Chapter 1051: Is This Cronyism?

These balancing measures are not a matter of trust or disheartenment; in a large collective or organization, such practices are necessary. Yet there are things outsiders do not know. The structures of the Retainer Brigade, the Patrol Corps, and the various departments of Agriculture and Trade—these are all placed out in the open. An observant person could summarize many patterns and draw conclusions from them, so they can be announced publicly. But the content and details that outsiders cannot observe will not be disclosed, though everyone within who should know will know.

From Xuzhou to Jining, to Qingjiangpu, and to the center of the Huai'an North District—even with relay stations set up and ample fast horses and messengers arranged, a message round trip takes at least four days, and at most around eight to ten days. Though the Zhao Camp's momentum is currently good, it is surrounded by enemies on all sides and harbors various internal hidden dangers. If trouble breaks out on any front and they had to wait for Zhao Jin's instructions before acting, major matters would be delayed. They must be granted the authority to make on-the-spot decisions, yet this authority cannot be entrusted to a single person, so a joint-deliberation system is used.

The agricultural reclamation sub-districts, that is, the sub-districts under the Zhao Camp's jurisdiction, some deliberate jointly within a single district, while others deliberate across several districts. Deliberation halls were established based on Ma Chonghao's experience in Xuzhou. Currently, there are three deliberation halls: Jining, Huai'an North District, and Qingjiangpu. Those qualified to participate in the joint deliberations are: the local Retainer commander, the local Agriculture Department supervisor, the Trade Department supervisor, and the Internal Guard supervisor—four people deliberating jointly. The Patrol Corps chief officer may attend as a non-voting observer. When a major event occurs, the four deliberate jointly, with the minority yielding to the majority. When the votes are evenly split, the Retainer commander makes the decision. However, the conclusion reached by this joint deliberation is not the final order. Once an order is issued, action can be taken first, but at the same time, a fast horse must report to Zhao Jin's side. Only after confirmation does it become the final resolution; otherwise, Zhao Jin's decision stands as the final resolution.

In non-wartime, the Patrol Corps is under triple command. The local heads of Agriculture, Trade, and the Internal Guard can all issue directives. The Agriculture and Trade Departments are responsible for the vast majority of daily civilian life in their areas, so this is naturally necessary. Under the Zhao Camp's current system, the Internal Guard supervisor and the Patrol Corps chief officer are often the same person, so there is no worry about conflicting orders from multiple sources causing confusion.

In addition, the Agriculture Department in Jining oversees the local militia of each manor, while the Trade Department in Jining has several hundred Xuzhou Volunteers as guards—these are forces they can command on their own. After this expansion and restructuring, organized local militia will only exist in areas without Retainers. In all other places, the local militia will be converted into Patrol Corps and reserve Patrol Corps members, maintaining public order in peacetime, receiving training, and serving as a reserve force for the Retainers.

The logistics and supply militia brigade that provides provisions, equipment, and support for the Retainer Brigade is jointly managed by the Agriculture Department and the Trade Department. Since all supplies are either produced and allocated by the Agriculture Department or transported in by the Trade Department, this direct management is also convenient.

After this Jining system was introduced, all factions within the Zhao Camp that had been stirred up by the expansion and restructuring calmed down. Seeing this, everyone understood the situation. For places like Huai'an North District and Qingjiangpu, as well as the rumored Second and Third Brigades that have yet to be finalized, one could compare them to this model and expect no major differences. Those within the Zhao Camp could even roughly judge what position they themselves would end up in.

Everyone also knew the candidates for the Agriculture and Trade supervisors in Jining. The Jining Agriculture supervisor is He Zheng, and the Trade supervisor is Li Can. Everyone in the Zhao Camp knows that Zhao Wan, Zhao Song, and Zhao Shiyi are Zhao Jin's relatives, but very few know He Zheng and Li Can. Not bearing the surname Zhao is one reason; another is that He Zheng and Li Can never talk about their relationship with Zhao Jin, nor have Zhao Jin and his companions ever openly shown them favor.

He Zheng worked under Jixiang's father from the very beginning. He handled logistics and provisions, worked at the distillery, and later managed several manors at Cloud Mountain Temple. The He family members are generally flamboyant by nature, and Zhao Jin's mother, He Cuihua, is also quite shrewish. He Zheng, however, is relatively dull and taciturn. Yet He Zheng has one outstanding trait: he is unyieldingly persistent in his work and has never given up. Before he sought refuge with the Zhao family, he was illiterate and completely clueless about accounting and such matters. Assessments like "rather slow, stubborn" had also reached Zhao Jin's ears.

But He Zheng could settle his mind and study. While working under Jixiang's father, he learned accounting and general coordination. While working at the Cloud Mountain Temple manor, he studied reading and writing with the old monks in the temple, and learned how to manage manors from the former manor head of Cloud Mountain Temple. He gradually mastered all these things. The Zhao Camp has its own system for managing manors; after it was implemented, He Zheng accepted it fully, became familiar with it, and grasped it firmly.

"To learn something that takes others a day, He Zheng needs five or even ten days. But others are certainly not as solid as He Zheng. When the same task is assigned, others need supervision, but He Zheng's side has no errors. He will complete it methodically, never engaging in any deceitful tricks. 'Great wisdom appears foolish'—perhaps that describes him." This was Ruhui's assessment. Many in his faction hail from Cloud Mountain Temple, and their views on He Zheng can all be passed up the chain.

