Chapter 1017: Contesting Land in Shandong

"I'll keep sending people in. Every move Wang Ziyang makes is under our control — he can't slip out of our grasp," Liu Yong added.

"Between Henan, Shanxi, and the grasslands, our business should be far more than what it is now. Wang Ziyang's abilities are limited. We still need our own people to go over and help before the business can truly grow," Zhao Jin continued.

After saying this, Zhao Jin stretched out a hand toward Liu Yong with a half-smile and said, "The seven-day reports sent from Qingjiangpu — sooner or later you have to show them to me. What are you still trying to hide?"

Liu Yong gave an awkward, rueful smile, took out the first sheet from that iron box, and shook his head. "It's not that I wanted to hide it. I was just thinking about when would be a better time to show it to you, Big Brother."

The seven-day report covered major events in Qingjiangpu over the past seven days — matters concerning the yamen, the grain transport, the salt merchants, and commodity prices, or any strange and unusual occurrences, as well as the movements of the household troops, patrol officers, militia, and the various forces affiliated with the Zhao Character Camp. This was transmitted directly by the Internal Guard, but the Prosperous Dragon Society and Cloud Mountain Firm also submitted similar confidential dispatches — it was never just one side's account.

What was written on this first sheet was very simple. It said that after Ji Xiang arrived in Qingjiangpu, the local wealthy merchants and gentry all flocked to curry favor with him. Ji Xiang did not accept money or valuables, but he did accept a lovely young woman sent by Li Ziyou of the Chenbei Firm. Once others saw Ji Xiang's predilection, there were now four women serving in his quarters.

According to the seven-day report, all the women Ji Xiang had accepted were sent by wealthy merchants close to the Zhao Character Camp. Others had also tried to cater to his tastes, but all were refused. Although Ji Xiang returned home early at night, he had not neglected his daytime drills or his nighttime patrols.

"Outrageous!" Zhao Jin gave a cold laugh and flung the letter straight to the ground, his expression already dark with anger.

Liu Yong rose, picked up the letter, and said slowly, weighing his words: "Fifth Brother still knows his limits. He hasn't neglected his proper duties."

"A joke. If you wanted to buy someone off and ran into someone like Ji Xiang — would you find it hard or easy?" Zhao Jin shot back. Liu Yong was instantly speechless.

"A thousand-li dike collapses from an ant hole. Send word for him to return. However many men he took with him, he brings them all back," Zhao Jin said in a muffled voice. Liu Yong hastily agreed, but inwardly he sighed.

Within the core ranks of the Zhao Character Camp, everyone knew that Ji Xiang wanted to go out and take charge on his own. But after this incident, Zhao Jin likely would not let him out again. Zhao Jin's expression was somewhat gloomy, but he did not lose his composure or erupt. He sat in silence for a moment, then spoke to Liu Yong: "Dasheng has a wife now. Shitou is about to get married. Over on the east bank of Luoma Lake, he has a refugee woman serving in his quarters. Bingfeng's family sent him a maid who's served him since childhood. Ji Xiang has a lover right here in Hejiazhuang, and he doesn't stay idle in Qingjiangpu either. What's going on with you and Leizi? I've said it a few times — our Zhao Character Camp still has a long road ahead, and the great undertaking still lies before us. It's not yet time for you to work yourselves to the bone. Don't be so hard on yourselves. We're around the same age, and both you and Leizi already have quite a few white hairs!"

Liu Yong was stunned. He had thought they were talking about Ji Xiang — how had it turned to him? With a helpless, rueful smile, he said, "Big Brother, Leizi and I have a thousand threads and ten thousand strands to manage. How could we possibly have time for that? Besides, the work Leizi and I do is dangerous. Who knows when we might fall? I wouldn't want to ruin some girl's life."

"A joke. Whichever family's daughter you take a fancy to — it's their good fortune. What do you mean, ruin her life?" Zhao Jin said dismissively.

