Chapter 1001: All Eyes on Xuzhou (600-Vote Bonus Chapter)

Shandong Grand Coordinator Zhao Yan was dismissed from office and charged; Shandong Regional Commander Yang Guodong was demoted, ordered to atone for his crimes through service; Caozhou Regional Commander Yang Zhaoji was dismissed, his merits and faults canceling each other out. The Prefect of Yanzhou and the Magistrate of Ziyang County were convicted on the charge of losing a prince of the imperial clan. They were to be escorted to the capital together with the chief culprit Xu Hongru. However, following the unwritten rules of the Ming officialdom, after the imperial decree arrived, the Yanzhou Prefect and the Ziyang Magistrate both took their own lives in their residences — a way of giving each side an accounting.

This news made Xuzhou even more bustling and jubilant. The court's handling was standard and unremarkable, but for Zhao Jin of Xuzhou, it amounted to a confirmation of his battlefield achievements, allowing him to attain every objective he had set out to achieve. It was tantamount to seizing control of the prefectures and counties of southwestern Shandong, controlling the Shandong section of the canal transport south of Jining, and controlling Jining itself, that critical canal transport hub. What remained to be done was to figure out how to get rich together with everyone. All those who had come to offer congratulations were networking with one another, all wanting to seek an audience with the young men in charge of the Zhao Character Camp. Shandong, after all, was a huge pie waiting for everyone to carve up.

Even those who were relatively distant from the Zhao Character Camp and had not come in person this time hurried over from Qingjiangpu. If nothing else, should a Jining Grand Market be established, they absolutely had to secure a few shopfronts in it...

With so many people arriving, aside from those who owned property in Xuzhou, everyone else had to stay in inns. And with so many wealthy and eminent figures among them, the premium rooms and private courtyards of every inn were completely booked. Prices had multiplied several times over, yet supply still could not meet demand. At a time like this, if anyone were to check out, the inns would welcome it with the greatest pleasure.

"In all my years traveling abroad, this is the first time I've seen innkeepers more attentive when you leave than when you arrive. You're all waiting for us to vacate the rooms, aren't you?" With a few teasing remarks, the guests who had checked into this inn around the time the Zhao Character Camp marched north were about to depart. The innkeeper and staff all saw them off with the utmost attentiveness.

By their accent, these guests were from Shanxi. Whether they had come here to do business or to see the novelty, though their dress and conduct were very low-key, one could still tell they were definitely of aristocratic, powerful lineage — very likely even holding official rank. The inn paid close attention to figures of this sort and would also notify the patrolmen responsible for that sector. Still, as long as the guests exhibited no unusual behavior, they were treated as guests all the same.

Most of the people visible around He Village were beaming with joy, and even uninvolved outsiders were infected by the atmosphere. Yet this party of guests checking out wore grave expressions and departed in haste.

"Leaving now while the bustle is at its peak is best. Zhao Jin and Wang Zhaojing have both seen me before, and there are quite a few people here from Yongcheng. In the earlier chaos of war, no one paid attention, but now it would be very easy to be discovered." The only person who could speak this way was that Sun Chuanting.

Sun Chuanting and his party had taken advantage of the brief reopening of Jining's gates to leave. They spent a high price to hire a boat and traveled day and night to reach Xuzhou. The moment they entered Xuzhou's territory, they immediately felt the peace and order. However, Sun Chuanting did not hurry back to Shanxi. Instead, he stayed in Xuzhou, closely following the news of the Zhao Character Camp's military situation in Shandong. Although military intelligence and battle reports were top-secret, Xuzhou always learned of all kinds of news earlier than anywhere else.

By the time this season of congratulations and bustle arrived, Sun Chuanting had already learned every battle report and detail that could be known.

"The court's handling of this matter really is exactly as our master said. The master's foresight is truly divine."

"What divine foresight? I reckon countless people in Xuzhou alone could have guessed the court's handling. Southern Shandong involves canal transport interests. The court can no longer endure the canal being cut off again and again. No matter what, the waterway must be kept open. Zhao Jin didn't want to fight, and the court wanted to fight even less. Besides, right now there are the Jianzhou Tartars in Liaodong, the tusi rebellions in Sichuan and Yunnan-Guizhou, and trouble in the Hetao region as well. All these places are tying down large armies. How could the court possibly free up its hands? How could it afford to get bogged down for too long in Shandong? The court wanted a semblance of peace, and Zhao Jin gave them that, so the matter is glossed over. They'll settle accounts once their hands are free — that's the only way it could be." In response to his servants' praise, Sun Chuanting showed no pride, instead laying out the entire chain of cause and effect.

Hearing Sun Chuanting's words, the servants grew spirited instead and said with a laugh, "Since the court still intends to fight, then this Zhao Jin won't be able to run rampant for many more days. Once they free up their hands, this so-called Zhao Character Camp will be finished."

