Chapter 1010: Fleeing South

Ma Chonghao was in no hurry to return. Compared to the core members of the Zhao Character Battalion, Ma Chonghao possessed an advantage no one else could match — he had held high office for many years and had rich experience in managing subordinates and organizational structure. Even though his methods were not the same as those used by the Zhao Character Battalion, he could still offer many suggestions.

Since the expansion and reorganization had already been announced, it had to be completed as quickly as possible. Now, aside from their own duties, the core leadership of the Zhao Character Battalion spent every day debating this endlessly. At the same time, express riders were dispatched so that those stationed in various places could stay informed and offer their own suggestions at any time. Even the main forces and core members of the Zhao Character Battalion and Yunshan Trading were told that they could voice their suggestions regarding this expansion and reorganization — good ones would be richly rewarded, and wrong ones would not be punished. These suggestions were compiled by local clerks and then sent over here by express rider.

Every day, Wang Zhaojing and several dozen student clerks who had studied administrative affairs examined the letters, sorted them into categories, and then summarized them for Zhao Jin. With so many suggestions gathered and everyone discussing them, Zhao Jin deliberated and made the final decisions. The future framework and structure of the Zhao Character Battalion gradually took shape in this way.

The establishment and operation of the five major academies and workshops in Xuzhou all proceeded once the rules were set. It was assumed that during this period, the expansion and reorganization of the Zhao Character Battalion would become the most important matter, but unexpectedly, on the afternoon of the day they met Ma Chonghao, an urgent letter arrived from Pizhou.

The urgent letter said that someone from the canal transport circles had approached the Sun Family Trading Company, claiming that remnants of the Smelling Incense Sect from Shandong wished to surrender to the Zhao Character Battalion and hoped to be accepted. At present, the Sun Family Trading Company was mostly operated and run by people from Yunshan Trading. Upon learning this news, they did not consider it a major matter and directly replied: disembark at Yutou Town by Luoma Lake, and someone would naturally be arranged to receive them.

However, the canal transport man delivering the message dared not be negligent. He said there were roughly eight hundred people, all sturdy men skilled with blade and spear, and they were spending money very freely — they might very well be top figures within the Smelling Incense Sect. Upon hearing the number eight hundred, the manager of the Sun Family Trading Company panicked. Yutou Town had only four companies of local militia in total; even if they used everything available, they could only immediately field six hundred men.

The manager also feared the canal transport man was making mysteries out of nothing, so he first sent someone to check the docks. The man who went to investigate returned with a face pale as death, saying the people on those boats were ferocious and murderous, likely no less than our own local militia. This made the trading company people even more nervous, and they directly detained the canal transport informant for questioning. That man also wore a bitter face, saying he had originally taken money to smuggle people aboard to flee for their lives — who could have imagined it would be a group like this? If he hadn't come to report, his brothers on the boats would have lost their lives, and the boats would have been burned.

The Sun Family Trading Company and Yunshan Trading immediately sent urgent letters in all directions, then had the canal transport man go back and say: if they truly wished to surrender, they were to wait on the boats and not move, otherwise they would part ways with no deal. Food and supplies could be provided from shore. The four companies of local militia, along with the guards of several trading companies and the local militia of nearby gentry and strongmen, were all assembled to watch the docks. Meanwhile, the "Smelling Incense Sect remnants" on the dozen or so canal boats were also on high alert, holding swords and blades, ready to fight at any moment aboard their vessels. Such a posture was even more intimidating. Everyone had heard the tales of the Shandong pacification — how mobs of refugees and bandits numbering in the tens of thousands were chased all over the battlefield by a few hundred men of the Zhao Character Battalion. But the ones before them were clearly not that kind.

By the time Li He's Second Great Company arrived at Yutou Town, the cavalry unit of the Second Regiment had also been dispatched, and the two hundred local militia from Suqian had arrived a day earlier than them. With such strength bearing down, there was naturally no fear of the Smelling Incense Sect remnants on the boats stirring up trouble. Moreover, Shi Manqiang had also sent word: if they surrendered sincerely, they were to be accepted after disarming and sent to Xuzhou for disposition. The Zhao Character Battalion's current attitude toward these remnants was very lenient — as long as they had not committed any bloody atrocities and had not aroused great public fury, they were all assigned to work at the refugee farmsteads. One more person meant one more share of practical benefit.

Seeing nearly two thousand Zhao Character Battalion household retainers and cavalry arrive at the docks, and seeing the other large vessels at the docks move far away, forming a great encircling ring around them, the "Smelling Incense Sect remnants" on the boats no longer dared harbor any other thoughts. They certainly could not win a fight if they went ashore, and if they tried to escape by water, the other boats were not to be trifled with. They could only obediently surrender.

There were seven hundred and forty-three people in total. Every one of them carried a podao or a short spear, with short swords and daggers at their waists. Shockingly, more than a dozen of them even wore light armor. Such equipment made Li He's eyelids twitch uncontrollably — this was the kind of gear only the uppermost forces within the Smelling Incense Sect possessed. Then, the man who appeared to be their leader looked like a scholar and called himself Xie Mingxuan, Guardian Venerable of the Smelling Incense Sect. This name was renowned far and wide — he was the Left Military Advisor to Smelling Incense Sect Hierarch Xu Hongru, acclaimed as the foremost strategist. He was also a major criminal on the government's wanted list, though it was widely rumored he had died loyal to Xu Hongru when the city fell. Who could have imagined that over half a month later, he would actually arrive in territory controlled by the Zhao Character Battalion?

