Zhu Shengkai stormed out of the City Lord Mansion with Su Mengwei, seething with rage. He gritted his teeth, "Su Mengwei, I want her dead!"
He flicked his sleeve and left. Su Mengwei watched Zhu Shengkai’s departing figure, his expression icy. His slight trembling betrayed his fury—how could the Su Family’s Trading House’s iron mine turn out to have always been private property of the Su Family? He had never been aware of this. The records of the West State Salt Iron Department had been destroyed in a fire, leaving no trace. They had occupied the West State Salt Iron Department for years without realizing the mine belonged to the Su Family.
Why hadn’t Su Ming disclosed this truth over all these years? Was it because the mine’s ownership had shifted from private to public and he saw no need to inform them—or because he had never considered him part of the Su Family?
He and Zhu Shengkai had no reason to stop Fengyu from going to the mine.
Inside the City Lord Mansion, Chunlu asked, "Miss, are you planning to go to the mine?"
"Yes, it’s our family’s mine; I must go and see it."
Two days later, the Salt Iron Department withdrew ten thousand people from the mine. Though some remained stationed inside the mine, along with workers continuing extraction, a complete departure wasn’t feasible. Su Mengwei spoke earnestly, "Ayu, you shouldn’t have burned bridges with Zhu Shengkai. The Salt Iron Department is under his control, and the mining and smelting operations are run entirely by his people. They hold expertise in various mining and smelting techniques. If you drive them out of the mine, who will mine it? Who will refine it? Such a large mine—should it simply be left abandoned? Do you understand how much profit a single mine can generate for the Trading House each year? You acted too rashly."
Fengyu sneered coldly, "Should I swallow my pride just because he controls the core mining team? Uncle, those mining and smelting personnel are my employees. This mine is mine. Yanyang has plenty of experts in mining and smelting. Without them, I can hire another team from Jinzhou to handle mining and smelting. What grounds does he have to act so smug? The mine is the true asset, immovable and invaluable. If he and his people can serve me, it’s ideal. If not, they are replaceable. And being replaceable makes them worthless."
Su Mengwei, feeling helpless, said, "Fine, then. Miss, walk through the mine yourself, and you’ll see I’m not exaggerating."
"Alright!" Fengyu replied with a faint smile. "Uncle, come with me!"
Su Mengwei froze for a moment, then lowered his gaze and said, "Yes!"
Nuanyang gathered two thousand people and brought along Zhang Hu and Zhang Meng, two brothers who had worked at the mine before and were familiar with it. The rugged mountain paths made travel difficult, so Fengyu exchanged her shoes for a softer, more comfortable pair.
Chunlu asked, "Miss, why are you bringing Uncle along?"
Fengyu, deep in thought, replied, "The night I first arrived in the West Continent, Zhu Shengliang charged ahead to lead the battle, only to be killed by General Chen on the frontlines. Zhu Shengkai commands twenty thousand bandits, yet he did nothing and sought no revenge. I’d thought he was a man of restraint who put the bigger picture first. Turns out he’s hot-tempered, ruthless, and combative—hardly the image of the true master of the Salt Iron Department. If not him, who else holds power in the Salt Iron Department?"
Fengyu said, "Uncle isn’t my maternal grandfather’s true son. Besides, despite such a major incident at the West State Iron Mine, he never reported it. Claiming he’s been blackmailed by Zhu Shengkai, I don’t buy it. We’re unfamiliar with the mine, and bringing him along as oversight is a necessary precaution."
Chunlu said, "Miss, I’ll keep an eye on him."
Qiuxiang hurriedly added, "Miss, rest assured—I’ll help keep watch over him too."
The journey from the city to the mine wasn’t far; there was only one route. Fengyu’s carriage traveled in the middle of the line. Chen Jiangdong remained stationed in the city, while Nuanyang led the two thousand men to escort Fengyu into the mine.
The troops reached the foot of the mountain and began the hike upward. At the mine entrance, a group of burly, muscular young men stood guard. Most capable of working in the mine were physically robust young men. Of the six mines owned by the Su Family, only one was a large mine while five smaller mines were linked together. The Salt Iron Department operated the large mine.
Both open-pit and underground mining were being conducted simultaneously. The young men extracting ore had tanned skin scorched by the sun, and clouds of dust drifted upward. Fengyu’s ears were filled with the clamor of mining noises, while soldiers from the Salt Iron Department stood watch over the mine.
Standing at the edge of a mining pit, Fengyu gazed downward and marveled at its grandeur. The mining pit before her resembled a massive bowl, its winding passages spiraling like a fiery black serpent. The steep cliffs and winding tunnels stretched into infinity beyond her sight.
A dense cloud floated across the sky and blocked the blazing sun. The mine felt stifling and dry, as if inside a furnace. Fengyu quickly broke into a sweat. Standing beside her, Su Mengwei explained, "These past three years, mining has focused exclusively on this area. Our extraction techniques are exceptionally advanced, yet progress remains slow. This mine is vast and rich, capable of yielding abundant resources for many years—it’s a source of endless wealth."