There are still a lot of oil lamps left in this secret passage, which means that this secret passage has been opened recently, judging from the chisel marks of the secret passage, this secret passage is newly dug, and the time should not exceed three years, Xue Congjia thought silently. Zhao Tieniu pointed to the front and said, "If I'm not mistaken, there is a staircase in front." ”

The knife in the hand of the three kings was on Zhao Tieniu's neck, and he whispered, "Don't play any tricks." ”

Xue Congjia also subconsciously touched the dagger he was carrying, but he touched it empty, and then he remembered that the knife was given to Chu Tao. Thinking of Chu Tao, Xue Congjia was also a little distracted.

Sure enough, as Zhao Tieniu said, there were more than a dozen stone stairs in front of him, and the three kings muttered, the people in your village are really idle, how long does it take to dig such a long staircase, and it won't be the tablet of your ancestors and ancestors at the bottom, right? If yes, Lao Tzu will kill you now.

Zhao Tieniu didn't speak, just sneered. The vision below was getting darker and darker, and the three of them only had one fire breaker in hand, so all three of them huddled together. The three kings undoubtedly touched Xue Congjia's palm when they received the fire fold, and they couldn't help but be surprised, Xue Congjia looked like he was only seventeen or eighteen years old, but there was a thick layer of cocoons on his hands, such a thick cocoon was the mark left by the perennial bow, but he was so young, why did he have a cocoon for more than ten years?

"Here we are." Zhao Tieniu said, in the darkness he pointed around and said, "There are oil lamps around here." "When the oil lamps are lit, Sanwang and Xue Congjia can see the layout of the entire secret room, the area of this secret room looks larger than the entire ancestral hall, but it is not completely sealed, there are many air outlets leading to the outside world around, so the environment is not as damp and cold as the general secret room.

The most striking thing is that there is a large boiler in the middle, with some ore piled up next to it, a huge bellows with air holes leading to the ground, and a large amount of black coal piled up in the open space in the distance. The three kings sneered: "Heh, the people of your Zhaojia Village are really dead, if this explodes, your ancestors' rankings will be blown away." ”

Xue Congjia also understood that this was a secret base for folk iron-making that was not small-scale, but he didn't see some finished products at the scene, so he asked: "It turns out that you are smelting pig iron here, no wonder - no wonder you have spare money to appreciate stones." ”

Zhao Tieniu whispered: "The people in the government don't know, our village is rich in iron ore, on the surface our village is an ordinary farmer, but in fact, the crops in the field are all cover-up, and we rely on smelting pig iron to exchange for silver tickets." ”

"We didn't find a silver ticket, could it be that someone is interested in getting rich?" The three kings asked Xue Congjia.

Xue Congjia pondered for a while, picked up a piece of iron ore and observed it carefully, then circled around this secret room, and finally shook his head and said: "It's not that you want to see money, if you really want to make money, you can just collect money directly, and you don't have to make so much effort to kill all the people." He put the fire fold close to the coal pile, attracting Zhao Tieniu's count: "You take the fire fold farther away!" It's all over when so much coal is burned! ”

Xue Congjia said casually: "Since this is a smelting private iron, why do you only see the tools but not the finished products?" ”

"That's right! It used to be full of iron, but where did it go? Zhao Tieniu suddenly realized.

"Whether it is in the secret room or in the secret passage, the lamp oil is very sufficient, indicating that someone came in not long ago to change it, you see that there are many messy shoe prints printed on the coal ash, these shoe prints are the same pattern, indicating that the people who came in are wearing the same shoes, they have removed all the finished products, but they have not destroyed the tools for making iron, this is very strange......" Xue Congjia muttered.

"Yes, it's like a thief came to your house and found that your things were very low-grade, and he didn't like it, so he took a few apples casually, as if he was ...... with you" The metaphor of the Three Kings was particularly novel, but he couldn't find the right words to describe this feeling for a while.

"It's showing off, it's also warning. I know what you're doing, but you feel helpless with me. Xue Congjia added.

The third king glanced at Xue Congjia and said, "Yes, this king just wants to express this meaning." ”

Xue Congjia's face was completely immersed in shadows, the three kings couldn't see his expression, at this moment, the three kings had been completely impressed by Xue Congjia's intelligence and courage, if it weren't for the gap in status, the three kings would now want to make a bloody alliance with Xue Congjia.

"Who do you sell your pig iron to?" Xue Congjia finally threw out one of the most important questions.

Zhao Tieniu came all the way, and admired Xue Congjia so much, so now he almost obeyed Xue Congjia's words, he hurriedly said: "You have also seen, I am very familiar with this field, I only sometimes go to help mine and fill the pit, and the specific matters are discussed and docked by some elders in the family, if it weren't for my surname Zhao, I'm afraid I wouldn't even be able to enter this secret room!" ”

Xue Congjia helped his forehead: "I know, let's talk about the point." ”

"In short, my father said that the person who did this business with us was a powerful person who ordinary people could not reach in their lifetime, in his eyes, we were a group of little ants, and a small thumb of others could pinch us all to death, and we couldn't afford to provoke him at all. He never showed up, we only knew he was great, but no one knew who he was. Zhao Tieniu said, his words were a bit aimed at the three kings - aren't you, and you can't compare to this magnate!

