Chapter 332: This Woman Is No Simple Matter

"Tonight you'll come with me to meet the Xu family. Bring Dasheng along too," Zhao Jin said.

Ruhui nodded, then after a moment's thought added, "Master, it would be better to invite Young Master Dong and the other young masters as well. Otherwise it might seem a bit distant."

"Xiaoyong has to arrange matters in the city's jianghu and marketplace circles and also look into what the Xu family is really up to. Stone and Daxiang are each holding down a location and can't get away. As for Bingfeng, he still has to return to the garrison post tonight. During the siege, the garrison didn't send a single man to help — I expect he has to wrap up loose ends over that," Zhao Jin said with a smile.

When the refugees besieged the city, Zhao Jin led the Zhao Battalion to the rescue. In the plan at the time, the Xuzhou Garrison was supposed to be the greatest reinforcement — never mind Dong Bingfeng's personal connections, Zhao Jin himself held military household status in the Xuzhou Garrison. In the end, not a single soldier was seen, though quite a few people came from various other places that had nothing to do with it.

Because of this, Dong Bingfeng had always felt he couldn't hold his head up. Fortunately, Zhao Jin and his brothers never made anything of it. What puzzled Zhao Jin and the others, however, was that now, with the matter nearly concluded, the Xuzhou Garrison still hadn't made the slightest gesture. Even Dong Bingfeng's father, Dong Jike, hadn't shown his face. This was simply too ignorant of how things were done.

Still, Dong Bingfeng was constantly leaving the city to go home these days, so everyone could more or less guess — there was probably some tangled infighting going on inside the garrison post.

"Bingfeng and I both come from that background, and the family elders are hereditary officers in the garrison post. So we'll wait until they give an answer. If no answer ever comes, then they're courting death, and we'll settle accounts then," Zhao Jin had long ago told his companions about this approach.

Seeing that the sky was already growing dark, Zhao Jin took out the bird gun, looked it over a few times, then led his men toward home. He brought twenty household troops who were on rotating guard duty. When they reached the gate and looked, Chen Sheng had also brought twenty men, and Liu Yong had arrived as well. They gathered together and said in low voices, "There are over thirty lookouts posted inside and out. Not even the slightest stir will escape notice."

Compared to Zhao Jin's relaxed manner, they were all very cautious about the Xu family's visit. Chen Sheng and Liu Yong simply ate at the Zhao house.

Zhao Jin's parents knew the children had serious business to attend to, so they set a separate table for Zhao Jin and the others and went to eat in the inner room themselves.

During the meal, Ruhui again voiced the concerns he had shared with Zhao Jin during the day. Chen Sheng and Liu Yong's expressions also grew grave. If nothing else, during that refugee siege, the dark, churning mass below the walls had seemed like a boundless, endless sea of people — no one who witnessed it with their own eyes could ever forget. If an even greater number of refugees came, it would truly be a great calamity.

Zhao Jin finished the flatbread in his hand, and seeing his companions' expressions, he shook his head and said, "There's no use overthinking it. On the way home I thought it through as well. Since they're coming and no one can stop them, we'll take them in when they arrive. If our territory isn't enough, then we'll find more territory!"

"No one's willing to just give away their own grain fields and property for nothing," Liu Yong remarked offhandedly.

"Then let them learn what the Zhao Battalion is capable of," Zhao Jin said calmly. Chen Sheng nodded slowly. Liu Yong paused for a moment, then a smile spread across his face.

The Jingshan Xu family had been operating in coal and iron in Xuzhou for nearly a hundred years. Deeply entrenched, they already had the air of an established great house. Their etiquette and formalities were all impeccable, and their timing for paying a visit was precisely judged — just after the group finished eating, someone came in from outside to announce their arrival.

Courtesy demands reciprocity. Since the Xu family was being so polite, Zhao Jin was very cordial in return. He led all his brothers straight out the courtyard gate to receive them.