Figures and forces of this caliber had already exceeded the scope of what Li He could decide on his own — even Shi Manqiang of the Second Regiment could not handle it. After discussing it together, they had them hand over their weapons, searched and bound them, and then escorted them in force to Xuzhou. Fortunately, during the search and binding, Xie Mingxuan and the Smelling Incense Sect followers were all very compliant and offered no resistance, which allowed everyone to breathe a sigh of relief.

Of course, only Li He and a few others knew of Xie Mingxuan; the rest had no way of knowing, otherwise it would have been far too easy to stir up trouble. Despite the compliance of these seven hundred-plus people, the Pizhou side dared not show the slightest carelessness or negligence. The entire Third Great Company was mobilized, the Cheng family deployed all able-bodied men capable of fighting, and the Jiang family also sent men into Pizhou to provide support. From the moment they set out from Luoma Lake, express riders had been sent ahead to deliver the message to Zhao Jin.

As for these several hundred surrendering men, sending them to Xuzhou for Zhao Jin to handle was not about shirking responsibility, but rather because bringing them to Xuzhou was the most secure option — the news would not spread chaotically, and there was strength enough there to suppress and guard them.

"Truly interesting. I had thought the Smelling Incense Sect was filled entirely with fanatical and loyal men — who would have thought so many from the very top layer would flee out here." Zhao Jin did not regard this as any major affair. After receiving the letter, he made a few quips about it in front of everyone.

"Big Brother, aside from Li He's report letter, this man Xie has also sent a letter over," Wang Zhaojing reminded him, then said with a smile to Niu Jinbao, who was walking over: "The letter was dictated by him and recorded by our people — there will be no tampering."

Ma Chonghao, seated below, nodded approvingly at this scene. Poison and tampering could be done even on letters — the Zhao Character Battalion had actually taken precautions to this level, which could be considered meticulous.

Xie Mingxuan's letter was also very short. After Zhao Jin finished reading it, his smile grew even stronger, and he could not help but speak: "This letter is even more interesting. Arrange a manor near the First Regiment's area. This man Xie and the people he brought will be settled there. I want to go meet him."

Wang Zhaojing quickly agreed, but everyone was somewhat puzzled. Back when they had captured Xu Hongju in Jining City, Zhao Jin had been too lazy to even glance at him. This Xie Mingxuan was a level below Xu Hongju — why did Zhao Jin want to meet him?

After Xie Mingxuan and the men he led broke through the government troops' encirclement, they traveled without stopping all the way to the Grand Canal. When the Smelling Incense Sect refugees had run amok, they had plundered in all directions, and the wealthy villages and stockades along the canal had naturally not been spared. However, Xie Mingxuan had used his own authority to protect one estate, having the entire estate convert to the sect and even arranging titles for them.

With the status of sect members and the title of Incense Master, the various rebel armies of the Smelling Incense Sect would not harass or attack them. Of course, most of the Smelling Incense Sect's rebel armies could never have imagined that an intact estate still existed by the canal. When he first made this arrangement, Xie Mingxuan had intended to leave a path of retreat for himself and Xu Hongru. After witnessing Xu Hongru's behavior following his "ascension and proclamation as emperor" inside Zou County city, this retreat path was kept only for himself.

During their flight, they had no choice but to be ruthless and merciless. Running westward all this way, if he had wanted to gather followers, rallying a force of several thousand or even tens of thousands would have been very simple. Yet Xie Mingxuan ordered his subordinates to simply kill their way through — even those who wished to join them were to be killed without exception. As a result, after traveling all this way to their destination, only these seven hundred-plus people remained.

Having shown kindness and spared this estate back then did not mean the estate felt gratitude. At the time, the Smelling Incense Sect's rebel armies were rampaging across southern Shandong, and no one dared utter a word of refusal. No matter how deep their hatred, on the surface they had to appear tearfully grateful. However, the government troops' breaching of Zou County city had been too sudden, and this estate had not yet received word. Xie Mingxuan did not show himself; he merely sent a small squad dressed in neat clothing to call open the estate gates, then seized control of the gate by surprise. The main force rushed in, and at that point, whatever intentions the estate might have harbored could no longer be acted upon.

Since the Smelling Incense Sect's rebel army had risen at Yuncheng, swept through southern Shandong, breached the wealthy cities of Jining and Zou County, and plundered both banks of the canal, they had truly amassed a considerable store of gold and silver. Xie Mingxuan also staked a great deal, directly leaving a hundred taels of gold with this estate. He also strictly restrained his followers — on one hand keeping the estate's inhabitants under tight guard, and on the other forbidding any harm to the estate's common people. Wen Tiejun had originally wanted to find a few young women for pleasure but was strictly forbidden by Xie Mingxuan, nearly leading to a bloody internal clash.

Boats on the canal had already resumed navigation. Xie Mingxuan sent his followers out together with estate laborers to seize control of canal boats under the pretext of receiving and shipping goods. Once they had control, they produced sufficient silver and money, then coerced the boatmen into obedience. After gathering enough boats, Xie Mingxuan had every single person on that estate blindfolded and locked inside the residential compound, telling them he was going out on business and would return after dark — if anyone dared remove their blindfold, they would be killed without mercy upon his return.

The people in the estate were not fools. Before dark, someone likely removed their blindfold, and perhaps someone even went out to report them. Wen Tiejun and his trusted men kept clamoring to completely wipe out the estate, but Xie Mingxuan stopped them. He did not want to create more killing karma, nor did he dare stain himself with too much blood. They sailed south on the boats for a day and a night like this. If anyone had reported them to the authorities, government cavalry would have caught up long ago — yet the riverbanks remained very quiet.

After the monthly manuscript submission day, my body goes through a periodic fatigue. Just one update today, conserving energy for extra updates tomorrow!

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