Chapter 59

Tukeslo neatly sheathed his blade, its edge still streaked with dark red blood.

He asked softly: “Lord Jiang, how should we dispose of the bodies?”

Jiang Mingyu’s expression remained unchanged as he said coldly: “Find any spot, bury them.”

He knew that even if Prince Qi found out, he could do nothing: “No evidence, no proof—Prince Qi can only glare helplessly. Get rid of the bodies quickly; I have more important matters to attend to.”

Back in the main hall, Jiang Mingyu resumed his usual amiable demeanor and summoned Wu Xiao: “What progress have you made on the task I assigned you earlier?”

Wu Xiao bowed respectfully and replied: “My lord, the matter of handling the He family’s assets has been completed.”

Jiang Mingyu paused slightly, his brow furrowing faintly—he hadn’t expected such swift progress.

He fixed Wu Xiao with a steady gaze and asked calmly but firmly: “Completed so quickly? What was the sale price? Who was the buyer?”

Wu Xiao’s face broke into a wide smile, his excitement palpable.

He spoke eagerly: “The buyer is someone you know—former Assistant County Magistrate Liu Ershou.”

“He offered fifty thousand taels—a high price. I’ve calculated it thoroughly; this deal is guaranteed profit.” Wu Xiao beamed, thrilled by his own success.

Jiang Mingyu listened, pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly—he hadn’t anticipated it was him, but the price matched his estimate, and he was thoroughly satisfied with Wu Xiao’s performance.

He then said slowly: “Immediately post notices to recruit another three hundred laborers for Qinglong Zhai .”

Jiang Mingyu paused, locking eyes with Wu Xiao, and issued his orders word by word: “Divide them into three groups. The first group will mine coal; every cartload must be transported with utmost care to Tenglong County—that is our only major client.”

“The second group will quarry blue stone from the hills near Qinglong Zhai and crush the finest portions into lime.” Jiang Mingyu’s tone was firm, leaving no room for doubt.

“The third group will cut timber in the forests beyond the city, prioritizing old, mature trees.” Jiang Mingyu’s gaze burned with precision, ensuring Wu Xiao understood every detail.

“These three tasks must be completed swiftly—no delays, no excuses.” Jiang Mingyu’s voice carried absolute authority.

Wu Xiao hesitated briefly, then ventured cautiously: “My lord, cutting trees is manageable, but quarrying stone with our crude tools is nearly impossible in this bitter cold.” His face was etched with worry.

Jiang Mingyu fell silent, a faint trace of anxiety crossing his features. After a long moment, he rose slowly and smiled faintly: “Cutting trees is to repair the city gates; quarrying stone is to reinforce the walls—these are essential preparations against foreign invasion.”

“For the safety of our people’s lives and property, we must sacrifice small comforts for the greater good. This hardship is nothing.” Jiang Mingyu’s voice carried unwavering resolve.

Wu Xiao suddenly understood.

Soon, white recruitment notices filled with job details were plastered densely across every street of Shangmu County.

“Look! Our lord is recruiting laborers again—coal mining, tree cutting, stone quarrying!”

“What are we waiting for? Sign up right away! Everyone knows working for our lord brings benefits!”

“I’m heading straight there to secure a spot—I missed out last time mining coal; I won’t miss this chance. Two taels of silver a day!”

“…”

Quickly, over three hundred men formed a long line outside the county yamen, their excited chatter rising in waves.

Jiang Mingyu watched the throng depart and nodded in satisfaction, speaking calmly: “See? That’s how it should be. I’ve always said—Shangmu County is vast; finding a few hundred men is no challenge.”

Just then, Tukeslo hurried back, breathless: “My lord, the bodies have been quietly disposed of—you can rest easy!” He pointed uncertainly toward the departing laborers: “Where are these people going? Why are they so cheerful?” Jiang Mingyu briefly explained the situation, then ordered Tukeslo to bring He Dachuan’s family and Liu Tianyu from jail and send them to Qinglong Zhai as laborers.

