"Tianqing County's Xuanming Mine has already had multiple cave-ins. Many people have died."
Warden Li stared at Chen Chao and asked, "Do you know what this means?"
It was just that when he heard Warden Li, Chen Chao remembered the Lin Cheng whom he had just met and frowned. Turns out that things were not as simple as he said. He did not inform Chen Chao about the perils involved. Presumably, he did not want him to worry.
"Doesn't that mine have a Ministry of Works’ official sent by the imperial court?"
Chen Chao did not answer Warden Li's question. Since he was already destined to get involved, then obtaining useful information to the best of his ability was what he should be doing.
A mine collapse was actually not an uncommon sight in quarries. There were countless large and small stone mines within the borders of the Great Liang Dynasty. Such incidences happened virtually every day. In order to prevent the deaths of conscripted miners due to mining accidents, the Great Liang Dynasty had actually done many things. The most notable thing was that each stone mine would definitely have an official from the Ministry of Works in charge of it. These officials could accurately determine the mining depth of each mine through systemic studies. Once it reached the maximum limit that the mine could bear, they would immediately ask to stop the mining.
With these officials around, it greatly reduced the death rate even though cave-in incidences would still occur.
Hence, even if the Ministry of Works’ official at Tianqing County's Xuanming Mine made an error in judgment and resulted in one or two mining accidents, after one or two similar incidents occurred, they should have promptly ceased mining.
Warden Li nodded his head. He was very satisfied with Chen Chao's question at this time. Since there was going to be an investigation into that stone mine, then it needed a sensible person and not an idiot.
"After the first mine collapse, the Ministry of Works' official already took measures. But he did not find any problem after some prospecting. Plus, the imperial court's need for Xuanming Stones had always been high. So he could only make the conscripted miners start mining again. It wasn't until a few days ago that several quarries suddenly collapsed overnight. Many conscripted miners died in the mines. Only then, did the mines choose to stop mining. But, the cause of the mine collapses must be determined..." Warden Li kept passing on the information that he knew to Chen Chao.
But Chen Chao kept feeling that there were some problems.
"I have a question."
Chen Chao glanced at Warden Li. Without waiting for him to speak, he took the initiative and asked, "It goes without saying how precious the Xuanming Stones harvested from the Xuanming Stone Mine are. The imperial court takes away thousands of pounds of Xuanming Stones from this mine every year. This kind of important thing should be protected by a powerful cultivator. Even if it's not for the lives of those civilians, it should also be for the sake of safely transporting the Xuanming Stones to Wei Prefecture, or even the Divine Capital."
Compared to a warden of the same county, the selection process for the people responsible for guarding a mine was much more stringent, regardless of whether they were martial artists or cultivators. No matter whether was it numbers or ability, they were likely much stronger than the average county town warden.
Even if there were demons coveting it, they could just kill them. In other words, could the local warden deal with something that even they could not handle?
Since that was the case, why was there a need to send him to investigate now?
Warden Lu was a clever man. He naturally did not need to ask Chen Chao thoroughly about these things to know his series of doubts.
"You're right. This is an important matter, you naturally wouldn't have to worry about it normally." Warden Li felt a little melancholic, "Usually, us wardens wouldn't get involved in such matters too."
Warden Li let out a sigh, looking weighed down with worry.
"Your Excellency, please get to the point." Chen Chao gritted his teeth. He hated this kind of people who did not finish their sentences most of all.
Warden Li looked at him and smiled, before finally slowly opening his mouth, "That Xuanming Stone Mine has been mined for a long time. After the investigation by the officials of the Ministry of Works, it has long been determined that it can be mined for at most one year. So at the start of the year, it has already entered the final mining period. After the mine cave-in a few days ago, the powerhouses stationed there had already escorted the last batch of Xuanming Stones away. These days, the officials from the Ministry of Works will be withdrawing too. Even if such an incident didn't occur, that stone mine would also become an abandoned mine after this winter."
"So right now, it's when the imperial court needs us... more accurately speaking, needs you." Warden Li smiled slightly and said, "After figuring out the cause, this warden will ask the higher-ups to record your meritorious deed."
Chen Chao frowned. This matter was full of bizarreness. This man in front of him clearly did not tell the full story.
Warden Li patted Chen Chao's shoulder and said with a smile, "There shouldn't be too many people who know about this matter currently. These few days, the stone mine will bring those remaining conscripted miners over to the new mine. You don't need to hurry over, there will still be others who will go with you. You guys can go together after they arrive."
Chen Chao was silent.
After a mine collapse occurred and many miners died, the officials who should be investigating the cause of the mine collapse went straight to the new mine and left the investigation to him.
