Chapter 315: Going Home

The people nearby heard this clearly too. When the two forms of address, "Zhao Jin" and "Young Master Zhao," were spoken, many looked at the man with changed expressions, thinking, a mere servant like you dares to address him that way — have you truly forgotten your place?

Upon hearing what followed, everyone instinctively stepped back twice, clearing an even wider space. Militia and trained bands from all over had rushed here to help, paying so dearly in slaughter and casualties, and you actually refuse them entry to the city, and even dare speak this way to a powerful figure like Zhao Jin — you truly have no idea how the word "death" is written!

Zhao Jin was taken aback. He turned to look at his companions; their faces showed either surprise or indignation. Wang Zhaojing, however, shook his head and said, "This prefect really is capable of such a thing." Zhao Jin then smiled, turned back and waved a hand at that Master Tong, then raised his arm forward in a signal. Flags moved, drums sounded, and the main force once again advanced into the city.

"Young Master Zhao, your father still holds a post in the yamen. Do not disregard the law..." The personal attendant, watching the main force march forward, broke out in even more sweat and could only stammer out these words.

"Get lost!" Ji Xiang roared. The prefect's personal attendant, Master Tong, trembled in fright, staggered back two steps, and sat down hard on the ground. Then, scrambling on all fours, he scurried to the roadside, terrified of being trampled.

Some in the crowd jeered, and a bolder one called out, "Master Tong, you're running this errand yourself, old sir!"

Master Tong's body kept trembling uncontrollably; he couldn't even bother to answer. Only after the main force had passed before him did he turn his head, a face full of misery, and say, "You think I wanted this? The moment this assignment was announced, everyone in the yamen vanished. I was pressed into service."

Normally, at such an extraordinary moment, there would be soldiers and militia standing guard at the city wall and gate. But watching Zhao Jin lead the Zhao Character Camp into the city, no one was tactless enough to come and block them. The commanding officer even greeted them politely. As for the militia, they behaved much like the people outside, on the verge of cheering aloud — only their muttered comments differed somewhat from those outside.

"Tsk tsk, Young Master Wang inside the city, Master Jin outside it — these brothers are all true heroes."

The sandbags and such blocking the gate tunnel had been mostly cleared away, but the bloodstains from that fierce battle had yet to be washed off. Zhao Jin and his group looked around, then said to Wang Zhaojing, who was mounted on horseback, "You were in great danger that day too. No one imagined they had arranged so many inside the city."

"If not for the arrangements inside the city, these refugees would never have come to attack Xuzhou City," Wang Zhaojing said.

"We owe it all to you. If you hadn't eliminated them inside the city, once the gate opened and chaos erupted within, even if we had arrived, it likely would have been useless," Zhao Jin said in a deep voice.

Before Wang Zhaojing could reply, Chen Sheng teased, "You've studied hard, but you haven't let your martial skills slip either!"

Zhao Jin frowned slightly, thinking it was tiresome to keep harping on this at a time like this. Unexpectedly, Wang Zhaojing frankly patted his sword hilt and said, "In critical moments, the blade in your hand is still what you can rely on."

Chen Sheng did not press further, only laughed very happily.

The Zhao Character Camp's column moved at a slow pace. When they were halfway through the barbican, several people came rushing out from the inner city gate tunnel. From a distance, one could make out Chen Ergou and Butcher Li, along with a few of their underlings.

They did not dare block the way head-on, merely kneeling by the roadside, not even daring to raise their heads. Zhao Jin spurred his horse forward without the slightest intention of stopping. As he passed, he glanced at the roadside and asked Wang Zhaojing, "I heard that when the refugees besieged the city, these two big shots of the underworld had some ideas of their own?"

Chen Ergou and Butcher Li had been about to speak, but upon hearing this, they immediately kowtowed heavily. Wang Zhaojing gave a cold laugh from horseback and said, "When the refugees surrounded the city, everyone thought they would ravage the countryside. These two figured our big brother was doomed, and that they would be the biggest powers in the city from then on. Naturally, they developed other intentions. There are heroes among the outlaws, but these two certainly understand how to weigh gains and losses!"

"This lowly one... this lowly one..." Butcher Li managed two words before his voice trembled and failed him. Chen Ergou just stood there, teeth chattering, unable to utter a single word.

Zhao Jin smiled and shook his head. From horseback, he said, "Xiaoyong, we cannot lose our grip on the city. Find someone capable to manage it. These two heroes are far too talented to waste in the city — send them to He Village to tend the livestock!"

The column advanced in silence. Those below heard the conversation between Zhao Jin and his companions very clearly. Upon hearing these words, Chen Ergou and Butcher Li actually stopped trembling. They kowtowed incessantly with loud thuds. Chen Ergou finally found his voice and, with a tearful tone, kept repeating, "Thank you, Master Jin, for sparing our lives! Thank you, Master Jin, for sparing our lives!"

Everyone on horseback couldn't help but laugh. Chen Sheng just shook his head. Ji Xiang looked back, then turned away with contempt and said, "Just two wretches like these, and they actually had the guts to entertain ideas."

"They did accomplish things before, so we spare their lives. But these petty schemes of theirs must have been egged on by their underlings. We'll have to seize a few and let blood flow," Zhao Jin said gravely. Everyone nodded.

