The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 323 Jinshan Mine Corruption Case, Military Rank Transfer

In the first month of the lunar calendar in Longcheng, heavy snow fell for half a month, and the goose-feather-like snowflakes enveloped the blue tiles and corridors of the Grand Protectorate in a pure white.

The living room was warm and inviting. Luo Ping sat in the guest seat. He was over fifty years old, with a plump figure and a large belly. His gray-white brocade robe made his face look ruddy, and he exuded the air of a wealthy man who had long held a high position.

Now, as a military advisor in the Salt and Iron Bureau, he oversees all the mines and workshops in the northern frontier and is no longer the crude general who charged into battle alongside Li Xiao.

Standing beside him was a child who was nearly seven years old, his eldest grandson Luo Wenzhong.

The little guy was wearing a royal blue jacket, his hair was neatly combed, his back was straight, and his eyes were calm. He looked quite like a little adult.

"Madam has arrived!" came the announcement from outside the door.

Luo Ping immediately stood up and straightened the collar of his brocade robe.

Soon, Xiao Yanyan walked in, dressed in a moon-white home dress with a faint lotus pattern embroidered on the collar. Although simple, it could not hide her elegance and nobility.

Beside her, holding the hand of a little boy of about four years old, was Li Xiao and her eldest son, Jin Dao.

Jin Dao wore tiger-head boots, and his padded jacket was the same color as Xiao Yanyan's. He had a round face and a pair of eyes that looked just like Li Xiao's, bright and sharp.

"Princess."

Luo Ping bowed respectfully, his tone carrying a familiar respect.

He was among the first group of generals to follow Li Xiao, and in his early years he was also considered Xiao Simo's subordinate, at which time he called Xiao Yanyan "Princess".

"Uncle Luo, there's no need for such formalities."

Xiao Yanyan nodded slightly and said in a gentle tone, "I called you here today just for casual conversation, so please don't be so formal."

As soon as she finished speaking, Jin Dao broke free from her hand, ran to Luo Ping, and imitated an adult by patting his chest and bowing, saying in a childish voice, "Hello, Grandpa Luo."

Upon seeing this, Luo Ping immediately smiled, bent down and patted Jin Dao's head: "Jin Dao is becoming more and more polite. Judging from this, he will definitely be successful in the future."

Xiao Yanyan sat down in the main seat and said with a smile, "This child, all she knows is how to pretend."

As she spoke, she looked at Luo Wenzhong and said, "Wenzhong has grown up so much. He's practically a little adult now."

Upon hearing this, Luo Wenzhong stepped forward and bowed to Xiao Yanyan, saying, "Wenzhong greets Aunt."

"Sit down quickly."

Xiao Yanyan gestured for everyone to sit down, and a maid quickly served hot tea.

Jin Dao had already pulled Luo Wenzhong outside to play in the snow.

Xiao Yanyan picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and slowly said, "Uncle Luo, besides greeting you, I have something else to tell you today—about Wu Laoliu from Jinshan Coal Mine."

Luo Ping's smile froze instantly, and his hand holding the teacup paused slightly: "Princess, what happened to Wu Laoliu?"

He had a bad feeling. Wu Laoliu was his former subordinate who had been in charge of the Jinshan Coal Mine for many years.

He would occasionally send some gifts as a token of respect. Although he knew that the other party might have some ulterior motives, he did not expect that Xiao Yanyan would specifically mention it.

"Wu Laoliu falsely reported mining figures, embezzled assets in northern Xinjiang, and privately sold coal, amounting to several thousand strings of cash."

Xiao Yanyan's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority: "The Embroidered Uniform Guard has verified the facts; the evidence is conclusive. The Grand Protector's intention is..."

"kill!"

"what?"

Luo Ping suddenly stood up, his face full of shock, followed by a surge of anger: "This Wu Laoliu, how dare he embezzle so much?"

He was both anxious and angry, and the veins on his forehead bulged.

