Although Wang Wenjue was disdainful of the two men's fawning tone, he still knew how to assess the situation.
If this cooperation is successful and he can bring benefits to the Wang family, then those family members will no longer dare to underestimate him.
Jiang Mian listened to their story with a cold smile, but his expression betrayed his doubt. "Oh? There's an iron mine within the territory of my county? Our Jiang family has always been focused on managing the county seat and has never paid attention to anything else. We have some knowledge of the surrounding area, but we've never investigated it in depth, so I'm afraid we can't be of any help to you."
“Brother Jiang, how could you not be able to help? You are the prefect, you should know best what’s around you, right? As long as you’re willing to step in, they say even a powerful dragon can’t suppress a local snake, no one will refuse to give you, the prefect, face.” Wang Wenjue couldn’t help but interrupt when he heard Jiang Mian’s refusal.
"Brother Wang, what you mean by 'different' is true. If you were to ask me how many strongholds are entrenched around here, or how many bandits live there, I might answer without hesitation. But if you were to ask me what is buried underground, I really wouldn't know. Our Jiang family never digs up anything underground; it's truly a rule passed down from our ancestors."
Jiang Mian looked at the three of them, took a sip of tea, and spoke in a serious tone.
"In this chaotic world, warlords vied for supremacy. Our remote border region has always been neglected, and the people have suffered greatly. Out of desperation, many have taken to the mountains to become bandits, and there are many strongholds around us. But we have lived in peace all these years. Even if there is an iron mine on Tianjiao Peak, my Jiang family will never get involved."
“This is where our Jiang family has lived for generations, and it is the root of our ancestors. It is different from yours.”
Jiang Mian's meaning was very straightforward: you are not locals, you mined and left, leaving all the hidden dangers to our Jiang family. Do you think we are stupid?
The three of them exchanged glances after hearing Jiang Mian's tone.
"Um... Brother Jiang, have you heard any rumors? Please don't take it to heart. Such a coincidence is obvious. It's obvious that someone is deliberately trying to sabotage our friendship at this time. They must have ulterior motives."
"Brother Han is right. Brother Jiang, there's no need to take it to heart. A few rumors are nothing to fear."
"Do you also think it's a coincidence? Have you ever thought about why rumors started as soon as you arrived? It's clear that your every word and action is under someone else's control." Jiang Mian said, his eyes lingering on the three of them for a moment before he lowered his head to drink his tea.
Being watched and having no privacy whatsoever, how can you even have the nerve to ask him to step forward and become the first to stick his neck out?
The three of them: "..."
Han Shikuan picked up his teacup, lowered his head and pondered for a moment. Jiang Mian was right about one thing: this was his territory. He wasn't even interested in such a big piece of fat meat, which showed that it was a tough nut to crack.
Since ancient times, wealth has been a powerful motivator. If someone doesn't even eat the meat that's right in front of them, it's probably not because they don't want to, but because they lack the ability!
Thinking of this, Han Shikuan looked at Jiang Mian with a hint of mockery for a moment, "Brother Jiang, you are the prefect of Ye County, the leader of the entire county. What is there to fear from a few bandits? If you are willing, we are willing to contribute our meager strength and we will definitely take down Tianjiao Peak and eliminate future troubles forever."
“Yes, although we are few in number, we can still do our part.” Song Yu nodded repeatedly, trying to persuade Jiang Mian to send troops to suppress the bandit leader entrenched on Tianjiao Peak.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
