Chapter 289: Fellow Villagers Gather at He Village

Plans were one thing, but events did not unfold as Zhao Jin had arranged. The various places in the joint village defense had not been working with Zhao Jin's side for long and could not yet offer unconditional trust. They were full of misgivings about his arrangements; instead of following them, they stayed put and refused to leave.

As for the other areas on the south bank of the Yellow River in Xuzhou, everyone had previously thought that with the river as a barrier and large estates like the Xu family's on the north bank, the refugees could never cross over. If they themselves left, what if someone wrecked their houses and fields? Most stayed as well.

Today, when the news arrived, everyone who knew was dumbfounded. Now, even a fool knew that the gates of Xuzhou city were shut, and the county gates of Xiao County and Dangshan would not open either. Although the "hundred thousand refugees" were heading for the prefectural city, they could scatter at any moment, and when that happened, the countryside would suffer.

At a time like this, life and safety mattered most. Houses and land had to be set aside; they needed to find a safe place to take temporary shelter. The fortified estates of the powerful became the safest locations. But now everyone was seeking absolute security, and these places had long since mobilized their village braves and militia, sealed all passages in and out, and were guarding with the strictest vigilance.

Cloud Mountain Temple, by all accounts, was also a decent place — it sat on high ground and everything inside was well-equipped — but it was too close to the prefectural city and could easily become a target for the refugees.

So now the best choice was He Village. Zhao Jin, Headman Zhao, was a man of boundless righteousness, and the Zhao Battalion under his command was fierce and powerful, surely capable of sheltering all around. Going there would be far safer than anywhere else.

As a result, once the news was known this morning, carts, horses, and travelers from all directions began rushing toward He Village. The well-off households from various places had livestock and manpower and moved quickly, arriving at He Village early and paying to stay at inns and cart-driver lodges. These places were soon packed full, and people then paid to lodge in private homes — offer a high enough price, and people were generally willing.

Most of He Village's households had gone to the Xiao County lower branch of Cloud Mountain Temple, so few remained to guard the place. Some people, unable to find lodging and growing desperate, actually smashed open doors and barged straight in, throwing the village into chaos for a good while. The Zhao Battalion immediately dispatched the recruit company and the militia from each village to keep order. Wielding clubs, they struck out wildly and finally managed to suppress it.

By noon, the outskirts of He Village were packed with people. Many from Tian Village and Liujia Mine had come with their entire families. When there was no room inside the village, they simply found a spot outside. Other common folk who lived farther away were also arriving one after another.

"What the hell…" Zhao Jin stood on the watchtower looking out. The open ground east of the He family compound alone was already filled to bursting with people from everywhere, making it look as if He Village had suddenly swelled several times in size. Dust swirled in the air, and the din was overwhelming. Agitated by the sight, Zhao Jin let a curse slip.

"Master, if this continues and something really goes wrong, once these commoners panic, our Zhao Battalion won't be able to move — it might even be directly overrun. This will mean big trouble." Ruhui had also climbed the watchtower and spoke urgently.

Zhao Jin nodded, turned and descended the watchtower, and immediately summoned everyone over. "Xiaoyong, go to the cattle and horse market and contact Wang Ziyang. Have him send over every man he can spare — mounted if possible. Daxiang, take two recruit companies and gather up all the village braves and militia from the joint defense areas — yes, the ones who've come to our side, preferably those we've trained. Form them up and stand by. Shitou, go through the village and call people out — every household must send someone here to stand by. Bingfeng, muster everyone who can ride and have them mount up. Dasheng, you're with me. All units, go to combat readiness."

"Master, Steward Cai of Qulipu requests an audience!"

"…Scholar Zou of Zou Family Stockade requests an audience…"

"…Village Head Zhang of Zhang Village in Xiao County requests an audience…"

Just when things were at their most frantic, visitor after visitor came seeking an audience. Zhao Jin had heard all these names through various channels — they were all wealthy and powerful local magnates from west of Xuzhou city, some near He Village, some far, but the farthest was only about forty li away.

"Lead them to the front hall and have them wait. Mister Cao, you receive them," Zhao Jin said offhandedly. He simply could not spare the attention for this right now.

Before long, his companions had everything ready according to Zhao Jin's orders. Wang Ziyang's side had actually sent over sixty mounted men, including about twenty Mongol hands. Their expressions were grave; they knew the situation at hand was no small matter.