Although I knew that Wu Laoliu had some problems, I thought they were just minor issues. I never expected him to be so greedy.

"Uncle Luo."

Xiao Yanyan looked at him, her tone softening slightly: "The Grand Protector knows that Wu Laoliu is your former subordinate, and he also knows that you are unaware of this."

"I asked you to tell me this for two reasons: first, to prepare you, and second, to remind you that the Salt and Iron Bureau controls the lifeline of the northern frontier, so you need to be more careful in hiring people and managing affairs in the future."

Luo Ping remained silent for a moment, then sighed heavily, sat down again, his face full of dejection: "Princess, rest assured, I understand."

"This matter was due to my oversight. I will strictly discipline my subordinates in the future and never allow similar things to happen again." He knew that Li Xiao's decision not to hold a grudge against him was already a great act of leniency. Wu Laoliu's fate was his own fault.

After chatting for a few more minutes about the daily affairs of the Salt and Iron Bureau, Luo Ping got up to take his leave.

As he walked out of the Protectorate General's residence, the snow was still falling, and the cold snowflakes landing on his face made him more alert.

He glanced back at the imposing Protectorate General's Mansion, shook his head helplessly, and muttered a curse under his breath: "Wu Laoliu, you old dog."

"How can you be so greedy? The Grand Protector can tolerate a little bit of skimming and skimming, but you dare to embezzle so much. Aren't you just courting death?"

He knew in his heart that even if he wanted to protect Wu Laoliu, he was powerless to do so.

Since Li Xiao had given the order to execute him, he was determined to teach the Salt and Iron Bureau a lesson, and Wu Laoliu's death was a foregone conclusion.

Twenty miles east of Jinshan Coal Mine lies a vast grassland.

Even in the snowy January, the place still retains its former orderliness.

The 8,000th Household Army of the Northern Frontier is stationed here. It belongs to the 30,000th Household of the First Town and is an important force protecting the heavy industrial base in the Jinshan area.

The commander's name was Huo Wu. He was nearly thirty years old, tall, with a resolute face and deep, sharp eyes. He possessed both the fierceness of a grassland man and the composure of a soldier from the northern frontier.

In addition to his position as the Eighth Thousandth Household Commander, he also served as the Deputy Commander of the Third Ten Thousandth Household Command, making him a promising young man in the Northern Frontier Army.

To understand the origins of the Eighth Thousand Households, we must trace back to the Naiman Horma tribe many years ago.

When Xiao Simo first led an expedition against the Naiman, the leader of the Horma tribe, Buermahei, assessed the situation and led his tribe to surrender to Li Xiao.

As Jinzhou's power grew stronger and its population increased, the Horma tribe was also reorganized.

Most of the troops were transferred to other commanderies, enriching the multi-ethnic composition of the Northern Frontier Army.

Subsequently, a group of Han Chinese migrated from Hexi and merged with the remaining Horma tribe, eventually forming the current 8,000th household.

Huo Wu was the son of the deceased Buermahei, who changed his name to follow Han customs after surrendering.

At present, Li Xiao has mobilized the First Division's army to conquer the northern desert and Western Xia, leaving only five thousand-household troops, plus a large number of militia to guard Jinzhou and the desert.

The Eighth Thousandth Household was one of them, and its responsibilities were particularly important. The Jinshan area was home to heavy industries such as coal mines, iron mines, and ironworks in northern Xinjiang, and was the core production area for military supplies in northern Xinjiang. It could not afford to make any mistakes.

"Report~"

"A cavalry unit has arrived from outside the mountains, and the leader claims to be Commander Ge." A sentry's voice came from outside the tent.

Huo Wu raised his eyes, a knowing glint in them: "They arrived so quickly!"

He had received military orders from the Grand Protectorate and knew that he would be transferred to the Fourth Garrison, and that this Commander Ge was his successor.

"Invite them in."

