Bai Sheng smiled, "Zhang Jiawang's ability to exploit loopholes and use you indicates that your mine originally intended to cause trouble for our Hongshu Slope.
I'd like to ask you, we never seek trouble and have always kept to ourselves, for what reason do you come looking for our trouble?"
Huang Xiaoyan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He hadn't expected this plump woman to see through their ruse at a glance. Framing them for stealing precious ore was just a cover; they had another purpose for coming. However, should he reveal their true objective?
"You won't speak, will you?" Bai Sheng raised her hand and gestured to Baoyu and Shandian. Baoyu immediately opened his massive maw, let out two roars, and advanced on Huang Xiaoyan. Shandian, coiling its body, approached the other overseers and guards, its forked tongue flicking wildly.
The men cowered, shrinking back. As they retreated, whether from extreme fear or something else, they found their legs utterly weak. The more they tried to exert force, the weaker they became, until they all collapsed onto the ground.
"You... what exactly did you do to us?!" one of the overseers, having regained some sense, asked Bai Sheng with a trembling voice.
Bai Sheng raised an eyebrow slightly, "I put a lot of medicinal powder on the tail of my large silver snake. When it slapped you with its tail earlier, it was also scattering the powder. The effects of the medicine should be taking hold in your bodies now. How does it feel? Do you feel powerless all over?"
The overseers and guards were filled with panic. Were they all going to perish here today? Weren't they told the mistress was a former slave and easy to bully?
"Now, can you tell me the truth? Why did you come to cause trouble for our Hongshu Slope?" Bai Sheng asked unhurriedly, "Speak it out, and I will spare your lives for now. If you refuse to speak—"
Several people immediately chimed in, "It's... it's because your Hongshu Slope's wages are too high, and the miners have all come to work for you. Our mine can't recruit workers and... and is delaying production."
Bai Sheng's eyes widened in realization, "So that's how it is. But your mine could also raise its wages to attract miners. The laws of Da Xia do not stipulate that paying higher wages is a crime. Your mine lacks capability, yet you blame us, which is clearly the act of bullies and the powerful oppressing the weak!"
Upon learning the reason, the residents of Hongshu Slope were all extremely indignant. It was precisely because the Big Madam offered high wages that they could support their families and provide a glimmer of hope for many poor farmers in the vicinity to survive.
They never imagined that the mine, unwilling to increase wages themselves, would try to sabotage Hongshu Slope and force them to do heavy labor with extremely low pay, which was barely enough to support oneself, let alone a family.
Fine, tomorrow they would definitely spread the word among the workers, letting everyone know that because of the mine's bullying and coercion, their golden rice bowls at the Big Madam's place might be at risk.
They wanted to see who had the greater numbers!
Some with sharp tongues directly cursed at the dozen people sprawled on the ground.
"The Big Madam is right, they are bullies and bandits who oppress the weak!"
"They are incapable themselves, yet they don't allow others to be capable? Is it a crime for others to be capable?"
"We don't know who their backer is, but if they continue like this, their mine will surely close down sooner or later!"
"Who cares who their backer is! Even if it's the heavens, so what? If they snatch our livelihood, we'll fight them!"
"Yes! Fight them!"
"It would be great if Official Ji wasn't in town today, then we could just arrest all these thugs and ruffians!"
"I think we should just chop them all up and throw them into the septic tank to be composted! Anyway, we're all in agreement, they won't be able to trace it back to us!"
Listening to the curses from the Hongshu Slope residents, the overseers and guards trembled.
Bai Sheng said to Yang Ming, "Xiao Ming, Xiao Ma, drag Huang Xiaoyan over."
Yang Ming and Wang Xiaoma stepped forward and dragged Huang Xiaoyan to Bai Sheng.
Bai Sheng smiled faintly, lowering her voice slightly, "Huang Xiaoyan, go back and tell your superiors that your mine's shortage of miners is not Hongshu Slope's problem.
The wages that this Madam wants to pay the workers who come to Hongshu Slope are my business alone! It's impossible for you to make me compromise!
Furthermore, the people behind your mine would not want their secret mining of 'iron' ore to become public knowledge, especially since this is the fief of Prince Yu.
If you don't want to escalate matters, you had best not provoke Hongshu Slope. Otherwise, I will definitely let the entire Da Xia know that your backers disregard laws and imperial decrees, mining iron ore and forging weapons in secret.
At that time, all of you will face execution by beheading, and your nine generations of relatives will be implicated! I mean—what—I—say!!"
How did she know they were secretly mining iron ore? And how did she know they were forging weapons in secret?!!
He knew about the secret mining of iron ore, but he, Huang Xiaoyan, didn't even know about the secret forging of weapons! Mine Head Jiang had never mentioned it to him!
Huang Xiaoyan looked at the young and beautiful, plump woman before him, a chilling sensation tracing down his spine.
The immense confidence and strong killing intent in her eyes were definitely not feigned.
Was this... was this woman of slave origin?
How did she seem completely unlike one?
At this moment, Huang Xiaoyan was terrified. He just wanted to leave this place that housed a large snake and a large wolf, this place where poison was scattered without anyone noticing, this place with a plump woman whose gaze could kill, "This Madam, you... if you give us the antidote, we... we will never come here again."
Bai Sheng hadn't intended to take their lives. After all, unless absolutely necessary, she didn't want to provoke the people behind the mine. So, she turned to Ma San and said, "Third Brother, give them the antidote!"
Ma San took out a white porcelain bottle from his embrace and gave each person an antidote pill.
A moment later, Huang Xiaoyan shakily got up and waved to the stunned guards, "Withdraw, withdraw immediately... retreat!"
The guards, their legs still weak, scrambled onto their horses, turned tail, and fled in a sorry state.
Bai Sheng led everyone back to the bamboo pavilion and instructed Ma San and Yang Ming to strengthen the security defenses of Hongshu Slope in the coming days.
Ma San and Yang Ming solemnly agreed.
After the New Year, the guard team had recruited more members. Children aged six and above, regardless of gender, could join.
The older ones were responsible for night patrols, while the younger ones patrolled during the day, in groups of two or three, with rotating shifts for morning, afternoon, and evening.
In addition to patrols, the guard team's training was not neglected. Every morning, led by the guard team, everyone in Hongshu Slope exercised for two hours.
Every ten days, Bai Sheng held a safety meeting for all residents of Hongshu Slope. "Our Hongshu Slope is getting better and better, and surely many people are envious. The number of people secretly causing trouble is by no means small.
To protect our homeland, all residents must participate in morning exercises. Only by strengthening our bodies and mastering martial arts can we easily deal with external enemies when they arrive, and work together. Moreover, our lives will only get better in the future; only with good health can we get sick less often and live longer."
With Bai Sheng's encouragement, everyone in Hongshu Slope actively participated in morning exercises, with no one slacking off. After all, life was good now, and everyone wanted a healthy body and a long life.
In addition to exercise and martial arts, Bai Sheng also purchased many books on military strategy and tactics, specifically asking Yang Ming to lead the guard team in studying them. As a guard team, they needed to be not only physically strong but also mentally sharp; a team with both courage and wisdom is a powerful one.