Chapter 1008: Don't Let Hearts Grow Cold

The Wang family of Luanzhou had faced this kind of situation many times before. The Incense-Smelling Sect's mob uprisings hadn't started with Xu Hongru this time either — ever since Wang Sen founded the Incense-Smelling Sect and broke new ground, it happened every few years. The Wang family's response was never to hide, but to send people to the capital and the provinces to work their connections, visiting friends they were on familiar terms with, throwing out great sums of silver until danger always turned to safety. This sudden disappearance, however, was completely unlike their past habits.

Mu Shulan knew the Incense-Smelling Sect's activities very well and had once personally managed such shady dealings. Before and after the Zhao Battalion marched north into Shandong, all sorts of intelligence about the Incense-Smelling Sect, both overt and covert, was gathered to her. Today, however, came word from Northern Zhili — because of the great Incense-Smelling Sect uprising in Shandong, Northern Zhili had issued a general arrest warrant and sent men to Luanzhou to seize people. They had not expected to find only an empty compound. Wang Haoxian had been gone for a long time, and the family members and trusted aides around him had all vanished as well. This made Mu Shulan tense up at once. She thought Wang Haoxian was going to take control of the Shandong situation, and might even move against Zhao Jin.

"First, they can't take control of the Shandong situation. In the past, the officials were there, the common folk lived bitterly, and the officials ruled loosely, so they could stir up trouble. Once we put down roots there, no petty scoundrel will be able to slip in. Second, have a little more faith in Xiaoyong and the others. With layer upon layer of defenses, if an assassin can still sneak through, then we've trained these household troops for nothing. You don't need to worry so much. Nothing will happen," Zhao Jin said steadily. After he finished, Mu Shulan did not look particularly relieved, though he could see she was holding it in.

They finished the meal just like that. The maidservants came up to clear the table, but Mu Shulan was anxious to get back and review the reports coming in from all sides, too preoccupied to keep Zhao Jin company. The children had played all day and were already yawning nonstop; the nursemaids led them away to sleep. Only Zhao Jin and Xu Zhenzhen remained in the room. Xu Zhenzhen glanced at Meng Ziqi and Mei Xiang standing off in the distance, then smiled and said to Zhao Jin in a low voice, "Husband, could it be that Sister Mu is with child?"

Zhao Jin was stunned again. They had clearly been discussing confidential matters — how had she seen that? Xu Zhenzhen smiled and explained, "Sister Mu's temperament has only grown irritable these past few days. When I was carrying Dafeng and Xiaolong, I was the same way. Husband, go keep her company more these next few days. Tomorrow I will send for someone to come take her pulse."

So that was the reason. Zhao Jin spaced out for a moment, then broke into a helpless laugh. Xu Zhenzhen also laughed softly, but she looked toward Meng Ziqi and Mei Xiang, who were standing properly off to the other side, and said quietly, "Husband, if you don't fancy Mei Xiang, I will arrange for her to marry out soon. But as for Miss Meng, whether you fancy her or not, you must take her into your chambers."

From confidential matters to discerning Mu Shulan's pregnancy, and then to talk of taking new concubines — Xu Zhenzhen's words were usually meticulous and orderly, but today they jumped about. Zhao Jin could not adjust for a moment. And he deeply disliked it when the women of the household proposed taking more wives for him — not that he disliked the idea of more women, but the way it was done always made him uncomfortable.

"Husband, Housheng can only manage the crafts and manufacturing side of things. At your side, you still need one of our own people leading troops — that is the most secure arrangement." Xu Zhenzhen lowered her voice a little further.

"Don't let your thoughts run wild. The ones commanding the household troops now — are they not our own people?" Zhao Jin said in a deep voice, but he understood Xu Zhenzhen's line of reasoning. With marriage ties, both sides truly shared honor and disgrace as one. Xu Zhenzhen's suggestion to take Meng Ziqi into his chambers was not about the woman or inner-court intrigue, but about Meng Zhiqi, who was already commanding the firearms company.

Zhao Jin stroked Xu Zhenzhen's hair and said with tender pity, "It truly could not have been easy for you back in the Xu family. Otherwise, how would a sheltered young lady know so many things?"

Xu Zhenzhen had managed the Xu family from childhood and had been through life-and-death trials herself. In matters of power and statecraft, she was naturally far, far more adept than ordinary women. Xu Zhenzhen tilted her head, closed her eyes slightly, and said with a soft laugh, "What's so hard about it? Husband, as long as things are good with you, everything is good for everyone."

A thought would occasionally flash through Zhao Jin's mind: Xu Zhenzhen had now borne a son and a daughter. The principal wife had given birth to the eldest son, and she controlled the coal, iron, and crafts manufacturing that supplied the Zhao Battalion's arms, armor, and every other need — her position was unshakable. If Xu Zhenzhen had no children now, or lacked the Xu family as her backing, would she still be so at ease about Mu Shulan's pregnancy, or so eager to suggest taking Meng Ziqi? The thought flickered by, and Zhao Jin could not be bothered to trouble himself with it.

That night he slept in Mu Shulan's chambers. With Zhao Jin by her side, Mu Shulan's mood gradually settled. Yet although what she had raised was somewhat alarmist, it could not be ignored. Zhao Jin noted it down in his book with a brush, planning to make the corresponding arrangements the next day.

Early the next morning, Zhao Jin and his companions and trusted aides in Hejiazhuang gathered as usual in the council hall. Ma Chonghao had also returned from Jining. Zhao Jin did not conceal what Mu Shulan had said; he brought it up directly.

