Chapter 211 Which Minister's Wife
After a few breaths, the two of them looked at the stone at the same time again.
"Hurry up and pick it up and take a look!" Lu Qingqing urged.
"oh oh."
After a short while, Xu Rui realized that his hands, which were gripping the stone, were already wet.
He picked up the stone, and Lu Qingqing leaned over as well.
"Brownish-gray, scaly aggregates with a metallic luster, this is..."
Xu Rui stared intently, slightly shocked.
Interface: "That's right, it's Yunzi Iron!"
Yunzi iron, also known as hematite, is the iron ore with the highest iron content!
There are iron ore deposits in these mountains!
What a treasure!
Lu Qingqing snatched the small stone and looked at it in amazement.
A glance at the majestic mountain range reveals that most of the iron ore is located within it.
The two rocks are dark and looming, with iron figures standing guard.
Indeed, the wisdom of our ancestors was absolutely right!
Xu Rui was shocked to find an iron mine in the mountains. He knew that in the entire Da Gan Kingdom, there was only one iron mine in Tao Tang, and it was scattered and not concentrated, requiring a lot of manpower.
But he was even more shocked that Lu Qingqing actually knew about iron ore, something that probably few of the high-ranking officials in the imperial court would recognize!
But he didn't ask anything.
He simply said, "It must have been when the mountain peak was rained on and tilted and collapsed that the geological tremors caused the cracks to appear, which is how that narrow crevice appeared."
That's why the minerals inside were exposed; otherwise, they might never have been discovered for thousands of years.
This time, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
Lu Qingqing chuckled twice.
She boasted, "Am I really God's favorite daughter? Even the place I live in is a treasure trove of natural resources and a place of outstanding beauty?"
Xu Rui suddenly realized something.
That seems to be true.
Lu Qingqing was the one who gave him a second life, and Ming'an County... such a small, not-so-prosperous town, yet he encountered old friends there several times.
It seemed as if fate had specially guided him here, allowing him to part the clouds and find the answers that had been hidden by others.
A woman destined for heaven?
Xu Rui's eyes seemed to be veiled with a pious light as he stared at Lu Qingqing for a long time.
"Utterly useless!" The light in Lu Qingqing's eyes disappeared.
"It would be more practical to dig up some ginseng!"
What a waste of your time!
This stuff belongs to the imperial court and private mining is not allowed.
Iron ore is such an important resource that at this time, troops are usually sent to govern it, and the imperial court might send some kind of king to be stationed in Ming'an County.
Several villages at the foot of the mountain are about to be driven away!
Ordinary people never get any good opportunities!
Lu Qingqing looked at Xu Rui.
"What should we do? Should we report this to the imperial court?"
Actually, she didn't want to report it.
She also wants to develop medicinal herb fields and medicinal plantations here!
Once the iron mine affair was exposed, it became a gathering place for power.
But such a great achievement as discovering the iron ore would surely lead Magistrate Xu to a meteoric rise in rank, wouldn't it?
Such a huge temptation...
Seeing through her thoughts at a glance, Xu Rui whispered, "Qingqing, this must be kept a secret."
"Really? Let's just pretend we don't know?"
“No.” Xu Rui looked at her, his eyes filled with meaning.
"No way? You're going to rebel?" Lu Qingqing's eyes widened in surprise.
This is iron ore! It's no joke.
Even if Xu Rui were a general or a prince, he wouldn't dare to mine it privately!
If we get found out, we're finished!
This kid looks like a doughy, fluffy dough, but who would have thought he harbors such a ruthless ambition inside!
"I will not rebel."
He was simply taking back what was rightfully his.
"Qingqing, don't worry, I won't harm the villagers here."
"It will be made public at the appropriate time."
Lu Qingqing frowned and stared at him for a while, noticing his clear and determined eyes.
He then whispered, "Just be careful. If we are ever exposed, let us know in advance so we can escape."
Xu Rui is not a reckless person; he should have considered things carefully.
However, mining iron ore is not an easy task. Who exactly is he?
It seemed to be even more powerful than she had imagined.
"Okay," Xu Rui replied readily, as if making a promise.
They put the stones away.
Suddenly, a loud commotion arose from under the shade of the tree.
The two looked over.
Then they saw that Mu Daye and Gu Chengzhou looked like they were about to fight.
Qiaoxiu shielded Liu'er behind her, and glared fiercely at Gu Chengzhou.
The two quickly ran over.
"What's wrong?"
Gu Chengzhou felt wronged: "Young Master, I only asked a few questions, but Mu Daye treated me like I had committed a serious crime, giving me a cold and hostile look."
Mu Daye sneered, cupped his hands to Xu Rui, and said respectfully, "Young master, he was disrespectful to my wife and spoke frivolously. I had no choice but to resist."
Mu Daye now understands Xu Rui and knows that he is an upright and honest person, which is why he filed a complaint.
To his surprise, Gu Chengzhou almost jumped up as soon as he finished speaking.
"What nonsense are you spouting?! How was I disrespectful or frivolous towards her?! I was just asking where you brought her back from!"
"Isn't that frivolous? What do you mean by 'bring her back'? She's my wife!"
"You..."
"Alright, I understand." Xu Rui interrupted Gu Chengzhou.
He said to Mu Daye, "Gu Chengzhou may look a bit frivolous, but I can assure you, he has absolutely no bad intentions."
What do you mean by his frivolous appearance?
Is it true that someone who is unusually good-looking is considered frivolous?
Gu Chengzhou's head was filled with exclamation marks, but he dared not refute them.
"Brother Mu, rest assured, I will not show favoritism. If he has really made a mistake, he will be punished accordingly."
"No, no, thank you so much, young master." Mu Daye became even more respectful.
How could a commoner like him dare to be called "brother" by the magistrate's son!
Besides, he had seen Xu Rui's kung fu in the forest. He wasn't one of those good-for-nothing playboys; he was brave, fearless, and undaunted in the face of danger.
He genuinely admired him.
As they talked, Liu'er looked around blankly, showing no sign of fear, but her eyes held a hint of worry when she looked at Mu Daye.
As soon as Lu Qingqing arrived, Liu'er came to her side.
Qiaoxiu followed, complaining, "Sister, this person is really impolite. His eyes are staring at people like that."
Gu Chengzhou: "..."
Well, well, he was known as the "Jade-Faced Little General" in the border town, and so many girls flocked to him. But here he's seen as a sly fellow!
"Gu Chengzhou, tell me what happened?"
“Young master, I felt that Mu Daye’s wife looked familiar, but I didn’t know where I had seen her before. So I asked him if she was from the capital or from the north. He got angry and said that I had ill intentions.”
Gu Chengzhou was furious. "Mu Daye, let me tell you, don't think of people so badly. I thought you were a real man! How come you're so petty?"
Mu Daye felt a flush rise to his face.
Now that I think about it, although Gu Chengzhou's gaze was straightforward, it was not wicked. Perhaps I was indeed too sensitive and suspicious because of Liu'er's identity.
But... could he have seen Liu'er before?
Mu Daye didn't dare to reply, thinking that he should apologize first and let the matter drop.
Then Lu Qingqing asked:
"I have something I'd like to ask you. The notice says that the former crown prince insulted a minister's wife. I wonder whose wife it is?"
Boom—
It felt like a thunderclap exploded in my head.
Except for Qiaoxiu, everyone else was stunned by these words and seemed to reveal their true colors.
Some people were stunned at first, then surprised.
Some people were stunned at first, then became angry.
For some, shock turned to sorrow, and then, like a gust of wind, everything was swept away.
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