The Xu family's display was truly something. Over a dozen riders escorted a horse-drawn carriage and a four-man sedan chair. The dozen-odd riders were unceremoniously blocked outside the street by the Zhao Battalion's household troops. The carriage drew up close, and Xu Bende stepped down from it, his face wreathed in smiles as he clasped his fists in greeting.

Once the formalities were done, Xu Bende said in a somewhat embarrassed low voice, "Young Master Zhao, would it be possible to have the men in the courtyard and the main hall withdraw for a while? I need to set up a few folding screens in the hall."

Zhao Jin paused, then understood at once — this was most likely an arrangement made by the person in the sedan chair. He smiled and agreed, then turned and gave a few instructions toward the courtyard.

The Xu household was well practiced at this. People unloaded the screens from the carriage and carried them into the courtyard. Once this was done, someone came out and said a word, and the sedan chair was carried through the gate of the Zhao family courtyard.

"A young lady as precious as the Xu family's eldest daughter — does your esteemed household actually keep an eye on her?" Ruhui asked. Although it wasn't uncommon for women and matrons to appear in public these days, wealthy and noble households were different — their rules were very strict.

Of course, the question was inappropriate to begin with; only someone with Ruhui's temperament would ask it.

"All we can do is keep an eye on her. Who would dare try to control her?" Xu Bende said offhandedly. Zhao Jin and the others all turned to look at him — there seemed to be a note of resentment in those words. But that was only to be expected. For such a vast family enterprise to be run by a young woman, while an elder male relative could only run errands — it would be strange if his heart were at peace.

Noticing everyone's gaze on him, Xu Bende gave two dry coughs and said with a straight face, "If not for this niece of mine, the Xu family would have long since fallen apart. Half of it would probably be in the hands of Cloud Mountain Temple by now. Every member of the Xu family, high and low, is thoroughly convinced and submits to her."

The profits from coal and iron far exceeded those from farming, and manufacturing weapons was even more wildly profitable. Cloud Mountain Temple would certainly not let such an opportunity slip by. Only by holding together as a united bloc could the Xu family pose a deterrent. If the family split apart, it would surely be exploited by those with designs on it — and of course, Zhao Jin would have taken a bite as well.

"Honored sirs, everything has been arranged!" A maidservant came out to announce. This maidservant had been walking beside the sedan chair the entire time.

Zhao Jin laughed and teased, "Is this the Xu household or the Zhao household?"

The group laughed and headed inside. Liu Yong drew a few steps closer and said in a low voice, "That maidservant is carrying a weapon. She must have had training. I'll have someone keep an eye on her."

Zhao Jin nodded. The group entered the room. The maidservant was not qualified to enter; she merely remained in the courtyard awaiting summons. Several of the Zhao Battalion's household troops also came in, saying only that they were awaiting orders.

The main hall had been transformed. Several folding screens partitioned off a separate space. A chair was placed beside the screens, while the other tables and chairs had been moved to the other side.

Xu Bende smiled and walked over beside the screens. At that moment, a clear, resonant voice rang out from behind the screens. One could tell it was a woman, but there was no trace of coyness or seductive charm in it.

"Young Master Zhao has built such a grand enterprise, yet lives so frugally himself. Truly, this humble one is filled with admiration."

Zhao Jin paused. If not for the words "this humble one" and the fact that it was a woman's voice, one would certainly have thought it was spoken by a gentleman of standing and renown.

This wasn't really a matter of valuing men over women. It was simply that women generally did not appear in public, so naturally their experience and breadth of knowledge were limited, and their thinking, speech, and bearing were consequently constrained. There were certain things they simply could not say, and could not even conceive of.

"Affairs keep me busy, so I haven't had time to attend to such things. But going forward, I do want to make my parents more comfortable," Zhao Jin replied with a smile.

"This humble one is Xu Zhenzhen. I pay my respects to Young Master Zhao, and to all of you gentlemen!" Behind the screen, the woman seemed to rise, and Xu Bende on that side rose as well.