The three kings kicked Zhao Tieniu: "You don't know the buyer for a long time!" ”

"It seems that he is indeed a big man." Xue Congjia smiled: "That's right, what's the use of ordinary people wanting pig iron?" ”

The three kings' faces were gloomy, and Xue Congjia reminded him that something was wrong, because the use of pig iron is not very wide, either it is to refine agricultural tools or living tools, or it is used as weapons, so for some small feudal countries where iron ore is rare, iron is a very important thing.

Zhao Tieniu said to the three kings very seriously: "Three princes, that's all I know, I know that selling pig iron is a capital crime, and the people from the Criminal Department and Dali Temple have been looking for me before, and I don't dare to show up, because I am afraid that the big man is in the same group as the people from the Criminal Department and Dali Temple, and I know so much enough that I will be sentenced to be hanged." Besides, the people in our village were forced to do things for him, and if we didn't make iron for him, we would have died even worse. Third Prince, you promised me to protect my life before, but you can't break your word. ”

The three kings were upset and agreed indiscriminately: "Even if you kid is still smart, you know that you are holding your grandfather's thigh at this time?" He turned to Xue Congjia and said, "But if it was really this big man who destroyed your entire village, then why did he do it?" ”

"I'm afraid of the East Window incident." Zhao Tieniu said without thinking, he thought that he and the three kings were grasshoppers on the same rope, and gradually became less afraid, and his courage became bigger.

It sounds very reasonable, the buyer is smelting pig iron privately for some purpose, and he is afraid that the East Window Incident will kill people and kill people, which is reasonable. But Xue Congjia always felt that something was wrong, and there was a thread in his mind that was wrapped together, and he couldn't find a clue for a while.

The three kings said: "There has been a major breakthrough today, and this king should go back to report on his work." That's it for today, we'll go back first, and we'll discuss the rest tomorrow. ”

Xue Congjia asked rather amusefully: "Does the prince plan to report to the emperor truthfully?" It's said that there is a big man behind this case, but what kind of person do you think about is called a big man? Does he have to be lower than you? ”

The three kings pondered what Xue Congjia had to say, slapped his thigh and said, "That's not it!" Although I am a prince, I am not taken seriously, and there are many people who are better than me. I will not startle the snake. ”

"Not only that, this case may be aimed at you, three kings, you better be cautious in your words and deeds." Xue Congjia opened his mouth quietly.

In the past few days when Xue Congjia went out to investigate the case, Chu Tao had a very boring life, except for studying, he kicked and bowed with Xiaohong and Xiaozi, or quarreled with twist flowers, and occasionally played chess with Princess Shangjia. Xiaohong said, "How long will our young lady have to read together?" ”

Xiao Zi's five fingers were full of impatiens juice, and she was raising her hands to stinky and beautiful, she said, "Wait until Princess Xile comes out of the pavilion!" Chu Tao was about to wrap Xiao Zi's fingers with a strip of cloth, her cheeks bulged like a pufferfish, she was not happy when she mentioned Xile, since the two of them had fought, they had been-for-tat until now.

Xile is nothing more than a marriage contract, etiquette or something to restrain Chu Tao, Chu Tao doesn't care at all, in short, the two often quarrel, Xue Zicheng is often troubled by their quarrels, and can't help but say: "The quarrel between the two of you these days is far more than a couple who have been married for 80 years." ”

Xile took a sip: "Even if I marry a sow, it is better than marrying her." ”

Chu Tao snorted: "Everyone in the world is dead, and I won't be with this kind of person." ”

This day was particularly abnormal, and Xile came to invite Chu Tao to play polo for the first time. Xiaohong said: "The sun is coming out in the west, and Princess Xile still has time to take the initiative to sue for peace." ”

Xiao Zi smiled: "That's also a scorer, she is very patient with Xue Congjia, Miss, are you going?" ”

Chu Tao scratched her head and said, "Go ahead, people have taken the initiative to invite me, can I still not go, besides, I'm not the kind of narrow-minded person, even if she pulls my thirty-seven hairs, I can still forgive her." ”

"Miss is the prime minister's belly that can support the boat!" Xiaohong was busy patting her ass, in fact, Chu Tao was suffocated in the past two days, and she had long wanted to go out for activities, so she also took advantage of the steps given by Xile.

When she arrived at the racecourse, a sudden gust of demonic wind blew, and a gust of sand and dust fascinated Chu Tao's eyes, making Chu Tao's eyes red, she walked around the horse farm a few times, and asked, "Where is my little Sasha?" "Little Sasha is Hatsu Peach's favorite foal, and she is very spiritual, and when she sees Hatsu Peach, she always raises her neck and neighs a few times to welcome her.