Chapter 1241: Everything Going Smoothly

Zhao Jin swept an exasperated look around the group and said sullenly, "If you want to develop quietly, you first have to fight to create a quiet environment. Otherwise, there will always be people harboring delusions. After this operation, we can enjoy a longer stretch of peace!"

"Big Brother is right. After this, whether we move fast or slow, it will be our own affair. Outsiders won't be able to interfere anymore!" Wang Zhaojing said, his smile fading as well.

Ji Xiang looked thoroughly energized, even pumping his fist, and declared loudly, "Big Brother, it's always been the government troops and those blind bandits provoking us. Now it's time for us to take the initiative!"

Zhao Jin nodded and said, his tone easing, "A force as big as ours—it's time to shift from passive to active!"

"... Urge the Haizhou Port Garrison Regiment and the army soldier battalions to take up their defensive posts as quickly as possible. Urge the newly established army soldier battalions to enter their garrison areas as quickly as possible... The entire First Brigade is to assemble its troops at Jining. The entire Second Brigade is to assemble at Yutou Town and then move north. The Fengpei Regiment and the Suzhou Regiment are to assemble here. The Pizhou Regiment is to move north together with the Second Brigade. Here at headquarters, I will lead the Instruction Brigade, the First Regiment of the Personal Guard Brigade, the First Cavalry Regiment, and three-quarters of the cannon regiment..."

"... The Third Brigade is to sweep southward, with Third Brigade Commander Dong Bingfeng as the commanding general and Patrol Regiment Commander Li Dajin as the deputy commander, supported by the mobile squads of the Patrol Regiment. The remnants of the Fengyang Grand Coordinator's Standard Battalion, the remnants of the Langshan Vice General's forces, and all corresponding personnel are to be captured and disbanded; they are not permitted to remain. The Third Brigade is to establish a camp on the banks of the Yangtze River and simultaneously prepare for a thrust toward Anqing Prefecture. No government troops are permitted to exist in the Southern Metropolitan Region north of the Yangtze..."

As Zhao Jin issued order after order, the territory under the Zhao Family Army's control, from north to south and west to east, began to bustle with intense activity. The first to move were the twenty newly established army soldier battalions. They headed to their various garrisons. The task of these army soldier battalions, aside from local defense, was to supervise the training of able-bodied young men from the nearby agricultural land estates. Once they were in place, they filled the gaps left by the soldier brigades and regiments, stabilizing the situation.

Unlike previous minor adjustments, this military expansion increased the number of soldiers and army troops by over ten thousand in one go. In the Great Ming's official army, such an expansion would take a very long time. New battalion units would need to recruit soldiers and then train them; achieving combat effectiveness would take a year or even several years. But here in Xuzhou, there was no need to worry about such things. The newly established regiments had all previously been organized as patrol squads. Using the patrolmen as the backbone, they were filled out with militia. The newly established battalions used outstanding domestic retainers of various ranks as their backbone, supplemented by assembled militia. As for the newly established cavalry regiment, it recruited Xuzhou volunteers.

Under this system and method, the newly established regiments and battalions could immediately form combat effectiveness. This was because these patrolmen, militia, and Xuzhou volunteers had already been trained in the Zhao Family Army's methods and had cooperated with each other many times; there was no issue of needing to mesh or become familiar. It was just that after this round of expansion, the several hundred thousand population of Xuzhou and Pizhou had been pushed nearly to its limit. The agricultural land estates could no longer afford to have full-time guards, or else agricultural, industrial, and commercial operations would be disrupted. However, after this round of expansion, many tasks originally done by the militia were now handled by the army soldier battalions, so there were no gaps in defense.

The price of hiring large carts in Qingjiangpu had already skyrocketed, because ox and horse-drawn carts were being requisitioned to supplement the brigade and regiment baggage trains. The large cart companies in Qingjiangpu were, in fact, part of the Zhao Family Army's logistics and supply system. This time, it wasn't just the cart companies being utilized; a large number of canal boats were also pressed into service. The canal workers on the boats were quite happy to see this happen. After all, with canal transport blocked, everyone's livelihood was at stake. Since Lord Jin of Xuzhou was willing to look after them, they were happy to risk their lives. As for loyalty? After bleeding the Great Ming dry on the canal for so many years, when had they ever spoken of loyalty?

