Privately minted coins!
Zhang Pei and Gu Cheng were a little surprised.
Sun Shiba approached, picked up a copper coin, looked at it, and said: "It does look like a privately minted coin, but sir, this was not minted by the Guo family. Looking at the rust marks and age of the copper coin, at least it has If it is more than a hundred years old, even if it is cast privately, it is still cast privately by the Song people."
Zhang Pei nodded repeatedly: "Yes, sir, this copper coin is obviously not new. If it was minted in recent years, it cannot be so old."
Gu Zhengchen picked up a Song Dynasty coin and said two words in a deep voice: "Make it old!"
Sun Shiba took a deep breath.
Gu Cheng and Zhang Pei were a little confused and quickly asked what distressing meant.
Sun Shiba explained: "Distressing is a method used in the Fire Sect. It uses some special methods to make new things old. It was obviously made recently, but after being distressed, it looks like it has been decades ago. A hundred years, or even longer. What you are saying is that this batch of copper coins were minted a few years ago and were transferred to the private sector after being aged?"
Zhang Pei still couldn't believe it: "What can be used to make old copper coins?"
Gu Zhengchen looked at the white rust on the copper coins and said solemnly: "It's lime. The white rust on this copper coin is lime rust. Look carefully, the rust on all Taiping Tongbao is not peacock, blue, or green, but All white! This is the reason why the Wuchengshan lime mine has never been abandoned, because they still need a certain amount of lime to make copper coins old!"
Zhang Pei, Gu Cheng and others looked carefully and found that it was exactly what Gu Zhengchen said.
These Taiping Tongbao came from different locations, and it is unlikely that they all coincidentally fell into lime without any patina.
Zhang Pei looked at Gu Zhengchen and his expression became serious: "Sir, if it is true that the Guo family transferred the miners to mint copper coins, why didn't anyone find out? Such a group of people will spend a lot of money on food and drink."
Gu Zhengchen pointed to the mineral distribution map: "There are many mountains in Jurong. People can come and go freely, but in some places, the county government has issued an order prohibiting people from entering. You should know that copper mines are not iron mines. Although the imperial court prohibits private mining of iron mines, There are restrictions, but it is not strictly prohibited, but for copper mines, the court does not allow private mining by ordinary people, and even some copper mining areas do not allow ordinary people to enter."
"In this case, even if there is movement in the copper mines, no one knows about it. If the government doesn't mine, no one will take care of it. I have been staring at the lime mines, and now it seems that I have been fooled by them. Guo Liuzhi The real reason for his death is probably that he knew about the existence of the copper coin casting business, and people like Geshan people and Guo Baobao are not qualified to know about this business!"
Zhang Pei looked at Gu Zhengchen and secretly gritted his teeth: "Is it possible that these people really dare to mint coins privately?"
Gu Zhengchen sighed helplessly.
The private coining of coins did not appear in the Ming Dynasty. It existed in ancient times. There were many such records in the Tang and Song Dynasties. Even in the Yuan Dynasty, there were private coinings.
Don’t think that when paper money was introduced during the Yuan Dynasty, copper coins had no use. During the Yuan Dynasty, there was a lot of foreign trade, and many of these trade transactions were completed through copper coins, especially in Southeast Asia, Japan and other places, where copper coins represented purchasing power.
During the Yuan Dynasty, privately minted copper coins could not produce any "Great Yuan Tongbao". They could only choose Song coins for private minting. This also led to the phenomenon that Song coins were widely circulated among the people in the early Ming Dynasty, especially in the Yangtze River. area.
Gu Zhengchen put away the copper coins and said solemnly: "It seems that we can't entertain Zhao Hailou and others well today. I'll tell the Yamen to prepare to go to Yanshan Ridge to search for lime mines."
Zhang Pei was stunned for a moment and asked quickly: "Sir, if you shouldn't be looking for copper mines now, why are you looking for lime mines?"
Gu Zhengchen smiled calmly: "The opponent has homing pigeons in their hands. No matter how fast we are, we can't outrun them. Naturally, we should first look for lime ore to stabilize the opponent, and then turn to look for copper ore."
"Master, do you know where it is?"
Gu Cheng asked eagerly.
Gu Zhengchen chuckled and glanced at the mineral distribution map: "If it weren't for the Yin Soldiers' passage, it would be really hard to find. Now that those Yin Soldiers have told me where they are, it's time to go find them and thank them. This is The matter must be kept strictly confidential and no one is allowed to say a word to anyone!”
Gu Cheng, Zhang Pei and Sun Shiba immediately agreed.
Outside the county government gate.
Guo Ben sat on a stool, shaking one foot on a small stone, stuffing a red date into his mouth, and glanced at the gate of the county government office.
Suddenly, a group of government officials rushed out of the county government office, and even the county magistrate Gu Zhengchen ran out.
Gu Zhengchen shouted: "Don't mess around. Follow the team to Kongqingshan and Yanshanling!"
The sound was not loud, but it was enough for Guo Ben and others to hear.
People from the county government set off one after another, and there were even a group of people on horseback. It seemed that they were the so-called Beijing Army.
Guo Ben despised this group of sergeants. After all the tigers had been eliminated, why didn't he leave Jurong? It was nothing to stay in the county government, eating and drinking. When he saw a group of people leaving, Guo Ben vomited out the date seeds and turned around to leave.
Guo family.
When Guo Dian and Guo Shan heard the news, they looked at each other and smiled easily.
Guo Shan was in a good mood. He walked beside Guo Dian and said with a smile: "Brother, Gu Zhengchen is really only focusing on the lime mines. Even if he is asked to search for three or six years, he may not find that group of people."