"I'm afraid by the time the court frees up its hands, this Zhao Jin will fear nothing at all." Sun Chuanting said with a sigh. His subordinates were left stunned and speechless.

Sun Chuanting's party did not travel too fast, but neither did they waste any time. This way, they would not attract attention while still leaving Xuzhou as quickly as possible. By the time they had the leisure to discuss matters, they were already nearing Guide Prefecture's borders. The Sun family servants and guards had meant to lighten the mood with their talk, never expecting to make their master gloomy. They immediately fell silent, not daring to make another sound.

The silence did not last long, however. Sun Chuanting, still on horseback, sighed with emotion and said, "This Zhao Jin harbors the savage ambition of a wolf, yet his actions are steady and prudent. He has talented men assisting him at his side, and the local gentry and commoners have given him their hearts. In the future, he will surely be a mortal affliction at the very heart of the Great Ming."

As soon as he finished speaking, Sun Chuanting immediately turned to the steward beside him and said, "Once we return to Daizhou, dispatch men at once to open a shop here. All news from this place, great or small, must be reported back as quickly as possible. This is a matter of critical importance — there must be no delay whatsoever."

"Please rest assured, Master. This humble servant will arrange it as soon as we return. I have also observed the situation in Xuzhou myself. To be honest with you, Master, if our family were to open a shop here, we could make quite a profit. That arrack, those southern goods — they would all sell extremely well back in our Shanxi." The steward hastily agreed.

Sun Chuanting nodded from horseback, then seemed to recall something and added, "Even the bandits know to recruit the Zhao Character Camp's militia trainers. We can recruit them too. This is not asking you to poach talent — there are always those who were wounded and now live idle, always those who have quit. Hire these men. Recruit them discreetly, and no one will take notice."

"This humble servant understands. I will be sure to act with caution. Wasn't there a waiter at the inn who came from a militia training background? It seems the Zhao Character Camp never paid him any mind either."

"The Zhao Character Camp's method of drilling troops can only be fully learned by their household troops. The bandits only got the militia training method, which is why they couldn't win. If we can recruit some of their household troops, no amount of silver is too much!" Sun Chuanting said pensively from horseback.

The tale of how the Smelling Incense Sect bandits had trained their troops using the Zhao Character Camp's methods, only to be utterly routed by the Zhao Character Camp, was the favorite topic of conversation throughout Xuzhou. Everyone said that only the sons of Xuzhou were the strongest. But once outsiders learned of this, they simply concluded that there was a difference in quality between the Zhao Character Camp's methods for training household troops and those for training militia.

"And firearms. Xuzhou's strength lies crucially in the deadliness of its firearms..."

Lately, the eunuchs working in the duty room of the Directorate of Ceremonial were all walking on eggshells, and so were those who came over from other government offices. Everyone knew that Eunuch Wei Zhongxian was in a very foul mood. And everyone knew why. First, there was that great chaos in Shandong, which had cut off the canal transport once again. Word had it that some fearless souls had made up a rhyme: "Wei Zhongxian, the river won't flow." This allusion did have some logic to it. From the first year of the Tianqi reign to now, barely two years had passed, yet in those two years the canal had been severed twice. To call that mere coincidence would be far too coincidental.

People say they don't believe in gods and spirits, yet from the Son of Heaven down to the common folk, who truly doesn't believe? If this Wei Zhongxian really became linked with the severing of the canal transport, then no matter how much the Emperor valued old ties, Wei would not be able to remain in his position for long. Fortunately, after the rebellion erupted, it was put down within a month. The canal was reopened, and all the major affairs related to this year's canal transport likely would not be delayed.

Popular uprisings were nothing rare — they happened every day, differing only in scale. But this time, it had actually led to the extermination of the Prince of Lu's entire household. That was no small matter. Top local civil and military officials like the Grand Coordinator and the Regional Commander could not keep their black gauze hats. Responsibility would also have to be traced back to the imperial court. Who had appointed these men? Who had approved these appointments? All of this would have to be settled. Given Wei Zhongxian's current position, the decision of who to appoint as Grand Coordinator had to pass through his hands. He could be implicated no matter what. Moreover, that Shandong Regional Commander Yang Guodong, who had suffered a major defeat earlier, was Wei Zhongxian's adopted son. The Donglin purists, who had been suppressed until they could barely lift their heads, seized on this to launch a massive counterattack. Even the Son of Heaven had asked a few questions about it.

Eunuch Wei, who had been so majestically imposing these past two years, was truly a bit disgraced this time. Even a few figures within the palace who had been lying low and biding their time were ready to make a move. Yet within the Directorate of Ceremonial itself, all was still harmony. The Seal-Holding Eunuch, Wang Tiqian, remained obsequiously deferential to Wei Zhongxian, who ranked below him. Everyone else also dared not make the slightest reckless move, because those in the Directorate of Ceremonial all knew that Eunuch Wei had already had several audiences with His Majesty. His Majesty had no intention of reproaching him whatsoever; on the contrary, he expressed sympathy for Wei's hard work. With the Son of Heaven holding such an attitude, who could possibly touch Wei Zhongxian?

