Chapter 207

Chapter 207

Upon returning from the tavern, Huang Baiguan meticulously reported the day's events to Chen Qingyan.

"Your Honor, how should I proceed?"

Chen Qingyan pondered for a moment. "Find a way to extract information from him about the higher official. Do nothing else but pump him for details, and be extremely careful not to let him discover your true intentions."

"Understood, sir. And this silver..." Huang Baiguan produced the twenty guan he had won at the gambling house.

"Keep it for now. If he invites you to the gambling house again, use that money."

"Yes."

Over the next few days, Huang Baiguan subtly frequented the gambling dens Liu Yuan was known to visit, careful not to arouse suspicion. Finally, after several days, he encountered Liu Yuan again at one of the establishments.

Liu Yuan was on a lucky streak that day, winning several big hands in a row. By midday, he had amassed six or seven guan and was beaming with pride, even tipping a server a string of coins.

Huang Baiguan arrived quietly, pulling up a stool to sit nearby. It wasn't until the game was nearly over that Liu Yuan noticed him. "Brother Huang, when did you get here? Why didn't you say anything?"

"I saw you were on a winning streak, so I didn't want to disturb you."

"Hahahaha, indeed, my luck was good today. It's been a few days since we last met. Come, let's have a drink together."

The two returned to the same tavern. Huang Baiguan complimented Liu Yuan's card skills while lamenting his own poor fortune. "I've been playing alone these past few days and kept losing. I guess my win that day was truly thanks to your luck, Brother Liu."

Liu Yuan waved it off with a smile. "Gambling is all about wins and losses; it's normal. Didn't I lose over twenty strings myself last time? No child cries every day, and no gambler loses every time."

"That's true." The two raised their wine bowls and drank.

"Any progress on that matter you mentioned last time, Brother Liu?"

Liu Yuan looked somewhat troubled. "I did bring it up for you, but the higher-ups said they don't need anyone right now, so..."

Mentioning this to Huang Baiguan had nearly cost him his own position. If it weren't for his uncle's friendship with Deputy Prefect Jiang, he would have been in serious trouble.

Huang Baiguan's expression fell. "If it's too difficult, then forget it. I'll still remember your kindness."

Liu Yuan also felt a bit embarrassed. He had confidently promised to help Huang Baiguan get rich last time, but now he couldn't deliver.

After a few rounds of drinks, Huang Baiguan steered the conversation to the main point. "You said this iron transport business is so profitable. May I ask where the iron is being transported to?"

"Burp... That's something I can't say. It could get a man killed!"

"Is it that serious?" Huang Baiguan feigned shock.

"Of course! Otherwise, why would it bring in so much silver?"

"I wonder which official is overseeing this. If I could offer some money to smooth things over, I wonder if it would work..."

Liu Yuan waved his hand. "Brother, listen to my advice. Don't waste your effort. Does Deputy Prefect Jiang need your petty cash?"

Huang Baiguan froze. Deputy Prefect... Deputy Prefect Jiang?!

Liu Yuan seemed to realize he had misspoken. The shock sobered him up halfway, and he quickly slapped his own mouth. "I was talking nonsense. Don't spread this around, or if something happens, don't blame me for not being able to protect you!"

"What did you say, Brother Liu?" Huang Baiguan pretended to be confused as he looked up.

"Nothing, nothing. It's getting late. Let's head back early."

*

"So, Jiang Daoming, Deputy Prefect Jiang, is the mastermind behind this?"

"Precisely. Liu Yuan said it himself."

Chen Qingyan suppressed his anger. "For now, stop investigating. Stay at the residence and avoid going out as much as possible to prevent them from causing you trouble."

"As you command, Your Honor."

After Huang Baiguan left, Chen Qingyan immediately ground ink, picked up a brush, and began writing a letter. The mining operations in Shanzhou were indeed under Jiang Daoming's jurisdiction.

When Chen Qingyan had first arrived in Shanzhou to assume his post, Deputy Prefect Jiang had been away inspecting mines and only returned after the New Year.

He had always appeared diligent and humble, leading Chen Qingyan to believe he was a good official. Truly, appearances can be deceiving.

If Jiang Daoming was indeed the mastermind, the situation would be difficult to handle. As Deputy Prefect Jiang outranked him, a wrong move could make Chen Qingyan the scapegoat.

The priority now was to get word out. The capital was too far for quick help—by the time higher authorities received the letter and dispatched someone, half a year would have passed. Chen Qingyan also had no intention of informing Prefectural Governor Xu, as it was uncertain if he was involved.

As for Prefect Feng, although they addressed each other as uncle and nephew, they were not actually related. After careful consideration, Chen Qingyan decided to first write to the Marquis and let him decide.

After finishing the letter, Chen Qingyan carefully sealed it and handed it to Lang Qianping the next day. Lang Qianping had come specifically to investigate the private iron matter, though he had yet to uncover any results.

Unexpectedly, Vice-Prefect Chen had managed to uncover clues behind the scenes. Lang Qianping couldn't help but admire him. "We will return tomorrow. Thank you for your assistance in this matter, Vice-Prefect Chen!"

"The Marquis is defending our borders and protecting our homeland. Though we cannot assist directly, we must ensure no fires break out in the rear."

"Vice-Prefect Chen, your righteousness is commendable. I will report this to the Marquis for his decision. For now, please refrain from further private investigations to avoid tipping them off."

"I understand."

Lang Qianping and his group set off for the border, while Lin Sui and Qing Er remained behind, planning to return around June or July.

*

Ever since his slip of the tongue that day, Liu Yuan had been uneasy, fearing Huang Baiguan might reveal what he said. He had intended to confront Huang Baiguan, but after waiting for seven or eight days at the gambling den, he still hadn't seen him.

