Chapter 1024: Kong Zhang (For the New Alliance Leader

The sudden news ordering them to hurry back gave Zhao Jin and the others a real fright — they thought some major incident had occurred. But once they learned it was just to meet someone, they felt baffled. What kind of important figure could warrant such urgency? Zhao Jin was not one for arrogance or self-importance, but his position had risen high now. Local gentry and tycoons had to look up to him, while those top-tier magnates and wealthy figures were usually tied to the imperial court and government, and both sides kept a respectful distance from each other. Under such circumstances, who could possibly require such a rushed meeting?

Baffled as they were, everyone knew Wang Zhaojing was not the sort to make a fuss over nothing. If he said it was this urgent, then there had to be a reason for such urgency. Zhao Jin left two full companies behind to escort Mu Shulan back to Xuzhou, while he himself, along with Ji Xiang and the cavalry unit, rode at full gallop back to Xuzhou.

When they reached the border between Xuzhou and Pizhou, Wang Zhaojing had actually sent people to wait for them, which made Zhao Jin and the others even more astonished and suspicious. Among the household troops who came to receive them were also men from the Internal Guard. According to them, Wang Zhaojing had a guest over there, but who this guest was, even Chen Sheng and Liu Yong did not know. Wang Zhaojing had only explained that this was a figure of the utmost importance, and not a whisper of it could be leaked. The Internal Guard could confirm, however, that the person who came posed no danger, because even to meet Wang Zhaojing, this person had to pass through several checkpoints, inside and out.

Although Wang Zhaojing kept things secret, Liu Yong had been continuously relaying messages to Zhao Jin. What surprised Zhao Jin even more was that Wang Youshan had also come to He Village. As Zhao Jin's enterprise grew larger and larger, Wang Youshan, much like Zhao Jin's own father, interfered less and less in the private affairs of the younger generation. These elders spent their days leisurely within Xuzhou city, either reading or going on outings. Nowadays, too many people in Xuzhou city had gone out to seek work and make a living, and the city grew quieter and quieter. Yet under Xu Zhenzhen's attentive care, the prefectural city was constantly being renovated and tidied up, becoming cleaner and more dignified, and the old folks living there found it quite comfortable.

"Big Brother, I am not being deliberately mystifying. It is simply that the person who came here carries truly tremendous significance — not a single breath of it can be leaked. Big Brother, that man is waiting over at my study. Please go and meet him now!" Wang Zhaojing's face was flushed red with excitement; he was practically tugging at Zhao Jin's sleeve as he spoke.

"It's not someone like that Provincial Graduate Xin, is it?" Zhao Jin asked with a smile. Wang Zhaojing laughed and shook his head, saying, "How could I repeat the same mistake? Neither this man nor his servant possesses any martial skill, nor could they have any scheme in mind."

Zhao Jin pressed a hand on Wang Zhaojing's shoulder and said, "Don't go scouting for talents anymore. What our Zhao Camp needs are not those who merely study the classics. That Xie Mingxuan can be considered a useful talent, but even he had to familiarize himself and learn before he could be of use. You are the talent. I do not want any other chief strategists or masterminds."

"Big Brother, those are two different matters. This man's background is extraordinary, and it will be of great benefit to you," Wang Zhaojing said, agitated.

"Then receive him in the main guest hall, and call Dasheng and the others over. Do you have any idea how your behavior these past few days has left everyone both baffled and worried?" Zhao Jin admonished with a smile. Wang Zhaojing still had a smile on his face, but he scratched his head and said, "Big Brother, the matter is of such gravity that I must ensure absolutely nothing goes wrong."

By now, even Zhao Jin's own curiosity was thoroughly aroused. What kind of person could warrant such solemn ceremony?