Zhao Jin found the whole scene strange and awkward, but he still stood up, clasped his fists, and bowed. Chen Sheng and the others all did the same, and in this way they exchanged formal greetings. The screens had cleverly designed gaps and openings — Xu Zhenzhen could see this side from behind them, but this side could not see behind the screens.

At that moment, the door opened, and the Meng siblings entered carrying tea trays and cups. The younger sister carried hers behind the screens; the elder brother served the other guests.

After these days of recuperation, Meng Ziqi had grown much fairer. Calling her a budding beauty might be an overstatement, but she would certainly not be plain when she grew up. What was rare was the lively intelligence in her eyes — she looked adorable. Womenfolk who saw her always had to praise her a few times, but Xu Zhenzhen behind the screen said nothing.

Once the Meng siblings had withdrawn, Zhao Jin cleared his throat and spoke. By rights, it was best to let the other party state the purpose of their visit first, but Zhao Jin felt that if he didn't speak up, this place would become the Xu household, and he would have lost every shred of initiative.

"Miss Xu, today's gifts are too generous. Please take them back with you when you leave. Our two sides do not have such a deep relationship — such lavish gifts are unwarranted," Zhao Jin said, coming straight to the point.

He hadn't even seen her face, so there was no need for tender regard for the fairer sex. And in this era, respect for women was out of the question to begin with. What's more, the Xu family had seized the advantage at every turn and had already siphoned off several thousand able-bodied young men — so why stand on ceremony?

Hearing this, Xu Bende's expression grew very awkward. The voice behind the screen spoke again: "Young Master Zhao is too polite. A few miscellaneous goods hardly count as lavish gifts. When the refugees came south from the north, the Xu family shut its gates and defended itself. When the refugees besieged the city, the Xu family contributed no effort, and afterward we even took away over six thousand able-bodied people. The Xu family gained a great advantage without lifting a finger — it is only right that we make amends."

"Then it would be better to exchange them for silver," Zhao Jin said with a smile, though there was no laughter in his eyes. By this point, he was no longer treating the other party as a woman. This Xu Zhenzhen's thinking was clear and sharp — she was not inferior to any outstanding figure he had ever met.

"In that case, tomorrow the Xu family will send Young Master Zhao six thousand taels," Xu Zhenzhen said, her tone perfectly ordinary.

Zhao Jin paused. The several people beside him exchanged glances. After a moment's thought, Zhao Jin spoke: "Then let it be six thousand taels of silver. Let's stop sparring with words. Miss Xu, please state the purpose of your visit."

At these words, Xu Bende's eyes went wide. He really wanted silver, and not the gifts? He didn't even care about face or formalities anymore? But then Xu Bende shook his head with a rueful smile and remained sitting there in silence.

"Young Master Zhao is forthright in speech. This humble one has several matters to discuss with Young Master Zhao. First: the several hundred able-bodied men under Young Master Zhao's command are mostly equipped with captured weapons and armor. Master Shi's craftsmen have never forged many weapons or armor pieces before, and with insufficient manpower they cannot produce much. For now, it's enough to get by. But with Young Master Zhao's breadth of vision and ambition, the Zhao Battalion is certain to expand, and the demand for arms and armor will increase greatly. When that time comes, I fear Master Shi's craftsmen will no longer be able to keep up…"

Hearing this, Chen Sheng's expression turned grim. Liu Yong also looked around. Ruhui hesitated briefly, then said in a low voice, "These matters can be learned by asking around. One could deduce them through thought and estimation."

Only then did everyone relax a little. Just now, anyone would have thought that secrets had been leaked. Zhao Jin, of course, had figured it out clearly and remained silent, showing no reaction.

