Chapter 236: Clues and Traces

"Think about it — if we really build this relationship well, when it's time to collect grain and taxes, he can just send someone over to follow along. Wouldn't that be better than these people from the city constable's office? Right now, borrowing influence still has a layer of separation. Outside the city, who cares who you bring with you?" As soon as these words were spoken, Clerk Liu on the other side froze for a moment, then suddenly slapped the table and said with a face full of smiles, "Mr. Wang, your talent is immense! Mr. Wang, you are absolutely right! That Wang Youshan, that so-called 'Old Man of Wangshan,' is nothing but an empty reputation in my eyes. You are the true Mr. Wang! I'll go right now and—"

Flattery will get you anywhere. Hearing himself compared to Wang Youshan, Adviser Wang's face was all smiles, but he still waved his hand and said, "No need to rush. It's just the start of spring, not yet time to collect grain. We also need to see whether he can gain a firm foothold outside the city."

This Adviser Wang and Clerk Liu still had a layer of separation between them. The ones most concerned were actually the several gang leaders in the city. Before the sky even darkened, Chen Ergou and Butcher Li had already prepared gifts and come knocking.

When those two walked through Xuzhou City, ordinary people had to address them as "Second Master Chen" and "Master Li," yet their standing before Zhao Jin had grown lower and lower — even orders were relayed through Liu Yong.

But today, after getting this news, the two of them could no longer sit still. Never mind their low standing and complete dependence on Zhao Jin, or that they had to hand over more than half their monthly take — deep down they understood that without Zhao Jin, they wouldn't even have this much. Whether it was Cloud Mountain Temple or the authorities, either would swallow them whole in a single gulp.

To these two, Zhao Jin dismissed them with a single line: "Zhao is not in Xuzhou, but that doesn't mean I'm no longer managing Xuzhou. All rules remain as before."

Hearing this, the two felt a trace of disappointment in their hearts, but even more, relief. They quickly nodded and bowed and went back.

This matter was merely a minor interlude, something Zhao Jin did not take to heart at all. Xuzhou City had a population exceeding a hundred thousand — no matter how run-down, there were still all kinds of resources within it. He naturally would not give it up.

Zhao Jin did not stay at the freight yard. He was not worried about Qian Yong, Tao Gui, and those others trying to stir up trouble. A scattered heap of sand like that, with the household guards watching over them, could not stir up the slightest wave.

Before heading home, Zhao Jin went to check on the Meng siblings. Children have vigorous vitality — Meng Zhiqi had still looked terribly weak in the morning, but by evening his spirits were quite strong. Although Meng Zhiqi came from a scholarly family, he had suffered great upheaval over the past half year, enduring hardship and misery on the road, which had made him sharp and well-behaved. The moment he saw Zhao Jin, he kowtowed and greeted him. The little girl, though conscious, was very weak and extremely shy around strangers. When she saw Zhao Jin, she was so frightened she shut her eyes.

"Who will be left to watch over things in the city?" On the way home, Chen Sheng raised this question.

Seeing that Zhao Jin did not speak for a moment, Chen Sheng spoke again: "It's better for the brothers to stay together. We're already short on men — one missing is one less measure of strength. At He Village, we must be careful."

Zhao Jin walked in silence for a stretch, then answered, "Have Zhaojing keep an eye on things. My father and your father can help out. If Erhong isn't going to He Village, have him stay here."

Chen Sheng nodded slowly. After brooding for a while, he said in a low voice, "Wang Zhaojing is a bit slippery, but he can put one's mind at ease."

The two walked the rest of the way without a word, each returning to his own home.

As soon as he reached his own doorstep, a household guard on duty came over to report, saying the old master had just returned, leading five young men into the courtyard.

In truth, no one needed to tell him — Zhao Jin already knew there were guests at home. His mother He Cuihua's cooking was merely passable. When outside guests came, she usually would not make too many dishes, just baked flatbread and stewed meat. Smelling that aroma meant it was either a holiday or visitors.

He had not even rounded the spirit screen after entering the gate when he heard several people inside chatting and laughing, all with very unfamiliar voices.

"This monkey is very old..."

Once he rounded it, he saw four people standing there chatting and laughing. Two were around thirteen or fourteen, slightly sturdier than their peers, with lively, intelligent eyes — very shrewd. The other two were both older.

The ones chatting and laughing were those two thirteen- or fourteen-year-old boys. The two looked very much alike, and Zhao Jin found their features somewhat familiar. The other two each stood off to one side, silently and curiously observing the courtyard. One looked about two years older than Zhao Jin; the other, it was hard to tell if he was the same age or slightly older. The one two years older was somewhat plump — a face gleaming with that oily sheen was a rare sight these days, especially since the padded jacket he wore was patched. The one of the same age was dark and gaunt, hands tucked in his sleeves, huddled off to the side, the very picture of a poor household's youth.

