Chapter 257: Overwhelming Forces

"Brother Zhao, after Uncle Dong found out, he went to the Commandant to plead for help. Commandant Zhou dispatched all his own household guards and personal troops. Every military officer in Xuzhou City sent over whoever they could spare, the guard battalions also contributed quite a few men, and my family sent over a dozen..." In such a setting, Wang Zhaojing naturally took on the duty of explaining.

Only then did Zhao Jin understand. The most elite forces under any Ming commander were his personal troops and household guards. While ordinary soldiers had their pay and rations skimmed, these personal troops received double pay and provisions, were well-equipped, amply trained, and often served as cavalry.

Typically, a Regional Commander might have a few hundred such men, a Commandant or Mobile Corps Commander one or two hundred, and officers at lower levels a few dozen each. These constituted the absolute core elite.

Most officers at every level of the Ming official army were hereditary officers from the guard-battalion system. The Xuzhou Commandant hailed from the Great River Guard in Huai'an Prefecture, and the various chiliarchs and centurions under him were all company and battalion commanders from the three guards of Xuzhou. Dong Bingfeng's father, being a battalion commander, naturally had the standing to ask these men for help. When it came down to it, Zhao Jin was also a scion of a guard household, so dispatching elite troops to rescue him was not out of the ordinary — only the sheer scale of it was far too great.

"Your junior Zhao Jin thanks all you uncles and elders for the grace of your rescue. This junior bows in gratitude here!" Zhao Jin declared in a clear voice, performing a grand ceremonial bow as he spoke. The companions behind him all bowed as well.

These elite personal troops dispatched by the Xuzhou military officer network, even after riding their horses all the way here, had not dismounted. They simply looked around and swept their gazes about from horseback. Zhao Jin also noticed the faint dissatisfaction on their faces.

Only after he performed his thorough and proper bow did the faces of those mounted personal troops show a trace of a smile, though some words still drifted over.

"... making a huge fuss over nothing. Old Dong doting on his kid is his own business, but he's dragged us brothers into this..."

"... a few hundred horse bandits, a few thousand brigands — isn't this a joke? Talking about rebellion in broad daylight..."

"... say less. Zhao Dadao and Old Dong both have plenty of silver. There'll be benefits from this..."

Zhao Jin had already straightened up. He glanced back and saw the indignant expressions on his companions' faces. Zhao Jin shot them a look. Though the other side was making snide remarks, they had come to help after all — this goodwill must be remembered.

After the thanks, Zhao Jin rose and could finally observe at his leisure. The array was truly impressive. Those elite personal troops likely numbered over two hundred. Combined with those gathered from various sources, there had to be at least four hundred cavalry. The cost of maintaining one cavalryman equaled that of ten infantrymen or more. Add in the mobility and shock power of cavalry, and nearly all Ming cavalry were elite troops. Not to mention those sent by the officers, even the men contributed by the guard battalions were no mediocrities. Some were older, some had poorer equipment, but their skills were not weak. The men the Wang family had sent were naturally no weaklings either — one could tell just by looking at the skill of that Uncle He.

This force was likely the most powerful armed strength within Xuzhou's borders. On open ground in field battle, no powerful local clan or great house could withstand these four hundred cavalry. The elders of each family had truly spent blood and treasure this time. They naturally had connections in every quarter, but to mobilize such a large force, they must have called in a great many favors.

"What are you all putting on airs for? Not afraid of tiring out your horses? Dismount, all of you!" Just then, that old cavalryman surnamed Wang from earlier spoke up in a loud, brash manner.

Those elite personal troops on horseback had been full of airs and impatience moments before, but upon seeing this old cavalryman, smiles appeared on their faces. Quite a few greeted him warmly: "Master Wang is here too — you've had a hard night, haven't you?"

Everyone's attitude was courteous. With this as a pretext, the men dismounted one after another. Zhao Jin turned his head and said to Liu Yong, "Have the estate prepare hot tea and hot water, and get lunch ready. Also, take out four thousand taels from the silver we have stored."

Liu Yong nodded and hurried off to handle it. Zhao Jin turned back, raised his hand, and said, "Each squad leave ten men; the rest return to the barracks to rest and stand by."

At this shout, many who had just dismounted looked over. They also saw the various squads of household troops within the compound withdrawing to the barracks in orderly fashion, the squad leaders counting out ten men who then formed ranks and stood at the ready.

"... like they're putting on an opera, acting as if it's something real..." Among the relief force, someone remarked with a scoff.

