Chapter 47: One Hundred Thousand Taels of Silver Snowflakes
“Chief Sergeant, I really don’t know how to do that stuff.” Hu Dayong scratched his beard, looking utterly confused.
“The internal skill you mentioned… is it like those powers in operas that can strike through mountains and bulls?”
Lin Chuan picked up a stick and drew a little figure on the ground.
“It’s a method that lets the body unleash greater strength. Like this…”
With a flick of his wrist, the stick snapped sharply against Hu Dayong’s thigh.
“Do you think your reflexes could be trained to be faster after taking a hit like that?”
Hu Dayong grimaced, rubbing his leg.
“The instructor at the general’s mansion did say those who train ‘listening power’ can…”
“Listening power?” Lin Chuan’s eyes lit up.
“That’s being able to dodge sticks even with eyes closed.”
Hu Dayong lowered his voice, “But the general said that on the battlefield, flashy tricks get you killed fast. Life and death depend on courage. In my opinion, if you have this skill, it’s better to train external skill instead—it’s more effective for charging and fighting…”
“Corporal Hu, do you know if there’s an instructor who can catch arrows barehanded?” Lin Chuan squinted. “Let’s offer a higher monthly salary, say twenty taels of silver…”
“Twenty taels?!”
Hu Dayong almost stumbled backward. “Chief Sergeant, with that money, it’s more reliable to just buy a few more sets of iron armor…”
Lin Chuan nodded.
No need to pursue that topic any further.
Hu Dayong, as a martial man, simply did not understand what he was after.
Ever since witnessing the enemy cavalry archery, he had been pondering countermeasures.
In open-field battles, no matter how exquisite the formations at Iron Forest Fort, casualties are inevitable.
If they could bring in a few genuine martial arts masters, their chances of victory would increase.
But where to find such experts…
Just then, Wang Tiezhu arrived, windblown and tired.
“Chief Sergeant, I have confirmed it!”
He grabbed the teapot on the table, gulped down several big mouthfuls of cold tea, then set it down.
“That girl Xiaocui was right. The Tatars demanded one hundred thousand taels of silver from Master Zhang, with a deadline of five days… Zhang the Old Dog is frantic, scrambling everywhere to raise the money!”
“One hundred thousand taels?”
Hu Dayong nearly dropped his jaw.
But Lin Chuan’s eyes brightened.
The “Xiaocui” Wang mentioned was the female family member captured by the Tatars yesterday.
Rumor had it she was Master Zhang’s concubine.
Yesterday, while cleaning the battlefield, she had curled up beside a pile of corpses.
Her silk clothes were torn to shreds, exposing skin so pale it was almost blinding.
If it weren’t for Wang Tiezhu’s sharp eyes putting a Tatar’s leather armor on her, she would have been openly gawked at by everyone.
“How is she now?” Lin Chuan asked.
“She’s in the backyard washing clothes!”
Wang Tiezhu grinned, “That girl’s quick and nimble; she got up before dawn to help in the kitchen.”
Lin Chuan nodded.
Yesterday, when they planned to send the family members back, Xiaocui knelt and wept, pleading that she was originally a respectable woman whose parents had been killed by the Tatars, then forcibly taken into Master Zhang’s mansion as a concubine.
Now, learning Zhang colluded with the Tatars, she would rather die than return.
“Is the Tatars’ demand revenge for the poisoned provisions?” Hu Dayong interjected.
“Exactly!” Wang Tiezhu leaned in, “The Tatar leader declared that if the silver isn’t delivered within five days, they’ll slaughter Zhang’s entire family.”
“But wasn’t that Tatar leader killed by us?” Hu Dayong was puzzled.
“That was only a messenger.”
Lin Chuan sneered, “Now that Zhang knows we wiped out the Tatars completely, do you think he dares not produce that hundred thousand taels?”
He stood and walked to the window.
“One hundred thousand taels…”
In a world where an ordinary farmer can’t save ten taels in a year, what does a hundred thousand mean?