After entering the city, the force split into two groups: one went to the distillery, the other to the freight yard. Once settled, they were issued three months' pay. Then each unit allowed half its men to take leave while the other half remained on duty. Family members could also come to visit; food and lodging were all provided by the Zhao Character Camp. Fallen household troops were notified by dedicated personnel, and the silver for pensions and support had already been allocated.

For the household troops at the freight yard and distillery who did not take leave, food and lodging were doubled — meat at every meal, fine grain once a day, and no drill for the first three days. This was the post-battle reward, and everyone had earned it.

Liu Yong had no family to visit, so as usual, he took charge of matters throughout the city. Order in the streets and underworld of Xuzhou City also needed to be reorganized, and Liu Yong needed to liaise with various parties.

Dong Bingfeng led those of guard-battalion origin who wished to take leave back home. This time, the Zhao Character Camp had disregarded its own safety to come to the rescue, while the Xuzhou Guard, which had a duty to defend the territory, had sent no one out. This left everyone feeling deeply uncomfortable. Dong Bingfeng and the others of guard-battalion origin were especially embarrassed. Technically, Zhao Jin was also a Company Commander of the Guard, but he never considered himself a military household and felt nothing about it.

Shi Manqiang naturally went back to the blacksmith shop. After making a round in the city and greeting a few relatives, Ji Xiang instead mounted his horse to return to He Village. The Ji family had all moved there now; that place was his hometown now, and it also needed someone to hold the fort.

As for Zhao Jin, Chen Sheng, and Wang Zhaojing, after arrangements at the freight yard and distillery were finished, they went home together. The three of them lived very close to one another.

"The three of us brothers haven't gone back together in a long time. It vaguely feels like a year ago," Wang Zhaojing said with a smile.

After saying this, Wang Zhaojing shook his head and added with a smile, "It's actually only been a year. It's only been a few months since Brother Zhao left the city, yet it feels like several years. So much has happened."

These words made everyone fall silent. Chen Sheng rubbed the hilt of his long saber and asked in a muffled voice, "The provincial exam is in two months. When are you leaving to take it?"

"By all rights, I should be leaving now, but I'll wait until my father returns. With such a major event happening in Xuzhou, I can't let the old man worry," Wang Zhaojing said.

Chen Sheng nodded and was silent for a moment before speaking again: "If not for my grandfather and parents still being in the city, I would have brought Erhong to He Village this time. I used to think the city was safe, but now I see that's not necessarily true."

"It was pure chance. We'll surely get to the bottom of it from the Smelling Incense Sect afterward. Dasheng, don't take this as some kind of norm. The trouble in Xuzhou City isn't the refugees — the Yellow River is the real scourge. Wasn't the city in panic every year the waters rose? Didn't it flood into the city when we were children?" Zhao Jin said with a smile.

Having been away from home so long, walking the familiar streets, one couldn't help but relax. Of course, now there was no one in Xuzhou City who dared make a move against him. And even if someone took the risk, facing the three of them in armor and bearing blades, whether they could win was another matter entirely.

Even so, Zhao Jin had twenty household troops and five cavalrymen following behind him, with over a dozen local toughs scattered around, running ahead and behind. Zhao Jin was very impatient with this kind of pomp, but Liu Yong had his own insistence, so it had to be this way.

Chen Sheng was also in quite a good mood at this moment. Hearing Zhao Jin's words, he couldn't help but laugh and retort, "With a drought like this year's, we'll be lucky if the Yellow River doesn't run dry, let alone flood!"

Everyone laughed. Just as before, when they reached the intersection, Chen Sheng went home by himself, while Zhao Jin and Wang Zhaojing continued on, with a third of the men following them.

When they reached the door, Zhao Jin patted Wang Zhaojing on the shoulder and said, "You did a great deal inside the city. You were the one protecting our brothers' families. Everyone knows it, and everyone remembers it in their hearts. Dasheng just talks that way — he still considers you a brother of his own..."

"No need for you to say it, big brother. This little brother knows it all," Wang Zhaojing said with a smile.

Zhao Jin nodded, bid farewell to Wang Zhaojing, turned, and knocked on his own courtyard gate. The one who came to open it was the adopted child, Meng Zhiqi. In just these few dozen days, the filthy, stinking, emaciated boy from before had grown somewhat sturdier; his festering wounds had also healed. Had one not seen him before, it would be hard to connect him with that former image.

"The young master is back!" Meng Zhiqi's face was full of delight, and his eyes held a hint of admiration as he looked at Zhao Jin. Others might learn of Zhao Jin's peerless valor outside the city later, but the Zhao household certainly wouldn't — someone had long since come and recounted it vividly.

Youngsters admire heroes and champions most of all, let alone when that person is right beside them. No wonder Meng Zhiqi behaved this way. Zhao Jin smiled and nodded, but inwardly he felt a surge of emotion. The Meng siblings' luck was truly good. Though they had endured untold hardships and lost their family, they had still been taken in by him. Born of a farming-and-scholarship household, they had now become servants in a runner's home. One could say they had fallen into menial servitude, but in truth, it was Heaven's protection, because at the very least, they had survived. And what had been the fate of those refugees outside the city?

Yesterday's battle, today's burning of corpses — there were almost no able-bodied persons over forty or under sixteen, which meant the old and weak had all died along the road. Had the Meng siblings been among those people, their fate would have been all too imaginable.