The Immortal Seeker: Legend of Bronze Mirror

"Just outside the city, it's really cold now. According to custom, the Ministry of Revenue would open some porridge stalls as a token gesture, but this year the National Treasury is full, and yet there's not a peep about it," that person muttered.

Someone sneered beside him: "That's because His Majesty held the Yellow River Clears, Blue Sea Calms Conference, claiming that the One Whip Law is the greatest benevolence policy through the ages. Yet many of these commoners were bankrupted by the One Whip Law and had no choice but to come near the Capital to eke out a living. If the Ministry of Revenue were to set up porridge stalls, wouldn't that be a slap in the face to the Court?"

"So we're just not going to do anything?" asked the young Scholar from South Zhili, who was on his way to the Capital for the examinations, influenced quite a bit by the ideals of the Recovery Society and still somewhat hot-blooded.

"What else can be done?"

Yan Shan listened more and more and felt something was off, and said, "Let's go outside the city and take a look."

On his way, he bought the Shuntian Times and a newspaper recently set up in partnership by Mr. Feng and some from the Pure Stream, called the New Citizen Newspaper.

This aligned with the Grand Secretary's reform idea of "new citizens."

Hearing this name, coupled with its supported background, no one dared to inspect it, so the newspaper was easily distributed.

Both newspapers contained articles praising the Sitting Hall.

If Yan Shan had seen this before, he certainly would feel no small sense of achievement. Now he was faintly aware of the seriousness of the situation.

After leaving the city, he indeed saw many disaster victims, and the number was increasing; there were even people sharing stories and ideas about the Sitting Hall in the crowds.

His Society members around him each shared a sense of pride.

But Yan Shan was sweating coldly.

He had an innate talent for bureaucratic struggles, and at this moment, he understood that a great disaster targeting the Sitting Hall was coming.

Yan Shan, almost without thinking, rode at full speed to Feng Mansion.

"Quick, I need to see your master-in-law," Yan Shan urgently said to the gatekeeper, not his first visit to Feng Mansion.

"During these few days, the master-in-law has been at West Mountain Coal Mine; doesn't Yan Editor know?"

"West Mountain Coal Mine?" Yan Shan was, of course, aware of this place; since the Khitans occupied Yanyun, they had been mining coal in the West Mountain near the Capital as fuel.

However, coal was far inferior to charcoal and firewood for heating and cooking, producing more smoke and ash. Nevertheless, as the forest near the Capital was overharvested throughout the years, the price of firewood grew more expensive, and using coal became cheaper for heating in winter.

Yan Shan did not understand why, at this critical juncture of the Sitting Hall, there was a need to go to West Mountain Coal Mine, but the situation was urgent and evidently could not accommodate delay.

Yan Shan hastened towards West Mountain.

Upon arrival, he saw Xu Qing and Taoist Gu discussing something, with a bunch of honeycomb-shaped coal beside them.

"Weizhong, what is making you so panicked?" Upon Yan Shan's appearance, naturally, Xu Qing noticed and gave Yan Shan a dispassionate smile.

Yan Shan got straight to the point and shared his discovery with Xu Qing.

Xu Qing chuckled: "Such minor matters; why the hurry?"

"So the Sitting Hall had a plan in place already; I was concerned over nothing," Yan Shan's heart instantly returned to peace.

Xu Qing then pointed to the honeycomb-shaped coal and said, "These past days, I've asked Taoist Gu to wrangle with these, specifically to address the disaster victims' issue."

Taoist Gu said, "To summon an old Dao like me for such trivial mechanisms is really using a steam hammer to crack nuts."

Xu Qing laughed heartily: "If not for Taoist Gu's intervention, I wouldn't trust anyone else to do the job."

Taoist Gu stroked his beard, "This Ministry of Industry of the Great Yu Dynasty truly lacks talented people; none compare to me."

He initially had a high opinion of the Ministry of Industry's depth and regarded it as exceptional. But after closer contact, he couldn't help but be greatly disappointed.

Fortunately, with Xu Qing's intervention, he could access many of the Ministry's top secrets.

In his view, many things were far behind Fang Immortal Dao, but there were also some remarkable aspects. Furthermore, the resources of the Great Yu Dynasty were indeed substantial, benefiting his practice of external Dao.

Xu Qing thanked Taoist Gu with a bow and then said to Yan Shan: "In winter, the disaster victims face three woes: food, shelter, and fuel for heating. My intention is to use these disaster victims to mine for coal and construct shanties nearby. The coal produced can be used for selling and heating."

Xu Qing had already inquired clearly: West Mountain Coal Mine was co-owned by the Imperial Family, some nobles, and the Ministry of Industry.

His plan was to take this chance to contract the mining of West Mountain Coal Mine.

The advantages of honeycomb coal were many compared to the rough coal currently used, and the technique could be further improved. Having coal as the energy foundation, more impressive mechanisms could be studied.

The Soul Stone Vein had its benefits, but the coal mine's utilization was also boundlessly ingenious.

Moreover, combining Dao Skill with mechanisms could fundamentally solve many issues.

The Gentleman is alike in nature, but is versatile in his use of things!

In Xu Qing's eyes, whether it was Dao Skill or Martial Arts, there was nothing mystical about them; they could be combined with each other's strengths and his own knowledge from his previous life, to be utilized.

The Court might see disaster victims as a burden, but to Xu Qing, they were invaluable assets.

Yan Shan, having heard Xu Qing's methods, couldn't help but admire him greatly.

After all, the Sitting Hall was indeed the Sitting Hall.

What seemed like insurmountable difficulties to him were, to the Sitting Hall, excellent opportunities.

"The one who assists in great affairs must take people as the foundation; now that the people turn to me, I shall not abandon them," Xu Qing said contentedly.

The matter of the coal mine was also part of Xu Qing's deal with the Grand Secretary.

Only back then, he did not mention the disaster victims.

And Xu Qing didn't expect the Emperor to pull such a move.

Well then, just let it flow with the current.

Schemes and tricks are trivial matters.

Xu Qing came to the Capital to show these worms that acting uprightly, one can handle big affairs, and do them well.

And with the Emperor's assist, Xu Qing's gains seem to be greater than he initially expected.

…

…

Yanyue Hall.

"Prime Minister, trouble's brewing with Xu Gongming," someone reported to the Grand Secretary.

The Grand Secretary looked at the reports and set them aside.

"I know, no need to bother with this," he said indifferently, then vigorously wrote a line on a sheet of paper,

"Bearing the filth of the nation!"

He suddenly understood the Emperor's protective intentions toward Xu Qing.

After all, the Emperor was the Emperor.

Having written, the Grand Secretary sighed deeply.