Chapter 267: Chen Dasheng, Wang Zhaojing

267. Chapter 267: Chen Dasheng, Wang Zhaojing

Now that things had reached this stage, there was little need for Zhao Jin to get too involved in any aspect of it. After all, He Village had both the witnesses and the physical evidence ready; whatever the authorities wanted, they would simply provide.

As for the annexation of the Xue family's estate and properties, the people of Xuzhou City either paid it no mind or thought it perfectly normal. When Xue Xiaozong was seizing things by force, he should have known this day would come. The strong devour the weak — that is simply how it is.

The bulk of the Xue family's assets were in gold, silver, and valuables. Over a thousand taels were given to the constabulary for Chen Wu to distribute. A separate portion was set aside for pensions and ongoing care for the household guards killed or wounded in the operation. The rest was all moved back to He Village. As for the shops, farmsteads, and the like — those located in Xuzhou had their ownership transferred through the Department Magistrate's yamen, with all deeds and contracts freshly reissued. Those outside Xuzhou were left as they were for the time being.

During this process, some interesting things were discovered. Many of the farmsteads under the Xue family's name were actually estates belonging to Cloud Mountain Temple. When Zhao Jin's men went to take them over with the contracts in hand, the estate managers and stewards had no idea that their estate had long since changed owners and was now about to change again.

The journey back from Cloud Dragon Mountain to He Village was also made by night. They arrived at the He family compound after daybreak. Upon their return, a day of rest was declared. Everyone who had gone out did nothing but sleep and recuperate, letting the fatigue accumulated over many days dissipate. Once the rest day was over, everything returned to normal. Zhao Character Battalion resumed training. Wang Zhaojing took his family's household guards and bid farewell to return home. And the He family distillery's first batch of Han Well Famous Liquor came off the still...

The Zhao Character Battalion household guards who had experienced the night battle at He Village and the raid on Cloud Mountain Temple — whether new recruits or veterans — all threw themselves into training with full force. The new recruits now understood the value of the drills; the veterans felt the need to make themselves stronger. Zhao Jin and his companions devoted as much time as they could to training every single day.

When Chen Hong reported the numbers over on his side, Zhao Jin reviewed the accounts and receipts, then picked up his long spear and went out to drill the troops again. What surprised him and his companions somewhat was that during the two days Zhao Jin had been away leading the operation, the training of the garrison guards had not stopped. Wang Zhaojing had drilled them hard, and the training regimen was identical to what Zhao Jin and the others did.

"So he hasn't forgotten these things. Wasn't he supposed to be studying for scholarly honors?" Chen Sheng was usually a man of few words, but whenever Wang Zhaojing was involved, he couldn't help but make a couple of barbed remarks.

Everyone was used to this attitude of his by now. Hearing him speak, they just laughed.

Unlike the earth-shaking renown that followed their previous great victories, this time it was very quiet. For one, the news was tightly sealed. Zhao Character Battalion itself certainly wouldn't blab, and outsiders had no opportunity to inquire. Everyone in He Village had been silenced. The Kong family's cavalry had fled far away, the monk soldiers had been nearly wiped out, and the remaining few who knew the truth all had to keep it secret. As a result, everyone high and low across the Xuzhou region believed Zhao Jin had simply been lucky — that he had managed to survive this great calamity only by relying on the rescue of government troops.

Nevertheless, the various powers in Xuzhou still raised their assessment of Zhao Jin. Who could have imagined that Zhao Jin, who seemed to have little contact with the authorities, could actually summon over four hundred cavalry to his rescue at the critical moment? Whether from the Assistant Regional Commander's side or the Guard Post, they had all sent their finest cavalry. Such backing was simply too formidable.

As for the few who knew the truth, they were utterly horrified and simply could not believe it.

"With fewer than six hundred men, he withstood nearly three hundred cavalry and over a thousand infantry, and in the end, fought hard and routed them?" Inside the Wang family's city residence, Wang Zhaojing's father, Wang Youshan, asked in astonishment.

Wang Zhaojing's expression carried pride, along with something else. He answered respectfully, "It is said that those several hundred horse bandits turned on them at the last moment, scattering the monk soldiers of Cloud Mountain Temple. Then they wanted to scatter Brother Zhao's formation as well, but deterred by the sheer might of Brother Zhao's troops, they dared not act rashly and could only flee."

Hearing this, Wang Youshan shook his head and said, "Even among the outlaws of the rivers and lakes, there are heroes. This Kong Jiuying had a good plan — deal a heavy blow to Cloud Mountain Temple, wipe out Zhao Jin, and then he could do whatever he pleased in Xuzhou. It was a case of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. It's just that no one expected the 'cicada' to be so hard to take down."