Looking closely for a few moments, Zhao Jin could tell that the two thirteen- or fourteen-year-olds were brothers. Their features bore some resemblance to his father Zhao Zhentang and to himself. That dark, gaunt one looked more like his mother He Cuihua's side. As for the one with the oily complexion and patched clothes, he could not tell.

The four on this side were also startled. The two brothers reacted first, saying with a smile, "Is that you, Brother Jin? Your younger brother Zhao Wan, and this is my full younger brother Zhao Song."

Only then did Zhao Jin recall — that Zhao Song he had seen years ago when they went to the garrison to pay respects at the ancestral graves. He had not known Zhao Song had a full older brother, Zhao Wan. These two brothers had supposedly gone along to learn the livestock trade. People who could do business were all good at dealing with others and far more flexible in their conduct.

"Young Master Jin, I... this humble one is He Zheng." The dark, gaunt one on the other side said timidly.

So this was that He Zheng his parents had mentioned during meals. Zhao Jin smiled and nodded. This dark, gaunt young man did not regard himself as a relative at all, but placed himself in the position of a servant.

"Brother Jin, I'm Li Can." The one with the oily face had a very resonant voice.

Li Can? The name caught Zhao Jin by surprise. He had assumed it would be either the Zhao or He family — he had not expected a Li Can. Whose family was this from?

"Li Can is your maternal uncle's wife's nephew. He's been over there helping with the pig slaughtering all along." Just as he was puzzling over it, his mother He Cuihua came out carrying food and explained.

So that was it — no wonder the face was unfamiliar. The advantage of the pig-slaughtering trade was that one never went without meat and grease. Clothing might be good or bad, but the complexion was never poor.

"The food is almost ready. Don't all stand around in the courtyard — hurry inside and eat!" His mother He Cuihua called out.

Li Can and He Zheng turned to head inside, but Zhao Wan and Zhao Song exchanged a glance. Zhao Song said with a grin, "Aunt, the two of us can just eat outside."

"You've come all this way, what's there to stand on ceremony..." He Cuihua frowned and grumbled. She had just started speaking when Li Can and He Zheng on the side caught on as well and chimed in, "Eating outside is fine..."

This sudden change made He Cuihua somewhat displeased. She was about to speak when Zhao Zhentang opened the door and came out, saying, "The children have spoken — just leave it be. Have Zhao San bring the food out to them. Xiao Jin, come inside and eat!"

Zhao Jin nodded. Before entering the house, he turned his head and glanced at the two brothers, Zhao Wan and Zhao Song. The two smiled and bowed in response.

Once inside, his mother He Cuihua could not help grumbling, "They're all our own relatives, and you make them eat outside. If word gets back, won't people laugh at us?"

His father Zhao Zhentang's eyes widened, but his voice was not loud — likely worried the people outside might hear. "What do you know? These few are going to work for our Xiao Jin in the future. If you really treat them with the generosity due to relatives, how will you manage them later? Zhao Song and Zhao Wan both understand this better than you."

"You Zhao family people have too many twists in your minds. We He family people have fewer." He Cuihua had also caught on, but still could not resist muttering a few lines, her voice low as well.

"Tomorrow, have these four sign up through the normal household guard process. Have them keep their heads down and leave through the back gate. The household guards on duty will glance at them but won't have too deep an impression." Zhao Jin gave this instruction.

Zhao Zhentang nodded. He Cuihua paid no attention, rambling on, "He Zheng has had a hard life — his parents died early, and he's been following your maternal grandfather's side, sometimes eating, sometimes going hungry. Li Can's parents have grand ambitions, always wanting their child to go out and do great things. Truly never satisfied..."

Different relationships, different assessments. This was not a conversation Zhao Jin could easily join, so he gave a couple of dry laughs and then said solemnly to Zhao Zhentang, "Father, when your son goes to He Village, the whole operation in the city will have to be watched over by you and Uncle Chen. All matters will still be arranged from your son's side, but with such distance, adapting on the fly won't be possible. You will still need to make decisions and take charge. Wang Zhaojing is focused entirely on his studies and cannot attend to this."

Zhao Zhentang grinned, shook his head, and said, "Watching over things for you is only right and proper. This old man thought you didn't care for it!"

The next morning, Zhao Jin did not go to the freight yard but instead went directly to the Wang residence. Originally, morning training was mainly for physical conditioning; now it was physical conditioning and martial practice done together, starting even earlier than before. Their schedules no longer aligned, so each trained on his own.

