Upon hearing the shouts, a foreman from the mint rushed forward to investigate. After careful examination, he nodded repeatedly, “It’s gold! There’s a gold mine here!”

Gold mines in the mountains!

Everyone at the mint was overjoyed upon hearing this.

Copper ore could be used to make copper coins, while gold ore could be smelted into gold ingots.

Although both were used to mint coins for the imperial court, the latter was clearly more valuable. Not only would salaries rise accordingly, but the court would also reward everyone involved—a sure win of both fame and fortune!

“We must report this matter to He Daren, Wan Daren, and Qu Zhifu.”

He Yanxiu and Wan Mingjun were both recuperating, and Chang Hongwen was currently handling all affairs at the mint.

“You two, hurry down the mountain and report to the prefect’s office. Also, quickly check how much gold is in this mine.”

If the gold mine was large, it needed to be reported to the court as soon as possible.

“Yes.” The subordinates received their orders and went to do their work.

News of the gold discovery in the mine spread quickly.

It first reached the entire mine, then the prefectural government, and soon spread to every corner of Hedong Prefecture. Then, even the surrounding prefectural and county towns knew that a gold mine had been discovered in the mountains under the jurisdiction of Hedong Prefecture.

“Gold mine! That’s incredibly expensive.”

“Indeed, it turns into gold. One tael of gold is worth ten taels of silver, and one tael of silver is worth one string of copper coins. If one tael of gold can be refined, that’s equivalent to ten strings of copper coins.”

“Tsk, that’s much faster than minting copper coins, and it’s so precious. The imperial court must be overjoyed.”

“Of course, they’ll definitely praise it. The Zhifu and the officials sent down from above will probably be promoted.”

“I heard that several high-ranking officials almost lost their lives when the mine collapsed. This time, with the discovery of gold, they’ve turned misfortune into fortune.”

“More than that, it’s a stroke of luck…”

Because of the discovery of gold, the number of guards stationed at the mint increased. Also, because gold smelting was more complex, the existing smelting furnaces were insufficient, and new furnaces needed to be built. A new batch of craftsmen gradually entered the mine.

The valley became increasingly lively.

As night fell, the craftsmen rested, leaving only the night watchmen patrolling back and forth. The sound of their footsteps and the crackling of the torches filled the air.

“Gentlemen,” a hunched-over, elderly man with an unusual build approached the patrolling guards, carrying a food box.

Seeing the man’s attire and the apron he wore, they assumed he was from the kitchen. The guards relaxed their guard but still inquired, “Why aren’t you asleep so late? What are you doing here?”

“We were concerned about your hard work on night watch, so the kitchen steamed some braised pork buns. Have a bite, so you won’t be hungry tonight,” the man said, opening a large food box. “They’re still warm, gentlemen; eat them while they’re hot.”

A few days ago, they had steamed buns with braised pork, which tasted quite good, and everyone hadn’t had enough and was craving them. Seeing the braised pork buns, a treat for the guards on night patrol, they didn’t refuse, and each took two.

Seeing the buns, the guards also gathered around to take some.

In no time, the buns seemed to be being snatched up.

“There are plenty, plenty; there are lots of buns. Be sure to eat them while they’re hot,” the middle-aged man said, distributing buns to the guards.

After the guards had all started eating their buns, the man bowed and scraped as he walked towards the kitchen.

After finishing two meat buns and taking a sip of tea, the feeling of fullness brought them immense happiness, and the guards continued their patrol contentedly.

“Whoosh!” A guard suddenly collapsed to the ground.

Then, one, two, three…

All the guards lay sprawled on the ground.

The previously hunched, thin figure stood up straight, picked up a torch that had fallen to the ground, and the firelight illuminated a prominent scar on his cheek.

The man dug out the lamp oil he had hidden, and carrying the jar, he sprinkled it on nearby tents and the doors of houses and even circled the area several times.

Only after emptying all four jars of oil did he throw the torch onto it.

But…

The fire didn’t ignite as quickly as expected, turning the area into a sea of ​​flames. Instead, it hissed and extinguished upon landing.

This was…

The man bent down and sniffed the oil jar.

It smelled like lamp oil, so why wouldn’t it burn?

He frowned, grabbed another torch from the nearby torch rack, and threw it onto the tent.

Still, it didn’t light.

What was going on!

The man’s expression changed instantly, and he reached for the tinderbox on his person.

“No need to bother; this fire won’t light.”

The door creaked open, and He Yanxiu emerged from the room, followed by Qu Zhiwen, Wan Mingjun, and others.

The other doors were also wide open, and a swarm of guards surrounded the man. Those guards who had been drugged with a sleeping potion scrambled to their feet, drawing their steel knives and pointing them at the man surrounded.

The man’s face darkened. Looking at the crowd before him, he gritted his teeth and sneered, “Looks like this is ‘luring the enemy into a trap’.”

“No,” He Yanxiu denied.

“Oh? Then what is it?” the man roared.

“It’s ‘catching a turtle in a jar’.”

Such a person doesn’t deserve the title of “lord”.

The man, “…”

You’re the turtle; your whole family are turtles!

Enraged, the man drew a soft whip from his waist, stomped his left foot, and leaped into the air, the whip in his hand carrying a fierce momentum, heading straight for He Yanxiu.

“He’s definitely after me!”

He Yanxiu sneered.

Several guards around him immediately moved, using their swords to block the man’s whip.

Nearby guards swarmed forward, wrestling with the man.

The man was clearly highly skilled in martial arts, wielding the whip with unparalleled prowess. The whip was densely studded with steel needles, gleaming coldly in the firelight. Even against a group of people, the man still had the upper hand, and even when there was an opening, he still charged at He Yanxiu.

“Protect Lord He!” Qu Zhiwen shouted.

The guards immediately swarmed forward again to protect He Yanxiu.

But the man pulled out a “thunderbolt” from his pocket and threw it at the feet of the group.

“Boom!”

Smoke billowed up, and everything was covered in white smoke.

The group hurriedly waved their sleeves, trying to dissipate the smoke as quickly as possible.

As visibility improved slightly, the man’s steel needle whip was seen aimed directly at He Yanxiu’s face!

(End of Chapter)