The words had barely been heard when that old cavalryman surnamed Wang bellowed, "What nonsense are you spouting? Last night there really were over two hundred horse bandits and more than a thousand brigands besieging this place. Those horse bandits and brigands were no pushovers — I could see they had a foundation in military drill. And they were still soundly defeated by this Zhao Jin leading his men. Did none of you see those corpses? Did none of you see the traces on the ground?"

These men had rushed over in haste just now; naturally, no one had paid attention to the mess and bloodstains on the ground. As for the pile of corpses, it was just as it had been with Uncle He earlier — too much quicklime had been scattered, making it look like a heap of refuse.

Once everyone focused their attention there, they naturally realized what it was. The unrestrained chatter and laughter among the relief cavalry grew quieter and quieter. Everyone stared at that spot. Those in the back, not knowing what was happening, pushed forward to see; those in front, blocked by their companions, simply mounted their horses. A commotion stirred in the open ground to the east.

"Couldn't be killing civilians to claim merit, could it?" someone muttered, no one knew who.

"Bullshit. What merit does he have to falsely claim? Don't you see the weapons over there? Where would so many spoils come from for no reason..."

This absurd speculation was refuted by their own people. Although Zhao Jin was the son of a guard household, he was not yet formally in military service and held no military rank. With this many lives, what military merit could there possibly be to speak of?

After seeing that pile of corpses, without anyone pointing it out, everyone began searching for other signs. The pile of weapons became corroborating evidence. The bloodstained weapons and armor on it further confirmed last night's battle.

Looking at the ground, looking at the expressions and attire of Zhao Jin and his group, everyone gradually believed. Yet after believing, it seemed inconceivable. How could it be possible, relying on just these youths?

"I heard those Zhao Jin brothers killed over a hundred men..."

"I've heard that too — so this is what it was..."

The deeds of Zhao Jin and his brothers had long been famous in Xuzhou City, and naturally, people now recalled them.

"... even if they weren't bandits trained in military tactics, men equipped with gear like this wouldn't be easy to fight, let alone with a mounted unit. I see bows and arrows over there too — that's far too rare..."

Though the captured weapons piled by the wall were a jumbled mess, these military elites could discern a great deal from them.

The murmuring discussion gradually grew louder. The way everyone looked at Zhao Jin and his group was now different from before. At this point, the earlier maneuvers of the Zhao Character Camp squads no longer seemed like a drill, but rather a display of strict discipline.

Such discussion and such looks were immensely gratifying to Zhao Jin and his brothers. Shi Manqiang and Dong Bingfeng even had smiles surfacing on their faces. To be acknowledged and praised by others — especially to be highly regarded and praised by these military elites — excited them even more.

Zhao Jin's mood was also lifted. But then a thought struck him, and the smile vanished from his face at once. He stepped forward, about to speak. Just as he took that step, someone behind him tugged at him. He turned to find it was Wang Zhaojing. Zhao Jin said in a deep voice, "It's urgent. It won't be too late to talk after."

He took a step forward and raised his voice: "Honored uncles and elders, last night brigands raided He Village by night. Your junior here led his men in bitter fighting until morning. It was only when you uncles and elders arrived that the bandits were slain, and your junior and his men, along with all of He Village, were saved. These corpses and spoils need not trouble you uncles and elders. If you uncles and elders will name a place, your junior will send men to deliver them."

"Hahaha, has this kid lost his mind? What nonsense is he spou—" a rash loud voice began, but was immediately muffled by someone covering his mouth.

The murmuring discussion vanished. The scene fell utterly silent. Everyone stared at Zhao Jin.

"Big Brother, this is our batt—" from behind him, Ji Xiang could not help but speak. Before he could finish, Zhao Jin turned and glared fiercely at him, his gaze murderous. Ever since they had played together, Zhao Jin had always been cheerful and smiling with his companions; such a stern look was rarely seen. Ji Xiang shrank back in fright and immediately dared not speak further. The others who had been about to open their mouths also shut them at once.

After a moment of silence, those elite personal troops began exchanging glances with one another. In the end, all eyes converged on the five big men at their head. These five big men were dressed much the same as the others, and aside from being somewhat quieter, seemed no different. But now it became apparent that they were the leaders.

The five muttered among themselves briefly, and then the eldest-looking among them walked over. This man was of medium height, sturdily built, with a faint knife scar on his face. He walked toward Zhao Jin, and when he reached him, a smile appeared on his face. In a gentle voice, he said, "Young Brother Zhao, my surname is Luan. I serve as a chiliarch at the General's side..."

"Are you related to Master Luan Song?" Just as he began, Dong Bingfeng behind him suddenly spoke up to ask.

