Chapter 110: Promotion to Tongzhi

Chapter 110: Promotion to Tongzhi

With the neigh of a horse, everyone had arrived at the iron mine.

Fu Jiaze nimbly dismounted.

After Zhou Shaojie dismounted, he subtly touched his waist. Due to years of travel, he also had excellent riding skills.

However, he was no match for the young Fu Jiaze. After such a long ride, his waist and legs were quite sore.

The most wretched was Prefect Chen.

As a fourth-rank prefect, he was accustomed to luxury. Sitting in the carriage, he turned pale from the jolting. After getting out of the carriage, he was supported by attendants as he vomited on the ground. It took him a while to compose himself before he could walk over.

Fu Jiaze walked past Prefect Chen and went to the back to help Gan Tian'er dismount.

Gan Tian'er was dressed as a man. She was thin and gaunt, with eyes as cold as ice, making her look even more like a man than before.

The Gan family's iron mine had been operating for many years because of its strict management, recognizing only members of the Gan family and not outsiders.

Therefore, Fu Jiaze suggested that Gan Tian'er lead the way into the iron mine, with his guards occupying the high ground, thus taking control without any casualties.

Fu Jiaze naturally would not let Zhou Shaojie or Chen Ruxu pretend to be Gan Tian'er's subordinates. He lowered his gaze and acted as Gan Tian'er's guard.

The mine was surrounded by walls, with Gan family guards standing on tall bamboo ladders and wooden platforms as sentries.

The sight of approaching people made the guards uneasy. The sound of armor clashing echoed, and a voice shouted loudly, "Who goes there?"

Gan Tian'er stepped forward. She was fearless, her expression calm.

"I am Gan Xingning, the eldest son of the main branch of the Gan family. My grandfather is unwell, and the seal has been entrusted to me. Open the gate immediately."

Gan Tian'er held up a seal, raising it high so everyone could see her face and the seal clearly.

Logically, Gan Xingning had never visited this iron mine before, and without the presence of the old master and the two lords, the gate should not have been opened. However, since the Gan family had not appeared for several days, Gan Tian'er's calm and fearless demeanor gave the manager confidence. After some thought, he ordered the gate to be opened.

The mine's gate opened, and Gan Tian'er led Fu Jiaze's guards forward. Once inside, the guards quickly ascended the platforms and subdued the people there in just a few moves.

Zhou Shaojie watched Fu Jiaze's guards and couldn't help but admire Uncle Fu Bin's careful selection. Those left to Fu Jiaze must have been top-notch hands from the Jinyiwei in the past.

The mine manager, who welcomed Gan Tian'er, was both shocked and angry. "Young Master, what do you mean by this?"

"The person beside me is Magistrate Fu of Tongwu County. Behind him are Prefect Chen of Weilin and Minister Zhou of the Supreme Court from the capital city," Gan Tian'er said calmly. "The authorities are already aware of this iron mine. Manager, everything will be decided by the officials. This iron mine no longer belongs to the Gan family."

The mine manager, blinded by profit, had only wanted to make money from the mine and had no intention of rebelling.

Now that the authorities knew, he showed a dejected expression, watching as Zhou Shaojie, Chen Ruxu, and Fu Jiaze entered. He knelt down.

The mine manager's kneeling was followed by the rest of the guards, all awaiting the officials' judgment.

/

The guards and constables quickly took control of the entire mine, shouting loudly, "Everyone stop working. The iron mine is now under the control of the authorities. Everyone gather in the parade ground."

The dark and emaciated laborers trembled upon hearing this. They eagerly dropped their picks and baskets, weeping on the ground.

Some still didn't understand what was happening until an excited laborer explained, "We don't have to work like this anymore. We don't have to die."

An old man with gray hair shuddered, finally realizing what was being said. If only it had happened a few days earlier, his son wouldn't have died.

The laborers left the mine together, following the instructions of the constables and guards, gathering in the parade ground.

Once in the parade ground, the laborers couldn't help but approach the officials.

The constables shouted loudly, "Do not come closer! Step back!"

Zhou Shaojie raised his hand, signaling the constables not to drive the laborers away.

"I am Minister Zhou Shaojie of the Supreme Court. The person beside me is Magistrate Fu of Tongwu County. Magistrate Fu discovered the Gan family's iron mine. From now on, you will no longer work here."

Zhou Shaojie did not mention the higher-ranking Chen Ruxu.

Prefect Chen did not mind, as he had personally handed these people over to the Gan family. Reporting this matter could jeopardize his own position.

Due to the constables' intervention, the laborers did not approach. Instead, they knelt before the officials, crying out, "Great and Just Sirs, it is truly too bitter here."

"Yes, thank you, Great and Just Sirs, for saving us from this hell."

"Sniff, Old Wu can finally live. If you had come a few days later, he would have died too."

"I miss my father and mother, I miss my children..."

At first, the voices were chaotic, but gradually they merged into one, "Thank you, Great and Just Sirs, for saving us from this hell."

Every day, they were whipped, and they dared not raise their voices. Now, they could finally escape the endless mining.

Zhou Shaojie placed his arm around Fu Jiaze, pushing him firmly to the front of the crowd.

Zhou Shaojie was over fifty and did not need such praise. Fu Jiaze, the top scholar, was just starting his career.

