Chapter 129: The Salt Mine

Inside the government office, Murong Jin was reporting the recent progress of their work to Dong Yun and others.

“The former gambling house has been purchased, along with a few pawnshops and teahouses. We are still evaluating other properties. However, since the new policies were announced, many merchants have seen Jinyang’s promising prospects and rushed in to buy properties, causing prices to rise sharply in the past two days. Some owners are still holding out, waiting to see how things develop before selling.”

“As a result, the cost of other production materials is also increasing, and our funds are becoming increasingly tight.”

Upon hearing this, Dong Yun’s expression became serious.

Murong Jiutian hesitated for a moment before speaking. “Are we moving too hastily? The continuous tax exemption and reduction policies are meant to improve people’s livelihoods, but in the short term, they have caused significant financial losses. If this continues, we may find ourselves in a dire situation, unable to make ends meet.”

Dong Yun did not comment on his concern but instead shifted the topic. “When will the government reclaim the management of salt and iron?”

Just as she finished speaking, hurried footsteps sounded from outside.

The group turned their heads as a government officer rushed in to report. “An accident has occurred at the northern wall construction site. Three workers fell from the scaffolding—one died, and two are injured. Many other workers are also experiencing weakness in their limbs and dizziness, showing signs of illness. A large crowd has gathered, discussing the matter anxiously.”

Xia Xunyan immediately asked, “Has a doctor been sent for?”

“We’ve already dispatched someone. The doctor should arrive soon,” the officer quickly replied.

“Could it be that they were too weak from hunger and fell?” Murong Jiutian speculated.

Xia Xunyan responded, “That is a possibility. However, the government provides meals for the workers as part of the relief program, so they shouldn’t be going to work on an empty stomach. If they are experiencing additional symptoms, we’ll need to wait for the doctor’s assessment.”

Dong Yun made a swift decision. “Let’s go to the site and check.”

The group immediately set off for the scene of the incident.

Upon seeing the city lord and officials arrive in person, the gathered crowd quickly made way.

A pool of blood remained at the accident site, stark and shocking. The deceased had already been removed, while the two injured workers had been rushed to the medical clinic for treatment.

A dozen or so emaciated laborers sat nearby, their faces sallow and eyes dull, waiting for medical attention.

In the past, when such accidents occurred, workers would usually demand an explanation.

However, seeing the city lord and officials personally attend to the situation, they fell silent, not daring to voice complaints.

After all, the new city lord had just taken over a mess of a situation. He had already issued tax exemptions and organized relief work programs to provide meals for them. Given these efforts, it was hard for the people to harbor resentment. Instead, they could only look at the officials anxiously, hoping for a resolution.

While the three doctors from Huichun Hall conducted their examinations, Dong Yun was already questioning the foreman in detail.

Soon, Doctor Yao completed his diagnosis. He stepped forward and addressed Murong Jiutian.

“My Lord, these people are suffering from severe salt deficiency and have also consumed toxic salt, which has led to their weakness, dizziness, and vomiting—”

Before he could finish, the crowd erupted in discussion, and some even began to weep.

With grain shortages across the county, salt prices had soared. Unable to afford proper salt, some villagers had gone into the mountains searching for salt mines. Whether they found any was one thing, but even if they did, they had no means to refine it. Consuming it recklessly had now led to disaster.

Doctor Yao continued, “Toxic salt mines contain various impurities and harmful substances. Long-term consumption can cause weakness in the limbs, headaches, dizziness, and, in severe cases, persistent vomiting, sleeplessness, and mental fatigue. It’s likely that the three workers who fell from the scaffolding did so because the effects of toxic salt had left them disoriented, resulting in their fatal or severe injuries.”

Murong Jiutian felt deeply unsettled.

Just moments ago in the office, he had argued against tax exemptions.

But now, seeing that the people couldn’t even afford salt—let alone survive—how could they possibly pay taxes?

He looked at Dong Yun.

Dong Yun understood that he was expecting her to make a decision. She turned to the crowd and, with a solemn expression, cupped her hands toward Murong Jiutian in a formal gesture.

“As the assistant magistrate of Jincheng, it is my responsibility to address the death of the laborers working on the city walls and the issue of salt scarcity among the people. Please rest assured, my lord, and to all the elders and villagers here, I ask for some time—I will see this matter resolved properly.”