"Send the village braves and militia from the joint defense areas out to make the announcement: He Village will only take in residents of the nine joint defense locations. Everyone else may not linger — send them to Little Stone Village. Then the recruit company will begin inspecting He Village. No one is permitted to linger on any street inside the village. Those who have already entered houses will be left alone for now. Have the men drawn from the village guard every intersection and strictly bar outsiders from entering. The rest stand by. Do it now!" Zhao Jin wiped the sweat from his forehead and gave the order.

The orders were passed down, and the militia and village braves from the joint defense areas immediately perked up. This was a matter concerning their own families and fellow villagers, so naturally they held nothing back and at once began shouting the announcement outside.

People from places like Tian Village and Liujia Mine beamed with delight and walked inside, while those who had come from elsewhere broke into an uproar. Some even started cursing outright: "You're not the government — do you have any regard for the law? What gives you the right to keep us from staying here!"

"Have your consciences been eaten by dogs? Driving people away at a time like this!"

"Let the landlord come speak — what the hell are you lot?"

"Heavens above, how are we supposed to live!"

Men roared and cursed, women threw tantrums and wailed. The young village braves sent out to make the announcement grew quieter and quieter, their morale utterly deflated. In their minds, a time of emergency like this was meant for gathering fellow villagers together, not driving them away. What their own side was doing was simply too heartless.

Seeing them so hesitant and restrained, the villagers and commoners from outside the joint defense grew even more roused. Some simply shoved aside the young braves blocking their way, and shouting to one another, they charged into He Village. In their minds, once they got inside, everything would be safe — who could possibly drive them out then?

Just as the situation was slipping out of control, urgent drumbeats rang out. At first, drowned in the noise and clamor, the drums were faint, but they grew clearer and clearer. The commoners at the very front could now see the Zhao Battalion retainers, dressed in uniform colors and gripping long spears, already formed into a broad horizontal line — four ranks, a hundred men each, standing like a wall. The steps of the enraged crowd slowed.

Someone bellowed an order. The retainers leveled their spears. The drums beat again, the strokes spaced far apart — one step for each beat — as they advanced slowly forward.

At the sight of the cold light glinting on the spear tips, the clamoring crowd began to quiet. Could it be that the Zhao Battalion actually dared to strike against law-abiding commoners? In broad daylight, did they really have such nerve? Doubt it as they might, no one dared step forward to test it. What if they got skewered through — what would become of their wives and children?

"Go to Little Stone Village! Go to Little Stone Village! Move! Move!" the Zhao Battalion retainers roared in unison.

No matter how unwilling they were, no matter how justified they felt, the commoners from all over did not dare force their way in. Just then, someone — no one knew who — shouted: "Get to Little Stone Village late and there'll be no spot left — you'll be stuck outside the village!"

That one cry struck right at everyone's worry. Since this side was clearly impassable, they had better find a good spot over there. At once, they scrambled to turn around and ran off toward Little Stone Village.

With the eastern side cleared, the Zhao Battalion dared not delay and moved on to the other directions. The village braves from the nine joint defense areas were also organized. They had trained for only a few dozen days in total — adding up everyone's training days came to a few dozen days. Their formation was crooked and sloppy, but they could understand commands and move in unison. And what looked crooked and sloppy to insiders appeared to outsiders as a stern and orderly battle line.

Once all directions were cleared, the hands sent by the livestock merchants were used to chase off stragglers. There were quite a few crafty villagers who, when one side was cleared, would slip around to another direction to exploit a gap. But once the riders circled around, they were all driven off.

Many of the driven-away commoners turned their heads as they left to spit and loudly curse the Zhao Battalion for having no conscience. The faces of the Zhao Battalion retainers and the village braves and youths of the nine joint defense areas all showed shame.

"If a large body of refugees arrives and these several thousand commoners outside panic, our formation will be overrun, and we will end up just like them. Forget fighting — surviving at all would be hard enough, let alone providing any aid or protection. Doing this now is not just for our own sake, but for theirs as well. What do you have to be dejected about!" Zhao Jin roared.

The reasoning was simple. Once someone spelled it out, everyone understood. Zhao Jin waved his hand impatiently. "One veteran company and two recruit companies on rotation. The rest stand by. Get your meals quickly."

After saying this, Zhao Jin turned his head and looked. Ever since the clearing operation began, a group of over thirty people had been following behind and watching. They were all dressed quite respectably, more than half of them servants and attendants, and they had come out from the main compound. Zhao Jin could guess who they were — no doubt the leading figures from the surrounding areas.

