Chapter 88: Dare to Arrest Me?
After Wei Chengchao left in frustration, Han Lei finally had some free time and sat down to write a letter to Zhao Zun.
This was Han Lei’s first time writing to Zhao Zun, and just as she was about to begin, she suddenly encountered a problem: she didn’t know how to write in traditional characters. So she went out to find a brother who could write to transcribe for her.
In the letter, Han Lei informed Zhao Zun of her safety and suggested that he buy some more wastelands by the mountains and rivers in Qingshui County, as she would use them in Canzhou. She also made several copies of the mineral maps and cement manufacturing methods in the system and sent them to Zhao Zun along with the letter, asking him to send people to Canzhou to explore the mining areas...
The main raw materials for cement are limestone, clay, and iron ore powder. These materials are mixed into raw material in a certain proportion, calcined to form clinker, and then finely ground with a certain proportion of gypsum to form ordinary Portland cement.
In this era, all roads are yellow mud roads, filled with dust on sunny days and full of mud on rainy days. It’s a real headache.
In Han Lei’s understanding, to become rich, roads must first be built regardless of development from any aspect. Hence, cement would be the first thing she would use.
Canzhou is located to the northwest and directly north of Da Jing, with vast lands and sparse population, offering plenty of minerals.
Next, there’s the coal mine. Canzhou’s winters are cold, and with coal for heating, the common people will find winters much more bearable...
Han Lei spent the night writing to Zhao Zun, planning the later stages. Meanwhile, Wei Chengchao was tossing and turning in his room, his small eyes blinking, unable to sleep, pondering over his thoughts.
Finally, he decided to agree to Han Lei’s conditions. He could save his life and make some silver, so why not?
After all, the Wei Family has many businesses in the Capital City, not afraid of bearing the name of a few associated with Han Lei.
According to Han Lei’s terms, he only needed to lend his name. At most, he would occasionally visit the shop, chat with the shopkeeper or customers, and make an appearance.
If he couldn’t handle it himself, he could just say it was a Wei Family business. With his father’s old face backing him, anything could be managed.
After all, he considered himself a man who could bend and stretch, and this was just a delaying tactic. The Capital City gathers famous doctors; once he returns, he would seek out one to detoxify him and then make that despicable person pay.
The next day, Wei Chengchao found Han Lei and told her he agreed to her demands.
Han Lei raised her brows and placed three porcelain bottles she had prepared in advance on the table.
"With such a good win-win condition, I guessed you would agree. I, your lady, keep my word: there are a hundred antidotes in each bottle here, enough for three months. Every three months, I’ll have someone deliver them to you on time."
"Haha, thank you, my lady, thank you, my lady."
Wei Chengchao received the porcelain bottles gloomily but had to smile and thank her repeatedly.
He acknowledged it was a win-win condition, but he couldn’t shake the feeling of being led by the nose.
Han Lei then summoned Da Jiu and Yang Haibo, "You know these two. From now on, Da Jiu will handle communication between us, and Yang Haibo will manage all the businesses in the Capital City, so please take care of them!"
Da Jiu had gone to Songyang County with Da Wu, and Wei Chengchao had met him there before.
"Okay!" Wei Chengchao nodded.
"Now that it’s settled, you can take your people back to the Capital City." Han Lei didn’t fuss, "When the time comes, they will naturally find you."
Upon hearing that Han Lei was truly straightforward in letting them go, Wei Chengchao was overjoyed. He took the antidotes and returned to the Capital City with his two attendants, skipping away happily.
With a mix of intimidation and temptation, Han Lei had Wei Chengchao well in hand. Watching Wei Chengchao skip away, her face beamed like a blooming flower.
She wanted to establish herself in ancient times, and the fundamental thing was to earn silver. Business was considered low-tier in ancient times, looked down upon. Moreover, as a woman without a background, doing business would cause her to meet obstacles everywhere.
Her only background was Zhao Zun, yet Zhao Zun was not favored by Emperor Jing.
Now, with Wei Chengchao as her shield, Han Lei could take bold steps, no longer fearing that the suspicious Emperor Jing would suspect Zhao Zun of amassing wealth with ill intentions because of her business aspirations.
After Wei Chengchao left, Han Lei immediately instructed Captain Da Yi to recruit people in Jingzhou, expanding the Da Character Team, not only to ensure the safety of the brewery but also to start training carrier pigeons and establishing a courier service, responsible for fast communication and transporting goods from Canzhou to sell in the Capital City, capturing the Capital City market.
The noblemen of the Capital City are both foolish and wealthy; if not earning from them, then from whom?
......I am the enchanting dividing line......
Canzhou, Qingshui County.
In the middle of the night, County Magistrate Luo Hai was once again awakened from his sleep.
Among the three projects he was responsible for, the pig farm and Tongfu Building had already got on track. The hundreds of acres of wasteland that were reclaimed, after being irrigated with farm manure from the pig farm, were not as barren as before and could now grow crops.
It was the season for planting crops on wasteland after the spring began, keeping him busy, barely having any time to rest. Finally, having returned home a bit earlier, allowing himself a good night’s sleep, he unexpectedly was awakened again in the middle of the night.
Luo Hai rubbed his sleepy eyes as he came to the front hall, his face filled with sleep-induced annoyance. Seeing the three people tied up like rice dumplings on the ground, he found the perfect target to vent his frustration.
"Bang!"
"Who are these people below?" he asked impatiently after banging the gavel.
The three dumplings squirmed on the ground, and in the dim candlelight, one fat dumpling struggled to lift his head.
"County Magistrate. It’s me, it’s me!"
Luo Hai didn’t recognize him at first but felt the voice was somewhat familiar, so he picked up the oil lamp on the desk and stepped forward for a closer look.
"Wei Dabao, how come it’s you?"
Recognizing the person speaking, Luo Hai’s pupils shrank, shocked at the beaten, blue-and-bloated figure in front of him, and his sleep vanished in an instant.
"What happened to you? How did you end up in such a state?"
Wei Dabao was a member of a branch of the Wei Family, holding a certain status in a small place like Qingshui County. Who would dare to provoke him?
"Ouch!"
Wei Dabao struggled a few times against the rope cutting into him painfully. Just as he was about to speak, the Captain Da Yi of Qingshui County took the lead.
"Sire, we caught three more trying to sneak into the wasteland; our brothers caught them all."
"County Magistrate, I’m innocent!" Wei Dabao cried out repeatedly in protest.
"I’m just curious and wanted to take a look."
Wei Dabao felt bitter at heart.
Ever since he first discovered those secretive dealings between the peasants and the County Magistrate. Over more than a month, the people he sent out to gather information have disappeared successively in four or five groups.
Given this situation, he refused to believe that there was nothing fishy going on between the County Magistrate and those peasants.
He was so curious that he decided to take matters into his own hands.
With two attendants, he disguised himself and staked out outside Tongfu Building for three days, only to discover a gradual decrease in the returning peasants each day.
Aside from that, he found nothing at all.