Chapter Three: Malicious Delay

Drip, drip.

The sound of water echoed endlessly in the deathly silent mine, magnified by the oppressive air and mingling with the heavy breaths of two figures. The relentless beat struck Shen Jifeng’s taut nerves. The air reeked of earth, rotting wood, and a suffocating sense of despair.

“Are you scared now?” Shen Jifeng’s voice carried a barely perceptible tremor.

Skinny Monkey groped along the mine wall, his fingertips meeting cold, slick stone that unsettled him.

“Scared? Of course I’m scared! I still have a mother and a little sister to support, and I haven’t even married yet.”

Shen Jifeng’s lips twisted into a bitter smile. Even at this moment, he could make jokes—his resilience remarkable. If they managed to escape, he’d be someone worth nurturing.

“Steward Li wouldn’t just abandon us, would he?”

Skinny Monkey fumbled to retrieve the lantern knocked over by the tremor. Before Shen Jifeng could reply, he answered himself, “He can’t. Even if he doesn’t care about us miners, he wouldn’t ignore you.”

Shen Jifeng closed her eyes, trembling hand pressed to her chest. She couldn’t panic now; the more dire the situation, the more she had to remain calm. “Don’t worry. He’ll certainly find a way to rescue us from outside.”

She drew a fire striker from the waterproof leather pouch at her waist and blew gently. At last, a faint glow pierced the pitch-black world. Together, they managed to light the lantern. The mine’s lanterns were made of special material; the oil wouldn’t easily spill, and the paper was fire-resistant sheepskin.

“Princess, you’re hurt?” Skinny Monkey saw Shen Jifeng’s face clearly: a thin line of blood traced from her forehead down into her hair.

Shen Jifeng wiped at it carelessly. “It’s nothing, just a scratch.”

She held up the lantern, illuminating the surroundings. The collapsed earth and stone had blocked their previous path; water seeped endlessly from the ceiling and walls, forming thin rivulets that pooled in depressions as countless puddles.

“We’re now in the passage between Mine 3 and Mine 4, right in the middle between the entrance and Mine 6.”

Shen Jifeng pointed deeper into the tunnel. Gradually, she calmed from earlier panic; fear was useless, chaos even more so. Water breakthrough could happen at any moment, and every wasted quarter-hour meant greater danger.

“The lantern burns steadily, and there’s airflow here—so the ventilation shaft isn’t blocked. We might starve or drown, but we won’t suffocate,” Shen Jifeng analyzed calmly. “There are plenty of miners above with Steward Li, and we’re not the only ones down here.”

---

Skinny Monkey swallowed hard. “Then… we need to find Brother Dazhu as soon as possible. The more people we have, the better our chances to break through the entrance.”

“Exactly.” Shen Jifeng gave him an approving glance.

Just then, another tremor shook the mine. Both pressed themselves against the wall, their momentary relief shattered.

Skinny Monkey thought of his ailing mother and his young sister, tears welling up. “Princess, if I don’t make it out, will the mine honor its contract?”

“They will!” Shen Jifeng seized his arm and pulled him deeper into the tunnel. “But you won’t need it. Since I brought you down, I’ll get you out!”

From outside Xijing City to the mine, Li Qingyao took less than two hours. By the time Huang Bai and Magistrate Liu arrived, the storm had ceased, the sun hung low on the horizon, about to set.

Li Leqi saw the procession approaching and, overjoyed, stumbled toward them. He was covered head to toe in mud and water, his hands blistered and bleeding, his robe so tattered its original color was indistinguishable.

Huang Bai was dumbstruck. If not for a glimpse of familiar silk at his armpit, he wouldn’t have believed this was the same Li Leqi he’d met once—steady, meticulous, and mature.

“Steward Li, how did you end up like this?”

Li Leqi had no time for pleasantries. “Lord Huang, the Princess is down there. We’re short-handed. Hurry—help us rescue them!”

Now that they had arrived, Huang Bai dared not delay. He waved his hand, and his men immediately joined the rescue.

“Hold on!”

The man who had remained silent dismounted and strolled to the mudslide, picking up a stone and tossing it toward the summit.

The stone struck a tree trunk jutting from the mountain; with a dull thud, the trunk shuddered, and then a torrent of mud and stone poured down, sending miners fleeing in panic. Even Huang Bai’s men dared not advance further.

Li Leqi’s face darkened. “And who are you?”

Magistrate Liu dusted off his hands. “You needn’t mind who I am. The mountain is unstable; reckless rescue will trigger another landslide. The tremors and pressure from above could be fatal for the Princess below.”

Li Leqi replied, “Impossible. The critical points of the mine have been reinforced. It’s not so easily collapsed. The real danger is water breakthrough, so we must clear the entrance quickly.” He had absolute confidence in the mine’s stability.

Magistrate Liu snorted, gazing into Li Leqi’s bloodshot eyes. “Are you willing to gamble?”

---

“Me?” Li Leqi hesitated. He had no experience handling landslides. He studied the man before him: thick brows, goatee, an air of arrogance, but apparently knowledgeable.

“May I ask your name, sir?”

“This is Liu Li, an Assistant Secretary from the Ministry of Works,” Huang Bai introduced. “Liu Li comes from a long line of builders. He’s an expert in dealing with mudslides.”

Li Leqi’s heart sank. The Ministry of Works had never wanted the Princess to take over the silver mine; recently, they’d been at loggerheads over the craftsmen. At such a critical moment, it was lucky if they didn’t make matters worse—how could they truly help?

Thinking this, Li Leqi quickly changed tactics. Liu Li clearly had ulterior motives; the more he objected, the more likely it was the right thing to do. The best approach was to do the opposite.

“All miners, keep digging! Magistrate Liu has already eliminated the final hazard for us. The skies are clear, there’ll be no more landslides.”

Huang Bai watched Li Leqi twist the truth and saw Liu Li’s long face turn the color of pork liver. He felt his head ache; none of these people were easy to deal with. How had his luck become so bitter?

“Steward Li, do you intend to kill these miners? They’re not criminals—they’re honest folk.” Liu Li flung his sleeves and adopted a righteous, concerned demeanor. “I have a way to prevent further landslides: weave a net of vines, secure it with wooden stakes, and open a path from below.”

All the miners halted their work, watching Li Leqi.

“Magistrate Liu, this mudslide is over twenty yards high. Your method would take ten days—are you here to save people or harm them?” Li Leqi nearly spat the words.

“To save them, of course!” Liu Li replied, concise and unwavering. If not for his obvious ill intent, he might have fooled them.

“The situation below changes by the moment. The sooner we break through, the sooner the Princess has hope. If you delay the rescue, aren’t you afraid the Emperor will hold you accountable?”

“My conscience is clear. The Emperor is a wise ruler. Even in the Imperial Palace, I would…”

Before he could finish, a shadow flashed by.

Bang!

Liu Li was kicked into the mud pit, sending water splashing everywhere.