Chapter 273: In the Mule and Horse Market

Beyond what they had seen with their own eyes, the people from these nearby villages also recalled that night — the sky above He Village ablaze with fire, the sounds of killing audible in every direction, and near dawn, the sight of monk soldiers fleeing in utter disarray. They had assumed He Village had been reduced to rubble; only afterward did they learn it had actually been a great victory.

They further recalled the rumors everyone had heard — that these few young men had killed over a hundred desperadoes in the snow...

Sight, sound, and memory combined, and reverence took root in every heart. At last they understood that Zhao Jin was simply on an entirely different level, and how laughable it had been for them to come here negotiating terms and angling for advantage.

But what stunned them did not end there. Just as they were beginning to grasp the situation, the various squads of the Zhao Battalion had already finished forming ranks — the four veteran squads in front, the recruit squads arrayed behind them in order. The reverence and embarrassment on every face turned to sheer stupefaction. Though no one had timed it, they knew the assembly of these several hundred men could not have taken longer than a single stick of incense.

"... Didn't everyone say He Weiyuan's household guards were first-rate crack troops? Why do I think they can't even compare to these..."

"...'Can't compare' doesn't even cover it — the difference is heaven and earth..."

"... Thank heaven and earth, now we'll have peace..."

"... Has your brain gone bad? From now on we'll have an ancestor sitting above us..."

When confronted with a shock beyond comprehension, people instinctively forget decorum, and this whispered murmuring was a manifestation of that. A force like the Zhao Battalion was simply beyond anything they could conceive of; they no longer knew how to react.

The Zhao Battalion retainers stood in solemn silence, gazing levelly ahead. Within the range of that gaze, the village headmen and prominent figures could not help but lower their heads. Yet even with heads bowed, avoiding eye contact, they still felt as though their entire bodies were being pierced by needles, as if wrapped in a frigid chill. More than one of them had already begun to tremble.

Zhao Jin's companions had also come along and now stood before the formation. While the troops were assembling, a crowd had gathered in the open ground to the east — wine merchants who had come to transport goods, carters and grooms, and peddlers and customers from the market, all drawn over to watch the spectacle. Now they had all fallen silent; no one dared speak above a whisper.

Seeing the terror-stricken state of those around him, Zhao Jin strode up before the formation, turned to face those men, and declared in a clear voice, "Look this way."

His tone was indifferent, yet Tian Ying and his group raised their heads in unison as though they had heard a command. Zhao Jin smiled and said, "To follow my orders — that is your good fortune."

With that, Zhao Jin turned and walked back, then raised his voice: "If you want peace, you must be cautious and vigilant, you must obey commands. Suppose the enemy coerces the common folk of neighboring villages and towns to come beating drums and gongs. You judge them harmless and let them pass. Once inside, they erupt in violence and slaughter. By then, will regret still be of any use?"

Everyone knew what Zhao Jin was referring to, but a dead silence hung over the crowd. Zhao Jin then named four individuals and asked in a stern voice, "You are being punished — do you accept it willingly?"

Those named were all retainers who had been on sentry and messenger duty. They had just taken their military canings, and their faces were hardly cheerful, but upon hearing the question, each bellowed in reply, "We accept!"

"Does everyone understand?" The Zhao Battalion retainers paused for just a beat, then roared back in unison, "Understood!"

This unified shout shook the surroundings. After a moment of silence came a succession of startled cries. The carriages parked off to one side were spooked; horses bolted and ran wild as the drivers scrambled frantically to regain control.

As for the contingents from the various villages, some were so frightened by that thunderous shout that they sat down hard on the ground and were now scrambling up in utter disarray. By this point, the exchanged glances were gone, and the sour expressions had vanished too. When the disparity in strength reached such a degree, people found it very easy to make their judgments and choices.

"Dismissed! Everyone resume what you were doing before assembly!" Zhao Jin gave the order.

The Zhao Battalion retainers acknowledged the command in unison, then dispersed in orderly fashion. Such discipline had already numbed the onlookers somewhat; it no longer produced the same shock as before.

Zhao Jin and Chen Sheng exchanged a glance, both smiling faintly. Zhao Jin turned and walked toward the courtyard. Passing by Tian Ying, he said, "Go back and think it over. Give me your answer before dusk tomorrow."

Having spoken, Zhao Jin paid him no further attention. These people were not worth his spending too much thought on. After displaying his strength, if they still did not know which way to turn, he would not be polite.

He had taken only a few steps forward when he heard the sound of footsteps behind him. Turning his head to look, he saw it was the emissaries from Little Stone Village and Dingjiahe Village — two of those who had knelt earlier.

