Chapter 52 The Abandoned Mine

Inside the largest administrative office of the mining site, Shen Jifeng sat in the primary seat, with Li Leqi standing behind her. To her left were veteran craftsmen like Old Zhang, and to her right were representatives of the miners, including Qin Dachun and Skinny Monkey.

Because one had an injured arm and the other a broken leg, Luo Xian'er and Qu Yifang were seated near Shen Jifeng.

When the veteran craftsmen arrived at the mine, they only just learned about the landslide. Hearing that the Princess had personally descended into the mine shaft to save people, they looked at Shen Jifeng with eyes burning like a blazing fire.

Most of them had been craftsmen for generations. A mine owner who treated miners' lives as precious lives, let alone seeing one, they had never even heard of such a thing.

If possible, they were willing to work for Shen Jifeng for the rest of their lives!

"Brother Dachun knows the situation at the mine best. Why don't you brief everyone first?"

After being rescued by Wei Xiao, Qin Dachun rested at the mine for two days, and then, just like the other miners, began clearing the pile of mud and rocks accumulated at the entrance of the mine tunnel.

"After the entrance was cleared, I went down once. Shaft Number Six still has more than half a man's height of water, and there are over a dozen other spots that need reinforcement. I have marked all of them on the mine tunnel map."

Although Qin Dachun looked like a rough man, he was extremely meticulous when it came to work. Right in the center of the table lay his map with the marked areas circled.

Shen Jifeng glanced at it; eight tenths of the locations requiring reinforcement overlapped with the collapse spots in her memory, so it should be correct.

Shaft Number Six was located at the deepest part of the entire mining area and was also the mine pit furthest from the place where Old Zhang had discovered the ore. Ore veins were not continuous like mountain ranges; while they could generally be connected in a line, there were often interruptions and faulting layers of varying distances in between.

Choosing to deepen Shaft Number Six was a double insurance policy made by Old Zhang to find the main ore vein. By digging from both ends, they would surely hit it from one side or the other, but now this double insurance had failed.

"Your Highness, why don't we put Shaft Number Six on hold for now? Perhaps in ten days or half a month, the water will recede on its own." Old Zhang thought of a workaround that wasn't really a solution.

Shen Jifeng fell into deep thought as she looked at the mine tunnel map before her. Old Zhang had explained the purpose of Shaft Number Six long ago. Because of recognizing its value, they had spared neither manpower nor material resources to dig it. Leaving it to drain on its own would mean all their previous efforts were wasted.

"Besides waiting, are there any other drainage methods?"

A rare silence fell over the room.

Shen Jifeng's gaze slowly swept across the crowd and finally landed on Qu Yifang.

"Master Qu, have you ever encountered a similar situation?"

Qu Yifang's injured leg was propped on a support stand, and he straightened his upper body slightly. "This old man has seen dragon-bone waterwheels used for drainage in Jiangnan. If we could replicate a few, perhaps..."

"No, no!" Old Zhang waved his hands anxiously. "Those contraptions have to be set up on the water's surface. Where is there room for that inside a mine shaft?"

Interrupted so bluntly by Old Zhang, Qu Yifang looked somewhat abashed. "In that case, this old man has no other ideas."

"Can the drainage adit connect to Shaft Number Six?" Shen Jifeng asked him.

Qu Yifang shook his head. "It will take time. The current drainage adit is an improvement made by Jiang Sanlang based on the original one. To dig through to Shaft Number Six would take at least a month."

"Since there is no good solution for now, it can only be temporarily shelved." Shen Jifeng did not like leaving issues unresolved, but clearly, this was not the time to fixate solely on Shaft Number Six.

"Master Zhang, Shaft Number Three is closest to the place where the ore was discovered. You and Brother Dachun lead the men to continue digging. Once you discover valuable ore, report to me immediately."

Old Zhang and Qin Dachun responded in unison.

"Skinny Monkey," Shen Jifeng had not forgotten his performance down in the shaft. At a moment of life and death, he remained calm, and when she faced danger, he stepped forward. To have someone of such steadfast character and fine moral fiber serve merely as a miner was a waste of talent.

