Chapter 17 Bodyguard Ji Mei, Yenshun Mining Theft

That night, Qiu Qiushuang was extremely worried upon learning that Qiu Shuzhi had been assigned to Yenshun County.

“You were doing well as an official in the capital, why are you being sent to a place you’ve never even heard of?” Qiu Qiushuang’s brows furrowed tightly.

Qiu Shuzhi smiled faintly: “One who eats the emperor’s grain must serve the emperor faithfully. Naturally, wherever the court sends me, I must go. Besides, Yenshun County is within the jurisdiction of Shuntian Prefecture, so it’s appropriate for me to go.”

“But you don’t know how long you’ll be gone. For so many years, I’ve always been by your side taking care of you. We’ve never been apart.” Qiu Qiushuang held her hand: “Shuzhi, can I go with you?”

“Not possible.”

She had a mission to carry out on this trip to Yenshun and couldn’t bring family members. Moreover, going to Yenshun County had many risks, and she feared she couldn’t protect his safety if she brought Qiu Qiushuang along.

Qiu Qiushuang lightly bit his lip, his eyes instantly dimming.

Qiu Shuzhi couldn’t bear to see his disappointed look and said softly: “Cousin, don’t worry. I’ll only be gone for about a month. Once the mining theft matter is resolved, I’ll come back to accompany you right away, alright?”

Qiu Qiushuang’s eyes darkened, his lips pressed into a line. The long hair at his temples fell to his ears, the sleeves rolled up to his wrists revealing white wrist bones. His long, strong fingers trembled slightly as he gestured: “Come back early. I’ll be waiting for you at home.”

Qiu Qiushuang’s heart was filled with a thousand forms of reluctance, but there was nothing he could do.

Great women all have aspirations for family and country. He shouldn’t hold her back because of his own selfish desires. Even though his heart was extremely unwilling, he could only endure the pain of separation and support her.

Qiu Shuzhi smiled gently, softly tucking his fallen sideburns behind his ear: “Don’t worry. I’m also very concerned about you being alone at home. I wish I could finish the government affairs immediately and fly back.”

A mild, faint body fragrance lingered at his nose. Qiu Qiushuang’s temples turned slightly red as if dyed with safflower juice.

“Cousin, your face is red!” Qiu Shuzhi teased with a smile, her eyes curved like a new moon.

Qiu Qiushuang covered his blushing face with one hand and ran into the room in a fluster.

“Cousin, where are you going?”

Qiu Qiushuang’s footsteps paused, his eyes slightly widened: “I’m going to pack your luggage.”

“It’s just some clothes, I can do it myself.” Qiu Shuzhi stepped forward, preparing to lift the curtain to enter the room.

Qiu Qiushuang lightly patted her arm that was lifting the curtain, his rapidly changing fingers revealing a hint of firmness: “I’ll do it. You always only bring light things. This time going to Yenshun, who knows how long you’ll be gone. We need to prepare more.”

Qiu Shuzhi obediently nodded.

The result was a cart full of luggage the next day. Besides her regular clothes and official robes, there was a whole package of snacks, and even the tea leaves and teapot she usually liked to drink were packed.

Seeing Qiu Qiushuang’s expectant face seeking praise, Qiu Shuzhi felt as if she was looking at an old mother worrying about a child going on a long journey.

She sighed inwardly, feeling she truly owed her cousin too much. In the future, she must find him a good family.

As the carriage gradually left the capital, moving away from the ten miles of flourishing flowers of the capital, the true face of Da Qi began to appear.

This year’s great drought meant that the further one went from the capital, the less lush green could be seen, only the billowing dust kicked up by the carriage wheels. Outside the suburbs, a group of refugees had already gathered, forced to leave their homes due to lack of water and come to the capital to beg for water to drink.

Qiu Shuzhi’s heart was filled with hidden worry. If it was already like this at the beginning of summer, what would happen during midsummer and autumn harvest?

She concealed the reluctance in her heart and lowered the curtain of the carriage window.

Gu Zheng had assigned two guards to accompany her, one driving the carriage and one sitting with her inside the carriage for personal protection.

The swaying carriage made Qiu Shuzhi dizzy. Unable to focus on the books she had prepared to read on the journey, she simply started chatting with the guard next to her who seemed easy to talk to.

“What’s your name, sister?”

“In response to the official, this humble servant is called An Dai.”

Qiu Shuzhi nodded, lifting the swaying curtain to look at the guard driving the carriage with unwavering focus, and asked: “And this guard?”

That guard wore a crimson robe, with a gold-decorated Miao sword at her waist. She had sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes, her gaze as sharp as a torch, looking like an extremely experienced martial artist.

An Dai smiled: “She’s called Ji Mei, from Yunnan.”

After saying this, An Dai lowered the curtain, blocking Ji Mei’s figure from view.

She leaned close to Qiu Shuzhi’s ear and whispered: “Her mother was originally a great bandit at the border of Yunnan and Sichuan. Later, when the bandit lair was destroyed, the court saw that she was young at the time and recruited her. However, this person is cold by nature and difficult to get along with. She often fights with people over small arguments. It’s best for you to have less contact with her.”

Qiu Shuzhi looked at the red hem of the robe that occasionally appeared under the swaying curtain and the dark gold-decorated scabbard, then at An Dai’s delicate palm revealed when she lowered the curtain. Her heart cooled slightly.

Even though Ji Mei came from a bandit background, which was itself an uncertain factor, at least she had some martial arts foundation.

But An Dai’s palm didn’t have even a single scar typical of someone who practiced martial arts, indicating that she was probably just an amateur.

Gu Zheng had ostensibly arranged two guards for her, but in reality, it seemed neither could be relied upon. If she really encountered danger, she might be better off handling it herself.

