Chapter 130
“They say this black gold grows in connected seams! If there’s some beneath Mount Qiantai, there must be black gold under the nearby mountains too!”
On hearing this, the bandits excitedly shouldered their digging tools and began working furiously at their own mountains.
If there was black gold beneath their mountain too, wouldn’t they strike it rich as well?!
But after digging for a while, they discovered that excavating was slow, exhausting work. With the men they had, who knew how long it would take to find black gold?
So they turned their attention to the common people.
They captured able-bodied men from nearby villages and forced them to stay and dig under threat of violence. When the captives began to outnumber the bandits, making the situation increasingly difficult to control, they selected some sharp, sturdy men and paid them in money or grain to serve as mining overseers. Then they went on capturing more villagers to dig.
Some really did uncover coal underground. Once they took it to the county seat to sell, plenty of people willingly paid high prices. The silver was fresh in their hands, coming far faster than money from robbery, without even having to risk their lives!
Having tasted success, the bandits began eyeing other mountains.
Now, whoever discovered a coal-bearing mountain first effectively owned exclusive rights to exploit it. Of course, they needed the ability to defend it too. Otherwise, the lesson that possessing treasure invited trouble would come over and smack them with a hammer to wake them up.
Counting their silver, the cleverer bandits began calculating. They couldn’t keep sending the captured men to dig coal. They had to organize them into mountain guards to defend these mines.
Then who would dig the coal?
The bandits set their sights on women.
Liaozhou’s women were tough, with real strength, making them reasonably suitable for mining. But women generally held higher status here. If they were abducted to work for free, their men would certainly object. Push them into rebellion, and the bandits would be the ones to suffer.
Fortunately, labor in Liaozhou was very cheap. Eager to earn more money, the bandits stopped worrying about that small expense and began hiring village women to dig coal.
It was winter, the farming off-season, and everyone had little to do. Since mining paid, the women were naturally willing to go out and earn wages, preparing to have a good meal for the New Year and buy their families new clothes.
Besides, coal was a good thing. With some spare money, they could buy a little to burn at home for warmth. This winter wouldn’t be so difficult to endure!
Thus, more and more mountains began their great excavation projects. Some quick-witted people even found coal seams beneath their own homes, provoking intense envy.
Gradually, numerous mountains yielded coal deposits.
Their owners kept the news tightly guarded, unwilling to let it out. To avoid attracting other bandits, they even paid hush money. The hired workers, eager to keep their jobs, were tight-lipped too.
Yet the news still spread. Whenever one mountain found coal, the others would know by the next day.
How did the news get out?
Because Qianjin Stronghold‘s men had infiltrated every mountain.
Disguised as commoners, they had used their advantageous height and build to join the mountain guards and monitor each operation. As soon as a coal seam was uncovered, they sent word to Mount Qiantai.
In other words, Xie Chengze now knew the locations of every coal mine.
With nothing more than a few words, he had effortlessly made the bandits rack their brains and pour their efforts into assembling functional mining teams. More and more commoners were mobilized to learn about coal and work to extract it, laying a solid foundation for its future development in Liaozhou!
Ah! What a perfect labor force!
He could use them without the slightest fear of a guilty conscience!
In a splendid mood, Xie Chengze idly played with a secret letter. It contained the authority to execute first and report afterward that he had requested from Emperor Jian by express dispatch.
“Ah…” He looked up at the sky and sighed. “With a son like me who saves him so much trouble, he ought to get up in the middle of the night, kowtow three times toward the north, and say, ‘You’re my father! You’re my real, dear father!'”
By now, he had nearly spent all the money he held for purchasing coal at inflated prices. The hundred cavalrymen and three hundred household troops from the capital had arrived in Liaozhou. The local magistrates had all been bribed and warned as well.
Everything was ready. All that remained was the final push.
The beautiful, exalted Second Prince sat cross-legged high atop Mount Qiantai, a sinister, cunning smile slowly spreading across his lips.
“Time to haul in the net, my lovely, charming little slave darlings.”
A law of the realm suddenly appeared.
[All land belongs to the court. All coal mines discovered fall under its administration. Anyone mining coal without authorization shall be put to death without mercy.
However, those willing to serve the court may temporarily retain the right to mine coal. Upon delivering one hundred shi of coal to the local authorities, their leaders may atone for their offenses, receive military registration and rewards, form their own standing military squads, and draw monthly pay from the court in return for obeying its orders.]
At the law’s announcement, the bandits began cursing furiously.
“How can the fucking court be so shameless? We spent our time and money digging coal, and now all it takes is a word from them, and the whole damn mountain belongs to the court?”
“That’s downright rotten! I went to the next county to find people to dig, even fucking provided rooms and sleeping space. We’re just about to start earning big money, and the court swoops in to take the prize?”
“Boss! These officials are too cunning. They’re driving us to our deaths!”
The bandits who had uncovered mines were red-faced with fury. What immoral, shameless bastard of an official had played them all for fools?!
Some calmer ones began analyzing the law.
“It doesn’t necessarily mean death. Can’t we become officials? If the Chief commands a standing squad and leads us into the prefectural troops, wouldn’t that be more impressive than being bandits?”
“True enough! Better than losing our heads!”
“I don’t think so. How much silver do prefectural troops make? Nothing like the freedom and pleasure of being a bandit! Besides, you know how few yamen runners and prefectural troops Black Tiger City has. Surround and wipe us out? They’re probably just trying to scare us!” one bandit said scornfully.
He was soon proved wrong.
One stronghold’s bandits evidently thought the same way. They openly taunted the authorities: “We opened this mountain, we planted these trees! If you want to take coal, pay with your lives!”
That night, three hundred household troops slipped up the mountain in the dark and slaughtered that arrogant stronghold. A river of fresh blood flowed across the entire mountain, melting even the packed snow, showing how brutal and tremendous that night had been.
Strike the mountain to frighten the tigers. Kill a chicken to warn the monkeys.
The howling bandits promptly quieted down.
As long as they kept their lives, there would be coal to burn. The authorities had only said to deliver one hundred shi of coal, not when. They could delay, mining coal and secretly selling it on the side. Viewed that way, the mines were still theirs.
Would anyone buy it?
There were always people willing to take a risk. The bandits knew better than anyone what those magistrates were like. Pay enough money, and there was no fear the magistrates wouldn’t make allowances.
The bandits pictured a rosy future, never realizing this was precisely the bait a certain little schemer had deliberately scattered, waiting for them to exploit the loophole!