Chapter 21: Seizing Wealth and Grain Is No Match for Seizing Mines

Hu Dayong thought to himself that this was not good. Lin Chuan’s move was utterly foul. This wasn’t inviting the general to take charge at all. It was clearly using three-edged arrows as bait to lure the general into killing others with borrowed blades! Even he could see through it at a glance—did they think the general was an idiot?

“You’re surprisingly honest,” Chen Yuanshan said coldly, staring at Lin Chuan with a chilling gaze.

“I dare not conceal anything, sir,” Lin Chuan replied respectfully.

Chen Yuanshan snorted coldly. “Enough nonsense. Tell me, how do you want to play this?”

“I boldly request,” Lin Chuan stepped forward calmly, “permission to mine the back mountain caves. Iron Forest Fort will provide its own picks and bear the risks. The iron ore will be split thirty to seventy: thirty percent goes to the Weicheng city warehouse, seventy percent remains in the fort to make arrows.”

Suddenly, Chen Yuanshan laughed, a ruthless edge in his voice. “Thirty-seventy? You’re generous. But I don’t want your thirty percent; twenty percent will do.” He held up two fingers. “The remaining eighty percent, you turn into arrows. Send five hundred arrows to Weicheng each month, priced at forty percent of the armory’s rate. If you dare cut corners, I’ll skin you alive!”

“Thank you, General!” Lin Chuan’s heart leapt. “But as for Landlord Zhang—”

“Landlord Zhang?” Chen Yuanshan snorted and turned to Pang Dabiao, who immediately straightened up.

“Pang Dabiao, tomorrow you take men to his place and tell him I’m building a beacon tower next to the mine. Make him move far away.”

“Yes, sir!” Pang Dabiao saluted.

Hu Dayong’s heart raced. He finally understood Lin Chuan’s scheme. Bypassing the armory meant skipping the Wang Household Department’s extortion. Using the general’s name to seize the mine not only cut off Landlord Zhang’s income but also vented their anger. Selling arrows at a low price earned favor in Weicheng and also pocketed the difference—a kill with one arrow, hitting three targets!

“So, are you satisfied?” Chen Yuanshan squinted, a mixture of mockery and appraisal in his smile, as if trying to see through all of Lin Chuan’s schemes.

“The general’s kindness is rewarded only with my life,” Lin Chuan knelt with a great thud.

“Cut that out!” Chen Yuanshan kicked his armor. “What use is a dead man to me? When you dig out the iron ore and send the arrows to Weicheng, I’ll get you a nominal position as ‘Deputy Armory Officer’ to make those sour scholars in the Wang Household Department green with envy!”

“Thank you, General!”

“Get lost!” Chen Yuanshan barked roughly, though a faint smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

His gaze swept over Iron Forest Fort in the dusk—

Sparks flew at the blacksmith’s forge as Zhao, the blacksmith, hammered out mining picks. Several men argued by the fire about the right time to quench the metal.

Auxiliary soldiers carried logs, shouting rhythmically as they passed. The newly built barracks had beams raised, and the rammed earth walls were a foot thick.

Smoke curled from the kitchen stove, where a woman lifted the lid off a wooden pot, releasing the warm, fragrant scent of millet.

Several older children squatted nearby, helping wash pickled vegetables...

How many years had it been since he last saw such a bustling scene?

Chen Yuanshan clenched his riding crop and suddenly said, “Let’s go back.”

“It’s late, General. Why not have supper before leaving?” Lin Chuan asked, clasping his fists.

“Don’t you have any other questions?” Chen Yuanshan raised an eyebrow, his gaze burning as he fixed on him. “For example—”

Lin Chuan hesitated, then lowered his eyes.

“I’m not clever enough to know what you mean, General.”

Chen Yuanshan bit his lip, almost choking on the unsaid word “rations.”

Damn it... this kid was clearly pretending!

He looked at the auxiliary soldiers behind Lin Chuan distributing wheat cakes, seeing them munch and discuss tomorrow’s plans.

He twisted his words, and in the end, kept silent.

“Alright, you’ve got guts,” Chen Yuanshan sneered. “I want to see how you’re going to feed your seventy-odd men!”