It means the sweat and blood of thousands of farming families over ten years.
It means enough to buy half a county’s fertile fields.
It means arming a thousand-strong elite force.
And Zhang can gather this in just five days?
Then think of Minister Wang, General Zhang, and Prefect Qin…
“What a tangled web of collusion between officials and merchants!”
Lin Chuan sighed.
He finally understood the immense pressure the general was under.
“Chief Sergeant, what’s our next move?”
Hu Dayong whispered behind him.
“What to do?” Lin Chuan pondered.
One hundred thousand taels of silver…
In his mind, that sum instantly transformed into countless possibilities:
Three hundred acres of wasteland needing draft oxen…
Four blacksmith shops are far from enough; better to expand to ten or twenty…
The troops haven’t reached full strength; auxiliaries and laborers must increase…
And there are many new technologies to develop, all requiring manpower…
Population must grow. Iron Forest Fort should ideally become an armed town…
The chests of silver ingots in the warehouse seemed so insignificant now.
Iron Forest Fort consumes dozens of taels of silver daily, while autumn harvest is still far off, and iron production is nowhere near target…
“Keep a close watch on the Zhang family!” Lin Chuan’s voice turned icy. “This money must not flow beyond the border.”
“Yes, sir!”
Hu Dayong was about to turn away but was called back.
“Wait! Investigate all of Master Zhang’s assets—grain shops, pawnshops, carriage businesses—none must be overlooked!”
“Chief Sergeant, are you going to…”
“A traitor who aids the enemy must have his entire family executed.”
Lin Chuan said slowly, “Since Zhang dares to collude with the enemy, his property should be seized as military resources.”
Hu Dayong’s pupils contracted; his saluting hands paused briefly.
In the end, he said nothing and strode away.
…
Zhang’s mansion remained in utter chaos.
The air was thick with the smell of burning.
Master Zhang stood in the front courtyard, his face so dark it seemed to drip water.
One hundred thousand taels of silver!
The Tatars’ deadline had already passed by a day.
“Master, the inventory is complete.” The steward held the ledger, voice trembling. “Seven rooms burned in the east wing, five destroyed in the west courtyard. Three hundred shi of new wheat stolen from the granary, and losses of gold, silver, and jewels worth about twenty thousand taels…”
“I asked about the silver!” Master Zhang snapped. “Is the hundred thousand taels enough?”
The steward’s forehead was drenched in cold sweat. “Sir, the main house’s vault has forty thousand taels in cash, the pawnshop can scrape together twenty-five thousand, the silk and grain shops can turnover ten thousand, plus…”
“Get to the point!”
“Still nearly ten thousand taels short,” the steward’s voice faltered. “Unless… we mortgage a few shops…”
Master Zhang’s fists clenched so tightly they made cracking sounds.
A lifetime of accumulated wealth was about to be emptied in an instant.
Who wouldn’t be heartbroken?
Fortunately, the foundation of his assets remained.
As long as Minister Wang’s arms trade goes through, and Prefect Qin and General Zhang remain in their posts…
“How is the young master’s injury?” the steward asked cautiously.
“Broken is broken!” Master Zhang waved sharply. “What about Xiaocui? Has that wretched girl come back?”
The steward trembled, “The servants who returned said… Xiaocui… stayed behind at Iron Forest Fort…”
“What?!”
Master Zhang suddenly froze, the wrinkles on his face trembling violently.
“Iron Forest Fort… again Iron Forest Fort—”
His voice rose sharply, “That Lin Chuan!!!! What exactly does he want!!!”
“Master…” The steward nervously shuffled forward half a step. “That man… gave an answer…”
Master Zhang spun around, a cold gleam flashing in his eyes:
“Speak clearly!!”
“The head of Black Wind Village… has responded…”
The steward swallowed nervously, “He said he accepted the job…”
“Good! Good! Good!”
Master Zhang burst into a chilling laugh,
“Tell that man, as long as he kills Lin Chuan, I’m willing to pay double!!!”
“Yes, sir…”