Chapter 1052: Is This

Once he went to the Qingjiang Grand Market, Li Can was truly like a fish back in water. He dealt with all sorts of people, conducted every kind of business, and became Zhou Xuezhi's capable right-hand man. Zhou Xuezhi would occasionally praise him in his letters to Zhao Jin, but the best evaluation came from Geng Mancang in Yutou Town, who saw a layer deeper than others.

"…Under Master Jin, everyone follows the rules and works diligently — that is no bad thing. But over in Qingjiangpu, this creates a barrier with the local magnates. The men of Cloud Mountain Firm working there, even when they want to do good, strictly adhere to the rules and are unwilling to engage too deeply with them. Li Can's strength is that he can open his heart and blend right in, yet still knows his proper limits and duty, never losing the greater for the lesser. That is what is truly rare…"

Over the years, as he did more and his experience grew richer, Zhao Jin would meet with him several times each year. He always felt that Li Can's vision had broadened and his temperament had gradually become steadier. Moreover, Zhao Jin also sensed that although many things were never spoken aloud, Li Can saw very far ahead, knew what he himself needed to do, and had been preparing for it all along.

"Brother, this truly is a matter of fortune. No wonder such legends circulate about Xuzhou Garrison. Eleventh Son, Zhao Wan, Zhao Song, He Zheng, and Li Can — even counting Xu Housheng — whose family has so many talents?" Wang Zhaojing once sighed in private.

The so-called legend of Xuzhou Garrison was that someone traveling at night saw a great crimson light blazing somewhere. Thinking it was a fire or a treasure emerging, he rushed over, only to be terrified. Around the Zhao family graveyard, a dragon and a tiger coiled. And there was more: on the day Zhao Jin was born, lightning flashed and thunder roared, and many saw a dragon in the sky dive into the Zhao family graveyard.

"You believe that too? The day I was born was a clear day — my parents have said so several times. As for that crimson light, wasn't it said that the man wasn't right in the head? Wasn't it just something someone made up to curry favor?" Zhao Jin said dismissively, then laughed and added, "Rather than saying what's special about my family, it's better to say that we brothers came together. No, wait — someone's already spreading rumors about that."

All kinds of information could be reported up, and rumors and hearsay were no exception. It was said that before Zhao Jin and his brothers were born, fire rained from the heavens and countless meteors fell to the earth. Only then did Zhao Jin, his companions, and the countless talents below them gather, because they were all star-lords who had shed their mortal forms and reincarnated, or something of the sort.

In ordinary times, such rumors did no real harm to the Zhao Battalion. But with the Incense Sect, the White Lotus Sect, and various other cults rising in rebellion, legends of dragons, tigers, and star-lords could easily be exploited by those with ill intent. That was why Zhao Jin detested them so deeply. When he mentioned this, Wang Zhaojing, Ji Xiang, Liu Yong, and Ruhui also recalled that rumor, and none of them could hold back their laughter.

"He Zheng and Li Can are not talents; you can only say they've done fairly well. In this world, how many people have talent but never get the chance to show it, or can show it but lack such great support? Many also make mistakes midway and are eliminated just like that. But He Zheng and Li Can, and many others in our Zhao Battalion, all have sufficient resources and support, enough tolerance to try and err, and so many opportunities. Naturally, they appear to be talents. And it's not just them — we are the same." Zhao Jin spoke a few words.

"No, no, no. We are like that, but you, Big Brother, are different." Wang Zhaojing and the others all shook their heads.

The arrangements in Jining were complete. The most reliable men under Zhao Jin's command had all been dispatched there, and everything was balanced as much as possible. Everyone felt that Zhao Jin's arrangement was very thorough, taking every aspect into account. There was only one point: such a massive and comprehensive setup, if it were merely to correspond to a single Yanzhou Prefecture in Shandong — even though Yanzhou Prefecture was roughly a third of Shandong or even stronger — it would be far too wasteful.

Many were interested in this expansion and restructuring. Those who liked reading history and pondering matters were all discussing and studying the details. They all found it intriguing. Only the very perceptive could sense the tension and solemn killing intent throughout the Zhao Battalion. Every regiment and company of the household troops was in a state of combat readiness; if the enemy attacked, battle could begin immediately. Even the warehouses everywhere had already prepared sufficient supplies. Very few noticed certain details: the carts and boats within the Zhao Battalion's controlled territory seemed very strained during this period, causing great trouble for merchants. Yet very few knew that the transport capacity was being reserved for the Zhao Battalion, to ensure it would not fall short should something happen.

The core of the Zhao Battalion all knew that once the First Brigade was deployed to Shandong — or the moment this news came out — the risk of war would become immense, and it was very likely that fighting would begin. Even Chen Sheng's father, Chen Wu, was extremely nervous, let alone those supremely clever figures in the court and government offices. But what no one expected was that it remained very quiet all along. During this time, the Zhao Battalion had dispatched extra men to the capital. Whatever information could be gathered or inquired about, they were told not to skimp on silver. Ma Liu had practically become a spendthrift during this period, yet no news at all came back from the capital.

The biggest matter in the capital at present was the civil officials banding together to submit memorials, demanding that the Tianqi Emperor's wet nurse, Madam Ke, leave the palace. This Madam Ke's influence over the Son of Heaven within the palace was too great. And because of this, the power of Wei Zhongxian, the Supervising Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, would swell even further. The Donglin partisans felt their position growing more and more precarious and could only use this to launch a counterattack. It began with the supervising secretaries of the Six Offices, surging from bottom to top in a tide of opinion. Even the grand eunuchs of the Twenty-Four Agencies within the palace were echoing the matter. After all, Wei Zhongxian's sole dominance made everyone feel squeezed out. This Madam Ke had already become a figure akin to an Empress Dowager within the inner palace, and it was better for her to leave sooner. For Wei Zhongxian's faction, naturally, keeping Madam Ke in the palace was best. The two sides attacked each other over this matter, and the Son of Heaven was plagued with headaches over it.

