Chapter 319: Shooing Away Flies Here
Between where Prince Jingzhou lives and Canzhou, there’s only the Mianning County separating them.
So, the messenger pigeon sent by Han Lei arrived in Qingshui County, landing in Luo Hai’s hands by noon the next day.
Upon seeing the crooked “Zun Brother Open” on the envelope, he immediately knew who wrote it.
Not daring to delay, he sent another messenger pigeon, forwarding the letter to Beiguan.
Staring at the pigeon disappearing into the northern skies, Luo Hai muttered under his breath, “That girl, could she be stirring up trouble again?”
At Beiguan, the scorching sun was heating the sheet metal roof of the honeycomb coal factory.
Zhao Zun crouched under the newly constructed color steel shed, absentmindedly watching Big Fatty tinkering with bamboo-crafted water pipes.
The clanging sounds of craftsmen reverberated in the factory, with the scent of coal dust wafting in the air.
After Big Fatty’s relentless attempts, they finally produced a functional honeycomb coal stove, and the trial usage displayed promising results.
Though the stove’s appearance seemed rough, it didn’t affect its usability.
The honeycomb coal stoves have now been handed over to Zhang Shiyang and a team of Ministry of Industry craftsmen for mass production, allowing Canzhou residents to cook and warm their homes by winter.
Zhang Shiyang led the Ministry of Industry craftsmen in rushing the stove production, while craftsmen from Fufeng County busied themselves with setting up several steel shed structures—these were meant for storing coal brought from Yin Mountain and providing shade for rest.
“Zhao Zun, look at this connector!”
Big Fatty, face covered in coal dust, held up an intricate bamboo three-way pipe, raising his voice when seeing no reaction from Zhao Zun: “Zhao Zun.”
As if he hadn’t heard, Zhao Zun’s gaze pierced through the shimmering heatwaves, landing on the southern skies.
He was worried about Han Lei, gripping the edge of the pale ceramic cup so hard that it cracked.
Although knowing Han Lei had gone to Jingzhou for business inspection, that girl rarely does things carefully; without her news, Zhao Zun couldn’t feel at ease.
“Hey! What are you doing?”
Seeing his daze, Big Fatty approached, sweat glistening on his shiny forehead.
“You’re about to crush that teacup, are you thinking…?”
Deliberately elongating his tone, he teased with a mischievous squint: “About our beautiful sister-in-law?”
Zhao Zun snapped back to reality, glancing at the cracks on the teacup, then coughed lightly and set the cup down.
“What nonsense are you talking about? How’s the water supply to households going?”
“The bamboo pipe connectors have been improved three times.” Big Fatty offered the three-way pipe like a treasure, “Look at this mortise and tenon structure; it’s guaranteed to be leak-free. However…”
Scratching his head, he added, “This bamboo can’t withstand freezing and needs frequent replacement.”
“Well, forget it! You’ve developed the method, that’s fine; as for the pipes…”
Zhao Zun suddenly remembered the PVC pipes used in Han Lei’s project in Qingshui County, which would make household water connections much easier.
“Let’s wait for Han Lei to return; she has a type of pipe that doesn’t require frequent replacement.”
As they chatted, hurried footsteps approached from a distance.
Xiao Zhengfei, holstering a pistol on his waist and a sword hanging on the left, strode confidently across the coal cluttered yard, holding a segment of bamboo tube high.
“Prince! An urgent message from Qingshui County!”
Zhao Zun suddenly stood up, his deep blue robe flipping the nearby tea tray.
As he accepted the bamboo tube, his fingertips trembled slightly. Although the letter came from Qingshui County, he instinctively felt it was from Han Lei.
Indeed, as the wax seal crumbled with a crisp crack, a faint jasmine scent wafted out—a fragrance Han Lei often used.
As he unfolded the letter, the familiar phrasing made Zhao Zun’s lips curl slightly as if seeing that girl’s expressive demeanor.
In the letter, Han Lei said that she was well, but because Jingzhou saw a large influx of beggars and went into lockdown, she couldn’t leave until restrictions lifted.
Prince Jingzhou is truly benevolent, not only inviting them to stay in the mansion but also donating a lot of silver and food to the beggars…
Though Han Lei’s letter seemed like an ordinary family letter, the astute Zhao Zun immediately gleaned vital information from it.
First, the Duke’s manor case alarmed the entire court, sealing even Jingzhou.
Second, the beggars gathered by Mr. Liu in the capital have reached Jingzhou.
Third, Han Lei is very safe now—not only opening another Drunken Immortal Brew but also hiding in Jingzhou Royal Mansion.
Fourth, Prince Jingzhou produced silver and food to temporarily support those beggars.
After reading the letter, Zhao Zun felt relieved and amused.
This girl could even think of hiding in Jingzhou Royal Mansion like this. He truly admired her ingenuity.