Xu Zhenzhen continued from the other side: "Iron smelting is the Xu family's core trade, and we are especially skilled in forging arms and armor. Our Xu family makes its living from iron smelting and has always striven for constant improvement — our quality is superb. In both Northern and Southern Zhili, in the provinces of Henan and Shandong, and even in Shanxi and Huguang, there are those who use our ironware. Moreover, our household has a great many craftsmen, so our output is naturally vast. A demand as large as the Zhao Battalion's can only be supplied by our Xu family. And since we are both in Xuzhou, regarding the price, please rest assured, Young Master Zhao — it will be absolutely fair."

If the Zhao Battalion expanded to two thousand men, the demand for armor, weapons, and all kinds of equipment would be enormous. And Zhao Jin's needs went beyond just the Zhao Battalion…

"Young Master Zhao, you have taken in over ten thousand refugees in various places. Farming tools must also be urgently needed. This, too, is a major line of the Xu family's business, and we are willing to supply them at fair prices," Xu Zhenzhen said, with perfect timing.

Zhao Jin stared at the screens for a moment. From the time he had first learned of Xu Zhenzhen until now, this was the first time he actually felt a desire to see the real person.

This woman's considerations were truly comprehensive, and she was truly pervasive. Equipment and farming tools — these were indeed urgent needs on Zhao Jin's side. Although Shi Manqiang's family blacksmith shop had expanded several times over, it was still far too small for Zhao Jin's requirements.

After taking He Family Village, they had immediately offered generous terms to attract blacksmiths to come and set up shop. Yet not many had come, and even fewer possessed outstanding craftsmanship. It had done virtually nothing to help with equipment.

Fortunately, the Zhao Battalion's scale had never been large. After sacking He Family Village and emptying Cloud Mountain Temple, the spoils of war and captured goods were quite substantial, so there had been no problems.

But now things were different. The Zhao Battalion needed arms and armor to expand. The large numbers of refugees they had gathered needed farming tools. And the great waves of refugees that might arrive here in the future would need them too. This demand was massive. Every time Zhao Jin thought about it, it gave him a headache. The Xu family, with coal and iron as their trade and located right at hand, was naturally one of the directions Zhao Jin had considered. But this was a matter of vital lifelines — if placed in someone else's hands, not only would it be beyond his control, the hidden dangers would also be immense. They still had to be self-reliant.

But times had changed. Now that Xu Zhenzhen was taking the initiative to propose this, the situation was different from when he had considered it before.

"The smithy will be set up at He Village or another location I designate. You send the men and provide the materials. If the weapons and tools produced pass inspection, I will pay for them at market price." Zhao Jin pondered a moment, then stated his terms.

Xu Bende's expression grew cautious at this. He turned toward the screen, murmured a few words in a low voice, then fell silent.

Before long, Xu Zhenzhen behind the screen spoke again: "All expenses for the smithy's furnace and equipment shall be borne by your side. The artisans' lodging and board here shall also be your responsibility. Submit a list of requirements in advance, and pay thirty percent up front."

The moment this was said, Zhao Jin glanced left and right. Chen Sheng and Liu Yong were fine with it. Ruhui pondered briefly, then nodded in agreement. But Xu Bende over on the other side grew frantic and turned to speak — before he could open his mouth, more words came from within, and he deflated at once, turning back around.

"Agreed. The broad strokes are settled thus? The details to be discussed further?" Zhao Jin gave his reply. From behind the screen came a calm answer: "As Young Master Zhao proposes, then."

From start to finish, this was the only line that sounded like a woman's tone. Yet the attitude of Zhao Jin and his men all turned serious. This young woman behind the screen, whose face they still had not seen, was no less capable than they were.

"Young Master Zhao, the Xu family's ironware sells far and wide, but the roads are never smooth. The reason is simple: ironware can be made into weapons — that means huge profits. Every place along the route wants a cut, which puts the Xu family in a very difficult position. If Young Master Zhao were willing to step forward, then every petty crook along the way would not dare make trouble, and everything would become far more convenient for the Xu family." Xu Zhenzhen spoke again.