However, Zhao Jin knew that Wang Zhaojing had not stopped practicing martial arts. He might say he was focused entirely on his studies, but the habit of morning martial training to strengthen the body had been maintained all along. So going over in the morning to find him could hardly be called a disturbance.

At Zhao Jin's visit, Wang Zhaojing appeared calm on the surface, but a closer look revealed a suppressed excitement. Upon hearing Zhao Jin explain his purpose, Wang Zhaojing did not even bother suppressing it anymore. He simply nodded solemnly and said, "Please set your mind at ease, Brother Zhao. Your younger brother will certainly hold this situation in the city secure."

"My father and Chen Sheng's father will both help. And you must not let this delay your studies," Zhao Jin added as a reminder.

It was just a casual remark, but Wang Zhaojing's face flushed bright red. His mouth opened as if he wanted to explain something, but upon seeing the surprised expression on Zhao Jin's face, he lowered his head in shame.

Zhao Jin found it odd but did not press further. At the moment, a thousand threads and ten thousand strands — all kinds of matters were keeping him busy, and he could not attend to so many details. Only after walking out the door did it dawn on Zhao Jin: that line "don't let this delay your studies" had most likely been misinterpreted by Wang Zhaojing as sarcasm. Thinking of this, Zhao Jin could not help shaking his head and laughing ruefully. The twists and turns in a scholar's mind really were many.

When he arrived at the freight yard, he saw the three Qi brothers returning with their horses. Their faces all showed signs of fatigue. After paying their respects to Zhao Jin, they went inside to rest.

Before Zhao Jin could enter the gate, a man dressed like an idler sidled up. Before the household guards and Zhao Jin could make a move, the idler lowered his voice and said to Zhao Jin, "The three Qi brothers were all very well-behaved last night. They didn't sleep the whole night, constantly patrolling and standing watch."

These words were heard only by Zhao Jin. After speaking, the man left on his own. Zhao Jin waved his hand to stop the household guards from pursuing. This was one of Liu Yong's men — with Liu Yong out of the city, they had come directly to report.

Strictly speaking, this was against the rules, but with everything still in its rough early stages, things could not be made too strict to begin with. What Zhao Jin was truly paying attention to were the three Qi brothers. Had these three really come simply to seek refuge and shelter?

Entering the courtyard, reports came from all sides. Qian Yong, Tao Gui, and the others had all been very well-behaved after their beating. Last night, everything had gone according to plan, and this morning they had even gone out for drills and labor. The others who remained in the city were also very well-behaved.

With many people and many matters, Zhao Jin sat down in the room. Ji Xiang only then came in to eat breakfast, reporting on yesterday's situation as he ate. He had not yet finished when Dong Bingfeng came into the room yawning. These past few days, he had been leading people over during the day and bringing them back in the early morning hours. Because he rode a horse, had garrison status, and also had Master Luan Song helping him, many things were more convenient with him handling them.

"Bingfeng, you've worked hard. Go get some sleep first," Zhao Jin said with a smile.

Dong Bingfeng quickly waved his hand and replied, "Not tired at all, not tired at all. After I take another group over today, there shouldn't be much left to do."

"No rush. Leave these people in the city for now. Otherwise, if they all go over there and something suddenly happens, we won't be able to control it," Zhao Jin answered in a deep voice.

Hearing this, the several people in the room all nodded. Zhao Jin spoke again: "Over at He Village, our own household guards, the sons from garrison backgrounds, and, looking a bit further out, the sons brought in under the guarantee of acquaintances — these are the forces we can control. As for the others, though we've recruited them, we cannot let down our guard. After all, they haven't been trained, nor have they experienced battle together. I'll send more of our veteran household guards toward He Village and keep more of the new recruits in the city. After all, there are more helpers in the city, so if trouble breaks out, it's easier to suppress."

"After a few months of training, once the new recruits understand the rules and know how to follow orders, things will be easier," Chen Sheng chimed in from the side.

"The way you do things is even more methodical than the government troops. Never mind the guard posts — even the Regional Commander probably doesn't know how many times a year his men actually drill." Luan Song cut in.

Everyone was taken aback. Luan Song was old-school by nature — he only did his own assigned duties and never spoke out of turn. Yet today was strange. Before anyone could react, Dong Bingfeng, standing to the side, smiled and spoke up: "Big Brother, over the past few days we've sent over nearly eighty horses in bits and pieces. Master Luan is also heading to the He Family Estate to teach riding. He wanted to ask — what's the plan going forward?"

Zhao Jin pondered for a moment, then stood up, clasped his fists toward Luan Song, and said gratefully, "Master Luan has thought this through thoroughly. I nearly overlooked it."

