eurekapd Chapter 147 Chalcocite or Gold?
Chapter 147 Chalcocite or Gold?
Xia Yichen frowned slightly, pondering the relationship between Five Tiger Stronghold, the Treasure Gourd, the constables, and the ginseng diggers. He lowered his voice and said, "An Yi will follow Yun Hai, and An Er will follow Yun Qing. From now on, their safety is your responsibility."
With Wen Yuxia and her brother possessing martial arts skills and accompanied by Nan Yi, Nan Er, Bei Yi, and Bei Er, Xia Yichen wasn't worried about their safety.
The Wen brothers were working for the imperial court for free, and regardless of whether Wen Yuxia would arrange for them to be protected, Xia Yichen believed that he had an obligation to protect them.
If Xia Yichen's bodyguards were to leave, it would be fine if Xia Yichen were unharmed. However, if something were to happen, Wen Yunhai and Wen Yunqing would likely incur the wrath of the Emperor and the Crown Prince. Wen Yuxia wasn't stupid; she immediately refused Xia Yichen's offer.
She said with a faint smile, "Nan Yi and the others are responsible for the safety of my eldest cousin. An Yi and An Er, just protect your master."
Then Wen Yuxia adjusted the formation, with Nan Yi and Nan Er walking in front, followed by Wen Yunhai, Wen Yunqing, and Wen Yunhong.
An Yi and An Er followed behind the three Wen brothers, followed by Xia Yichen and Wen Yuxia. Bei Yi and Bei Er followed behind Xia and Wen, with An San and An Si bringing up the rear.
Xia Yichen glanced helplessly at Wen Yuxia and said indulgently, "Okay, okay, okay, I'll do as you say."
That evening, Xia Yichen and the others found a sheltered spot, ate a few steamed buns, and then, like the others who had gone up the mountain, lay down casually on the ground.
Nan Yi, who was on night watch, lay on the ground without sleeping all night. The next morning, he told Wen Yuxia and the others about the masked men in black who had patrolled both sides of the mountain road during the night.
Xia Yichen lowered his head in thought. The masked men in black patrolling this area were worried about the safety of those who went up the mountain to dig for ginseng, fearing they might be attacked by wild animals while they slept at night.
It seems these people who were lured up the mountain are of great use to the masked men in black, but Xia Yichen can't guess exactly what their purpose is.
Based on the plots in online novels from her previous life, such as mining gold in the mountains and stockpiling troops there, Wen Yuxia carefully analyzed the situation for Xia Yichen and concluded that digging for ginseng was a pretense, and doing hard labor was the real purpose.
A hint of anger flashed across Xia Yichen's face. The imperial court had regulations stipulating that ores were state-owned resources, and anyone who discovered a mineral deposit had to report it. Unauthorized mining was punishable by exile.
Ordinary people and businessmen dare not mine privately. Only people in high positions of power have the courage to mine privately. Xia Yichen said through gritted teeth, "I want to see who has such a big guts."
Wen Yuxia didn't know the ore belonged to the imperial court until Xia Yichen told her after she voluntarily handed over the coal mine.
If a mineral deposit is discovered on one's own territory, one can receive 10% of the mineral profit. If a mineral deposit is discovered on public land or mountains, the imperial court will estimate the quantity of minerals found and award a reward to the person who reports it.
Wen Yuxia initially refused the coal mine's profits because she was unaware of the policies. After handing over the profits to the mine, she learned she could receive a 10% share, but then felt embarrassed to change her mind.
Fortunately, with Xia Yichen's support, her business has grown bigger and bigger over the years. In general, what she has earned over the years is no less than the 10% profit from the coal mine.
When the magic gourd arrived, the group who came to dig for ginseng were dumbfounded. The entire hillside was covered with thickets of ginseng, and they couldn't see a single ginseng. Most importantly, many masked men in black, wielding large knives, stood around the hillside.
Those with a quick mind started running back the way they came, but after running more than ten steps, they were forced back to their original positions by someone wielding a large knife.
Xia Yichen calmly surveyed the surroundings and whispered to Wen Yuxia, "Don't resort to violence yet." Wen Yuxia nodded knowingly.
At this moment, a masked man in black, who appeared to be the leader, shouted: "Don't move! You think you're really here to dig for ginseng? From today onwards, you'd all better work for me, or your lives will be in danger!"
In the crowd, someone asked in a trembling voice, "Hero, what work do you want us to do?"
"Enough talk, just follow us," the masked leader in black snapped.
Using the crowd as cover, Xia Yichen shouted in a shrill voice, "It's illegal to enslave innocent people. Aren't you afraid of being punished?"
The masked leader's cold eyes swept across the crowd, trying to find the speaker. Unfortunately, Xia Yichen spoke quickly, his lips now tightly pressed together, and he stood trembling slightly in the crowd.
The masked leader had originally intended to make an example of someone, but finding no one to speak to, he had to give up. He sneered and said, "Knowing too much won't do you any good. Working obediently will save you some suffering. Take me away."
At his command, all the masked men in black raised their broadswords and drove Xia Yichen and his group into the deep mountains. Xia Yichen observed the terrain as they walked, and the masked men led them into a valley.
Xia Yichen carefully surveyed the area. He noticed numerous thatched huts built throughout the valley, and a cave on the left side. People were occasionally carrying stones out of the cave, many of which were golden in color.
He wasn't sure if the golden stones were chalcopyrite or gold, but he was certain there was a mine here.
The masked man in black said coldly, "This is where you work and live. Don't even think about escaping. There are cliffs on three sides, and the only exit is guarded."
After speaking, the masked leader lit a firecracker and casually tossed it into the air. A wisp of smoke rose into the sky with the sound of the firecracker.
Soon, a group of men dressed in black arrived pushing a cart loaded with tools such as chisels, hoes, iron bars, and axes.
"Men, all of you grab your tools and start clearing the mountain! Women, if you want to clear the mountain, go get the tools; if you don't want to, go work in the kitchen!" the masked leader shouted.
Xia Yichen stepped forward first to select tools, followed closely by Wen Yuxia and the others. The masked leader pointed to the cave, a hint of a smile in his voice: "Those who know when to yield are the wise ones; you may proceed."
Xia Yichen chuckled to himself. Going there to mine would allow him to get up close to the ore. Wen Yuxia was very excited. Bringing a little bit into her spatial storage shouldn't be illegal, right?
"Hurry up, hurry up, get moving!" the masked leader shouted, directing his men to drive the men carrying tools into the cave.
Entering the cave, by the light of the fire inside, Wen Yuxia saw thirty people widening the cave. There were even more people deeper inside, and every now and then someone would be carrying yellow ore out of the cave.
Several masked men in black, holding whips, patrolled around, shouting, "Hurry up, don't slack off!"
Upon seeing Wen Yuxia and the others enter, one of the men in black said coldly, "Follow me." Wen Yuxia and the others quietly followed behind him, passing through a narrow path. The man in black pointed to dozens of mine shafts ahead.
He said coldly, "The main team can dig or you can dig alone. In short, everyone can rest after digging fifty catties of ore a day."