"But He Zheng has one flaw: because he learned to read through scriptures and studied under monks, he is a devout Buddhist, which is ultimately not good." This was also Ruhui's assessment. Regarding He Zheng's Buddhist faith, He Cuihua and the He family had no objections, because now He Cuihua burns incense and prays to Buddha at home, and the He family also donates generously to Cloud Mountain Temple.

Before He Zheng departed for Jining, Zhao Jin gave him several rules. He was allowed to observe a vegetarian diet and chant Buddhist scriptures, but was forbidden from having private friendships with monks. He was allowed to go to Buddhist temples to offer incense and worship, but only twelve times a year, with incense money limited to four taels of silver—whether from private funds or public money, four taels in total. He was not allowed to let his children observe a vegetarian diet or chant scriptures, nor was he allowed to proselytize to his colleagues.

"Do not think that just because you are a relative, you might get off lightly if you violate these rules. You might be fine, but these monks, temples, and your fellow Buddhist believers will all suffer because of you. Since you believe in Buddhism, you must still care about compassion." Zhao Jin spoke very sternly.

"Please rest assured, Master Jin. This subordinate understands the distinction between public and private." He Zheng accepted the prohibitions calmly, without any anger or rebuttal. When Zhao Jin first learned that He Zheng was a Buddhist, he actually didn't mind much. But later, hearing people up and down the ranks praise He Zheng as capable, his anger gradually grew.

After instructing He Zheng, Zhao Jin and Wang Zhaojing made many more arrangements, and had several parties secretly keep an eye on He Zheng. Only then did they dare let He Zheng go out to take the lead. Right now, the most critical thing for the various manors in Shandong is meticulous precision; everything else is set aside. Let them follow the Zhao Camp's rules for a few years first, and then discuss other matters later.

Li Can's situation was different from He Zheng's. When Li Can first came to the Zhao family, he was chubby and looked somewhat dull-witted, but in reality, he was the slickest and most shrewd one. He served in the Retainers for a period, the type who would never move an extra muscle outside of drills. What left everyone torn between laughter and tears was that he could meet all the Retainer training requirements—barely, teetering right on the line between pass and fail.

After serving in the Retainers for a while, Li Can's father pleaded with Zhao Zhentang, asking that Li Can be sent to work at Cloud Mountain Trading. When word came, Zhao Jin immediately complied. A character like Li Can's was a bad influence in the Retainer company; everyone would be led by him into slacking off. It was better for him to go work at Cloud Mountain Trading.

Like an awl in a bag, its point will pierce through. Li Can was lazy and shirked duty in the Retainers, but as soon as he arrived at Cloud Mountain Trading, he immediately became outstanding. According to the assessment of several old managers at Cloud Mountain Trading: "This kid's cunning is as if he's been doing business his whole life." However, Li Can also needed experience and growth. At first, when he handled transactions with the private salt dealers of Huai'an Prefecture, he truly ensured the other side couldn't earn a single extra coin, while Cloud Mountain Trading profited thoroughly, and he himself pocketed quite a few benefits.

But because he exploited the salt bosses and dealers too harshly, leaving them no profit, it caused them to switch to other salt routes, leading to several conflicts with the Zhao Camp that resulted in deaths and injuries. Only then did Li Can realize that in business, sometimes you can't take it all. If you clean the plate in one go, there's nothing left to eat next time. Then Zhao Jin had a talk with Li Can, saying: If you want to earn money for yourself, I'll give you a trading firm that can operate under the Cloud Mountain Trading name. Whatever you earn is yours; mountains of gold and seas of silver are not out of reach. But if you want to keep working in the Zhao Camp, then stop lining your own pockets. If it happens one more time, I'll break your legs and send you back.

Li Can made his choice on the spot. He handed over the silver he had skimmed and then swore a venomous oath. Regarding Li Can's performance, Zhao Jin and his companions also discussed it: "This kid isn't not greedy for money; he just wants more. He can see that in our Zhao Camp, he can earn far greater and more in the future."

After that, Li Can, taking several Xuzhou martial men as guards, personally went to Pizhou to visit those salt dealers and salt bosses. Except for those who had suffered casualties, he visited every single one to apologize, voluntarily returned the silver he had previously earned, and made all sorts of promises. The private salt transporters in Huai'an Prefecture had no other choice and had to swallow their pride and trust him. But afterward, they discovered that this Li Can seemed like a changed man, beginning to learn how to do business where everyone was happy.

Li Can's contributions to the establishment and prosperity of the Xuzhou salt market were considerable. The major salt merchants were all negotiated by Wang Zhaojing, Ruhui, and Zhou Xuezhi, while the salt bosses and dealers were all brought in by Li Can. Then the small-scale salt buyers from Henan, Shandong, and Fengyang Prefecture were also contacted and secured by him. If he had continued like that, the salt market domain would certainly have been his to manage.

"Li Can can't settle down; he always likes new things and novelties." This was also everyone's assessment. Once the salt market stabilized, Li Can went to Ruhui and requested to work at the Qingjiang Grand Market. That place gathered the trade and wealth of the entire realm; a businessman should go to such a place, where he could surely gain skill and broaden his horizons. After all, Li Can was Zhao Jin's relative, so this consideration had to be given. Moreover, he was leaving a solid, leisurely post like the salt market to go to the toil and hardship of the Qingjiang Grand Market—no one could find fault with that.