With this said, Zhao Jin only then noticed that this Chiliarch Luan somewhat resembled Master Luan Song. Master Luan had returned to the city yesterday to fetch his luggage and had thus avoided last night's great battle.

"He's my paternal cousin. You must be that boy from the Dong family?" Chiliarch Luan replied with a smile, his expression becoming a touch more cordial.

"Your junior is Dong Bingfeng. Greetings, Lord Luan." Dong Bingfeng paid his respects with thorough courtesy, then leaned close to Zhao Jin's ear and said, "Big Brother, this is Commandant Zhou's personal-troop chiliarch. He followed him from the Great River Guard. They are very close."

The head of a military officer's personal troops — only the most trusted confidant could hold such a post. Combined with the rank of chiliarch, he likely also held the status of a battalion commander. With so many men here, this Chiliarch Luan was surely the one who could make decisions.

"So it is Lord Luan." Zhao Jin politely performed another salute.

A flicker of surprise crossed Luan Song's face. Through his cousin, he knew Dong Bingfeng's status, and coming to the rescue today, he naturally also knew Zhao Jin's background. For the legitimate son of a battalion commander with a bright future to show such deference to the son of a destitute company commander — an attitude entirely that of a subordinate to a superior, and carried out so naturally — was truly against all reason and puzzled him. Thinking this inwardly, he said aloud, "Young Brother Zhao is far too polite."

After this brief pleasantry, Chiliarch Luan immediately got to the point: "Young Brother Zhao, how can you prove these heads belonged to brigands and bandits?"

What had been "corpses" now became "heads" in Chiliarch Luan's mouth, because in Ming military merit, nothing was more important than heads. The heads of enemies could be exchanged for glory, wealth, and rank.

But in peacetime, several hundred heads would not simply appear out of nowhere for no reason. If they could be confirmed as belonging to brigands, that was fine. If they belonged to law-abiding commoners, that would be a grave crime and a huge problem. Even if it could be covered up, it would cost a fortune. Naturally, their identity as brigands and bandits had to be nailed down.

Zhao Jin smiled and pointed to the weapons on the other side. "These weapons are one proof. Ordinary commoners would certainly not possess so many blades and spears."

Chiliarch Luan nodded but did not respond. Zhao Jin continued, "Over a thousand people — the households of He Village proper plus the outside merchants — will jointly report to the authorities that a large band of brigands came to attack, and that it was only thanks to the arrival of you uncles and elders that they were repelled. These heads will then naturally be kills and decapitations from slaying the enemy. Everyone here will sign and mark their pledge, vouching for one another."

Hearing this, a smile surfaced on Chiliarch Luan's face. He took another step forward and asked in a low voice, "He Village has so many people — many mouths breed loose talk. Can Young Brother Zhao guarantee there will be no problems?"

"Please set your mind at ease, my lord. This is my village. I keep it under control with blades. No one would dare speak recklessly. When the time comes, the village elders will go to the prefectural court to testify. I will keep their families close at hand. Nothing will go wrong." Zhao Jin spoke with thorough consideration.

Chiliarch Luan was already all smiles. Grinning, he said, "I thought this would be a thankless errand of hard work. I never imagined such a merit would fall into our hands. Many thanks, many thanks."

"It is I who should give thanks. That you uncles and elders made such a grand show of rushing here from the city — this goodwill I will remember firmly and never forget," Zhao Jin replied sincerely.

Chiliarch Luan studied Zhao Jin for a moment, then shook his head with a smile and said, "The way you speak and handle things, you seem like a man of thirty or forty — tactful and proper. Today, I, Luan, will accept this favor from you. If you have any business in the future, come find me at our General's place. I will certainly help."

Zhao Jin clasped his fist in salute. Chiliarch Luan turned around and announced in a raised voice, "Brothers, we killed these bandits. The heads are ours. The military merit is ours too."

They were speaking bald-faced lies, but everyone knew the truth in their hearts. After a brief moment of shock, those elite personal guards all burst into loud cheers — military merit meant official rank and silver, and the heads of several hundred bandits were truly no small number. Even split evenly, each man stood to gain considerably.

"... Young Master Zhao is so righteous..."

"... Young Master Zhao's honor reaches the clouds..."

Having gained a benefit, the relief troops' tune had completely changed. Officers and squad leaders were already directing their men to go inspect the corpses. Zhao Jin smiled and nodded, then turned and said to Ji Xiang, "Go find Liu Yong right now and tell him to bring out a thousand taels of ready silver — no need for more than that!"

Ji Xiang still hadn't recovered from that harsh glare earlier. When Zhao Jin spoke, he shuddered but did snap out of it and hurried off to make arrangements.

