Chapter 91: Is there a coal mine in the internment camp?
Huo Zong laughed out loud when he heard this. "It's not easy to transport charcoal, and peat is even harder. The nearest coal mine is hundreds of miles away. If we want to get it, it will probably take a long time. I..."
"That's not right. Isn't it near the internment camp?"
Ruan Mian pretended to be confused and asked back. Sure enough, when Huo Zong heard this, he immediately stood up and looked at Xie Huaian.
"Is there a coal mine in the internment camp?"
Ruan Mian followed up on this and told the truth: "The cellar where I live is in a peat layer, and I often see some servants digging in it. Could it be that this is not a coal mine?"
"There's only one coal mine in all of Wuheng, and it's under the administration of the imperial court. How could there be a coal mine in the internment camp?"
Having said that, Huo Zong and Xie Huaian both felt that something was amiss.
Ruan Mian immediately seized the opportunity and said, "Is there any? Why don't I take you to see it tomorrow?"
"Didn't Madam Ruan say that this disease might be contagious? Can we leave the camp now?"
Huo Zong looked like a big man, but his expression was sometimes like that of a little hamster, with round eyes full of "wisdom".
Ruan Mian replied, "That's why I chose midnight to avoid contact with others. Besides, I don't think this disease looks like an epidemic. We've been here for almost two days, and there's no sign of it infecting anyone else."
With her words, Huo Zong immediately responded, his face turning gloomy.
Afterwards, Huo Zong put the matter aside for the time being, and asked his subordinates and some people with mild symptoms to use the remaining materials and follow Ruan Mian's method to build several kangs.
Let those who are sick lie on it and recuperate.
After all the trouble, Ruan Mian was tired, so he went to rest for a while after dinner.
Before midnight, she, Huo Zong, Xie Huaian, and Minister Dong went to the Linfen River together.
The internment camp was not far from the bank of the Linfen River. The last time he heard the two officers talking, Ruan Mian was sure that one of the entrances to the tunnel was on the bank of the Linfen River.
What's more, the place where they sell privately is right there.
Huo Zong is worthy of being a general. He has calculated the time and route very accurately.
Just before midnight, they arrived at the bank of the Linfen River where the internment camp was located.
As soon as I got there, I vaguely saw a few people in front of me, and four horse-drawn carriages carrying goods following them.
The carriage was filled with boxes.
Huo Zong's eyes darkened and he immediately mounted his horse and headed in that direction.
Minister Dong also quickened the pace of the carriage.
There were about the same number of officers escorting the goods, only four in total.
When they saw Huo Zong, their faces lit up with joy and they hurried to greet him.
But when he came to Huo Zong and saw his face clearly, his face turned pale instantly!
"General Huo?!"
Without waiting for the four men to react, Huo Zong suddenly drew his sword and slashed at the arms of the two men!
They looked at each other and immediately started fighting with Huo Zongti's swords. Minister Dong joined them without saying a word.
Ruan Mian opened the curtain and saw that those people were quite skilled and could even fight with Huo Zong and Minister Dong for several rounds.
Fortunately, she didn't need to take action, and the four men were captured in a short time.
Huo Zong opened the box with a cold face and found that it was full of dried peat, enough to fill four carriages!
He knocked the four men unconscious with his backhand and asked Minister Dong to tie them up to the goods and take them away.
At this moment, Ruan Mian also discovered a hole behind the carriage. They had not had time to block the hole, so they probably used it to transport the peat out of the passage.
After she told Huo Zong, he walked into the tunnel and was stunned by the large amount of peat layers inside!
At the same time, there was also anger.
"Privately mining and selling, or trading with the Lanqiang people!"
Xie Huaian held up the fire starter, explored the place slowly, and said something meaningful.
"If the private sale fails today, the people behind the scenes will definitely be anxious. However, they don't know that you, the General, have personally arrested them. Why not... just sit back and wait?"
Huo Zong thought exactly the same.
They were able to know this thanks to Ruan Mian's help, so on the way back, Huo Zong fulfilled one of her wishes.
"Don't worry, Madam Ruan. I will not let those bastards in the internment camp off. When you get out, I will arrange for you and your family to live in the small town behind the post station."
If it weren't for the order from the court, he would have taken care of the Ruan family for Xie Huaian's sake.
But now he can't be too ostentatious, so he can only wait for some time.
At this time, Ruan Mian also understood that their family was being watched by people from the imperial court, and she did not want to implicate others.
He simply said, "Thank you for your concern, General. We are exiles, and we are afraid that our care will implicate others. Our family can escape slavery and become citizens through our own efforts. As long as our family behaves well, we will be able to become citizens sooner or later."
Seeing that she thought this way, Huo Zong showed admiration in his eyes.
…
The next day, at the Governor's Mansion.
The tongues of the kneeling officers were pulled out, and the man in the sable robe threw the account book at the trembling general beside him.
"It's burned."
The general quickly put the account book into his lapel and said softly.
"Governor, yesterday both the cargo and the people were gone. Did one of our own people discover them, or were they kidnapped by those Lanqiang people and then deliberately claiming that they didn't receive the cargo?"
The man's eyes were sinister. He thought for a long time before pointing at him.
"In two days, go and test the general to see if Huo Zong knows about this. Remember, your relationship with me cannot be known to anyone else. Recently, those channels have been blocked and no shipments are allowed."
The man nodded quickly and went downstairs with the account book.
On the other hand, as the day for Ruan Mian to meet Jin Sha's child was approaching, the condition of the people in the camp had improved a lot. After a few days, Ruan Mian confirmed that the disease was not contagious.
It was time for her to leave.
After preparing the prescription for the next week, she returned to the post station with Xie Huaian.
On the way, Xie Huaian even said to her with concern: "That internment camp is not a good place. General Huo will do it for you as soon as possible..."
"Thank you for your concern! Actually, I understood what General Huo meant today."
"Someone in the imperial court is watching our family now. Even though General Huo is the highest-ranking official in Wu Heng, he cannot be obviously biased, otherwise he will fall into the trap of the evil people in the imperial court."
"Besides, our family is doing well. We haven't had any hardship or fatigue. We just need to adapt. But Master Xie, you are not in good health now and have been exiled to a distant place. There are people who want to attack you along the way. You should be careful now that you are in Wuheng."
He came from a prominent family and had been considered a favored child since childhood. He must have felt bad being falsely accused and exiled thousands of miles away.
Ruan Mian prepared a water bag for him, filled it with spiritual spring water, and gave him some instructions.
"This is a potion I mixed with healing properties. Drink a few sips every morning when you wake up. It will strengthen your body. I hope you will accept it."
Xie Huaian smiled slightly and was not polite.
However, after taking the water bag, he took out a few silver bills from the purse hanging around his waist.
Nearly one hundred taels.
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