Chapter 330: Zhao Jin

But everyone knew they had to make this attitude clear — it meant kneeling and kowtowing, showing Lord Jin they harbored absolutely no ill intent. If he didn't believe them, he was welcome to bring his men over; they would provide grain, money, and labor, and he could stay as long as he liked.

They adopted this attitude because they had learned of Zhao Jin's strength. A few hundred men of Zhao Battalion, leading several thousand militia, had swept away tens of thousands of roving bandits, and according to the reports sent back, it was mainly those few hundred who did the fighting.

What's more, Zhao Jin's Hanjing Famous Liquor brought in wealth day after day — he had silver, he had swords and spears, and he held Cloud Mountain Temple firmly in his grasp, which meant he also had territory and grain. With all these in hand, who would dare not treat him with deference?

One had to understand that in the past, for relief and recovery efforts like this, Cloud Mountain Temple had to be invited, because in the Xuzhou region, only Cloud Mountain Temple had the financial resources for large-scale relief, and only Cloud Mountain Temple had such a great demand for labor and population. Now everyone knew that Zhao Jin made the decisions for Cloud Mountain Temple. That former guest master had long since become a retainer of the Zhao family — what more was there to say?

The consequence of failing to treat him with deference was right before their eyes. How was He Village washed in blood? How did that nest at Cloud Mountain Temple end up in "rebellion"? The bloody examples were there in plain sight — best not to end up the same way.

Over so many years on Xuzhou ground, everyone had seen plenty of struggles between great and small local powers. It was always big fish eating little fish. No matter how honest and dutiful one's beginnings, once you grew large, there was no one who didn't swallow up the weak.

They were all local strongmen; their small patches of holdings were their very lifeblood. When faced with this kind of annexation, they would normally stake everything on a fight to the death. But Zhao Jin's Zhao Battalion was simply too strong — this was no longer something a desperate fight could stop. He could field over two hundred cavalry, over two hundred suits of iron armor! At this point, no one had any thought of bargaining. All they wanted was to kowtow to the ground first, so that if the worst came, they might at least keep their lives.

"Young Master Zhao commands a multitude of troops, so his need for armor and weapons must be considerable. Relying on captured goods is no long-term solution. My Xu family's main trade is iron smelting, which suits Young Master Zhao's needs perfectly. My family… well, they said that if Young Master Zhao is in need, the price is very negotiable." Even Xu Bende, the Xu family representative attending the council, was exceedingly polite — he actually started talking business.

From the stumble in his words, one could tell that the decision had likely been made by that Xu Dajiao, Xu Zhenzhen. As the two men spoke, that perfectly ordinary sedan chair was carried out. Zhao Jin sensed that the person inside seemed to be looking at him, but when he gazed back, the curtain blocked his view — he could only make out a shadowy, indistinct figure within.

With the yamen business finished, Zhao Jin did not go home but went directly to the freight yard. He hadn't waited long in the yard's quarters before Secretary Wang and the clerks of the Six Offices came calling. Secretary Wang took four hundred taels; each of the others took two hundred taels. And in the delineation and allocation of unclaimed properties and lands outside the city, everyone got a share of the benefits.

"…Lord Jin, just say the word. Wherever Old Zhao needs to go, he'll go. Whatever post he wants, he'll take that post…" The clerks of the Six Offices thumped their chests in promise, heedless that the titles "Lord Jin" and "Old Zhao" had already muddled the generational order.

Still, in accordance with Zhao Zhentang's own wishes, he went back to work at the constabulary. Only this time, a position was specially arranged for him: Deputy Chief Constable of Xuzhou. It was an unranked post anyway — a memo from the Personnel Office and the prefect's seal made it so, and in any case, Secretary Wang used that seal more often than not.

Once that was done, Clerk Liu of the Revenue Office also smilingly laid out his plan: this year's and future autumn grain taxes and levies would be contracted to Zhao Jin's side. Everything was negotiable.

With the might of Zhao Battalion behind him, there would be no problem collecting taxes and levies across the entire Xuzhou region. Secretary Wang and Clerk Liu had discussed this plan long ago; now the time was ripe. Zhao Jin did not decline and accepted directly.

These men of real power within Xuzhou city chatted and laughed with Zhao Jin, each placing himself in a very low position. They parted in high spirits all around.

Not long after they left, the atmosphere in the freight yard grew heavy. The relatives of the fallen Zhao Battalion household troopers came one after another. Zhao Jin received each of them personally, placing a year's worth of pension silver into their hands with his own, and also giving them the funeral and burial expenses.