Under such circumstances, who would pay attention to the actions of a local magnate from Xuzhou? No one would "neglect their proper duties" to worry about that.

Shi Manqiang's Second Regiment was also about to begin its expansion. The Second Regiment would be expanded into the Second Brigade. The Brigade Commander of the Second Brigade was Shi Manqiang, who would concurrently serve as the Regiment Commander of the Second Brigade's First Regiment. The Second Brigade had a total of three regiments and one mounted household-troop battalion. Among them, the First Regiment had 1,000 pike household troops, 400 arquebus household troops, three drummers, three standard-bearers, and two buglers. The Second and Third Regiments each had 800 pike household troops, a combined 200 arquebusiers and archers, two drummers, two standard-bearers, and buglers. The mounted household-troop battalion had a total of four companies, with 480 mounted household troops in all.

The Second Household Brigade was equipped with an artillery company: four three-pounder cannons and six one-pounder light cannons. There were also two reserve companies to guard the artillery company. Among them, the Second Brigade's First Regiment and the mounted household-troop battalion were stationed at Zhao Family Fort, the center of the Huaian North District. The Second Regiment was stationed at the farmstead between Pizhou and Yutou Town on Luoma Lake. The Third Regiment was stationed on the eastern shore of Luoma Lake, fifteen li northeast of Suqian.

The Huaian North District could be said to be the core territory of the Zhao Battalion. This place was not under the jurisdiction of the Great Ming's law; it was entirely the Zhao Battalion's own domain. The population also consisted of people who were dead according to the household and land registries. They were the Zhao Battalion's estate laborers and tenant farmers, no longer subjects of the Great Ming. Therefore, the appointment of the Huaian North District Supervisor for the Agricultural Reclamation Office here drew much attention.

The person serving as the Huaian North District Agricultural Reclamation Supervisor was surnamed Ye, named Ye Zhongjin. This name was not unfamiliar to those within the Zhao Battalion, but to others in Xuzhou and Pizhou, it was quite obscure. However, those with well-informed sources quickly found out that this Ye Zhongjin was none other than Clerk Ye of the Revenue Section in the Xuzhou Departmental Magistrate's yamen back then, and also one of the earliest Xuzhou clerks to deal with Zhao Jin.

At that time, when Zhao Jin had just begun recruiting private soldiers and household troops, this Clerk Ye was pushed forward by his colleagues to take on this thankless task. Back then, everyone thought it was a joke; now, everyone believed it was a stroke of fortune. He went first and curried favor first. After the Zhao Battalion rose to power, this Clerk Ye was also the first to resign his post in the yamen and take the initiative to seek refuge with Zhao Jin to work for him. One must know that by then, Clerk Ye was already in charge of the Revenue Section and considered a man of weight in the yamen. This choice of his was seen by many as madness. His family also made an endless fuss. Clerk Ye's wife wept and wailed without cease and was slapped several times by him. Clerk Ye's old mother had once received kindness from Zhao Jin, yet she too was angered to illness by his choice. But Clerk Ye still, regardless of everything, followed Zhao Jin to work.

He began as a manager within Cloud Mountain Firm, then went to be a farmstead head on the Zhao Battalion's estates. What he earned was certainly far less than a head of the Six Sections, and the hardship was countless times greater. But today, he had received his reward, being assigned to the Huaian North District as the Agricultural Reclamation Supervisor, taking charge of an entire area on his own. In private, everyone remarked that this was the stature of a Great Ming prefect — truly extraordinary!

"…Look at his glory. He can't earn much silver or benefit, nor does he have our prestige. It's just a bitter, hard-labor job. What does this 'supervisor' of Zhao Jin's even count for? It looks glorious now, but in the future, it means execution and the extermination of his clan…" "…He's really gone all out, even throwing away the name his parents gave him and changing it to something like 'Zhongjin' — loyal to Zhao Jin. He's not even afraid of others laughing at him. And this Zhao Jin has no future prospects either; just because someone flattered him like this, he immediately gave him a good position…" Many people talked like this, but it was hard to tell whether it was jealousy or envy. The already desolate yamen was losing people again.

Many of the clerks and runners who remained working in the yamen were close to the Zhao Battalion, which was why they were left here to handle affairs. But after many saw Clerk Ye's current status, they were all tempted. Weighing things roughly, they all felt that the prospects with the Zhao Battalion were far greater. Execution and clan extermination, they said, but day by day it prospered and rose, while what was left behind grew desolate and withered. The choice was easy to make.

The supervisor of the Trade Office in Yutou Town was Geng Mancang. Many had assumed beforehand it would be Sun Jia. However, Sun Jia was getting on in years and now spent most of his time enjoying peace and wealth in Qingjiangpu. Occasionally, he would also take a boat to the He Family Village to stay for a while and see his son, Sun Dalin. The Sun family thought a little differently from other families.

Although Sun Dalei was a brother to Zhao Jin and the others, with an extraordinary bond, and Sun Dalin served as Zhao Jin's retinue and had now reached the position of company commander, with a boundless future within the Zhao Battalion — by all rights, they should send all their family's sons over. Yet Sun Jia firmly refused.