Chapter 1004: Not Exactly Undercurrents

"... Let them put down roots in Jining first. There's no rush to move against them until they're settled. They think that because the Aroma of Smell Sect stirred up this much trouble, they can just copy it — well, let's just watch." Zhao Jin and his companions were all thoroughly annoyed by this matter, but now was not the time to act in haste. Their territory had suddenly expanded. Although teams sent to take over the farming estates had already been dispatched one after another, with boat convoys racing along the Grand Canal, there was still a great deal to be done.

After Zhao Jin broke open Jining City and sealed the victory, the various household troops who had followed him into battle began to talk, and those back in Xuzhou were also speculating — that the Zhao Character Camp was about to expand again. This was not because they had heard any rumors, but because the last establishment of the regiment, company, and squad system, with its three regiments, was already a structure unsuited to the Zhao Character Camp's current scale. The appearance of the firearms company, the four large battalions, and the patrol squads were all modifications to that structure, but these were not long-term solutions either.

From the time that structure was set up until now, the Zhao Character Camp's territory had expanded several times over. The local militia, originally meant only for garrison and public order, had also begun taking part in battles. All of this required arrangements. Battle after battle, many militia members had experienced just as much real combat as the household troops, and their performance was far from poor. The Xuzhou volunteers and the affiliated martial men from various places were also not bad. These people certainly could not be kept permanently beneath the household troops.

Moreover, the establishment of the five great academies made it imperative to change this system. Otherwise, when the student soldiers graduated from the academies, would their status have to be lower than that of these seniors who had bled and fought on the front lines? Beyond the household troops of the Zhao Character Camp's various regiments and squads, the same was true for the Cloud Mountain Firm. Given the Zhao Character Camp's current sphere of influence, a system of head offices and branch offices was no longer suitable. To say nothing else, take the various farming estates alone. These estates were currently also placed under the Cloud Mountain Firm, managed by individual branch offices. But so many farming estates were essentially small-scale counties and districts. Managing such units could not be done using the methods for running a trading company's shops.

In fact, the Cloud Mountain Firm had already split internally into several factions. The normal operation of shops, buying, selling, and trade was one faction. The Qingjiang Great Market, the Xuzhou Salt Market, and the public markets were another. Then the various Cloud Mountain branch offices were a faction, and the Cloud Mountain branch offices specifically responsible for the farming estates were yet another. Each faction had its own distinct interests, different methods of doing things, and different sources of manpower, and they argued with each other endlessly.

Zhao Jin was also unwilling to spell things out too clearly. In truth, Wang Zhaojing, Ruhui, and Zhou Xuezhi already represented the various factions within the Cloud Mountain Firm system. They had entanglements of one kind or another with all parties outside the Zhao Character Camp's martial group. Strictly speaking, Yu Zhiyuan's side barely counted as a small system of its own. If that were included, it became even more complicated.

Although everyone was working toward the same goal — to let Zhao Jin go further and make the Zhao Character Camp's strength even greater — their methods of doing things differed. The resources they needed and the objectives they wanted to achieve were all different. Conflicts and contradictions were unavoidable.

Expanding the organization, sorting out the system, giving everyone more room, and making the structure and procedures more rational — this was already something the Zhao Character Camp had to do now. Naturally, everyone could guess as much.

The Zhao Character Camp was about to restructure again and expand outward. This speculation lifted everyone's spirits. The larger the Zhao Character Camp grew, the more room there was for everyone to rise. Not to mention, after years of hard work and earning merit, it was time for some reward. The distribution of rewards based on merit always stirred excitement and fervor. This speculation was, on one hand, just speculation, but on the other, it could also be seen as the voice of the people — everyone hoping their thoughts would reach Zhao Jin's ears.