This analogy drew a chuckle from both father and son. But after speaking, Wang Youshan shook his head again, a look of doubt surfacing on his face. He asked, "Dahe, neither of us witnessed this battle with our own eyes. Do you find it credible? To be outnumbered, yet not only win a great victory but also force a cavalry troop to retreat — even in the capital, I've heard them discuss military affairs, and there has never been an example like this. Could it be an empty show of strength?"

"Father, Brother Zhao is not the sort to put on an empty show. You..." Wang Zhaojing had not expected his father to say this and immediately flushed red, beginning to argue.

"An empty show of strength is not necessarily a bad thing. That Brother Zhao of yours has a mind full of schemes. Do you think he's some single-minded brute?" Wang Youshan said offhandedly, his gaze shifting to Uncle He, who stood off to the side.

Uncle He's face also bore an expression of incredulity. He hesitated for a moment before saying, "Master, to be honest, I don't quite believe it either. But I've taken a rough look at those corpses, and I've seen the traces left at the scene. I couldn't find any inconsistencies, so I can only go along with Young Master Jin's account. Moreover, what Young Master Jin has been doing these past few days, and everything happening inside and outside the city — with the Assistant Regional Commander, with Cloud Mountain Temple — all of it corroborates that Young Master Jin's story is true..."

As Uncle He spoke, his tone was very hesitant and lacked confidence. The looks from both father and son Wang showed their dissatisfaction. Uncle He naturally noticed this. After pausing another moment, he gave a rueful smile and said, "I won't hide it from Master and Young Master. I've walked through life and death, and I've experienced great battles of carnage and bloodshed. No matter how I think about Young Master Jin's battle, it seems impossible. Yet at the same time, I feel Young Master Jin has no need to deceive anyone — after all, there were so many corpses."

"Father, that day your son fought a desperate battle against an ambush at Gao Village. Six men killed a hundred — that also defied common sense..." Wang Zhaojing said with a touch of agitation.

Wang Youshan raised a hand to cut off Wang Zhaojing's words. He pondered in silence for a moment, then suddenly asked Wang Zhaojing, "Do you still have the heart for your studies now?"

Caught off guard by this question, Wang Zhaojing was stunned for a long while before finally stammering, "Your son has studied bitterly for ten years precisely to bring glory to our ancestors on the path of scholarly honors. In this year's Provincial Examination, your son is determined to strive for the top ranks and have his name on the list."

Wang Youshan smiled and shook his head, then sank into contemplation. After a moment, he tapped the table lightly and said, "From small signs, one sees the whole. A scholar must not only understand principles but also grasp the greater trends. You two may withdraw now. Summon Steward Wang. Our family still needs to help Xiao Jin."

Wang Zhaojing was just about to withdraw when he heard this and couldn't help but look up and ask, "Father, hasn't that matter already been settled? What more is there to help with?"

"If the name is not correct, the words will not carry weight," Wang Youshan answered with a smile, which only left Wang Zhaojing more confused.

That afternoon, Wang Zhaojing rode out of the city with two household guards and arrived once more at He Village. When he got there, Zhao Character Battalion was already dismissing the troops. The two squads on duty were cleaning the training ground. He asked around and learned that Zhao Jin and his companions were at the distillery, where the second still was about to produce liquor as well.

The He family distillery covered a considerable area, with a full twelve stills divided among three large buildings, surrounded by various facilities outside. After He Village changed hands, production at the He family distillery had stopped for a period and was only now resuming. The smell of distiller's grains in the compound had grown strong again.

The two stills producing liquor were adjacent to each other. On either side of these stills, reed mats had been set up as partitions to separate them from the outside, ensuring that irrelevant people could not glimpse the craft within.

Wang Zhaojing entered just as the liquor was coming off. A dozen or so empty bowls were arranged on a table, and someone was holding a liquor jar, carefully pouring a little into each. There wasn't much in any of the bowls.

"Everyone have a taste. According to Old Lu, the liquor from now on will all be about the same as this batch. The water, the grain for the liquor, and the heat — they've all been mastered," Zhao Jin called out in greeting.

Everyone picked up a bowl and took a sip. Zhao Jin and his companions had tasted liquor quite a few times before; they could sense subtle differences but couldn't articulate them. Lu Xiangjiu, however, was beaming with pleasant surprise. Setting down his bowl, he said, "Congratulations, Master. The liquor here is considerably better than what's made in the city. Better water, better grain — the flavor is purer and clearer."