Soon, several men entered the tent. The leader was named Ge Congrong, about twenty-five or twenty-six years old. He was lean and had sharp eyes. His yellow cotton armor was covered with snowflakes, but it couldn't hide his capable demeanor.

Accompanying him were his personal guards, the general who was about to take over as deputy commander, and several captains.

"This humble general, Ge Congrong, pays his respects to Commander Huo."

Ge Congrong and the others bowed respectfully to Huo Wu.

He and Huo Wu were both from the First Division. They had met a few times in the army before, but they weren't very familiar with each other, so there was no need for a special introduction.

Huo Wu returned the greeting, saying, "Commander Ge, there's no need for such formalities. Please have a seat."

"Someone, bring hot tea."

After Ge Congrong and the others sat down and warmed their hands with hot tea, Huo Wu got straight to the point: "I have received the military order from the Grand Protectorate."

"Starting tomorrow, I will set off for Xingqing Prefecture to take over as the deputy commander of the 12th Wanhu Prefecture of the Fourth Garrison."

"But that position originally belonged to Zhang Ergou, where did he go now?" Huo Wu asked curiously.

Ge Congrong chuckled dryly and said, "Zhang Wanhu has distinguished himself in the Battle of Keyimen and has been promoted to Wanhu of the Second Wanhu Office of the First Town."

"And Qin Chunsheng, the former Second Ten Thousand Household Commander, was transferred to the position of Governor of Donghai, in charge of civil administration in Donghai."

Zhang Ergou was a Han Chinese from Jiubao and Shibazhai, and he was an old acquaintance of Huo Wu, so there was no need for them to be reserved with each other.

However, Ge Congrong was less senior, so she only addressed Zhang Ergou by his full name, Zhang Wuwei.

This was the name Li Xiao personally gave Zhang Ergou during the Battle of Liangzhou.

"Qin Wanhu has changed careers?" Huo Wu was somewhat surprised.

After all, Qin Chunsheng was only in his forties, in the prime of his life. He was also the uncle of the Grand Protector and a veteran general in the Northern Frontier. Why would he suddenly change careers?

Huo Wu was somewhat confused. Although he had changed his name to Han and become a Han Chinese, his mind was still that of a Naiman.

They cannot understand the subtle politics within Han culture.

Qin Chunsheng's transfer from civilian work to a civil service position was clearly paving the way for the next generation of the Qin family.

Only if he resigns from his military post in the Six Garrisons can Qin Xiong, the next pillar of the Qin family and Li Xiao's cousin, smoothly take over.

Qin Xiong is now a deputy commander of ten thousand households. He only needs to make some more military achievements to take over Qin Chunsheng's position as commander of ten thousand households, so that the Qin family can continue to have a voice in the Northern Frontier Army.

And this is also an inevitable trend.

Luo Ping was the first to take this step; he withdrew from the Six Towns, which allowed Luo Meng to step forward.

Now that the Qin family has followed suit, it is likely that in the future, the Zhao family, the Jiu Meng An family, and other veteran families will also gradually have their older generation step down to make room for younger people.

"Qin Wanhu is in good health, but a lot of people have just been relocated from the northern desert, and there is an urgent need for a mature and steady person to go and take charge," Ge Congrong said.

Huo Wu wholeheartedly agreed: "Qin Wanhu is worthy of being the governor of the East Sea."

He then asked, "How is the battle going in Xingqing Prefecture? I heard that the Grand Protector has already captured Xingqing Prefecture and is preparing to completely annihilate Western Xia?"

His tone carried a hint of longing. As a soldier, who wouldn't want to make a name for themselves on the battlefield and secure a bright future?
However, during this eastern expedition, Li Xiao left the 80,000th household to garrison Jinshan, which greatly frustrated Huo Wu.

Fortunately, the Grand Protector did not forget him in the end.

The war isn't over yet, so transferring him to the Fourth Division would still give him plenty of opportunities to earn merit.