Urgent as it was said to be, the man was still an honored guest, so naturally they had to wash off the dust of the road and change into fresh clothes. Once all this was done, Chen Sheng, Ji Xiang, Liu Yong, Ruhui, Lei Cai, and the others all arrived. Niu Jinbao merely wiped his face briefly; he changed his outer robe but did not remove the chain mail underneath, and he made a point of placing a short blade within Zhao Jin's reach. Who on earth had come? This made Zhao Jin all the more curious. What he had not expected was that the ones accompanying the man in were actually Wang Youshan and Wang Zhaojing, father and son. No matter how awe-inspiring Zhao Camp's authority was in Xuzhou and its surroundings, no matter how high Wang Zhaojing's status within Zhao Camp, Wang Youshan — a Presented Scholar and former Censor of the Chief Surveillance Bureau — was the foremost pure and noble figure in Xuzhou. In the eyes of Xuzhou's gentry and magnates, Wang Youshan was the top-tier, preeminent personage of Xuzhou.

The status of a Presented Scholar and a Censor returned to his hometown — even if taken to the refined and scholarly heartlands of Jiangnan, these two identities would not be the least bit out of place. Wang Youshan himself was also aware of how weighty his status was. If he expressed a stance on any matter, it could easily be used to make trouble for Zhao Jin. Whether out of regard for his position or his status as an elder, Zhao Jin could not treat it lightly. For this reason, Wang Youshan had remained entirely in a state of idle retirement at home, living in deep seclusion and rarely venturing out, seeing no one apart from close friends and relatives.

The man he brought in was in his thirties. His robes, accessories, bearing, and manner all exuded the air of an old aristocratic family, yet his gaze, expression, and the way he conducted himself as he walked in also resembled that of a shop manager or a private secretary in a government office. Although he was accompanied by both Wang Zhaojing and his father, he consistently displayed humility and courtesy, never walking ahead of them, and his expression held no trace of haughtiness or pride.

Since Wang Youshan was personally escorting the man in, Zhao Jin and his comrades naturally had to rise and greet him. The man responded with perfectly appropriate demeanor and etiquette. His manner put everyone present entirely at ease.

"Big Brother, this is Mister Kong Zhang of the Kong Family, from the Residence of the Duke for Perpetuating Sageliness in Qufu. He has come specifically to seek an audience with you," Wang Zhaojing announced by way of introduction. As he spoke, his tone and expression both betrayed irrepressible delight. Wang Youshan stood to the side, stroking his long beard and nodding with a smile. Ruhui, who had just stood up, trembled violently upon hearing this introduction. He instinctively took a step backward, bumping into his chair and producing a loud clatter. His face had turned crimson, and he was utterly beside himself with excitement. Chen Sheng and Ji Xiang, by contrast, showed no particular expression, while Liu Yong and Lei Cai both furrowed their brows.

"Young Master Zhao possesses great talent and bold vision. How could this Kong be worthy of the title 'Mister'? I absolutely dare not accept it." Kong Zhang bowed with a smile and clasped his hands in salute, speaking with extreme courtesy and propriety. Zhao Jin returned the gesture in kind, then extended a hand to invite the man to sit. Someone served tea and refreshments — clearly on Wang Zhaojing's instructions. In the council hall, the rule was that official business came first; never before had a guest been received with such elaborate ceremony.

A faint smile remained on Zhao Jin's face, but he now understood why Wang Zhaojing had made such a solemn affair of this, why Wang Youshan had come here as well, and why Ruhui was so shaken and astonished. To these scholars and literati, a visitor from the Kong Family carried extraordinary significance. At the current stage of Zhao Camp's development, everyone knew its future was boundless. And the Kong Family of the Duke for Perpetuating Sageliness — the descendants of the Confucian sage Confucius — represented the most essential ornament, or rather the seal of legitimacy, when that future reached its apex.