This morning, another batch of refined iron was scheduled to be transported out of the city. Liu Yuan rose early to keep an eye on the city gate but ran into Huang Baiguan eating breakfast at a bun shop on the way.

"Brother Huang, haven't seen you in a while. What have you been up to lately?"

Huang Baiguan was startled by the voice but quickly smiled and greeted him. "I've been busy with some work at the government office these days. The sir assigned me to investigate a theft case, and I've been running around nonstop."

Liu Yuan's eyes scanned him up and down before he finally laughed. "You like Li's buns too?"

"Yes, I love their radish-stuffed buns. Brother Liu, why not sit down and have some with me?"

"You go ahead. I have matters to attend to. I'll catch up with you another time."

After Liu Yuan left, Huang Baiguan stared at his retreating figure, lost in thought. He felt there was more to Liu Yuan's words than met the eye. Pulling a few copper coins from his pocket, he placed them on the table, grabbed his sword, and quietly followed him.

At this hour, the streets were still relatively empty, with only the night watchman and the elderly collecting night soil calling out along the roadside.

Huang Baiguan hurried after Liu Yuan until they reached the vicinity of the city gate. Seeing Liu Yuan stop, he nimbly climbed behind a signboard and hid.

Before long, the rumble of carriage wheels could be heard. Huang Baiguan peeked out and counted seventeen carriages, each loaded to the brim. Though outwardly covered with straw, the deep wheel ruts suggested a heavy load.

The leader of the transport team was an old acquaintance of Liu Yuan's. The two chatted casually. "How long will this trip take?"

"At least a month. But we can't take the same route as last time. The border checks are tight now, so we have to detour."

"Take care, Brother Gao."

The man surnamed Gao took out the prepared money from his pocket, "This is the payment for this time."

"Thank you, thank you!" According to Liu Yuan's previous arrangement, each cart cost two guan. For these seventeen carts, that amounted to thirty-four guan. With him providing cover, the city gate clerks didn't inspect the carts, allowing them to pass through unimpeded.

After the group left, Huang Baiguan hurried toward the prefectural office, found Chen Qingyan, and recounted what he had witnessed that morning. "Seventeen carts in total, disguised as hay on the outside but actually filled with iron ore."

Calculating at three hundred *dan* (a unit of weight) per cart, this amounted to over five thousand *dan*. Considering a single mine produced at most seven to eight hundred *dan* of iron per month, where did they get so much refined iron?

Chen Qingyan paced anxiously back and forth. "I'll write you a note. Leave the city immediately and head for the border. See if you can catch up with Official Lang and his men. If those seventeen carts of iron are smuggled across the border, it will be a disaster!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Also, be sure to stay safe. If you encounter the convoy along the way, pretend you didn't see them. Don't try to gather any more information!"

"I understand, sir."

Huang Baiguan knelt and kowtowed three times. "Sir, if anything happens to me on this journey... please take care of my younger brother."

Chen Qingyan helped him up by the arm. "I promise you, I will take good care of Qian Guan."

Huang Baiguan tucked away the letter, took his horse, and left the city.

What followed was a long wait. Chen Qingyan was anxious but couldn't discuss the matter with anyone. Only at night did he dare speak of it with Wang Ying.

Wang Ying comforted him, saying, "Do your best and leave the rest to fate. You've done all you can. Whether it succeeds is up to heaven."

"Though that may be true, I still don't understand why Deputy Prefect Jiang would do such a thing..." He had seen many corrupt officials, but this was the first time he encountered one colluding with foreign tribes to bring about their own ruin.

"Men die for wealth, birds perish for food. Huang Baiguan said they paid two guan per cart just to bribe the city guards. A single cart of iron could easily sell for over a hundred taels of silver. For more than ten carts, that's thousands of taels of silver. If this is a long-term operation, the profits over the years must be unimaginable."

"No amount of money is worth jeopardizing the nation's security!"

Seeing that he couldn't make sense of it, Wang Ying yawned and muttered casually, "Maybe Deputy Prefect Jiang isn't even from our Wu Dynasty after all?"

Little did he know, he had spoken truer than he knew...

*

In mid-May, Border Marquis Li Mu arrived with troops in person. As a second-rank marquis of the court and a border general, he held both real authority and military power, with the right to act first and report later.

His sudden visit greatly alarmed Prefectural Governor Xu. The old man had no idea such a major incident had occurred in Shan Prefecture and wondered why this unwelcome visitor had arrived so abruptly.

Prefect Feng was also on edge, assuming the border had flared up again and that Li Mu had come to mobilize troops.

But the situation was worse than mobilizing troops. The marquis cut straight to the point: "At the beginning of the month, we intercepted seventeen carts carrying refined iron at the border. This iron originated from Shan Prefecture and was intended for sale to the Turks in Xi Prefecture."

These words struck like a bolt from the blue, startling both men to their feet. "Impossible! Such a thing could never happen!"

Li Mu waved his hand, and soldiers brought forward three men battered and bloody.

Prefectural Governor Xu asked in confusion, "Who... who are these?"

Qianhu Zhang, standing nearby, explained, "These are the men responsible for transporting the refined iron. They were tough—it took three or four days of interrogation to get the truth out of them. They admitted to acting under the orders of Shan Prefecture's Deputy Prefect Jiang to deliver the iron to Xi Prefecture."

Smuggling salt and iron was a grave crime, especially when selling to the Turks. Both men understood the severity of the situation.

"I'll have him brought here at once!" Prefect Feng, a hot-tempered man, rose at once to arrest the culprit.

Li Mu waved his hand. "No need—I already dispatched men to apprehend him when we entered the city. He should be here any moment."