Love Lock

Chapter 88 Dare to Arrest Me?
After Wei Chengchao left in a huff, Han Lei finally had some free time to calmly write a letter to Zhao Zun.

This was Han Lei's first letter to Zhao Zun. Just as she was about to put pen to paper, she suddenly encountered a problem: she couldn't write traditional Chinese characters. So she went out and found a friend who could write to write for her.

In her letter, Han Lei assured Zhao Zun that she was safe and asked him to buy more wasteland along the mountains and rivers in Qingshui County, as she would need it in Cangzhou. She also sent several copies of a mineral map and cement manufacturing instructions, along with the letter, to Zhao Zun, instructing him to send people to prospect for minerals in Cangzhou…

The main raw materials for cement are limestone, clay, and iron ore powder. These raw materials are mixed in a certain proportion to form raw meal, which is then calcined to form clinker. This clinker is then ground with a certain proportion of gypsum to finally form ordinary silicate cement.

The roads of this era were all dirt tracks; on sunny days, the air was thick with dust; on rainy days, your feet were covered in mud. It was a real headache.

In Han Lei's mind, no matter which direction you choose to develop, to get rich you must first build roads. Therefore, cement will be the first thing she needs.

Cangzhou is located in the northwest and due north of Dajing. It is a vast and sparsely populated area with a lot of resources, except for minerals.

Next, there are the coal mines. Winters in Cangzhou are cold, and with coal for heating, the people will have a much better winter…

Han Lei wrote a letter to Zhao Zun overnight, outlining the arrangements for the later stages. Meanwhile, Wei Chengchao tossed and turned in his room, unable to sleep, his small eyes darting around in thought.

In the end, he decided to agree to Han Lei's conditions. He could save his life and make money at the same time, so why not?

Anyway, the Wei family has many businesses in the capital, so they're not afraid of having Han Lei's businesses listed under their names.

According to Han Lei's conditions, he only needs to be a figurehead, and at most he can go to the store from time to time to stroll around, chat with the shopkeeper or customers, and show his face.

If he can't handle it himself, he can simply say it's a business owned by the Wei family. With his father's reputation backing him up, he can get anything sorted out.

Anyway, he's a man of principle, able to bend and stretch; this is just a delaying tactic. The capital is full of renowned doctors; once he returns and finds one to cure the poison, he'll teach that bitch a lesson.

The next day, Wei Chengchao found Han Lei and told her that he had agreed to her request.

Han Lei raised an eyebrow and took out three porcelain bottles that she had prepared in advance, placing them on the table.

"Such a good win-win deal, I bet you'll agree. I keep my word, there are a hundred antidotes in each bottle here, enough for you for three months. From now on, I'll have someone deliver them to you every three months."

"Hehe, thank you, Grandma, thank you, Grandma."

Wei Chengchao reluctantly accepted the porcelain bottle, but still had to force a smile and thank him repeatedly.

He agreed that it was a win-win situation, but he always felt like he was being led by the nose.

Han Lei then called over Da Jiu and Yang Haibo, saying, "You know these two. From now on, Da Jiu will be in charge of our communication, and Yang Haibo will be in charge of the business in the entire capital. I'll be counting on your help!"

Da Jiu was Da Wu's brother who came to Songyang County with him. Wei Chengchao had met him when they were in Songyang County.

"Okay!" Wei Chengchao nodded.

"Since it's settled, you can take your people back to the capital now." Han Lei didn't linger. "They'll come looking for you then."

Upon hearing that Han Lei had readily agreed to let them pass, Wei Chengchao was overjoyed. He took the antidote and, accompanied by two servants, hurriedly returned to the capital.

After a combination of intimidation and bribery, Wei Chengchao was completely subdued. Watching Wei Chengchao scurry away, Han Lei's sweet face beamed with a smile as radiant as a peach blossom.

To thrive in ancient times, the most basic requirement was to make money. Merchants were considered lowly and looked down upon. Moreover, as a woman with no connections, she would face even more obstacles if she went into business.

Her only connection to the emperor was Zhao Zun, but Zhao Zun was not favored by Emperor Jing.

Now that she has Wei Chengchao as a shield, Han Lei can unleash her full potential. She is not afraid that the suspicious Emperor Jing will suspect Zhao Zun because she wants to develop business, saying that Zhao Zun is accumulating wealth and has ulterior motives.

As soon as Wei Chengchao left, Han Lei immediately instructed the captain of the first-year team to recruit manpower in Jingzhou to expand the Big Character Team. They were not only responsible for the security of the brewery, but also for training carrier pigeons, establishing a security escort agency, and handling the rapid transmission of information and the transport of goods from Cangzhou to the capital for sale, aiming to dominate the capital's market. The nobles in the capital were foolish and rich; if they weren't targeted, who would be?

………I am the alluring dividing line………

Cangzhou, Qingshui County.

In the middle of the night, Magistrate Luo Hai was woken up from his sleep again.

Of the three projects he was in charge of, the pig farm and Tongfulou have gotten on track. The hundreds of acres of wasteland that were reclaimed are no longer so barren and can now be used to grow crops, thanks to the manure from the pig farm.

Spring is the season for planting on barren land, and he's been incredibly busy lately. He finally got home early today, hoping for a good night's sleep, but unexpectedly, he was woken up in the middle of the night.

Luo Hai rubbed his sleepy eyes as he entered the front hall, his face full of morning grumpiness. Looking at the three people lying on the floor, bound like dumplings, he finally found an outlet for his anger.

"Snapped!"

"Who is below me?" Luo Hai asked impatiently as he slammed the gavel down.

The three rice dumplings were arching on the ground. In the dim candlelight, one of the big, fat rice dumplings struggled to raise its head.

"Magistrate! It's me, it's me!"

Luo Hai didn't recognize him at first, but the voice sounded somewhat familiar, so he picked up the oil lamp on the table and went forward to examine him carefully.

"Wei Dabao, is that you?"

Upon recognizing the speaker, Luo Hai's pupils contracted, and he stared in astonishment at the chubby, bruised and swollen face in front of him. He instantly woke up from his drowsiness.

"What happened to you? Why did you get into this state?"

Wei Dabao is a member of a branch of the Wei family and holds a considerable position in a small place like Qingshui County. Who would bother him for no reason?

"Ouch!"

Wei Dabao struggled a couple of times, the ropes binding him painfully. He was about to speak when the captain of the first-year team from Qingshui County interrupted him.

"Sir, we've caught three more who were trying to sneak into the wasteland; the brothers have captured them all."

Upon hearing this, Wei Dabao repeatedly cried out that he was innocent.

"Your Honor, I'm innocent! I'm innocent! I was just curious and wanted to go take a look."

Wei Dabao was suffering.

It all started when he first discovered the secretive relationship between the farmers and the county magistrate. Over the course of more than a month, four or five groups of people he sent out to gather information had already disappeared.

In that case, he would never believe that there wasn't some shady dealing between the county magistrate and those peasants.

He was so curious that he decided to take matters into his own hands.

He took two servants and, disguised, staked out Tongfu Restaurant for three days, only to find that the number of farmers returning each day was gradually decreasing.

Nothing else was gained.

(End of this chapter)