Chapter 291

Zhao Jin took one step forward. Everyone in the distillery trembled, and in an instant silence fell. Zhao Jin said coldly, "In three years you can leave. For anyone who leaves early, this is the consequence. As for the law — I am the law!"

The whole place was dead silent. Zhao Jin turned his head and said, "Leave one recruit squad to keep watch. Anyone who tries to step beyond the distillery grounds — kill on sight."

The recruit squad at the side solemnly obeyed. The distillers and workers had no reaction at all; they were all frozen in terror.

"Damn it all, are those roving bandits coming or not? The waiting is driving a man crazy." As they walked out, Shi Manqiang cursed impatiently.

Apart from Chen Sheng, whose expression remained calm, everyone's faces looked rather grim. Zhao Jin glanced around. He understood what they were all thinking — they likely believed his methods had been too harsh.

"The distillery is our foundation. This secret brewing method represents enormous profit, and anyone who learns of it will be tempted. If we let this go, next time even more people will try the same thing, and when it becomes impossible to guard against every attempt, that will be a huge disaster. And if we lose the distillery's great profits, our Zhao Camp will have to sustain itself by squeezing the land, and that situation will be nothing like what we have now." Just as an awkward silence was settling in, Ruhui spoke up with a smile.

Zhao Jin nodded. He knew Ruhui's words were not flattery directed at him, but an explanation for those who couldn't understand. Sure enough, everyone's expressions improved considerably. Zhao Jin smiled bitterly to himself. In battle against the enemy, none of his brothers would even blink, but sometimes they were far too inflexible, believing everything had to follow the rules. This couldn't exactly be called a flaw — it only showed that they still possessed hearts of pure innocence.

When they reached the He family compound and looked out through the breach, it had been less than half a shichen. Outside, things were no longer so chaotic. The militia from the various mutual-defense units had formed up in passable order and were beginning to stand guard at their prearranged positions.

"This is truly strange. Could the refugees really be heading straight for the prefectural city?" Zhao Jin said.

From the moment they received word, He Village and Zhao Camp had been on full alert, with constant back-and-forth communication with the surrounding areas. But after all these preparations, there was still no sign of movement — it felt a bit like throwing a heavy punch at a ball of cotton.

"Big Brother, a scout just returned. He said the refugees are in the villages near the prefectural city, probably searching for grain." Dong Bingfeng spoke up.

This hardly counted as news. Everyone knew that starving refugees would certainly scour for anything edible along their path. The crucial question was which direction they would head next.

Zhao Jin shook his head and was about to go about his business when he spotted a lone rider galloping toward them at full speed in the distance. Another scout must have returned. The rider was stopped at the outer perimeter by other cavalrymen and only allowed through after being questioned.

"Looks like one of the Qi brothers?" Dong Bingfeng, who had the sharpest eyes, said as he tried to identify the rider.

The three Qi brothers were still hired hands, but no one treated them as outsiders anymore. The Qi brothers were a few years older than the young men of Zhao Camp and had spent time roaming the jianghu, so they were highly experienced. When they went out to scout and reconnoiter, they often brought back far more information.

Hearing that it was one of them, Zhao Jin simply walked out of the compound and waited on the open ground to the east. Before long, the rider arrived before him — it was the third Qi brother.

"Why so much sweat?" The third Qi brother's mount was drenched in sweat, its nostrils flaring wide as it panted heavily. One look told you the horse had been galloping at full speed for a long time and was nearing its limit. Any more running and it might very well drop dead.

Zhao Jin and his companions' expressions all turned grave. An experienced rider like Qi Three always took good care of his horse. If not for a major crisis, he would never have ridden back so recklessly, risking the horse's life.

"Master Jin, gentlemen — those roving bandits actually have mounted men. Some of these riders crossed the river by boat at the very end, and others seem to have come from the east. I'd been keeping my distance and watching the whole time, but I never expected to be spotted by sharp eyes. A dozen riders chased after me. I only got away by riding for my life." Qi Three said, gasping for breath.

Hearing this, everyone's faces changed in alarm. Setting aside the question of whether these hundred thousand roving bandits had any real fighting strength, now they actually had cavalry as well? What in the world was going on?

"How many riders?"

"Just from what I saw with my own eyes, no fewer than two hundred. The total is definitely more." The exchange between Dong Bingfeng and Qi Three made everyone's expressions even grimmer.

Zhao Jin pondered for a moment, then asked, "Are they refugees riding horses?"

