Chapter 72: Meet the Move, Counter the Move

In the afternoon, within the Shangmu County Yamen.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu, dressed in a simple long robe, sat in the dilapidated county yamen; he elegantly sipped hot tea, looking like a benevolent sage.

"Brother Lord Murong, how is the city wall construction progressing?" Jiang Jiang Mingyu asked casually.

Lord Murong Murong Yunhai appeared slightly constrained; he awkwardly tidied his disheveled long hair and reported: "The repair work on the North Gate is complete, and the other three walls will soon be finished..."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu hummed: "Now that we have some silver, the next step is to repair the people's houses so the common folk can pass the winter in safety."

His tone revealed his empathy for the people's suffering and his contemplation of future work.

He lifted the teacup in his hand; steam rose in a haze, and a look of worry was faintly visible on his face.

Lord Murong Murong Yunhai pressed on: "Then what shall we do with this dilapidated county yamen?" His gaze swept over the peeling walls of the corridor and the roof tiles leaking snow, and he couldn't help but frown with concern.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu pondered for a moment and said earnestly: "Use the silver for the people first; Shangmu is desperately poor, and we are not yet in a position to enjoy ourselves."

His determined eyes revealed his care for the people and his open-mindedness toward a hard life.

Lord Murong Murong Yunhai looked at the dilapidated county yamen, which let in snow and wind: "But..."

Lord Murong Murong Yunhai gazed silently at the dilapidated county yamen, wanting to speak but holding back. He understood Jiang Jiang Mingyu's intention, but the damaged yamen made it hard for him to feel at ease...

Before Lord Murong Murong Yunhai could finish speaking, he saw Tu Tu Kesiluo rush in, covered in dust and dirt, his face full of anxiety and terror.

Breathless, he said: "My lord, the situation is urgent! The Prince of Qi suddenly brought troops to surround the coal mine at Green Dragon Stronghold!"

Just as Jiang Jiang Mingyu was about to take a sip of hot tea, his hand paused slightly at the news, and the tea nearly spilled out.

He quickly set down the teacup and frowned, asking: "What has happened?"

Tu Tu Kesiluo panted a few more times, his face etched with anxiety: "The Prince of Qi claims the coal mine is hiding spies and has already blocked all exits... The miners have been forced to stop work; the situation is critical!"

Upon hearing this, a flash of cold light passed through Jiang Jiang Mingyu's eyes; he said in a deep voice: "If there truly are spies, this is no small matter. We must rush to investigate the truth immediately; we cannot afford any slip-up!" With that, he strode purposefully toward the door, his expression resolute and his tone severe.

Green Dragon Stronghold, coal mine.

The Prince of Qi, mounted on his horse, had a gloomy face; one hand gripped his long sword tightly, while the other trembled uncontrollably.

His purpose for this journey had not been achieved, and his head throbbed with anger and anxiety.

Seeing that persuasion had failed, the Prince of Qi's patience was completely exhausted; he shouted harshly: "Are you all TMD deaf? Get out of my way! There are spies hidden on the mountain; do you not know what this means for Shangmu?"

Li Goudan, who guarded the mine, furrowed his brows, his heart filled with doubt: "Your Highness, what are your orders? We will fully cooperate."

The Prince of Qi said coldly: "From today on, the coal mine is completely closed and blockaded until the spies are caught, at which point we will discuss further. Move aside quickly!"

Li Goudan's face changed; he said anxiously: "Besides us in Shangmu, the people of Tenglong County and the provincial capital rely entirely on this coal to survive the winter; if you do this, you will kill many people!"

He pointed to the workers behind him and said in an agitated tone: "These brothers also rely on mining for their livelihood; if you do this, where will their families turn?"

The crowd grew agitated; the workers joined Li Goudan in raising their voices in discussion, and the scene instantly became extremely chaotic.

The Prince of Qi's gloomy face grew even more unpleasant; the hand gripping his long sword trembled slightly as he exerted a bit more force...

"If you seal the coal mine, what will my entire family, old and young, eat?" a man in tattered clothes shouted angrily.

"We dig coal here every day; where have we ever seen any spies?" another middle-aged man, his face covered in coal dust, said discontentedly.

