“This… is this truly the case?” Yu Shang was struck with shock, abruptly rising to his feet. “Take me there at once. I must see it myself!”
Seeing Wu Kuang force himself upright, Yu Shang suddenly lowered his voice. “Compose yourself. Leave first. I will follow shortly. We’ll meet at the entrance to the mine.”
Wu Kuang immediately understood. Yu Shang feared attracting attention and arousing suspicion. He nodded, suppressing the panic on his face before striding out the door.
Not long after, the two of them entered Lengshan Mine one after the other, moving quietly.
“Sir Yu, look here. The stone walls of this tunnel are rough and freshly cut. It’s obvious they were excavated only recently.”
Yu Shang examined the surroundings carefully, his expression growing increasingly grim. “The rock walls are reinforced with only the crudest of seals. Once the power of these seals is exhausted, a catastrophic collapse is inevitable.”
“This sealing aura…”
At this point, Yu Shang already believed most of Wu Kuang’s shocking claim.
Following the winding, dimly lit tunnels deeper inside, he eventually arrived directly beneath Lengshan County. When he personally witnessed the hundreds of passageways sprawling in all directions like an anthill, the last trace of doubt in his heart shattered completely.
“To complete such a massive undertaking without anyone noticing… in all of Lengshan County, no one but Fang Xun could have done this!”
“A dignified county magistrate, yet driven to such madness!”
Shock, fear, and fury churned within Yu Shang’s heart.
He could not comprehend Fang Xun’s motives.
He was already on the verge of promotion to the capital, so why commit such an act, one that bordered on outright rebellion?
Yu Shang’s eyelids twitched uncontrollably, a sense of impending disaster looming over him.
If such a catastrophe were to erupt in Lengshan County, even if he managed to survive, his position as County Deputy Magistrate would not spare him from blame. He would inevitably be implicated.
“No. This must be reported immediately!”
Yet in the span of a few breaths, Yu Shang forcibly calmed himself.
He was a native of Lengshan County, with no backing or connections within the imperial court.
Moreover, the only artifact capable of directly reporting to the higher authorities, the Tongzheng Dharma Mirror, was enshrined within the county office’s confidential chamber, under Fang Xun’s strict surveillance.
“It’s very possible that the mirror has already been sabotaged by Fang Xun. If I act rashly and force my way in, not only will I fail to report this, I’ll alert him instead and invite death upon myself.”
“As things stand… the only option is to seek help directly from the Commandery Governor!”
In a flash, Yu Shang had already formed a plan. Just as he was about to speak and dispatch Wu Kuang in secret to Shuofang County, the administrative seat of Lengshan Commandary—
His thoughts suddenly shifted.
“Exposing a conspiracy of this magnitude would be a heaven-shaking merit. Once the truth comes to light, Fang Xun and that acting magistrate Cheng Yishu will both be thrown into chains. And then…”
“The seventy-three years of lifespan I borrowed from the heavens… I have only ten years left.”
“If I cannot use this opportunity to climb higher, then when my limit arrives, I will still end in death and oblivion.”
“Rather than waiting helplessly for death, I might as well stake everything on this gamble.”
In that brief instant, greed quietly overcame reason, and Yu Shang changed his mind.
He spoke again, his tone shifting. “I will personally make the trip to Shuofang and report this matter directly to the Commandery Governor. Constable Wu, return to the city and lie low. Do not breathe a word of this to anyone.”
“I only fear that once Fang Xun realizes his scheme has been exposed, he may lash out in desperation and drag the entire city down with him.”
“The underground mine tunnels have already been hollowed out. They’re as fragile as paper. Without someone maintaining the seal, I’m afraid they’ll collapse entirely in an instant. When that happens, the mountains will crumble and the earth will split. Not a single soul in Lengshan County will survive.”
Wu Kuang’s face turned ashen as he nodded heavily. “Elder Yu, when do you plan to depart?”
“No time to delay. I leave now.” Yu Shang’s expression turned cold and resolute.
After crawling out of the damp, bone-chilling mine, Yu Shang did not pause for even a moment. He immediately set off at full speed toward Shuofang County.
As the wind howled past his ears, his mind was already painting a glorious future where he exposed the rebels and rose through the ranks, gaining titles and power.
His steps were swift. In less than an hour, he was already close to leaving the borders of Lengshan County.
And then…
Yu Shang’s pupils shrank violently. A familiar figure stood silently ahead.
“Elder Yu seems to be in quite a hurry. Where might you be headed?”
The voice carried not the slightest trace of emotion. It was as cold as ice that had endured ten thousand years. It was Fang Xun.
Yu Shang’s heart skipped a beat. He forced out a stiff smile. “This official… has a relative who suddenly fell gravely ill. I’m rushing to visit.”
“I’ve never heard that you have any relatives in Shuofang. As the magistrate of a county, abandoning your post is a serious crime.” Fang Xun spoke without expression.
Seeing that righteous and composed face, Yu Shang could no longer hold back. He tore away all pretense and shouted in fury, “Fang Xun, why would you commit such insane and inhumane acts? Do you truly believe you can cover the sky with one hand? Are you not afraid of the court’s thunderous wrath?”
Fang Xun tilted his head slightly, his voice calm and distant. “What nonsense is Elder Yu speaking? I don’t understand a single word. It seems age has finally caught up with you. Perhaps you’ve lost your mind.”
Before his cold words had even fully settled, a sharply defined character, “囚” (Imprison), condensed abruptly in the night sky. It exploded in the next instant, transforming into countless golden chains that lashed out like venomous serpents, binding Yu Shang tightly.
…
The next day, the mysterious disappearance of County Deputy Magistrate Yu Shang and Constable Wu Kuang stirred a wave of unrest within the county office. However, Fang Xun soon put forth an explanation, claiming the two had been dispatched on a secret mission under the order of the Commandery Governor.
For the time being, this managed to suppress some of the doubts.
Before long, however, the attention of the entire county shifted to another matter.
A piece of news spread rapidly throughout Lengshan County.
Over the past year, the increasingly abnormal weather, the devastating flood that struck mid-year, and the growing difficulty in finding new sprouts of Lengshan Grass…
All signs pointed to one possibility. The conditions necessary for the growth of Lengshan Grass had likely been affected.
There was even a risk that it might disappear entirely.
This revelation sent the entire county into chaos.
Within Lengshan County, more than eighty percent of the population bore the burden of labor duty. According to the strict laws of the Great Qian Dynasty, every one of them was required to submit one stalk of Lengshan Grass each year without fail.
But as the saying goes, even the cleverest housewife cannot cook without rice. Now that no new sprouts could be found in the wild, no matter how vigorous their blood or how skilled their methods, it was impossible to produce a stalk out of thin air.
Though this crisis stemmed from uncontrollable changes in nature, the law was still the law. Until it was amended, failure to comply would be met with severe punishment.
In an instant, fear and despair blanketed the entire county. Panic spread like wildfire.
The few remaining stalks occasionally appearing on the market saw their prices skyrocket dozens of times over. Even so, the moment they appeared, they were instantly snatched up.
At this desperate juncture, some laborers who had previously entered the Lengshan mines under the command of Marquis Changle suddenly realized something.
Deep within the abandoned underground mine, there might still be a few remaining seedlings.
This news, like a lifeline, spread from one to ten, ten to a hundred. In the blink of an eye, countless desperate people seized upon this final hope and surged toward the Lengshan mines like a rising tide.