"No. Though this group wore tattered clothes, their skill in the saddle was not bad at all. The men weren't thin, and neither were the horses." Qi Three had indeed observed very carefully.

"Most likely mounted bandits coming to scavenge for easy pickings!" Liu Yong said from the side.

Zhao Jin shook his head, then immediately said, "Keep sending men to watch them. Tell them to flee the moment anything seems off — preserving their lives is the priority. Let no one else know this news. We proceed according to plan. Every squad holds its position and stays vigilant. Everyone, get back to work!"

The others had just turned to leave when Zhao Jin called Jixiang back and said in a low voice, "Go make arrangements. All the large carts must be ready to move at a moment's notice."

Jixiang nodded solemnly and hurried off. Zhao Jin turned to Ruhui and said, "You and Xuezhi, when you arrange the lodgings this afternoon, remember to place the important people in the direction that's easiest to move out from. Otherwise, there will be trouble!"

"What about our own people?" Ruhui asked, puzzled.

"If we truly have to leave, our own people can assemble and form ranks immediately and be ready to march at once. Those others will inevitably panic at that time. If we put them on the inside, they'll likely rush and stampede in chaos, which will only delay our own affairs." Zhao Jin explained.

"Your thinking is truly meticulous, Dongzhu." Ruhui nodded with a smile.

Zhao Jin smiled bitterly and said, "At a critical moment like this, I can only try to cover every angle."

Ruhui smiled and walked briskly away. Zhao Jin was left alone again. Unable to settle his mind, he climbed the eastern watchtower and gazed out from the height toward the direction of Xuzhou's prefectural city. At such a distance, of course he could see nothing at all. Zhao Jin watched for a while, then couldn't help muttering to himself, "What exactly are these people trying to do?"

"Grain!" "Grain!" Around the city of Xuzhou, the air was now filled with hoarse shouts and frenzied cries, all of them more or less the same — grain and food.

After the refugees came ashore, the several dozen households near the ferry crossing were the first to suffer. They had thought themselves safe with the river as a barrier and never imagined the refugees would cross. Facing the starving refugees who poured into their homes, some tried to resist and were quickly trampled into bloody pulp. Others dared not move, watching as everything in their homes was looted clean, and could only wail in despair afterward — or were even swept along and forced to move forward with the mob.

Three li from the ferry crossing there was also a small village of a hundred or so households. But with the enormous commotion of the refugees crossing the river, there was no way the villagers wouldn't know. Everyone fled outward, abandoning everything. Some elderly people cried out that they refused to leave their homes, but in truth they feared being a burden to their children. Before long, the main body of refugees also overran this village. Those who rushed in first either found leftover cold meals that hadn't been finished yet, or discovered stored grain. Those at the front eating their fill only further inflamed those behind them. After a village was stripped completely bare, everyone roared and surged toward the next village.

But after sweeping through several villages in succession, only a few hundred people at each place managed to get anything to eat. They had originally imagined that everywhere on the south bank of the Yellow River would be brimming with grain, but instead found that nowhere had much. It was now the fifth or sixth month — last year's stored grain had long been eaten clean, and the autumn harvest was still far off. Poorer households were down to a single meal a day; how could there be anything for the refugees to eat? And the wealthy estates where they had expected bountiful harvests — all they saw were ashes. They grabbed a wealthy householder and interrogated him, only to be told that a fire had struck a few days ago and burned everything to the last speck.

The refugees washed through village after village and settlement after settlement, and all they gained was enough to fill the bellies of a small fraction of their number. This of course could not satisfy them. Everyone grew more and more restless and furious, constantly urging the march onward.

"Everyone, on to the next one! There's bound to be grain there!" Someone shouted, and the masses followed instinctively, breaking through one place after another, only to be met with disappointment after disappointment.

Those villagers who had fled often couldn't get very far. Though they evaded the main body of refugees, they were still forced back and could only trail behind the mass. A small number of bold ones even thought of looting amid the chaos to make a little profit, but most followed behind weeping and wailing to heaven. Some young people, heedless of everything, tried to run, only to be caught by the mounted "refugees" and killed on the spot.

No one noticed that as they swept through one village, town, and settlement after another outside the city, they were merely circling around the prefectural city.

By now, the walls of Xuzhou were packed with people. Soldiers, constables and runners, civilian braves and militia — all were on full alert, peering outward with terror and trepidation. Although the refugees below had no bows, no one was attacking the walls, and they were even moving about far from the city walls, every person on the battlements hid behind the crenellations, as if doing so could give them some peace of mind.