Zhao Jin's brow furrowed. Ever since both sides had taken their seats, this Xu Zhenzhen had done nothing but make demand after demand of the Zhao Camp — do this, do that. What gave her the standing to presume so? Zhao Jin cleared his throat, about to speak.

"Young Master Zhao, to call our family's firelocks the finest in the north may be boasting, but it is not far from the truth. And we have been at it so long, our insights run deep. Even if someone else wanted to start making them, the trial and error would cost a great deal of time and silver. If Young Master Zhao wishes to devote effort to firelocks, the Xu family is willing to help. Skilled artisans can also be provided. Everything is open to discussion." Xu Zhenzhen spoke in a measured, unhurried tone.

After hearing this woman out, Zhao Jin could no longer even register that she was a woman. He brooded in silence for a moment. Chen Sheng lowered his voice and said, "That day when you went mad over the firelock, this wench probably saw it all."

Ruhui leaned in, wanting to say something, but Zhao Jin waved him off. Zhao Jin raised his head and spoke: "Where do you want to ship your goods?"

"For Shandong, the Xu family has its own trade routes. It is the two destinations of Henan and Huai'an Prefecture where the harassment is too much. We hope Young Master Zhao can help."

"What are you selling to these two places?" Zhao Jin asked in a deep voice. Huai'an Prefecture was a Huai salt production area. To guarantee fuel for boiling salt, land reclamation was forbidden there. Vast tracts of tidal flats and wasteland, overgrown with reeds and wild grass. Because there was so much barren land, the population was sparse, and the demand for ironware was naturally low. Why would the Xu family list Huai'an Prefecture alongside Henan Province? Zhao Jin found this truly strange.

This time it was Xu Bende who answered. Xu Bende could also sense that his side had gained the upper hand. Smiling, he said, "Young Master Zhao may not be aware, but boiling salt requires iron cauldrons. Yet boiling salt corrodes iron cauldrons terribly. The various salt works there have always had a huge demand for cauldrons. As for Henan…"

At this point, Xu Bende glanced back at the screen. Likely having received approval from the person within, he continued: "In truth, iron cauldrons are also a bulk item there. But some are transported on to Shanxi. And for other ironware, the civilian demand across the prefectures and counties of Henan is considerable."

Transporting iron cauldrons to Shanxi? Zhao Jin was first taken aback, but then he immediately thought of Wang Ziyang at the mule and horse market, who wanted to ship Han Well Famous Liquor to Shanxi. The ultimate destination was surely the Mongol tribes on the steppe.

Did the Mongol tribes need that many iron cauldrons for cooking? Ironware was precious on the steppe and did not rust easily. Every iron cauldron would be used for a very long time. The only reason demand was so high was that their iron smelting was primitive — they needed iron stock to forge weapons. The cauldrons were for exactly that.

As for Henan, they did not specify details, only saying "ironware." A moment's thought made it clear this was definitely the arms trade. Henan was full of stockades, walled villages, and armed bands. Whether local strongmen or greenwood heroes, they all needed weapons to have any fighting strength. Steel weapons naturally had a ready market.

Thinking of this, Zhao Jin thought again of Huai'an Prefecture. With so many tracts of wild grass there, quite a few outlaws hid within them — the so-called "grass-lair bandits." They, presumably, also bought weapons from the Xu family.

None of these businesses could stand much daylight, but they were certainly wildly profitable. Under normal circumstances, Zhao Jin would of course be unwilling to get involved. But this Xu Zhenzhen was far too shrewd. She had directly put the manufacture of firelocks on the table as a bargaining chip. And she had spoken very practically — for Zhao Jin to figure it out on his own would take too much time, whereas the skilled artisans here were ready and available.

Weighing the pros and cons, Zhao Jin's expression had already darkened. Xu Bende, sitting beside the screen, kept glancing at Zhao Jin. This young master was a god of slaughter — he absolutely must not be offended.