Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 51 Panic
Empress Dowager Xie had killed someone when she was thirteen years old. After the defeat of the Great Liang army, the number of innocent souls under her command was countless. It was already bloody enough that wild beasts ate people, but Empress Dowager Xie had seen people "eating" each other. How could she be frightened by someone who was pretending to be fierce?
The balance of power shifts, and the struggle for the right to speak can happen in an instant. Once she is at a disadvantage, even someone taller than her can be easily pushed aside.

Having seized control of the situation and the discourse, all eyes were now on her.

“You have paid the summer and autumn taxes, but you can’t reclaim wasteland. You can only do hard labor for others, risking your lives and toiling for a year, only to get some broken coal. You have endured it because you have good seeds and fields that have been cultivated for generations.”

"This is your hometown. Would you hurt people here? After you hurt someone, will you go to jail or escape? It's freezing cold. You'll freeze to death on the roadside before you can even walk a day."

Shi Yong's face darkened further. "They're all hardworking, law-abiding citizens, and they want to fight and be violent?"

Xie Yuyan looked around at everyone: "Or have you all reached a dead end and are willing to fight to the death?"

Before Shi Yong could speak, Xie Yuyan continued, "When no one is buying broken coal, we can tolerate it. Why is it that when someone comes to deliver money, we feel so much hostility?"

"If I were you, I would think about these things carefully."

"Am I being too aggressive, or is someone instigating this?"

Shi Yong subconsciously looked among the villagers, his gaze landing on a dark, thin, and short figure. The man shrank back, his face showing a hint of fear that he hadn't had time to hide.

It was like a thunderbolt exploding over Shi Yong's head.

They all weathered the tough times, so why do they suddenly become wary and hostile towards customers when things are starting to look up?

The Yang family didn't take the broken coal, nor did they even sign any written agreement with them, yet they still sent money.

Madam Xie did not abuse her power. The manager who came earlier had said that they wanted all the broken coal in the village and that they were hiding something from her. After Madam Xie discovered the problem, she questioned them. Was she wrong?

Shi Yong shook his head. He didn't know what had happened or why things had escalated to this point.
Xie Yuyan said, "The ones who lied to you were the ones who took away the wasteland, the merchants who hired you to mine coal, not me."

His gaze was intense and aggressive, and Shi Yong took another step back, a hint of shame flashing in his eyes.

Xie Yuyan continued, "I have already stated that I will buy all the broken coal in your village. You are not obligated to sell, but you should not try to make money while also holding back some of it."

"Before taking more money, think about whether you can protect it. Everyone wants wealth, but you also need to see clearly whether it is real money or disaster."

Upon hearing the word "disaster," everyone in the village turned pale.

Xie Yuyan's expression returned to calm: "Are you selling the broken coal or not?"

This last sentence is also the last chance for Sanhe Village this winter.

Shi Yong knew that as long as he said "not for sale," this Lady Xie would immediately leave with her people and would never come to Sanhe Village again.

Shi Yong lowered his head and muttered, "Sell."

Xie Yuyan did not respond, but instead looked up at him.

Shi Yong felt his thoughts had been completely read. He glanced at the village and led the way forward. Reaching a courtyard in the south of the village, Shi Yong pushed open the gate, fearing Xie Niangzi might suspect something. He pointed to the house: "We found coal here. We dug a bit deeper, and there should be quite a bit..."

Shi Yong's Adam's apple bobbed: "I was afraid of being cheated again, so I kept some as a backup plan. I was also greedy, thinking that if the broken coal sold well, the price would be higher, and we could sell the rest and make more money."

Xie Yuyan walked straight into the house and saw the pit that had been dug in the ground. The pit was not large, only big enough for one person to enter and exit, and no more than five feet deep. The surrounding soil was black, obviously because the ground had been burned beforehand to make digging easier.

Mother Yu stepped forward to examine it carefully: "It must have been dug up in the last two days."

Xie Yuyan looked at Shi Yong: "Just this one place?"

Shi Yong said, "This is it. We just found it. We dug all night and this is what happened."