Looking down from the city wall, these tens of thousands of refugees stretched on without end, boundless and infinite. It seemed as if they numbered not merely the rumored hundred thousand, but millions upon millions. So many people, even charging empty-handed, could fill the moat below, then rise level with the wall, and then storm into Xuzhou.

"Lord Prefect, the rolling logs and stone missiles are still not fully stocked. There's too little lime. Boiling oil must also be requisitioned. Otherwise, if something happens, we won't be able to cope. Lord Prefect..." Battalion Commander Liang, who was in charge of the defenses on the wall, said, his face streaming with sweat. He listed off the supplies the city lacked for its defense, but as he spoke, he realized that Prefect Tong Huaizu was not listening.

All the prominent figures of Xuzhou's prefectural city were gathered on the northern section of the wall. Hearing Battalion Commander Liang's urgent prompting, everyone looked toward Prefect Tong Huaizu. At that moment, Prefect Tong's face was deathly pale, his eyes dull and vacant. He seemed to be watching the billowing dust clouds below the city, but in truth his gaze had no focus. His entire face and head were covered in cold sweat. Looking closely, one could see that Prefect Tong's official robes were fluttering slightly. One might have thought it was the wind, but in fact, it was his body trembling.

"My lord!" Secretary Wang could bear to watch no longer. He leaned in and prompted him. Prefect Tong remained frozen in a daze. Secretary Wang raised his voice a little, and Prefect Tong started as if badly frightened, his body jerking violently as he whipped his head around. Secretary Wang hurriedly repeated what Battalion Commander Liang had said.

Prefect Tong, utterly distracted and beside himself, nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes, yes, do everything as General Liang says. As long as this city holds, this official will give his full support, and there will be a heavy reward afterward."

Battalion Commander Liang wiped away his sweat, bowed, and said, "The title 'General' is absolutely not for me to bear. Lord Prefect need not worry. Though the roving bandits outside the city are numerous, they are a disorderly mob. They have no siege equipment, and they don't even know how to assault a city. Moreover, these roving bandits have no roots. Once everything edible outside the city has been devoured, they will have no choice but to disperse. We need only hold fast and wait for relief. When my general returns, we will strike from within and without, and the roving bandits will surely be crushed."

"Good! Good! Good!" Prefect Tong said three 'goods' in a row. This Battalion Commander Liang had seen his share of battlefields, and his words were reasoned and well-founded, very convincing. Prefect Tong Huaizu felt slightly more at ease.

"If Battalion Commander Liang has any needs, do not hesitate to tell this official. Constable Chen is also on the wall. You may speak to him about any matter. The civilian braves and militia are also entirely under your command. This official will now return to the yamen to arrange military supplies for you. The soldiers will not be shortchanged in the slightest." Prefect Tong babbled incoherently for a moment, then hurriedly descended from the wall.

Only then did Battalion Commander Liang straighten up, wipe the sweat from his forehead, and complain, "Old Chen, your grand lord here has already been scared out of his wits. I really don't know what he came up here to fuss about."

Chen Wu, standing to the side, smiled but did not respond. The Chen family came from a military background. This Vice General Zhou's superior had some connection to Qi Jiguang, and by extension, the Chen family also had ties with the Xuzhou garrison. They were not strangers to one another.

"He doesn't understand a thing, yet he comes up here giving random orders. What use are these common folk? The moment blades are drawn, they'll all be struck dumb. They're not even as useful as those outside the city, who've at least seen battle formations and blood. If Old Zhao's son brought his men over, it'd be like adding a whole battalion of troops. Then what the hell would we have to fear!" Battalion Commander Liang grumbled indignantly.

"Enough with the grumbling! If someone passes your words on to His Excellency's ears, even though he's not your direct superior, it'll still mean trouble for you down the line." Zhao Zhentang had also walked over. He was now the commander of the civilian braves and militia, so of course he had to be on the wall. The Zhao family were hereditary Company Officers of the Xuzhou Guard, so he could speak on equal terms with the men in the garrison. After Zhao Jin's rise, everyone showed him even more respect.

Seeing Chen Wu and Zhao Zhentang draw near, Battalion Commander Liang chuckled, but then immediately waved them in closer and said in a lowered voice, "None of us are outsiders, so I'll say a few more words. You should all go back and make preparations. In case the city falls, you'll have a plan."

Hearing this, both Zhao Zhentang and Chen Wu were stunned. Chen Wu likewise lowered his voice and asked, "Those starving wretches down there? Are they going to gnaw through the city bricks with their teeth?"

