Chapter 91

"one two three, one two three!"

In the整齐的号子声 (整齐的号子声 means整齐的口号声, which can be translated as整齐的口号声 or整齐的号子声, but in this context, it is more appropriate to use整齐的口号声), the wooden pole was slowly lifted. Qiao Tieshan stared with wide eyes, held his breath, and trembled as he adjusted the weight.

One hundred pounds, one hundred and ten pounds, one hundred and fifty pounds, one hundred and sixty pounds, one hundred and sixty-five pounds...

As the weight increased, the crowd's mouths gaped open, their tongues cold from the shock, and they forgot to close them.

"One hundred and sixty-nine pounds, seven mace, three fen!!"

Qiao Tieshan trembled as he read out the final weight. The crowd was stunned, almost driven to madness!

Many of the residents of Shuangshan Platform had panned for gold before and had heard stories about dog-head gold. They had heard of dog-head gold the size of quail eggs or even fists, but a dog-head gold larger than a basin, weighing over one hundred and sixty pounds, was something they had never seen or even heard of! Not only had it never been seen in Shuangshan Platform, but it was probably not recorded in any ancient texts.

Zhang Ke was equally astonished. He remembered that General Wang Zhen had once proposed that the army search for gold to meet the needs of national construction. The soldiers of the Fifth Brigade had found a dog-head gold weighing several kilograms in the Xing'an Mountains, which shocked the entire country.

However, if a dog-head gold weighing over four kilograms was considered a super-large one, what should they call this one weighing over one hundred and sixty pounds? A monster?

Zhang Ke felt his head spinning, as if he were about to float away.

At this moment, many of the residents of Shuangshan Platform suddenly knelt down, led by a sixty-year-old man named Bai Shenghe.

The old man, with tears streaming down his face, shouted, "Fellow villagers, I have panned for gold for over forty years, and the largest dog-head gold I have ever seen was the size of a quail egg. A dog-head gold of this size is unheard of and unseen! For Zhang Ke to obtain such a dog-head gold, it must be a sign of divine protection. We are blessed to follow him!"

In fact, many people were still skeptical about the land distribution plan Zhang Ke had proposed. However, after seeing the dog-head gold, it seemed as if a mysterious halo had appeared around Zhang Ke. Many gold panners believed that gold had a spirit, and they looked at Zhang Ke as if he were a deity, with reverence and awe.

They cried and wept, but Zhang Ke, on the contrary, became more clear-headed. He thought, "It's just over one hundred pounds of gold, at most two thousand six hundred taels, equivalent to twenty thousand taels of silver! Is that a lot? Not really!"

Zhang Ke, having recovered from his initial shock, hurriedly smiled and helped the old man to his feet.

"Everyone, please stand up. It's not a big deal. When spring comes, I will use the gold to buy oxen and seeds for you and build irrigation channels to improve your lives!"

The crowd was even more delighted and cheered.

Only Bai Shenghe, the old man, hurriedly knelt down again, trembling and said, "Sir, such a large dog-head gold is a divine object sent from heaven. It must not be spent casually!"

Zhang Ke smiled and helped the old man up, saying, "Money is an external thing. Since you have followed me, I cannot let you down."

These words warmed Bai Shenghe's heart. He wiped away his tears and said, "Sir, dog-head gold is extraordinary. I remember that about twenty years ago, the court sent a mining supervisor to Liaodong to find dog-head gold as a birthday gift for the emperor. At that time, I also participated in the search. I heard that the minimum size required was one kilogram, but in Shuangshan Platform, we only found a piece weighing a little over one tael, which was too small to present..."

Listening to the old man's story, Zhang Ke suddenly had a bright idea. This dog-head gold was indeed a priceless treasure, and its value could not be measured by weight alone. Whether it was presented to the court or sold, it would be worth far more than twenty thousand taels of silver!

"Uncle Tieshan, send people to guard the dog-head gold immediately. It must not be lost. This object has great significance!"

Qiao Tieshan nodded hurriedly and personally called ten soldiers, divided into five teams, to guard the dog-head gold.

In addition to the large, frightening dog-head gold, over fifty taels of gold were found in Han Gui's home, likely from illegal gold panning. From this, it could be inferred that the gold mine in Shuangshan Platform had an extraordinary output, making it a living treasure trove.

Land distribution, military training, weapon manufacturing, and city construction... everything was now on track. Right, Xiaoxue, that little girl, had suffered a lot and didn't even have proper jewelry. Her mother had also pawned her dowry. I should buy them some jewelry, no, two sets, or even ten sets, it doesn't matter.

I have plenty of gold, who's afraid of whom!

As the saying goes, some are happy, some are sad. While Zhang Ke was having sweet dreams, someone was crying uncontrollably.

Han Gui stumbled and ran to Zhenyi Fort, his face bruised and his boots lost. When he reached the gate of Xu Dachian's residence, the guards were shocked.

"Uncle, what happened?"

"Don't ask, quickly tell my brother-in-law, it's over, everything is over..." Han Gui leaned against the gate and collapsed.

...

"Sir, I have driven over three hundred poor people to Dachen Fort!" A man in a Bagua robe with a pockmarked face said. He was none other than Lanh Baxian, the cunning advisor of Xiahushan.