Zhao Jin very much wanted to bury the fallen troopers together in one place, so that a grand ceremony could be held for remembrance and mourning. But the families only wanted to bring their sons' remains home. Under these circumstances, Zhao Jin could hardly insist.

In the fierce, chaotic battle below the walls, Zhao Battalion had suffered several dozen dead and wounded — it could be called a grievous loss. Though Xuzhou had to be saved, such casualties pained Zhao Jin beyond measure.

And Zhao Jin had another worry. In legal terms, the troopers of Zhao Battalion were, after all, hired household slaves. They trained hard and fought in perilous battles — taking money and doing the job was only to be expected. But would casualties like these make people back out? Issuing pensions and supporting the bereaved families of the fallen was simple enough, but would the families of the remaining troopers demand their men back? After all, human life was paramount; no one wanted their child to die out in the world. Serving as a soldier for one's rations was the king's law; a contract of hire was a different matter entirely. Especially when they saw the bereaved families weeping and wailing, morale was bound to waver.

Before receiving the bereaved families and issuing the pension silver, Zhao Jin had harbored these worries. He had even worried that the troopers who had gone home on leave might not return. Zhao Jin had already considered certain coercive measures.

What Zhao Jin did not expect was that after receiving the silver, the bereaved families were profuse in their gratitude. They did not see this money as something owed to them; every one of them regarded it as a reward from Zhao Jin.

"…Lord Jin, your benevolence and righteousness are truly unmatched…"

These words were spoken not only by the families who received the pension silver, but also by Ye Wenshu. In the eyes of Xuzhou, whether in public or private matters, this Ye Wenshu was already under Zhao Jin's patronage. When the troopers were recruited, Ye Wenshu had handled the contracts, and he had also come to help with the pension distribution.

"…When you serve in the militia or the local braves, if you die, you die. A benevolent man might give a little silver and make some arrangements; a heartless one would simply swallow up the family's property, drive away the elders, and take in the young women. These things are all common. Lord Jin, in acting as you do, is truly unmatched in benevolence and righteousness…" Ye Wenshu had originally intended to advise Zhao Jin to give less or nothing at all, but once he understood Zhao Jin's true attitude, he immediately changed his tune.

After kowtowing in thanks, many of the families who received the pension silver also asked whether Zhao Battalion could recruit and take in their other sons or nephews.

It wasn't only them asking this question — those returning from family visits asked the same thing.

"…In these times, human life is cheap. Every family has several children, several mouths to feed — how many can afford to fill them? You never know when they'll die; even drinking cold water can give you the runs and kill you. Coming to our Zhao Battalion, never mind the child making something of himself — the family has one less mouth to feed, and he can also earn spending money and food for the household. And besides, when you usually have to bow and scrape, the moment you have a son or brother serving in Zhao Battalion, everything changes at once. If you work for someone, your wages go up. If you run a market stall, no one dares harass you. If you farm in the village, no one dares pile on extra levies. It's just like when a child studies and earns scholarly rank…" This was Lei Cai's account.

Now Ji Xiang and Shi Manqiang took turns holding He Village, while Lei Cai shuttled between the two places. Like Liu Yong, he was thoroughly familiar with the marketplace and the underworld, so he naturally knew of these differences.

"Is all that worth trading a life for?" Hearing this, Dong Bingfeng could not help but question.

"Plenty of people would trade their lives and still not get treatment this good," Liu Yong answered bluntly.

Several dozen dead and wounded, issuing pensions and the certificates for future annual stipends — these were all simple matters. As for the wish to keep recommending sons and younger brothers into Zhao Battalion, Zhao Jin gave his answer at nightfall: "Zhao Battalion is going to expand and recruit new men. The sons and brothers of our own Zhao Battalion will naturally have priority in enlistment."

To win hearts, Zhao Jin had conducted these matters outside the freight yard. Quite a few idlers were watching. The moment he said this, the idlers exchanged glances, then turned and ran. Zhao Jin was startled at first, then understood — these fellows were off to spread the word.

Before dark, Wang Zhaojing arrived carrying two wooden chests. Smiling, he said, "Big Brother, these are the court gazettes issued by the imperial court. A hero like Big Brother ought to know more of the world's affairs."

The court gazette was a booklet issued by the imperial court, a compilation of documents on administrative affairs and various developments from the central government down to the localities across the Great Ming realm. Though far from comprehensive, in this era, for someone of Zhao Jin's station, this was the only channel through which he could learn such things.

"Many thanks, Zhaojing!" Zhao Jin said with a smile. He did want to learn more about the wider world through official documents, but had never quite gotten around to it. Of course, the timing and intent of Wang Zhaojing bringing the gazettes were both open to question, but Zhao Jin would not say so outright.

