Chapter 1292: Instructions Before a Long Journey

Countless people beat their chests and stamped their feet in regret — if they had only placed their bets a month or even ten-odd days earlier, the returns would have been immense. Yet everyone had hesitated and missed the best opportunity. Adding flowers to brocade can never compare to sending charcoal in the snow for leaving a lasting impression. Then again, the Zhao Family Army had never really been an underdog to begin with; people had simply wanted to play it safer and more secure.

Having missed the earlier chance, they now had to seize the moment firmly. While Zhao Jin was still in Tianjin, he had already sent out invitations to various places across Shandong, summoning everyone to a banquet in Linqing Prefecture. No one knew what would happen at the banquet, but once the invitation arrived, whether one attended or not — that choice would certainly have a tremendous impact on the future. There might be no benefits to hope for, but the consequences could be terrifying.

These invitations were quite particular in their own right. A prefecture had several counties under it, and each county roughly received one invitation, but the townships were not guaranteed one at all. Those who received an invitation were invariably the foremost great households and powerful clans of their locale. Once they received their invitations, they contacted one another to share the news. Those who got one could not help feeling a touch of pride, while those who did not were left dejected and disheartened — yet they had no grounds to protest. The invitations had indeed all gone to families of sufficient weight.

The perceptive observers saw more than just this. They also saw the strength that Xuzhou had revealed — that it had already penetrated Shandong to this degree. How had they managed to map out the strength of these top-tier powerful families across every prefecture, county, and township? How much groundwork had they laid in secret? And to what extent did they now hold control?

No matter how people pondered and analyzed it, whether they welcomed or loathed it, no one refused. Many of the wealthy and powerful clans who received invitations had built their family fortunes on the back of imperial examination success — they had juren degree-holders in the family, even jinshi degree-holders, family members serving as officials across the realm, and some even holding office in the capital. By all rights, the Xuzhou Zhao Family Army and they should be mortal enemies, yet they all came to attend. Compared to loyalty and righteous duty, the survival of the family was what mattered most. More crucially, those serving as officials in the capital had sent word to their families, instructing them to cooperate fully with the Zhao Family Army and absolutely not to do anything foolish.

Everyone who received an invitation hastened toward Linqing. What left people not knowing whether to laugh or cry was that among the clerks in the yamens of Jinan Prefecture, Qingzhou Prefecture, Dengzhou Prefecture, and Laizhou Prefecture, as well as the inspection officers out in the field, a considerable number suddenly requested leave or reported sick. Those who held such posts were often the local powerholders, and most of them had received invitations. At a juncture like this, who still cared about the rules of officialdom? Who knew how many more days the government would even last?

Everyone wanted to arrive a few days early, hoping for a chance to seek a private audience with Zhao Jin or someone close to him, to present their family's lavish gifts. Even just the opportunity to kowtow before him in person would be a tremendous boon — it could secure some advantages for their family's future. But Zhao Jin seemed to be simply resting in Linqing and was not receiving guests.

In truth, Zhao Jin did see people — only his own men from Xuzhou. One was Zhao Song, the camp commander of the garrison unit stationed on Pi Island. Although both the Zheng Family's great fleet and the Yu Family's ships had no shortage of vessels, reaching Pi Island was no easy matter. By the second month, the sea ice had begun to thaw, but the floating ice had not yet fully melted, and the winds at sea were extremely fierce, making it wholly unsuitable for sailing. By the fourth month, the entire Zhao Family Army was mobilizing for the northern campaign, and at that time, heading to Pi Island, which was under Ming army control, would certainly invite trouble — not to mention that the Denglai Garrison had close ties with Pi Island and could provide support at any moment.

Only after the Zhao Family Army returned victorious did the conditions finally ripen. Before this, the soldier camp led by Zhao Song had served as a backbone force, holding the critical route between Dongchang Prefecture and Yanzhou Prefecture. Now, the time had come to set out. This unit dispatched to Pi Island was of vital importance to the Zhao Family Army, which was why Zhao Jin had them make a detour to Linqing for a special face-to-face briefing.

The two brothers, Zhao Wan and Zhao Song, had accompanied their elders in trading cattle and horses. At a young age, their life experience already far exceeded that of their peers, and they possessed a shrewdness rarely seen among the household retinue militia. In the beginning, they never shirked during training or duty, but they would never do more than required either. They would not shrink back when trouble arose, but neither would they charge to the very front.

They were his own relatives, so Zhao Jin did not want to be too strict with them. If they could persevere in the household retinue, let them persevere; if they could not do well or could not hold on, then let them step back. The Xuzhou system had plenty of positions for them to fill. Zhao Jin had never paid much mind to this, always meaning to find time for a private talk with them, but he kept forgetting.

Originally, he had not considered it a major issue, because although Zhao Wan and Zhao Song's performance was not outstanding, it was passable and did not hold anyone back. But when Zhao Jin finally decided to call them in for a private talk, he discovered that Zhao Wan and Zhao Song had already begun to exert themselves. They trained hard in martial arts and fell behind no one in any drill. They had started with better foundations than their peers to begin with — their bodies had been well-conditioned since childhood, and they understood horsemanship. Once they put in sufficient effort, their progress was tremendous.

Although the two brothers had no particular talent for martial skill or military strategy, this level of effort was already enough to secure their standing in the Zhao Family Army — or the Zhao Character Camp, as it was called back then. Afterward, Zhao Jin and his companions discussed it and all felt that the brothers had perhaps come to realize the boundless future that lay ahead under Zhao Jin's command, or perhaps they understood that everyone was in the same boat with no way off, so the only path was to make themselves better and rise higher in rank.

