Chapter 1076: The Lou Family's Background

Hearing the steward of Zhao's Camp speak so bluntly from the top of the wall, Young Master Lou flew into a towering rage. He raised his hand to give the order, but just as he moved, someone beside him grabbed hold. An older, more seasoned-looking personal guard muttered a few words in a low voice. Young Master Lou glared back up at the wall, where the steward of Zhao's Camp spoke again: "Send back the person you seized, along with silver for medicine and broth. Otherwise, this matter is far from over. With this ragtag bunch of yours, even if you doubled your numbers, we men of Xuzhou wouldn't be afraid!"

After speaking, the steward climbed down from the wall on his own. The household guards armed with pudao took his place, coldly scanning the surroundings. Now, inside and out, it was truly silent. Only the soldier with an arrow in his thigh howled in pain. Inside the inn's courtyard, several of the manager and staff had already collapsed to the ground, sitting paralyzed. They had thought they were receiving a big business deal; who could have guessed it would turn into a disaster.

The silence outside lasted for a moment, then Young Master Lou's vicious shout was heard: "Those words of yours had better not be a bluff, or I'll have you hacked to pieces and fed to the dogs!"

After he finished, the sound of horse hooves rang out. The lookout on the wall said someone had ridden off, but the other soldiers still surrounded the area and did not leave. The inn manager stood up, trembling, and said in a tearful voice: "Heavens above! Honored guest, is that name you declared any use or not? The Lou family was placed here by Eunuch Wei. Blame me for being muddle-headed, how could I forget this matter? No wonder as soon as Vice General Lou arrived, he took over half of Marshal Yang's military authority..."

"It might be of some use," the steward of Zhao's Camp replied in a muffled voice. This answer made the inn manager plop back down onto the ground. The steward of Zhao's Camp looked at him and smiled, then added: "If we really do die here, then these Lou family members and the government troops who attacked will all have to pay with their lives. We wouldn't be losing out."

"How is that not losing out..." the manager wailed. At that moment, Old Xiong, supported by a companion, came over and said through gritted teeth: "Chief, if there are extra weapons, hand them out to us. We aren't freeloaders; we can fight them to the death!"

That steward of Zhao's Camp swept a faint glance over them and said with a smile: "You haven't even filled your bellies yet; what fighting can you do? It hasn't come to that step yet. You can also rest assured, if they really try to attack, the first wave won't break through. When that time comes, it won't be too late to hand them out!"

Old Xiong and the man beside him didn't know what to say and could only withdraw. The atmosphere, which had just grown lively in the morning, sank back into gloom. Only the children, unaware of outside matters, continued to run and play, only to be scolded by the adults. Before long, they too fell silent. The several stewards and squad leaders of Zhao's Camp gathered together to discuss in low voices. The men in charge of the household guards and militia made constant arrangements, stationing men to guard every high point and key location throughout the inn. At the same time, everyone made it very clear: if the government troops truly cast aside all pretense and attacked, these Liaodong refugees, who had only been gathered for a single day, might not necessarily stand with them. When the time came, it would be better to let them out first. Everyone felt deeply irritated. The recruitment of Liaodong refugees had just begun to show promise when this kind of trouble erupted, bringing vexation for no reason. Moreover, having grown accustomed to smooth sailing in and around Xuzhou, they now felt constrained and hampered here in the territory of Dengzhou Prefecture, encountering all sorts of inconveniences.

"Yanzhou Prefecture has already been taken. Why are we still keeping these other few places?" someone couldn't help but mutter.

They waited in what felt like torment for the better part of an hour. The soldiers encircling them outside had increased to over four hundred, yet they still dared not act rashly. Inside the inn, over a dozen bows were visible just from those showing themselves. Who knew how many casualties there would be if they attacked? Besides, this inn had the backing of the Deng-Lai Circuit. Even if it wasn't the Deng-Lai Circuit official himself, anyone connected was still a huge problem. Better to wait for word from above first!

When the sound of urgent horse hooves was heard, the wall lookout gave the alarm. Everyone inside the inn stood up in readiness. All uninvolved persons were sent to stay inside the guest rooms.

"That Battalion Commander Lou didn't come back. From a distance, there's also a carriage." Upon hearing this observation report, the people below let out a sigh of relief. Next, they could hear someone outside cursing angrily: "You're not off doing your duties, so what are you doing here? Do you think the trouble you've caused isn't enough? Get lost, all of you, go back! Someone will settle accounts with you when you return!"

"They've all dispersed, truly gone far away!" "A misunderstanding, it was all a misunderstanding!" These words rang out from outside and inside. The sound of weeping could already be heard from within the inn. Just moments ago, they had been steeling themselves for a fight to the death, and now the danger had passed. It must have been that some people, after relaxing, could not control their emotions. However, the men of Zhao's Camp inside the inn did not rush to open the gate. They waited until the archers on the roof confirmed that the government troops had indeed gone far away before opening the main gate just a crack.

Outside the main gate at this moment, there were no ferocious government troops, only a middle-aged man dressed like a steward. Although this middle-aged man's face bore no trace of friendliness, he and that carriage were the only things on the entire street. The moment he saw the steward of Zhao's Camp appear, the middle-aged man offered a faint cupped-hand salute and spoke: "Our Lou family has only recently arrived in Dengzhou Prefecture and is not very familiar with many matters. To have had a conflict with your esteemed side is truly regrettable. Our young master took that young lady into the residence originally out of good intentions. Since your esteemed side is unwilling, we naturally cannot force the matter. Your esteemed side's young lady's purity remains intact; there is nothing to worry about."