"Call them starving wretches, but they've come all this way from Shandong. Boats were strictly forbidden on the Yellow River, yet they still managed to get boats and cross. Look — the people outside are circling around the city. There are plenty of places outside Xuzhou. Which one isn't easier to break into than our city? But they just won't leave." Battalion Commander Wang had also come over by this point. Battalion Commander Liang didn't avoid speaking in front of him and kept on talking.

Battalion Commander Wang turned his head and spat upon hearing this, then lowered his voice and added, "The whole thing reeks of something fishy, inside and out. Pizhou fell into chaos for no damn reason at all, and the General went there but still can't get back. Tell me that isn't strange. I've placed every able-bodied lad I've got around the General's residence. If the worst happens, Old Liang and I will stake our lives on getting the mistress and young master out."

"Alright, alright. Why are the two of us saying such unlucky things? Old Zhao, everyone says there's trouble outside the city, but I'd say that son of yours has great fortune. It might just pass him by entirely." Battalion Commander Liang said with a laugh, changing the subject.

When Zhao Zhentang first came over, there was still a trace of a smile on his face, but now it was all solemnity. He did not answer; he only turned his head to look outside the city. Beyond the walls, dust and smoke rolled, and howls and wails carried faintly from afar. The heavens had been parched and dry for so long that even a brief run would kick up dust — let alone these tens of thousands of refugees running and shouting, their dust blotting out the sky, countless figures faintly visible within. In broad daylight, it looked like hell on earth.

"That brat of mine? He..." Zhao Zhentang murmured.

"Look, isn't that the Lord Magistrate's only son, the one supposed to study and become the top scholar? A character straight out of an opera, and yet these past few days he's lopped off over a dozen heads. The thugs all over town don't even dare lift their eyes in front of him anymore. Tell me, my surname's Wang too — how come I've never had such promise?" Squad Leader Wang suddenly spoke up from the side. Everyone looked over and saw that it was Wang Zhaojing bringing men up onto the city wall.

When Wang Zhaojing saw this side, he cupped his hands and bowed from a distance. Zhao Zhentang and Chen Wu were both his elders, so the courtesies had to be complete.

"Still, no need to worry. The bandit rabble is just running on a single breath of momentum. If they really dare come attack the city, I'll mass troops over at the barbican, hit their rear, and once we charge, they'll scatter." Squad Leader Wang nodded with a smile and went on talking to himself.

Prefect Tong, for his part, did not delay matters — though it may also have been that he was frozen with fright. His private secretary and the clerks of the six bureaus dared not delay. Logs, stone rollers, and quicklime were sent up to the city wall in a steady stream. Several large shops also contributed plenty of raw and boiled oil — scalding oil was a deadly weapon for defending a city. The blacksmith shops worked through the night without rest, forging all manner of weapons. Wealthy households slaughtered pigs and sheep to reward the militia. The news coming down from the city wall made everyone understand that this time, Xuzhou City was likely truly facing a great calamity. They could only unite as one, with every person contributing their effort. As for that Licentiate Yang, it was said he had fallen gravely ill and no longer left his house, and no one paid him much mind. The prefect's personal attendant let word slip that once this was over, they would certainly settle scores with this Yang Zhongping.

No one had anticipated beforehand that the situation would develop in the worst possible direction. The refugees circled nearly all the way around the city, and in the end did not leave, but made camp less than a li from the city's western side.

The prominent figures of Xuzhou City all went up onto the wall to look. Seeing the scattered twinkling campfires below, and hearing the great shouts that erupted from time to time, every face turned deathly pale.

"... The grain is right in Xuzhou!"

"... I dreamed of the Perfected One yesterday. The Perfected One spoke to me from the heavens, saying that Xuzhou is full of grain..."

"... Once we enter Xuzhou, we can eat our fill!"

"... With the Perfected One's blessing, we can surely break open Xuzhou City, eat our fill and eat meat, and every man enjoy good fortune!"

"Break open Xuzhou!"

Over at the refugee camp, in every spot, people were shouting and agitating at the top of their lungs. Throughout this journey, the refugees had rarely known even this half-starved, half-fed state. The "kind souls" had kept telling them they could eat their fill in Xuzhou, and today that seemed to have been partly validated. Everyone grew even more fervent. At first, only those "kind souls" were shouting, but later everyone joined in the roar, the sound deafening, so loud that even the walls of Xuzhou City could hear it clearly.

With tens of thousands of refugees scattered in camp, it was truly an enormous stretch of land, so hardly anyone noticed that at the eastern edge there was one spot that was a little different.