"Starting today, you will be in charge of the underground engineering progress, with a monthly wage of three taels of silver."

As her voice fell, a dozen gazes converged on Skinny Monkey—some filled with admiration, some with astonishment, and not a few with jealousy.

"Your Highness, I... I'm afraid I'm not up to the task."

"Afraid of what?" Shen Jifeng stood up and walked up to him. "That day, knowing full well that the underground was extremely perilous, you still dared to go down the shaft with me. Where did that courage go?"

"Exactly," Qin Dachun restrained himself from smiling too obviously, genuinely happy for Skinny Monkey from the bottom of his heart. "You're nimble-footed and have a great memory. You can remember a mine tunnel after walking through it just once. This job is tailor-made for you."

Skinny Monkey's face turned red, his fingers unconsciously twisting the corner of his tunic. He secretly glanced at Shen Jifeng's smiling eyes, and suddenly straightened his slight, thin frame. "I... I will definitely do a good job!"

"The rest of the mine pits will continue to be excavated. Don't let the ore-washing workshop and the smelting workshop sit idle either. Inventory the tools and raw materials, and immediately submit requests to Steward Li for anything lacking or missing, so we can prepare for the ore to come out of the shaft."

Shen Jifeng withdrew her smile and said sternly, "Before the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, we must unearth useful ore. Whether we can fulfill our pledge of life and death depends entirely on these twenty-three days!"

When the crowd dispersed, Wang Dashan, another pillar among the miners, complained to Qin Dachun, "The Princess has no taboos at all. Out of all the days, why choose the Ghost Festival? How terrifying."

Reminded by him, Qin Dachun recalled that the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month was the Zhongyuan Festival, commonly called the "Ghost Festival" by ordinary folk. He patted Wang Dashan's shoulder and smiled, "Which of us making a living at the mines isn't hanging our heads on our belts? Are we still afraid of this? The Princess herself has no taboos, yet a big man like you is getting cold feet first?"

Wang Dashan scratched his head, a trace of embarrassment showing on his dark face. "True, I was overthinking it. But..." He lowered his voice, "Do you think the Princess has a specific purpose in setting this date?"

Qin Dachun shook his head. "Her Highness always acts with method and discipline; we just need to do our jobs well."

On the other side, Skinny Monkey was surrounded by several young miners, offering congratulations all at once. An older miner said sourly, "Skinny Monkey, you've struck gold. From now on, you're the boss underground. We all came to the mines together; if there's any good fortune, don't forget about us."

Because he frequently went in and out of the mine shafts following Li Leqi and did less actual digging, these men had often made sarcastic remarks behind his back. Skinny Monkey smiled, "Rest assured, if there's any good fortune, I will certainly think of you."

Saying pleasant words didn't cost a thing. His mother had taught him to always leave some room for grace in conversation so as not to push people to extremes.

Inside the administrative office, after everyone had departed, only Shen Jifeng and Li Leqi remained. Li Leqi handed over a cup of hot tea. "Your Highness, have some tea and rest for a while."

Shen Jifeng took the tea and took a light sip. "Uncle Li, what do you think of the deadline I set?"

Li Leqi pondered for a moment. "The time is indeed tight, but in this old servant's view, the morale of the people at the mine has united. Especially your move to promote Skinny Monkey—it has given the miners hope that as long as they are willing to work hard, there is a day of rising up."

Shen Jifeng nodded. "That is precisely the intention. By the way, how are the injuries of Luo Xian'er and Qu Yifang?"

"Luo Xian'er's arm has been set, and Master Qu's leg injury requires quiet recuperation. However..." Li Leqi hesitated. "Master Qu seems to hold some resentment toward Old Zhang."

Shen Jifeng gave a light chuckle. "Just craftsmen competing with one another. Go tell Qu Yifang that I said once his leg heals, we will still be counting on him regarding the drainage adits."

Late into the night, the lights in the mining area gradually extinguished. Yet in some corner, a dark figure lingered quietly outside the mining grounds.