Yuan Jin arranged the manpower to trap Xiao Mingchu, and he took Jiang Pingping and a group of soldiers to leave Xingcheng and go to Xiao Mingchu's private mine.

The pig iron produced from the iron ore produced in the iron mines in the North has less impurities and is suitable for making weapons.

Xiao Mingchu has already visited Beidi once this time, which may have attracted his attention, but he will not go there a second time.

The group of people worked hard and arrived near the mine in two days.

The iron mines, smelting villages, and salt ponds all have guards nearby. The iron official seems to have a good relationship with several princes? Otherwise, the private pit is nearby, so there is no reason why he wouldn't notice it at all.

Yuan Jin led the soldiers to hide themselves, and each checked their backpacks and individual equipment.

The appearance and interior of the first batch of twenty individual combat backpacks basically met her requirements, but they were not waterproof.

You can improve it later and equip it to the entire Cold Arrow Battalion after it meets the requirements.

"There are hundreds of people working in private pits. From the time the mine is mined to the time it is sent to the cave for smelting, there are passwords required." Jiang Ping took the map and pointed to the circled area on it. "We can see if we go in from the northeast."

To the entrance of the cave."

Yuan Jin nodded, took out the dry food from his backpack, and arranged tasks for them while eating, "Five people entered the cave to see how much inventory they had, and the others followed me to check the Iron Official."

"I'll take people to check the inventory. Fang Yu, you and sister go check on the iron official." Jiang Ping leaned against the tree trunk, took out the dried meat he brought and ate it. "This iron official is extremely cautious, and the secret guards around him are

There are six people with great martial arts skills."

My sister can deal with these people. His kung fu is good but he is not as smart as my sister.

"Eat first, then we'll split up." Yuan Jin looked at the miners in the mine from a distance, unconsciously pursed his lips.

She seems to have never studied geology? She has no knowledge about how to detect mineral veins. If she had known that one day she could become a human and enter the small world to find her true self, she should have learned more knowledge when she was a ghost.

After eating the dry food, the eighteen people divided into two groups.

Yuan Jin led eight soldiers in disguise and went to the house where Tie Guan was on duty for a while, leaving one person to keep a lookout while the others went to Tie Guan's residence.

The town under the mine is very small, and the house where the iron officer lives is not special at all. It is easily confused with other houses.

Yuan Jin looked at the terrain on the outside, left four people to watch outside, and took four of them to sneak into the house.

Tieguan was indeed more cautious than Yanguan. The house was very simply decorated, and the entire layout of the house could be seen at a glance.

She put on her shoe covers and entered the study room, walked around, walked around the screen and looked at the bed placed against the wall.

"People who stay here say that when Tieguan returns to his room after work every day, he will stay in the study for an hour and concentrate on practicing calligraphy. After that, he will go to the yard and pile up the unmelted snow everywhere in the yard." Fang

Yu asked in a low voice, "If he left evidence to protect himself, where should he put it?"

Yuan Jin paused, made a silent gesture, and raised his hand to knock on the floor tiles in front of the bed.

The sound is empty.

She knocked several bricks in succession, looked up at the bed for a while, then got up and moved the storage table at the end of the bed.

A soft "click" sound was heard, and a black hole slowly appeared under the bed.

"I will go down alone, and you guys will keep watch above. Ring the bell immediately if there is any movement." After Yuan Jin finished explaining, he lowered himself down and walked up the steep stairs into the basement.

According to the reports of the soldiers who stayed here, iron officers lived a simple life and almost never went out after going off duty.

He wanted to hide all kinds of account book evidence, so he could only hide it in his room.

To be on the safe side, the less likely it is that people will find the place where the account books are kept, the safer it will be.

The pile of snow in the courtyard indicates that there is an underground passage leaving the house, which happens to pass through the yard, and this secret passage was built not long ago.

The melted snow water will seep into the ground. The more snow you pile up, the longer it will take for it to melt. After all the snow has melted, he will step on it again and again, and the loose soil on the ground will be basically compacted, making it difficult to see traces.

Yuan Jin landed with his feet on the ground, took out the fire folder, lit the small torch he carried with him, and looked around.

There really is a basement and an escape tunnel.

There are several large boxes placed in the basement. There is no dust on them. It can be seen that the owner often opens and checks them.

Yuan Jin opened the box and rummaged through it, took off his backpack, put all the account books in it, closed the lid of the box and folded it back.

After walking out of the basement and walking along the passage, she took off the bricks used to seal the door, saw the outside environment clearly, sealed the bricks, and returned along the original path.

After returning to the ground and restoring the tunnel entrance, the group exited and notified the soldiers in the courtyard and outside to leave the town.

Yuan Jin was carrying a backpack and walking briskly.

Tieguan's account books are twice as large as those of Yanguan, and he doesn't know what surprises are waiting for him in them.

We gathered at the meeting point. Jiang Ping and the others also successfully completed their investigation and came back just in time.

