My older brother said I'm invincible.

Chapter 130 A Good Opportunity!
Zhang Du was no longer drunk at this moment.

He looked so lucid.

"Qu Jun, if you can help me with this, find a private mine, even just one, your life won't be so hard anymore, and no one will dare to ask you for anything again."

"Of course, most importantly, your family will gain immense wealth and status as a result. If you are willing, I can take you to meet a very important person, an extremely important person. If you are not willing, then we can pretend that nothing ever happened and that you know nothing about it."

Zhang Du stared intently into the other person's eyes. "As long as you befriend this incredibly important person, not only in Jing Le, not only in Lou Fan, but in the entire world, no one will dare to easily provoke you. If your disciples can follow that important person, tsk."

He looked around and said, “Although you have some assets, in the eyes of important people, you are just a commoner. This opportunity is right in front of you; it’s up to you to choose.”

Zhang Du's words were full of seduction.

Qu Qiusheng also regained consciousness at this moment.

He wasn't from a top-tier family. His father's family was relatively well-off and they were able to maintain connections with some officials. But by his generation, the family's situation had deteriorated. Corruption in government and the double whammy of forced labor and taxes had driven him to the brink of despair.

He simply looked at the wooden plaque that Zhang Du had placed in front of him, and then at Zhang Du, who was sitting upright.

Qu Qiusheng was terrified.

What level of official is the prefect? ​​The highest-ranking official he had ever met in his life was only a county clerk, and that was only after sending a lot of gifts and visiting him several times. On ordinary days, even a village head was enough to make him nod and bow.

He dared not deal with such people, especially when it came to private mines. Loufan was a small place, but it was full of powerful figures. The mineral resources here were very rich, and many open-pit mines were convenient, attracting a large number of wealthy families.

He couldn't afford to offend either the governor or those powerful clans.

He dared not agree, nor dared he object.

He now deeply regrets inviting this person to his residence.
If I refuse, will I be able to survive?
Zhang Du clearly saw the other person's fear.

Zhang Du's expression softened slightly. Looking at Qu Qiusheng's current predicament, Zhang Du could actually empathize with him to some extent.

"Qu Jun, do not be afraid. Even if you do not agree, I will not do anything to you."

Zhang Du picked up the wine in front of him, took a sip, and slowly said, "A few years ago, my family was just like yours. My family was in Henan County. We originally had some farmland, and for generations we farmed and studied. We also had a manor like this."

"Later, the officials levied taxes more and more frequently, and even the servants in the house were conscripted for corvée labor. Eventually, the manor was sold, and we moved to the city. My brothers couldn't escape it either; they were all conscripted for corvée labor, but they died on the way. My grandfather and mother fell ill one after another because of this, and they both passed away. Then the officials came to arrest people again."

"I can only hide in the slums and avoid those people."

"Fortunately, I have a good teacher. Because of him, I can now work under a benefactor. This benefactor is different from anyone you know. Although he has a very noble status, he is an excellent person and I have never seen him make things difficult for anyone."

“Selling off your assets won’t bring peace. My family has already tried. If you really want to preserve your family, then come with me.”

Zhang Du looked at him with extremely sincere eyes.

Qu Qiusheng looked at the young man in front of him, and suddenly, he seemed to see the fate of his own children in the man's words. At that moment, his timidity vanished, and he was no longer afraid.

"We're leaving now."

Zhang Du led Qu Qiusheng out of the manor.

The two then took Zhang Du's car, taking a roundabout route before heading to the county town.

Qu Qiusheng was well prepared before setting off, and he absolutely could not show any weakness again!
But when Zhang Du led him to their destination, Qu Qiusheng still started trembling.

The Prefect's Residence.

The place Zhang Du brought him to turned out to be the prefect's residence.

Qu Qiusheng looked at the mansion in front of him and couldn't help but swallow. He looked at Zhang Du beside him, but Zhang Du only gave him a confident smile and led him into the mansion through the side gate. People along the way greeted him with smiles and did not stop or question him at all. He didn't even need the wooden sign.