"We're brothers — why is Big Brother being so polite? Tomorrow morning, your younger brother sets out for Nanjing. With all the troublesome affairs here in Xuzhou, I won't be able to help much. Big Brother will have to bear the toil." Wang Zhaojing announced his itinerary.

For a scholar taking the provincial examinations, Wang Zhaojing was leaving far too late.

"This is an important matter. Tomorrow morning, all the brothers will go together to see you off," Zhao Jin said with a nod.

Wang Zhaojing waved his hand dismissively and said, "Big Brother, you've all been working so hard these days — no need to rise early. Besides, I'll be back once the exams are done. It won't be long."

For a scholar, the provincial examination was even more important than the metropolitan and palace examinations, because most people would remain in their home province. The provincial exam was, in fact, the best opportunity to weave a network of connections and expand one's social base. Done well, the scholars of the province would stand together in solidarity, forming a bloc of local prestige thereafter. Even if one sought to climb higher, this network and these connections would be the support and foundation of one's future official career.

This was also why many would set out for the examination city half a year or even a full year in advance, and linger for several months after the exams ended — first for the exams, and second for socializing.

"Zhaojing, if you're going to do it, then do it seriously. You can't be half-hearted about it." Even Zhao Jin could sense Wang Zhaojing's casual disregard for the provincial exams and could not help but offer a word of earnest advice.

"Thank you, Big Brother, for your frank words. I understand," Wang Zhaojing replied with perfect courtesy, though he still seemed not to care much.

"The gazette language is archaic and hard to parse. For punctuation and explanation, Big Brother can seek out Mr. Cao. If there are further difficulties, it would also be very convenient to consult my father." Wang Zhaojing gave a few instructions before leaving.

Over all these years, Wang Zhaojing knew that Zhao Jin could read, and he surmised that Zhao Jin had read books before. Yet when Zhao Jin actually read, he struggled greatly. The reason struck Wang Zhaojing as very strange: Zhao Jin did not know how to parse sentences. Normally, for someone who could read, sentence parsing should be the most basic skill.

Wang Zhaojing had come at nightfall. Only Zhao Jin and Liu Yong were at the freight yard. As soon as Wang Zhaojing left, Zhao Jin sent word to notify Chen Sheng and the others. A send-off like this was best done with all the brothers together. Refusing was one thing, but not showing up would be a breach of courtesy.

After arranging this, Zhao Jin opened a chest, picked out a gazette, and leafed through it. He glanced at it, then put it back. Without punctuation marks, it was too taxing to read.

Only after finishing all these tasks did Zhao Jin return home. The food on the table had been reheated several times, but his parents did not blame him for coming back late. For the family to gather together for a meal was rare enough as it was.

But his father, Zhao Zhentang, still grumbled. He wasn't grumbling about Zhao Jin coming home late, but about the fact that after Zhao Jin had announced that afternoon that Zhao Battalion was recruiting, quite a few acquaintances had come straight to their door.

Zhao Battalion's recruitment gave no face; its standards were strict. And given Zhao Jin's current authority, no one dared act out of line in front of him. But Zhao Zhentang's side was different. Inside and outside the prefectural city, there were many social obligations. People came asking Old Master Zhao to put in a word, to give them face, and let their sons and brothers into Zhao Battalion.

Hearing this, Zhao Jin himself could only smile wryly. To think he had spent the day worrying that many would be too afraid to come, that many would not return. He had never expected this.

The next morning, Zhao Jin did not practice his martial skills at dawn. Instead, he went directly to Wang Zhaojing's home. After greetings were exchanged, all the companions arrived early.

"…You've all been working hard these days — why rise early to see me off…"

"You're so happy you can barely get the words out, and you're still putting on this fake courtesy!"

Seeing everyone arrive, Wang Zhaojing was moved and excited. His one polite remark was shot down by Chen Sheng, and everyone burst into laughter. Wang Zhaojing's face was full of smiles, but his nose was a little stuffy.

Amid the laughter, Wang Youshan also came out. He was going to accompany Wang Zhaojing to Nanjing — not out of worry, but because they were leaving so late, and there were still some contacts he had reached out to earlier that needed looking after and connecting with.

The companions were casual when together, but they never lacked in courtesy before an elder. They all bowed in greeting. The old man of Wangshan, so fierce and imposing the day before, was now very genial. He smiled and nodded, then said to Wang Zhaojing, "To have friends like these is your good fortune. You must treasure them."

"Your son understands!" Wang Zhaojing answered solemnly.