"The inventory of iron ore in the cave cannot be calculated. There are too many, and the forks in the cave are very dense." Jiang Ping took out a topographic map drawn with charcoal and handed it over, "We almost got lost."

There is also a lot of smelted pig iron, which is hidden in different forks.

"Let's take a rest for a while. Let's go see where their freight is." Yuan Jin took the map and memorized it, took off the water bag and drank water. "The iron official also has quite a lot of account books. It doesn't look like he's working for just one prince.

.”

She hadn't read the contents of the account book yet, but after reading it for a while, she would know who had dealings with Iron Official.

The king of Jin and the king of Qi must be related. These two people have been eyeing the military power of the northern garrison. The king of Chu may also have a share.

"They transport goods in a very secretive way. The soldiers have been squatting until now, but they haven't seen the pig iron being transported out." Jiang Ping sat down on the stone, frowning irritably, "I suspect there are other exits in the cave."

The exit they found might just be there to confuse people.

"We'll know after we check again." Yuan Jin raised his finger and pointed down the mountain, "There's no need to go in, we'll check from the outside."

Jiang Ping frowned and nodded.

Everyone took a short rest and left the meeting point to check other exits of the cave before it was completely dark.

After it got dark, the group found a place to camp for the night at the foot of the mountain. Yuan Jin used the firelight to flip through a few account books he had brought back, his eyebrows slightly raised.

Her guess was correct. Tieguan had dealings with the three princes vying for the throne, and each of them had his own account book.

The private pits near the official pits were deliberately built. If someone checked, they would blame others, and if no one checked, they would remain open. The refined pig iron was divided into three parts and given to the three princes. The quantity and quality were the same for everyone.

It's quite wet with rain and dew.

Yuan Jin leaned against the tree trunk and pondered for a while, then took out the terrain map drawn by the soldiers who had been guarding this area and unfolded it.

"There is a small river on the other side of the mountain, and the water used for ironmaking comes from this river." Jiang Ping went over to take a look and said suspiciously, "But what's the problem?"

"I have an idea. If there is a passage in the cave that leads to the river below, we can't find the exit no matter how hard we look." Yuan Jin tilted his head and looked at him, "Do you know how to swim?"

Jiang Ping nodded.

"Pick a few soldiers who can swim with you, build a small raft with you, disguise yourself and go down the river after dawn. I suspect they transported it directly by water." Yuan Jin said his analysis,

"If there really is an underground river underneath, they can avoid the town's checkpoints by taking the waterway."

"It's possible." Jiang Ping carefully recalled the route that King Jin took after entering the North, and secretly admired Yuan Jin's meticulous thinking, "I didn't expect such a route."

The first place King Jin went to when he arrived in the North was a courtyard that didn't look special, and then he went to the mines.

That yard might be the warehouse where pig iron is stored.

"Tomorrow you go confirm the route, and I'll go find the iron officer." Yuan Jin smiled and said, "Go and rest."

Jiang Ping scratched his head and stepped back.

The next day, the two men led their own teams and acted separately again.

Yuan Jin took advantage of Tieguan's return to his residence to rest, and asked the soldiers to deal with the hidden guards in the courtyard. He opened the door and entered openly, "Master Zheng."

Mr. Zheng was startled for a moment, then hesitantly put the cloak back on, "I wonder what the girl has to do with me."

"Of course it's a big deal." Yuan Jin sat down and said, "The King of Jin came here because he hopes you can get more iron ore. I was wrong."

Mr. Zheng's face darkened, he lifted his cloak and sat down calmly, "I don't understand what you are talking about, girl."

There are secret guards left by King Jin and dead soldiers of King Qi in the courtyard. How dare a yellow-haired girl dare to threaten him? What a joke.

"It doesn't matter if you don't understand." Yuan Jin observed his reaction with interest, "In the thirteenth year of Tiansheng's reign, the official mine produced one hundred thousand catties of iron, and the eldest prince Yun and the prince produced twenty thousand catties. The use of the word "yun" is really clever."

Master Zheng looked sharply and took action suddenly.

Yuan Jin kicked the desk open, slid out with the stool, neatly avoided his attack and held him back, hitting the numb point on his waist and pushing him to the ground, "Don't use force, old man, it's hurt."

It’s not good.”

Zheng Da trembled half of his body and could not move.

"In the thirteenth year of Tiansheng's reign, the official mine produced 80,000 jins of iron, and the third prince's share was 20,000 jins." Yuan Jin raised his eyebrows and sneered, "Girl, I dare to come to see you, how can I let you kill me easily? All the account books are

In my hands, I don’t know how many times you will die in this life.”

Master Zheng heard this and gave up his struggle.

He is just a petty official who is in charge of iron affairs. Everyone who comes here threatens the lives of his family members, forces him to bend the law for personal gain, forces him to be complicit, and no one allows him to refuse.

"Give me King Chu's pig iron. This is probably why King Jin came to you." Yuan Jin withdrew his strength and pulled him up. "If you agree, I will save the lives of you and your family if something happens in the future."

Mr. Zheng's face was as cold as frost, "Is this true?"

