Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 87 Relieving Worries
These past two days have been particularly difficult for Xie Chongjun.

Rumors spread like wildfire in Daming Prefecture, and even members of the Xie clan came to inquire about the situation. The things Xie said at the government office were also deliberately spread by those with ulterior motives.

Old Master Xie also blamed him for letting a woman get to this point.

A woman?
Dealing with this woman is no less difficult than dealing with those high-ranking officials and nobles outside.

There were some arrangements he couldn't reveal for the time being, so he could only appease the old man and wait for news from the people surveying the mineral veins.

The steward led Zhou Hu into the study.

Zhou Hu took off his straw hat, which was covered with a layer of snowflakes, and his boots were worn out. He slightly raised his face, revealing a dark face with sharp features and several scars on his cheeks, which added to his fierceness. However, when he saw Xie Chongjun, his eyes showed a hint of respect.

Xie Chongjun knew that Zhou Hu was able to act this way because the people behind him were willing to give the Xie family face.

"Thank you, sir." Zhou Hu said in a low voice.

Xie Chongjun said, "Thank you for your trouble. After the matter is settled, you can stay in Daming Prefecture for a while. I will definitely treat you well."

Zhou Hu's lips curled up slightly, revealing a smile, which was a way of accepting Xie Chongjun's kindness: "There are still matters to attend to in the Northwest. Once Master Xie has settled things here, we need to hurry back."

“Yes, yes,” Xie Chongjun lowered his voice, “The important matter is paramount.”

When Zhou Hu and the others left, he gave them money in the same way.

Zhou Hu took a sip of water and continued, "We don't explore for minerals in winter, but Master Xie was in a hurry, so we came here."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Of all the surveyors, I am most familiar with Daming Prefecture. I had heard that salt wells had been found here before, so I searched the city and its surroundings thoroughly. I know a good thing about Daming Prefecture. Otherwise, it would have been impossible to investigate it clearly under these circumstances."

Xie Chongjun was about to breathe a sigh of relief when Zhou Hu said, "There is indeed coal under Sanhe Village outside the West City, and there are quite a few mineral deposits."

Xie Chongjun's heart sank immediately: "Then... the coal can't be mined out in a short time?"

Zhou Hu shook his head: "We can't dig it all out. What I've seen is just the shallow layer. If we dig deeper, there might be even more. If someone makes a living off coal, then we can rest easy."

This is not the outcome Xie Chongjun wanted.

No wonder the Xie family acted so recklessly; they must have already investigated the matter thoroughly.

She found a coal mine and persuaded the people of Sanhe Village to sell their land to her, which allowed her to open a water shop and sell lotus root charcoal in the city.

That was truly a grand strategy.

They did so much without anyone knowing.

Seeing Xie Chongjun's gloomy expression, Zhou Hu continued, "The other mountain areas that the master asked me to survey also have coal, but it's far less than that of Sanhe Village. Last night we dug a pit to check, and the coal was grayish in color. It might not even be usable if we extracted it."

In other words, apart from Sanhe Village, the rest of the land in Xie Yuyan's hands is not worth worrying about.

But how should we deal with Sanhe Village?
Xie Chongjun's face grew increasingly somber.

Seeing this, Zhou Hu smiled slightly: "Actually, there's another mineral deposit..."

Xie Chongjun's eyes lit up, and he immediately said, "Where is it? Please tell me, Brother Zhou, and I will reward you handsomely."

Zhou Hu said, "Ten miles outside the north city, coal can be found less than two feet below the surface. The coal is dark and fine, and it looks just as good as the coal from Sanhe Village."

Xie Chongjun stared at Zhou Hu, his expression revealing undisguised joy. It seemed that seeking help from the Northwest was the right thing to do, as Zhou Hu had indeed discovered the mineral vein.

Zhou Hu's gaze deepened slightly: "However, Master Xie also needs to act quickly. I was able to find that mine because I met a familiar prospector in Daming Prefecture, and that's how I followed him all the way to the north of the city."