The speculation was soon confirmed. Zhao Jin made a clear statement: everyone should stay at their posts and work hard. The matter of expansion was currently under discussion, and once a decision was reached, it would begin immediately. When this clear news was released, the entire Zhao Character Camp, from top to bottom, was overjoyed. Some people even began busily maneuvering. Although the Zhao Character Camp's system was fair and reasonable, everyone was a local of Xuzhou. There were always various connected parties with ties of one sort or another to the Zhao Character Camp. Those with connections to Zhao Zhentang and other figures of the father's generation went without saying — the thresholds of their homes were worn down from all the visitors. Whether it would work or not, there was no harm in trying.

The bustle of congratulations gradually faded. That fu ship was also towed away again, heading south to the sea. Every part of Xuzhou got back on track, bustling with fiery intensity. Massive amounts of supplies were loaded onto boats and shipped to Shandong. There were stockpiles of coarse and fine grain and fodder, as well as all kinds of farming tools forged by the Xu family. The farming estates the Zhao Character Camp had established in Shandong currently yielded no benefits whatsoever; they only kept pouring money, provisions, and fodder into them. Every part of Shandong was also busy without pause, hoping to harvest a season's crop this year and become fully established.

The various regiments and squads of the Zhao Character Camp were not merely garrisoned and resting either. Many noticed that the express riders going to and from the He Family Village were even more frequent than during wartime. Then Ji Xiang, the commander of the personal guard beside Zhao Jin, also led his troops south. Many thought some major event had occurred, but in the end, it was only discovered that Dong Bingfeng and Zhou Xuezhi had rushed back. It turned out to be just a temporary rotation of the guard.

"... Not being able to pacify the roving bandits together with Big Brother is truly a regret. My elder brothers fought great battles against the bandits while your younger brother enjoyed peace in the rear. It really is..." Upon arriving, Dong Bingfeng said this first.

The reason he said this was, first, genuine regret. After all, as the Zhao Character Camp's territory expanded, opportunities for the brothers to fight side by side grew fewer and fewer. The second reason was this upcoming expansion. The merit earned in this great battle against the roving bandits would surely carry heavy weight in the coming expansion and promotions. Dong Bingfeng was not worried about being shortchanged himself, but he still had to fight for the company commanders and squad commanders under him.

"Us fighting at the front is merit, but you holding Southern Zhili is also merit. Without Southern Zhili as our foundation, we would be nothing at all." Zhao Jin's words set Dong Bingfeng's mind at ease.

"Besides, it wasn't exactly peaceful for you here either. Didn't it nearly come to blows?..." Zhao Jin had led the First Regiment, Second Regiment, personal guard, First Large Battalion, and Fourth Large Battalion north into Shandong. The Second Large Battalion garrisoned Xuzhou. The Third Large Battalion was at Pizhou, ready to advance on Teng County at any moment. The Third Regiment had also moved north from Qingjiangpu. Such movements could not be hidden from anyone. It was very easy for others to judge that the areas under Zhao Character Camp's control were empty.

Among the government troops in the various parts of Southern Zhili north of the Yangtze, aside from the forces under the Xuzhou Assistant Regional Commander, the Fengyang troops, the Langshan troops, and the Grand Coordinator's standard camp in Taizhou were all irreconcilably opposed to the Zhao Character Camp. Normally, they were cowed by the Zhao Character Camp's strength and dared not stir. At this moment, they naturally felt their chance had come. After the Third Regiment, led by Dong Bingfeng, left Qingjiangpu, the troops of the Fengyang Central Capital, the forces under the Langshan Vice General, and the various units of the Fengyang Grand Coordinator's standard camp all began to move.

These movements of the government troops likewise could not escape the Zhao Character Camp's eyes and ears. Therefore, Dong Bingfeng's Third Regiment did not march quickly, ready at any moment to turn back to Qingjiangpu. The Second Large Battalion, led by Li Wu, also prepared to move south to Fengyang. What stabilized the situation was an arrangement by Li Dajin. He directly had the various patrol squads currently in training conduct marching drills around Qingjiangpu, sending out squad after squad and bringing them back, a display of force. Watching these patrol squads, each with an imposing bearing and well-equipped, the various government troops harboring sinister intentions calculated the odds and all held still for the time being, waiting to see which way the wind blew. Before they could make any further moves, the news of Zhao Jin's great victory and return also arrived. At that point, the situation settled completely.

