The Double
Chapter 285 - 112 East Mountain_3

Chapter 285: Chapter 112 East Mountain_3

Her words sounded as if she herself often wandered in the East Mountain, intimately familiar with conditions inside. However, at the moment Ye Mingyu did not notice the strangeness in Jiang Li’s statement, but said, "Although we haven’t entered, we can be sure that there are definitely people mining for gold in the tunnels. As for whether they are the government officers, because I don’t recognize the previous officers, I don’t know."

Jiang Li asked, "Uncle Mingyu, how can you be sure?"

"Feng Yutang’s men are too heartless. We went to the mines at night, and it was so late, yet the miners were still working!" Ye Mingyu was filled with righteous indignation as he spoke, "They are not treating people as humans; it’s truly despicable!"

Jiang Li looked down, knowing that since Feng Yutang intended to torment those people, he naturally wouldn’t make it easy for them. But with such round-the-clock labor, how many of the government officers could survive?

"Uncle, do you have any idea about how many miners are working in the tunnels?" Jiang Li asked.

Ye Mingyu replied, "I’m not sure of the exact number, but I guess it’s definitely not many."

Jiang Li’s heart sank and she asked, "Why do you say that?"

"Because there are too few guards," Ye Mingyu replied. "There are only two of them. If not for the unfamiliar terrain, honestly, I alone could take down these guards and directly rescue the miners inside. But think about it, if there were really many people, why would Feng Yutang only assign two people to guard? Isn’t he afraid of any trouble? Unless there are indeed few people, and he thinks that two guards are enough, naturally there is no issue."

Jiang Li fell silent for a long while before saying, "Uncle Mingyu is right." There was another possibility: in Feng Yutang’s eyes, with a change of the emperor comes a change of officials. Xue Huaiyuan was already a dying man, and with no one to follow up in the Xue Family, his former subordinates naturally became expendables. Who would bother to save an expendable? After all, no one would come to their rescue, so there was really no need to assign too many guards.

But Jiang Li knew that this possibility was just something she came up with to comfort herself, what Ye Mingyu said was much more likely. At least there were still people alive, which was good. It meant that the witnesses she hoped for might still be found.

"Jiang Li, now that the people have been found, but the terrain in East Mountain is complex, we temporarily can’t find a way to bring everyone out. Also, even if we could take them away, I’m not familiar with Tongxiang, and I don’t know where these people could be safely hidden. If Feng Yutang sends out a search party, they could easily discover their whereabouts, after all, Tongxiang is too small."

This statement was also a fact, what Ye Mingyu considered was not unreasonable.

After pondering for a long time, Jiang Li said, "Uncle Mingyu, don’t worry about where to hide the people, I have a way." Although Tongxiang was small, it was not completely exposed. She and Xue Zhao had grown up in Tongxiang, having traveled through every corner. The abandoned secret chambers that Xue Zhao once shared with her as fun things now truly became treasures, unknown to others.

Although Ye Mingyu found it strange how Jiang Li could solve this problem, he never asked about things he shouldn’t. He was simple-minded and reluctant to ponder overly complex issues, so he said, "Alright then, let’s not talk about this matter for now. But how are we going to get those people out? If you want them as witnesses, you have to lead them away from East Mountain. Once Feng Yutang realizes or suspects you intend to do this, he will silence them by killing. Then all our efforts will be in vain."

"Uncle Mingyu, the trouble you feel is not because of the people watching outside but because you are unfamiliar with East Mountain and afraid of getting lost in the numerous mine shafts," Jiang Li said. "Leave this matter to me."

Ye Mingyu asked, "What do you mean? Jiang Li, do you have any method?"

"I’ll go to East Mountain," Jiang Li said, "enter the tunnels, and lead the government officers out."

Upon hearing this, Ye Mingyu almost jumped up, exclaiming, "Are you joking, Jiang Li, how can you go in there?"

"Yes," Tonger, who had been listening the whole time, couldn’t help but chime in and advised, "Miss, it’s your first time in Tongxiang, and even your uncle doesn’t know the way through the tunnels. With such dangers inside, how can you take the risk?"

"I’m not taking a risk," Jiang Li said. "I know how to navigate inside the tunnels."

"No," Ye Mingyu replied. "It’s too dangerous. Besides, how could you know the way through the tunnels?"

"Uncle Mingyu," Jiang Li looked into Ye Mingyu’s eyes, speaking earnestly, "I said, I know the way inside the tunnels."