Though he was safe, how could Wei Zhongxian be in good spirits? Everyone consciously and voluntarily trod with care, lest they get caught in the fallout. Some already pitied the Donglin purists who were hopping and jumping about outside. Those people were probably in for a world of disaster.

And so now, whenever the Directorate of Ceremonial had any memorials, documents, or the like, they were all delivered by Xiao Kuang, Eunuch Wei's most trusted aide. Everyone avoided going to that side-courtyard duty room as much as possible, to spare themselves from disturbing Eunuch Wei.

"Tonight, you will take men and raid them. Say there has been a secret report. Those blind fools in the Directorate of Palace Eunuchs and the Directorate of the Imperial Horses — all must be condemned to death. As for their underlings, kill those who ought to be killed. At the very least, send them to the imperial tombs to grow vegetables." Wei Zhongxian's voice was laced with fury, and as he spoke, he slapped the tabletop with his hand.

Xiao Kuang respectfully acknowledged the order from below. Only when Wei Zhongxian picked up his teacup did he speak: "Venerable Ancestor, I'm afraid the matter of selecting a commandery prince's heir to inherit the Prince of Lu's title won't work. The officials from Shandong outside are all opposed, and even our own people feel the same way. The various offices within the palace are also strongly against it. Those eunuchs from Shandong..."

Before he could finish, Wei Zhongxian had already smashed the teacup in his hand heavily onto the floor. The fine porcelain teacup shattered, and tea spilled everywhere. Xiao Kuang, however, hastily turned and waved his hand. The peeping young eunuch immediately ducked his head back. Wei Zhongxian roared in fury, "All of them are muddle-headed fools! They think that if the Prince of Lu's line of succession is cut off, the Prince of Lu's lands and properties will be theirs, that they can get rich off it? They're daydreaming! That kid in Xuzhou won't leave them so much as a mouthful of soup. The extermination of the Prince of Lu's household is so suspicious — does our family really believe Xuzhou had nothing to do with it? Every single one of them has eyes only for silver and profit. Is our family the only one looking out for the Great Ming?"

This is the bonus chapter for reaching 600 votes. The activity of exchanging 100 monthly votes and the like for bonus chapters had about ten days of heat, but it's gradually cooled down now. I was so focused on that, I nearly overlooked the fact that we've already reached a thousand chapters.

The thousandth chapter is just an ordinary chapter. There's nothing particularly special about its plot. But considering the worldwide tradition of commemorating nice round numbers, and since I have some feelings about it too, I'll say a few more words at the end of the chapter.

If we were counting by three-thousand-word chapters, we'd already be at over a thousand several hundred chapters. Because for a period, I was only updating one five-thousand-word chapter a day — my condition wasn't very good back then. In fact, before I quit my job, I never imagined that writing full-time, I would actually struggle to guarantee 180,000 words a month — that is, six thousand a day — and would even have occasional missed updates. Friends who have followed Especially White's updates on Qidian must find this very unbelievable.

I don't know if saying this will jinx my luck, but I think I've recently found a method to write steadily, and I'll be able to guarantee stable updates from now on. I'm ashamed to even be saying something like this.

From the start of the book until now, I've already written over three million words, and I guarantee that I will tell this story completely and fully according to the current pace. Of course, I will also do my best to avoid some oversights — for instance, Liu Yong's age was written incorrectly. I hope everyone will point these out in the book review section, rather than via WeChat or private messages.

I started writing in '01 and began VIP serialization in '06. I usually count the latter as my starting point, so I've been writing for about ten years. I will continue to write. I will maintain good health, I will read as much reference material as possible, and I will travel to as many places as I can, to write better and more brilliant works for everyone, and for myself.

There's a lot I want to say, but I'll stop here for now. We're only at the midpoint — there's no need for so much reflection yet.

The bonus chapter activity ends here. When I'm ready again, we'll have another round. Perhaps when the double monthly tickets period starts, I'll launch a bonus chapter offensive. ^_^ Let me add, this activity isn't stopping so I can stockpile drafts for future bonus chapters. This is a job of self-discipline and following one's heart — there's not that much calculation involved. I will persist with the baseline of two updates a day.

I made a self-ask post on Zhihu: http: //www. zhihu. com/question/29584426, about The Great Ming Warrior. Brothers, if you have opinions you don't want to post in the book review section, post them there. Let's liven that place up. But posting in the book review section is still best.

As I was writing, for no reason, sand got in my eyes. I thought of some things. Pardon my sentiment. I'll say no more.

Thank you to the three old friends, "User Tiantian, User Hanye, User Hei'anzhongdeguangming," for your tips. Thank you to every friend who subscribes to The Great Ming Warrior, casts monthly votes for The Great Ming Warrior, and tips The Great Ming Warrior. Thank you for your support. Thank you all.