Chapter Nine: The Evasive Prefect

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By the time Shen Jifeng had finished her second cup of tea, Huang Bai stepped into the main hall of the government office, a broad smile plastered across his face. “Your servant pays respects to the Princess. I was unaware of your arrival and thus failed to welcome you properly…”

“Lord Huang,” Shen Jifeng cut him off abruptly, “You seem quite at ease—during broad daylight, you’re not stationed at the office but hiding at home drinking tea. Must be quite the privilege.”

Caught off guard by her bluntness, Huang Bai forced a smile, unused to such directness in official circles where roundabout speech was the norm.

“Please forgive me, Princess. It’s not that I have neglected my duties; there was an urgent matter at home today, which is why I wasn’t at the office,” Huang Bai offered a feeble excuse.

Far from the emperor’s eyes, local officials often indulged in abuses of power. Shen Jifeng was not a royal inspector and had no authority over his administrative duties; her real purpose was to retrieve the artisans who had fled.

“Lord Huang, I have taken over the silver mines in the Western Capital. I promised the emperor grandfather to produce refined silver within three months. Discounting yesterday, the deadline is August 9—eighty-nine days away. Now the mine lacks artisans. Tell me, if I fail this task, would you not bear some responsibility?”

Huang Bai sneered inwardly, thinking it was a scare tactic, one not easily employed.

“Princess, though I am the magistrate of the Western Capital, I have no authority over the artisans at the mine. It’s like the shops on this street; who they hire is up to the shopkeepers. The silver mine has its own overseer. You should speak to Manager Zheng—only he knows where the artisans have gone. I have never dealt with him.”

His words echoed those of Lin Congjun, and Shen Jifeng finally understood whom he resembled—truly, a crooked beam cannot support straight rafters.

She smiled faintly. “I understand; the county magistrate cannot compare to the current manager. Besides, the mine is at least a hundred miles from your office; it’s understandable you’re out of touch.”

Huang Bai nodded repeatedly. “Thank you, Princess, for your understanding. That is indeed the case.”

“However,” Shen Jifeng lifted her delicate chin as Jin Chai handed her a ledger.

“On the first day of the fourth month, fifteen artisans were seconded to the Western Capital government to repair the magistrate’s garden,” Shen Jifeng flipped through the book as she spoke. “Lord Huang, your garden is quite large—you borrowed artisans for a whole month. Then on the fifth day, you borrowed eight more to repair a residence. This address appears to be your newly acquired concubine’s home, is it not?”

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Shen Jifeng shook the ledger in her hand. “This is the account book left by Manager Zheng. Lord Huang, is what’s written here true?”

Huang Bai’s face shifted from pale to flushed, then darkened to a deep shade almost suitable for a dye house.

“It seems you and Manager Zheng are not as unfamiliar as you claimed,” Shen Jifeng said with a teasing smile. “Lord Huang, I may not be versed in court affairs, but if the Censor knew of this situation, would they accuse you of abusing your power or of lining your own pockets?”

Sweat beaded on Huang Bai’s forehead, and his fingers clenched the sleeve of his official robe involuntarily. Forcing a smile, his voice trembled slightly. “Princess, forgive me. It was wrong of me to divert artisans for private repairs.”

Shen Jifeng shook her head. “Lord Huang, you are a clever man. That is not the answer I seek.”

He cursed himself for his greed that day, allowing the Princess to catch him red-handed. Hastily, he knelt before her, no longer caring for formalities. “Princess, I truly do not know where the artisans or Manager Zheng have gone. But I do know that Manager Zheng is related by marriage to a clerk in the Ministry of Works named Guo Han. Zheng has always been appointed by the Ministry.”

Shen Jifeng tilted her head, signaling him to continue.

After a pause, Huang Bai continued, “As far as I know, the artisans at the Western Capital silver mine are not randomly conscripted from the populace. They are descendants of registered mining households from the previous dynasty, gathered with great effort by the Ministry of Works. Our great Ning’s mining rights have always belonged to the court and have not been opened to the public. The emperor granted you permission, but the Ministry resents it, which is why the artisans have disappeared.”

Shen Jifeng had long suspected the Ministry opposed her takeover of the mine, but she hadn’t expected such underhanded tactics.

“What else do you know about the mine?” she pressed.

Wiping the sweat from his brow in embarrassment, Huang Bai waved his hands. “Nothing more, Princess. The criminals at the mine are desperate men. I will order my men to discipline them so they work properly.”

“As for the artisans, I truly do not know. Even if you report me, I will accept the consequences.”

Shen Jifeng helped him to his feet. She would have to work with Huang Bai as the magistrate of the Western Capital. Since she now held some leverage, there was no reason to burn bridges. A different official might be less cooperative.

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“Lord Huang, please rise. Don’t speak so. The silver mine lies within the Western Capital’s territory. We are one family and should not quarrel. There will be many occasions when we need your assistance. I hope you will not delay. If there is anything you require of me as magistrate, just say the word.”

Huang Bai bowed repeatedly, unwilling to refuse. By now it was past noon; he hadn’t even dared to offer Shen Jifeng a meal. As for Shen Jifeng, she had no time for distractions. Passing by her own home twice without entering, she returned directly to Bianjing.

Bianjing, the imperial capital of Great Ning, lay over two hundred miles away from the Western Capital. The jostling carriage ride made Jin Chai pity her mistress’s arduous journey.

“What kind of business is this? Since taking the post, you haven’t even had a moment’s rest or a proper meal. Princess, let’s just abandon this lousy silver mine; who cares who gets it?”

Shen Jifeng shut her eyes and feigned sleep. She had barely slept the night before and now found herself unable to do so. “Too many covet it. Haven’t you seen how the Ministry of Works has shamelessly battled over it? Your princess is now the envy of all.”

“But it’s so hard. The mine is filthy and chaotic. Those criminals insulted you, yet you didn’t retaliate. Just thinking about their looks frightens me,” Jin Chai said, still shaken. “Princess, let’s not return to the capital this time. You should speak honestly with the emperor. He won’t blame you.”

“Every beginning is difficult. Once things are on track, it will be fine.”

“If the young prince were here, he wouldn’t approve either,” Jin Chai offered as a last hope, seeing Shen Jifeng unmoved.

Shen Jifeng opened her eyes and rested her head on Jin Chai’s lap. “You want me to be like other princesses—stay quietly at home and find a good husband.”

“No, I think you’re good at business. It’s just that the silver mine is too dangerous. I want you safe.”

“Well, there’s no way around it,” Shen Jifeng made a funny face. “Other princesses like fancy clothes and jewelry. Your princess likes silver. So, this silver mine is mine to keep!”