Chapter 1160: Flaunting Wealth and Being Amenable to Good Advice

Because of this handling, over half the names on Yangzhou's so-called Top Ten Salt Merchants list had already changed, and some who hadn't even been in the top ten before had surged in. One had to understand that before the Zhao character camp appeared, the figures and ranking of these Top Ten Salt Merchants had persisted for over a hundred years. No one could have imagined it would shift so abruptly because of Xuzhou.

Although the wealthy merchants of Qingjiangpu and Yangzhou were under the Zhao character camp's roof and had all kinds of requests to make of Zhao Jin when it came to making money, they still felt somewhat unconvinced in their hearts. They always wanted to win back some face for themselves and salvage their pitiful self-esteem.

When Zhao Jin went to attend the banquets and negotiations, the wealthy merchants naturally had to lay out rare delicacies and display as much extravagant grandeur as possible. Otherwise, it would be disrespectful to Zhao Jin and a loss of their own face. Originally, all the singsong girls and courtesans of Qinhuai and Yangzhou were to be invited to perform at the banquets, and if Zhao Jin or any of his companions took a fancy to one, they could simply take her back to Xuzhou. This was also a common practice among the rich merchants of Jianghuai, but this was sternly refused in advance, and so the idea was dropped.

However, even without female musicians and entertainers, the banquet itself was still extraordinary. When Zhao Jin was a guest at the Wang household, there was a dish on the table consisting of shreds of meat, each two finger-joints long. They were smooth and tender in the mouth, with a delicious, fresh flavor, and tasted very much like shredded chicken. Zhao Jin casually asked, "How is this chicken prepared?" He never expected that it was pigeon breast meat, and specifically the very center strip of the pigeon breast, the most tender and flavorful part. To make this one dish, over a hundred pigeons had been used.

Hearing this, Zhao Jin was startled and thought to himself that such extravagance was unbelievable. This matter quickly spread around Qingjiangpu, and the wealthy merchants all relished discussing it. Privately, they all said that this Zhao Jin of Xuzhou, for all his great ability and the vast sums of silver he earned, was still quite ordinary in his standards of enjoyment. He only knew rough fare like flatbread, pickled vegetables, and mutton. How could he compare to the deep heritage and tradition of our Qingjiangpu?

They sought face everywhere and failed to reclaim it everywhere. Having rarely triumphed in the realm of food and enjoyment, everyone felt elated.

At the banquets that followed, he sampled famous dishes where meat was cut from only one spot on the pig's back, dishes using only the flesh beneath the fish's eye, as well as seafood from the ocean, camel hump from beyond the northern frontier, and even bear paw and venison from beyond the passes. Zhao Jin didn't find any of it particularly delicious; he merely found it novel and interesting. In any case, these merchants could afford to supply it, and there was no need to make them economize.

A group of the guards accompanying Zhao Jin had been trained by Ma Chonghao. When Zhao Jin dined at other households, from the preparation of ingredients in the rear kitchen to the serving of dishes, the entire process was guarded by household troops. Every point where tampering might occur was closely watched by someone. Every dish delivered to Zhao Jin's table, including tea, wine, and pastries, had to be tasted by three people first before it could be sent up. As Ma Chonghao put it, if someone truly had ill intent, the means to harm could be all-pervasive, and one had to guard against it strictly and relentlessly.

After Zhao Jin arrived in Qingjiangpu, the center for the Zhao character camp's administrative affairs also moved here. The messages coming in from all directions were still gathered daily at Wang Zhaojing's place. Trusted personnel from the local main branch of the Cloud Mountain Trading Company were also transferred over to assist. Since the unrest in Ji'ning and Qingzhou Prefecture, the deployment and recruitment of the Daming Prefecture official troops in the three prefectures of Southern Ji had been completed. And after Zhao Jin arrived in Qingjiangpu, the newly trained three thousand official troops in Henan also began their deployment.

The camp for this newly organized Henan official force was in Yifeng County, the county closest to Guide Prefecture, right by the Yellow River. One couldn't exactly say this deployment was targeted, since Henan hadn't placed this force inside Guide Prefecture. Even if they had placed troops inside Guide Prefecture, it would have been perfectly justified in legal principle.

Though it seemed justified, the relevant parties in the Zhao character camp would not let down their guard. From the broader situation, this was the second piece placed against Xuzhou. However, this second piece had not touched the Zhao character camp's bottom line, indicating that the imperial court also had a sense of proportion.

This year, various provinces of the Great Ming experienced earthquakes and floods, but overall it was still peaceful and uneventful. The Mongol tribes to the north and the Jianzhou Jurchens to the northeast showed no unusual movements. The tribal chieftains of the southwest had already been suppressed by government troops into the remote borderlands of Guizhou. Meanwhile, the victory reports from Mao Wenlong on Pi Island and several major victories by the southwestern government troops even gave the third year of the Tianqi reign a slight upturn. Some had already begun to speak of a "restoration," though this was quickly suppressed by various parties, as the term was simply far too inappropriate.

News also came from the capital that the court had issued official documents to the Supreme Commanders, Governors-General, Grand Coordinators, as well as Regional Commanders, Vice Commanders, and Assistant Commanders of all provinces, ordering them to drill their troops without slackening and not to grow lax because of this year's peace. For the great threats of the Mongols and Jurchens still remained, and the southwest was not yet fully pacified; they absolutely must not be complacent or careless. Since the court had issued such a statement, the lower levels had to respond in kind. For a time, troops were being drilled everywhere with great clamor and fanfare.