After traveling for a day and a night, the carriage finally arrived at Yenshun County at midnight. County Magistrate Dai Yun led a group of officials to welcome them in front of the government office.

The night was as dark as ink, so quiet that only the croaking of frogs and chirping of cicadas could be heard. The yamen runners held torches, creating a patch of daylight-like brightness in this pitch-black night. The firelight soared to the sky, making the “Clear and Upright” sign on the government office plaque stand out.

Qiu Shuzhi got off the carriage, and Dai Yun immediately came forward, cupping her hands in greeting: “Official Qiu, this humble official has been waiting for a long time. You must be tired from your journey. Please follow me to the back hall.”

Qiu Shuzhi smiled slightly, her eyes sweeping inconspicuously, taking in the reactions of the crowd around.

Of these torch-bearing people, half wore yamen runner uniforms. Their arms were as sturdy as iron, their skin dark, clearly people who had been exposed to wind and sun in the mines for years.

Half of their faces were hidden in the firelight, their eyes containing a fierce light like wild beasts. They surrounded Qiu Shuzhi’s group, the firelight gathering like a bonfire, as if lambs had fallen into a feast of fierce beasts and predators, waiting to be slaughtered and devoured.

Qiu Shuzhi vaguely sensed the danger, and Ji Mei also gripped her sword hilt.

“Thank you, Magistrate. We are indeed quite tired after our long journey,” Qiu Shuzhi said, going along with the situation.

The group entered the back hall of the government office. Without the tiger-like stares of those people outside, the atmosphere immediately relaxed somewhat.

“Since the discovery of the silver mine in the Yenshun area, mining theft has been frequent. It’s shameful to say, but with the limited manpower in a small Yenshun County, we are truly unable to deal with these scoundrels despite our best efforts. In the past, Shuntian Prefecture often sent people to supervise. Their methods were indeed effective, arresting batch after batch, but as soon as they left, the thieves would return.”

Dai Yun thoughtfully poured her a cup of hot tea and said earnestly: “But now it’s good. Official Qiu, you are the Zhuangyuan Lady personally appointed by Her Majesty. You are the savior of us Yenshun people.”

Qiu Shuzhi smiled silently, accepting the tea from her hand but not drinking it, only asking: “Silver mine?”

“Yes.”

She finally understood why for a mere mining theft matter, Gu Zheng would send her here, and why he had deliberately concealed that what was being stolen in Yenshun County was actually silver ore.

In the Da Qi nation, apart from the silver notes issued by the government, the more popular currency among the common people was gold and silver. Coincidentally, Yenshun County had a large amount of silver ore, truly sitting on a mountain of gold and silver.

No wonder the mining theft couldn’t be stopped despite repeated prohibitions. Mining was equivalent to digging up money.

“Do you have records of recent investigations?”

“Yes, I’ll send someone to fetch them right away. But Official Qiu, it’s already the second watch of the night. You must be tired from your journey. It’s better to rest early.” Dai Yun advised with concern: “I’ve already had people prepare a side room for you. Why don’t you look at the files tomorrow?”

Qiu Shuzhi’s lips curved slightly, her eyes containing a hint of a smile. “Thank you for your concern, Magistrate Dai. Please trouble you to send the files to my room later.”

Qiu Shuzhi and her two companions were led into a side room. Ji Mei and An Dai were staying next door to her.

This side room looked ordinary, but its decorations were elegant everywhere. Even the incense burning in the room was high-grade ambergris, its fragrance wafting in waves, inducing sleep.

“Official, these are all the files regarding the mining theft matter. Please review them.” Dai Yun took out a thick stack of documents and handed them to her.

“Put them down,” she said.

Dai Yun placed the files on the table. Seeing Qiu Shuzhi take off her outer robe, looking as if she was preparing to sleep, the corner of her lips curled up.

As soon as Dai Yun left, Qiu Shuzhi immediately extinguished the ambergris incense, dispersing the drowsiness-inducing scent in the air.

Whether it was the fierce looks in the eyes of those county people when she just got off the carriage, or the seemingly gentle and kind Dai Yun, or even this stick of ambergris incense that was too expensive for a county magistrate to afford.

Everything in Yenshun County seemed strange.

She began to look through the files. The records showed that two years ago, Shuntian Prefecture had sent people to Yenshun County to resolve this matter, but no matter how thunderous the clean-up activities were, no matter how many people were arrested or sentenced, in the end, these small silver kilns would always rise from the ashes.

Qiu Shuzhi looked up at the stick of ambergris incense she had extinguished.

The four words ‘collusion between officials and bandits’ suddenly surged into her mind.

“Official, you’re not sleeping yet?” A woman’s low, muffled voice came from outside the door, the moonlight outlining her figure in a robe.

Qiu Shuzhi was startled by her abrupt voice, then felt some surprise when she recognized it: “Ji Mei?”

“Mm.”

Qiu Shuzhi got up to open the door and indeed saw Ji Mei still in her daytime attire, showing no sign of preparing for bed.

“I couldn’t sleep. You must be tired after driving the carriage all day. Go back and rest quickly, don’t worry about me,” she said.

Ji Mei stood outside the door, looking at the brightly lit room inside and the half-burned candle, her brows furrowed in deep thought.

“Is the official worried about the silver mine matter?”

Qiu Shuzhi smiled: “Isn’t that why I came here, to resolve the silver mine issue?”

Ji Mei looked at the files behind her that had been read through more than half, and her expression, tense for the entire day, finally softened somewhat.

“Please take care of yourself, Official,” she said dryly.

Qiu Shuzhi was slightly surprised. This person had driven the carriage all day without saying a word, as silent as a block of wood, but tonight she actually took the initiative to show concern.