Chapter 2

Great Wei made little use of Blackstone. Perhaps the reason was that the costs of mining and production were too high, keeping Blackstone's price stubbornly aloft.

Only the imperial family and a very small number of high-ranking nobles could afford Blackstone.

Moreover, the coal was mostly burned in the form of briquettes or chunks, with low combustion efficiency. If it could be improved, it would surely turn heaven and earth upside down.

"Old Liu, are there any charcoal merchants in town?"

Liu He thought he wanted to buy charcoal for warmth. After pasting up the window paper, he replied, "There are none in town, but there is one in the county seat."

What charcoal merchants sold was mostly charcoal, far cheaper than Blackstone. They kept only a small amount of Blackstone, using it as gifts for government officials to forge connections and gain their protection.

Of course, Rong Xi had not asked around for the sake of buying charcoal.

Author's note:

A new story is starting~ Please keep supporting me, everyone~

The author is a humanities student recklessly tackling this genre. If there are mistakes in specialized knowledge, please go easy on me~

The protagonist has a Golden Body, not a golden finger, hahaha.

Chapter 2

Because of the seven-day appointment, Jiang Weiping shut himself away to make the device and refused to see visitors.

But Hu Yulin was not included among those visitors.

"Shouyuan, I knocked for ages. If Lady Jiang had not happened to return, I fear I would not even have gotten through your door."

Jiang Weiping had an apprentice quench the device, then raised his eyes toward the young man outside.

He wore a long robe of silk, his hair bound beneath a coarse-cloth headscarf. His features were handsome, his eyes long and narrow, their outer corners slightly upturned. The corner of his lips naturally cocked to one side, and when he saw Jiang Weiping, his smile was sincere.

With a good friend arriving, Jiang Weiping had no choice but to set aside his work. He wiped away his sweat with a cloth, gave his apprentice several instructions, and led Hu Yulin into the main hall.

Lady Jiang promptly served tea and brought over several Cold Pastries, setting them on the table.

"Brother Hu, Eldest Brother, have some tea and Sazi."

Lady Jiang was frank and cheerful. She wore a plain cloth ruqun, her hair arranged in a simple bun with only a wooden cloud-patterned hairpin tucked through it. She possessed no dazzling beauty, yet she was fresh and elegant.

She smiled faintly, open and gracious.

Regret suddenly rose in Hu Yulin's heart. After she left, he could not help sighing. "Lady Jiang is orchid-hearted and fine-natured, and her looks are far from ordinary. That foolish slave must truly be blind."

Jiang Weiping had no desire to say much about Lady Jiang's broken engagement.

Both he and his younger sister had long passed Great Wei's legal marriageable age. Under Great Wei law, they only had to pay a fine of six hundred coins each year; apart from that, there was nothing else troublesome.

Whether to marry or not depended entirely on one's own preference.

"What did you come to see me about?"

Knowing his temperament, Hu Yulin curbed his idle chatter and turned serious. "Winter is coming. I need to mine Blackstone, and I came to see you along the way."

He was the only son of a charcoal merchant in Mengshan County. He would inherit the family business in the future, so he needed to familiarize himself with its affairs. His father had therefore sent him here to mine coal.

The coalfield lay west of Linxi Town. Passing Jiang Family Ironworks, he had come to visit his friend. The two had studied together for years and shared a deep friendship, one that had not changed because of the Jiang family's misfortune.

"Then why are you still here? Hurry and go," Jiang Weiping said. His mind was on the new device, and he had no interest in coal mining.

Hu Yulin picked up a Sazi and bit into it as he said while chewing, "Lady Jiang's cooking is truly excellent. You should have some too."

The Cold Pastries were evenly dusted with cane sugar, crisp and sweet, fragrant and flaky. Drinking tea after eating them was bliss beyond measure.

The two were exceedingly familiar with each other and did not strictly observe formal etiquette. Hu Yulin sat cross-legged before him, leaning sideways against the armrest in a carefree, dashing pose as he reached out and pushed the lacquer tray toward Jiang Weiping.

"Just now, I saw the object in your apprentice's hands. It was quite novel, and I truly could not imagine what it was used for." Hu Yulin held his tea cup and furrowed his brow. "Where did you get such strange ideas?"

Jiang Weiping had pondered it for many days without reaching an answer. Shaking his head, he said, "It was custom-made by an employer. I do not know either."

Hu Yulin had always loved novel things. Hearing this, he could not help leaning forward. "When will you deliver it? I'll go with you."

He had always been fond of people with clever ideas. He simply did not know whether this device was truly ingenious, so he wanted to see for himself.

After agreeing on a date with Jiang Weiping, Hu Yulin left the ironworks and headed for the coalfield west of town.

Several sturdy servants sweated like rain in the coalfield.

In truth, Hu Yulin had always believed that Blackstone's value was far greater than this, but he had yet to think of a clever method and only had a vague sense of it.

"Who are they?"

Before long, three people approached from afar and caught his attention. This was the Hu Clan's coalfield; outsiders would not come near.

One of the sturdy servants at his side happened to have been born in Linxi and knew the local affairs well. He looked into the distance, spotted the elderly man among them, and immediately reported.

"Young Master, they are from the Rong Clan of Linxi. That old man watches over the Rong Clan's ancestral residence. The one on his left is his grandson, while the remaining plump young gentleman should be the legitimate son of Minister Rong from the capital—the Rong Clan's Eldest Brother."

He did not dare call Rong Xi by name.

Hu Yulin had long heard of this matter and held a poor opinion of the Rong Clan's Eldest Brother. Upon hearing this, he asked no more and ordered the sturdy servants to continue working.

Seeing the three draw closer, Hu Yulin could not simply flick his sleeves and leave. He had a sturdy servant step forward to stop them while he watched from afar.

Liu He had lived in Linxi Town for decades and was well informed. Hearing that the Hu Clan's young master had arrived at the coalfield by carriage today, he told Rong Xi.

He already knew Rong Xi was not buying charcoal, but intended to discuss cooperation with the Hu Clan. Though he did not understand what a young master could possibly discuss with a charcoal merchant, Liu He did not ask further and merely followed his instructions.

The three were stopped by a sturdy servant.

"This is the Hu Clan's coalfield. Idle persons, leave at once!" The servant's expression was stern and his build robust as he shouted at them.

Liu Zishi had been confined to Linxi since childhood and had never seen such a scene. He immediately hid behind Liu He, secretly peeking out with a pair of eyes filled with palpable fear.

Seeing this, Hu Yulin could not help sneering inwardly.

The servant was so timid and weak; evidently, his master could not be a man of firm resolve either. The Rong Clan's Eldest Brother truly was as the rumors claimed, knowing only how to bully others by relying on power. Now that his backer was far away in the capital, he had become this cowardly.

Seeing Rong Xi being looked down upon, Liu He's face flushed with anger and his beard trembled. Just as he was about to step forward and argue, Rong Xi stopped him.

This body was bloated, weak, and frail. After walking for less than a quarter of an hour, sweat had already formed at his temples and he was panting for breath.

Rong Xi barely steadied his breathing and cupped his hands. "I request an audience with Young Master Hu."

Having already received his orders, the sturdy servant flatly refused. His gaze cold and stern, he said, "My young master is occupied with many affairs and has no time to receive guests. Young Master Rong, please return."

Rong Xi had originally intended to discuss a joint venture with Hu Yulin, but the Hu Clan's attitude was already clear. He did not continue to press the matter.