"Let's wait a little longer. Once the newcomers arrive and they get tired of it, we can leave."
Ruyi's words were somewhat melancholic; perhaps she knew that very few girls could leave this place alive.
The two men, Hei Wuchang and Bai Wuchang, continued walking forward. When they reached a corner, Wuchang said, "These beasts are truly despicable. Not only did they make a fortune through illicit means, they also deliberately brought women from brothels to enjoy themselves."
"Impermanence, haven't you ever thought about why they did this?"
"Why? Isn't it just because you're greedy for money and lustful?" Wuchang asked Black and White in surprise, blurting it out almost without thinking.
As soon as he spoke, he realized something was amiss. Then he heard Hei Bai say calmly, "This only proves one thing: the people in charge of guarding this place can't leave either. To put them at ease, they brought in prostitutes from outside for their enjoyment."
"Old Hei's analysis is correct. With good wine and meat, and beautiful women to serve, it is indeed possible to keep people here."
The two looked along the eaves of the back houses one by one, and found that some houses were empty.
Upon entering the kitchen, the aroma of meat wafting from inside made Wuchang swallow hard.
He pressed his ear against the wall, but there was no sound from inside. He then dipped his finger in saliva and poked a hole in the paper windowpane.
On the table were chopped chicken and duck meat, and on the stove was a steamer eight feet tall, presumably for steaming buns.
Upon closer inspection, a kitchen helper was dozing off by the stove.
Black and White gently tugged at Wuchang, and the two of them walked away.
A soft humming sound came from one of the windows; the windows behind it were all nailed shut with wood.
The two men concluded that the room was where the newly arrived prisoners were being held.
The two walked around most of the back eaves to the back of the suspicious house.
Just as the two had expected, the back wall of the house was connected to the mountain, making it impossible to see anything inside.
The walls of most other houses are made of wood, but the back wall of this house is made of stone.
The two exchanged a glance and pointed to the mountainside in perfect unison.
Two figures rose from the ground and disappeared into the valley in an instant.
Although the mountain was not steep, it was enormous. By the time the two of them crossed the mountain and found the mine, the bright moon hanging in the sky had already begun to set in the west.
"My goodness, Guo Baoxian is too cunning. Even hunters wouldn't come here in these deep mountains and forests."
The two stood on the edge of a cliff and looked down, seeing only one lamp lit in the valley.
By the dim light, more than ten thatched huts could be seen built against the mountain.
Wu Chang asked, "Old Hei, shall we go down? There don't seem to be any patrols around here."
Hei Bai waved his hand, "No need to go down. Getting closer will only allow us to see the size of the mine and how many prisoners there are, which isn't very meaningful."
"That's right. We're already lucky to have found this place. As for what happens next, His Majesty will decide once he receives Lord Lin's letter."
"Carrier pigeons can only carry messages. If the Emperor sees the booklet in Lord Lin's hand, he will be so furious that he would want to immediately exterminate Guo Baoxian's entire family."
Before the words about impermanence had even finished, the words were still unfinished.
With a wave of his hand, Black and White shouted, "Retreat!"
Early in the morning, Lin Xiangzhi was awakened by the urge to urinate. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw two figures outside the bed curtains.
Startled, he flung open the bed curtains and saw that it was the Black and White Impermanence standing in front of the bed.
Lin Xiangzhi sat up abruptly, clutching his chest, and said, "You two have been standing here silently, trying to scare me to death!"
"Young master, good news. We found the location of the mine last night. The situation is very complicated. Judging from the situation, the officials of Jiangzhou are all involved."
"Wait, I'll go wash my face and be right back."
Lin Xiangzhi jumped off the bed, clutched his abdomen with both hands, and hurriedly ran to the bathroom.
The sound of "whoosh" came from the washroom.
The Black and White Impermanence looked at each other in bewilderment. "Lord Lin, if you need to urinate, just say so. Why did you mention washing your face? It's not something shameful."
Zhu Xi was also awakened by the noise inside the house. He sat up and rubbed his eyes.
Seeing that the two men, Hei Wuchang and Bai Wuchang, were inside, he quickly got up and said, "Are you two hungry? I'll go and call dinner up right away."
Hei Bai called out to Zhu Xi, "Wait, don't rush. We have important matters to discuss with the young master. Don't let outsiders into the house."
The Black and White Impermanence were particularly cautious, and most of the time they addressed Prime Minister Lin as "Young Master."
Lin Xiangzhi quickly washed his face and pointed to the chair next to the table, "You two have worked hard, sit down and talk."
Since the Black and White Impermanence regarded him as their master, he couldn't very well treat them like servants.
The Black and White Impermanence had probably been standing in front of his bed for a while when they sat down opposite Lin Xiangzhi without any ceremony.
Wuchang gestured to Heibai, who nodded and recounted in detail what he had seen and heard the previous night.
"Damn it, is this bastard's heart made of coal? He's heartless, insane, and insatiable."
These things were exactly what Lin Xiangzhi had expected, but hearing them with his own ears still shocked him.
After a while, seeing that Lin Xiangzhi remained silent, Hei Bai suggested, "Young master, should we write another letter and send it back?"
Lin Xiangzhi waved his hand, "Don't rush, let me sort it out."
He had all sorts of data about the docks, a fact that Guo Baoxian couldn't deny.
Guo Baoxian's secret mining activities have already been reported to the Emperor in a letter.
He had no idea whether the emperor would send an imperial envoy next.
What if Guo Baoxian insists that the mine has nothing to do with him? Guo Baoxian is capable of murder to silence witnesses—a truly heinous act.
Hei Bai seemed to sense Lin Xiangzhi's concerns and asked, "Does the young master feel that words are not enough?"
"But where can we find the evidence?"
"Don't worry, young master, leave this to us. There are many officials involved in the mining business. Judging from the fact that prisoners can be brought to work for them, the prefect has taken a share of the profits. Why not start with the prefect's office?"
A sudden inspiration flashed in Lin Xiangzhi's mind.
"Wait, you still need to investigate the Guo residence. Since they're colluding, it's impossible that they're not wary of the other side shifting the blame. They must have evidence against the other side."
"However, you must be careful when you go to the Guo residence; his servants are quite skilled."
After giving his instructions, Lin Xiangzhi added, "Go in a few days. If it alerts Guo Baoxian, Qin San won't connect it to me."
...
In the capital, Xiao Jingzhao kept a close eye on news from the southern border of Yan and Jiangzhou.
Seeing the Emperor's furrowed brows, Xiang Song comforted him, "A team of secret guards has already gone to Jiangzhou. Lord Lin will be fine. No news is good news."
Although the remaining poison in the Emperor's body had been completely cleared, Eunuch Ma was still very worried.
He rarely interjected, saying, "What Lord Xiang said is right, Your Majesty can rest assured. Chief Physician Lin said that less worry and thought are good for the Emperor's health."
Xiao Jingzhao nodded slightly to Eunuch Ma, "I'm fine. Go and prepare a Lantern Festival gift to send to the Jiang residence."
Eunuch Ma's eyes lit up. "Your Majesty, I heard that the Imperial Kitchen has bought a rare item. I'll go and fetch some to send to the Jiang residence."
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