OBS Chapter 328 Keeping Private Soldiers
Chapter 328 Keeping Private Soldiers
Jia Daishan's lips tightened. There was a problem, a big problem! After hearing Hu'er's words, he realized why they had noticed something but hadn't taken it seriously.
Jia Daihua frowned.
"When we visited the salt fields, the people there weren't too thin; they all seemed to be doing quite well."
The Zhen family said that the saltworkers worked hard, and in addition to the wages reported to the imperial court, they also received subsidies from the local government. For this, the emperor even rewarded the local officials, praising them for doing the right thing.
Jia Daishan continued:
"Now that I think about it carefully, the people there are not as strong and healthy as the people here. As for skin color, I can't quite remember if it was reddish or not, but they were all very dark."
Jia Daishan and Jia Daihua were more focused on the salt-making process and how to tell Hu'er when they got back, and they didn't pay any attention to the workers at all.
Now that Jia Hu has said this, comparing the two, the laborers there are indeed different from this batch.
Jia Daishan and Jia Daihua exchanged a glance, and Jia Daihua spoke first:
"Hu'er, you have done a great service this time. There is a problem with this salt field. We must report it to the Emperor immediately."
Although Jia Hu noticed something was wrong, he couldn't figure out why he was suddenly so nervous.
"Is it really that serious that the person is wrong?"
Jia Hu wondered if there was something wrong with the saltworks, or if the Zhen family had taken control of it.
These people were probably all arranged by the Zhen family, but controlling the salt fields is also a serious crime. Were the grandfathers being too nervous?
Jia Daishan said with a grave expression:
"This is not just a simple case of a person being wrong. There are a large number of people working in this salt field. They are probably private soldiers being kept in captivity."
Jia Hu was shocked. A private army! Was keeping a private army an act of rebellion?!
"Wait, wait, how did you figure that out? I thought it was about controlling the salt fields and profiting from them."
Jia Daishan:
"A group of strong and healthy people are not laborers or guards, but hiding in this salt field. I observed the terrain here on the way, and the mountain behind it is an excellent hiding place."
If they can so easily send out so many people to disguise themselves, how many are there in private? If it's not just this one salt field, but all the salt fields, how many people are there?
It's uncertain now, but in any case, with the Emperor here, we must be cautious in everything we do.
Jia Daihua:
"I ordered the guards to hurry back and report to the Emperor immediately."
Jia Daishan stopped him, saying:
"Brother, don't be anxious. This is just our speculation. We can't make a judgment without evidence."
To avoid alerting the enemy, we cannot rush back. Instead, we must do as usual, wait until we return, find a pretext to report to the Emperor, and then send someone to investigate.
Jia Hu also became nervous.
"Grandfather, have we alerted the enemy by coming here today?"
Good heavens! What is the Zhen family up to? Are they planning a rebellion? The Emperor and his important officials are currently residing at the Zhen family's residence. If the Zhen family truly harbors rebellious intentions, this is like catching a turtle in a jar.
"No, with your reputation as a child prodigy and the fact that you asked so many questions about salt production, they'll just assume you're interested in this matter."
But has Hu'er gained anything from this salt field in order to mislead them?
That's true, Jia Hu:
"Relying on manual labor to draw seawater is too outdated. Besides, they said that the waterwheels in large saltworks are also quite primitive. I can do it,"
At this point, Jia Hu quickly changed his tune and said:
"I heard from my master that there was a method that combined a windmill and a waterwheel that might be feasible, so I'll draw the diagram when I get back."
Jia Hu's cautious change of address pleased Jia Daishan and Jia Daihua; it was a good thing that Hu'er was now wary.
Jia Daishan thought for a moment and then said:
"Then when we get back we'll immediately spread the word that you've made a new discovery, Hu'er, that you can improve the waterwheel, and that everyone will believe we're heading straight for the salt fields."
"Once you finish drawing, Hu'er, we'll go and present it to the Emperor."
"Drawing is no problem," Jia Hu nodded.
"Grandfather, what if the Zhen family finds out and tries to take action?"
Jia Daihua frowned and said:
"Hu'er, don't worry. The guards we brought are no pushovers. We brought quite a few soldiers with us on this southern tour for His Majesty."
Aside from his initial surprise, Jia Daihua is now completely calm.
"There's really no need to be too nervous. The Zhen family doesn't have the guts to do that, especially with the Eighth Prince around. If the Zhen family is secretly training troops, it's probably for the Eighth Prince's future."
After much deliberation, Jia Daishan concluded that this was the only purpose for this family.
He was feeling sleepy, and just then, the Zhen family delivered a pillow to him. The Emperor was about to punish the Zhen family when they sent this over.
The Emperor hasn't taken any action yet, he's still hesitating about the severity of the punishment. Now that the Zhen family has presented such a generous gift, it seems the Zhen family is about to cease to exist.
The longer they were gone, the more anxious the Zhen family became.
Zhen Chenhao was getting impatient. He had been acting recklessly last night, and this morning he was arguing with that wicked woman again, which was driving him crazy.
He can only wait here anxiously for news, but he absolutely cannot leave; there is a great secret about him in that salt field.
At the time, I just thought it was a good opportunity to have my own people take over, which would be a good opportunity for me to train my troops.
Zhen Chenyao was also extremely worried. As of today, there was still no news from the Seventh Prince, and he didn't know whether it would work or not.
Now the Jia family is causing trouble again, which is really annoying!
The steward originally intended to send someone, but fearing the messenger wouldn't be able to explain things clearly, he rode his horse at breakneck speed all the way to the Zhen family's residence.
Upon meeting the gentlemen, the steward immediately recounted what the Jia family had done in the salt fields, detailing every word and action.
After listening to the whole story, Zhen Zhangquan inquired in detail about everyone's attitude during the process and their expressions when they left.
After the manager answered all his questions, Zhen Zhangquan finally felt a little relieved.
It seems the Jia family is really bored out of their minds. A few days ago, they accompanied the Emperor out every day, but today, having some free time, instead of taking their grandson out to play, they went to the salt fields.
And these two dukes actually listened to the young master of the Jia family in everything.
The steward said that the young master was quite remarkable, possessing a deep understanding of many aspects of salt production, something that a child of such a young age would not be able to comprehend.
Zhen Chenyao became increasingly alarmed as he listened. Jia Hu was indeed suspicious, and there were some issues that he himself did not know as well as Jia Hu. It was as if Jia Hu was possessed by a demon.
Zhen Zhangquan felt much more at ease and waved his hand, saying:
"You two should also be careful. I heard that the Emperor intends to return to the capital for the New Year, and the journey back will be very soon. With only a few days left, you must be even more cautious and see things through to the end."
The message was also relayed: Tell them at the saltworks to continue being lenient and prevent any more deaths. If they hadn't been so harsh on us this time, we wouldn't be so short-handed and would have needed to find replacements.
After discussing for a while, the father and his sons decided to have someone keep a close eye on the Jia family and report any problems immediately. Then, Zhen Chenhao and Zhen Chenyao went back.