Who discovered it?

Upon hearing Xie Yuyan's words, the short man in the crowd stepped back, but after only two steps, he was grabbed by Shi Yong.

Xie Yuyan was not surprised, nor did he ask the man any questions. Instead, he said, "Let's find a larger place, with one person from each household in the village, and we can discuss this deal together."

……

In a quarter of an hour, the villagers gathered more than a dozen stools of various sizes.

Xie Yuyan sat on a long bench, and Shi Yong only allowed the older villagers to sit down with her, while the rest stood to the side. The short, thin, dark-skinned man was surrounded by the crowd. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and a look of fear crossed his face. He clenched his hands tightly, not daring to look up at Xie Yuyan, his lips moving as he considered what questions he would be asked and how he should respond.

Sweat dripped from his temples, and he felt as if countless eyes were staring at him.

Shi Yong looked at Mama Yu: "Yesterday, right after the manager left, Zhao Shan told me that he dug up coal while he was digging up a rat's nest."

Xie Yuyan said, "If I hadn't come to do this business with you, would I still be able to dig out coal from this house?"

Shi Yong turned to look at Zhao Shan.

Zhao Shan clenched his fists.

Xie Yuyan quickly gave him an answer: "Yes, but it would be best to wait until after winter, during spring or summer."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Shan shuddered and abruptly raised his head, his eyes filled with even deeper fear.

Lady Xie knew everything; she must have found out about that merchant, and he must have confessed to him.

Everyone saw Zhao Shan's expression. Shi Yong gritted his teeth, wishing he could immediately hold Zhao Shan down and ask him for an explanation, but they all knew that Xie Niangzi was in charge here now, and they had to listen to Xie Niangzi.

Xie Yuyan said, "At that time, you had just finished cultivating the fields, and the imperial court was about to collect the summer tax. You didn't have any money, so you dug up coal to sell."

Upon hearing this, Shi Yong didn't think anything was amiss. If they found coal in the village, they would definitely dig it up, and this time they would dig up more and sell it secretly to prevent others from taking away their land again.

Xie Yuyan continued, "If you dig deeper, you can find large chunks of coal, which is what merchants want most."

Shi Yong nodded. He had been digging for coal with the merchants for over a year, and he knew by heart what kind of coal sold best and how to dig it more easily.

Xie Yuyan said calmly, "Do you know that if you dig too deep into a mine, toxic fumes will come out? And if not handled properly, it will explode?"

Shi Yong stood there, stunned. The men in the village looked at each other, their faces filled with confusion.

"When the mine is blasted open, the surrounding houses will collapse."

"Even if you don't encounter toxic fumes, an unstable mine, the rainy season, or groundwater—any one of these could kill you."

"Even if you are extremely careful, there will be people who deliberately make such things happen."

Xie Yuyan said, "After such an incident, even if someone manages to escape by chance, the imperial court has laws that prohibit private mining. Those who survive will still be imprisoned. All the able-bodied men in Sanhe Village are gone. How long can the remaining elderly, women, and children survive?"

“Once the entire village is gone, some people will take the opportunity to seize the village’s land and fields.”

Even though the villagers didn't understand some parts of what Xie Yuyan said, by the end, their faces showed expressions of fear.

When people are truly afraid, they don't make a sound.

The room was completely silent.

What Lady Xie said is true; those merchants are capable of doing such things.

Even if the imperial court investigates, it's because they were mining illegally that they ended up in this state.

No one will pity them or seek justice for them.

On the contrary, those who received their land did not err.

This is why Lady Xie said that money can also bring disaster...

Xie Yuyan continued, "I bought crushed charcoal to make lotus root charcoal. There are rumors that crushed charcoal is poisonous. We should test it before selling it to see if it is actually poisonous."

Shi Yong didn't know why Madam Xie suddenly mentioned lotus root charcoal, but Madam Xie's next sentence made him understand completely.

Xie Yuyan asked, "Who is willing to give it a try?"

After a brief moment of confusion, all eyes in the room turned to Zhao Shan.

(End of this chapter)