Chapter 1286

Zhao Jin shook his head and said, "We are confident, but we must not be careless. After what happened with the Incense Sect, I learned that one must never underestimate the people of this world. A rabble like the Incense Sect could actually train several thousand passable troops according to our drill regulations. No matter how decrepit the imperial court is, it still commands the service of most of the realm's heroes and talents, and still possesses the wealth and population of over a dozen provinces. If something unexpected truly happens, we will face risk. Besides, right now our vision cannot be limited to the Great Ming alone. The Mongol steppes, the Jianzhou Jurchens — these are all things we must keep our eyes on."

Ma Chonghao's expression was solemn, a look of respect surfacing in his eyes. To his knowledge, his lord had rarely left Xuzhou. There had been the trip to the capital for the examinations with Wang Zhaojing years ago, and these recent military campaigns, but otherwise he had stayed around Xuzhou. He had not traveled to many places, and by all accounts such experience and insight should be ordinary. Yet Zhao Jin's breadth of vision and ambition were extraordinary. Among all the figures Ma Chonghao had seen over the years, Zhao Jin was the one who truly held the whole realm in his heart. Zhao Jin's vision was not confined to Xuzhou, South Zhili, and Shandong; he saw the entire Great Ming, and beyond it the steppes, the white mountains and black waters, the deserts, and the great sea.

"Before, we only had men stationed in the capital. But from now on, those men will be far from enough. We must watch the capital. We must watch North Zhili. We must watch Shanxi, Shaanxi. We must watch the steppes. We must watch Liaodong beyond the passes. Watch the emperor, the Great Khans, the vassal princes, the eunuchs, the high ministers, the local magnates and gentry, and those religious sects."

Hearing Zhao Jin rattle off this long list, Ma Chonghao showed no sign of finding it difficult; instead, an expression of excitement surfaced on his face.

"Besides watching them, you must also communicate and make contact with them — who is willing to submit and befriend us, who is stubborn to the death, who is worth persuading. Beyond these duties of the secret police, you must also recruit talent in Shandong and the Jiangbei region of South Zhili. Recruit people willing to work, people suited for our Xuzhou. Either train them locally or send them back to the rear. You may even need to establish a system of our Xuzhou academies and martial halls in these northern provinces, and take on all manner of other missions as well."

Zhao Jin studied Ma Chonghao's expression and, finding the reaction to be exactly what he had most hoped to see, continued: "How many men will these tasks require? How many areas will this involve? How much money will it cost? Can you form a rough estimate?"

Without waiting for an answer, Zhao Jin went on: "I will establish several trading companies in Tianjin, Cangzhou, the capital, and Shanxi. These companies will, first, provide cover for our personnel, and second, supply funds for this grand undertaking. Whatever is insufficient will be allocated to you from Xuzhou. This grand situation may end halfway, because by then Xuzhou will have already consolidated the resources and population of the two provinces. But whether it succeeds or not, as long as you do your job well, you need not worry about your status, wealth, or rank. In the future, there will certainly be a place for you!"

By this point, the excitement on Ma Chonghao's face had turned to solemn caution. He hesitated for a moment, then spoke: "Master Jin, this is essentially rebuilding an internal security apparatus. If I may be so bold, it is more than rebuilding an internal security force — it is like creating a new Embroidered Uniform Guard and Eastern Depot, and one that would far surpass the Ming's two agencies. A situation and scale like this is probably no less than that of a brigade or a district. It should be Lord Yong or Lord Lei in command; I can serve as their assistant."

The Zhao Army's structure had Zhao Jin at its head, with the other brothers as his deputies. Zhao Jin oversaw everything, while each of the others took charge of one sphere. The prospect Zhao Jin had just laid out for Ma Chonghao was itself an entire sphere — and a major one at that. Ma Chonghao, having navigated the treacherous waters of officialdom, naturally understood this principle. If he did not speak up now, it might invite disaster later.

"The things I just described, Xiaoyong and Leizi could do, but they could not do them well. Compared to you, the gap is enormous. In the Zhao Army, only you and I can do this properly, and in the finer details, you grasp things better than I do. This is a sphere that stands on its own. You will recruit and train your own men. I will also assign men to you. Act boldly; no one will hinder you."

At this, Zhao Jin paused thoughtfully, then said: "This sphere of yours will be called the Intelligence Department. It will report directly to me, equal in rank to a brigade. After our talk today, you can begin building it and getting to work right now. Act boldly; whatever comes up, I will back you."

Ma Chonghao rose solemnly to his feet and bowed with grave formality, his voice deep as he said: "Rest assured, Master Jin. Your subordinate will spare no effort, to the point of utter exhaustion, and for you, Master Jin, for Xuzhou, for the Zhao Army, I would willingly have my body ground to dust!"

Zhao Jin nodded and said with solemnity: "Do your job well. Status, wealth, and rank — I have already placed them in your hands. What comes next depends on how you seize them."

With the business concluded, the atmosphere relaxed considerably. Zhao Jin gestured for Ma Chonghao to sit and said with a smile: "Given the current situation, the likelihood of you being ground to dust is small. In fact, people from all sides here will probably try to curry favor with you. But to do this job well, sparing no effort to the point of exhaustion is unavoidable. It will be complex and grueling — you should be well aware of that in your heart."

