Chapter 624: Eat and Sleep Well
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation , Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Xie Rui’s trusted aide read the contents of the letter in bewilderment.
“I can understand if His Highness wants food. If he asks for pigs, cows, and sheep, I can treat it as if His Highness wanted to eat something good. However, this request for cloth, weaving looms, and grain seeds… Gosh! Why does it look like something is amiss?”
Those who could become the Imperial Family’s trusted aides were not fools. They could discern something amiss with just a moment’s thinking.
“Could it be that His Highness has encountered some trouble over there?’
What kind of trouble would require grain seeds to solve?
However, just in case, the trusted aide decided to proceed with two levels of preparations. He immediately sent people to the northern wilderness to check on Xie Rui’s situation while concurrently preparing to gather the things Xie Rui asked for in the letter. He also wrote back to Xie Rui, saying that they would definitely prepare the things he needed and send them to the designated place at the appointed time.
It was not difficult for Xie Rui’s men to prepare those things as Xie Rui was the First Prince of the Jin State. They finished preparing everything on the third day.
Xie Rui’s letter said that they had to deliver everything to the entrance of the northern wilderness five days later.
“Is there any news from the people we sent to the northern wilderness?”
“Lord Wang, the northern wilderness is full of dangers. I’m afraid it won’t be
that fast.”
Lord Wang paced back and forth in the room somewhat anxiously. He kept feeling that Xie Rui’s letter was too strange. Previously, when Xie Rui asked for supplies, it was not like this. He would not personally write for such a small matter, but that letter was indeed written in his handwriting.
“My Lord, there’s no need to be so alarmed. The northern wilderness only has a bunch of barbarians. Last time, we almost took the life of their leader, but they didn’t do anything. They know His Highness’s identity and are afraid of offending the Jin State. They definitely won’t dare to act rashly.”
Lord Wang had thought likewise in the past, but he was still very uneasy.
The First Prince had sneaked out this time, and the Empress was still unaware of what happened. He was somewhat hesitant whether he should report this matter to the Empress. Otherwise, if something really happened, they wouldn’t be able to stay alive either.
In the blink of an eye, it was the appointed time. Lord Wang personally led the group to ferry the goods to the designated location.
Qiao Yang was already waiting there with his men.
When Lord Wang and the others approached, Qiao Yang’s eyes scanned up and
down as he sized them up.
“You are Lord Wang?”
Lord Wang had never seen Qiao Yang before. A hint of doubt flashed across his
eyes. “You are…”
“His Highness told me to receive you. Did you bring everything?”
Lord Wang was a little baffled when he saw that this guy was very confident and did not look evasive at all. “Everything has been prepared according to His Highness’s request. I wonder how His Highness is doing over there? Is there any progress?”
Qiao Yang laughed, but this laugh seemed a little despicable to Lord Wang.
“He’s doing very well. He’s eating well and sleeping well. He also doesn’t have to worry about the mine. You guys go and check the goods.”
“Yes, Sir.”
A few people went forward to check the goods in the carriage.
Lord Wang increasingly felt that these people were like bandits.
“My friend, what work are you responsible for when you served by His Highness’s side? You look a little unfamiliar.
Qiao Yang laughed without restraint as he replied, “It’s normal that you don’t recognize me. I don’t usually appear in front of him.”
The uneasiness in Lord Wang’s heart grew stronger, but Qiao Yang had the advantage in numbers so he did not dare fight Qiao Yang head-on. “His Highness has been out for so long, and the Empress is worried. May I trouble you to pass a message to His Highness? The Empress has ordered His Highness to find a way to return to the palace before the end of the month and not to jeopardize other more important matters.”
Lord Wang’s words were nothing more than a hint to remind Qiao Yang that Xie Rui was backed by the Jin State’s Imperial Family and was not to be trifled with. However, (Xiao Yang remained totally unruffled.
“Sir, there is no problem with the goods.”
At this moment, the people who went to inspect the goods returned.
These words made Qiao Yang’s smile deepen. “Now that we have the goods, I have to send them to His Highness immediately. You guys can go back first.” When he saw that Qiao Yang was about to leave, Lord Wang hurriedly went forward to stop him. “I wonder if His Highness has enough manpower. It so happened that I brought a few more people over today. Let them go back and help His Highness.”
Qiao Yang raised his head and glanced at those people. He was not stupid. How could he not see the suspicion in Lord Wang’s eyes? It was just a few people. When they arrived at Sky Alpha City, they would still have to do hard labor obediently.
“Alright. Let them follow the team then.”
Even though Qiao Yang accepted those people, the doubts in Lord Wang’s mind were not dispelled. He could only hope that these people would send some news back to him as soon as possible after they went in.
Lord Wang turned to go back anxiously, but on the way, he bumped into the person he had sent to scout for information a few days ago.
“My Lord, my Lord, something terrible has happened.” Lord Wang’s expression changed slightly. “What’s wrong?
-When we went to the northern wilderness to gather information, we met people from the Nan State. They said that a few days ago, those barbarians from the northern wilderness suddenly attacked them and the First Prince. They were caught off guard and the First Prince was captured by them.” Lord Wang’s face turned pale as he gripped that scout’s hand tightly. “You said that the First Prince has been captured?”
“That’s right, my Lord. We have to quickly think of a way to rescue the First Prince. If the Empress finds out that something so serious has happened to the First Prince, we can forget about staying alive.
Lord Wang fell to the ground on his butt, but when he thought of the message Xie Rui sent him, he forced himself to calm down.
It was very likely that those people wanted to use the First Prince to obtain more things that would benefit them, so the First Prince’s life shouldn’t be in danger for the time being.
Although he was afraid, Lord Wang had no choice but to report the First Prince’s situation to the Empress. The matter had already exceeded the scope of his control. Even if he was fearful of getting punished, he still did not dare to hide it anymore.
While Lord Wang was jumping around with anxiety, Qiao Yang hummed happily all the way back to Sky Alpha City.
“Send all the things to the warehouse outside the palace. When the City Lord returns, I’ll ask the City Lord to take a look.”
“Yes, Sir.”
The Jin State’s people who came back with Qiao Yang had been captured and blindfolded by Qiao Yang and his men before they entered the city. They were thrown into the dungeon right away and starved for a few days. It would not be too late to deal with them after they became cooperative.
Meanwhile, Su Ying was leading the people to work in the mine and the work was in full swing.
When these people were sent here, Xiao Jin had selected quite a few people who were very experienced in mining. In order not to arouse suspicion, these people dressed up as soldiers and mingled among the troops.
Su Ying brought them to the mine on the second day they arrived at Sky Alpha City.
After some site investigation, they estimated that there was a lot of iron ore in this mine. It was a rare big mine.
Mining required digging vertical shafts. They did not have reinforced concrete in this era, so they could only cut down trees and use timber logs to stabilize the mine shafts to prevent them from collapsing.
Su Ying told the soldiers from the Chu State to go to the mine to help. Personnel was assigned to each mine entrance to guard it. There were also three teams that patrolled 24 hours a day non-stop. She was worried that at the critical moment of mining, people might show up to disrupt their work and affect the mining progress.
“City Lord, you’ve been working tirelessly for the entire morning. It’s almost noon. Why don’t you eat something first?”
Doing work in winter consumed more energy. Su Ying stood outside the mine for so long that her face had turned red from the mountain wind blowing on it..
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