Chapter Thirty-Four: Saburo’s Clever Plan

Wei Xiao frowned slightly, yet he did not defy the Princess’s command, following Shen Jifeng silently toward the backyard.

The courtyard was draped in stillness. Lanterns of plain silk hung from the four corners of the pavilion, their candle flames flickering gently and casting shadows of the occupants that stretched and shrank against the bluestone floor.

Shen Jifeng strode toward the pavilion, her robes stirring a cool breeze. She brushed aside the drooping vines and sat on a stone stool, the candlelight filtering through the carved wooden railings to cast fragmented light and shadow across her face.

"Why are you just standing there? Sit." She patted the stone stool beside her and tapped the wine pot with her fingertips, producing a crisp sound.

Wei Xiao stepped into the pavilion in silence. The lantern light caught his stern profile, carving out a sharp outline. He lowered his gaze, his eyes fixed on the wine cup upon the stone table.

"Princess, I have taken a vow never to touch a drop of wine."

Shen Jifeng downed the cup of wine in one gulp. "You are a strange one. Who in their right mind would make such a vow?"

Wei Xiao watched her with a cold eye. She had only had one cup; how was she already showing signs of intoxication?

"You have a secret!" Shen Jifeng drank another.

Wei Xiao noticed that Shen Jifeng was drinking without eating a bite of food. At this rate, even the legendary poet Li Bai would have been drunk.

"Princess, please, eat something to line your stomach instead of just drinking."

Seeing her reach for another cup, Wei Xiao grabbed her arm. "Princess, is something troubling you?"

Shen Jifeng stared at Wei Xiao’s severed finger. "You said last time it was an accident—you must be lying to me. You are a skilled martial artist, and the cut is so clean; it could only have been self-inflicted."

Holding her cup, she rose from the stone stool. Three cups in, her tongue had loosened.

"What could possibly be troubling me? I just want to smelt silver as soon as possible and make a fortune."

"When I have the silver, I will slap those old fogies in the court right across their faces. And my little aunt, too—always trying to trip me up behind my back. Once I catch my breath, I’ll show her how I handle things!"

Wei Xiao was certain: Shen Jifeng was drunk. Her tolerance was likely such that she became intoxicated at the mere scent of alcohol.

With no one else around, Wei Xiao seized the opportunity. "Princess, have you ever donated pay to the Diannan Army?"

"Military pay… that is a huge, a truly huge sum of silver."

Wei Xiao shook his head and tried another approach. "Princess, is the Shen Firm yours?"

"Hahahaha!" Shen Jifeng suddenly stood up and laughed at him. "Hahahaha, the Shen Firm is super big!"

Having said that, she staggered twice and collapsed onto the stone stool, falling fast asleep.

Wei Xiao sighed at the heavens. Such a golden opportunity, yet he had learned nothing. His already heavy heart felt even heavier.

He could not leave her sleeping there, so he went to find one of the villa’s maids and had the unconscious Princess taken back to her quarters.

Just past seven in the morning on the thirtieth of May, Jin Chai, Qiu Yang, and Uncle Ma arrived in front of the villa gates with five cartloads of lead ore.

Shen Jifeng had forgotten the entire incident from the previous night. Wei Xiao could not tell if she truly did not remember or if she was merely feigning ignorance to toy with him.

On the way to the silver mine, Wei Xiao deliberately said to Jin Chai, "The Princess was drunk yesterday; she might feel dizzy riding in the carriage today."

Jin Chai’s surprised reaction put Wei Xiao’s mind at ease. "Good heavens! To think she managed to drink while I wasn't around. The Princess’s constitution is such that even a single drop goes to her head."

Afterward, Jin Chai secretly asked Wei Xiao if the Princess had done anything unseemly.

Wei Xiao lied without hesitation, claiming the Princess had simply fallen asleep on the stone stool.

Shen Jifeng had been away from the mine for five days, during which the work had continued around the clock in three shifts.

When the group arrived at the mine, they happened to catch Li Leqi recruiting workers.

The new miners whispered among themselves as they saw Shen Jifeng enter the mining area.

"So that’s the Princess. She’s not very old, yet she dares to take on a silver mine—she’s got guts!"

"It’s just the backing of the Imperial family," an older miner remarked. "It’s bad luck to have a woman in the mines. I don’t think this is a good sign. If you ask me, all this fuss will end with nothing to show for it."

"Don't talk nonsense," someone hissed, nearly covering his mouth. "When the Princess took over, she brought in a Taoist to consult the Mountain God. There was an auspicious omen that day; many people saw it."

Li Leqi let out a shout, silencing the chatter. Originally, the mine only accepted strong, able-bodied men, but with the scale of the excavation, they could no longer be so selective and had relaxed the age restrictions.

With Shen Jifeng’s return, the mine overseers and craftsmen gathered to report on the progress of the past five days.

Old Man Jiang, being the most experienced, spoke first. "Princess, in the five days you were gone, we worked without rest. We have calculated that we have dug fifteen zhang. At this rate, we will reach the vein I discovered in less than two months."

Qu Yifang and Jiang Sanlang worked as a team. Because Qu was older, Jiang always deferred to him.

"Princess, over these five days, Sanlang and I have mapped out the original drainage tunnels. Since the direction of the main shaft has changed, the drainage needs adjustment. We will try our best to modify the existing structures to minimize the amount of digging required."

Qu Yifang pushed Jiang Sanlang forward. "Princess, Sanlang has come up with an unprecedentedly good idea. You should let him explain."

Shen Jifeng’s interest was piqued. She smiled, "What is this good idea? Tell me."

Jiang Sanlang’s youthful face flushed slightly, and he said shyly, "Master Qu is being too kind; it’s not that great."

He led everyone to the map of Tianmeng Mountain.

"This is the river closest to the mine, the Changbai River. It is only five li away. Usually, water in the shafts is either drained into deeper underground areas or pumped out manually; some more scientific operations dig abandoned pits specifically for water storage. These methods are not ideal. Manual pumping is like a mayfly trying to shake a tree, and storing water inside the mine still leaves hidden dangers."

Jiang Sanlang turned to the tunnel map. "Master Qu and I have inspected the existing drainage tunnels. If we connect them at key points and dig about ten more zhang, we can create a drainage outlet to lead the underground water to the surface. Once the water is above ground, it’s easy to handle—there is a stream right at the entrance; we can simply divert it into that and let it flow into the Changbai River."

Shen Jifeng’s eyes darted between the tunnel map and the topographical map of Tianmeng Mountain. Leading the underground water out would minimize the risk of flooding accidents, effectively adding a protective shield to the mine’s safety.

Although it required digging over ten more zhang of tunnels, it was a worthwhile trade.

Shen Jifeng turned to Li Leqi. "Immediately reallocate the labor. Have this drainage tunnel dug alongside the main ore vein." She then looked at Jiang Sanlang and praised, "Sanlang, you are indeed sharp."

Shen Jifeng took the opportunity to cup her hands and thank everyone. "To have the full support of all of you is a blessing for the Xijing Silver Mine, and certainly my own good fortune. Pass the order down: tonight, we roast a whole sheep to treat everyone!"