He was just reluctant to leave his brothers from the Eighth Thousandth Household, and even his family members would stay here.

"Xingqing Prefecture is now under our control. The remaining forces of Western Xia have retreated to Xiping Prefecture, and their destruction is only a matter of time."

Ge Congrong smiled and said, "The reason I was able to get promoted this time is because I was fortunate enough to make some contributions in the battle of Xingqing Prefecture."

He then recounted some battles fought in the northern deserts and the Western Xia, which made Huo Wu very happy.

"Good!" Huo Wu praised, "Commander Ge is young and promising. I am at ease entrusting the Eighth Commander to you."

The two then discussed military affairs, from the defense of the Jinshan area to the composition of soldiers within the Qianhu (a military unit). Huo Wu shared his extensive experience with Ge Congrong without reservation.

The snowfall gradually subsided early the next morning.

Feng Ersheng, the deputy commander of the 8th Thousand Household, and three other centurions arrived at the central command tent early in the morning.

They had already received orders from the Protectorate General and were fully aware of the personnel transfer arrangements.

The officials sent by the Protectorate General held up the bright yellow imperial edict and the tiger tally symbolizing the power of a thousand-household commander. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, they loudly proclaimed the personnel appointment and dismissal orders.

Ge Congrong officially took over as the commander of the 8th Thousand Household.

Huo Wu was transferred to the position of Deputy Commander of the 12th Ten Thousand Household Office of the Fourth Town, and Zhang Yi was similarly transferred to the position of Deputy Commander of a Thousand Household.

After the imperial edict was read aloud, the officials handed the tiger tally to Ge Congrong, verified the token, and completed all the procedures.

However, unlike Huo Wu, Ge Congrong did not concurrently serve as deputy commander of ten thousand households upon assuming his new post.

Huo Wu earned his position as deputy commander of ten thousand households through years of military achievements and seniority. Although Ge Congrong had made contributions in the Battle of Xingqing Prefecture, he was still lacking in experience and needed more time to hone his skills.

After the handover ceremony, Huo Wu packed his belongings and, with a group of personal guards and a few trusted men, set off for Xingqing Prefecture with Zhang Yi.

The first thing Ge Congrong did after taking office was to consolidate the power of the Eight Thousand Households.

The Eighth Thousandth Commander had five Centurions under his command, and he himself served as one of them. The newly appointed Deputy Thousandth Commander, Li Baoqiang, who had come with him, also served as one of the Centurions.

Of the remaining three centurions, two were originally from the Horma tribe, and one was a Han Chinese from Dunhuang.

Soon, Ge Congrong successfully took control of the Eighth Thousand Household Office.

……

At Jinshan Coal Mine, the sky cleared and the blizzard stopped, but the cold wind still swept through the mining area like a knife.

Driven by the miners' whips, the miners trembled as they left their shacks.

Most of them were nobles from the Naiman and Kereit tribes, as well as royal soldiers captured in the Battle of Yinshan.

The former identity has long since vanished, leaving only heavy shackles and endless labor.

The coal seams in the open-pit mine were frozen solid by the severe cold, and the miners threw a batch of specially made tools in front of the miners.

The short-handled pickaxe was only half a foot long, and the pickaxe head was so dull that it could hardly be polished to a gleaming shine.

The handle of the wooden shovel was sawed down to only two feet, barely enough to scoop up coal scraps, but certainly not enough to be used as a weapon.

"Hurry up! If you don't dig up at least fifty jin, you won't get any food today!" The mining squad leader brandished his whip and shouted sternly.

The miners dared not slack off; they bent down, picked up their tools, and smashed them hard against the frozen coal seam.

Every day, miners collapsed from exhaustion, frostbite, or hunger, and their numbers gradually decreased. But soon new captive nobles from the northern deserts were brought in to replace them, and the work in the mining area never stopped.