Seeing Zhao Jin turn back, the two men knelt once more and asked in fearful reverence, "Master Jin, the market at He Village is flourishing. Our humble fellow villagers all wish to come and do some business here. Might we beg Master Jin to show mercy and permit them entry?"

The stronger villages and stockades had been scheming about alliances and coalitions; the weaker ones only wanted to do a little business to supplement their livelihoods. But on their way here, they had deferred to Tian Ying and those few others in everything. Only after Zhao Jin revealed his strength did they begin to act on their own initiative.

Zhao Jin did not agree at once. Instead, he asked, "What were the rules before?"

At this question, the two men kneeling on the ground both looked somewhat uncomfortable. Hesitantly, they said, "Old He's rules were peculiar. He forbade the surrounding folk from setting up stalls and doing business here, yet outsiders were allowed. The things our villagers worked so hard to produce ended up being bought up cheap by outsiders."

He Weiyuan had been a Chuan-tou and Hui-zhu of the Smelling Incense Sect, and he had close dealings with mounted bandits and brigands. The illicit resale of tribute grain was also entangled here — there were simply too many secrets. If local villagers were allowed to stay here long-term, traces would easily be discovered, and a leak would be a catastrophic matter.

"Whatever rules apply to other traders will apply to your people as well. Conduct your business honestly, and you may come," Zhao Jin agreed offhandedly. The more economic ties developed between the surrounding villages and He Village, the more they would become a single integrated whole. That was no bad thing, and Zhao Jin was not concerned about it.

Hearing Zhao Jin agree so readily, the two men were first stunned, then kowtowed in gratitude. In truth, such a matter hardly warranted kowtowing, but after witnessing the scene just now, they could not help their fearful reverence.

Zhao Jin did not return to the house. Instead, he strolled around the courtyard, then headed straight over to the cattle and horse market on the other side. Through his contact during the wine-buying the other day, Zhao Jin had gained some understanding of these livestock merchants. Every autumn, they traveled beyond the passes and into the steppe to trade with the various Mongol tribes, then drove their livestock back south to sell around Xuzhou, repeating the cycle year after year. At this time of year, trade in cattle, horses, mules, and donkeys always flourished, because farming was busy everywhere and draft animals were needed.

But business had been poor the previous year, and some stock had already been left over here. This year they had hoped for a turnaround, yet at the very time when sales were usually best, business was far worse than before. The merchants were all complaining bitterly. Fortunately, their operations were large and well-established; as long as the livestock avoided disease, they were not really taking a loss, and it was not difficult to keep things going.

"Right now we're just waiting to sell the wine to recoup our costs." That was Wang Ziyang's own phrasing. This year they did not plan to pay in silver, intending instead to settle accounts with livestock. Zhao Jin had no objection to this. Many of his hundred-plus warhorses were injured or ailing, and this was a perfect chance to trade them for good mounts. He also planned to buy some animals for pulling carts and plowing fields — there was a real need for them right now. Zhao Jin had come over precisely to inspect these goods.

Just as Zhao Jin stepped out of the courtyard, the veteran squads also filed out. They were not going to escort Zhao Jin; rather, it was approaching lunchtime, which meant it was time for riding practice. Luan Song and the other cavalry instructors were very strict, requiring them to spend as much time as possible with their mounts even during the noon meal, so that horse and rider would grow familiar with each other and coordinate more seamlessly.

Seeing Zhao Jin approach, the hands at the mule and horse market hurriedly reported to Wang Ziyang and his associates. The cattle and horse merchants rushed over to pay their respects. Zhao Jin knew perfectly well that they intended to sell the wine on the steppe for enormous profits, yet he did not compete with them for it — this was a tremendous favor. Not to mention that how much they earned depended on how large a wine quota Zhao Jin granted them, and even whether they could continue to stay in this cattle and horse market at He Village depended entirely on Zhao Jin's goodwill.

"Master Jin, we have already selected a batch of fine horses, though unfortunately they are not yet well broken in. Please, have a look and inspect them first!" Wang Ziyang said obsequiously.

Starting at lunchtime, the veteran retainers practicing horsemanship were to stay with their mounts. The cattle and horse market was noisy and bustling, but according to the rules, the retainers were to do the work themselves — fitting their mounts with tack and riding them to the training ground. Though the distance was very short, they were still to travel on horseback as much as possible.

Watching the retainers with their stiff, unpracticed movements, Zhao Jin felt a surge of satisfaction, because at the very least they were up on horseback now — a tremendous improvement over the laughable spectacle they had made at the very beginning.

