Chapter 295: Rallying to a Righteous Cause

The two mixed squads were somewhat disorderly. The soldiers from the two Zhao Battalion squads were all shouting to maintain formation. As for the other groups, they were simply a mess — clumped together in scattered heaps. Some trudged along with heads down, some chatted among themselves, and others muttered complaints. If not for the cavalry constantly circling back and forth, some would likely have already deserted.

"Master, about three li ahead there's a group of over a hundred men. Steward Yan is leading them, and the rest are all carrying swords, spears, and staves," a mounted household retainer reported back.

"Don't try to show off. If you get too close, you'll be easily spotted. If someone locks onto you, it'll be dangerous. Watch from a distance and then report back — understood?" Zhao Jin first gave this warning. Had it been the Qi brothers and the veteran riders, or even the hands from the Ox-Horse Cart Shop, he wouldn't have said this. But the one before him was a guard-post scion — decent in mounted archery and martial skills, and at that age where youthful bravado ran high. If he encountered a large enemy force and approached as close as he had this time, he wouldn't be so lucky again.

The young rider scratched his head atop his horse, agreed with some embarrassment, and spurred his mount away.

This so-called Steward Yan was none other than Yan Blackface. He managed purchasing and miscellaneous affairs at the He Estate, and many people knew him. Zhou Xuezhi was called Steward Zhou, and he was Steward Yan. The Zhao Battalion was made up of sons of law-abiding folk, so few knew he was the infamous Yan Blackface of the city.

Continuing forward not much longer, Zhao Jin saw the group of over a hundred approaching. Leading them, besides Yan Blackface, was another man Zhao Jin also recognized — Qi Erkui of Qi Family Village.

From several dozen paces away, Yan Blackface and Qi Erkui hurriedly directed the group behind them to the roadside. When they were about ten paces apart, Qi Erkui shouted at the top of his lungs: "Master Jin! When one family is in trouble, help comes from all sides! Erkui has brought the village folk and brothers from the salt route, one hundred and ten men in all. Give us your orders, Master Jin — through water or fire, we won't say a second word!"

Qi Erkui held a podao in his hand. The men behind him were all sturdy, fierce-looking fellows, and their weapons were more uniform than those of many militia groups — clearly forged from good iron at considerable expense. They had swords, spears, and staves, and a few even carried bows on their backs. He said they were village folk, but they were most likely salt peddlers and smugglers from the salt route, every one of them with a murderous scowl.

Yet for all their ferocity, Qi Erkui's voice trembled as he shouted. The men behind him all kept their heads lowered, and those who did look up were pale-faced. They finally understood just what kind of strength the Zhao Battalion possessed. Never mind the nearly a hundred cavalry roaming and circling front and rear — just look at those two hundred cavalry in perfect formation. They looked like a small moving mountain; standing beside them, one could barely breathe. The young men on horseback held their long spears, faces expressionless, eyes fixed ahead as they controlled their mounts. But Qi Erkui and his men felt a chill run through their entire bodies — the killing intent was simply overwhelming.

The main force of the Zhao Battalion did not halt, and Zhao Jin's footsteps did not stop either. He merely nodded and said, "Good. I'll remember this sentiment. Fall in behind!"

"Orders received!" Qi Erkui had learned this routine from the opera plays. After shouting this, he gleefully led his hundred-plus men toward the rear. The faces of the men behind him also lit up with joy — Master Jin remembers our loyalty. Plenty of benefits will follow from now on.

The veteran cavalry squad, the orderly marching recruits, the two mixed squads, then the militia groups further back, and beyond them the large carts piled high with supplies — Qi Erkui and his men were all dumbstruck, and each of them became considerably more well-behaved.

The various local braves and militias all had dealings with these men of the rivers and lakes. None of them ate government salt either, so they were no strangers to the peddlers and smugglers on the salt route. Qi Erkui's group was dumbstruck, but the various militia groups were equally astonished.

"... Isn't that Qi the Second from Qi Family Village?"

"You mean that salt smuggler?"

"That's the one — quite a powerful figure. And he's actually come to join Master Jin!"

"Isn't that Good-for-Nothing Old Seven? Hasn't that kid always worked the river? What's he doing here?"

Many in Qi Erkui's group were recognized — most were figures with some reputation in the underworld. Qi Erkui's crew also recognized the militiamen from various places. As salt peddlers and smugglers, they didn't run rampant unchecked across the Xuzhou countryside; they had to be courteous to these local braves and militias. Inevitably, a noisy round of mutual greetings and connection-making ensued, and it only quieted down when Shi Manqiang came over with a dark face and shouted a few times.

Yan Blackface, however, stayed by Zhao Jin's side, explaining what this was all about. Word had it that refugees were entering the territory, and the Zhao Battalion at the He Estate was on full alert. But the work that needed doing still had to be done. Yan Blackface and Qi Erkui had been busy running salt goods back and forth, and it happened to be the day for distributing salt again. Quite a few salt-route crews from across the Xuzhou region had gathered at Qi Family Village.

It was just then that someone brought word: the refugees had crossed the river. The old, weak, women, and children of Qi Family Village all fled in haste. But these salt peddlers and smugglers weren't particularly afraid. For one thing, they knew the Xuzhou terrain well — they could flee and hide anywhere, and the outside bandits wouldn't be able to catch them. For another, having done plenty of lawless deeds, they figured they might use the chaos to make some money.

Yan Blackface was older and steady by nature. Seeing that the old, weak, women, and children had all fled, leaving these hundred or so able-bodied men, he proposed they all go to the He Estate — it was safe there, and along the way they could see if any business opportunities arose. Everyone heard people talk about Zhao Jin every day, but many had never seen him. Here was a chance, so they all roared their agreement.