But he was in no mood to deal with them now. He simply gave hurried orders: "Bingfeng, take some men to Little Stone Village. Have the people there take a headcount and calculate the grain rations for the arrivals. If it's not enough, our side will send supplies over."

Ever since word of the refugees crossing the border had come, the sorghum stored at Little Stone Village had been moved over to He Village. The distillery inside He Village could hold no more, and the mule-and-cart lodge and many private homes had been borrowed for storage.

Someone from over there brought Zhao Jin hot tea. Before he could drink, he saw the head of the cattle and horse merchants, Wang Ziyang, striding quickly toward him. Zhao Jin was now considerably more courteous toward this Wang Ziyang, because after learning of the refugees' arrival, Wang Ziyang had not left but had stayed to help, and had even persuaded his fellow traders to stay as well. Transporting supplies required livestock and large carts — He Village did not have many of its own, and Wang Ziyang had provided quite a few.

Seeing him approach, Zhao Jin forced a smile and said, "Boss Wang, the refugees are already here. You can still leave now. Leave any livestock you can't take with me, and I'll buy them at full price."

"Many thanks for your kindness, Master Jin, but there's no rush on my end. Even if the refugees really do head this way, my men are all mounted — can a bunch of starved wretches possibly catch up?" Wang Ziyang was quite philosophical about it.

His attitude lightened the mood considerably. Zhao Jin laughed and said, "Boss Wang, you truly have nerve."

Wang Ziyang waved his hands repeatedly. "What nerve? I'm terrified too. But compared to the favor I owe you, Master Jin, a little fear is nothing at all."

Zhao Jin paused, then the two of them laughed together.

"Master Jin, those Tartars under me are all very useful. They grew up on the steppe — not only are their riding skills superb, they've all got a real knack for scouting. If you're short on men, you can send them out to take a look," Wang Ziyang said, stating the purpose of his visit.

Zhao Jin nodded and, not standing on ceremony, replied, "If Boss Wang and your companions are all willing, then hand over every available man to me now. There will certainly be recompense afterward."

At the word "recompense," Wang Ziyang beamed with delight and declared expansively, "Hand the Zhao Battalion's warhorses over to me as well. I'll see they're well cared for — won't let you down whether on the march or in battle."

"Good. If there's not enough fodder, use sorghum. Don't save money on my account," Zhao Jin said in a deep voice. At this point, he could only give it everything he had.

"Master Jin still has guests, so I won't disturb you further. If you need anything, just give the word. I take my leave." Wang Ziyang spoke politely.

The so-called guests were those local magnates and wealthy households who had suddenly come to visit. They had initially been settled in the reception hall, but all of them had come back out, watching as the Zhao Battalion drove away the villagers who had come from all over seeking refuge, and then they had simply waited outside without leaving.

Zhao Jin turned and walked toward them, clasping his fists in salute as he went. "Zhao has been busy with affairs and kept you all waiting. My apologies!"

The moment he clasped his fists, the waiting group paused, then hurriedly returned the salute in a fluster, their mouths full of phrases like "Master Jin is too courteous," "You do us too much honor!" and "How could we trouble Master Jin so?" Only one man, an elder around fifty, returned the salute with proper decorum and said with a smile, "Young Master Zhao is truly born of a line of great commanders. Even those of us who know nothing of military matters can see that the Zhao Battalion has the bearing of a great army."

This manner and reply caught Zhao Jin off guard. Ruhui came up behind him and said in a low voice, "The one speaking is Cai Zhengqiu, a Provincial Graduate from Qulipu. The others all seem to defer to him."

Literary culture in Xuzhou was in decline. The rank of Cultivated Talent was earned through local examinations, which was one thing, but Provincial Graduates had to take the provincial exams in Nanjing, and those who passed were very rare. Holding the rank of Provincial Graduate immediately made one a leading figure in the locality, someone everyone had to treat with courtesy.

Qulipu was even larger than He Village. The Cai family was the great clan of Qulipu, local overlords from way back. After producing a Provincial Graduate Cai, they had become one of the top-ranking households in the Xuzhou region, even more extraordinary than before.

One had to understand that within Xuzhou city itself, the Department Magistrate had to treat even the impoverished Provincial Graduate Yang Zhongping with courtesy, let alone a Provincial Graduate from a powerful local clan like Cai Zhengqiu. No one had expected him to come to He Village in person.

