Chapter 122

Jiang Mingyu had just stepped out of that filthy prison, the stench still lingering in his nostrils, yet inexplicably he caught a whiff of victory. The county Ya ’s guards hurried over with news: the Inspector’s men had arrived.

Jiang Mingyu froze, still processing, when his old acquaintance, Master Jing, appeared before him like a splash of red in winter.

“Ah, Jiang my lord , your aura has grown even stronger since our last meeting.”

Jiang Mingyu rose immediately and bowed. “Master Jing, you’ve traveled far. Thank you for coming.”

“Hah! Don’t flatter me. I didn’t come here to drink tea and chat.”

“The Inspector is in high spirits and has sent me to inform you: the buyer for the iron ore has been found.”

He slapped the snow off his robes as if teasing, his expression saying: “I’ve brought you good news.”

“And more than that—the Inspector has rented several shops to prepare for the upcoming transactions.”

His eyes sparkled with anticipation, as if this news mattered more than his own life.

Jiang Mingyu’s joy was plain to see. “This is wonderful, Master Jing—please sit.”

“I’ve already learned the quantity the Inspector needs temporarily. I’ll prepare it as soon as possible.” Jiang Mingyu’s lips curled slightly, unable to hide his delight.

Master Jing patted his belly contentedly. “Jiang my lord , you truly understand. To be honest, the Inspector needs three hundred thousand jin.”

Jiang Mingyu’s jaw nearly dropped, as if swept by a tidal wave. “Th-three hundred thousand jin?”

A chill settled in Jiang Mingyu’s chest—he sensed something was off. “Do you know who the buyer is, Master Jing?”

“Don’t be alarmed, Jiang my lord —it’s not just one buyer.”

“Put plainly, who in the entire prefecture would dare refuse the Inspector’s face?”

“Ever since word got out he’s in business, buyers have been knocking down his door.”

“To be blunt, these people usually can’t even find a way to bribe the Inspector.”

“How could such a golden opportunity slip past these eight-hearted schemers?”

“Many haven’t even gotten in line yet—they’re still waiting their turn. Jiang my lord , you’re about to make a fortune.”

Jiang Mingyu, tea cup in hand, finally understood. No wonder the quantity was so enormous—it was all because of this.

“Then, Master Jing, could you tell me the price of the iron ore?”

“This…” Master Jing finally smiled. “I do know. The Inspector says he’ll pay you ten wen per jin.”

“What?!” Jiang Mingyu blurted out. He thought he’d misheard. He knew the market price was five wen per jin—the Inspector was offering double! What did this mean? Was there another motive?

“Jiang my lord , don’t get too excited. This price comes with conditions.” Master Jing continued. “The Inspector says you must deliver three hundred thousand jin to the prefectural city within one month—or you’ll be paid the original rate.”

“One month?!” Jiang Mingyu exclaimed again. He felt tricked.

He knew his mine could extract at most five thousand jin per day. To meet the quota in a month, he’d have to work day and night without rest.

And he had to account for transport: three hundred li from the county to the prefectural city—ten days just to get there.

That left him only twenty days to mine the ore. How was that possible?

“Jiang my lord , don’t worry—the Inspector has arranged some help for you.” Master Jing added. “He’ll send a detachment of soldiers to assist with mining and provide a hundred carts for transport.”

“Soldiers? Carts?” Jiang Mingyu grew even more confused.

He couldn’t understand why the Inspector would do this.

Didn’t he fear drawing the court’s suspicion?

“Jiang my lord , don’t overthink it. The Inspector has his own reasons.”

Seeing Jiang Mingyu’s unease, Master Jing reassured him. “The Inspector says this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. If we complete this task, we’ll make a fortune.”

“And the Inspector also says he’ll give you a great gift—to help you take revenge on your enemies.”

“What kind of gift?” Jiang Mingyu couldn’t help asking.

“This…” Master Jing smiled. “I’m not entirely sure. The Inspector only said it’s a surprise you won’t expect—he didn’t specify.”

“Oh…” Jiang Mingyu sighed helplessly.

He realized he couldn’t refuse.

“Very well. I understand. I’ll deliver the iron ore to the prefectural city as soon as possible.”

Master Jing reached into his sleeve, pulled out a stack of silver notes, and placed them on the table. “Here’s ten thousand taels as deposit. Please take it.”

Jiang Mingyu silently calculated: Wang Zhe had already taken his half.

The local custom was to pay half upfront—so this deal meant Jiang Mingyu stood to profit twenty thousand taels.

Setting aside past troubles, he now had enough to cover the army’s expenses for the next six months.

When he finally looked up, he realized Master Jing was watching him with a knowing gaze.

He might as well have been saying: “Pay me.”

Jiang Mingyu instantly understood. He quickly pulled out a thousand taels in silver notes and placed them on the table with a forced smile. “Master Jing, you’ve worked hard. A small token—for tea.”

“Jiang my lord , this isn’t proper…”

Master Jing’s eyes lit up instantly. He protested politely but snatched the notes away in a flash.

Jiang Mingyu secretly laughed at his greed.

The atmosphere naturally grew warmer after the silver notes appeared.

After hours of idle chatter, Jiang Mingyu, tea cup in hand, casually asked: “How’s Zhuge Yu lately?”

He assumed Zhuge Yu was now strutting around, showing off Jiang Mingyu’s new poem to everyone.

But Master Jing sighed heavily instead. “Master Zhuge’s situation… is not good.”