The main refugee forces were all clustered near the city. Qi Erkui and his men were all local ghosts — they took a wide detour, even found an already-abandoned village to have a meal, and only then headed this way.

On the road, they encountered the cavalry riders shouting proclamations. Upon asking, they learned that Zhao Jin was leading a large force to rescue Xuzhou. Unlike the militiamen, who were fearful and troubled, these salt peddlers and smugglers conferred briefly and decided to join in. Zhao Jin's deeds — killing mounted bandits, exterminating the warrior monks, and smashing Cloud Mountain Temple — were unknown in official circles and among common folk, but had long since spread throughout the underworld. Everyone felt Zhao Jin had a winning chance, and this was a gamble worth taking. Whether it was Master Jin's favor or the chance to loot in the ensuing chaos, there were huge gains to be made.

"Master Jin, these men count as fighters, but they can't compare to our Zhao Battalion. And they're not entirely reliable," Yan Blackface said, holding nothing back.

Zhao Jin nodded and said in a deep voice, "One more man is one more measure of strength. Yan Blackface, you've done meritorious service. I'll remember it."

The unease on Yan Blackface's face instantly transformed into a brilliant smile. He'd won his bet on this gamble too!

"Master, five riders ahead claim to be the Le brothers. They say they've come to join you in rescuing Xuzhou!" Just as Yan Blackface's matter was settled, another roving cavalryman returned from the front to report.

Yan Blackface had not yet gone to the rear after speaking. Zhao Jin looked directly at him, and Yan Blackface tactfully explained: "Master Jin, the five Le brothers are scavengers — they pick up windfall spoils. Their skills aren't bad, and they have horses. Sometimes they guard estates for wealthy households, sometimes they run with bandit gangs. In any case, they sell their lives to whoever pays silver. They've got a bit of a name in the Xuzhou region."

"Have they done anything that offends heaven and reason?" Zhao Jin asked. Yan Blackface thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Those brothers make their living on their home turf, and they live in Le Family Village. If they'd really done something like that, they wouldn't have been able to stay put."

As they spoke, they saw five big men standing by the roadside, their mounts behind them. The moment they spotted Zhao Jin approaching, one of the big men shouted: "Master Jin! We, the Le brothers, wish to follow you to rescue Xuzhou. Please give us our orders!"

"Good men. Zhao will not treat you poorly. Mount up and follow — take your orders from Dong Bingfeng!" Zhao Jin said with a smile, waving his hand.

The five men bowed in unison, then swung onto their horses and began asking around for who Dong Bingfeng was.

The reason for asking whether they had done anything that offended heaven and reason was to guard against those underworld figures who had committed serious crimes trying to use this as a chance to whitewash themselves. By joining the rescue effort, they would gain favor with both the authorities and Zhao Jin — effectively taking shelter under his protection. Zhao Jin had no intention of letting anyone exploit such a loophole.

"... The Five-Mile Village militia, eighty-seven men, wish to join Master Jin in the rescue of Xuzhou..."

"Fall in!"

"... We, the Bai brothers, wish to follow Master Jin's command in the rescue of Xuzhou..."

"Fall in!"

"... I, Yang Jisheng, with thirty able-bodied men of my household, wish to follow Master Jin in the rescue of Xuzhou..."

"Fall in!"

"... Yonggu Mountain..."

"... Zhao Family Circle..."

"... Fang Village Market..."

As the column advanced, there were always groups of varying sizes along the roadside. Some were well-equipped, with full complement of bows and horses. Some had only a few blades and a few spears, the rest carrying farm tools. Still others had nothing but sharpened wooden staves. Some were men of the rivers and lakes, some were village braves and militias, and some had no particular background — they simply felt they ought to go rescue Xuzhou, so they grabbed whatever was at hand and came.

Zhao Jin finally understood why Ruhui had arranged for cavalry to proclaim the news along the route. Originally, he had only summoned the local braves and militias from around the He Estate and among those who had taken refuge there. But now, many who learned of the matter were voluntarily joining in. Facing tens of thousands of refugees outside the walls of Xuzhou, even one more man's strength was welcome.

A little over two hours after setting out from the He Estate, the men outside the Zhao Battalion's main force had already grown bored and begun to worry about what awaited them on the battlefield. Morale had also dipped. But as people kept joining along the way, everyone's spirits gradually rose. So this was a righteous cause after all — a mass rallying of support. This was a glorious undertaking. Whether they had come early or late, everyone felt like a gallant hero. Chests puffed out, heads held high, their drive was at full force.

Besides those joining along the way — forces intending to follow the Zhao Battalion to the city for the rescue and battle — the villages and settlements along the route also took the initiative to show their appreciation with offerings. In that first two-hour stretch, when they passed the first village, the people there had only managed to bring out hot water and lead out two sheep. Zhao Jin naturally declined. By the time they reached the second village, they had already stewed meat and baked flatbreads. As soon as the main force arrived, they brought out these offerings.

With lunchtime approaching, Zhao Jin instructed the carts at the rear to accept the gifts, then paid silver at market price. That village still argued with Zhao Jin for quite a while, trying to refuse the payment.

In ordinary times, when they ran with bandit gangs or roamed the rivers and lakes, people everywhere couldn't avoid them fast enough. Even the local braves and militias weren't necessarily welcomed — often there'd be someone behind their backs spitting and cursing their mothers, calling them lapdogs for the wealthy households. But today was different. The common folk along the road were all warm and eager, bringing out the good things they normally couldn't bear to eat, offering them in tribute. None of them had ever experienced treatment like this. For a moment, their drive surged even higher.