The Residence of the Duke for Perpetuating Sageliness represented the transmission of Confucian learning; it could be said to be the ancestral source and origin for all the scholars under Heaven. The attitude of the Kong Family also symbolized the attitude of the realm's literati. Although it might not have any practical effect, it was nonetheless of tremendous symbolic significance. Ever since the dismissal of the Hundred Schools and the sole veneration of Confucianism, every successive dynasty had bestowed titles and rewards upon Confucius's descendants, each generation more grandly than the last. Through the accumulated conventions of dynasty after dynasty, in a certain sense, the submission and allegiance of Confucius's descendants was tantamount to an acknowledgment of a court's legitimacy. For in any era of peace and unity, the masters of the realm were the emperor and the scholar-officials; this acknowledgment was of paramount importance.

Of course, during the transition between the Song and Jin dynasties, one branch of the Kong Family remained in Qufu and submitted to the Jin Kingdom, while another followed the Southern Song to Quzhou, proclaiming itself the orthodox line. During the Mongol Yuan period, the Kong Family dispensed entirely with the distinction between Hua and Yi, adopting instead the principle that whoever was the Son of Heaven was Hua. Such conduct bore no semblance of sagely righteousness but was purely that of a local power broker — the kind of power broker for whom the survival and prosperity of their own house far outweighed any concern for the state altars, orthodox lineage, or great righteousness.

Be that as it may, the significance of a visitor from the Kong Family was still extraordinary, even if only one had come, and even if, judging by the circumstances, he had almost certainly come in private. Wang Youshan and Wang Zhaojing, father and son, could of course deduce this as well, yet they were still excited. A visitor from the Kong Family meant that Zhao Jin, too, was of the orthodox line — or at least represented a possibility of contending for that orthodoxy.

Zhao Jin could reason all of this out. He could understand the excitement of the Wangs, father and son, and of Ruhui. He also knew that their excitement was for the good of Zhao Camp. Yet, regarding this visit from the Kong Family, Zhao Jin sneered inwardly. What I want, I will reach out and take with my own hands. Once I have taken it and hold it firmly in my grasp, it is mine. What does someone else's acknowledgment, some damned symbol, have to do with me? What I rely on is myself, and these brothers willing to follow me through life and death. What does the Kong Family even count for?

Whatever he thought in his heart, Zhao Jin still wore an amiable smile on his face. Meanwhile, Ruhui was leaning over, whispering an explanation into the ears of Chen Sheng and Ji Xiang. Liu Yong and Lei Cai also leaned in to listen. Their expressions gradually turned to surprise, delight, and solemnity. As for Kong Zhang, under the gaze of everyone present, he rose composedly and said with a smile, "Gentlemen, please do not misunderstand. I have come to Xuzhou because I heard that all trades and industries are flourishing here. As it happens, I have some idle silver on hand and thought to open a shop and engage in a little business. I have rather borrowed the name of the Kong Family, hoping that Young Master Zhao and Young Master Wang might show me some extra consideration. If there has been any misunderstanding, I hope you gentlemen will not take offense."

No one was swayed by these words. After all, he could hardly come right out and say, "Lord Jin, you are destined by Heaven; I have come especially to pledge allegiance." Some face-saving formalities were always necessary. Zhao Jin, however, did not see it that way. For a house as pure and noble as the Kong Family, a scion of the clan could discuss business with such utter shamelessness? The four-class hierarchy of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants was still very important in terms of face, especially for a family of the Kong Family's standing. In Nanjing and Jiangnan, many aristocratic and powerful houses, though steeped to the core in the stench of copper, still refrained from mentioning commerce for appearance's sake.

"A descendant of the Sage, a son of the Kong Family, and yet so unashamed about engaging in trade and profit? Though I, Zhao, have not read many books, I still find it rather odd," Zhao Jin said bluntly. His words prompted Wang Zhaojing and Ruhui to shoot him warning glances, and Wang Youshan's brow furrowed as well.

Kong Zhang gave a chuckle and leaned forward slightly. This mannerism of his caused the expressions of the Wangs, father and son, to turn somewhat strange. Such a demeanor and attitude were typical only of minor functionaries in government offices — the sort of worldly-wise, smooth operators who understood the ways of the world. How could a scion of the pure and noble Kong Family possess such a demeanor and attitude?

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