Song Qiming returned to the prefectural office to look for Song Jinzhao, only to find that she had not been home for several days. Whenever he asked anyone, they all said they did not know where she was.
Just as he was feeling puzzled, Song Anhao walked in with a miserable look on her face.
"What is wrong? You look so dejected," Song Qiming asked.
Song Anhao slumped her shoulders and leaned her head against her brother's chest, seeking comfort.
"Doing business is so hard. I am going to die of exhaustion."
The shop Song Anhao managed had already opened. The business was not exactly bad, but it was not too good either. Compared to earning gold every day in the capital, the gap was simply too large.
Song Qiming pinched Song Anhao's ear and pulled her away.
"When I came back, I saw that the business in the shop was quite good. Are you not making money?"
Tongbao Street was the most bustling market street in Suining City, and it was also the only way to get from the south city gate to the prefectural office.
Song Anhao raised her chin and complained, "There are a lot of people, but the profit margin is too thin. When will I ever be able to recover my costs?"
Song Qiming said, "The population of Suining City is not large, and the people are poor. They wish they could split a single copper coin into four to spend. It will get better once the city is developed in the future."
"Where is Ah Jie? Do you know where she went?"
Song Anhao shook her head. "Eldest sister went out three days ago and has not returned since. Second sister should know, but she will not tell me."
Song Qiming blinked, his mind already beginning to race.
Keeping it a secret from everyone meant it had to be something very important.
In the evening, Song Shixue returned from the medical clinic.
Faced with Song Qiming's inquiries, she grabbed his hand and led him into the study.
"Ah Jie wants to blow up the mountain to let the water of the Suiyu River flow out again. She said that once you returned, you should go to Suiyu Mountain to find her, and you must only bring Lanxi along."
Song Qiming's eyes widened. "Which mountain? How is she going to blow it up?"
Song Shixue pointed at the map pasted on the wall and said, "It is this one right at the front of Suiyu Mountain. Ah Jie said that as long as she blows a hole in it, the river water will flow back into the Laogan Ditch. Then, the newly reclaimed wastelands will not lack water."
"As for how she is going to blow it up, I am not clear. It seems she is making some kind of device."
Song Qiming took a deep breath and faced the wall, his gaze following the places Song Jinzhao had marked all the way down.
"I understand. I will go to Suiyu Mountain tomorrow."
At the break of dawn, after handing over his tasks, Song Qiming took Lanxi and headed straight for Suiyu Mountain.
When they arrived at the foot of the mountain, a sudden explosion echoed through the sky. The sound came from afar, like a clap of rolling thunder.
Not far away, villagers on the hillside walked out of their houses. They gazed toward Suiyu Mountain and discussed it animatedly.
"What on earth is that sound? Did the mountain really collapse?"
"It has sounded over a dozen times, big and small, since yesterday. It is terrifying."
"..."
Song Qiming withdrew his gaze and met Lanxi's eyes. Without saying a word, the two continued riding forward.
With such a loud noise, and considering Ah Jie had proposed blowing up the mountain, this sound was very likely her doing.
After reaching the foot of the mountain and seeing no one, Lanxi dismounted and climbed to the top to fire a signal flare.
Two quarters of an hour later, Qingshuang appeared before them on horseback.
"Eldest Young Master, this way."
The narrow mountain path required them to bend down and lower their heads from time to time. They passed through two mountains and entered a sinkhole, where they saw two temporarily erected wooden houses.
Bypassing the uneven, potholed ground, the exposed rocks looked as if they had been chiseled open by someone.
Hearing the footsteps, Song Jinzhao looked up toward the door.
Stripped of her magnificent dresses, she wore only an azure fine cotton ruqun without any embroidery. Her jet-black hair, usually as smooth as silk, was now covered in dust. Even her face was smeared with soot, making her look a bit dirtier than a fire-stoking maid.
Song Jinzhao asked, "You are back. Have the matters in Qingxia County been settled?"
Song Qiming's expression was slightly dazed, and he nodded woodenly in response.
"They have been handled. Jia Demao and the several participants from the Fang family have all been locked up in the prefectural prison. Qingxia County is temporarily managed by the deputy magistrate, and the memorial has already been sent to Songzhou City."
Song Jinzhao tied the opening of the hemp bag tightly, leaving only the fuse exposed.
"Come, let me show you."
After hundreds of trials over three days, she had finally figured out the material formula for making explosives. This was already the final version.
She placed the explosive pack in the dirt beneath a rock crevice, ran far away, and lit the fuse.
A sizzling sound rang out. After a half-second pause, the earth shook, the mountain swayed, and the massive boulder blew apart with a deafening roar.
Hiding behind a rock not far away, Song Qiming was so frightened that his whole body trembled, feeling as if an earth dragon were turning over.
Crushed stone debris and dirt fell from the sky like scattering flowers. Unable to react in time, Song Qiming and Lanxi got mouthfuls of dirt, and their exposed skin stung slightly from the falling debris.
On the hillside outside the mountain, the commoners clutched their chests in panic.
"It is happening again. It must be the gods in heaven getting angry."
After the commotion stopped, Song Qiming walked on weak legs toward the place where the explosives had been set, while Lanxi, following beside him, used his sword as a walking stick.
The boulder that originally required two people to wrap their arms around had been blasted into several small pieces. The dirt on the ground was completely gone, revealing the bedrock buried beneath.
Song Jinzhao curled the corners of her lips into a smile.
"This is the power of just one pack of explosives. If we get a few dozen of them, we can blow open the cliff blocking the Suiyu River."
Song Qiming plopped down on the ground. Looking up at Song Jinzhao's glowing face, he felt no excitement, only fear in his heart.
"Ah Jie, the power of this thing is too great. How do you know how to make such a thing?"
Song Jinzhao replied, "I thought of this when I was making the signal flares. It will be useful in future wars."
"Cough, cough, cough—" Song Qiming gasped, the foul smell rushing into his throat, making him cough uncomfortably.
No wonder Ah Jie had the intention to rebel against the imperial court. With such a divine artifact, why worry about not achieving great things?
Just bringing it out would be enough to scare people out of their wits.