"Prince of Qi, what do you mean? Are you trying to smash our rice bowls?" a thin old man wiped his sweat, his tone mournful. "..."

The Prince of Qi's face was gloomy; surrounded by this chorus of accusations, he was extremely irritated. He roared: "Get out of my way! If you delay my important matters any further, even Jiang Jiang Mingyu will not escape the consequences!"

"Time is pressing; I have no time to waste words with you. Move aside immediately, or face military law; do not blame me for leaving you no path to survival!" The Prince of Qi tightened his grip on the long sword in his hand; his gaze was sharp as lightning, and his tone, severe and cold.

Upon hearing that the provincial capital also needed coal, his resolve to seize the coal mine grew even stronger.

The Prince of Qi's mind stirred as he calculated: "Jiang Jiang Mingyu, relying on this coal mine, already made a huge sum of money from Tenglong County alone; if we add the businesses circling around him in the provincial capital, how much silver would that be!"

His sinister gaze swept over the crowd, and he commanded again: "Get out of my way!!"

Li Goudan still stood chest out, saying resolutely: "Without the approval of the Imperial Envoy, I cannot agree to Your Highness's request under any circumstances."

The Prince of Qi flew into a rage; pointing at Li Goudan, he shouted harshly: "You are the fine dog Jiang Jiang Mingyu has raised! It seems this King must start with you."

He turned and signaled to his personal guards behind him: "Seize him for me, then seal the coal mine!"

Seeing their livelihood about to be smashed, they gripped their tools tightly, stepped forward one by one, clenched their fists until they turned white, and radiated an aura of anger.

The Prince of Qi shouted loudly: "Resisting official troops; do you intend to rebel?"

He didn't even give the crowd a chance to speak: "Seize them all; anyone who resists will be executed without mercy."

The soldiers of the City Defense Camp immediately surged toward the crowd.

The miners were thoroughly enraged, glaring at them with fury.

"You officials eat and drink your fill, then turn around and smash our rice bowls; what kind of logic is that?"

"You leave us no path to survival; fellow villagers, fight him!"

"Yes, fight him!"

"..."

The crowd's roars rose and fell; the scene suddenly became utterly chaotic...

Seeing the situation was on the verge of exploding, the Prince of Qi roared furiously: "A mob of rebels; seize them all!"

Just then, Jiang Jiang Mingyu arrived at the coal mine, urging his horse on with the whip.

The cold wind brushed his face; he strode purposefully to the Prince of Qi and asked harshly: "Your Highness, what are you doing?"

The Prince of Qi still sat arrogantly atop his horse, looking down, and said: "These rebels intend to rise up; this King is about to seize them all and punish them!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Jiang Mingyu dismounted, and with a serious expression, pressed: "Why would they rebel? Do you have evidence?"

The Prince of Qi sneered: "Spies are hidden here; they not only refuse the search but also dare to openly resist official troops; is this not obvious rebellion?"

"My lord, it is not like that!" Li Goudan hurriedly stepped forward to explain, "The actual situation is..."

Hearing the Prince of Qi's mockery, Jiang Jiang Mingyu's face immediately darkened; he said displeasedly: "Does Your Highness know that this coal mine is the lifeline of Shangmu? Once the coal mine is sealed, the people will lose their livelihood; where do you expect them to turn?"

The Prince of Qi, however, sneered: "Lord Jiang, do not speak so grandly. Who knows whether the silver earned from selling coal went into your pockets or flowed somewhere else?"

After hearing this, Jiang Jiang Mingyu was so angry his face turned pale, but he still forced himself to hold back his rage and said in a deep voice: "Hunting down spies is your duty, but you cannot sacrifice the people's interests. If you insist on using force, you will bear the consequences yourself!"

The Prince of Qi, however, remained unmoved and said arrogantly: "Make them step aside, or do not blame this King for acting without mercy."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu finally could endure no more; he said with contempt, "As soon as the outsiders arrived, you men of the City Defense Camp scattered like birds and beasts. Now you actually wish to sacrifice the common people to wash away your shame?"