Less than two hours after delivering the three prisoners to Qinglong Zhai , Tukeslo rushed back, panting and panicked: “My lord! Disaster! He Dachuan and his son have been beaten to death by the laborers!”

“They’re dead? What happened?” Jiang Mingyu showed no surprise, asking calmly.

Tukeslo smoothed his wind-tousled hair and sneered: “Those bastards got what they deserved.”

“They oppressed the people, committed countless crimes—no one knows how many they angered.” Tukeslo’s voice dripped with contempt.

“I don’t know the full details—I arrived too late. They were already dead.” Tukeslo shrugged helplessly.

“They were smashed into unrecognizable pulp by rocks—if I hadn’t intervened, there wouldn’t have been a single intact corpse left.” Tukeslo’s face twisted with revulsion.

“For scum like them, this fate is fitting.” Tukeslo snorted, showing not a trace of pity.

Jiang Mingyu fell silent for a moment, then gave a slight nod: “Very well. They reaped what they sowed. I will not pursue this further.”

“But warn the laborers—this must never happen again. Anyone who repeats it will be punished severely.” Jiang Mingyu’s tone was firm.

In the following days, the once-silent county seemed to come alive.

Groups of laborers came and went diligently by day; the crumbling city walls began to regain an air of dignity.

Even the elderly wore long-absent smiles, murmuring: “We haven’t seen this much bustle in our county in years!”

North of Shangmu County, Prince Qi’s palace grounds.

Since the failed assassination attempt on Jiang Mingyu, Prince Qi had dared not act again.

Until Murong Yunhai returned from Tenglong County, Prince Qi’s face remained clouded with worry, his white eyebrows knotted tightly.

Seeing the unusual activity in the county, Prince Qi could no longer contain himself: “Xiao Sanzi, go out and find out.”

“What is Jiang Mingyu plotting? Why has Shangmu County become so chaotic these past days?” Prince Qi’s anxiety was unmistakable.

Soon, Xiao Sanzi returned with his report. After hearing it, Prince Qi’s brow furrowed deeper: “He’s making such a commotion—where is he getting all this silver? It’s strange.”

Xiao Sanzi, a twenty-something with thick eyebrows and bright eyes, bowed respectfully: “Your Highness, I’ve heard rumors about this.”

“According to what I know, the Imperial Commissioner has been shipping coal from Qinglong Zhai to Tenglong County and made a fortune.”

Prince Qi’s furrowed brow eased slightly as he asked skeptically: “Is this true?”

Xiao Sanzi nodded solemnly: “One of my relatives works mining coal at Qinglong Zhai —how could I be mistaken?”

“Not to mention, my relative alone earns two taels of silver a day.”

“If this weren’t true, where would the Imperial Commissioner get enough silver to feed hundreds of strong laborers? That’s a massive expense.”

“Besides, the Imperial Commissioner sold He Dachuan’s mansion—another huge sum. Everyone in the county knows this.” Xiao Sanzi spoke with certainty.

Prince Qi pondered, then nodded slowly: “Jiang Mingyu really has some talent—he’s revived Shangmu County in just a few days.”

“If only this coal business could fall into my hands…” Prince Qi’s eyes gleamed with greed.

“Just imagining all those gleaming silver taels makes me envious.” Prince Qi’s voice betrayed his longing.

Xiao Sanzi shifted his clear, dark eyes and spoke softly: “Your Highness, this isn’t entirely impossible.”

Prince Qi was instantly intrigued: “What do you mean?”

Xiao Sanzi didn’t answer directly but changed the subject: “My lord, after Ma Defake’s death, the Commandant position is still vacant, isn’t it?”

The calculating Prince Qi understood at once: “If you secure the coal mine, the Commandant post is yours.”

Xiao Sanzi smiled contentedly: “Thank you, Your Highness. It’s not difficult—we can claim Qinglong Zhai is near foreign territory and order it sealed off. Even if the Imperial Commissioner protests, we can argue our case. Once his coal route is cut, Lord Song of Tenglong County will be furious. Then, Your Highness can take over easily—and profit handsomely.”

“Your Highness, what do you think of my suggestion?” Xiao Sanzi asked deferentially.