Although the official troops of the Central Capital Fengyang, the Guard Battalion of the Fengyang Grand Coordinator, and the forces of the Langshan Vice Commander effectively surrounded Qingjiangpu on three sides, and they too were drilling incessantly at this time, the official troops' movements did not affect the festive atmosphere of Qingjiangpu in the slightest. Here, regardless of wealth or status, everyone was paying attention to this martial arts tournament. Anyone with a bit of spare copper coins in their pocket was thinking of going to the various branches of the Cloud Mountain Trading Company to place a bet and try their luck. On the walls in front of each branch were posted the daily match pairings and odds. They accepted wagers there and issued receipts, paying out according to wins and losses afterward. As for those with money and status, they went to the tournament grounds to watch the matches, where food, drink, and entertainment of all kinds were fully provided.

However, this atmosphere had little to do with Zhao Jin and his group. Every day, they still went to various households for banquets, tirelessly hammering out the details of various business dealings. They even found time to visit the confluence of the Salt Transport Canal and the Yellow River. The requests of the Qingjiangpu and Yangzhou merchants had become considerably more urgent. The tournament had many matches in its first few days, but the further it progressed, the fewer the matches became. It wouldn't do to show up only for the final few matches; what meaning would that have for calming people's hearts then?

On this matter, Zhao Jin was very accommodating. On the twentieth day of the twelfth month, the tournament had determined sixty-four strong competitors. Among these martial artists, some were invited by various households, some had their own background and strength, and others were figures who already possessed renown. There was not a single weakling among them, and every match was worth anticipating. For many people, the tournament only truly began at this stage. The prize money for betting also began to surge, and the entire Qingjiangpu grew increasingly jubilant and fervent. Zhao Jin was to attend the opening of the matches that would determine the top thirty-two, and would strive to attend every match thereafter if possible.

As the tournament reached this stage, more and more officials, gentry, and wealthy personages came to watch. It was said that even major figures with noble titles from within Nanjing City had come, traveling incognito, of course. Tickets and seats at the tournament grounds had become very scarce and precious. At this time, even though Zhao Jin's safety was paramount, he could not bring too many guards inside, or it would make things too difficult for the local merchants.

The Qingjiangpu Chamber of Commerce made this suggestion rather cautiously, expecting to be rebuked by Zhao Jin's close confidants. To their surprise, everyone was very cooperative. Since the goal was to calm people's hearts, the atmosphere could not be made too tense. The number of armored household troops accompanying him inside was reduced to thirty, and naturally, they could not ride horses. In a place like the tournament grounds, which resembled a small fortress, there was no need to worry too much about danger. However, the inside and outside of the tournament grounds would certainly be carefully inspected beforehand, and household troops and patrol guards would definitely be on standby outside. All of this was necessary.

After the sixty-four competitors were determined, the tournament took a one-day break. The Cloud Mountain Trading Company sent people to clean the "Treasure Bowl" tournament grounds inside and out. Patrol guards then carefully inspected the place again before sealing it off, allowing no one to enter or leave. It remained this way until Zhao Jin arrived the next day.

Just as when Zhao Jin had arrived in Qingjiangpu, the wealthy and distinguished persons qualified to enter the tournament grounds to watch had all come early to wait. The competing martial artists, on the other hand, were all resting and preparing. As for those who had merely bought tickets to watch the matches, not many had arrived yet; they had no need to observe such formalities. Those who did come early had all gone nearby for an early breakfast, or had been carousing in the area around the tournament hall until morning and were now recovering their energy, ready to enter when the matches began.

Zhao Jin and his companions did not have the habit of rising late. Reckoning the time was about right, they came over together. Just as he had promised the Qingjiangpu Chamber of Commerce, besides a few companions, Zhao Jin was accompanied by only one company of mounted household troops. Thirty men would guard him as he entered, while the rest, along with patrol guards, would inspect the people entering outside to prevent any danger.

The necessary courtesies and pleasantries were exchanged. When it was time to enter, several leading figures of the Qingjiangpu Chamber of Commerce came forward and whispered a few words. At this stage of the tournament, it wasn't just wealthy idlers and profligate sons who came to watch; apparently, female family members of noble houses from Nanjing and Jiangnan had also come. The Jiangnan region had always been at the forefront of changing social customs, but this sort of behavior was still far too shocking, and even Zhao Jin was taken aback.

The reason was quite simple. Among those participating in the tournament, besides those wandering martial artists and the household champions of powerful families, there were also sons of noble houses and even members of the scholar-gentry class. These individuals either possessed family-transmitted martial arts or embodied the romance of the scholar-swordsman, and they tended to be rather handsome. Naturally, they were the subject of much talk among the young ladies of various households. Moreover, for such figures, as long as they weren't from humble origins, their marriages were usually arranged long ago. Although it was customary not to meet before the wedding, being able to see their future husband's gallant bearing at such an event was always a wonderful thing. Besides, this tournament was the talk of everywhere in the Southern Metropolitan Region, and a whole family could come watch a few matches and still make it back before the new year.

Conveniently, the "Treasure Bowl" tournament grounds had private boxes specifically for the wealthy and powerful, perfectly suited for these female family members, sparing them the hardship of wind and frost and also sparing them from appearing in public. For the sake of these female and inner-chamber family members, many figures in the Qingjiangpu Chamber of Commerce had given up their own boxes.

Of course, when such noble young ladies and female family members arrived by carriage, it was naturally inconvenient for the Zhao character camp's household troops and patrol guards to go up and inspect them. Therefore, they needed Zhao Jin to make an exception. To this request, Zhao Jin was also amenable to good advice. He was merely somewhat puzzled: after getting off the carriage, they would have to pass through the seating area to reach the boxes. How would they manage not to be seen then?

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