The Baqiao Coal Mine in Xi'an was divided into two separate pits.
One was called Baqiao Coal Pit.
The other was Baqiao Coal Factory No. 1.
Just from the names alone, one could tell they were very different in nature.
The Baqiao Coal Pit was an old asset of the Prince of Qin's Residence. It had been mined continuously for centuries, generation after generation.
By contrast, Baqiao Coal Factory No. 1 was a brand-new operation. It had been opened by Gao Family Village after their arrival, built from the ground up in a coal-rich area that the Prince of Qin's Residence had formally ceded to them.
Because the Prince of Qin's Residence and Gao Family Village were, at that time, in a temporary "cooperative relationship," Gao Family Village did not hold back.
All the newest mining technologies were used at Coal Factory No. 1—and, generously, those same techniques were also introduced into the old Baqiao Coal Pit.
Small rail carts, driven by gear systems, ran straight from the mine entrance deep underground. Coal ore could be transported rapidly and continuously, saving enormous amounts of manpower and time.
The result was immediate.
The output of the Prince of Qin's centuries-old Baqiao Coal Pit skyrocketed.
At first, the Prince of Qin's Residence was delighted.
They were more than happy to let Gao Family Village handle all management and technical matters. They simply sat back and took forty percent of the profits, doing almost nothing themselves.
But then—
Human nature reared its head.
After a few months, the people of the Prince of Qin's Residence began to feel they had "learned enough." They believed they had mastered Gao Family Village's techniques, and at the same time, they found Gao Family Village's management methods far too lenient.
Gradually, they began testing the waters, probing again and again, attempting to reclaim real control over Baqiao Coal Pit.
The moment Li Daoxuan gave the word, Gao Family Village complied without resistance.
They withdrew all administrative staff.
They withdrew all technical personnel.
They handed everything back—cleanly and completely.
The Prince of Qin's heir, Zhu Cunji, was overjoyed.
He immediately dispatched his own steward to take over the coal pit.
And from that very day onward—
Zhu Cunji's nightmare began.
The newly appointed steward was eager to make his mark.
His first act was simple and brutal: withhold wages.
In his eyes, these rough miners—earning three taels of silver per month—were being paid far too well. So he invented excuses out of thin air and cut their pay down to two taels.
As for the missing tael?
Naturally, it found its way into the steward's pocket… with a portion diverted to the pit manager as well.
The miners were furious.
Many of them quit on the spot.
Those who refused to swallow this injustice immediately left Baqiao Coal Pit and crossed over to Baqiao Coal Factory No. 1, which was still under Gao Family Village's management.
The steward's second move followed quickly.
Pocketing phantom wages.
It was an old trick, long used by military officers: list a thousand men on the rolls, recruit only six hundred, and quietly swallow the pay of the remaining four hundred.
The steward applied the same tactic to the coal mine.
The miners who quit were never replaced. Their positions remained "on the books" but empty in reality.
The wages for those nonexistent workers went straight into the steward's purse.
But with fewer hands actually working underground, coal production inevitably plummeted.
What, then, to do about the falling output?
That led to the steward's third move.
False reporting.
Every day, Zhu Cunji received bad news:
"The miners fought again today—output dropped sharply."
"Heavy rain flooded the pit bottom; work must stop for five days."
"A transport cart overturned halfway down the road and rolled into a ravine. Severe losses."
Zhu Cunji:
"AAARGH!"
The scene shifted.
It turned out that this entire series of disasters was being recounted—with great relish—by Wu Shen.
At this moment, Wu Shen, Shi Kefa, and Dao Xuan Tianzun were seated together in a private room at the largest restaurant in Xi'an.
The table was covered in fine dishes. Wine cups clinked.
Wu Shen slapped the table and burst out laughing.
"Zhu Cunji has really stabbed himself in the foot this time! Hahahaha! He's holed up inside the Prince of Qin's Residence, knows absolutely nothing about what's happening outside, and gets played like a fool by his own steward! I'm dying of laughter!"
Shi Kefa also chuckled.
"The collapse in coal output has driven him to desperation. His textile factory uses steam-powered looms from Gao Family Village—yet now there's not enough coal to keep the engines running. He's even forced to send people to Baqiao Coal Factory No. 1 to buy coal just to keep things barely operational."
He shook his head, amused.
"Utterly ridiculous."
The two officials laughed heartily, slapping the table so hard that wine cups rattled and nearly tipped over.
Only Li Daoxuan did not laugh.
A faint, strange smile lingered on his lips.
Noticing this, the two officials gradually sobered.
"Squire Li," Wu Shen said cautiously, "it seems you have something on your mind?"
Li Daoxuan spread his hands.
"Gentlemen, what if we… broaden our perspective a little?"
They blinked.
"Oh?"
Li Daoxuan continued calmly:
"Imagine this:
Zhu Cunji is the Emperor.
The Baqiao Coal Pit is the entire realm.
And the steward of the Prince of Qin's Residence—he represents the officials of the imperial court."
"What do you think?"
The instant those words fell, both men's expressions changed.
This—
Good heavens.
An heir confined within his residence, utterly deceived by his subordinates…
How was that any different from an Emperor shut away in the Forbidden City, completely misled by his court?
Wu Shen broke out in a cold sweat.
Shi Kefa went rigid.
After a long pause, Shi Kefa spoke hurriedly:
"Wait—let me explain! His Majesty established the Jinyiwei precisely to prevent such deception! As a Jinyiwei officer, I exist to see what the Emperor cannot see, and hear what he cannot hear!"
Wu Shen snapped back to himself as well.
"Exactly! As an Imperial Censor, I am His Majesty's eyes and ears. My role in Shaanxi is to monitor corruption and ensure the Emperor is not deceived!"
Li Daoxuan applauded softly.
"Excellent officials. Truly loyal to the Great Ming and to His Majesty. Admirable."
Then his tone shifted.
"But tell me—how much of what you report upward actually gets acted upon?"
He leaned forward slightly.
"Does the Emperor always listen?"
"Or does he sometimes choose to close his eyes and cover his ears, believing that as long as he neither sees nor hears, the realm will remain peaceful?"
His voice cooled.
"Or perhaps…"
"…some of these so-called 'eyes and ears' are already rotten at the root?"
Wu Shen froze.
Shi Kefa froze.
Li Daoxuan said nothing more.
He had made his point. Let it sink in.
Just then, the street outside abruptly fell silent.
A large carriage rolled to a stop.
The curtains were drawn aside.
Zhu Cunji stepped down and strode toward the restaurant.
Li Daoxuan smiled faintly.
"He's here," he said.
"The main character has arrived."