Chapter 303: Chapter 295: Property
When Xie Jue and Xie Xun returned to the Prince Manor, Feiying reported, "Master, General Xiao Cui has sent a letter from Salt City, stating that Grandmaster Zhang is in Salt City and wishes to meet you and the Second Young Master. General Xiao Cui has detained him in Salt City and is unsure whether to let him pass."
Xie Xun had no desire to meet those from Yanyang; the Imperial Tutor, Old Master Zhang, was a direct descendant of Yuwen Jing. Xie Jue said, "Send word to the major city gates to let him pass."
"Yes!"
"Why meet him?"
"As a pastime, there’s no harm in listening." Xie Jue said, "Both you and I attended Grandmaster Zhang’s classes as children."
Xie Xun, "..."
Due to the heavy coursework, he almost set the Grandmaster’s hair on fire!
West Continent.
Chen Jiangdong clashed with people from the Salt and Iron Department at the west gate because a judge from the Salt and Iron Department wanted to transport equipment out of the city, and Chen Jiangdong and his men conducted a search. A fierce conflict broke out at the gate between the two thousand men of the Salt and Iron Department and the cavalry, until Nuanyang arrived with troops to suppress it, resulting in injuries on both sides.
Fengyu, with a face as calm as water, ordered the judge of the Salt and Iron Department and several men who caused the disturbance to be placed in the jail at the government office first. Su Mengwei arrived late to apologize, claiming ignorance of their private transportation of ironware out of the city, and hoped Fengyu would show leniency, as this batch of ironware had been ordered by Jinzhou early on, and they were worried about delaying business, leading to the conflict.
Fengyu smiled faintly, "Uncle, since you can’t make decisions for the Salt and Iron Department, let the person who can make decisions come to talk."
More than a month after arriving in West Continent, Fengyu finally met Zhu Shengkai.
Zhu Shengkai’s dossier had long been placed on her desk. He was a mountain bandit leader who, with several thousand men, seized the iron mines, forcing the state mansion to retreat significantly. A city rampant with mountain bandits was difficult for the state mansion to control, slowly spiraling out of control. Besides Zhu Shengliang, he had one wife, four concubines, six sons, and four daughters, all residing in West State City. He commanded over twenty thousand people, acting audaciously in West Continent, making the Salt and Iron Department his law.
Zhu Shengkai was burly and tall, perhaps due to years as a bandit, exuding a strong presence, with thick eyebrows and large eyes, presenting an imposing visage.
"Little girl, if you don’t want West Continent to run red with blood, you’d better release my people!" Zhu Shengkai hadn’t come to negotiate harmoniously, issuing threats right away.
"Insolent!" Chunlu reprimanded coldly, "This is the City Lord Mansion; the entire West Continent is under the young lady’s jurisdiction, show some respect!"
"City Lord?" Zhu Shengkai looked at the indifferent Fengyu seated at the main seat, "A mere young girl, relying on the bravery and prowess of the cavalry to occupy West Continent, where is justice? We in West Continent were living well, who sanctioned your entry into West Continent, how are you any different from a bandit?"
"When you led thousands to attack West Continent overnight, seizing the iron mines, did you consider your actions as those of a bandit?" Fengyu retorted with a cold smile, "I entered West Continent to implement the equal-field system, ensuring everyone has land and lives in peace. Half of West Continent’s iron mines belong to me, yet you occupy my property refusing to return it; that’s banditry."
"Little girl, from mining to transportation, it’s all under governmental control, aptly managed by the West Continent Salt and Iron Department, the mines are not personal assets. From extraction to smelting, to sale, we’ve never short-supplied the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry or committed any misconduct. The workers in extraction were organized by me, the craftsmen for smelting I maintain, without me, who would mine, who would smelt, who would manufacture? A girl who knows nothing, holding onto the iron mines will only disrupt the Salt and Iron Department’s plans."
"West Continent no longer has a state mansion, thus naturally no Salt and Iron Department!" Fengyu said icily, "Uncle, you never told him the iron mines are my Su Family’s private property, did you?"
Su Mengwei was shocked, "Private property?"
"Apparently, grandfather never told you. The iron mines in West Continent are the private property of the Su Family, bought by the Su Family’s Trading House with great expense, written in black and white, with seals from the Capital City’s Salt and Iron Department. Back then, when the state treasury was strained, these mines were all sold to the Su Family. When were they returned to the Salt and Iron Department’s control?" Fengyu had Nuanyang present the land deed for the mines to Su Mengwei and Zhu Shengkai.
While salt and iron were uniformly managed by the state mansion, private operations were allowed, but mines were deemed Yanyang property, not meant for private trade. Yanyang was unique; due to years of war, the state treasury was depleted, so several mines were sold back then. Marquis Zhenbei wanted to purchase mines but couldn’t directly, so he bought six mines through Su Ming, with money going to the national treasury, and the mines to the Su Family. Though privately owned, they still had to comply with the Capital City Salt and Iron Department’s management, not for private trade. These mines had only started being mined a few years ago, primarily supplying the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry, essentially transitioning from private to public use.
Zhu Shengkai was utterly astonished; the iron mines being privately owned was unprecedented. Since the establishment of the Salt and Iron Department, iron mine exploitation had been tightly controlled by the state mansion; he had never heard of any privately owned iron mines in Yanyang.
"Lord Zhu, Uncle, since it’s my private property, can your people withdraw from the mines?" Fengyu smiled faintly, "My mines, I decide, this is my final warning to you both."