The others looked somewhat puzzled, but Zhao Jin continued, "The new recruits cannot go learn horsemanship — at the very least, not right now. Only our veteran household retainers can go learn."

Luan Song paused, then shook his head with a sigh and said, "You actually figured that out. Impressive."

After that brief remark, Luan Song nodded to Dong Bingfeng, turned, and walked toward the door. Just before stepping out, he said, "You need to set the rules down early. You brothers are managing several hundred men — you won't be able to keep control otherwise."

Only Zhao Jin and his companions remained in the room. Seeing the bewildered expressions still on a few faces, Zhao Jin smiled and explained, "Just now we were saying the new recruits can't be fully trusted yet. But the veteran retainers are few and the new ones are many. If the new retainers learn horsemanship, the balance of power flips. If trouble breaks out, how would we keep them in check? So only our veteran retainers can learn to ride. Once they've all mastered it, the new recruits will be trained up enough as well. By then, they can learn without us having to worry."

Everyone suddenly understood. Chen Sheng worked the spring catch of his scabbard open and shut twice, then said in a clear voice, "What Master Luan said just now was right. With so many people now, we need to establish the rules early."

At this, Chen Sheng paused, swept his gaze over Ji Xiang and Dong Bingfeng, and continued, "Zhao Jin, you're the one who raised this force. Everyone here follows you. Everything is yours to decide. Stone and Xiaoyong are still at the He Family Estate, and Wang Zhaojing is at home with his studies. Though the three of them aren't here, if they heard what I'm saying, they'd have no objection either."

Ji Xiang and Dong Bingfeng both nodded. Zhao Jin glanced at Chen Sheng and said with a smile, "I won't let my brothers down."

After a stretch of solemnity, someone brought breakfast in from outside. Dong Bingfeng wolfed it down, drained a cup of hot tea, then leaned back in his chair and fell asleep.

The three remaining exchanged amused looks. They all knew Dong Bingfeng was utterly exhausted. Chen Sheng stood up and said in a lowered voice, "I'll go train the new recruits today. Those men from the jianghu don't know discipline — I'm afraid they won't be easy to keep down."

Chen Sheng left with his blade. Ji Xiang hurriedly finished the remaining food. Before he could speak, he heard movement outside and rose to head for the door.

Not long after, Ji Xiang returned, walked up to Zhao Jin, and said quietly, "Big Brother, Zheng Quan requests an audience."

Zhao Jin remembered the name. This was the couple — incense-heads of the Smelling Incense Sect — he had brought back from outside the city, the ones who had previously attended to Mu Shulan.

After bringing the couple back into the city, once their injuries healed they had been let go. Keeping sect devotees like that close at hand was always a hidden danger, and Zhao Jin didn't want to invite trouble. Besides, given their past connection, he couldn't treat them the same as ordinary incense-heads or followers. Better to keep them out of sight and out of mind.

However, when Zheng Quan and his wife left, Liu Yong had taken it upon himself to keep the Zheng family's son and daughter behind. Unexpectedly, Zheng Quan and his wife raised no objection, even saying that they themselves were always on the move and couldn't look after the two children. The Zheng children proved sensible and mature beyond their years. The girl helped Ji Xiang's mother with chores, while the boy assisted Ji Xiang's father with provisions and logistics.

Everyone understood the unspoken arrangement. There was also a consequence: the movements of the Smelling Incense Sect within Xuzhou city began to grow clear.

Before, they had applied forceful pressure openly, using the annihilation of He Weiyuan's household to intimidate the region, while Liu Yong had secretly deployed various means to infiltrate and gather intelligence. But the results had always been poor. They only knew the city's Smelling Incense Sect dared not act openly — what it did in the shadows remained unclear.

But once the Zheng couple became involved, Zhao Jin and his group's understanding of the city's Smelling Incense Sect became thorough. No wonder He Weiyuan had transferred the couple to that miserable post outside the city. They had followed Master Mu for too long; their prestige and seniority were both high. The city's followers and incense-heads all acknowledged the Zheng couple. As for those outside the city, distance made that a concern for another day.

At that moment, Zheng Quan walked in. Dong Bingfeng rubbed his eyes and woke up. Seeing Zheng Quan, he paused and said, "Big Brother, I'll step outside first…"

"We're all family here. There's nothing you can't hear. Head Incense Zheng, speak!" Zhao Jin raised a hand, stopping Dong Bingfeng's move.

"Young Master Jin, things have been off lately in the areas outside the city," Zheng Quan said quietly. He was dressed like a delivery hand, and every time he came to see Zhao Jin, he was extremely cautious.