Chapter 427: Finding the Silver Mine

"You've got some weird rhythm."

Sizi angrily pried open Li Lizhi's hand, and at this rate, when will they ever finish the task their older brother gave them?

This sister is really disappointing!

Day after day, they're good for nothing, but they've learned a lot of flirty talk from older brother.

"Anyway, you don't need to worry about it; I know what's going on in my own mind," Li Lizhi said with a stern face, intending to firmly establish her authority as an older sister.

"I'll tell you..."

"Don't tell me," Sizi shook their head, "You, you're just waiting for Elder Sister Gao Yang to have a second child, and you think you have it all figured out, right?"

"I won't bother with you anymore; I can't rely on anything."

After saying that, she let out a light hum and bolted away.

Li Lizhi stared dumbfounded at her sister's small retreating figure, her mind full of question marks.

My sister... has become a spirit?

Is she still a child?

Remembering the once obedient, adorable, ever‑pitiful good sister, and now looking at this sister who finds fault with everything about her.

Li Lizhi felt utterly frustrated.

Chen Yan, though very good at raising children and teaching knowledge that was awe‑inspiring, seemed to have produced a child that was a bit off!

She thought carefully and realized that her own sister... seemed to have inherited Chen Yan's temperament.

"......"

Night fell, and although the Imperial Palace was brightly lit, it was somewhat quiet.

After Li Shimin finished his meal, he reviewed some memorials for a while, and seeing that the hour was near, he prepared to rest.

But at that moment, Li Junxian suddenly reported.

"Your Majesty, the envoy sent to the Wa country has returned!"

Li Shimin sprang up, his heart racing, and hurried down the steps.

"How's the situation? Did they bring any concrete information? Is there really a silver mine?"

Replying, Li Junxian said, "Your Majesty, according to the reports brought back by those sent, the Duke of Wei's words are not false; within Izumo of the Wa country there exists a silver mine. Its exact size is unknown, but based on the estimates of experienced gold prospectors, this silver mine is certainly not small."

"To avoid stirring up trouble, the dispatched party did not conduct extensive mining or surveying. After locating the mine, they brought back a lot of silver ore and hurried back."

"Good, good, good!" Li Shimin said three 'good's in a row, his excitement barely restrained.

A silver mine!

According to Chen Yan, it's a massive silver mine that could be mined for several hundred years!

What does mining for several hundred years even mean?

That means a genuine silver mountain, no exaggeration, a true silver mountain!

With this silver mine, the Tang Dynasty could usher in a soaring era.

And his Zhenguan era might truly become a flourishing age as Chen Yan described!

Calming himself, Li Shimin paced back and forth, then turned and said, "Where are those who were sent out? Bring a few of them here; I want to see them personally!"

"Yes!" Li Junxian slowly stepped back.

Li Shimin restrained his emotions and sat down again.

After a moment of silence, he suddenly broke into a wide grin and laughed!

"Hahaha, good lad, good lad! You really didn't lie!"

Having received concrete information, the last doubt in Li Shimin's mind vanished instantly.

It's not that Li Shimin never doubted before, but Chen Yan's words were too frightening.

A massive silver mine that can be mined for centuries—who wouldn't feel a shiver upon hearing that?

This is damn like a pie dropping from the heavens; if it weren't for Li Shimin's trust in Chen Yan, they'd probably say he's gone mad.

It's truly unbelievable.

"Damn it!" Li Shimin suddenly cursed, "Had we known this, we should've given that kid more men from the start; eight hundred—damn, isn't that a bit few?"

Wushe, standing nearby, flushed with embarrassment after hearing that.

Eight hundred does indeed sound small compared to, say, a hundred thousand or three hundred thousand troops.

But Chen Yan's whole thing is heavy cavalry!

Moreover, its weapons, armor, and overall equipment would even surpass the Tang's strongest Xuanjia troops. Even without elite soldiers selected through rigorous trials, with Chen Yan's training methods and his personally planned military rations, the unflagged cavalry, after just a few battles, would undoubtedly become a king's army.

Is that still not enough?

Li Shimin thought for a moment, then softly ordered, "Send someone to summon the two ministers Lord Fang and Lord Du, as well as the Dukes of Dai, Lu, Yi, and E, and bring them here quickly!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Wushe hurriedly replied, then hesitated and carefully asked, "Your Majesty, should we also send someone to summon the Duke of Wei?"

Li Shimin shook his head, "No need; do as I have instructed!"

"Yes!"

Soon after Wushe left, Li Junxian entered with a pair of father and son who looked quite old.

"Your Majesty, the men have arrived."

"I, humble Hu Jin, with my son Hu An, respectfully request an audience with the Sage."

The dark‑skinned, about sixty‑year‑old prospector bowed deeply, pulling his son along.

"Stand up," Li Shimin nodded, then examined the pair closely and asked, "Have your ancestors all been gold prospectors?"

"Your Majesty, my ancestors indeed were prospectors, passing down some skills, and have long followed the government in mining gold and silver."

Li Shimin nodded, then approached the father and son, getting to the point, "I ask you, what are the specifics of the silver mine? Is it difficult to extract? Is it easy to dig?"

"..." Hu Jin and his son exchanged a glance, unable to hide it: "His Majesty, to be honest, this humble subject's ancestors have been mining gold and silver for generations, yet have never seen a silver mine like that."

"In principle, ordinary gold and silver ores are hidden at the mountain tops or within the mountain body, but regardless of type, they are actually buried in the earth, making them quite hard to find!"

"However, on that silver mine, if you look carefully, you can even pick up silver ore on the ground, though very scarce, it does exist."

"At that time, I and the military elder found that silver mine and found it odd; initially I thought the silver mine had gradually become exposed from the mountain over time."

"However, after I and those military elders selected several spots for shallow digging, more and more silver ore emerged from below."

"I suspect that the scale of that silver mine may be unprecedentedly huge, larger than any silver mine I have ever seen, but the military elder said deep excavation was not allowed and the news must be reported back first, so I cannot be certain."

"You cannot be certain, but someone already is!" Li Shimin laughed heartily: "Tell the person who reported the silver mine to me that it is a massive silver mine enough to be mined for several hundred years!"

"Your guess is correct!"

Hu Jin and his son both changed expression, their faces lighting up with joy.

"Very well, where are the silver ores you brought back? Let me see."

"They're outside; I will fetch them right away."

In a short while, Hu Jin and his son returned carrying back baskets; most of the contents were gray‑white ore, but Hu Jin placed a black ore on top.

"His Majesty, please look: the gray‑white ones are surface ore of the silver mine, containing little silver; this black piece is the ore from the vein......"

"......."