The group from Tian Village and Liu Family Mine were now utterly dejected. The alliance they had agreed upon at the start had now scattered in all directions. The people from those few small villages had initially been coerced by them; now, having seen Zhao Jin's power, they naturally knew how to make their choices. Who would still pay them any heed?

They had been frogs at the bottom of a well for too long, and Zhao Jin had had far too many matters to deal with upon first arriving here. As a result, Zhao Jin's quiet restraint had been mistaken by these local bullies and petty tyrants for weakness, an opportunity to exploit — and so they had delivered themselves to his door to be humiliated.

Only after witnessing the strength of the Zhao Battalion did they realize that all those unbelievable rumors about these young men were true. The wishful thinking in their hearts vanished like smoke, leaving only lingering fear and shame. They had been so ignorant of their own limits, thinking they could come here bluffing and blustering to gain advantage. What if this young master had decided to take action? And they had boasted about having over a thousand able-bodied men — compared to that disciplined, formidable formation, their own people were a joke. Besides, they were far from united; mustering even half that number would have been fortunate...

Thinking of how his bluff had been exposed and how his attempt to gain advantage had instead led to being swallowed whole, Tian Ying felt nothing but burning shame. He was considered someone of some standing in this region. He had assumed that with He Weiyuan gone, his own family could at least reap some benefits and rise in status. He had never imagined he would lose face so utterly today.

Humiliation and frustration mingled, yet Tian Ying dared not show it. He did not even harbor the slightest thought of resistance and could only resign himself to his misfortune. He could not even discern what the strength Zhao Jin had displayed truly signified, but he knew he had no standing to make any move. He could only obediently hand over his gifts and then, in the most humble manner, ask Liu Yong what he ought to do.

On the way here, Tian Ying, Steward Liu, and Lin Erneng had shared a tacit understanding. Now they were like strangers, ignoring one another completely. Trying to steal a chicken only to lose the bait — never mind their former friendship, the mutual resentment now ran deep. Tian Ying turned his head to look back at He Village, thinking to himself that if he had not come here with his own petty schemes, he would never have provoked this tiger Zhao Jin. Though annexation would have come sooner or later, he could at least have enjoyed being a local tyrant for a few more days.

In contrast to their frustration and dejection, the other parties were somewhat elated. Villages like Little Stone were weak to begin with and accustomed to being bullied by the strong. After all, if it was not one overlord, it was another — they had long grown used to it. Now that Zhao Jin was taking charge, it was no loss to them. On the contrary, they stood to benefit by being able to do business at the market. And by attaching themselves to a powerful figure like Zhao Jin, the safety of their village was certainly assured. Having their young men become retainers like those of the Zhao Battalion was far better than working under some neighboring village bully. With everything advantageous and nothing harmful, their spirits were naturally high.

The number of males between fifteen and twenty-five, the acreage of village fields and their yields, the number of large draft animals in the village, and any villagers with influence or connections in the city — all of this had to be reported together. People would also be sent over to verify the information, and they were to arrange for someone to be stationed permanently at He Village for liaison purposes. Tian Ying felt his head throbbing. These kids — no, these young masters — were not old, but they certainly had a lot of demands. What use could they possibly have for all this information?

"... A petty man drunk on success — that's exactly what they are. Who knows how many days they can run wild..." Tian Ying grumbled through gritted teeth.

Those who had accompanied Tian Ying from Tian Village were all his trusted confidants. Whatever they thought in their hearts, they had to chime in with a few words of agreement — saying this could not last long, that disaster was sure to befall them sooner or later, just to vent their own frustration.

Talking as they walked, they had not yet left the bounds of He Village when everyone suddenly fell silent. They saw a large contingent of cavalry passing before their eyes. The riders and horses were all moving very slowly. Looking closely, they could see that the cavalrymen in the saddle were stiff in their movements and tense in expression. The clothes the riders wore were recognizable — they were the very same Zhao Battalion retainer uniforms they had just seen. And the faces looked familiar too. These were undoubtedly the cavalry of the Zhao Battalion.

Tian Ying and his men stood there, bodies rigid, waiting in utter silence for the cavalry to pass. Because the hundred-plus riders were moving at no great speed, the wait was a rather long one.

After the cavalry had passed, Tian Ying remained standing there, frozen. The men behind him waited a while, then could not help but speak up: "Master, shall we..."

Only then did Tian Ying snap out of it, shuddering. Then he said, "We're going back. When we get back, get to work immediately on the tasks Master Jin assigned."

