Chapter 1075: How Big a Sky Have You Seen?

His statement put the Xuzhou men even more at ease. The innkeeper was a local who knew all the inside details — anyone with strength or reputation in the city or outside it, he would certainly have heard of. If even he didn't know them, then they couldn't be anyone worth mentioning. Perhaps some military officer's or wealthy household's son. But Old Bear's injuries were truly severe. After getting out of the jail, going to find the man and bringing him back — he had done it purely by forcing himself. When they called a physician to examine the wounds, it was clear the attacker had struck with heavy intent.

The men Old Bear had recruited numbered over two hundred, and adding the ones others had brought back in scattered groups, there were over a hundred more. Though the inn was not small, it could no longer hold them all. They simply lit bonfires in the courtyard and had everyone sit around them to keep warm, making do for the night and figuring things out the next day. The men leading the Zhao Camp contingent discussed it among themselves: with so many people and no place to settle them, they might as well form them into one group and march them out. Even stopping over in Qingzhou Prefecture would be better. Dengzhou and Laizhou Prefectures had no one to look after them — everything was inconvenient. They absolutely could not let any mishap occur; it would be terrible if the recruits scattered again.

Early the next morning, the inn's staff began busying themselves with breakfast. The refugees had eaten a full meal the night before, drunk hot soup, and slept soundly. Now their spirits were much improved. Many went to the kitchen to help. The children from Liaodong, who had been timid the day before, began laughing and playing chase, filling the inn with cheerful voices and laughter that lifted everyone's mood. The innkeeper kept flattering the Zhao Camp leaders, saying they were "piling up virtue and doing good deeds — blessings are sure to come."

The Zhao Camp men also got moving, beginning to observe and select among the refugees. The Zhao Camp's numbers were limited. This first group to set out could not have everything — defense, camp-making, and the like — handled entirely for them. The Liaodong refugees would have to shoulder part of it themselves. Quite a few of them were deserters and miners, men with some fighting ability who could be organized. By the time the sun was fully up, everyone had a rough plan.

"Trouble — government troops are heading our way!" The hidden sentry the Zhao Camp had placed outside rushed back to report. This startled everyone. Though they had used silver and personal ties to smooth relations, those were all tacit understandings beneath the table. Could it be that the Dengzhou Prefecture troops were ready to tear off all pretense and strike?

Startled as they were, the Zhao Camp's response was not slow. They immediately took up weapons and made ready, blocking every door with carts. Some men took bows and climbed onto the walls and roofs. This sudden action threw the inn into chaos — refugees had no idea what was happening, and the innkeeper and staff were terrified, wondering why blades were suddenly about to be drawn right here inside the city.

The government troops numbered over two hundred foot soldiers and twenty-some riders. To everyone's surprise, the man leading them called himself Lieutenant Lou. The Zhao Camp men, at this point, had no time to worry about Old Bear still recovering in bed — they propped him up and brought him to the wall to look down. It was indeed that rich young master they had encountered the other day. The moment Old Bear showed his face at the wall, Young Master Lou saw him too. Still mounted, he flew into a rage, brandishing his riding crop and cursing: "You northern savage scum! You dared ruin this young master's good business, and you even dared break out of jail! I'll drag you back and behead you myself!"

"Sir, this humble establishment is a property under Vice Commissioner Liu's protection. That day's affair was nothing but a misunderstanding. That girl didn't know what was good for her, but entering your lordship's household would have been her good fortune. We small folk haven't even finished thanking you yet. What if this humble establishment were to come pay respects and apologize another day, how would that be?" The innkeeper climbed trembling onto the wall to speak. Had someone not been supporting him from behind, he would likely have toppled off — the murderous hostility below was truly dizzying.

This was invoking the name of Vice Commissioner Liu. This Vice Commissioner Liu was the Military Defense Circuit overseeing both Dengzhou and Laizhou Prefectures, a man of such stature he could meet the Dengzhou-Laizhou Regional Commander as an equal. In Dengzhou Prefecture, anyone would have to give him face. No one expected that Young Master Lou below would pay it no heed at all, simply shouting: "Spare me your big-name bludgeoning! If you've got the ability, go fetch Vice Commissioner Liu here, and this young master will leave at once. Think I was raised on scare tactics? Hand over that scum right now, and we'll settle the rest later. Otherwise I'll level this whole inn! Damn it — a man this young master put in jail, and you dared let him out? What colossal gall!"

The innkeeper was somewhat dumbfounded. He had not expected Vice Commissioner Liu's name to be useless. A mere inn could hardly summon Vice Commissioner Liu — the only reason they could even raise that name was because Vice Commissioner Liu's personal attendants took regular gratuities from this place. One of Young Master Lou's men below, knowing the score, shouted: "Let me tell you — our Young Master Lou is the direct heir of Garrison Commander Lou! You may not be able to bring out Vice Commissioner Liu, but we can certainly bring out Commander Lou!"

A burst of jeering laughter came from below. Young Master Lou smugly cracked his riding crop, and the man who had shouted put on a mock show of crying out in pain, drawing more laughter from the crowd. Another man yelled: "Hand him over, quick, or this crappy inn of yours is finished!"

