Chapter 1223: Recruitment or Negotiated Peace

Cui Wensheng and Zhao Yan naturally paid no mind to the mood of those below them. Cui Wensheng played the guide to the fullest, urging Zhao Yan to walk around and see more of Hejiazhuang, saying the more he saw, the better he would know his limits when they talked tomorrow. But Zhao Yan was truly exhausted and worried about the concubines among his attendants, so he retired early to rest at the inn. Cui Wensheng, however, accompanied by a few attendants, strolled around Hejiazhuang. He ordered a hotpot at a mutton shop and had mixed bean noodles as his supper.

Before the Zhao Camp engaged the several government armies, the wealthy households in Hejiazhuang had moved out one after another. When news of the great victory came back, these wealthy households moved back just as quickly. Anyone with a brain could see what Zhao Jin intended. Right now, Zhao Jin did not want many people inside the city of Xuzhou. Since that was Master Jin's wish, why should anyone go against it and invite his displeasure? These people of wealth and status all moved to Hejiazhuang, and even those from Xiao County, Dangshan, Suzhou, and Pizhou outside the Xuzhou prefectural seat moved over as well.

People guessed in private that this was probably akin to relocating wealthy and powerful clans to the capital. Because so many people of wealth and status gathered here, the market in Hejiazhuang grew increasingly prosperous. Well-traveled people said that Hejiazhuang was now not much different from Qingjiangpu.

Ever since Zhao Jin had appeared at the Fengyang Central Capital with his cavalry, Cui Wensheng had found it hard to sleep at night. When all was silent, he could even clearly hear the snoring of his servants and attendants. In the past, Eunuch Cui could not tolerate the slightest noise while sleeping. If he had heard such sounds back then, he would have flown into a rage, but now he no longer had the temper for it.

Back when he was impeached over the Red Pill Case, those around him were either implicated or switched allegiances. When Wei Zhongxian reappointed him to oversee grain transport in the Southern Metropolitan Region, quite a few people gathered around him again. When Wei Zhongxian was recalled to the capital and his faction declined, the people around Eunuch Cui began to scatter once more. There was little profit in fawning over a eunuch guarding an imperial tomb. Those still by his side now were the ones who had followed him since before the Red Pill Case.

The Fengyang Garrison Eunuch Cui Wensheng had thought a great deal. Over the past two years, the several shops he had opened in Xuzhou had all turned a handsome profit. The fur goods store at the market was even thriving; the manager had already suggested opening a branch in Qingjiangpu. Over the years, he had saved up a large sum of silver. With these shops added in, even if he were gone or thrown in prison, his relatives and these close followers would be provided for. Even better, Xuzhou and the imperial court were not one and the same. Property settled here could not be touched by anyone, even if he were convicted and his property confiscated.

Let that worthless son of his younger brother come to Xuzhou from the capital! Over there, he still thought of himself as a relative of a powerful eunuch, constantly stirring up trouble over petty jealousies and brawls. If this continued, disaster was bound to follow... Musing over such random thoughts, Cui Wensheng finally fell asleep in the early hours before dawn.

Around breakfast time, a household trooper from the Zhao Camp came to notify them that in one hour, Eunuch Cui and Grand Coordinator Zhao were requested to come to the study of the council hall for discussions. Cui Wensheng hurriedly agreed. Once the Zhao Camp trooper left, he immediately sent a close attendant to call for Zhao Yan. The Honorable Zhao had not yet woken up.

"Bandits are bandits, with no regard for proper procedure. Are we supposed to haggle directly like common peddlers? Utterly vulgar!" Grand Coordinator of Fengyang Zhao Yan was very displeased with this arrangement by the Zhao Camp.

According to the rules and conventions of official business in the Great Ming, when high officials wished to reach an agreement or pact, they would never appear in person at the start. Instead, their followers would float trial balloons and probe, feeling out the other side's bottom line and demands. Through such back-and-forth, a mutually satisfactory agreement would eventually be reached. Grand Coordinator Zhao Yan had certainly expected to first settle in at the inn, after which people from the Zhao Camp would come to sound him out. He himself would naturally not see them; servants, close attendants, and advisors would handle it level by level. Perhaps he could even reap considerable benefits along the way, and only then would the details of recruitment be finalized.

"Eunuch Cui, wasn't it said that there is a censor advising these Xuzhou bandits? How can they still be so lacking in decorum?" Zhao Yan said, quite indignant.

Cui Wensheng merely smiled and said, "Honorable Zhao, these Xuzhou bandits have never done things according to Great Ming's rules. Right now, we are the ones anxious for recruitment and peace. Since they aren't dragging things out, isn't that a good thing?"

Grand Coordinator Zhao Yan drank a few mouthfuls of rice porridge, then shook his head and said, "They say the leaders of these Xuzhou bandits are young, and speak of how extravagantly they indulge in luxury. I expected some kind of impressive spectacle, but the comforts here are far inferior to the capital. Could it be they simply aren't entertaining us properly?"

"You might not believe it, Honorable Zhao, but these Xuzhou people truly don't know what enjoyment is. It's just things like mutton and flatbread," Cui Wensheng said, shaking his head.

Hearing this, Grand Coordinator of Fengyang Zhao Yan was stunned for a moment. Only after a while did he speak: "Then what exactly are they after?"