As they grew older, Zhao Wan and Zhao Song finally became trustworthy backbone officers. Their own effort and ability were one part of it; the other part was that their identity as members of the Zhao clan had at last begun to genuinely boost their prospects.

Zhao Song stood rigidly at attention before Zhao Jin, his military bearing and appearance immaculate in every detail. In the very beginning, Zhao Song had been somewhat casual in front of Zhao Jin, but later on, he showed not the slightest slackness. Zhao Jin had always wondered whether his own father had had a deep talk with the two brothers, but he could never be bothered to find out the answer.

"Pi Island hangs isolated beyond the sea. If something truly goes wrong, I can send you reinforcements and rescue troops, but from the moment I learn of your trouble to the moment reinforcements are dispatched, it will always take eight to ten days at least. During that time, you and your camp will have nothing to fall back on — you can only rely on yourselves. Have you thought through these dangers?" Zhao Jin asked, coming straight to the point.

"I have!" Zhao Song answered crisply. In earlier days, Zhao Song would undoubtedly have added a few more lines — something about how such a posting was exactly where a man of the Zhao family ought to go. Now, his reply was simply brief.

Zhao Jin nodded and asked further, "If you encounter these dangers, what will you do?"

"Your subordinate has already conducted drills for this, both in Xuzhou and in Shandong. We will build a fortified stockade on a coastal port and hold it. With the soldiers and firearms of our Zhao Family Army, we can certainly hold out until reinforcements arrive. Neither the Ming imperial troops nor the Jianzhou Jurchen forces have cannons capable of breaching our fortifications," Zhao Song answered in a clear, ringing voice.

Zhao Jin nodded with satisfaction and said, "Building the stockade is the first priority. Do that well, and your chances of holding your own are much greater. Beyond that, remember a few points. First, never trust anyone outside the Zhao Family Army. The garrison soldiers and civilians left on Pi Island are worthy of respect, but they are not of our kind. At every moment, be clear-headed about where the fundamentals lie. Second, you must believe that Xuzhou will never abandon its own people. If you find yourself in the direst peril, as long as you can get word to Shandong, or to any port where the Zhao Family Army is present, reinforcements will set out immediately. All you need to do is endure the days of waiting — but do not give up. Third, it comes down to four words: kill without restraint. The only thing that binds you is the law of our Xuzhou. No other rules can control you. Do you understand?"

"Rest assured, General. Your subordinate will not disgrace the mighty name of the Zhao Family Army..." At this point, Zhao Song paused, then said in an even louder voice, "Big Brother, I will not shame the Zhao family!"

Zhao Jin rose with a smile, reached out and patted him on the shoulder, and said encouragingly, "You have already done very well. If you can handle Pi Island successfully, an even greater future awaits you!"

After the instructions were given, Zhao Song returned to his camp to make preparations. For his camp, military supplies were provided without restriction. Their allocated quantities were double or even more than those of units of equivalent establishment. In addition to two light cannons, they also had three nest-of-bees — the multi-barrel firearms the foreigners called organ guns. The number of carts and horses allocated to them was also more than ample. As long as there were enough ships, everything was to be transported to Pi Island. There were even dedicated ships responsible for their supplies and message relay.

However, Zhao Song and his camp did not leave in a hurry, because in three days, Zhao Jin would hold a military review before the city of Linqing, and the Pi Island soldier camp was among those taking part.

By now, the guests for the great Linqing banquet had all arrived. They would also be the audience for this military review. The review served two purposes: on one hand, it was a commendation for the northern expedition army, allowing them to display their martial valor and majesty before the crowd; on the other, it was a show of strength, letting the Shandong powerholders who had only heard rumors but never witnessed it firsthand understand the might of the Zhao Family Army.

Only the various brigades and regiments that had taken part in the northern expedition were eligible to participate in the review. The reason Zhao Song's Pi Island soldier camp could take part was that the place he was heading to was exceptionally perilous. This camp was qualified to be mentioned in the same breath as those brigades and regiments that had rendered great merit. This military review was their send-off.

When the Zhao Family Army began its triumphant march south from Tianjin, Linqing had already started preparing for this review. Inspector Li and his son came forward to manage the arrangements. By this time, things were different from before. The moment it was known to be a major event for the Zhao Family Army, everyone, high and low, rushed to volunteer, contributing money and labor, each fearing to be left behind.

There was, ironically, a certain twist to this. After all, the Li father and son were merely local powerholders. Although their reach in Linqing and even Dongchang Prefecture was extensive, they were, in the end, only canal inspection officers. When it came to overall command and mobilizing civilian labor, they were hardly worth mentioning. The same was true even for Cloud Mountain Trading and the agricultural land estates, despite their long and deep cultivation of local ties — they had sufficient mobilizing power, but either their scope was too limited or they were too far removed to reach. The ones who actually stepped forward to handle matters turned out to be the Linqing Department yamen. With the department magistrate tacitly approving, the clerks of the six offices, the runners and bailiffs, and the unranked swift-hands below them were all mobilized. Whether by imposing levies or organizing efforts, each performed their respective duties, and it was they who managed to orchestrate the entire event.

The area outside Linqing's south gate had been cleared. That location was itself the stacking yard and warehouse district for canal goods, so there was ample open ground to host the military review. The viewing arrangements were not complicated either. There were only two kinds of spectators present: Zhao Jin, and everyone else. The Shandong powerholders invited to watch had no seats — they all stood to observe. This treatment was more than sufficient for them. As for the troops participating in the review, the various brigades and regiments of the Zhao Family Army returning in triumph certainly had no shortage of spirit and morale.

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