The innkeeper climbed down from the wall, his face ashen. The moment his feet touched the ground, he slapped his own forehead hard and muttered: "What kind of brain do I have? Half a month ago a new Vice Commander arrived — isn't his surname Lou? And people were saying he had connections to Eunuch Wei. How could I have forgotten!"

"At the time you were helping us run around everywhere — naturally you couldn't keep up with the latest news." One of the Zhao Camp leaders offered a word of comfort, but the innkeeper's face had already drained of all color. Running an inn meant having sharp ears and dealing with all sides. He knew perfectly well just how much weight "Vice Regional Commander of Dengzhou-Laizhou" and "connections to Eunuch Wei" carried. This was not someone they could afford to offend.

"Perhaps..."

"Sirs, this business was stirred up by Old Bear here, so Old Bear here will answer for it. You take these poor souls back to Xuzhou. I'll go out — it's only this one life!" Old Bear said in a low, heavy voice. He understood perfectly what the innkeeper had been about to say.

The innkeeper let out a breath of relief but looked toward the Zhao Camp's several managers — their approval was still needed. The managers exchanged glances. One gave a cold laugh and said: "If we hand over Old Bear, will that be the end of it? That young lord outside doesn't seem the type to let things go."

"We'll be coming to Dengzhou Prefecture often in the future. If we get pushed around this time, how do we handle things next time? With the city this unsettled, do we just hand over anyone who offends the wrong person?" Another man's tone was equally unpleasant.

Another nodded and said: "If we took a loss anywhere else, we could still go back and explain. But here on Shandong soil, if our Zhao Camp gets threatened like this, how do we show our faces? How do we go back and account for it? We might as well all die here — at least we'd count as loyal martyrs."

These words made the innkeeper tremble all over. He could only think how these young men had no sense — did they not understand the principle of bending when necessary and standing tall when possible? This was no time for stubborn pride. He could only look pleadingly toward the manager who had arrived first, a man in his thirties, the most seasoned and steady of them all.

He saw that first-arriving manager nod heavily and speak: "You're all right. On this matter, we cannot yield an inch!"

The innkeeper's face collapsed. But Old Bear, who had been listening all the while, suddenly dropped to his knees, his face streaming with tears, about to kowtow. Before he could complete the motion, someone stopped him, saying: "You're still injured — focus on recovering. In Xuzhou we don't have this custom of kowtowing."

The first-arriving manager called a few archers and together they stepped onto the wooden frame to mount the wall. Young Master Lou outside had already grown impatient. Seeing someone finally show their face, he immediately erupted in curses: "You really don't know what's good for you — tired of living, are you? I'll tear this crappy inn of yours apart!"

The manager on the wall spoke two low sentences. One of the archers beside him immediately drew his bow and loosed an arrow. The shaft whistled down and lodged right in front of Young Master Lou's horse. The clamorous scene below instantly fell silent. Young Master Lou had not yet reacted, but his horse was startled in that moment — it let out a long neigh and reared up on its hind legs. Though Young Master Lou was arrogant and reckless, his horsemanship was genuinely not bad. He was not thrown off but clung stubbornly to the horse, managing to calm the mount back down.

After a moment of silence, a din of shouting erupted outside the inn. Young Master Lou, however, had stopped bellowing. He simply reined his horse back, and the government troops retreated as well. A few among them also drew bows and nocked arrows — it looked as though a fight was about to break out. Young Master Lou retreated a dozen or so paces, grabbed the shield hanging from his saddle, and glared up with vicious intent. "Today I'm going to break my no-killing rule. You traitors colluding with the Tartars — what does it matter if I slaughter the lot of you?"

"Are your dog eyes blind? You dare lay hands on men of Xuzhou's Master Jin? Go back and ask your father — ask Yang Guodong — see what they have to say to you!" The Zhao Camp manager on the wall had a voice no less powerful. Below, silence fell again. Moments ago they had been apologizing weakly; now a different man showed his face, declared a name, and dared to speak like this — even calling Dengzhou-Laizhou Regional Commander Yang Guodong by name. Was this bluster? But to use a great general's name for bluster — if anything went wrong, the outcome would be a bloodbath and total slaughter. This man surely knew the consequences. And who was this Xuzhou's Master Jin? How could even a regional commander and a vice commander have to give him face?

Young Master Lou narrowed his eyes, as if searching his memory. Then he spat on the ground and roared in fury: "This young master saw plenty of lords back in the capital, but I've never heard of any Master Jin! Boy, if you know what's good for you, open that gate — I'll just give you one cut across the neck. If you don't, I'll cut you a dozen times without killing you, then throw you in the sea to pickle till you're begging to die. Men..."

Before he could finish, a government soldier at the front let out a terrible scream — an arrow from above had struck him square in the thigh. He fell to the ground, writhing. This time, the men Young Master Lou had brought were all stunned. Even Young Master Lou on his horse was dumbfounded. They actually dared strike — dared attack government troops! A common soldier's life was cheap, but to attack in broad daylight — taken to its extreme, this was rebellion! These men had such colossal nerve!

"How big a sky have you seen in the capital, that you dare strut and bully here? I'm being kind — I don't want you bringing disaster on your own family. Go back and ask your father properly. Then send back the woman you seized, and bring silver to pay for the injuries and make amends. With that, the matter is settled. Otherwise, you have no idea how serious the consequences will be. You don't know, boy!" The manager on the wall had let his own street edge show, snarling viciously down at them.

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