Meanwhile, Wu Laoliu, the manager, was in a warm tent, eating steaming hot mutton soup and steamed buns, sipping wine, and listening to his trusted confidant's report.

"Sir, in the past half month, the mining area has mined a total of 2.5 million catties of coal, of which 2 million catties were handed over. The remaining 500,000 catties were hidden away according to the old rules and sold to private merchants at a low price."

The confidant smiled obsequiously and handed over an account book, saying, "These are the accounts; please take a look."

Although coal in northern Xinjiang is a monopolized resource, it is not a complete monopoly.

The Hexi Trading Company only controls the upstream industry, but how vast is the Northern Xinjiang region?
It was simply impossible to sell coal to every corner using only the transportation capacity of the Hexi Trading Company.

As a result, a group of merchants emerged in the northern frontier, taking over the downstream industries of the Hexi Trading Company and selling goods to the people.

This is permitted, and even encouraged, in northern Xinjiang.

After all, the development of commerce can increase tax revenue, prosper towns, and meet the daily needs of the people.

Private businesses are only prohibited from operating in key industries; other industries are left unregulated.

Therefore, Wu Laoliu bypassed the Hexi Trading Company and found some audacious private merchants to sell at low prices.

It was the Hexi Merchant Guild that first discovered some clues, which led them to hand the matter over to the Embroidered Uniform Guard for investigation.

Wu Laoliu took the ledger, casually flipped through a couple of pages, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face: "Not bad, not bad, this deal was done efficiently."

He put down the ledger, picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp: "I'll take forty percent of this money, and Lord Wang, the supervisor sent by the Ministry of Justice, will take the other forty percent."

"The remaining 20% ​​was distributed among the brothers below, so that they would know that working for me would bring them many benefits."

"Of course, only by following the adults can we juniors live a comfortable life," the confidant quickly replied.

Wu Laoliu then instructed, "Tell the people below to keep their mouths shut and not to go around making a fuss."

"Also, keep a close eye on those miners. The coal seams are frozen solid lately. If anything goes wrong, none of us will be spared."

Just as his confidant was about to respond, a sudden burst of noisy hoofbeats and shouts came from outside the tent, creating a chaotic scene like a pot boiling over.

A miner ran in: "Sir, a lot of cavalry have arrived outside. Judging from their banners, they are from the 8,000th household in the east."

"The 8,000th household?"

Wu Laoliu suddenly stood up, surprised, and asked, "What are they doing here?"

He had an excellent relationship with Huo Wu, the Eighth Thousandth Household Commander, and they looked after each other on a daily basis. He had never heard of the Eighth Thousandth Household Commander coming to inspect.

Wu Laoliu didn't have time to think it through. He quickly straightened his clothes and walked out of the tent.

Outside the camp, the open ground was densely packed with cavalrymen wearing yellow cotton armor, scattered throughout the camp.

The young general at the head of the group stood reining in his horse, his eyes sharp as an eagle's.

Wu Laoliu hurriedly stepped forward and asked, "I am the manager of Jinshan Coal Mine. May I ask what brings the army of the Eighth Thousandth Household here?"

"This general is Ge Congrong, the newly appointed Eighth Thousandth Commander."

The young general dismounted and said in a cold voice, "The Eighth Thousandth Household is responsible for guarding the Jinshan Coal Mine. Today, we have come to inspect the mine's defenses in accordance with the orders of the Grand Protectorate."

"The newly appointed commander?"

Wu Laoliu's heart skipped a beat, and an ominous premonition surged into his mind: "Then... what about Huo Wu, Huo Wanhu?"

"Huo Wanhu has been transferred to Xingqing Prefecture and appointed as the deputy Wanhu of the 12th Wanhu Prefecture of the Fourth Garrison."

Ge Congrong's tone was calm, but it sent a chill down Wu Laoliu's spine.

Just then, Wang Qiuling, the supervisor of the Ministry of Justice, rushed over. When he saw the scene before him, his expression changed, and he leaned close to Wu Laoliu and whispered, "What's going on? Why has the Eighth Thousandth Household been replaced all of a sudden?"