Among the close attendants of Zhao Yan and Cui Wensheng were a few capable men. After settling in, they had taken a general look around inside and outside the inn, then reported back that there was nothing suspicious and no one was eavesdropping on their conversation. That was why the two spoke so freely. Yet despite their contemptuous and dissatisfied words, the overall situation dictated that guests must follow the host's convenience. After all, it was not Xuzhou that was anxious for recruitment and pacification; it was the imperial court that did not wish to continue fighting. So at the time set by the Zhao Camp, Cui Wensheng and Zhao Yan, each accompanied by two advisors, went together to the Zhao Camp's council hall.

Grand Coordinator of Fengyang Zhao Yan had risen from the remonstrance posts to the provinces, and from the provinces to the Six Ministries. After decades of ups and downs in officialdom, he was richly experienced. Though now quite dispirited, he had not neglected his homework. The two had long since agreed on a general strategy. For local uprisings, the causes were either desperation or the pursuit of profit. If driven by desperation, give them some relief; if seeking profit, satisfy them somewhat with rank, fame, and wealth. Moreover, the desires of the leaders who commanded the masses were entirely different from those of the ordinary followers below. The rabble and bandits who attached themselves sought only survival and petty gains, while the leaders could demand prospects, wealth, and status.

Had the government troops won a great victory, none of these things would be on offer. But now that the government troops had been defeated, they had to satisfy the other side's demands as much as possible. Furthermore, Zhao Yan had a judgment about the future situation. As long as the other side accepted pacification and agreed to official posts from the court, they could then be divided and turned against one another, sowing discord between the leaders and their followers. In the best scenario, the court might gain a few fierce and brave commanders to send to the border garrisons to earn merit. Even in the worst case, it would merely be a matter of the bandits slaughtering each other and vanishing like smoke, leaving the region in ruin for a few years before slowly recovering.

It was not only Zhao Yan who thought this way; his accompanying advisors and secretaries thought so too. The ministers at court thought so as well, and even the advisors beside Cui Wensheng thought the same. Only Cui Wensheng had his doubts about it, but he did not voice them.

"So young..." Upon seeing Zhao Jin, Wang Zhaojing, Ji Xiang, and the others, Grand Coordinator of Fengyang Zhao Yan blurted out the same words as many before him. But he was immediately tugged by Cui Wensheng beside him, who then smiled and offered greetings.

It was only thanks to Eunuch Cui Wensheng's attitude that Zhao Yan did not assume these young men were not Zhao Jin and his group, but rather impostors sent to mock and deceive him. He even paid more attention to Ruhui, who sat on the outer side, thinking that this composed middle-aged man was the true core.

Zhao Jin looked at the two high-ranking court officials before him and the several advisors behind them. Aside from Cui Wensheng, who could be considered calm and composed, the others were all staring at his side with curiosity. They had probably never imagined that such a massive upheaval was caused by a few people so young. Once the decision for recruitment and pacification was made, the spies Xuzhou had placed in the capital had relayed the news by fast horse. Grand Coordinator Zhao Yan had set out south from Hejian Prefecture, and his every move had been watched.

It seemed the intelligence reports were accurate. This newly appointed Grand Coordinator of Fengyang truly was past caring. One could see his complexion was weak and haggard, his body clearly hollowed out by wine and women. What surprised Zhao Jin was Eunuch Cui. Cui Wensheng clearly knew the might of the Zhao Camp best and had suffered a great loss this time, yet aside from looking somewhat older, his expression and demeanor were quite calm and composed.

One side had not expected the Xuzhou bandit chieftains to be so young; the other side had never undergone recruitment and pacification. After an awkward exchange of salutations and greetings, neither knew how to proceed. According to Grand Coordinator Zhao Yan's expectations, the other side should at this moment either be loudly threatening to keep fighting, or kowtowing on the ground, claiming they had been driven by desperation. In any case, they should be trying to secure a higher price for themselves, after which he would counter-offer and respond. Yet the other side was so quiet.

After a silence that lasted a while, before Cui Wensheng could speak, Zhao Jin gestured with his hand and said, "This time, we won a great victory. We took over forty thousand prisoners, while our own casualties were barely over a thousand. I ask you two to negotiate based on that. I want to hear what terms you have to offer!"

This was indeed direct, and he placed himself on an equal footing with the imperial court. Grand Coordinator Zhao Yan cursed him inwardly as arrogant and insolent. Yet having previously served as Minister of War, where military reports from all fronts had converged upon him, Zhao Yan knew that Zhao Jin was not threatening or exaggerating, but stating facts. Zhao Yan felt displeased on one hand, yet helpless on the other.

In dealings and negotiations between people, whoever speaks first and raises terms falls into a passive position. Zhao Yan had originally wanted to gauge the other side's appetite before making a decision. He did not believe that decades of scheming through the ups and downs of officialdom could not handle a few bandit chieftains from the backwater of Xuzhou. He had never expected the other side to be so direct and blunt. What made it truly helpless was that the other side's directness was so self-assured. They could afford not to negotiate, but the imperial court could not.

Let you be arrogant for now. Once the court catches its breath and masses hundreds of thousands of troops against you, even if you had three heads and six arms, you'll be reduced to scattered chunks of flesh. Grand Coordinator Zhao Yan swore bitterly in his heart, then glanced at Cui Wensheng beside him. He saw Eunuch Cui nod with a smile and say, "Since that's the case, then please, Honorable Zhao, explain the court's benevolence this time. Let us all discuss it."

With Cui Wensheng saying that, there was even less room to maneuver. Why was Eunuch Cui acting almost like an inside collaborator? Zhao Yan could only smile bitterly and shake his head. "You are all young heroes, your skills should be used in service to the nation. Yet you were led astray by wicked men onto this path of error. The court..."

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