Xiao Zigui frowned slightly, but took a sip of tea without changing his expression, and said, "The information should be reliable. Just have someone continue to investigate, but be careful and make sure it doesn't get out to anyone else."
"Yes, I understand!"
Xiao Zigui nodded and waved for him to leave. In his view, regardless of whether the news about the iron mine was true or false, it was worth investigating.
If it can be discovered, it is naturally a good thing. Iron is a powerful tool, and finding rich iron ore is equivalent to gaining an advantage in chaotic times. Therefore, it is better to believe that such a thing exists than not to believe that it doesn't. However, it would not be a good thing if it were discovered by others.
However, this was inherently an unknown. It was impossible for him to remain in He County because of this uncertainty; after all, there were many more matters ahead that awaited his attention as the heir to the Prince of Zhennan. His father, the Prince, had long been indulging in sensual pleasures and was now old and frail, having long since ceased involvement in politics. This was also an opportunity for him; compared to the sons of other vassal kings who were still embroiled in internal strife, he certainly had far fewer worries.
This time, joining forces with Xiao Wanli of Yongzhou to eliminate Xiao Chang'an was merely a temporary measure, since Xiao Wanli's abilities were far inferior to Xiao Chang'an's! Unfortunately, Xiao Wanli was arrogant and conceited, failing to understand the principle of mutual dependence...
Xiao Zigui gazed at the distant mountain range, its leaves ablaze with autumn colors, the fiery red resembling a fiery sunset. His fist clenched slightly; this magnificent land would one day be firmly in his grasp!
Last night, after emerging from the secret passage, Qin San Niang rested in the guest room, which was actually a space in the blink of an eye.
The wheat fields rippled in the space, two harvests already completed. She had carefully calculated that the grains here matured two months faster than outside. For example, corn typically takes about four months to grow, but here it only takes two months. Don't underestimate those two months; they could be life-saving in a critical moment.
Unfortunately, there are only two acres of land here, so the harvest won't be enough. But at least it can be planted with mental power, so it's not too strenuous.
Qin San Niang was content with what she had and was happy. As long as she was diligent, she never had to worry about food. She would often take some of the grain from her spatial storage and mix it into her own rice jar for everyone to eat, so her rice always tasted better than others'.
Even so, she still hoped to upgrade further. Who wouldn't want vast tracts of fertile land? That way, there would be no need to worry about anything anymore; one could lie at home and not starve. For the next crop, she planned to plant sweet potatoes, which are delicious and filling. If they could be promoted in Dasheng, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it would save countless people from suffering.
However, this cannot be achieved in the short term; it must be achieved after she has sufficient ability and a powerful backer.
Among the four classes of people—scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants—agriculture is fundamental. For the various warlords, weapons are important, but if they mastered the methods to increase grain production, unifying the world would be just around the corner, and they wouldn't even have to worry about maintaining it! This is the main reason why she was rewarded by her superiors for proposing the rice transplanting method.
In chaotic times, one dares not stand out! Let's take it one step at a time, steadily and practically!
The space was filled with steaming hot meat buns, noodles, roast duck, and pastries, which she secretly put there on weekdays. She really went to great lengths to ensure that she could have fresh food whenever she needed it!
After slurping a bowl of snail rice noodles, Qin San Niang lay down on the soft bed and had a good sleep, so much so that when she woke up in the morning, she was surprised to find that the sun was already high in the sky.
It was nearly noon when they returned to Shiligou. Qin Sanniang found He Yingyuan and handed him the stone she was holding.
He Yingyuan tossed the stone in his hand, somewhat puzzled. But Qin San Niang wouldn't give him a stone for no reason. The stone's texture wasn't anything special. If there was anything special about it, it was that it was heavy and hard, and had some dark red veins.
"Third Sister, may I ask what's so special about this stone? As far as I can see, it's heavier than other stones of the same size, and its color is quite unique, a mix of black and red. But it's just a stone." She paused, then added, "Could it be a jade mine?"
Qin San Niang liked jade, which is why he thought of it that way. He had read in books that jade was mostly produced in countries like Persia and was cut from stone. If that's the case, it makes sense.
A jade mine? If only it were a jade mine! Qin San Niang thought to herself, it's a real shame that He Xiucai doesn't write novels with his imagination!
So he waved his hand and said, "Brother He, your guess is pretty much right! But this isn't a jade mine, it's an iron mine!"
What? !
He Yingyuan suddenly stood up, almost causing the calligraphy brushes on the shelf to fall to the ground.
Iron ore is scarce in the Great Sheng Kingdom, and most of it is controlled by the government. It's important to understand that controlling iron ore means being able to manufacture weapons; in the era of cold weapons, the significance of discovering iron ore is self-evident.
He tried to calm himself, frantically searching his memory for information about He County. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him—it all made sense!
In his previous life, a large part of the reason he became an advisor to Xiao Zigui, the heir apparent of the Prince of Zhennan, was because he was attracted by Xiao's suddenly rising military strength. Although he wondered why Xiao had so many weapons and soldiers, he even suspected that there were iron mines in the Jingzhou area. However, according to his observation, there were no iron mines in Jingzhou at all, and iron ore was extremely scarce.
In his previous life, he had not yet met Xiao Zigui, so he naturally did not know that Xiao Zigui had come to He County! But if He County had iron mines, then everything would make perfect sense!
In their previous lives, Xiao Zigui and Xiao Wanli joined forces to kill Xiao Chang'an, the future heir of Yongzhou. Afterwards, they discovered an iron mine in He County and returned to Jingzhou to strengthen their power, preparing for their next move. Meanwhile, the once powerful King of Yongzhou died of illness six months later, and the throne passed to Xiao Wanli.
Xiao Wanli was outwardly strong but inwardly weak. It was Xiao Wanli who offered the strategy to subdue the enemy without a fight. After Yongzhou fell, it came into the hands of Xiao Zigui, the King of Jingzhou, who was also in the north. This laid a strong foundation for Xiao Wanli to rule the world.
Excellent! That makes all of this clear!
He Yingyuan's face flickered between light and shadow, and after a long while, he still looked incredulous.
"Third Sister, how do you know this is iron ore? Forgive my poor eyesight, I have never recognized this iron ore before."
Qin San Niang raised her hand and said, “Brother He, please take a look. This stone is not only heavy and hard, but its surface is also reddish, and some parts have black stripes. This is also called red ore, or hematite. Moreover, the hematite in my hand is very hard and suitable for smelting.”
As she spoke, Qin San Niang glanced at the other man out of the corner of her eye, and seeing the focus and hope in his eyes, she knew the great significance of the iron ore.
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