just doing business, and yet they meet such a tragic end. As someone who has also struggled in a foreign land, he can’t help but feel sorrow for them. Now that he knows these people shouldn’t have died, it only deepens his sorrow.

Pei Che pats his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. “They can’t run for long. Once everything is cleared up, those who did wrong will naturally pay the price.”

“I hope so. But what difference does it make if they pay the price? The people who died will never come back,” Jiang Miao sighs.

Pei Che doesn’t know what to say at first, but after a long pause, he speaks. “It’s true for the departed, but catching those people can prevent more from suffering.”

Jiang Miao thinks about the common folk who are trapped at the bottom of the cliff, mining, and nods in agreement. “You’re right.”

“Do you remember Zhang Da?” Pei Che changes the subject.

Jiang Miao thinks for a moment and replies, “He’s Zhang Quan’s father, right? What’s happened to him?”

“A few days ago, I have someone deliver a message to Zhang Quan. The boy is so happy when he hears it that he packs up and goes straight to see his father. Zhang Da is also thrilled, and when they meet, they embrace and cry for a long time. Since seeing his son, Zhang Da is full of energy. In the past couple of days, he’s been taking Zhang Quan to recognize ores and even teaching him mining techniques.”

Jiang Miao is a bit puzzled. “Why is he teaching him that?”

Pei Che smiles slightly. “Zhang Da may be a woodcutter, but he thinks longer-term than most. This iron mine has kept him in pain for years, but for Cangzhou, it’s a good thing. According to Elder Tan, those people have been mining here for over seven years, but they keep it quiet, afraid of being discovered. The amount of ore they’ve taken out is just a drop in the bucket. Once the case is settled, the court will send people to take over the iron mine. At that point, they will certainly recruit many people from Cangzhou.”

After Pei Che explains this, Jiang Miao understands immediately. He had only thought about the reunion and how the father and son could enjoy a happy life together, but he hasn’t considered what will happen to the iron mine afterward.

“Will the profits from this iron mine belong to Cangzhou?” If so, Cangzhou will go from being a place of severe poverty to a wealthy powerhouse!

Pei Che shakes his head. “No matter the type of mine, it always belongs to the imperial court. However, Cangzhou won’t be left with nothing. If they want to buy or sell ore or iron goods here, all commercial taxes will go to Cangzhou. Besides, Cangzhou has been poor for a long time. Now that they’ve made great strides, they may be able to reduce various taxes.”

Jiang Miao sighs: “I thought Cangzhou could become a big player in one fell swoop! But this isn’t bad either. With the iron mine, more people will come here. Once the trade routes are opened, the economy will thrive. At that time, mountain goods and Cangzhou Green will sell for a good price, and in their free time, people can work at the mine and earn money. Life for the common folk should be much better than before.”