Guo Dian's face lost the dignity of the past, and the sound of the cane in his hand hitting the bluestone road was sonorous and powerful: "Gu Zhengchen is also a powerful person. He is staring at the lime mine now, which shows that he still doubts that the miners have not been killed." Sell it. However, if he fails this time, he should give up."
Guo Shan went to the pavilion, picked up the wine pot that had been prepared, filled two glasses of wine, and gave one to Guo Dian: "There is news from the county government that the sergeants will return to Jinling tomorrow. This also means that Gu Zhengchen must close the case, and for the sake of his official career, he must stop the case on Lao Liu."
Guo Dian picked up the wine glass, raised his hand and sprinkled it on the ground, sighing: "Lao Liu is also a pitiful person. Fortunately, his two grandsons are still there. When the news passes, these two children will be brought to Jurong and we will raise them."
Guo Shan nodded slightly.
When Guo Dian heard the voice, he looked at Guo Sheng who was walking over and said, "Just send a message to your third uncle and let him work in peace. The batch of copper coins in Yingtian Mansion needs to be minted and sent out as soon as possible."
Guo Sheng hesitated and asked, "Father, don't you stop for a few days at this time?"
Guo Dian looked at the sky confidently and said slowly: "How many days of rest? Haha, we will lose a lot of profits if we rest for one day. Don't worry, Gu Zhengchen can't think of it and can't find it."
Guo Sheng agreed.
The homing pigeon took off, flapping its wings.
The autumn wind blew through the feathers, and a pair of eyes looked down at the world. The pigeon flew north, trying hard to fly higher. Suddenly, the pigeon suddenly flew upwards, and a black arrow passed through it. The pigeon fell out of control. .
Wang Liang put away his bow and looked through the many roofs to the courtyard of the Guo family. He quickly withdrew his gaze and went down the ladder to the roof. The trembling family did not dare to say a word.
The sergeant found the carrier pigeon and handed it to Wang Liang. Wang Liang took off the bamboo tube on the pigeon's leg and poured out the paper inside. The sergeant quickly asked: "Qianhu, what is written on it?"
Wang Liang tilted his head and looked at it, raised his foot and stepped on the sergeant's foot. He said somewhat depressedly: "This word is too ugly. I don't recognize it. Give it to Mr. Gu quickly. I still have to guard it here."
The sergeant bared his teeth, put away the note, took out a horse and chased Gu Zhengchen.
Near Xucun, the sergeant caught up with Gu Zhengchen.
Gu Zhengchen took the piece of paper, looked at it carefully, and asked, "In which direction do the pigeons fly?"
The sergeant replied seriously: "North."
Gu Zhengchen chuckled: "Go back and tell Wang Liang that once dusk comes, the government officials will guard the gate and road of the Guo family's courtyard. Tonight, the Guo family can only go in and out."
The sergeant took the order and left.
Gu Zhengchen looked at the note and smiled faintly: "Miss, be careful and ship the goods as soon as possible. Could this mistress be Guo Qu who died of illness in Hongwu three years ago? It's true - some people died, He's still alive."
When passing Zhexi, Gu Zhengchen ordered people to find Lin Sishi. Lin Sishi heard that Gu Zhengchen needed manpower, so he took the guy to follow without saying a word. When Lin Sancai and Lin Sanmu found out, they chased for three miles before following them. , and after giving Lin Sishi a slap in the face, he giggled at Gu Zhengchen.
A group of people entered Yanshan Ridge.
It wasn't until they were deep into Yanshan Mountain and the sky was getting dark that Gu Zhengchen gathered everyone and gave a serious order: "From now on, groups of ten people will be divided into four groups. Each group must follow the team closely, obey orders, and not make any noise. No fires are allowed and we advance in the dark. Zhang Pei, Yao Zhen, Zhao Hailou, and Lin Sishi are responsible for leading the team. Now turn to Dazhuo Mountain."
It was only then that everyone understood that neither Yanshan Ridge nor Kongqing Mountain was Gu Zhengchen's goal. The real destination was in Dazhuo Mountain.
Gu Zhengchen was sure that if those people were still there, they must be in Dazhuo Mountain.
Wucheng Mountain, Kongqing Mountain, Yanshan Ridge, and Dazhuo Mountain are several mountains in the north of Jurong. They are either connected or not far apart and can be reached through the forest.
Beyond these mountains, there are many villages and small towns, and in the plains beyond the mountains, more people live.
It is impossible for hundreds of people to leave the mountain quietly without any trace or news.
Now that Wucheng Mountain and Kongqing Mountain have been exposed, and Yanshan Ridge has been searched, there is only one possibility left, and that is the government's forbidden land: Dazhuoshan Copper Mine.
This is the only place with copper mines among the mountains to the north. Apart from this, Jurong's copper mines are all in the southwest, and because it is close to Maoshan, there has never been a flow of people, so it is impossible to do things secretly.
Especially the Yinbing Passage points to Dazhuo Mountain.
Night, quiet.
A team advanced cautiously, with Zhang Pei and Lin Sishi acting like hunters, stopping vigilantly at every step.
The location of the mine has been marked by the county government, and it is on the north side of Dazhuo Mountain.
After walking for more than two hours, we finally approached the copper mine area.
Hidden in the mountains and forests, Gu Zhengchen looked at the mine in the distance. It was dark and there was no light.
"Sir, it doesn't seem like it's here."
Zhang Pei was a little disappointed.
Gu Zhengchen was doubting his conjecture when suddenly, a ray of light pierced the darkness, and a figure walked out of the cave. The heavy curtain fell, the light suddenly disappeared, and the mine became dim for once.
"Someone!"
Zhang Pei, Lin Sishi and others became excited.
Gu Zhengchen's eyes lit up, he held the sword at his waist, stared at the mine, and said slowly: "It's time to end all this!"