Zhao Jin nodded and said with a smile, "The better you do, the more you earn. I plan to give all the distillers and workers in the distillery a ten percent share of the profits. When the time comes, you and the few head distillers will decide how to distribute it."

Hearing this, Lu Xiangjiu and the several distillers beside him froze. They exchanged glances, then all reacted at once and immediately knelt down in excitement. "Many thanks, Master! Many thanks, Master! Thank you, Master, for this great kindness."

Their voices had all changed pitch. Although the distillers and workers were confined within the distillery grounds, news from the outside was not completely blocked from them. They naturally knew how much money this distillery could make. Yet they had no grounds even to be envious — they had signed contracts, and their wages were already high. At most, they could only grumble a bit in their hearts. They had never imagined that Zhao Jin would give them a ten percent share of the profits. One thought was enough to know how incredibly generous this was — how could they not be stirred?

"Work hard, and I won't treat you poorly!" Zhao Jin exhorted them with a smile.

Once the distillers had calmed down and resumed their busy work, the difference in their spirits was immediately apparent. Even their shouts were louder than before; their morale had been completely fired up.

"Are the craftsmen and workers of the He family distillery all willing to stay on?" Zhao Jin turned and asked.

"Most are willing to stay. They're just waiting for the people from the city to come and process the contract documents," Liu Yong answered.

Zhao Jin nodded and said, "Anyone unwilling is to be driven out immediately. Stone, remember to get the walls around the distillery repaired quickly. Dasheng, arrange shifts for the Zhao Character Battalion squads. Production is about to start here, and we need to post guards to isolate the inside from the outside, so no secrets leak out."

Each acknowledged and went off to their tasks. Only then did Zhao Jin turn to Wang Zhaojing and ask with some surprise, "You've come so late — you'll have to stay here tonight. Is there something urgent?"

At dinner that evening, when the companions gathered together, Zhao Jin explained the purpose of Wang Zhaojing's visit: "Uncle Wang went to the authorities and secured a Tithing Chief position for me!"

Tithing Chief? Everyone was taken aback. They were all clear on what this position was: ten households made a bao, fifty households made a greater bao, and ten greater bao made a du-bao. The head of this du-bao was called the Tithing Chief.

But this Tithing Chief was not an official, nor a clerk, nor even a runner. It carried no rank and no salary. Instead, it came with considerable responsibilities — for instance, the taxes and corvée labor of the commoners below, and the levies imposed by the authorities, often all fell upon this Tithing Chief. It was a role of hard labor with no credit.

"Does this position even still exist nowadays? Even the bao heads are gone," Chen Sheng remarked.

The founding emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang, had once implemented the baojia system throughout the realm. But nearly two hundred years had passed, and like many institutions, it now existed in name only. The baojia system was no exception.

Liu Yong glanced around and said, "An honest man who takes this bao head position meets with disaster. Only the more vicious types can squeeze some profit out of being a bao head. But we don't need that, do we?"

If an honest man served as bao head, when it came time to collect taxes and assign corvée, if he encountered someone who couldn't pay or refused to pay, he often had to cover the shortfall himself. After a few times, he would usually be ruined. But when a vicious character served as bao head, not only would no one dare refuse to pay, he could also force those beneath him to pay extra, skimming off the top for a tidy profit.

But when all was said and done, these were all matters for small households — a few piculs of grain, a few taels of silver a year. With Zhao Jin's current status and position, why would he care about such trifles? It would only bring more trouble.

Shi Manqiang was bowing his head, working on a spare rib in his hand. After finishing it, he wiped his mouth and said in a muffled voice, "With our big brother's ability, he should be a high official. This bao head or whatever — it's beneath him."

Ji Xiang and Dong Bingfeng didn't speak, but their expressions were also quite disapproving. Over on his side, Wang Zhaojing was getting a little angry. He set down his rice bowl and said, "The way you're all talking, it sounds like I'm trying to harm Brother Zhao. We're all brothers here — do you really distrust me that much?"

Wang Zhaojing had always been refined and courteous among the companions, always carrying himself with grace. This was the first time he had flared up. Everyone immediately fell silent. Shi Manqiang picked up another spare rib, and the others buried their heads in their food. Chen Sheng, however, wiped his hands and said, "There are a thousand things going on right now. Tell us, what good is this bao head position?"

Before Wang Zhaojing could answer, Zhao Jin smiled and said, "You keep saying 'bao head, bao head' — this is a Tithing Chief position. Get that straight first. Do you all think this position brings nothing but hassle and no other benefits? I can tell you, this position is exactly what we need."