No sooner had she finished speaking than a voice in the crowd shouted, “How will you solve it? We’ve been unable to buy affordable salt for so long! My family is so weak we can barely walk—we’re not far from death!”

Others chimed in, echoing the sentiment.

Standing amidst the crowd, Dong Yun remained calm and responded in a steady voice.

“For the three workers who died or were injured while on duty, the government will take full responsibility and provide compensation. Regarding the villagers who consumed toxic salt, from tomorrow, we will send doctors to your village to provide medical treatment and ask everyone to stop consuming it immediately.

“For those participating in the relief work program, please inform the foremen of any health issues so that we can assign suitable tasks accordingly.

“Starting today, every work site will also provide drinkable salted water with meals. Workers may take as much as they need.”

“As for the issue of salt prices, I promise that within a month, the salt price will be restored to the level before the bandit infestation.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd instinctively became happy, with some even cheering out loud.

For the three victims, this was already a very responsible way to handle the situation, not to mention the promise to restore the salt price.

But soon, the mood became quiet again.

Someone spoke up: “Lord Assistant, even if the salt price is restored to what it was before the bandit attacks, it wasn’t exactly cheap back then.”

Before the bandit infestation in Jincheng, the price was already “three baskets of rice for one pound of salt.” Now, with grain prices soaring, the salt price has also risen to an absurd level.

Dong Yun’s eyes were sharp as she scanned the surroundings and said, “Jincheng is facing many difficulties right now. I, like all of you, am extremely anxious. But these problems have accumulated over many years, and even if I want to solve them, it will take some time. The specifics of how they will be solved, I am not at liberty to reveal. I ask that you all remain patient. I swear, I will work with you to overcome these difficulties.”

At this point, everyone knew that pursuing the issue further was pointless.

Moreover, the new administration had, so far, improved upon every measure taken, and there was nothing left to complain about.

Some indignant people wanted to take the opportunity to criticize, but upon seeing the officers and the Wuyin army, along with the imposing figure of Murong Jiutian, they wisely quieted down and melted into the crowd.

After leaving a few officers behind to help the foreman maintain order, Dong Yun led the group back to the government office.

As soon as she sat down, she said, “I wanted to ask about the salt and iron issue before we set out, but I didn’t expect it to be more serious than I imagined.”

Murong Jiutian sighed and looked troubled. “Salt and iron have always been controlled by the court. Salt and iron from local sources are taxed on-site, which is known as ‘local tax collection.’ This hasn’t been a big issue since the Six Dynasties.”

He continued, “But since Emperor Yuwen Jing ascended the throne, the national treasury has been depleted, and he sought ways to make up for it by focusing on salt and iron. Over the past two years, local salt and iron taxes have reached an all-time high. Think about it, with such high taxes already collected at the source, when these goods are redistributed to our counties, how much will the prices have increased? And if middlemen take the opportunity to profit, the price will be even higher! How can ordinary people afford reasonably priced salt?”

Dong Yun furrowed her brow. “In that case, we must take control of salt and iron production ourselves! It’s bad enough that they’re exploited at the source, but with the middlemen raising prices, the common people may truly be unable to afford salt.”

Murong Jiutian smiled bitterly. “The iron smelting aspect is easy enough to handle, but as for the salt merchants, it’s not so simple.”

Dong Yun was puzzled. “What do you mean by that?”

Murong Jiutian explained, “Currently, there are three main shops selling oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar in Jinyang: He Ji, Shi Ji, and Li Ji. He’s and Shi’s were able to obtain the salt monopoly rights because they were on good terms with the previous county magistrate. It wouldn’t be hard to eliminate them. But Li Ji, backed by the Li family of the Toudong Four Great Families, is more troublesome.”

Dong Yun raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

Murong Jiutian continued, “Li Ji is very clever. In the past, their salt prices were on par with their competitors—neither high nor low. Sometimes, they even lowered their prices, and at times, they sold at a lower price than the official salt’s production price. As a result, the people of Jinyang had a much better impression of Li’s.”

Dong Yun’s eyes flashed coldly, and she sneered, “How cunning! They applied for the government’s salt and iron monopoly rights but are selling their own private salt!”

When the crowd heard the term “private salt,” they were all shocked.

“If it weren’t for their access to private salt resources in the Toudong area, what merchant would do such a losing business?”

But if it weren’t for the actions of the court driving up salt prices, private salt wouldn’t have flooded the market!