The Wang family's party this time numbered over a dozen people. They would travel to Pizhou and then take a boat south to Nanjing. Everyone saw them off to the south gate of Xuzhou city, arriving just as the gate was opening.

When the gate guards saw that Master Jin had arrived, they immediately cleared the road, held back the common folk surging to enter the city, and invited Master Jin and his party to go first.

What struck Zhao Jin and the others as odd was that in the past, those entering the city early in the morning were mostly merchants and peddlers, but today they saw many able-bodied young men, a good number of whom clearly looked far from law-abiding. Could something be wrong? Zhao Jin and his companions exchanged glances, all on their guard.

"Master Jin, when are you recruiting new men!" Just then, someone shouted out. The whole group of young men halted, looking at Zhao Jin with reverent, hopeful eyes. Every young man swept by Zhao Jin's gaze strained to puff out his chest and raise his head, putting on a bold and martial front.

It dawned on everyone then — so word of yesterday's talk about recruiting new men had spread, and that very day so many had come into the city to enlist.

It had been nothing more than a remark yesterday, without any definite word, yet it had drawn so many people. This spoke to the momentum of Zhao Character Camp.

"Should Zhao Character Camp recruit new men, a notice will be issued in all directions. Everyone, wait for word!" Zhao Jin declared in a clear, ringing voice.

Having escorted them five li beyond the city, the Wang father and son would allow no further escort. "... You still have so much proper business to attend to — don't let empty formalities waste your time..."

"... May your name top the golden roster..." Parting well-wishes were always offered.

On the way back to the city, just as they were about to enter the gate, Chen Sheng suddenly said, "A brush with life and death truly changes a man. After Da Lei died, he was surely afraid. This time, with the refugees besieging the city, his thinking has shifted again."

"We're all brothers here — what's the point of overthinking it?" Zhao Jin said with a smile. Chen Sheng nodded and said no more.

None of them went home. Liu Yong and Shi Manqiang headed to the distillery. Originally, production at the distillery had been halted for over ten days, but sometime during this period, someone had discovered that wiping wounds with Han Well Famous Liquor kept them from festering. Others even claimed that sprinkling some Han Well Famous Liquor around one's dwelling could ward off miasmic vapors and pestilence.

Strong liquor does have a disinfecting effect, so that part was true enough. Whether these tales had any real basis was hard to say. But demand for Han Well Famous Liquor, both inside and outside the city, had suddenly surged. Moreover, as it was now considered relief and plague-fighting supplies, refusing to sell it would be bad for their reputation. They had no choice but to reopen the distillery. Liu Yong and Shi Manqiang were going over to take charge of it.

When Zhao Jin and his few companions reached the streets around the goods yard, the scene before them gave them a start. In less than a shichen, such a crowd had swarmed here — by the look of it, all able-bodied young men who had come to enlist.

"Master Jin is here!" Quite a few people recognized Zhao Jin. At these words, the crowd parted down the middle to open a path. Surrounded by reverent gazes, Zhao Jin and his group returned to the goods yard.

Walking among so many people, Chen Sheng and Dong Bingfeng kept their hands near their saber hilts, ready to react at any moment. Zhao Jin, too, remained very cautious.

Back inside the goods yard, the clamor outside could be heard even from within the rooms. After thinking it over, Zhao Jin simply had someone carry a square table out beyond the courtyard gate and climbed straight onto it.

"Quiet! Let me lay out the rules!" he shouted.

Zhao Jin called out only once, yet the crowd below showed no sign of quieting. Zhao Jin simply waited there. With people hushing and urging one another from front to back, the crowd gradually fell silent.

"Zhao Character Camp will not take several kinds of men. No only sons. No men with families and wives. No bondservants or house-born slaves." At this, the crowd below fell utterly silent, everyone listening with rapt attention.

The idle onlookers at the fringes were all nodding, some even raising their thumbs in approval, all saying that Master Jin was righteous. An only son must support the family and care for his parents; if he went out to risk life and limb and met with mishap, his entire family would collapse. The same principle held for men with wives and children. As for bondservants and house-born slaves, that was common sense — if another household's servant worked for Zhao Character Camp, who could be at ease?

"... Those who can ride horses get priority. Those who can shoot a bow get priority. Those with a trade get priority. Don't you think manual labor is lowly — working here, you'll earn several times more than elsewhere..." Zhao Jin listed several more priorities.

"... For the rest, the old rules still apply. You must have a guarantor document. Your parents must consent. On the fourth day of the eighth month, outside He Family Village — the new men will be recruited..." Zhao Jin finally announced the deadline.