What made the powerful merchants of the Southern Metropolitan Region click their tongues in astonishment was that the Zhao Family Army still hadn't resorted to brute force. They conducted fair trade. As long as prices weren't gouged, the Zhao Family Army paid in genuine gold and silver. Even the salt business was still operating as usual. Because of Yanshan Trading's involvement, Huai salt production had increased by a full sixty percent compared to previous years, and it was still growing. Not to mention the markets and grand bazaars, which, stimulated by the war, had become incredibly bustling. Just how much gold and silver had Xuzhou accumulated over these years? Everyone was quite interested in guessing.

The roads were filled with ox and horse-drawn carts loaded with supplies. The canals and rivers were crowded with all kinds of vessels, riding deep in the water and advancing under full sail. On the roads along both banks of the canal, the various units of the Zhao Family Army marched in tense haste, dust billowing into the sky.

When the imperial court mobilized a large army, the plans were often still in the Ministry of War, yet the details were already known throughout the realm. The Xuzhou Zhao Family Army was different. Neighbors nearby only saw troops on the move; relevant parties only saw supplies being transported. By the time operations began, they could guess a great battle was about to start, but no one knew how many men or what kind of strength had been deployed. Some people who had come from the northern part of Huai'an to Xuzhou on business recounted what they had seen. Comparing notes with each other, they suddenly realized that the Second Brigade and the Xuzhou main camp were both mobilizing, and the reinforced regiments everywhere were also moving.

On the twenty-fifth day of the third month of the fourth year of the Tianqi reign, Zhao Jin issued his orders. By the first day of the fourth month, speculation had already arisen in various places, claiming that Xuzhou was going to deploy a hundred thousand troops this time, march into the capital, and seize the realm!

The First Regiment of the Personal Guard Brigade crossed the river and moved north on the twenty-seventh of the third month. The Mounted Soldier Regiment set off on the twenty-ninth of the third month. Zhao Jin and the Instruction Brigade departed on the second day of the fourth month. The reason for leaving so late was a request from the elders of Xuzhou and Pizhou. The most venerable gentry and powerful figures from the two places, after contacting each other, decided to prepare incense, candles, cattle, and wine to respectfully send Zhao Jin off to success and to toast the Zhao Family Army's departure!

In the middle of the third month, Zhao Jin dispatched messengers on fast horses to various parts of Xuzhou and Pizhou to read out a proclamation, recruiting volunteer warriors who could provide their own weapons and mounts. The proclamation stated clearly that this campaign was perilous and that each man was responsible for his own life or death. It also did not say what rewards would be given. Yet this recruitment proclamation stirred up waves in Xuzhou and Huai'an Prefecture, and even in Fengyang Prefecture, Yangzhou Prefecture, and Yanzhou Prefecture in Shandong. Warriors who could provide their own weapons and mounts rushed to arrive. Those without horses also traveled through the night to get there. The gentry and powerful families spent money to arm their own sons and disciples. Some even from families that farmed and studied took warriors as adopted sons, spending money to equip them and sending them here to sign up.

According to everyone's thinking, this was Lord Jin wanting to share wealth and glory with his fellow countrymen. This was the final opportunity. If they didn't seize it, there would be no such shortcut in the future. Hot-blooded men should rely on blade and spear at a time like this to win official rank and earn a fortune of wealth and status that would last for generations, for themselves and for their descendants.

However, not many could actually come, because the Zhao Family Army had been continuously recruiting and absorbing men from these territories. By the time Zhao Jin led his troops out, the volunteers numbered just over one thousand two hundred riders in total. They were divided into three squads and placed under the command of the First Regiment of the Personal Guard Brigade, the Instruction Brigade, and the Mounted Soldier Regiment respectively.