Dong Yun’s anger and frustration grew.

This was the mess caused by the Yuwen family!

Murong Jiutian, well-versed in the intricacies, nodded. “You’re right, salt itself isn’t expensive. The official salt’s production price is so high because the tax rate on local collection is steep. Li Ji is backed by the Li family of Toudong, and their private salt fields cover tens of thousands of acres by the coast. They mine it secretly without paying any taxes, so even if they sell at a price lower than the official salt, they can still make huge profits.”

Xia Xunyan sighed. “In that case, Li Ji really is difficult to deal with. Though they sell private salt, their prices are indeed lower than the official salt, and at least the common people can afford it.”

It was an issue that left Dong Yun both troubled and helpless.

She could easily use the crime of selling private salt to shut down Li Ji, but if she did that, how would the people get reasonably priced salt? Moreover, if she punished the Li family, would she still be able to gain the support of the Four Great Families?

…

On the road from Dongping to Jincheng.

After a heavy rain, the road was full of potholes, and a large carriage got stuck in one.

The coachman had tried his best but the carriage remained motionless, as if it had rooted itself in the mud.

Li Lianxin and her servant stood by the roadside, frowning.

Just then, the sound of hooves approached.

The coachman’s heart lifted. He muttered, “It would be best if two strong men came to help, then we could lift the wheel out.”

But just as he spoke, a black horse came into view, carrying a person.

From a distance, it looked like a young girl, and she was holding a child, a two- or three-year-old, wrapped in cloth with a strap.

The coachman’s face fell in disappointment. He turned back to try again, but still, there was no movement.

However, the young girl reined in the horse as she got close to the carriage and asked, “What’s going on here?”

The girl was quite attractive, with a hint of youthful innocence in her expression. Having been stuck in the mud for half an hour, the coachman no longer had the mood to appreciate her beauty. He replied impatiently, “Can’t you see? The wheel’s stuck in the pit.”

The young girl, however, didn’t show any displeasure because of his attitude. She simply jumped off the horse, untied the straps, and gently placed the child by the roadside, saying, “Fubao, wait here, I’ll go help out.”

The coachman, hearing this, felt his previous displeasure fade somewhat. He said, “Miss, I appreciate your kindness, but this carriage is too heavy. I’ve been struggling here for half a day and can’t move it at all. You shouldn’t try either—”

Before he could finish, Pear Blossom had already walked up to the carriage, placing her hands on both sides of the wooden frame. With a slight bend in her legs and a forceful push of her arms and waist, the carriage was lifted several feet off the ground.

The coachman’s words were instantly caught in his throat. Without another word, he hurriedly turned to help push the carriage.

Li Lianxin and her maid, who were standing not far away, also looked over with expressions of disbelief.

Fubao clapped her little hands, cheering, “Pear Blossom is amazing—she lifted it so easily!”

The maid, hearing the child’s shout, turned to Li Lianxin and said, “Mistress, she—”

Li Lianxin gave her a glare, signaling her to be silent, while her gaze scanned the young girl, lingering briefly on her rolled-up sleeves, which revealed muscles that had become more defined from the exertion.

Together, Pear Blossom and the coachman managed to lift the carriage out of the large pit. The horse took a few steps forward, finally freeing itself from the difficult situation.

At this moment, Li Lianxin and her maid approached to express their thanks.

Pear Blossom smiled and said, “No need for thanks. This road is full of holes, and it’s hard to travel on rainy days. You should hurry and continue your journey so you don’t delay your schedule.”

With that, she turned and walked toward a pile of rocks, carrying stones to fill the pit.

Li Lianxin noticed that she only briefly glanced at her, not pausing for even a moment. An indescribable feeling stirred within her. A beauty like her should have had people—whether men or women—staring at her at least once, but this silly girl showed no reaction at all.

“You’re helping with the carriage, and your shoes got dirty. I happen to have a new pair of shoes on my carriage. They seem about your size. Would you like to change into them?” Li Lianxin offered.

Pear Blossom paused in her work, stood upright, and replied, “No need, it’s fine. I’ll just wipe them on the grass later.”

She turned back and continued moving the stones.

Fubao, always eager for fun, ran over and climbed onto her back, hanging on like a little monkey.

Pear Blossom didn’t get upset, seemingly unaware of any fatigue. She carried the child on her back while continuing to move stones.

Li Lianxin was about to say something, but the coachman came over and said, “Mistress, the carriage has been fixed.”