Outside Dachen Fort, Xiahushan, Xu Bangyan, and Dian An'er were defeated by Zhang Ke's strategy. The Mongols, being the strongest, retreated after a confused battle. Xu Bangyan was captured by Sun Degong and lost his life. Only Xiahushan's men scattered and disappeared.

Unexpectedly, Lanh Baxian had some real skills and managed to hide in Zhenyi Fort, which was quite surprising.

Opposite him sat a burly middle-aged man with a face full of scars, golden eyes, and a fierce look. He was open-chested, revealing a large patch of black chest hair, and was drinking from a wine cup.

"Ha ha ha, Mr. Lanh, are three hundred people enough? Do you want more?"

Lanh Baxian, stroking his greasy beard, smiled and said, "Sir, Zhang Ke has many supporters and plenty of tricks. In my opinion, we should increase the pressure gradually to avoid provoking him and making things difficult to resolve."

"What's wrong with that!" Xu Dachian's eyes widened, and he slammed his wine cup down.

"Mr. Lanh, I've been in this business for over ten years and only managed to become a reserve officer. Zhang Ke, a young upstart, knows how to flatter and has had some luck, and he's already a reserve officer. Is there any fairness in the court? I've heard that many people praise him for his love for the people, his talent in both civil and military affairs, and his ability to make money. Next year, he plans to distribute land. Yizhou is so large, and he's the only one making changes, while we are just decorations?"

Xu Dachian disliked Zhang Ke partly because of jealousy over his rapid promotion and partly because he was worried that Zhang Ke's growing reputation and support would attract people from other forts to his side, reducing his own power.

Lanh Baxian smiled smugly and said, "Sir, don't worry. Follow my plan, and Zhang Ke will surely suffer a great loss! If he feeds the poor, the large number of people will drain his resources, and his reputation will be ruined!"

Xu Dachian took a sip of wine and rolled his eyes.

"Mr. Lanh, I've heard that Zhang Ke knows Wang Huazhen. If the court really gives him silver and grain, won't he gain both fame and profit?"

Lanh Baxian laughed out loud, a cackling sound like a night owl.

"My dear Sir Xu, if Zhang Ke can ask for it, others can too. You should contact your colleagues in the garrisons and ask Wang Huazhen for silver. If he gives it to us, we will profit. If he doesn't, all the military officers will blame Zhang Ke, and he will have a hard time!"

Xu Dachian listened carefully and nodded, laughing.

"Mr. Lanh, you are truly a living god! I can't lose with this plan!"

The two were getting more and more excited when they heard footsteps outside.

"Sir, it's not good, Han Sir is here!"

Xu Dachian frowned and asked, "Which Han Sir?"

"Your brother-in-law, he came alone."

Xu Dachian frowned and said angrily, "I was just about to find him. He hasn't delivered gold for over half a year. He must have kept it all for himself!"

Xu Dachian, furious, had his men bring Han Gui in. Seeing Han Gui's disheveled state, Xu Dachian was shocked.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Brother-in-law, it's over, everything is over!"

"Spit, it's the New Year. I'm fine, you finish yourself off!"

Han Gui, on the ground, wailed, "Brother-in-law, I'm really finished. All the gold is gone!"

"What?" Xu Dachian reached out and grabbed Han Gui, pulling him up from the ground.

"Brat, I put you in charge of the gold mine. How did you lose it all? Did you keep it for yourself? Speak!"

Han Gui, his face red, cried, "Brother-in-law, I wouldn't dare to keep your gold even if you gave me ten lives. It was Zhang Ke. He led a group of people to Shuangshan Platform and drove me out."

"Rubbish!" Xu Dachian, enraged, his hair standing on end, grabbed a large cleaver from the wall.

"Let's go, I'll deal with that brat Zhang Ke!"

Lanh Baxian quickly pulled Xu Dachian back and said, "Sir, calm down. You were planning to deal with Zhang Ke, and now he's delivered himself. Quickly submit a report to the court, accusing Zhang Ke."

Xu Dachian, listening, calmed down. Zhang Ke had strong backing, and he didn't want to confront him directly.

"Alright, I'll accuse him!"

"No, no!" Han Gui shouted, "Brother-in-law, how long will it take to submit a report to the court? The treasure might be gone by then!"

"Treasure?" Xu Dachian's eyes widened, and he roared, "What treasure?"

"It's, it's a dog-head gold!"

"How big?"

"O, o..."

"One kilogram?" Xu Dachian asked, surprised.

Han Gui, unable to hide it, said hesitantly, "About one hundred and seventy pounds!"

"Ah!"

Xu Dachian's eyes turned red, and he threw Han Gui to the corner, almost breaking his neck.

"Tell me, when did you find it?"

"Two, two months ago!"

Xu Dachian was furious, raised the cleaver, and pointed the cold blade at Han Gui.

"Brat, you've kept it for two months without telling me. I'll kill you!"

Han Gui, crying, waved his hands and said, "Brother-in-law, don't kill me. The dog-head gold is now in Zhang Ke's hands!"

Right! Zhang Ke!

Xu Dachian suddenly came to his senses, stomped his foot, and said, "I'll settle accounts with you later! Gather all the men and attack Shuangshan Platform to get my gold back!"