"Bingfeng, go speak to the garrison personnel you know. Tell them it's inconvenient to give the full amount now with so many people around, but our gratitude won't stop here — the rest will be delivered before nightfall. Zhaojing, you and Uncle He put out word that our own people will get theirs a bit later." Dong Bingfeng nodded and went at once. Wang Zhaojing, however, said with some emotion, "Brother Zhao, I was about to remind you — given our current status, these corpses bring not the slightest benefit, only disaster. I wanted to suggest you gloss the matter over. I never imagined you'd have considered it even more thoroughly."

Zhao Jin nodded and said in a low voice, "Some favors need to be made concrete."

Not long after, Liu Yong and Ji Xiang arrived with the silver. Hot meals and hot water from the estate were delivered as well. The cattle and horse merchants had also been levied contributions, but without the slightest objection, they all busied themselves making preparations.

"Everyone has worked hard — two taels of silver per man, a small token of respect." Zhao Jin said with a smile.

All the silver for the Xuzhou garrison troops was handed to that Battalion Commander Luan to distribute. Even with double pay and rations, an officer's elite personal guard earned only twenty or thirty taels a year. These two taels were no small sum, and what's more, every man among those several hundred cavalry got a share.

Battalion Commander Luan was taken aback for a moment and said repeatedly, "Those bandit heads are already an enormous favor — how can I accept your silver on top of that, young brother? My uncle would have no way to account for it. Please, take it back."

Only at this moment did Battalion Commander Luan mention that uncle of his. Zhao Jin, however, smiled and said, "There will be times ahead when I must trouble you, Commander Luan — no need to stand on ceremony."

Favors go both ways. Saying this meant there would be requests in the future, so this silver could be accepted with a clear conscience. Battalion Commander Luan paused, then his face filled with smiles again as he said, "Then on behalf of the brothers, I thank Young Master Zhao!"

A shift in address was a shift in relationship. With the merit of those bandit heads, asking for anything from now on would be much easier to broach.

Battalion Commander Luan was not one to hoard — he turned around and distributed the silver at once. Every man who received it beamed with delight. Those from the garrison company and the Wang family's men also each got two taels of silver as thanks, and all were very pleased. What's more, they had also been told there would be additional gifts of gratitude, which excited them even further.

Zhao Jin had handled things very properly. Just because the fathers and elders had called in favors and offered benefits to summon the relief troops did not mean he himself didn't need to express thanks. The garrison's elite personal guards had the heads as military merit — two taels of silver on top was enough. The others, however, needed more silver, or it wouldn't be fair.

Everyone took their silver and ate hot soup and hot food on the spot. Even their own mounts had people come feed them fodder. Every man felt this trip had not been in vain. A few who looked like officers and squad leaders even said boldly, "Young Brother Zhao is such a hero, so gallant and generous in his dealings — this is a friend we all must make. If anything comes up in the future, just say the word. Through mountains of blades and seas of fire, we brothers won't say a second word."

Zhao Jin knew exactly how to take such talk and merely smiled and exchanged pleasantries.

Another rider did come hurrying from the east, saying that Zhao Jin, Chen Sheng, and Dong Bingfeng's three fathers would arrive in about half a shichen. Uncle He was thorough in his work and had long since sent men to report safety along the road and into the city, lest the elders of the families worry too much.

Wang Zhaojing had left the city at daybreak, assembled the troop, and ridden straight here. Now he was somewhat weary and hungry, so he simply ate lunch with everyone else right there on the open ground. As he ate, he watched Zhao Jin and the other companions constantly bustling about, directing and adjusting. The household guards had grown considerably in number, yet they had become more disciplined — everything was proceeding in perfect order.

Seeing this scene, Wang Zhaojing suddenly felt an unpleasant sensation in his heart. He felt that here, he was an outsider, whereas before, he had been one of them. He thought it, but his expression remained perfectly normal. After finishing lunch, he walked straight over to Zhao Jin and said with a smile, "Since all is safe and sound here, I'll head back to the city first. The provincial exams are in the eighth month, and I must leave for Nanjing in the fifth — my studies are extremely pressing."

Zhao Jin, who had been all smiles toward everyone just moments before, was now very stern. Without the slightest courtesy, he said gravely, "You will stay here three days. There may be matters to attend to."

Wang Zhaojing paused, but inwardly he felt a surge of happiness — no one was treating him like an outsider. He couldn't help but press the question: "Brother Zhao, what matters?"

"It can't be settled yet. Just wait." Zhao Jin said curtly. Wang Zhaojing nodded at once, turned, and went to inform Uncle He.