"Your subordinate understands. I only wished to say that even if the Ming sovereign and his ministers lack your heaven-spanning, earth-penetrating ability, Master Jin, if they had even a fraction of this courage to employ men and this confidence to trust them fully, how could things have come to the state they are in today?" Ma Chonghao's lament came from the depths of his heart.

The two then drank tea and chatted idly, a rare moment of relaxed ease. But Ma Chonghao understood that after this conversation, he was not only truly trusted but had also entered the true inner circle. Deep down, Ma Chonghao had always hoped for this. He felt that within the Zhao Army system, his experience and ability were top-tier and that he would surely be given great responsibility. Yet watching the Xuzhou forces' devastatingly swift offensives and the explosive expansion of their power, he could not help lamenting that he had still come too late, and could only hope his children might rise higher. He had never imagined he would be entrusted with such a heavy responsibility at this moment — and one that played to his strengths, one he had always wanted to undertake. This set Ma Chonghao's entire being ablaze with fervor.

The Cloud Mountain Trading Company branch in Tianjin had already opened. For safety's sake, it operated under the name of a certain merchant house from Linqing in Shandong. By rights, Ma Chonghao could have stayed in Tianjin to begin planning and setting things up, but he still chose to follow Zhao Jin back to Xuzhou first before setting out again.

"Compared to us, you have one shortcoming — though it may not necessarily be a bad thing. It's that you've been an official too long and think too much." Zhao Jin's comment on this was merely a brief remark.

If he stayed in the Beijing-Tianjin region to start building the Intelligence Department, it would indeed appear focused and hardworking, but it might also seem like he was in a hurry to establish his independence. By returning to Xuzhou with them and then advancing at a measured pace, it would be perfectly proper, leaving no one any grounds to find fault. Zhao Jin naturally saw through this, but even if Ma Chonghao had stayed behind directly, Zhao Jin would not have minded.

The army's withdrawal was almost no different from its advance. The government troops had barely tried to obstruct them on the way in, and on the way back there was even less to say. As for local armed forces like village militias, they dared even less to come seeking death. Moreover, the news that the Zhao Army had bombarded the capital's walls had already spread throughout North Zhili. No matter how fantastical it sounded upon first hearing, in the end everyone had to accept this shocking fact.

The Zhao Army had no interest in publicizing the details of the peace negotiations, and the authorities naturally imposed a news blackout, so the localities knew little. But there are no walls in this world that don't leak wind. Everyone knew that these Xuzhou troops had swaggered in, won a clean and decisive victory, and then left with sufficient benefits, while the Great Ming court could only hold its nose and swallow its rage in silence.

Was the realm about to change dynasties? Many dared not believe it, yet they could not help but believe. The awe-inspiring Zhao Army of Xuzhou, the court's defeated soldiers fleeing and wreaking havoc, and the collapsed walls of Jinghai — all of this proved the point.

The local magnates and gentry had complicated feelings, but they also knew that if they wished to protect themselves amid this dynastic upheaval, or even gamble for a share of wealth and rank, they would have to make a choice. What they were thinking was, in truth, not much different from the court ministers' judgment. The Xuzhou forces had won a great victory, yes, but in the end they still had to hurry back. Either their rear was unstable, or they did not yet have the capacity to press forward and change the dynasty.

Even if Xuzhou carved out two provinces, the Great Ming still held over a dozen. The balance of power remained an absolute advantage for the Ming. The final outcome of victory or defeat was still hard to call. In this wager, there was no need to stake one's entire fortune on one side — but one could start placing bets now.

While the Zhao Army was still in Tianjin, sons of local families had already begun coming to enlist. They generally did not reveal their origins, claiming only to be alone in the world, or that they and their brothers depended on each other, and that they admired the prestige and bearing of the Xuzhou troops and had come to offer their service. Yet one look at their healthy complexions, robust physiques, and martial skills — often they even brought their own bows and horses — made it clear such young men could hardly be commoners. They were surely from wealthy and powerful households.

Besides the sons of military families coming to enlist, there were also scholars — licentiates and academy students — who came. These fell into several types. There were those who styled themselves as great talents like Xiao He or Zhang Liang, the kind who believed that if you, Xuzhou, employed them, you would surely win the realm and bring peace to it. The Zhao Army paid no attention to such figures, having encountered far too many of them over the years. Every time they won a battle outside Xuzhou, these sorts of literati, their heads filled with too many romances and storytellers' tales, would appear with their foolish delusions.

However, another type was very rare. These did not seek to be strategists or advisors; they simply came seeking a working position — places like clerical posts or accounting offices that required literate men. They too were gambling, in a sense, but they were wagering with their learning, with their practical skills. Such people were exactly what the Zhao Army needed.

All manner of people who came to offer their service, whether of the civil or martial sort, as long as they were accepted, had to follow the army back to Xuzhou. If they were unwilling to go, then everything was off the table. If they were willing, Xuzhou had a system to train and indoctrinate them. The person in charge of these matters was Ma Chonghao.

Ma Chonghao had already begun his investigation and background assessments. In the future, he would have to do many things in North Zhili and the surrounding regions, and these local civil and martial youths were perfect for building the framework. But they could not be put to use immediately. Ma Chonghao had great faith in the Zhao Army's training system: first, one had to understand how the Zhao Army and Xuzhou did things, then be tempered and adapted through practical experience, and only after that would one become usable talent. Ma Chonghao planned to train them according to this system and proposed locating this academy in Jining or Ziyang. Zhao Jin had already given his approval.

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