The two walked on and on until they finally arrived at a small courtyard.

The courtyard was small, and the walls and such were quite simple, perhaps not even as grand as the courtyards of Qu Qiusheng's family. However, Qu Qiusheng did not dare to underestimate it at all, and his whole body was tense. This was the prefect's house!
Zhang Du gave an announcement, and a moment later, he led Qu Qiusheng into the courtyard. A child was sitting in the courtyard; upon seeing the two, he smiled and stood up. This child was about the same age as Qu Qiusheng's youngest son.

Zhang Du said, "This is the benefactor I was referring to."

"The third son of the Duke of Tang, the Marquis of Bocheng, you may address him as Lord Marquis."

Qu Qiusheng's legs went weak, and he knelt directly on the ground, "This humble subject pays respects to Your Majesty!!"

Li Xuanba quickly helped him up, saying, "No need for that, no need for that."

Zhang Du stood aside and explained the man's background and situation in detail.

Sitting in the high seat, Li Xuanba listened to Zhang Du's words and couldn't help but sigh again.

"I never imagined that officials in various places would be so dishonest in allocating land, and now they're doing the same thing with minerals."

He looked at Qu Qiusheng beside him and asked, "Do you have any food at home now? How are your family members doing?"

Qu Qiusheng quickly replied, "Thank you for your concern, Your Excellency. We still have food at home and are not starving."

"That's good."

Li Xuanba explained his purpose: "The reason I sent people this time is not to buy mines, but to find illegal mines. My grandfather is now the prefect of Loufan, and there are many illegal mines in the area, which need to be thoroughly investigated."

"Only people like you who have lived in this area for a long time and are involved in this matter would know about this. Of course, you can rest assured that I will not tell anyone about your affairs, and neither will your grandfather. You don't need to worry about being retaliated against."

"In addition, I am willing to give you some money as a reward for your exposure."

Qu Qiusheng was already seated, so there was no time for hesitation. He quickly said, "I am willing to tell you the truth!"

He then began to recount some of the information he knew.

There are quite a few private mines in Loufan, thanks to the previous governor. Previously, there was no prefecture here, only a governor. The previous governor was hardly a person. He was so greedy that he was insane.

This can be seen from the fact that he drove the local people to the point of taking up knives to defend themselves.

During his reign, he accepted a large amount of bribes from powerful clans and interfered in mining affairs without authorization. He changed many official mines to a state of shutdown and then sold them to those powerful clans. In addition, he also changed some mines that were originally owned by powerful clans to a state of shutdown, but in reality, they were still being mined.

Therefore, even Qu Qiusheng could name several private mines because they had changed their registration through legal procedures and were not afraid of others finding out.

Li Xuanba grew angrier the more he listened.

Saints may not be so great, but these high-ranking officials who act like scoundrels are even more despicable. He had previously heard his elder brother say that at present, both in the imperial court and in local areas, corrupt officials are being favored. They do it openly, and those around them are following suit.

He then had Zhang Du write down Qu Qiusheng's words, and Qu Qiusheng added many more.

Only after the other party finished speaking did Li Xuanba stand up.

"I need to go see my grandfather and tell him about these things."

"Rest assured, you will not miss out on your reward."

Qu Qiusheng hurriedly said, "This is what a commoner should do; how dare I ask for any reward?"

After exchanging a few more words, Li Xuanba took his belongings and prepared to leave, while Zhang Du saw Qu Qiusheng off. As they walked along the road, Zhang Du said with a smile, "I didn't expect you to know so much!"

"Haha, you've done a great service this time! You'll be richly rewarded!"

Qu Qiusheng suddenly said, "How dare I accept a reward? My eldest son, though young, is exceptionally intelligent. If only he could serve by your side, my lord."

"Haha, easy! After it's done, I'll personally plead your case before the Lord!"

(End of this chapter)