While Pang Tong and his men were scrambling to procure silver for tribute, members of the merchant guild found themselves repeatedly robbed. Not only were they unable to provide funds to alleviate their pressing needs, but their valuables were also plundered. What was more infuriating was that these bandits seemed to appear and disappear without a trace, and none had been apprehended!
"Damn it!" Pang Tong trembled with rage. "Search, search every household. I refuse to believe we can't find these bandits!"
"General, we have searched. We’ve checked inns and residences, but found nothing!"
"Who on earth is opposing us so fiercely?"
"General." A person, dressed as a refugee, strode in from outside.
"What is it?"
"There's something strange about the Imperial Envoy," the man, named Luo Fei and Pang Tong's deputy, said.
"What new mischief is the Imperial Envoy up to?"
"The Imperial Envoy has transported another batch of grain. Quite a lot, and it's all been stored. I've counted roughly, and there should be ten thousand dan of grain."
"Ten thousand dan?" The two exchanged startled glances. "Where did the Imperial Envoy get the money to buy grain?"
"I don't know. Also, another merchant caravan has entered Jiangzhou. They are from the capital, and their leader is on very good terms with Minister Wen, calling him brother."
"Did he bring the grain?"
"No, the grain was transported from Jiangnan. If I recognized correctly, it should be from the wealthy Shangguan family of Jiangnan."
"Ten thousand dan of grain, at current market prices, amounts to exactly seven hundred thousand taels of silver!" Pang Tong frowned. Wen Mohan had only brought one million taels of disaster relief funds, and after giving them seven hundred thousand, there wasn't much left. So, where did the money for these ten thousand dan of grain come from?
"Furthermore, there is some bad news."
"Speak quickly if you have something to say."
"The Imperial Envoy is inquiring about Zhang County, and seems to have discovered its existence. He has also been asking the elderly among the disaster victims about Zhang County."
Zou Yang shivered instantly, his face paling. "General, the Imperial Envoy has found out! What should we do? Zhang County is currently..."
"Shut up!" Pang Tong berated. "You're scared by the slightest stir. You're more capable of ruining things than accomplishing them!"
Zou Yang immediately took two steps back, not daring to speak. Currently, a plague had broken out in Zhang County. They had considered rescuing them, but after sending over a dozen doctors, not a single one had returned alive. To prevent the spread of the plague, they could only seal off Zhang County and let the people inside fend for themselves!
Pang Tong’s face darkened, and he pondered for a long time. Their troubles seemed to have started when the Imperial Envoy arrived in Jiangzhou. Could the theft of their silver be related to the Imperial Envoy? Otherwise, where would he get the money to buy grain?
Once suspicion was aroused, everything seemed to point to the suspected party.
Especially with Wen Mohan investigating Zhang County at this time, it made Pang Tong increasingly suspect that Wen Mohan was a wolf in sheep's clothing. Even if Wen Mohan himself wasn't the one who stole their silver, it must have been someone related to him!
It must be said that Pang Tong’s guess was not entirely wrong. However, even when he went to test Wen Mohan himself, he couldn't get any information. As for the other ten thousand dan of grain, Wen Mohan claimed it was arranged in the capital and purchased at a low price for disaster relief through his connections.
"General, is this matter really related to the Imperial Envoy?" Zou Yang couldn't quite believe it was Wen Mohan’s doing. After all, Wen Mohan was too young, a pampered young master who clearly hadn't experienced hardship. How could he have so many schemes?
"Civil officials are the most cunning. He likely cannot escape responsibility!"
"You don't think so?"
"In the beginning, when our silver was stored, were there any problems? Think about it, did the problems start after we sold grain to him?"
"This..." Zou Yang thought carefully and found that it was indeed so.
"Think about it again, who could silently steal silver from us? We searched within Jiangzhou city, but we haven't searched outside!"
"You suspect that the ten thousand dan of grain is not grain, but our stolen silver?" Zou Yang found it hard to believe. This Wen Mohan was too audacious, daring to snatch food from a tiger's mouth!
"It's not impossible!" Pang Tong now saw Wen Mohan as problematic no matter what. A dignified Imperial Envoy, not staying in Jiangzhou city, but setting up an outpost outside, clearly guarding against them.
Most of the disaster relief funds were used to buy grain, and reconstruction after the disaster was also a major expense. It didn't make sense. Wen Mohan must be plotting something! The more he thought about it, the more dangerous Pang Tong found this person!
"He must be eliminated!"
Hearing this, Zou Yang's eyelids twitched with fear. "General, he is the Prime Minister's only son!"
"Even if he were a prince, he deserves to die for stealing our silver! That was for the tribute to..." Pang Tong stopped himself in time. "If we offend that person, not to mention him, even his father would not be able to handle the consequences!"
"Then should we send someone to assassinate him?"
"Assassination? Wouldn't that leave us vulnerable?" A fierce glint flashed in Pang Tong's eyes. "Doesn't he want to know about Zhang County? Then let him go and confirm it himself!"
Zou Yang swallowed, Zhang County was now a death trap. If the Imperial Envoy went in, it would be a dead end. "How do we get him in?"
"Naturally, by deception." Pang Tong's expression turned ferocious. "I will handle this matter."
Xiao Man flipped through the message in her hand, her gaze falling on Zhang County. Zhang County also belonged to Jiangzhou, yet no one had been sent to rescue it. Pang Tong had also sent people to seal off Zhang County, and Mohan had not sent anyone to provide aid. What was going on?
"Qin Xue, why hasn't Mohan gone to aid Zhang County?"
"It's likely that Master Wen has no idea that Jiangzhou has a Zhang County."
"You mean, the Prefect of Jiangzhou privately concealed this matter?" Xiao Man frowned slightly. The Prefect of Jiangzhou deliberately hid this, could there be some unspeakable secret in Zhang County?
"Have you found any information about Zhang County?"
"It is said that there is a mineral deposit in Zhang County. The Prefect's yamen once privately recruited people to mine there. I checked, and thousands of people went to Zhang County, meaning there are at least this many people in the current Zhang County!" Qin Xue held up a finger.
"Since there are mineral deposits, shouldn't they be rescuing them more urgently? If the mineral deposits are destroyed, wouldn't they suffer a loss?" Xiao Man was puzzled.
"Could it be that something happened to the mineral deposits?"
"What could happen to mineral deposits? Only people can have accidents!" Xiao Man paced in the room. "Investigate further, see if the government took any measures after the flood. If they took no measures and directly sealed Zhang County, it means the mineral deposits inside are likely not simple, and they would rather let an entire city starve than let the news leak out."
"Yes." Qin Xue immediately sent people to investigate the matter.
Xiao Man felt that the matter of Zhang County was not simple. Her right eyelid kept twitching, as if something was about to happen.