Chapter 639: Zhu Cunji's Coal Mine
The Baqiao Coal Mine in Xi'an had two pits, managed by two separate operations.
One was called "Baqiao Coal Pit," and the other was "Baqiao Coal Factory No. 1."
The naming convention alone revealed their differing natures.
The "Baqiao Coal Pit" was an asset of the Prince of Qin's Residence, which had overseen its excavation for centuries.
In contrast, "Baqiao Coal Factory No. 1" was a mine established by Gao Family Village from scratch after their arrival, in an area rich with veins that the Prince of Qin's Residence had ceded to them.
Because the Prince of Qin's Residence and Gao Family Village were in a temporary "cooperative state," Gao Family Village not only employed the latest technologies at "Baqiao Coal Factory No. 1" but also applied these innovations to the "Baqiao Coal Pit."
Small railcars, powered by a gear system, ran directly from the mine entrance deep underground, helping miners extract coal ore at the fastest possible speed. This dramatically saved labor and resources, causing the output of the Prince of Qin's Residence's ancient "Baqiao Coal Pit" to explode.
Initially, the Prince of Qin's Residence was happy to cede all control, allowing Gao Family Village to manage both coal operations, with the Prince of Qin's Residence simply taking forty percent of the profits.
But then...
A few months later, the people from the Prince of Qin's Residence felt they had mastered Gao Family Village's techniques. They also considered Gao Family Village's management style too lenient. So, they began to repeatedly test the waters, aiming to reclaim actual control of the "Baqiao Coal Pit."
The moment Li Daoxuan gave the word, Gao Family Village truly handed over management of the coal pit to the Prince of Qin's Residence, withdrawing all administrative and technical personnel.
Prince of Qin's heir Zhu Cunji was overjoyed and immediately dispatched his own steward to take charge of the coal pit.
However...
From that day on, Zhu Cunji's nightmare began.
The new steward, eager to make his mark, immediately started wielding his authority.
His first move was to withhold wages.
In the steward's eyes, these "country bumpkin" workers earning three taels of silver a month were getting off too cheaply. So, he fabricated some baseless excuses and cut their wages to two taels.
As for the one tael of silver thus withheld, it naturally found its way into the pockets of the manager and the steward.
Naturally, the miners were displeased by this deduction. Many resigned and left, those unwilling to remain at that operation all defected to "Baqiao Coal Factory No. 1," which was under Gao Family Village's control.
Next, the steward's second "fire" quickly followed: pocketing phantom wages.
This was a classic trick of military generals: officially having a thousand-man roster but only recruiting six hundred, with the pay for the extra four hundred soldiers going directly into the generals' pockets.
Now this scheme was directly applied to the coal mine. The vacancies created by resigning workers were not filled by the steward; instead, he allowed the positions to remain empty.
The wages for these vacant positions, of course, ended up in the steward's pocket.
But with such machinations, the reduced workforce meant the coal mine was bound to see a drop in production.
What was to be done about the reduced output?
That, of course, led to the third "fire": false reporting.
Every day, Prince of Qin's heir Zhu Cunji would hear bad news from the Baqiao Coal Pit: "The miners got into a fight, today's output has fallen by so much!"
"Today, a torrential downpour occurred, and rainwater accumulated at the bottom of the pit, preventing work for five consecutive days and causing a significant drop in production."
"Our coal ore transport cart unfortunately overturned halfway, rolling into a ravine, resulting in considerable losses."
Zhu Cunji: "Argh!"
The scene shifted...
The view cut to Wu Shen's face. It turned out that the entire preceding litany had been delivered by a gleeful Wu Shen.
At this moment, Wu Shen, Shi Kefa, and Heavenly Lord were seated in a private room at Xi'an's largest restaurant, a table laden with dishes, enjoying a lively conversation over wine.
Wu Shen slapped the table, roaring with laughter: "Zhu Cunji has truly shot himself in the foot this time! I'm dying of laughter, hahahaha. Holed up in his Prince of Qin's Residence, he knows nothing of what goes on outside, utterly fooled by his own steward like an idiot, hahahaha!"
Shi Kefa also chuckled: "The drastic reduction in the Baqiao Coal Pit's output has truly driven Zhu Cunji to despair. You see, his textile factory also imported many steam-powered textile machines made by Gao Family Village. Now, with the coal mine producing less, his steam engines can't operate at full capacity. He even has to send people to 'Baqiao Coal Factory No. 1' to buy coal, just to barely get by! It's utterly hilarious!"
The two civil officials laughed heartily, slapping the table vigorously, causing the wine cups to clatter and sway, nearly spilling their contents.
Li Daoxuan, however, did not laugh; a strange smile played on his lips.
Noticing his peculiar demeanor, the two civil officials involuntarily sobered, saying, "Squire Li, it seems you have something to say?"
Li Daoxuan spread his hands. "Gentlemen, perhaps we could slightly broaden the scope of this incident concerning the Prince of Qin's Residence and discuss it further."
The two civil officials replied, "Oh? How so?"
Li Daoxuan continued, "Imagine if we view the Prince of Qin's heir as the Emperor, and the Baqiao Coal Pit as the entire realm, and the steward of the Prince of Qin's Residence as an official in the imperial court... What do you two think of that?"
The moment these words left his mouth, the expressions on both civil officials' faces changed dramatically.
This...
Good heavens...
The Prince of Qin's heir, holed up in his residence, utterly duped by his stewards like a fool, compared to an Emperor, confined to the Forbidden City, completely misled by his entire court of civil officials like an imbecile.
What fundamental difference was there between them?
Sweat poured down Wu Shen's face.
Shi Kefa froze.
After a moment, Shi Kefa suddenly spoke, "Wait, let me equivocate... ah... no, let me explain! To prevent being misled by treacherous officials, His Majesty established the Jinyiwei. As a proud Jinyiwei officer, I, Shi Kefa, exist precisely to help the Emperor see what he cannot, and hear what remains hidden from him."
Wu Shen also suddenly came to, exclaiming, "Exactly, exactly! As an Imperial Censor, this official is the Emperor's eyes and ears. My role as inspecting censor for Shaanxi is precisely to watch over corrupt officials and ensure His Majesty is not deceived by evildoers!"
Li Daoxuan applauded. "You two truly are excellent officials, loyal to the Great Ming and to His Majesty. Most admirable."
Having delivered his praise, he suddenly shifted his tone: "But then, how much of what you two have reported upwards has actually been implemented? Has the Emperor listened to your reports? Or... does the Emperor sometimes deliberately blind himself, cover his ears, believing that as long as he neither sees nor hears, the realm remains perfectly peaceful?"
"Or perhaps..." Li Daoxuan's tone turned chilling, "...some of these 'eyes and ears' aren't reporting the truth at all, but are already thoroughly rotten, right from the source?"
Wu Shen froze.
Shi Kefa froze.
Li Daoxuan said no more, having made his point.
His aim was merely to let these two officials fully grasp the flaws of the current system, allowing the realization to seep in subtly.
As the three were conversing, the street outside suddenly fell silent. A large carriage pulled up below, its curtains parted, and Zhu Cunji stepped down, striding into the restaurant.
Li Daoxuan smiled. "He's here! The main character has arrived."
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