Prince Rui quickly communicated with Wen Zonglin about where to station troops, how to guard them, and the possible need for long-term garrison in the future.
“I am bringing troops here now because I have the emperor’s secret order.
"But if we need to station troops there for a long time in the future, we'll need an imperial decree!"
"That's no problem. I've already compiled all the information about the Jiapigou gold mine and written it down in a memorial. I've sent it back to the capital quickly for my brother to review."
"That's good. As long as the emperor has the order, I will obey all the arrangements."
Then Prince Rui took Wen Zonglin to visit several mines that had just been dug out.
“I originally brought people here just to confirm whether there is a gold mine here.
“I never expected it to be such a rich mine.
"Just by panning for gold in the river, we found a nugget of gold weighing over 300 taels.
"We have just dug three tunnels, and before we go too deep, gold ore has been discovered in two of them.
"As you have just seen, in order to confirm the gold content in the gold ore, we have started crushing and smelting in the past two days.
“Although the specific value has not been calculated yet, it should not be bad.
"Most importantly, according to exploration and estimation, the Jiapigou gold mine has a huge gold ore content. It may be the largest gold mine in our Daqi."
Ever since arriving in Jiapiqiao, Prince Rui has been in a state of shock, so when he talked about these things at this time, he seemed particularly calm.
The more Wen Zonglin listened, the more excited he became, and he even took the initiative to ask to go into the excavated mine to take a look.
Although the mine tunnel is not deep, many places are supported by wooden frames to prevent landslides. It can be seen that Prince Rui still attaches great importance to safety in this regard.
After walking in, Wen Zonglin held the oil lamp in his hand and shone it on the wall of the mine tunnel. The ore sparkled under the light.
Wen Zonglin was so excited that tears were about to come out.
When he was first sent by the previous emperor to station outside the Great Wall, this place was far more desolate than it is now, and there were also ethnic groups such as the Hezhe, Jurchen, and Oroqen coveting and eyeing it in the north.
But at that time the imperial court was in trouble and military funds were insufficient.
In order to support his army, Wen Zonglin even took his trusted men to rob graves.
Thinking of the difficulties of the past and the prosperity of the Great Qi today, Wen Zonglin felt mixed emotions.
Now that such a large gold mine has been discovered, it can be seen that the current emperor is definitely blessed by God. Under his leadership, Da Qi will surely become more and more powerful.
Thinking of this, Wen Zonglin wiped the corners of his slightly moist eyes, looked in the mine for a long time, and then went out with the lamp.
Prince Rui was waiting outside the mine, not in a hurry.
Because when he first discovered gold ore in the mine, he was much more excited than Wen Zonglin.
He stayed in there for most of the day, looking and looking, even afraid that he was dreaming.
After confirming it, I couldn't wait to move my bedding and sleep in it.
Even now, more than half a month has passed, he can still recall the excitement he felt at that time.
That night, Prince Rui came to Wen Zonglin's military tent with a jar of wine.
"Father-in-law, the weather here is a bit cold, and it is even colder in the mountains at night. I'm here to have a drink with you." Prince Rui put aside his official demeanor during the day, and spoke in a very friendly manner to Wen Zonglin.
After three rounds of drinks, the father-in-law and son-in-law began to talk more relaxedly.
"I didn't say it during the day, but now that we're alone, I have to tell you something from the bottom of my heart.
"Since you are in charge of the gold mining here, it's no problem for me to bring troops here to reinforce you.
"But if we're going to station troops there for a long time, I suggest you don't use my men. It's better for you to let the emperor arrange the manpower.
"You and I are father-in-law and son-in-law, one is responsible for mining and the other is responsible for guarding the garrison.
“The Emperor may trust us at first, but who knows what will happen over time?
"Even if the emperor doesn't think too much about it, he can't stop people from sowing discord!
"So I think if you're here, I still need to avoid suspicion."
"Don't worry, father-in-law. I just brought people here to confirm the situation of the gold mine. I won't stay here long.
"From now on, this place will be left to you, father-in-law. It will be great to have both garrison and mining operations going on at the same time!"
When Wen Zonglin heard this, his heart trembled and he sobered up a little.
Prince Rui has already introduced the situation here before, and it can be basically confirmed that it is a rich mine.
Would Prince Rui really be willing to give up such a big golden pie?
Even if he were his father-in-law, it would be hard to believe this.
You know, the benefits of guarding a gold mine are huge.
Even if there was no corruption or deception, the imperial court would still give a portion of the mined gold ore to those responsible for mining to cover the mining costs and other expenses.
Not to mention other benefits, this one item alone is already full of benefits.
Although Wen Zonglin was still a little bit in disbelief, he had actually already started thinking about what kind of equipment he should buy for his soldiers after he had money.
However, considering his son-in-law, Wen Zonglin said, "Actually, you don't have to give me this gold mine. I don't need to tell you about the benefits of it. You should know it..."
But before Wen Zonglin could finish his words, Prince Rui raised his hand and interrupted him, saying, "Father-in-law, this matter is really not something I intentionally want to give to you. Even if you are not the one to take over, I can't always be in charge of this matter here.
“So rather than letting others take advantage of it, I would rather recommend you to my brother the Emperor.
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