His expression turned serious as he said, "I must ask you: where is the evidence that spies are hidden here? Could it be that you covet this county's coal mine, so you use the pretext of capturing spies to get a share of the profits?"

With his lies exposed by Jiang Jiang Mingyu, a trace of panic flashed across Prince Qi's face, yet he still forced himself to say, "The source of the spies is unimportant; with all your hedging and blocking, could it be that the spies on the mountain have some connection to you?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu remained silent; seeing this, Prince Qi immediately shouted sternly, "Seal up the coal mine today! If you speak another half-sentence, I will bind you and take you to Jingcheng to be punished—just wait and see!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu said calmly, "I am an Imperial Censor and Special Envoy personally appointed by Your Majesty; by what right do you have to order me to Jingcheng?"

Prince Qi's face stiffened; grinding his teeth, he said, "Stop spouting that nonsense about being personally appointed by Your Majesty! If Your Majesty knew you were harboring spies, I fear He would not be very pleased."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu, however, smiled with perfect composure: "Since Your Highness speaks with such certainty, then by all means investigate; if spies are found, I will report the merit to the Sage Emperor; if there is no actual evidence, then take your troops and leave, and do not disturb the common people."

Flushed with shame and anger, Prince Qi shouted loudly, "In half a day's time, the spies would have long fled! The best solution is to immediately seal the coal mine, lest the spies return!" Having spoken, he drew the long sword from his waist and ordered his men to surround the crossroads.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu gave a light laugh and said, "Your Highness, enough, enough; this business of spies is merely your clumsy pretext. If you have your eye on the coal mine, just say so outright, and this humble official will hand the mine over to you immediately."

Hearing this, Prince Qi was overjoyed; nodding repeatedly, he said, "Truly? Good! In that case, the coal mine is handed over to me!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu, however, wasted no time; raising his voice, he declared, "Everyone, follow me back to the county yamen! From today onward, the coal mine is placed under Prince Qi's management!"

Startled, Prince Qi hurriedly asked, "If you take the miners away with you, where am I to find people to dig the coal?"

Without even turning his head, Jiang Jiang Mingyu said, "Is not the City Defense Camp well-staffed? Where is the problem?" He added with deliberate implication, "This humble county magistrate reminds Your Highness that several great families in the prefectural city are waiting for this coal to survive the winter; you must begin operations immediately, otherwise, when they call upon the Inspector to demand accountability, Your Highness will find it hard to shirk the blame!"

"Since you must both guard the city and dig nearly one hundred thousand jin of coal, Prince Qi, you have your work cut out for you; we shall take our leave."

Seeing that he had not yet even taken control of the coal mine before being handed such a hot potato, Prince Qi became frantic.

With the few useless fellows under his command, after accounting for those rotating shifts to guard the city and patrol, how many lifetimes would it take them to dig out nearly one hundred thousand jin of coal?

In his anxiety, Prince Qi tumbled off his horse, chased forward, and pleaded, "Jiang Da Ren, please stay! I beg you to leave the laborers behind to assist me!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu, however, let out a cold laugh: "Your Highness, do you know what is even more laughable than acting as a whore?" Without waiting for Prince Qi to answer, he continued, "It is having one's chastity arch collapse before one has even become a whore!"

Prince Qi's face flushed red then turned pale; he was left speechless.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu said coldly, "Just moments ago, you were loudly proclaiming your intent to capture spies; now that the coal mine is in your hands, why is there not a single sound of action?"

"You have smashed the common people's rice bowls, yet you expect me to send people to dig coal for you for free; how did you conceive of such a brilliant idea?"

Prince Qi's face swelled red, veins faintly bulging on his neck. Jiang Jiang Mingyu continued, "Even if I were to send laborers, do you intend to pay them wages, or do you plan to exploit them for free?"

"Merely for immediate gain, you unauthorizedly deployed troops and terrified the common people; how do you intend to explain this to the Sage Emperor?"

"If today you have the capability to take over the coal mine, then the mine is yours; henceforth, for repairing the city and paving roads, this humble official will come to you for funds."

"If you lack such capability, then take your men and go back to properly being your Prince Qi."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu said with a serious expression, "Delay my business any further, and when you face the Sage Emperor, you will have cause for regret!"