Chapter 44

Returning to the county yamen, the sky had just begun to lighten.

Though Jiang Jiang Mingyu was utterly exhausted, he showed no intention of resting; his brows knitted tightly and his expression solemn, he ordered, "Brother Murong Yunhai, prepare the proclamation immediately. We must post it at once."

At dawn, the streets and alleys of Shangmu County were plastered with proclamations personally written by Jiang Jiang Mingyu.

After several resounding clangs of the gong, curious townsfolk flocked to see the spectacle.

"Strange. Since the magistrate took office, we have not seen a single proclamation posted at the yamen," an old man said suspiciously.

"What's going on? Have the foreigners returned?" another middle-aged man couldn't help but suspect.

"I'd say it's almost certain. Fellow villagers, hide quickly!" Several fearful murmurs rose from the crowd.

"..."

Soon, an old man with a gray beard squinted his nearly blind eyes, scrutinizing the notice for a long while before hesitantly speaking: "No foreign invaders have come. This proclamation is from the newly appointed Imperial Envoy."

"The notice calls for the conscription of one hundred able-bodied men and carts to labor at the county yamen," the old man recited the contents slowly.

"Every conscript will receive two taels of silver!" The old man raised his voice, as if confirming he had read it correctly.

Hearing this, the crowd instantly breathed a sigh of relief, then erupted into frantic discussion.

"Working for the yamen and still getting paid?" a middle-aged man asked skeptically.

"I doubt it. Why would the officials bother playing games with us poor wretches?" another young man scoffed.

"What do you know? We should be grateful the government isn't demanding money from us. Expecting to earn their silver is sheer folly!" an old man chided.

"..."

The crowd argued heatedly, each holding their own view. Though most doubted the proclamation's authenticity, a few tempted souls began gathering at the yamen.

Two hours later, with the sun high overhead, only thirty-odd people arrived at the yamen gate, bringing a few dilapidated carts.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu looked at them and couldn't help but frown; his face grew even more grim than before, his expression tinged with disappointment: "Only thirty-odd people?"

Lord Murong Murong Yunhai wore an equally bitter smile: "Getting this many is already a miracle. Most of the strong men have fled. You'll just have to make do."

The thin, small Wu Er explained, "The exploitation by previous magistrates has long left the common people disheartened toward the government."

"Many of these folks only came half-convinced, having no other way to survive, hoping to strike it lucky."

Hearing this, Jiang Jiang Mingyu nodded slightly, his expression growing solemn.

Clearly, the most urgent task now was to rebuild the people's trust in the government, Jiang Jiang Mingyu thought to himself.

How could this Shangmu County town truly be unable to gather even one hundred men?

Jiang Jiang Mingyu cleared his throat and said with a bitter smile, "Everyone, I am the newly appointed Imperial Envoy, Jiang Jiang Mingyu, temporarily serving as county magistrate."

"You have all read the proclamation. Let me reiterate: work diligently, and you will receive your wages."

"Your task is to go to Qinglong Shanzhai outside the city and help me excavate the necessary supplies..." Before Jiang Jiang Mingyu could finish, more than half of the remaining thirty-odd strong men fled in haste.

"This Imperial Envoy is mad! Sending us to Qinglong Shanzhai is practically asking for death!" a short, stout man cried out in terror.

"Those places are infested with fierce bandits. What could we possibly dig up there? Do you want to die?" another man shouted.

"Stop talking nonsense and run! Are you waiting to die?"

"..."

A bitter smile spread across Jiang Jiang Mingyu's face; only then did he realize that, aside from his own entourage from the previous night, no one knew Qinglong Shanzhai was now free of danger.

After much painstaking explanation, Jiang Jiang Mingyu barely managed to convince the remaining few that Qinglong Shanzhai was now safe.

To reassure everyone, he personally led the group to Qinglong Shanzhai.

The coal seams on the mountain were shallow, making excavation effortless.

After loading their carts to the brim, the laborers each wore puzzled expressions, unsure what this black substance was.

But for the sake of silver, no one spoke up.

Gazing at the shanzhai in the distance, Jiang Jiang Mingyu's mind stirred: "These bandits have held this place for years; surely they must have some savings?"

"Brother Lord Murong, take Xiao Er and go search upstairs. You might find some unexpected treasures."