He hoped that Fu Jiaze would gain a sense of achievement from this praise, drawing strength to move forward and understand that being an official was about serving the people.

Zhou Shaojie saw potential in Fu Jiaze. As Pei Jin's disciple, he possessed Pei Jin's abilities and methods, and with an uncle like Fu Bin, who provided him with the Jinyiwei as a hidden weapon, Zhou Shaojie wanted to guide Fu Jiaze towards becoming a clean official.

Fu Jiaze's eyes welled up. These emaciated prisoners did not deserve death. They had labored in the dark, lifeless iron mine, paying with their lives until Fu Jiaze uncovered the truth, allowing them to escape this endless toil. Their suffering could finally end.

Being bowed to by these people, a surge of emotion welled up within him. Everything he had done in Tongwu County was meaningful, benefiting these exiles who did not deserve such harsh punishment.

Gan Tian'er was also deeply moved. Although she had promised Fu Jiaze to live well, nothing seemed to touch her until she saw the emaciated, dark-skinned laborers in the iron mine.

Her eyes stung. These people, dressed in rags, were treated as less than human by her grandfather, father, and uncle, their names erased from the world, forced to work day and night.

Gan Tian'er's head throbbed painfully, and she wished that if possible, she could see nothing, hear nothing, and remain the carefree Miss Gan she once was.

Chen Ruxu felt a tightness in his chest and a deep unease when he saw the emaciated laborers. But when he saw Gan Tian'er, his mood improved somewhat.

People are often like this; seeing someone even more unfortunate makes them feel better, and Gan Tian'er was that extremely unlucky person.

/

After discovering the secret industries of the Gan family, there were many tasks to be handled.

Zhou Shaojie and Fu Jiaze worked together to consolidate all the accounts, clean up the Gan family's assets, and tally the conditions of those exiled.

By the time all these tasks were completed, three days had already passed.

Nurse Wei learned some good news: most of the ironware sold by the Gan family were pots and farming tools, and they did not sell to the Di people. This meant that her young mistress's crimes might be less severe.

Zhou Shaojie brought an entire cart of account books, along with Chen Ruxu from Weilin, the criminal Gan Tian'er, and a group of people caught from He Fei Restaurant, into the capital.

Holding the seal of the Gan family, Gan Tian'er had made significant contributions to the investigation, so she was not placed in a prison cart but allowed to sit alone in a carriage under supervision.

When Zhou Shaojie entered the capital, it happened to be the time of the morning court session. He directly brought a box of evidence into the imperial city.

Zhou Shaojie praised Fu Jiaze as a young genius, worthy of being the top scholar, which made Emperor Chengde somewhat dazed. He couldn't help but say, "The magistrate of Tongwu County is the top scholar?"

Fu Bin, who was standing nearby, had known about the case being solved and the discovery of the hidden iron mine. He smiled and replied, "Your Majesty, indeed it is the top scholar. In the past, top scholars usually compiled books in the Imperial Academy, but now it seems that serving outside the capital can also achieve some minor accomplishments."

Emperor Chengde couldn't help but laugh. With the person not present and the task done well, his impression of Fu Jiaze suddenly improved.

"This is not just a minor accomplishment; he is truly a pillar of the state. Fu Bin, you have raised your nephew well, and he deserves a reward!"

Fu Bin knelt down, "My nephew is young and full of vigor, which is why he was able to solve this case and add an iron mine to our Great Qi. Congratulations to Your Majesty on acquiring an iron mine. Long live the Emperor, may he reign for ten thousand years."

With Fu Bin shouting "Long live the Emperor," and the acquisition of the iron mine being a joyful event, everyone knelt and echoed the same words.

The thunderous cries of "Long live the Emperor" greatly pleased Emperor Chengde. Fu Jiaze's rank was directly elevated to Deputy Magistrate of Weilin (a fifth-rank official), and he was also given control over Tongwu County.

Chen Ruxu, the Magistrate of Weilin, was demoted to Deputy Magistrate in another place, leaving the position of Magistrate of Weilin vacant. In practice, Fu Jiaze would effectively control the entire Weilin region. If he achieved some accomplishments, the next step would be a powerful fourth-rank Magistrate.

Fu Jiaze's promotion was too smooth, and everyone couldn't help but envy him. Those whose children had gone to the Imperial Academy even began to wonder if they had been wrong to mock Fu Jiaze for choosing to serve outside the capital. Now, it seemed that his rapid rise in rank was too fast, and perhaps choosing to serve outside the capital was the right path.

Only Xie Yuan and Lin Yi looked rather displeased. Both of them shared the same thought: their faction supporting Concubine Chen was still too small in the court. Apart from the two of them, only Lin Yi's eldest son was part of it. They detested Fu Jiaze and did not want him to be promoted, but they had no way to stop him.

After the court session, Lin Yi received more flattery, but most of it was directed at Pei Jin, who smiled and responded to each compliment, promising to treat everyone to drinks later.

Pei Jin, who rarely took leave from the Ministry of Revenue, specially informed his wife of the good news and then told Lin Yingxue about Fu Jiaze's promotion.

"He previously thought Tongwu County was too small, but Weilin is a prefectural city. Perhaps you will move there sooner."

Lin Yingxue's eyes lit up, as if the stars in the sky were shining in her gaze.