“In winter, they must have been paid a high price to be able to move around near Daming Prefecture. If they find any mineral deposits, the person who hired them will probably act without hesitation.” Almost at the same time, Xie Chongjun had already figured out who had hired the people to explore the area.

Xie Yuyan.

Only Xie Yuyan would do such a thing.

"However," Xie Chongjun didn't quite understand, "since there's already a coal mine underground in Sanhe Village, why is she in such a hurry to spend a lot of money hiring people to explore everywhere?"

"You mean, sir, the person who hired those prospectors and bought the land in Sanhe Village is the same person? Is it the same Madam Xie that you're planning to deal with?"

Xie Chongjun was taken aback, not expecting Zhou Hu to already know about Xie Yuyan: "How did you know?"

Zhou Hu said in a hoarse voice, "When we prospectors arrive at a place, we naturally want to find out some information. If we can find some clues, it will be more helpful for us to find minerals."

"Furthermore, I often come to Daming Prefecture, and this time I found that Daming Prefecture has changed a bit. There are people selling hot water on the streets and alleys, and the market is more lively. Even the noodle shops I used to eat at give more noodles than before."

"I asked around and they said it's because the lotus root charcoal being sold in Daming Prefecture is not only cheaper but also better than ordinary charcoal."

Zhou Hu paused for a moment and then asked, "Is Master Xie considering getting into the lotus root charcoal business because of this?"

Xie Chongjun took a deep breath: "It's not that I want to get involved, it's just that the woman who sells lotus root charcoal is one of He Tan's people."

Upon hearing He Tan's name, Zhou Hu's expression changed, and a murderous glint flashed in his eyes: "So it's Inspector He."

Xie Chongjun nodded: "The Yang family's caravan was investigated a few days ago because of He Tan. Several other merchants also fell into He Tan's hands because of a little bit of goods."

"In many cases, it was that woman who tipped off He Tan. She is a pawn planted by He Tan. I'm afraid that if she continues to grow in power, Daming Prefecture will become even more unstable."

Zhou Hu said coldly, "You mean He Tan isn't in Daming Prefecture right now?"

Xie Chongjun stated confidently, "He's not here. After receiving the letter from the capital, He Tan went to inspect the border camps."

Zhou Hu finally understood that Master Xie wanted to take advantage of He Tan's absence to deal with the woman. He thought about it carefully for a moment and said, "What Master Xie said earlier makes sense. Since we already have the Sanhe Village coal mine, we shouldn't be in a hurry to look for more coal mines. It will be easier to find mineral deposits after the spring planting season."

"Moreover, even though the mineral deposits in those mountainous areas were clearly of poor quality, she was still willing to pay a high price to buy them."

At this point, Zhou Hu remained silent for a long time before saying, "Perhaps... there's a problem with the mineral deposits in Sanhe Village."

Xie Chongjun leaned forward nervously: "What kind of problem could there be?"

“Maybe it’s a seepage mine, or maybe there’s a lot of toxic gas underground,” Zhou Hu said. “If we really want to find out, we’ll have to explore it.”

“If there really is a problem,” Xie Chongjun said, “then I won’t have to go to all this trouble.”

Once he buys the coal mine outside the North City and confirms that there was something wrong with the coal in Sanhe Village, Xie Yuyan will be left with nowhere to turn.

Thinking of this, Xie Chongjun stood up: "I'll have someone buy land outside the North City. I'll trouble you to go to Sanhe Village again, brother."

Since He Tan is involved... Zhou Hu reached out and touched the scar on his face. Even if Xie Chongjun didn't say anything, he would still have to go and investigate.

He Tan was worth the trip.

As Zhou Hu walked to the door, before leaving, he turned to Xie Chongjun and said, "If Master Xie is so worried about that woman, there are other ways to deal with her."

Zhou Hu stretched out his hand and chopped down with his palm: "Clean and tidy, no more worries."

(End of this chapter)