"Sending Daxiang to replace you was to give you a holiday — to return to Xuzhou, reunite with your parents, and meet with the brothers. It's truly been a long time since all of us gathered together!" Zhao Jin said with a smile.

Dong Bingfeng was very grateful and said further, "Before, Big Brother traveled back and forth between Xuzhou and Qingjiangpu. Once the situation stabilizes and Big Brother resumes that routine, there will be many more chances to meet."

"In the future, I'm afraid I really will have to stay in Xuzhou often. With Jining in hand, Xuzhou happens to be the center point between Jining and Qingjiangpu. I can only sit in command here, ready to maneuver at any time." Zhao Jin rejected Dong Bingfeng's idea.

Over on that side, Dong Bingfeng went to see Chen Sheng and the other companions. Wang Zhaojing and Ruhui then hurried over. Zhao Jin had called Zhou Xuezhi back not so he could visit home. His entire family had long since moved to Qingjiangpu; only his eldest son was serving in the student soldier squad.

"In the refugee estates on the east shore of Luoma Lake, there are no fewer than two thousand people who know how to spin thread and weave cloth. Among these captives, there are likely no fewer than four or five thousand. Those who know how to grow cotton are even more numerous. The Yanzhou Prefecture area in Shandong already has a tradition of cotton planting, so cotton fields there are no worry. The estates on the east shore of Luoma Lake can also grow cotton, and the harvests are quite good. That means we have two stable sources of cotton in hand, plus nearly ten thousand laborers who can spin yarn and weave cloth. This cotton cloth business holds great promise." Zhao Jin began by setting the stage.

It was somewhat contradictory. How could farming households and common folk have money to buy cloth and make clothes? They all spun thread and wove cloth at home, then made clothes for their own families to wear. That was how the skill came about. It was usually able-bodied women who did this work. And during this roving bandit chaos, a great many able-bodied women survived. They were the best source of labor.

"Truly great profit!" Zhou Xuezhi blurted out. Wang Zhaojing and Ruhui also nodded. Before the expedition, Zhao Jin had already spoken to them about planting cotton and weaving cloth. They had naturally studied every aspect of cotton planting and cloth weaving in detail and knew it was indeed a sky-high, colossal profit. The phrase "mountains of gold and seas of silver" had been used too often in Xuzhou and for the Zhao Character Camp, but applied to this, it was also exactly right.

This time, Zhou Xuezhi had rushed over from Qingjiangpu precisely bringing all sorts of information about cotton cloth for everyone to study together.

Hearing Zhao Jin describe the grand prospect of nearly ten thousand people spinning yarn and weaving cloth, with entire counties and districts turned into cotton fields, Zhou Xuezhi, a man accustomed to wealth and goods, was so stirred his face flushed red, and his voice unconsciously carried a tremor: "Master, your subordinate investigated in Qingjiangpu. If we could have just a thousand people spinning and weaving here, combined with the Songjiang cotton cloth that Young Master Yu trades in, the price of cotton cloth in Shandong, Shanxi, Northern Zhili, and Henan would be in our hands. If we can truly achieve ten thousand people weaving and entire counties and districts all cotton fields, then we could even have a say in the cotton cloth business of the entire realm!"

Drank white tea all afternoon, then stayed up all night. I'm afraid this day will be wasted. The afternoon update will be a bit late.

Thanks to the three old friends "Stars of the Sky, User Cold Night, User Cola" for their tips. Thank you all for your subscriptions and monthly tickets. Six in the morning is truly quiet. Thank you everyone, I'm off to sleep now.