Chapter 44: Coal and Intrigue

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

Though Jiang Mingyu was exhausted, he showed no intention of rest; his brow furrowed, he gave a stern order: “Lord Yunhai, prepare the notices immediately—we must post them at once.”

At daybreak, every street and alley of Shangmu County was plastered with notices written personally by Jiang Mingyu.

After a few loud gongs rang out, curious townsfolk gathered to see what was happening.

“Strange—since the county magistrate took office, we haven’t seen a single notice posted by the yamen,” an old man muttered suspiciously.

“What’s going on? Are the foreign tribes back again?” another middle-aged man wondered aloud.

“I’d bet ten to one—they’re coming. Fellow villagers, hide yourselves quickly!” came fearful murmurs from the crowd.

“…”

Soon, an elderly man with a white beard squinted with nearly blind eyes, studying the notice for a long while before hesitantly speaking: “No foreign invaders—this notice comes from the newly appointed imperial envoy.”

“The notice calls for one hundred able-bodied men and carts to report to the yamen for labor,” the old man stated slowly.

“Each man who answers the call will receive two taels of silver!” the old man raised his voice, as if confirming he had read correctly.

Hearing this, the crowd instantly relaxed, then burst into wild chatter.

“They’ll pay us silver just for working for the yamen?” a middle-aged man asked skeptically.

“I doubt it—what would an official care to play tricks on poor folk like us?” a young man scoffed.

“What do you know? The government doesn’t come asking for money, we should be grateful—dare you dream of earning their silver? Pure fantasy!” an elder warned.

“…”

The townsfolk debated fiercely, each holding their own view. Though most doubted the notice’s truth, a few intrigued individuals began gathering toward the yamen.

Two hours later, as the sun reached its zenith, only thirty-odd men arrived at the yamen gate, dragging a few dilapidated carts.

Jiang Mingyu looked at them and frowned; his expression grew even sterner, tinged with disappointment: “Only thirty-odd men?”

Murong Yunhai also looked grim: “These few are already a miracle—most of the strong young men have fled. Make do with what you have.”

The slight Wu Xiao added: “The previous magistrates’ exploitation has left the people utterly disillusioned with the government.”

“Many of these men came only because they had no other way to survive—half-skeptical, half-hoping for luck.”

Hearing this, Jiang Mingyu nodded slowly, his expression turning grave.

The most urgent task now, he realized, was to rebuild the people’s trust in the government.

How could Shangmu County truly fail to muster even one hundred able men?

Jiang Mingyu cleared his throat and smiled bitterly: “Gentlemen, I am Jiang Mingyu, newly appointed imperial envoy, temporarily serving as county magistrate.”

“You’ve all seen the notice—I reiterate: work diligently, and you will receive your silver.”

“Your task is to go to Qinglong Zhai outside the city and dig up the materials I require…” Before he finished, more than half of the remaining thirty-odd men turned and fled.

“This imperial envoy is mad! Sending us to Qinglong Zhai ? That’s suicide!” a short, fat man cried in terror.

“What are we supposed to dig up on that den of demons? Do you want to die?” another shouted.

“Enough talk—run before it’s too late!”

“…”

Jiang Mingyu forced a bitter smile—he now realized that, aside from his night’s escort, no one knew Qinglong Zhai was no longer dangerous.

After much patient explanation, Jiang Mingyu barely convinced the remaining men that Qinglong Zhai was now safe.

To reassure them, he personally led the group to Qinglong Zhai .

The coal seams lay shallow, easy to mine.

Once the carts were loaded, the laborers stared at the black substance, utterly baffled as to its purpose.

But for the silver, none dared ask further.

Jiang Mingyu gazed at the distant bandit stronghold, a thought striking him: “These bandits have held this place for years—surely they’ve amassed some wealth.”

“Lord Yunhai, take Xiao Er and search the place—there may be unexpected gains.”

He ordered Murong Yunhai to lead a search party, hoping for unexpected rewards.

Time passed quietly; the coal mining was nearly complete, yet Murong Yunhai and his men remained absent.

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

“Lord Xingqiu! We found it! Silver—white silver—tens of thousands of taels! We’re rich!” Murong Yunhai exclaimed.

Jiang Mingyu feigned calm: “Tens of thousands? You’re this excited? Where’s your composure?”

“Bring it back under cover of night—no one must know!” Jiang Mingyu instructed.

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

One of the laborers who had just received his silver stared at it and asked: “My lord, what’s this stuff good for?”

Jiang Mingyu smiled faintly and explained as simply as he could to these people of the past: “This is coal. Like firewood, it’s used for heating.”

The man still looked doubtful: “This can warm us?”

Jiang Mingyu offered no further explanation—he simply ordered the coal loaded into the courtyard stove.

Soon, steam rose from the large pot; the man’s eyes widened in astonishment: “Incredible!”

“If we could use this to keep warm, we wouldn’t have to brave snow and wind to chop firewood,” the man murmured.

The other laborers said nothing, but their eyes shone with the same joy and hope.

Jiang Mingyu smiled in satisfaction and said: “As an official of the court, bringing benefit to the people is my duty. Starting tomorrow, impoverished families may receive five carts of coal for free; the elderly, weak, and destitute, seven carts. What do you say?”

Instantly, the laborers fell to their knees, eyes red with tears: “To serve under such a benevolent magistrate—truly a blessing of three lifetimes!”

Jiang Mingyu helped them rise, deeply moved. With the people’s support, future matters would be easier.

The same laborer, his eyes glinting, ventured: “My lord… does this mean we can come work again tomorrow?”

Jiang Mingyu nodded slightly: “Not only can you come—I need to recruit more workers.”

With the bandits’ silver as backing, his tone grew firmer: “Work diligently, and you will earn silver daily. I will also sell surplus coal to improve your lives.”

The man’s joy was tinged with caution: “My lord, such a precious resource must be guarded closely—if stolen, we’ll lose everything.”

Jiang Mingyu smiled knowingly: “Then I rely on you. I need twenty men to guard the coal mountain—additional pay will be provided.”

The man volunteered without hesitation: “My lord, I’m Liu Dagang—please assign me to guard the mountain!”

Jiang Mingyu nodded approvingly: “Good. You’ve shown diligence—I entrust you with the mountain’s affairs.”

Before dawn, loud commotion outside the yamen gate jolted Jiang Mingyu awake.

He rushed to open the gate—and froze in surprise: over a hundred vigorous men stood gathered outside.

In the cold wind, Liu Dagang grinned at Jiang Mingyu: “My lord, we’ve come to work!”

In the following days, Jiang Mingyu taught the people how to safely use coal for heating, and coal continued to be delivered to their homes.

With heating now available, Shangmu County seemed livelier—more people walked the streets.

The silver recovered from the bandit stronghold had already been stored; Jiang Mingyu was counting it when Wu Xiao entered.

The gaunt man bowed to Jiang Mingyu: “My lord, several local gentry request an audience.”

Jiang Mingyu’s hands stilled; his brow furrowed: “Why now?”

He grew wary—these gentry had always ignored county affairs; their sudden request for an audience must conceal ulterior motives.

After a moment’s thought, he said: “Xiao Er, show them in. Since they’ve come, treat them properly.”

Soon, several elaborately dressed gentry strode into the reception hall.

Jiang Mingyu sat upright, his gaze sweeping over them as he silently planned his response.