“I will not disappoint your expectations, General,” Lin Chuan said solemnly.

As their hooves shattered the sunset, Hu Dayong approached, voice urgent yet quick-witted.

“Captain, why didn’t you tell the General about the Wang Household Department skimping on the rations? He clearly hinted at it earlier...”

“Taking advantage and still acting innocent?” Lin Chuan shot him a glance and pulled out a hard biscuit from his pocket, breaking it in two.

“We’ll settle the ration accounts ourselves. Once we take the mine tomorrow and open two more furnaces at the smithy, I’ll make sure every brother gets salted bread to eat. Isn’t that better than begging others?”

Hu Dayong looked at the biscuit in his hand and suddenly recalled the smile on Chen Yuanshan’s face. He understood then: some things need not be spelled out. Some favors won’t be wasted...

***

The next day, quarter past dawn.

Lin Chuan had assembled over twenty soldiers.

“Are your blades sharp?” His voice carried a chill.

“Captain, they’re polished sharp enough to serve as mirrors!”

Hu Dayong drew his waist knife with a clang, the blade reflecting the scar at the corner of his eye.

The others responded in unison, more than twenty swords drawn together.

Some were old blades issued by Weicheng, others crude iron forged at Iron Forest Fort, but all had been quenched in Zhao’s forge.

“Good.” Lin Chuan nodded. “Today’s orders for taking the mine are simple: First, drive everyone out—no chickens or dogs left behind. Second, keep everything here—mining carts, iron rakes, anything with iron belongs to our border troops. Third—” he suddenly raised his voice, “Not a single lump of ore from the stockpile must be taken away! If I catch anyone letting that Zhang fellow steal even half a tael, I’ll fill the mine with your heads!”

“Yes, sir!”

More than twenty voices echoed against the fort’s walls.

***

The troop marched out of the fort gate, the sun just rising over the eastern hills.

Lin Chuan led at the front, his battle boots crushing the wild thorns by the roadside.

The One-Eyed Dragon carried Iron Forest Fort’s wolf-head banner behind him.

In the middle of the formation, Zhang Xiao’nian and Wang Tiezhu exchanged excited glances.

That Zhang landowner was a notorious big shot in the area.

He regularly bullied others, seized farmland, cheated tenants, and colluded with officials—ruining countless lives.

Now, the chance to seize his mine had everyone’s grudges boiling over, ready to vent their fury.

Crossing several ridges, the valley with the mine came into view.

Faint voices came from the mining cave.

Turning the bend, a group of mine guards directed laborers pushing wheelbarrows, loading iron ore onto carts.

Lin Chuan raised a hand to rest on his sword hilt. The One-Eyed Dragon understood immediately, planting the wolf-head banner at the crossroads.

The formation instantly fell silent.

Everyone gripped their weapons, holding their breath for orders.

“Sergeant Hu, take men around the back mountain and cut off their retreat,” Lin Chuan ordered quietly.

“The rest follow me for a frontal assault. Remember, scare only—no killing.”

Hu Dayong acknowledged and silently crept around the mountain with five or six comrades.

Lin Chuan took a deep breath, suddenly drew his battle knife, and shouted:

“Border troops here! All unauthorized personnel disperse immediately!”

His voice thundered like an explosion, startling the mules and horses before the mine into frantic neighing.

The mine guards gripped their clubs and formed a circle.

But upon seeing the wolf-head banner and the armor of Lin Chuan’s men, their steps faltered.

The leader of the guards forced himself to shout:

“Military sir, this is Landowner Zhang’s property. Please don’t make things hard for us poor folk!”

“What Landowner Zhang? The General has ordered this land for the border troops!” Lin Chuan’s sword pointed straight at the leader. “If you block us today, don’t blame me if my blades show no mercy!”

Before his words finished, the soldiers brandished their weapons, making a deafening clatter on purpose.

The guards exchanged uneasy looks.

Their leader glanced at Lin Chuan and his group—barely over twenty strong.

Yet they had four or five times that number.

He gritted his teeth and shouted:

“Military sir, our master is the uncle of Commander Zhang from the garrison. Don’t upset the apple cart...”

“I’ll upset your damn sticks!” Er Gou’s furious shout stunned everyone present.