"The residences of every elder brother have arrangements both inside and out. Every family residence has its own arrangements. Whether at home or traveling, there are overt and covert guards. Moreover, the household troops and militia are deployed with this in mind. If anyone tries to plant death-sworn assassins, at most they can only infiltrate the outer perimeter. If they come with a large force, there's nothing to be done — but leaving aside whether a large force could even enter our Xuzhou, if they truly tried to raise a ruckus, within a quarter-hour several companies would certainly arrive. No matter what three-headed, six-armed monster they bring, they'd be wiped out." For even the cautious Liu Yong to speak with such brimming confidence, it seemed they truly had things well in hand.

"It's no great matter. Just don't let the remnants of the Incense-Smelling Sect slip through a crack," Zhao Jin said, his attitude toward the matter equally relaxed.

During that day's council, Zhao Jin had everyone discuss expansion. He made it clear: "Our territory has grown large. Naturally, we need more units to garrison all quarters. More crucially, we must not let the hearts of the militia who have fought in battle grow cold, nor can we let the rest of the militia think they will only ever be militia in this life. We cannot let the household troops and the militia become opposed to one another."

Everyone understood Zhao Jin's meaning. What followed was simply each person putting forward their views for Zhao Jin's consideration. During that day's council-hall discussion, Wang Zhaojing was already handling the duties of chief administrator. While the others debated, he kept writing without pause, and when he spoke his opinion, it was always last.

When the council concluded and everyone went off to their tasks, Wang Zhaojing and Liu Yong remained in the room. Ma Chonghao, who had been waiting outside, also came in. Lei Cai had stayed behind in Jining, busy, and had not returned. This made Zhao Jin smile bitterly. "What exactly is going on with Leizi? Even if he's young and strong, he can't work so recklessly, as if his life depended on it. If this keeps up, I won't be able to send him out on assignments anymore."

"Before Leizi came to follow you, Big Brother, he had fallen so low he was begging on the streets, and people bullied him terribly. You let him stand on his own two feet again. He has always been overwhelmingly grateful and wants to repay you by getting things done," Liu Yong said with a rueful smile.

"It's not just Leizi — you have the same problem. The days when you'll need to give your all are still ahead. If you push this hard now, you'll ruin your health, and when the time truly comes to act, you won't have the strength left!" Zhao Jin's tone was stern yet helpless.

Ma Chonghao sat in the seat of lower precedence, listening with a smile. In the past, he had not been qualified to sit in Zhao Jin's presence, but now he enjoyed core-level treatment. However, Ma Chonghao had spent many years in the official circles of the Great Ming, and he bore such changes in treatment with great composure. What he truly thought in his heart, no one could know.

"Old Ma, I'm going to station you in Shandong. Within the territory we control, you'll set up the Internal Guard, deploy patrol officers, and coordinate with the local authorities to make them assist us. Externally, you'll be our forward post in Jining — gathering intelligence on all the other parts of Shandong, and collecting major and minor news from the capital and Liaodong. Ma Liu and his men in the capital will return to your command. Next, I will station at least one regiment in the Jining area. Day-to-day affairs in Shandong, decisions made on the spot, will be handled jointly by that regiment's commander, you, the person in charge of the estates, and the person running the Cloud Mountain Trading Company." Zhao Jin had long had a plan and laid it out point by point.

After he finished, Ma Chonghao rose and accepted the order. Zhao Jin continued, "Many people think these patrol officers are just constables and official runners. That's not wrong, but our patrol officers cannot act like the yamen runners and official agents. In any county or department of the Great Ming, the authorized agents drawing official pay and rations number no more than a hundred — often far fewer. Yet the people doing work for the authorities number in the thousands. Where do their pay and perks come from? From squeezing the locality, fleecing the common people, throwing their weight around without the slightest restraint, stirring up trouble — you can imagine how great the people's fury is. Our patrol officers cannot operate this way. They will have sufficient pay and provisions to support their families, so they must not go out and squeeze the common people. They are to maintain peace and order in the locality, mediate local disputes, and collect every major and minor matter, every rustle in the grass, from the area."

Zhao Jin spoke while Wang Zhaojing recorded rapidly. Ma Chonghao furrowed his brow in thought. Zhao Jin was not finished: "Our Zhao Battalion has the baojia system — groups of ten households mutually guaranteeing one another under collective punishment. The patrol officers must link up with the baojia. For every ten households or every few dozen, there must be a patrol officer responsible. He must know the backgrounds of these households inside out. They cannot be like the current officials and agents, who have the Incense-Smelling Sect burning incense and spreading their teachings right under their noses and still know nothing. Also, these patrol officers are not just official agents — they are also a reserve force. If the enemy attacks, the household troops and militia are the first wave, the patrol officers are the second, and the able-bodied commoners everywhere are the third..."

At this point, Zhao Jin paused, picked up the tea bowl from the table, and took a sip. Just then, Ma Chonghao frowned and said, "Master, this subordinate will be so bold as to say one thing. By your account, the patrol officers will see only hardship and no real benefit. I fear their dedication in carrying out their duties may fall somewhat short."

"In this world, giving a man enough to feed and clothe his family — is that not a benefit? To become a patrol officer is to be part of our Zhao Battalion system. If he does well, he can naturally rise step by step. Moreover, as a patrol officer, he carries the prestige and face of our Zhao Battalion. He is the one managing others, not the one being managed. To stand a cut above the rest — is that not a benefit?" Zhao Jin countered with a smile. Ma Chonghao inclined his body slightly and did not press the argument further.

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