Chapter 1210: Amusing Matters in Shanxi

Watching his mother wipe at the corners of her eyes, Zhao Jin lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then spoke: "Mother, with so many people here to serve you now, don't wear yourself out. And don't worry — Father will get better. I'll take my leave for now."

Comforting words aside, Zhao Jin's mood was very heavy. Many minor illnesses from his memory were fatal afflictions in this era, especially since Zhao Zhentang had spent these years worrying and fretting, his body aging rapidly — this trend was truly not good. But when trouble comes, you deal with it; fretting and grieving in advance does no good at all.

Zhao Jin walked out of his parents' residence. Zhao Zhentang and He Cuihua had always been unwilling to live too close to Zhao Jin, so the walk home was still some distance. The households that had moved into Xuzhou city some time ago had not yet returned, and the current He Village was heavily garrisoned with troops — there was no need to worry about safety. As soon as Zhao Jin stepped outside, his personal guards immediately fell in behind him.

He was walking forward with his head lowered in thought when he sensed a dark shadow flash by. He reacted instantly, then realized his personal guards were right beside him — anyone who could get this close was certainly no threat. The person before him was already bowing deeply in salute. At his side, Niu Jinbao quietly reminded him: "Master, it's Wang Ziyang."

Before and after visiting the sick, Zhao Jin's mind had been heavy, and he had already forgotten about this matter. Only upon seeing the man did he remember. With a wry smile, he gestured for Wang Ziyang to come over.

"Master Jin, your humble servant has managed to find two three-hundred-year wild ginseng roots, both from the deep old forests — these are tremendously restorative. I also sought a miraculous remedy on Mount Wutai in Shanxi. It will be just the thing for the old master's illness. Master Jin need not worry too much; the old master is blessed by fortune and will recover in no time." Wang Ziyang said comfortingly, his face full of smiles.

Zhao Jin nodded and replied in thanks: "That is very thoughtful of you."

No need for further thanks — this reply alone already had Wang Ziyang beside himself with joy. But then Wang Ziyang drew a few steps closer and said: "Master Jin, when your humble servant made several trips to Shanxi in the latter half of last year, I noticed some things that didn't seem quite right. But when I went myself to inquire, I couldn't find anything out. Would it be possible to ask Master Jin to assign a few household guards to help?"

Hearing this, Zhao Jin found it odd. He pondered and said: "Are the people around you throwing their weight around and bullying you? Or are they disobeying your arrangements and acting willfully?"

"No, not at all, not at all. Everyone follows the rules in doing things, and they've helped your humble servant tremendously. In the past, I always thought my own clerks were good enough, but once the men Master Jin sent arrived, the difference became clear — they work with such diligence and care..." Wang Ziyang hurriedly explained.

Zhao Jin nodded. His mood at the moment was very irritable, and his words were not particularly polite: "In that case, then just do your business well. You should have earned quite a bit more — isn't that a good thing? Stop letting your imagination run wild!"

At present, Wang Ziyang's trading caravans for liquor and livestock were nominally run by him, but all the key personnel were people connected to Cloud Mountain Firm and Zhao Character Battalion. Moreover, each team and institution rotated their own people in for training stints. It was absolutely impossible for Wang Ziyang to collude with outsiders or try any tricks.

However, when it came to dealing with the various Mongol tribes of the grasslands, interacting with the Shanxi authorities and border garrisons, and the liquor and cattle-and-horse trades themselves, the people from Cloud Mountain Firm truly could not compare to Wang Ziyang — not just in experience, but also in years of hard-won insight. So there was no thought of replacing him. As long as he obediently did his work, things would continue this way. Although Wang Ziyang was still making a fortune, he likewise earned great sums for Zhao Character Battalion and brought in desperately needed livestock and leather.

The reason Zhao Jin had asked that question was precisely because he feared the household guards and other personnel assigned to Wang Ziyang might not grasp the proper boundaries — treating themselves as the masters of the caravan and watching Wang Ziyang like a prisoner. Such behavior might seem like diligence, but in reality it was reckless meddling, hindering Zhao Character Battalion's understanding of the grasslands and delaying business on all fronts. That would certainly warrant severe punishment. Hearing that this was not the case, Zhao Jin could not be bothered to ask further. Wang Ziyang nowadays was everywhere, seizing every opportunity to fawn and flatter — utterly tiresome.

At Zhao Jin's rebuke, Wang Ziyang only smiled apologetically and shook his head, then drew closer and said: "Master Jin, what your humble servant wants is a few men who can gather information — people who can investigate and scout, disguise themselves and such. Isn't there an Internal Guard? Could a few of them be assigned to your humble servant?"

Nowadays, everyone in Xuzhou kept their mouths shut about the Internal Guard. Many people knew of its existence, but everyone pretended not to. An organization akin to the Depot Guard — it was said to harbor desperadoes who came and went like shadows, killing without leaving a trace of blood. There were even rumors that some among them knew sorcery and the like. Best to speak little of it, lest one violate a taboo.

Even those in the core circles of Zhao Character Battalion were unwilling to discuss it, because the Internal Guard was involved in more and more confidential and private matters. Did it touch upon one's own family? Or was the matter simply too great — knowing meant trouble. Even Zhao Jin himself prioritized secrecy as much as possible. He had never expected Wang Ziyang to blurt it out so casually.

Under the lamplight, Wang Ziyang saw Zhao Jin's expression darken. Not daring to keep beating around the bush, he quickly said: "Master Jin, when your humble servant was passing through Taiyuan Prefecture and nearing Datong Prefecture, I spotted several familiar faces from Xuzhou over there. I didn't know before whether they were household guards or militia. Your humble servant sensed something was off, so I didn't go up to greet them, but followed them for a stretch. I won't hide it from Master Jin — the pleasures of Shanxi are fine, and whenever your humble servant goes there, I always indulge a little..."