"We wish the General victory as soon as his banners set out, and the grand fulfillment of his great plans." The gentry and notables of Xuzhou and Pizhou offered their blessings with the utmost respect, then presented fine wine. Zhao Jin accepted with a smile and drained the cup in one gulp. Wang Youshan stood to the other side, smiling faintly. This scene was something he had helped orchestrate.

Zhao Jin cupped his hands in salute with a smile, and everyone returned the gesture. After they had straightened up, Zhao Jin declared in a clear voice, "After this battle, everyone will live a bit better, and the days will be peaceful for a few years. As for the great matter everyone is thinking about, I, Zhao, can say plainly: not yet. We must wait a few more years. However, I, Zhao, am young and can afford to wait. I see that all of you can afford to wait as well."

Anyone could see that Zhao Jin was in a good mood. The meaning of his words disappointed everyone a little, but they all laughed knowingly. Zhao Jin swung himself onto his horse and spoke up again, "Everyone, the good days are still ahead, and they will only get better and better. Rest assured!"

Hearing these words, the crowd burst into laughter from the heart. They watched as Zhao Jin departed, surrounded by his personal guards. Once he was gone, everyone began discussing in low voices why Lord Jin was so cheerful. Some who were closer to him showed off their knowledge, saying that the Old Master had been in poor health some time ago but had recovered very quickly in recent days, even able to get out of bed and walk. With no worries at home before a great battle, he was naturally relaxed and happy. Others said that Zhao Jin's plan to take a concubine was already settled. Meng Ziqi was no longer serving in Zhao Jin's residence but had moved out to live elsewhere, taken as an adopted daughter by a loyal and honest old licentiate in the city, just waiting for Zhao Jin's triumphant return to enter the household.

Whether taking a concubine counted as a happy event was debatable. Everyone could see clearly the power of firearms. Meng Zhiqi controlled such great strength and was also Zhao Jin's personal guard; naturally, he had to be won over.

The improvement in the health of Zhao Jin's father, Zhao Zhentang, was solid and real. It was said that Chen Wu had come to visit him once and had mocked him quite a bit, saying things like, "Why are you worrying about these useless things? Your boy has stirred up such a huge situation—did you ever help with any of it? Since you can't help, yet you're still anxious and frightened all day, have you gone senile?" and "Let's just live our own lives and watch the boys stir things up. What does the wealth and glory they earn have to do with us? As long as they're filial, isn't that enough?"

These blunt words actually allowed Zhao Zhentang to relax. Once his burden of worry was lifted, his spirits immediately improved, his appetite grew, and his health got better day by day. After all, he had started out as an executioner on the execution grounds back in the day; once he truly made up his mind, he was decisive. When Zhao Jin visited, he habitually talked about the Zhao Family Army's movements. Zhao Zhentang no longer listened and even told him not to visit anymore, saying it was enough for the grandchildren to come every day, and that he should go attend to his own affairs. Perhaps the several old wild ginseng and rare medicinal herbs from beyond the passes that Li Ziyou had sent played a role; Zhao Zhentang recovered faster and faster.

Under these circumstances, Zhao Jin was naturally in a cheerful mood. And there were other reasons for his ease as well. By the time the Mounted Soldier Regiment reached Jining, the imperial court had still not made any response.

On the sixth day of the fourth month, Zhao Jin arrived in Jining with his troops. They met no resistance along the way. On the contrary, some inexplicable people came up shouting "Long live the Emperor," and there were even those who had castrated themselves hoping to serve as attendants; all were directly driven away. When they reached Jining, the area around the canal outside the city had already become a sprawling, clamorous camp of men and horses. The regiments of the First Brigade had finished assembling, and the regiments of the Second Brigade would arrive in two days.

Chen Sheng's First Brigade had not been waiting idly here. The companies of the Mounted Soldiers and the volunteer cavalry present had all been dispatched toward Ziyang, the seat of Yanzhou Prefecture. They shot arrows into the city, ordering the thousand-some government troops hiding inside to surrender. That thousand or so government troops had arrived back when the Prince of Lu's household was exterminated and had never left since. But no one had paid them any attention; they had merely stood by and watched during several major battles.

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