And even if it was handed over to him, he was told that there was no rush?
Was this the attitude of wanting to know the truth?
The water here was likely not shallow.
Furthermore, there were others going apart from him?
"No need to worry too much, it's just to investigate it. If there are any results, just report them. Presumably, there shouldn't be any problems." Warden Li looked at Chen Chao with a slight smile
No problems?
If there were no problems, would you have come to find me personally?
Chen Chao did not believe it.
Not even a dog would believe him!
After being silent for a moment, the emotions on Chen Chao's face gradually changed.
"Your Excellency previously said that all of Great Liang's people should be protected by us. But I just sought comfort, it's truly shameful. This lowly official has thought things through now, Your Excellency, please transfer this lowly official to the place with the most demons. Allow this lowly official to do my duty of keeping the people safe!"
Chen Chao had a sincere look. The scene from before was re-enacted again.
"... ..."
Warden Li looked at Chen Chao and felt somewhat speechless too, "It's really this warden's first time seeing someone like you that's so righteous in being shameless."
"I was trained well by Your Excellency." Chen Chao did not care how he put it. In troubled times, the most important thing was to preserve his own life. Then, it was to prevent himself from getting into those kinds of unwarranted trouble.
"Humph!"
"There's nothing to discuss about this. Do you think that you're buying vegetables at the market? Bargaining about the price?" Warden Li gave a cold laugh.
Then, he relaxed a little. A pair of eyes looked at Chen Chao and he said meaningfully, "You're a smart person. You should know what to do, right?"
Chen Chao clasped his hands and stopped struggling.
His expression was somewhat depressed; as if he had resigned himself to fate.
Warden Li was very satisfied. Suddenly, he continued, "Relax, I won't harm you."
Chen Chao opened and closed his mouth. He did not know what to say to this direct superior whom he was meeting for the first time.
Only after a long silence, did Chen Chao say softly, "Then I'll have to thank Your Excellency."
Warden Li took a look at Chen Chao and smiled without saying anything.
Finished saying that, Warden Li walked out of the county office's main hall and disappeared in the snowstorm.
Chen Chao let out a sigh and walked out of the main hall too. At the county office entrance, he saw Xie Nandu who had been waiting there all along.
The two people exchanged a glance and were just about to leave when they saw that low-ranking official who left previously. At this time, he was currently heading over to the county office while panting heavily. When he arrived at the entrance and saw Chen Chao, he was overjoyed and said, "Warden Chen, there's... someone..."
He panted heavily and could no longer say anything.
Chen Chao looked at him and said with a slight smile, "I got it."
This matter was already over, how could he not know?
……
……
Warden Li who walked out of the county office arrived before a small alley. A horse carriage was stopped here at an unknown time. The top of the carriage was piled high with snow, looking like it had already stopped here for some time. Warden Li came before the horse carriage and said rather respectfully, "Your Excellency, the matter that you tasked has been carried out."
After saying this, Warden Li did not dare to say another word. He just stood next to the carriage, quietly waiting for what followed.
"Mhm..."
Before long, a lazy voice came from inside the carriage, "How's that youngster? Can he achieve great things?"
One was actually unable to determine whether was it a male or female by hearing the voice.
"Looks to be rather level-headed. He shouldn't be a dumb person. It just seems like he's a little timid and isn't willing to get involved in disputes. When the time comes, who knows whether it will be good or bad."
When Warden Li recalled his interaction with Chen Chao previously, how that boy looked different before versus after.
He was silent for a moment before asking carefully, "Why did we have to find a low-level warden for such an important matter?"
Warden Li somewhat regretted it the moment he asked this.
Sure enough, a cold voice came from inside the carriage, "You just have to mind your own business. You don't need to ask about other things."
But before long, that person inside the carriage seemingly could not hold back and said softly, "He has his own shrewdness. Otherwise, based on his achievements over these past few years, he'll be able to sit in your position no matter how much you guys suppress him."
"There's actually barely any traces of demons in a county town with a radius of dozens of miles. Where can you find such a scene in the Great Liang Dynasty?"
The owner of that voice was obviously curious. "He's merely a teenager, yet also not just a teenager. Truly hard to believe it."
"Oh, right, you really couldn't find any problem in his files?"
Warden Li smiled bitterly and said, "The position of warden was indeed bought. But, there are no clues as to which family paid the money. It was done very cleanly."
"That's already within expectations. Maybe even his name is fake."
Warden Li nodded his head subconsciously. Otherwise, how could they not find any clues at all?
For some time, the two did not speak. It was very quiet between heaven and earth.
A moment later, a voice came out of the carriage again, "Hope that the youngster really isn't stupid."