"Seriously." After Yuan Jin finished speaking, he quickly took out a pill and stuffed it into his mouth while he was not prepared, forcing him to swallow it. "My lord, your little daughter will be pregnant next year. She has not found anyone yet. Both her parents have passed away. At home,

What I said is right when you only have a wife and a pair of children."

This daughter is his old daughter, she is very precious.

This information can be found out by casual inquiry. He has been sent to supervise the iron mine for three years. It is said that when his term is over, he should move to avoid colluding with others to sell private iron. If he does not leave, it means that the princes do not want him to leave.

.

"How can I trust you?" Lord Zheng's eyes were filled with anger, "I don't know your identity, nor do I know what you can rely on."

I don’t know what the pill is.

"It's not good for you to know who I am. Just agree to my conditions." Yuan Jin took out a token from his arms and threw it over, "If something really happens, you can take your family to Xingcheng with the token, but...

Save your life."

Mr. Zheng picked up the token and frowned in silence.

Xingcheng... that's a frontier place. This girl's appearance is as outstanding as that of a noblewoman from Shangjing, and her accent also has that of Shangjing. Could it be that she belongs to the King of Qi?

If he is from the King of Qi, it means that the King of Qi has gathered General Zhao, and his family will indeed be protected when they go to Xingcheng.

"Okay, but I want to establish written evidence." Mr. Zheng sneered, "I don't believe you without evidence."

"You don't need to believe it, there is no written evidence." Yuan Jin smiled calmly, "What you just swallowed is poison, and it will happen next month today. If you don't take the antidote in time, you will die suddenly."

Master Zheng's face darkened, and he was about to take action again when Yuan Jin said lightly, "Selling private iron is a serious crime. I wonder if your daughter will survive. If she is lucky enough to survive, I don't know who she will meet on the way to exile."

"Okay." Mr. Zheng gritted his teeth angrily, "I will prepare the King of Chu's share according to the amount on the 15th of every month and hand it over in Changma Town."

Yuan Jin smiled sweetly and said, "Deal."

She walked out as if nothing had happened and said, "The secret guards in the courtyard have been replaced by my people. Don't worry, sir."

Mr. Zheng clenched his fists so tightly that he almost broke his teeth.

It would be strange if he could feel relieved.

…

Yuan Jin left four soldiers with Master Zheng and took the remaining few people to the meeting point in the town. Jiang Ping had already explored the road.

The two sides met, walked around the town together, checked out the pig iron warehouses of several princes, and returned to Xingcheng overnight.

Xiao Mingchu had left Xingcheng and returned to his fiefdom, and did not encounter them.

He was picked up by Lian Xin and the girls in Xingcheng, and was compensated with one hundred thousand taels of silver. He was also beaten by specially trained soldiers and did not dare to say anything.

Yuan Jin stayed one night in Xingcheng, and went to the breeding farms and weaving workshops here early the next morning to check on the progress. Most of the fabrics worn by the people in the North were cotton, and there were many people who knew how to weave. Cotton cultivation was quite common.

.

In the Central Plains and the South, silk was still the main product. She also looked for people who knew how to embroider and tapestry, and after Xingcheng banned brothels, she asked them to teach the girls crafts.

Years ago, she hired carpenters to work overtime to build the looms in the weaving workshop. The entire weaving workshop can accommodate about 400 people.

After seeing the weaving workshop, Yuan Jin and Lian Xin went out of the city to see the breeding farm.

"All the hidden stakes left by King Jin have been pulled out, not a single one is left." Lian Xin left the city, no longer worried about anyone eavesdropping, "In a few days, I will take the girls out of the north to find the location of the restaurant. We need

do what."

"Before you go, take the girls with me back to the city." Yuan Jin curled his lips and teased her, "You are becoming more and more like a bandit."

Lian Xin blushed suddenly.

"It's better to be fierce. If you don't be fierce in the North, you can't even survive." Yuan Jin laughed, "When we get to Dengcheng, I will give you an official position."

When Lian Xin heard this, she happily rode on her horse to catch up.

Official position! She can also be an official!

The construction of the farm has been completed. The pigs, chickens, ducks and geese bought from various places are divided into different areas, and sewage treatment has been done in each area. After the wind-powered water tanker is installed in the nearby river, the entire farm will

The cleaning work will be very labor-saving.

The sewage sedimentation and discharge are reused for secondary use, and ditches have been set up to irrigate the farmland that is about to be cultivated.

Yuan Jin took a look around and personally informed the girls in charge of managing the breeding farm to follow her to the city.

Two days later, Dengcheng County Government issued an announcement.

There are candidates for positions in the Land Department, Law Enforcement Department, Civil Affairs Department, Taxation Department, etc.

The newly announced law of Dengcheng stipulates that people who get married can go directly to the county civil affairs office to apply for a marriage certificate, and divorce can also go to the civil affairs office to apply for a divorce letter. As long as one party insists on a divorce, the civil affairs office will understand the situation and approve the divorce.

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Chapter completed!