She nodded, her eyes briefly scanning the large black horse, which had a long knife across its back. Her gaze flickered, and she said to Pear Blossom, “We’ll leave first. Farewell, and may we meet again.”

Pear Blossom responded, “Okay, until we meet again.”

Fubao hugged her neck and cheerfully waved goodbye to everyone.

After Pear Blossom finished filling the pit and spreading some small gravel on top, she finally completed her task. She asked the system for directions to the nearby stream, then carried Fubao and walked toward the stream. She washed her hands in the water, noticing her shoes were too dirty, so she stepped into the water to let the current wash away the dirt.

Fubao, seeing this, immediately wanted to get in the water too.

Pear Blossom lightly tapped her bottom and said, “We’re heading back to the city soon. If you want to play in the water, I’ll go ahead.”

Fubao quickly grabbed her arm, afraid she might leave her behind.

Only then did Pear Blossom step out of the water, securing the child to her chest with a sling, mounted the horse, and with a “giddy up,” headed toward the city.

…

Not long after, they arrived at the city.

As they entered through the back gate of the courtyard, Cui’er greeted them, saying, “Miss Pear Blossom, the master said when you return, you should go to the front hall to find her.”

Pear Blossom put Fubao down and said, “Fubao, stay here with Sister Cui’er, I’m going to the front hall.”

Fubao pouted and said, “I want to see Mom too.”

Today was a rest day, so all the officials and staff at the office had a day off. But for Dong Yun and Xia Xunyan, there was no rest day, and they worked as usual.

Pear Blossom looked at the little one’s pitiful expression, thought for a moment, then picked her up and said, “Alright, let’s go together.”

Fubao immediately cheered up, hanging on to her, her little legs swinging excitedly, her eyes full of anticipation.

“I haven’t seen Mom in so long,” she said.

“How long has it been?” Pear Blossom asked.

The little one stretched out her hand, counting one finger at a time, but when she reached the end, she couldn’t count further. She started over twice, then said, “A long time!”

Pear Blossom chuckled.

She walked quickly, soon passing through the Three Provinces Hall, crossing the Second Hall, and heading toward Dong Yun’s office.

Dong Yun was discussing matters with Xia Xunyan. Upon hearing the footsteps, she knew Pear Blossom had returned. She turned and said, “You came back just in time, I have something for you to do.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she saw the little bundle in Pear Blossom’s arms. She paused, then remembered that she had gone to pick up the child today.

Realizing she had forgotten about it, she felt a bit guilty. She quickly swallowed the task she was about to assign, putting on a smile.

Fubao, unaware of her mother’s thoughts, had missed her terribly after over a month without seeing her. The moment she saw her familiar figure, she felt a lump in her throat, and tears began to well up in her eyes. She reached out her little hands, crying to be held.

Dong Yun quickly embraced her, holding her small body close and planting several kisses on her forehead.

“Did you miss me?” she asked, looking at her daughter, her eyes filled with tenderness.

“Yes!” Fubao answered loudly, tears hanging at the corners of her eyes.

“How much did you miss me?” Dong Yun asked, wiping away her tears and snot with a handkerchief.

“Very much, so much that I can’t count it. I never want to be separated from you again.”

Dong Yun’s heart ached, but she dared not promise her anything. She gently patted her little head and said, “You little crying kitten.”

Fubao pouted, tilted her head, and snuggled closer to her. The familiar scent and soft embrace made her cling to her even more. Once she was close, she didn’t want to leave.

“Does mother miss me?” she asked, looking up.

“Yes, mother misses her Fubao every day,” Dong Yun replied, looking at her still slightly reddened eyes. She lowered her head and gently touched her little lips with hers.

“Then why don’t you come see me…” the little one murmured, feeling wronged.

“Mother is too busy… It’s my fault. Fubao, you can punish me,” Dong Yun coaxed her softly.

The little one thought for a moment, then said, “Then punish mother by holding Fubao all day today.”

The others around them couldn’t help but laugh.

Pear Blossom said, “Look at how heavy you are now. If your mother carries you all day, her arms might give out.”

Upon hearing this, Fubao immediately became unhappy. “I’m not heavy at all! My tummy is so small, it’s not even as big as Dog’s, and I’m not as tall as you.”

But she didn’t want to actually tire her mother out, so she compromised. “Anyway, I’m going wherever mother goes today.”