"What's the difference between a Tithing Chief and a bao head, except more trouble?" Ji Xiang muttered under his breath. One look from Zhao Jin silenced him immediately.

"Right now, we have five hundred household guards in our hands. And our household guards are different from others. Other families use theirs for labor and service; our men are armed and ready for battle. In these relatively peaceful times, what are you raising so many blades for? Are you harboring ill intentions? That alone is a grave crime!" Zhao Jin explained.

Chen Sheng interjected in a deep voice, "Right now in Xuzhou, who would dare say that about us? Even the Department Magistrate wouldn't say it."

"Xuzhou is merely one department in South Zhili. There are countless prefectures and departments larger than ours. What does a mere Department Magistrate count for? Above him are the various Circuit Intendants, and above them the Grand Coordinator. Not to mention, in Nanjing there are the Six Ministries, the Garrison Commander, and all those ennobled nobles. What if someone files a complaint and these people start investigating? What do we do then? Can our excuse about being shop assistants for that trading company really hold up under scrutiny?" Zhao Jin continued.

This time, no one made a sound. Zhao Jin spoke again, "Zhaojing just explained it to me in great detail. What are the duties of this Tithing Chief? He's responsible for household registration and public order, and for training able-bodied civilians for defense against bandits. Never mind all the other miscellaneous duties — these two alone are of immense benefit to us. This Tithing Chief position makes He Village our own territory and turns Zhao Character Battalion into a legitimate, lawful civilian defense force. No one can find fault with it. In the future, when we kill, we won't have to be as careful as we were this time, or have to hand the credit over to Assistant Regional Commander Zhou. Do you understand now?"

Some nodded. Chen Sheng's expression, however, grew more serious. He asked solemnly, "How many men can one Tithing Chief command?"

"There's no fixed quota. You're recruiting village braves and able-bodied civilians for bandit suppression and public order — you provide your own provisions and pay. How many you recruit depends entirely on your own ability," Zhao Jin said.

"Good, this is good!" Chen Sheng slapped the table and said. Everyone else had also figured out the implications and nodded in agreement one after another.

Wang Zhaojing's expression finally relaxed. He thought for a moment, stood up, and said, "Brothers, we've been through so much together, through life and death. How could I ever harm you? Everything I've done has been for all of you."

Silence fell below. Chen Sheng lowered his head and continued eating as if nothing had happened. The others also said nothing. Zhao Jin frowned and said, "We're all brothers here. Saying it like that makes it sound like we're strangers."

Wang Zhaojing froze for a moment, then let out a long sigh and said, "Brother Zhao, my father is a Presented Scholar and a pure and honored Hanlin Academician. Naturally, I must also pursue official rank and a career in government. Is that really wrong?"

"How could it be wrong? To have your name on the golden list — who in the world doesn't dream of that? Would we brothers really stand in the way of you bettering yourself?" Zhao Jin said with a smile.

"Civil and martial are different paths. Civil is honored, martial is despised. You read and write — naturally you look down on us swinging blades and spears..."

"Dasheng!"

Chen Sheng said coldly, but was cut off as Zhao Jin raised his voice. Chen Sheng rose from his seat and stood up. "I heard my grandfather say that people like us are just martial men, martial louts. Civil officials look down on us the most. A seventh-rank county magistrate can lord it over a third- or fourth-rank military officer. Anyway, I've never seen it with my own eyes. Everyone, I'll go arrange tonight's night watch. You all keep eating."

The atmosphere went completely cold. For a moment, Zhao Jin didn't know what to say either. The others also felt awkward. After quickly finishing their meals, they all made excuses about having business and left.

Wang Zhaojing's expression was very grim. He sat there blankly for a while before saying in a strained voice, "Brother Zhao, I am not that kind of person. Even if I embark on an official career in the future, I will remain just as I am now."

Zhao Jin nodded, but inwardly he somewhat agreed with Chen Sheng's view. Civil and martial are different paths — civil is honored, martial is despised. For now, everyone was fine, but if Wang Zhaojing advanced smoothly in the imperial examinations in the future, the two sides would inevitably drift further and further apart. People call it the fickleness of the world, but in truth, that's just how it is.

"The Prefect gave your father face and let me become the village head of He Family Village. But this matter can't be handled like this — we can't just know it ourselves. We have to let everyone know. Tomorrow when you return to the city, you'll need to help me with a few things." Zhao Jin didn't want to continue the previous topic, so he simply changed the subject.

At noon the next day, residents near the Prefect's yamen suddenly heard firecrackers booming and gongs and drums resounding. No one knew what was happening — this kind of commotion only occurred during New Year's. Quite a few people curiously walked over to take a look.