"The Madam is indeed wise. Yes, he is a capable strategist by the Ninth Prince's side."
Upon hearing this, Madam Hua's eyes filled with hatred.
It wasn't the first day the Ninth Prince had been coveting the Feng family's assets. At first, they thought he was after their wealth, which was why he had repeatedly made things difficult for them. Now, it seemed his appetite was far greater. He didn't just want the Feng family to bleed money; he wanted them to hand over the mines entirely!
With this thought, she pulled a hairpin from her bun and thrust it at the immobilized Tutor Du.
Tutor Du cried out in pain, his face contorted in agony, but he was powerless to respond.
He could only watch as the crimson hairpin pierced his abdomen seven times.
Then, Madam Hua calmly stated, "For your personal gain, you caused the deaths of seven people in my Feng family's mine. These seven stabs are merely an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Go wait for the Ninth Prince in the underworld. Soon, my Feng family will send the Ninth Prince to join you!"
Publicly threatening a member of the royal family and vowing to kill him!
Madam Hua was truly audacious, even causing Xiao Muqian to raise an eyebrow.
However, everyone present was his confidant and had experienced the Battle of Liangzhou. They knew how much the Feng family had done for Liangzhou and how the Ninth Prince had harmed them. Therefore, they all pretended not to hear, letting the words dissipate with the wind.
As he felt blood draining from his abdomen, Tutor Du's fear intensified more than ever before.
He knew that the people before him would give him no chance to argue, yet he did not want to die. He desperately signaled Xiao Muqian with his eyes.
Then, Xiao Muqian released his pressure points. Tutor Du quickly tore off a strip of cloth and attempted to staunch the wounds on his body. He then said to Madam Hua,
"Save me! Don't you want to know who the mole in the Feng family is?"
"Hmph, you think you can trade this information for your life?"
"Yes! If I die, your Feng family will be buried with me!"
Madam Hua seemed to hear a joke, casting a sarcastic glance at Tutor Du struggling on the ground before saying,
"You? You dare to negotiate with me? I see you've been around nobles for too long and forgotten how to bargain. In all my years, this is the first time I've stumbled before someone. Don't worry, I have my own ways of finding the mole in the family. When I do, I'll send him to join you."
Madam Hua was never a kind-hearted person. In her eyes, no one who dared to harm the Feng family would escape unscathed.
Tutor Du finally understood that Madam Hua was even more unyielding than Feng Shan.
He then pleaded with Xiao Muqian,
"General, save me! Are you just going to stand by and watch this venomous woman kill me? A woman from a merchant family daring to act like this, isn't she afraid of destabilizing the very foundation of the Great Jin?"
In his eyes, he was a scholar, and she was merely a merchant. The difference in status was vast. For Madam Hua, this venomous woman, to stab him to death, was it not a colossal joke?
However, Xiao Muqian was willing to kill the generals under the Ninth Prince. What was a mere tutor and strategist to him?
He bowed his head and whispered to Tutor Du,
"I dared to burn the Ninth Prince, and I dare to kill the useless hangers-on who follow him. You, an insignificant tutor, do you think I would extend a hand to save you?"
With that, he sent Tutor Du to his death with his sword.
Before he breathed his last, he uttered, "Don't worry, I won't let anyone from the Du family who works for the Ninth Prince off the hook!"
Tutor Du died with his eyes wide open, whether in anger or extreme shock.
In any case, the man who had stirred up trouble at the Feng family's mine met his end at the hands of Xiao Muqian and Madam Hua.
"Burn it all with fire. Let him pave the way and atone for the brothers who died unjustly," suggested Feng Jinhua. He had grown considerably with the recent events.
The deaths of so many vibrant lives before his eyes were bound to affect him. However, he also understood that the path of a Feng family head was not easy, so this incident would not leave him with any psychological scars.
Instead, it would only make him more resilient, helping him understand the principle that the strong reign supreme.
He needed absolute strength to protect those he wished to protect, including his parents and everyone in the Feng family.
The matter of the mines had come to an end. The construction of permanent housing would take time, so everyone was still living in tents.
Madam Hua, however, arranged a private meeting with Uncle Qi for an important discussion.
"Does Madam wish to discuss the future of the mines?"
Before Madam Hua could speak, Uncle Qi had already guessed her intentions.
"Uncle Qi is indeed remarkable. No wonder the master entrusted the mines to your care!"
"This old servant feels he has failed the master's trust. After today's events, I have developed new thoughts. Does Madam wish to abandon these mines and offer them to His Majesty?"
Madam Hua nodded, not concealing her thoughts from Uncle Qi.
"The Feng family's mines have been passed down for centuries. About seventy to eighty percent of the workable areas have been exploited. Originally, the master and I discussed that it would be best if we could fully exploit the mines within our lifetimes. If not, we would entrust them to Hua'er. We have already made arrangements for the livelihoods of the many brothers at the mine. We were just afraid you might not be able to accept leaving this place immediately, as many have lived here for decades, even centuries, with their families."
Upon hearing about the arrangements, Uncle Qi's eyes lit up.
He had actually considered that if the mines were abandoned, what would happen to so many people? It would be difficult to make hasty arrangements. Thus, he had considered providing severance pay and dispersing them locally.
He never expected that the master and madam had already made plans, and he was deeply moved.
With tears in his eyes, he assured Madam Hua repeatedly, "Madam, please rest assured. If people were originally reluctant to leave, after this incident, they will likely realize that leaving is the best option. Please leave this matter to this old servant to arrange. I will ensure everyone departs safely and comfortably."
Madam Hua nodded, "In that case, I will trouble Uncle Qi."
"Madam, you are too kind. To have met people like you and the master is our good fortune!"
Uncle Qi spoke his long-held feelings. Indeed, they were merely servants of the Feng family, but the Feng family had always treated them with benevolence and righteousness. Therefore, they genuinely worked for the Feng family.
This mutual regard only served to increase the Feng family's influence.
Upon learning of this, Xiao Muqian couldn't help but sigh, "Madam is truly a woman who excels where men cannot. No wonder the Feng family has achieved its current status."
Decisiveness was key. It could avoid many future troubles and allow them to shed a hot potato.
On the surface, it meant a loss of considerable profit, but in reality, it rescued the Feng family from crisis and prevented them from becoming too powerful to control in the future.
Since the mines did not need to be rebuilt, there was no need to keep many people here.