Dong Yun smiled. “Alright, we’ll go wherever Fubao wants to today.”

Where could she go? She would be working in the public office. This little one wouldn’t stay still for long and would likely run off by herself.

As they walked, Fubao kept holding onto her. She really clung tightly to her, almost like she was trying to hug her legs.

But it only lasted for a moment. Soon, Fubao was distracted by the sight of Xia Xunyan writing and moved closer to her, curious about how the elegant handwriting flowed from the brush.

Seizing the opportunity while the little one was occupied, Dong Yun spoke to Pear Blossom about what happened in the morning. “Right now, the salt price in the city is still high, and the common people are struggling to buy salt. After discussing with Ah Yan, we plan to tackle the issue from both ends to see if we can solve it in the short term.”

Pear Blossom asked, “How do you plan to do that?”

Dong Yun explained, “Currently, there are three salt shops in the city: Li Ji, He Ji, and Shi Ji. Salt and iron are taxed directly at the source, and as long as we get permission from the local authorities, we can sell it. So, we plan to open another shop. As long as we sell salt at a lower price than He Ji and Shi Ji, we can push them out.”

This way, they could at least eliminate the middleman. Even if they didn’t make a profit, the price for the common people would go down.

And what they were going to do next also required a salt shop for cover, just like Li Ji.

Pear Blossom asked, “What about Li Ji?”

Dong Yun replied, “Li Ji’s case is on hold for now. They are from one of the four major families of Tuo Dong, and we might have to deal with them in the future. It’s not the right time to fall out with them.”

“Do you want me to transport the salt?”

“No, transporting the salt will be arranged by City Lord Murong, with his escorts handling it. We’ll assign some Wuyin soldiers for protection. As for you, I have something more important for you. I need you to help me find the salt mine.”

“Do you want to make private salt?” Pear Blossom asked, her eyes widening. “But does Jinyang County have salt mines?”

“Whether we have them or not, we won’t know until we look!” Dong Yun smiled slightly. “The people from Meng Village caused the tragedy because they consumed toxic salt, so there must be a salt mine near their village. This afternoon, I personally met with the village head of Meng Village. He promised to take us to search for the salt mine.”

After hearing this, Pear Blossom immediately understood Dong Yun’s plan. As for finding the salt mine, she was the perfect person for the task since she had a system in her mind.

Now that they knew the general location of the salt mine, with the system’s assistance, finding the mine wouldn’t be difficult.

“Don’t worry, sister. I’ll take people to Meng Village first thing tomorrow.”

But she still had some doubts and asked, “Sister, since it’s toxic salt, eating it will cause poisoning, so why are we going through so much trouble to find it?”

Dong Yun shook her head. “The salt itself isn’t toxic. The problem is that the salt mines contain various harmful impurities. The villagers didn’t know how to process it and consumed it directly, which caused the tragedy.”

Pear Blossom’s eyes brightened at her words, and she eagerly asked, “Does sister have a way to remove the impurities from the salt?”

Dong Yun replied, “Ah Yan has already screened a group of refugees from the northern Meng City and the Yangjiang area of Shu. Those regions are known for producing well-known well-salt. Some of these refugees might have worked in salt production, such as salt drying or boiling. After you find the salt mine, you can secretly look for these people and bring them to see me. Maybe one of them can figure out how to filter it.”

As soon as Dong Yun finished speaking, Pear Blossom’s system popped up in her mind.

“Host, the invention encyclopedia you won in the lottery contains a highly effective method for filtering salt! You don’t need to ask anyone else. Just follow the steps in the book, and you can easily turn the toxic salt into something valuable!”

Pear Blossom felt an immediate surge of excitement, but she couldn’t let Dong Yun know about the system. She suppressed her excitement and said, “Alright, sister. These two tasks are on me. I’ll make sure to complete them.”

After spending so much time together, she had never let Dong Yun down, and with this promise, Dong Yun knew the tasks would be almost certain to succeed.

Her heart filled with joy, and the worry that had been present over the salt price issue finally faded. A smile appeared on her face.

Meanwhile, Fubao, who had been watching Xia Xunyan write, soon became bored again. Noticing her mother’s soft expression, she walked over and asked, “Mother, what are you smiling about?”

Dong Yun pinched her little face and said, “You’re so cute when you smile.”

Fubao felt pleased hearing the compliment and tiptoed to give her a kiss.