Before Wu Laoliu could answer, Ge Congrong stepped aside, and a young man in a black cotton robe walked over slowly.

The young man was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with a handsome face, yet he exuded a chilling majesty. He wore a brocade spring knife at his waist, the patterns on the scabbard gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

Upon seeing this sword, which was different from the standard cavalry saber, both Wu Laoliu and Wang Qiuling's expressions changed drastically.

Sure enough, the young man looked up at Wu Laoliu and Lord Wang, his voice icy: "I am Zhang Yan, a commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, here on orders from the Grand Protector to investigate the corruption case at Jinshan Coal Mine."

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard?" Wu Laoliu and Lord Wang's faces turned deathly pale instantly, their legs went weak, and they almost collapsed to the ground.

Having lived in the northern frontier for many years, they naturally knew how terrifying the Embroidered Uniform Guard was.

That was an agency directly responsible to the Grand Protector, specializing in investigating official corruption and military irregularities. Once someone was targeted by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, they almost never had a good ending.

The two exchanged a glance instinctively, and both saw fear in each other's eyes.

If the Embroidered Uniform Guard were to uncover their usual practices of falsely reporting production figures, selling coal privately, and withholding rations from miners, their lives would likely be in danger.

Zhang Yan took an account book handed to him by his subordinate, threw it in front of the two men, and a cold smile appeared on his lips.

"Manager Wu, Lord Wang, since you came to Jinshan Coal Mine, you've embezzled at least tens of thousands of strings of cash, haven't you?"

"They also withheld food from the miners, causing them to starve to death every day. Do you really want me to recount all of these things one by one?"

Wu Laoliu's legs went weak, but he forced himself not to kneel down, and said in a trembling voice, "Commander Zhang, I'm innocent!"

"This is a deliberate frame-up..."

Lord Wang also cried out for justice.

"Injustice?" Zhang Yan sneered.

"I see you won't give up until you've reached the Yellow River."

"You are embezzling assets in the northern frontier and harming the mining slaves there. You still want to resist to the end? You are courting death."

"I, the commander, have plenty of time to play along with your nonsense."

He then ordered his men to arrest Wu Laoliu's confidants.

Whether it's a false accusation or not, we'll know once the case is investigated.

Before long, people began to spill the beans, revealing all the details of their crimes.

When all this evidence was laid out before him, Wu Laoliu instantly collapsed to the ground.

But he was still not giving up and shouted loudly, "I have rendered meritorious service to the northern frontier."

"I want to see Military Advisor Luo! I want to see the Grand Protector!"

Looking at him, Zhang Yan shook his head and said, "Stubborn to the end."

"Put them in a prison van and escort them to Longcheng."

His inevitable end was death, a truly chilling moment.

Subsequently, Zhang Yan ordered the arrest of a group of key mining soldiers who had been interrogated and found to have been involved in corruption.

Arrange for a demobilized military officer from Xingqing Prefecture to take over as the mine manager.

After doing all this, he gathered all the miners and loudly announced: "Today, I, the commander, will only arrest the ringleaders. Wu Laoliu and the others have committed embezzlement and perverted the law, and they deserve their punishment."

"As long as others repent and do their job properly, their past mistakes will be forgiven."

Upon hearing this, the miners breathed a sigh of relief. Some of them only got to drink some soup, while many others didn't even get to drink any soup at all.

The fact that the Embroidered Uniform Guard is only arresting the ringleaders is considered a way out for them.

Moreover, the number of miners in the mining area is large, and they are unruly, so they need to be looked after by miners who are familiar with the situation.

If this incites unrest among the miners and leads to a riot by the miners, the situation will become serious.

Even though the 8,000th Household Army has arrived in the mining area, enough to suppress any riot, it will still delay the progress of coal mining.

(End of this chapter)