After saying this, he lifted a small cloth bundle he had at hand and passed it over, saying: "One hundred taels of silver, for your injured to get medicine and treatment. From this point on, we have no further dealings with each other."

Although the middle-aged man's thoroughly reluctant expression was very displeasing, the matter was considered settled here. Being in a strange place, it was better to let things slide than stir up more trouble. The steward of Zhao's Camp took the silver, glanced at the carriage, and said: "Everything is fine, then."

That middle-aged man from the Lou family cupped his hands and strode off on his own. The carriage driver, however, lifted the curtain. That young woman who had been abducted flew down from the carriage in tears, yet she still seemed somewhat at a loss. It was a Liaodong refugee who had come out with them who called out to her, beckoning the young woman inside the inn.

Only after the carriage left did the area around the inn become lively. Many neighbors who had been hiding earlier came over one after another to inquire, wanting to know what had happened. The inn manager and staff wore the joyful smiles of those who had narrowly escaped death. Some attended to guests, while others went out to deliver messages. Compared to their relief and happiness, the men of Zhao's Camp, from top to bottom, were very cautious. They immediately had the inn manager go and inquire about the details of the Lou family, and then several of them closed the door to confer.

"Send these people away first, to avoid stirring up more trouble."

"Don't leave too many people behind. These several hundred Liaodong refugees will also need an escort party. Those who stay should find lodging with a family of some status. Don't be afraid to spend silver."

"It's too chaotic inside and outside this prefectural city. If the other side wants to launch a sneak attack, I'm afraid we wouldn't even be able to find the murderers."

"We must inform Master Jin of this news as quickly as possible. This time, I'm afraid we've made an enemy of the Lou family. Our recruitment of Liaodong refugees will certainly be met with trouble!"

A plan was decided upon as each person spoke. Immediately, someone took money and went out to purchase supplies and hire carts and horses. Several men from the Internal Guard disguised themselves and left the inn. Open and hidden sentry posts were arranged around the inn. The household guards formed squads and stood ready inside the inn, their weapons at hand, prepared to fight or defend at any moment. Then, the steward who remained began calling the Liaodong refugees in one by one for questioning and talks. It was simply asking whether the Liaodong refugees were willing to follow them to Xuzhou, while also observing during the questioning whether this person was reliable or not.

These people from Liaodong all more or less knew the ins and outs of what had just happened. Seeing that Zhao's Camp was willing to intervene righteously, and also possessed the means to back up that righteous intervention, and that they were generous with spending on everyone in this inn—with these several things combined, no one had any unwillingness about going to Xuzhou. Besides, there were reliable fellow townsfolk vouching for it. Old Xiong and Old Peng were considered men of prestige, and the three Li brothers had originally been at the level of a county magistrate. With people like these having come over, there was naturally nothing they couldn't trust.

The brother and sister whose younger sister had been seized were surnamed Wu. The elder brother was Wu Xiao, the younger sister Wu Mei. It was said a local licentiate had helped choose the names. News was also asked about there: after Wu Mei was taken inside, her purity had indeed not been violated. Someone did come and force her to bathe, and an old woman came to give her a rough once-over. After that, she was placed under house arrest. The person who brought her meals was, unexpectedly, also a woman from the Liaodong region. She said this Young Master Lou liked to seize or buy attractive Liaodong women off the streets, defile them for his amusement, and then pass them on to others once he was tired of them. Quite a few had already committed suicide over this matter, yet no one did anything about it.

Wu Mei had hesitated for over a day. Just when she was about to hang herself in the room, someone from the Lou family came and sent her out, saying coldly that she was fortunate, and then she returned here. Regardless of how others felt, the Wu brother and sister were now utterly devoted to Xuzhou. Although the elder brother Wu Xiao was sick and weak, he still knelt and kowtowed, vowing that his very life belonged to Xuzhou.

The men of Zhao's Camp paid no mind to these oaths and pledges. They were waiting for the news the inn manager had gone to inquire about. This did not take too long. Just as lunchtime arrived, the inn manager returned with an ashen face. The background of the Lou family had been thoroughly inquired into.

Lou Daliang and his son Lou Xianqi were natives of Zhangqiu in Jinan Prefecture. By the generation of Lou Daliang's father, the family had already fallen into ruin. Lou Daliang's father died early. He had a paternal uncle not much older than himself, who, through some stroke of fate, had entered the palace and become a eunuch. Because the godfather he acknowledged held great power, he rose step by step. By the time Lou Daliang was in his teens, his uncle had already disappeared into a management post in the Imperial Stables Directorate.

This uncle was very mindful of his nephew and pulled strings to get this nephew enlisted as a soldier in the Capital Garrison. Ordinarily, Capital Garrison troops were laborers doing hard service for the nobles, but with someone looking after you, it was different. His uncle's career in the Inner Court went fairly smoothly, and Lou Daliang was constantly promoted and transferred among the various military garrisons of Northern Zhili. By the early Tianqi years, he already held the position of a Mobile Corps Commander and had even become a hereditary Battalion Commander of a certain guard.

The Lou family's grand-uncle served as an Army Supervisor in one of the four great camps of the Imperial Stables Directorate. Although he was not addressed as a Grand Eunuch, it was a substantive post second only to a Grand Eunuch. Moreover, this uncle of the Lou family had sided with Wei Zhongxian from the very beginning.

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