He instructed Lord Murong Murong Yunhai to lead a search party, hoping for some unexpected gains.

Time slipped quietly away. The coal mining was nearly complete, yet Lord Murong Murong Yunhai and the others still had not returned.

Just as Jiang Jiang Mingyu was about to give up, Lord Murong Murong Yunhai suddenly appeared, his face beaming with joy.

"Brother Jiang Xingqiu, we found it! Silver, gleaming white, several ten thousand taels! We're rich!" Lord Murong Murong Yunhai exclaimed excitedly.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu feigned calmness: "Several ten thousand taels and you're this overjoyed? Where is your composure?"

"Transport it back after dark. Under no circumstances let word spread!" Jiang Jiang Mingyu instructed.

Inside the Shangmu County yamen, a pile of black coal lay before Jiang Jiang Mingyu.

A strong man who had just received his wages looked at the stuff and couldn't help asking, "My lord, what use is this thing?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu smiled slightly and explained to these ancients as simply as possible: "This is called coal. Just like burning firewood for warmth, it is used for heating."

The man still looked deeply skeptical: "Can this really provide warmth?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu offered no further explanation and directly ordered the coal to be shoveled into the stove in the rear courtyard.

Moments later, watching the large pot steaming with heat, the man's eyes widened in astonishment: "It's miraculous!"

"If we could use this thing for warmth, we wouldn't have to brave the wind and snow to chop firewood," the man muttered to himself.

Though the other laborers remained silent, their eyes also reflected the same joy and expectation.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu smiled with satisfaction and spoke: "As an official of the imperial court, benefiting the people of this region is my duty. Starting tomorrow, the poor may receive five carts of coal for free, and the elderly, weak, and orphaned seven carts. How does that sound?"

Instantly, the laborers all knelt on the ground, their eyes red as they cried, "To meet such an official who loves the people like his own children is truly a blessing of three lifetimes!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu helped them to their feet, feeling deeply gratified. With the people's support, future matters would be much easier to handle.

The man who had spoken earlier rolled his cloudy eyes and tentatively asked, "My lord, do you mean we can come to work again tomorrow?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu nodded slightly: "Not only can you come, but this county also needs to recruit more hands."

With the silver from the shanzhai as backing, Jiang Jiang Mingyu's tone grew firmer: "If you work diligently, you will receive silver every day. I also intend to sell the surplus coal to improve the people's livelihood."

The man, while pleased, also flashed a hint of wariness in his eyes: "My lord, such a precious thing must be watched closely. If it gets stolen, we would suffer a huge loss."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu smiled with understanding: "Then I rely on you. This county needs twenty men to guard Coal Mountain, with additional reward."

The man volunteered without hesitation: "My lord, my name is Liu One Da Jiang. Please assign me to guard the mountain!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu nodded in satisfaction: "Good. Seeing you are diligent, I will entrust the mountain affairs to you first."

Before dawn broke, clamor outside the county yamen woke Jiang Jiang Mingyu abruptly.

He hurriedly opened the main gate and was immediately startled; over a hundred spirited strongmen had gathered outside.

In the cold wind, Liu One Da Jiang grinned at Jiang Jiang Mingyu: "My lord, we have come to start work!"

Over the next few days, Jiang Jiang Mingyu taught the common people how to safely use coal for heating, while the coal they mined themselves was continuously transported into their homes.

With heating supplies available, the entire Shangmu County seemed to have become livelier, and even the number of pedestrians on the streets increased.

The pile of Bai Huahua silver brought back from the shanzhai had long been stored in the treasury; as Jiang Jiang Mingyu was counting it, Wu Xiaoer suddenly walked in.

The lean man bowed his hands toward Jiang Jiang Mingyu: "My lord, several local gentry from the city request an audience."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu stopped his hand, his brows frowning involuntarily: "What do they want?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu grew wary in his heart; these gentry usually paid no attention to county administration, yet now they suddenly requested an audience, fearing they had ulterior motives.

He pondered for a moment and said: "Xiaoer, go invite them in. Since they have come to the door, we must treat them well."

Soon, several gentry dressed in splendid clothes strode confidently into the reception hall of the side hall.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu sat upright at the head, his gaze sweeping over these gentry, secretly calculating countermeasures in his mind.