Zhao Jin showed no reaction. He had long known from the Internal Guard that this Wang Ziyang was lecherous and led quite the amorous life in Shanxi — not only keeping a mistress in a separate residence, but frequently taking several more into his household. What Wang Ziyang was recounting, however, piqued his interest. Household guards and militia in Shanxi? Within Xuzhou's sphere of control, they could find perfectly good livelihoods. Whether healthy or disabled, Xuzhou would certainly provide proper settlement, and even a stake in some enterprise. Why leave all that behind and go to Shanxi?

Seeing Zhao Jin's interest kindle, Wang Ziyang cleared his throat and continued: "... Using that as a pretext, I went out and followed them. Those men were staying at a nearby inn, and they had over twenty able-bodied fellows with them, saying they had come to buy and hire people. That in itself was nothing much, but those twenty-odd men moved just like the household guards of our Zhao Character Battalion — just as tough and capable. Yet those twenty-odd men spoke with the accents of Shanxi and Shaanxi. They just left with those few men. Yes, they marched in step as well. I was in a hurry at the time, and your humble servant feared delaying business, and it wasn't convenient to randomly assign my clerks to tail them, so I made inquiries with the innkeeper. The inn said those men were all from Dai Prefecture. It seems that starting the year before last, or perhaps last year, some gentry in Dai Prefecture began recruiting able-bodied men to organize militia, specifically seeking unattached, able-bodied men from Shaanxi and Shanxi..."

Hearing Wang Ziyang's account, Zhao Jin did not respond immediately. He walked forward in silence for a stretch before smiling and saying: "Interesting. Truly interesting. I will arrange a few men for you. When the time comes, you will be the one to direct them."

"Many thanks, Master Jin. When the time comes, your humble servant will give those gentlemen clear instructions, and we'll cooperate well." Wang Ziyang answered delightedly.

Zhao Jin halted his steps, turned his head, and asked Wang Ziyang: "Your net worth should be considerable by now. I imagine if you took it to Jiangnan or Shanxi, you wouldn't be outclassed. Is that so?"

Being asked about his family fortune by Zhao Jin, Wang Ziyang could not help but shiver. Still, he answered: "I don't know about Jiangnan, but your humble servant can certainly rank within the top forty in Shanxi. This is all by Master Jin's grace. Without Master Jin, how could your humble servant have come this far? It's hateful that your humble servant was so blinded by greed back then..."

"Only within the top forty?" Zhao Jin asked, stunned. His entire train of thought had been derailed by this answer.

"To even make the top forty is already extraordinary. The great merchants there are backed either by princely estates or the border garrisons. The salt-certificate and army-provision trades are all run by them, and they also conduct trade with the Mongol tribes beyond the passes and even places farther afield. After decades, even centuries of accumulation, their wealth truly rivals that of nations. Though your humble servant has had great fortune, I still cannot catch up." Wang Ziyang said hurriedly, realizing that Zhao Jin's inquiry carried no ulterior meaning.

This answer left Zhao Jin somewhat dazed. He knew very well the immense profits of the liquor and livestock trades, and their scale was still expanding at breakneck speed. He had assumed Wang Ziyang already counted as a top-tier magnate; he had not expected him to have only just brushed the threshold. Whenever foreign trade was involved, it was always mountains of gold and seas of silver. Zhao Jin's thoughts then turned to Jiangnan — surely many of the great clans there, with heritages spanning a century or more, were involved in maritime trade. Their accumulations must be staggeringly deep as well.

When he recovered from his reverie, Zhao Jin laughed and said: "You nearly made me forget what I was going to say with that interruption. Old Wang, don't think this wealth of yours now is anything so remarkable. Keep walking this path with us — what heights you might reach in the future, you certainly cannot imagine."

Wang Ziyang reflexively smiled in sycophantic agreement, but then his smile froze on his face. In the next instant, he dropped swiftly to his knees and kowtowed with thumping sounds, saying: "Master Jin, please rest assured. Your humble servant will be utterly loyal from this day forward, willing to be crushed to powder for Master Jin, willing to serve as Master Jin's ox or horse."

Zhao Jin reached out and helped Wang Ziyang to his feet, saying with a smile: "The information you've gathered is quite good. I think you should take an official post in the Internal Guard — it will make things easier for you in the future."

These words nearly made Wang Ziyang kneel again. Many great merchants of the Great Ming held status in the Brocade Guard — some inherited it from their forebears, others bought it at great expense, all for the convenience it afforded in their dealings. In this realm under Heaven, who did not yield three parts to the Depot Guard? And within Xuzhou's territory, the household guards of the Internal Guard were essentially the equivalent of Depot Guard constables. To be granted such a status — did it not show how highly he was valued?

Recalling how he had colluded with outsiders some time ago and nearly brought a killing calamity upon himself, and then thinking of the state of his business now, Wang Ziyang was overwhelmed with mixed emotions. As he walked along for a few steps, tears streamed uncontrollably down his face. For a moment, he could not even attend to smiling and fawning; he wiped furiously at his eyes but could not stop. Zhao Jin patted Wang Ziyang on the shoulder and said gently: "Do your work well. I will not treat you poorly."

With that, Zhao Jin walked onward with his guards. Behind him, Wang Ziyang could not hold back and wept aloud.

It was already somewhat late when Zhao Jin arrived home, but Xu Zhenzhen and Mu Shulan had still not eaten dinner and were waiting for him. The three children were all a bit hungry — the eldest was eating pastries, and the younger ones had been taken by the wet nurse to be fed. Only when they saw Zhao Jin return were the dishes brought to the table.

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