Chapter 356: This Man Must Not Be Arrested
Chapter 351 of "The Great Ming in the Box" introduces new challenges: The coal miners had never heard of such generosity in their entire livesânot just free... Keep following!
The coal miners had never heard of such generosity in their entire livesânot just free meals but three extra taels of silver! Damn, were they even coal miners anymore? They might as well be oil merchants from the county town.Is this new boss trying to trick us?
A bolder coal miner stepped forward. âSteward Thirty-Two, sir⌠Is what you just said⌠true? We⌠weâre not ones for being fooled.â
Thirty-Two replied, âIf even half my word is false, may the next son I bear be born without an anus!â
The coal miners brightened immediately. âSuch a vicious oath must be real!â
Yet Li Daoxuan frowned incredulously. This man canât possibly father another son, can he? That oath sounds earnest but rings hollow.
But no one apart from Li Daoxuan and Third Lady knew Thirty-Two was already a eunuch. The miners took his pledge to heart. Cheers erupted: âIncredible! What a generous new Dong Weng!â
âThe new Dong Weng comes from a kind-hearted family!â
Feng Jun quietly sighed nearby: So this is the power of money. By throwing silver around, heâs already lifted these miners from apathy to spirited joy! If the Li Family fulfills its promises, their loyalty will be absolute. If I ever try reclaiming this mine for the crown, theyâll revolt.
The thought unsettled him, though another followed: Since the Li Family treats penniless miners so well, theyâll surely not balk at taxes⌠As long as duties are paid, the empire loses nothing letting them operate.
Reassured, he calmed down.
Suddenly, Gao Yiye emerged from the carriage. Her grimy hands had been wiped clean by Qiu Ju; her sooty sleeves were meticulously folded inward by Dong Xue. The soiled hem of her skirt, however, remained hopelessly stained.
She stepped out and gestured toward the narrow, coal-black highway linking the county to Jinshuigou. âLord Feng, the Deity wishes to widen this path into a smooth cement road. Please issue a notice to hire more porters. Complete this cement road swiftly. Itâs barely five miles to the countyâcouldnât it be built in days?â
Feng Jun answered, âWith generous wages, porters will flock here.â
Gao Yiye turned toward the minersâ shanty settlement. âThe Deity says these shacks canât withstand wind or rain! Imagine how workers suffer when sick? Assign men to build them a dormitoryâclean, orderly cement houses.â
Feng Jun smiled patiently, âWith wages securedâŚâ
Gao Yiye faced the miners. âWork safely from now on! The Deity will arrange helmets, safety garments, cotton gloves, better tools⌠and cool refreshments in summer.â
As she rattled off benefits, the coal miners gaped in disbelief. Are we still societyâs dregs?
Gao Yiye declared, âDonât call yourselves coal miners anymore. From now on, you are coal miners.
Come, sing with me:
We miners are dauntless, hey! We miners are strongâŚâ
Surprisingly, Qiu Ju and Dong Xue pulled small hand drums from the carriage and beat a rhythm while Gao Yiye sang:
Working daily without rest,
Raising tall mansions, digging mines true,
Changing the worldâmaking it new⌠A-hey!
Feng Jun muttered, âThat tune⌠Why am I tempted to sing? Iâm no miner!â
Thirty-Two laughed and clapped Lord Fengâs shoulder. âLetâs leave the fun behind, Lord Feng. Join me in the county for drinks? Iâve a jar of fine Wuliangye.â
Feng Junâs eyes gleamed. âWuliangye? Iâve never heard of it!â
Thirty-Two winked mysteriously. âSmells divine. One sip and youâll understand!â
Feng Jun beamed. âThen I must oblige!â
Imperial Study, Capital
The young Emperor Chongzhen Zhu Youjian sat as usual, reviewing decrees.
Three years into his reign, he already moved like a monarch exhausted by thirtyâhis once-sharp spirit crushed beneath unseen weights.
He picked up a dispatch from Shaanxi:
Hong Chengchou, Shaanxi Grain Transport Supervisor, triumphs in Hancheng and Yichuan!
Successively defeats bandit leadersâ
Wang Zuogua! Zhang Shusheng! Ji Sanâer! Wang Hu! Little Honglang! Yizhangqing! Luedihu! Hunjianglong! Wang Jiayin!âŚ
Zhu Youjianâs eyes snapped open, rushing with pride like strapped to an aircraft.
âWho is this Hong Chengchou? How is he so formidable?â
The high-ranking eunuch Cao Huachun leaned in. âA scholar from the 44th year of Wanliâs reign. Began as clerk in Jiangxiâs criminal bureau, rose through ranks over six years. Promoted to Education Inspector of Zhejiang in Year Two of Tianqiârenowned for spotting genius. Imperial court prized his selections. Made Councillor of Zhejiangâs civil administration two years later. By Year Seven of Tianqi, Shaanxi tasked him with grain supervision.â
Zhu Youjian marveled, âSuch rapid rise?â
Cao Huachun nodded. âHeâs truly gifted.â
Reading Hongâs victories anew, Zhu Youjian privately applauded. Shaanxi drowns in chaos, yet he wins battle after battleâbrilliant tactician, scholar and warrior merged!
He pondered fitting rewards.
Sudden commotion broke his thoughts.
A young eunuch scurried in, panic-stricken. âYour Majesty! Dire news! Provincial Governor Zhang Mengjing of Yansui⌠has perished!â
Zhu Youjian stiffened. âHow? His health was sound!â
The eunuchâs expression twisted. âAngryâto death, Your Majesty. Months ago, when Five Troop Divisions marched toward the capital to Serve Wang, General Wu Zimian of Yansuiâs division hoarded soldiersâ rations. He extorted silver from those unwilling to serve, sold military horses secretly. Governor Zhang learned this and died overwhelmed by grief and rage.â
Zhu Youjian slammed the desk, his mood plummeting like riding a tower-drop machine.
âOutrageous! Such insolence! Arrest and execute him at once!â
Cao Huachun murmured urgently, âDonât, Your Majesty! Among those forces marching to Serve Wang, two units have already mutinied. Order Wu Zimian arrested now and he, knowing death awaits him, will inevitably rebelâmaking mutiny number three! The consequences would be disastrousâŚâ
Zhu Youjian clutched his chest, breathlessâalmost following Zhang Mengjing to heaven with fury.
Half a minute passed before he recovered. Voice hollow with exhaustion, he commanded,
âAppoint Hong Chengchou as Provincial Governor of Yansui, replacing Zhang Mengjing. As for Wu Zimian⌠once the Jurchens retreat⌠deal with him.â