"In these chaotic times, your health is what matters, Elder Cai. Why come here yourself?" Zhao Jin said with a smile as he stepped forward.

His attitude made the Honored Scholar Cai nod with a smile, his face full of satisfaction, and the people standing beside Honored Scholar Cai all looked relieved as well.

Zhao Jin was famous throughout Xuzhou for his martial valor. When outsiders spoke of Zhao Jin, they always mentioned how many men he had killed, so those who had never dealt with him instinctively assumed he was a reckless brute and a god of slaughter. Hearsay is empty, seeing is believing. If before it had all been rumor and legend, what they witnessed today confirmed that impression.

When the common folk from the surrounding villages came seeking refuge, not only did Zhao Jin refuse to take them in, he directly used his private troops to drive them away, and even resorted to weapons, looking as if he meant to start a massacre. Seeing this, everyone's hearts were uneasy, thinking that if this man was nothing but an unreasoning, violent thug, he would truly be difficult to deal with.

But Zhao Jin greeted that Honored Scholar Cai politely, and with full courtesy at that. This conduct immediately put everyone at ease — at the very least, he could be reasoned with.

After a few pleasantries, everyone was invited into the main hall. On every such occasion, Chen Sheng stood behind Zhao Jin. A dozen or so of the guests had the standing to be seated.

"Young Master Zhao, the roving bandits have entered the region from Shandong. Both banks of the Yellow River have prohibited boats from docking, yet the bandits still have boats to cross the river. This shows these roving bandits have considerable ambitions, and that there are traitors within colluding with them," Honored Scholar Cai said in a clear voice.

Zhao Jin nodded slowly. Some things were plain for any clear-eyed person to see. He also knew that Honored Scholar Cai's words were merely leading into the topic to follow.

"Young Master Zhao, south of the Yellow River in Xuzhou, there is one prefecture and two counties. The city gates are all tightly shut, and there is no way to enter and take shelter. We can only rely on ourselves for protection." At a moment like this, Honored Scholar Cai did not beat around the bush either, but came straight to the point.

Everyone nodded. The faces of those who had come to visit were all marked with worry. Honored Scholar Cai looked at Zhao Jin. Though the other party was young, his composure was hardly inferior to his own. But at a time like this, there was no room for so much fuss. Honored Scholar Cai Zhengqiu drew a circle in the air with his hand and said solemnly, "They all say it's a hundred thousand refugees. The number may not be exact, but tens of thousands are certain. The Quli Market where this old man resides has the largest population of any place, but counting men and women, young and old, it is less than three thousand. I doubt any of you seated here even reach two thousand."

Quli Market had also benefited from the trade fair; otherwise, it would not have had such a large population. Zhao Jin already understood what the other party was about to say next, but he made no sound, waiting for the other to speak.

"... The roving bandits number in the tens of thousands, while we number in the thousands. If we face them alone, when they come, we will surely die without a burial place. The prefectural and county offices cannot look after themselves, and the main government army has gone to Pizhou. We can only save ourselves. Divided, we are weak; united, we are strong. If the able-bodied militia from each place are gathered together, they will also number in the thousands, and we will still have the strength to fight the roving bandits..." At this point, Honored Scholar Cai grew somewhat short of breath and paused, lifting his teacup to drink.

At this moment, Zhao Jin spoke: "Before coming here, you must all have known of my Zhao Character Camp's deeds in fighting horse bandits and battling warrior monks. My Zhao Character Camp trains diligently every day and is well-equipped. The village braves and militias of your various places surely cannot compare. In coming here this time, you must be seeking Zhao's aid, and also wish to form a league of mutual defense between the estates. Is Zhao correct?"

No one had expected Zhao Jin to speak so directly, but this was no time for roundabout talk. Honored Scholar Cai stood up, clasped his hands, and bowed, saying, "Young Master Zhao is correct. This old man and the others have come precisely to ask Young Master Zhao to take action and protect the villages of Xuzhou."

As soon as Cai Zhengqiu stood, the others all stood up as well, about to bow with great ceremony. Zhao Jin also rose, supporting Honored Scholar Cai as he said, "Everyone, there is no need for such formality. Even if you had not come, I would have sought you out to discuss this matter. Divided, we are certain to die; united, there is a chance to live. Zhao agrees."