"Why be so meticulous? Just make up some numbers..." someone behind him said dismissively. Before the words were fully out, Tian Ying spun around and slapped him hard across the face, his features twisted as he cursed furiously, "How dare you be careless with the tasks Master Jin assigned! If you spout such crap again, I'll flay the skin off you!"

The men from Tian Village were all stunned. How had their leader changed so quickly? But as Tian Ying spoke, his eyes had never left the hundred-plus cavalrymen. Watching that large body of mounted men, everyone understood.

It was not only Tian Ying's group who saw this. All nine delegations that had come bearing gifts saw it. Those few who had not knelt were all nursing resentment in their hearts. They had come here hoping to gain an advantage; they had never expected to be swallowed up so cleanly and decisively. How could they feel comfortable? Yet after seeing the Zhao Battalion assemble and disperse with such precision, they knew their families had no choice but to submit. And after seeing this still very unpracticed hundred-plus cavalry, the resentment in their hearts likewise vanished like smoke.

Here in this rural backwater, there was actually someone who could, at any moment, field several hundred fully equipped and well-trained able-bodied men — and on top of that, a mounted contingent of over a hundred. A force like this should not exist in a place like this. In the face of such a great power, what right did their own families have to complain? If the other side decided to deal with them, it would be no harder than crushing an ant.

Zhao Jin was unaware of the emotional shifts among those outside. He had never taken them to heart. He Weiyuan had been destroyed by him, Cloud Mountain Monastery had been smashed by him — these rural bullies counted for nothing at all. Zhao Jin was in the mule and horse market, looking at horses.

"Master Jin, this horse is already well broken in. It was the mount of a small tribal chieftain. That tribe was raided by horse bandits, and this horse was sold off. I had originally bought it intending to sell it at a high price, but then it occurred to me that Master Jin still lacks a suitable mount. A fine steed deserves a hero — please accept it for your use!" Wang Ziyang, being a merchant, naturally had a glib tongue.

Still, even someone like Zhao Jin, who knew nothing about horses, could tell this was a fine steed. The horse stood nearly two fists taller than the others in this mule-and-horse market, more robust as well, and one could see it had a gentle temperament, very obedient to the groom leading it.

Zhao Jin remembered his second uncle Zhao Zhenxing once saying: "Spirited horses are only good for drilling horsemanship or casual diversion; they are unsuitable for the battle line. A horse with a fiery nature — you never know when its temper will flare and it will refuse control. On the killing fields of battle, where life and death are decided in an instant, losing control like that easily invites disaster. Therefore, you must use a well-trained mount; a gelding is best."

By that reasoning, the horse before him was quite suitable. Zhao Jin nodded. Wang Ziyang, standing to the side, carefully studied Zhao Jin's expression. Warriors were supposed to love fine steeds and sharp blades, yet seeing such a good horse, Zhao Jin did not appear overly delighted. This discouraged Wang Ziyang somewhat; he had thought he could earn a great favor this time, but had not expected such an indifferent reaction.

Zhao Jin indeed felt no particular delight. His riding skill was about on par with the household retainers, and it would still be some time before he became proficient. The difference between a good horse and a poor one was not that great to him.

The mule-and-horse market and the wagon inn were actually one operation. At the front of the wagon inn were residential courtyards for lodging, while at the back was a vast livestock pen and stable. The animals brought by cattle and horse merchants were kept there, and buyers would come directly inside to make their selections. Those doing scattered trade from the surrounding villages and townships, however, would come by day and leave by night, borrowing the bustle of this place to do business.

Usually, there were several hundred head of large livestock here — already a remarkable scale. People from the prefectures and counties around Xuzhou all came here to purchase.

"Don't laugh at me, Master Jin, but business has been poor these past two years. By this time normally, only horses would be left in the pens; now, we haven't even sold off many oxen," Wang Ziyang said helplessly.

The mule-and-horse market was indeed very quiet, with only two or three people idly strolling about. Zhao Jin looked around casually, ready to take his horse and go back to practice riding. Just as he was about to take his leave, he heard singing rise from the other side of the livestock pen — singing mixed with loud laughter and shouts, full of high spirits. Yet he could not understand the language of the song.

Zhao Jin paused. Wang Ziyang noticed as well and hurriedly said, "Forgive me, Master Jin. A few of my subordinates have had too much to drink."

With that, Wang Ziyang raised his voice and bellowed: "What are you wailing like ghosts for? You've had a drop and now you're kicking up a ruckus — all of you, settle down!"