The rueful smile on Liu Yong's face deepened. Just then, Wang Zhaojing entered from outside. Once inside, he said, "Xie Mingxian's men will first be sent to Cloud Mountain Temple for interrogation. Once we're sure they're reliable, they'll be dispersed to work at the various estates around Xuzhou. As for Xie Mingxian himself, I plan to place him at Cloud Mountain Firm, where we can keep a close watch on him. He's also a capable man — we may be able to use him later."

"Assign him to Wang Ziyang's route. Have both the Internal Guard and Cloud Mountain Firm assign people to watch him. If he can do the work, we won't treat him poorly. If he harbors any other intentions, deal with him directly," Zhao Jin ordered curtly.

With someone changing the subject, Liu Yong breathed a sigh of relief. But Zhao Jin pointed at Wang Zhaojing and said, "You scholars all marry and start families late. You're different — you know that?"

The rueful smile on Liu Yong's face grew thicker. He simply said, "Big Brother, Third Brother, those miscellaneous matters in the Shandong territories are starting to pile up. The various estates are fine, but the yamens in the different prefectures and counties are proving troublesome. Because the Kong Estate has sent people over to contest the land, they don't dare come down themselves, so they go to the yamens to make trouble. And we still have some estate land deeds that haven't been fully processed yet. The people inside the yamens can't hold out either, and inevitably they end up being directed by the Kong Estate's people to act against us."

"Not an inch of land conceded. We can't wash Qufu clean, but killing a few people is still simple. Same goes for the people in the Shandong local yamens — teach a few of the blind fools a lesson, so they don't think we've stopped paying attention," Zhao Jin said grimly. Liu Yong hastily agreed.

Wang Zhaojing, however, spoke with a solemn expression: "Big Brother, the Lu Princely Estate is detested by all under heaven, but the Ducal Sage Descendant Kong Estate is the lineage of the Sage himself. If we move against them, we truly make enemies of all the scholars under heaven — which means making enemies of all under heaven."

"Sage's lineage? This Sage's lineage is one branch staying behind in the Jin Kingdom to become the Northern Lineage, and another going to the Southern Song to become the Southern Lineage. Seems they also paid homage during the Mongol Yuan dynasty. And they still have the face to speak of the Sage's lineage? If old Master Kong knew, he'd probably be so furious he'd come back to life," Zhao Jin said with a scornful laugh.

Ever since the Ducal Sage Descendant Kong Estate began receiving titles and honors from successive dynasties, it had been nothing more than a top-tier powerful gentry clan that trimmed its sails to the wind, seeking its own wealth and glory regardless of righteous principle. The Jurchen Jin Kingdom of the Song era, and later the Mongol Yuan — strictly speaking, both were so-called foreign races. The Kong Estate ought to have perished in righteous defiance or followed the Zhao-Song court to the death. But the Kong Estate merely trimmed its sails to the wind, paying homage to whoever held the realm, regardless of Han or foreign, legitimate or heterodox. Such a lineage truly could not speak of any great righteous principle.

"Big Brother is right. This Kong Estate has been soaked and rotted by wealth and privilege. The Kong Estate annexes farmland, oppresses the common people, ********, and is not one bit better than the Lu Princely Estate. The shocking and horrifying deeds within the ducal residence are no fewer than in any other great house. But this house is a banner — a banner over the heads of all the scholars under heaven. Those who read the sage's books must naturally revere Confucius, and this Kong Estate is the embodiment of Confucius. If Big Brother were to wash this Kong Estate clean, that would mean an irreconcilable, fight-to-the-death enmity with all the scholars under heaven. In the eyes of all the scholars under heaven, Big Brother would be treating them as an enemy state, with no common ground between the two sides. If we do this, it will be a great calamity for the Zhao Character Camp!" Wang Zhaojing said, his words ringing with force.

Wang Zhaojing had always been very measured in his speech with Zhao Jin, and would even yield ground when Zhao Jin was forceful. It was rare for him to be this vehement. Liu Yong watched from the side, growing anxious, but did not know how to mediate. Zhao Jin, however, waved his hand with a smile and said, "I understand. I was just talking it through with you. I will be cautious with that side."

These words made both Wang Zhaojing and Liu Yong breathe a sigh of relief. But Zhao Jin added one more line: "However, we still won't concede an inch of land!"

"This Shijiazhuang is already ownerless land — do you know that or not?" At Shijiazhuang, beside the Grand Canal in Jining, Shandong, two groups of people were in a standoff. Some of those on the smaller side were dressed respectably, but all in the attire of servants and lackeys, clustered around a middle-aged man on horseback. On the outer perimeter stood a group of sturdy men dressed as yamen runners. The larger group, on the other hand, were all dressed in coarse cloth, and many still looked gaunt and undernourished. The men standing in front of them, though plainly dressed, were all able-bodied young men with the healthy complexion of those from peaceful households.

"What ownerless land? This is the Zhao family's estate — it's our master's property!" Faced with the challenge, the larger side showed no timidity whatsoever.

A young man dressed as a servant in a blue tunic and cap, his face full of fury, held up a document and shouted, "What Zhao family? What master? The yamen has already assigned this estate to our Kong Estate! Do you see this great seal? This is the proof of the yamen and the king's law! Do you not fear the king's law? Are you rebelling?"

As soon as this challenge was thrown out, the people behind him all joined in the clamor. The middle-aged man on horseback merely observed coolly. When the words "king's law" and "rebellion" were shouted, those gaunt-faced people opposite showed signs of cowering, while the men in front remained utterly unmoved — a few sturdy fellows even revealed expressions of disdain. On his own side, once those two words were shouted, the yamen runners actually looked uneasy as well.

The middle-aged man then shifted his gaze to the other side. The few men leading the argument were clearly not the domineering type; some even looked as though they came from scholarly or merchant backgrounds. Yet even in such a dispute, they remained calm and composed.

The young servant who had spoken was beside himself with rage. In the past, when doing this sort of thing, merely bringing up the Ducal Sage Descendant Estate and the yamen's king's law was enough to terrify these wretches standing on ownerless wasteland. If the yamen runners then threatened them with pole-blades and iron rulers, they would be so frightened they'd kneel and beg for mercy. Sometimes they'd even get free long-term laborers and coolies out of it — a nice bargain. Never had they met such stubborn resistance.

"You poor wretches truly have outrageous gall! Looking at you, none of you are honest farmers. You must be remnants of some evil cult, fleeing here after your rebellion failed! Don't think you can hide here. The yamen's eyes don't tolerate sand. If you still don't know what's good for you, we'll chain you up and drag you straight to the yamen for harsh punishment!"

He had thought these threats would intimidate the other side. He never expected that the larger group would simply look over at the yamen runners. Even the Kong Estate people followed their gaze, only to find that the runners holding chains and weapons all wore deeply troubled expressions. The two head constables at the front were covering their mouths and coughing loudly, while the rest just stood there cowering with forced, sheepish grins. And on the faces of the larger group, there were only cold sneers.

The yamen runners weren't moving? The Kong Estate people were all a bit stunned. But they had already climbed up too high to get down. One servant stepped forward and roared, "You rebel remnants! If you keep holding out here, beware — when the army arrives, every one of you will be beheaded!"

At these words, the expressions of the people opposite all changed. The Kong Estate side thought they had finally frightened them — only to see the man at the front, the one who looked like a scholar, step forward and snatch the yamen-stamped document right out of the servant's hand. Without even glancing at it, he tore it in two and threw it on the ground. Then, pointing at the Kong Estate people, he said, "I'll say it one more time. This is our Master Zhao's estate. Whether yamen runners come or government troops come, this is still our Master Zhao's estate. Don't court death. Now get out!"

Second guaranteed chapter of the day. The third bonus chapter will be in the afternoon. Looks like there might be a fourth chapter today. Everyone keep it up — I'll keep it up too!

Thanks to old friends "Wu Liulang, Yuan Heng Lizhen, Mu Ming, User Cold Night" for the tips. Thank you all for your subscriptions and monthly tickets. Thank you, everyone.