Chapter 333: The Women

"Fine, but the places my Zhao Character Camp can reach are limited to Xuzhou Prefecture. Ten li or so beyond the prefecture border is also possible, but any farther would likely be difficult." Zhao Jin answered. Xu Bende's eyes widened—he had actually agreed.

"Henan is easy to handle. My Xu family's goods only need delivering to the border. It's just that some tyrannical sorts harbor ill intentions, so for the Huai'an Prefecture side, we must still ask the Zhao Character Camp to escort us all the way to the receiving point." Xu Zhenzhen persisted.

"We can discuss the details later. What use is agreeing now if it can't be done?" Zhao Jin shook his head. Huai'an Prefecture was different from Henan. Zhao Jin's first reaction was that they could go, but he would not agree outright.

"Very well, Young Master Zhao, we appreciate your trouble." This was practically the second sentence spoken in a woman's tone.

Chen Sheng and Liu Yong both looked rather displeased. Ru Hui, however, furrowed his brow, glanced at the screen, then at Zhao Jin, adjusted his headscarf, and suddenly smiled.

Zhao Jin lightly patted his thigh a few times and spoke: "Kong Jiuying must be a major client of your Xu family, isn't he?"

The moment the name "Kong Jiuying" left his mouth, Xu Bende's expression changed. He stared hard at Zhao Jin, his body trembling slightly.

"Master Kong spends quite a sum with our family." Xu Zhenzhen answered calmly.

"Zhenzhen!" Xu Bende shouted angrily, already somewhat frantic as he stood up.

The reply from behind the screen remained calm and unruffled, clear and pleasant to the ear: "Third Uncle, what is there that can't be spoken of? No need to be anxious."

Zhao Jin smiled and pointed at Xu Bende: "Eldest Miss, this Xu Bende isn't in collusion with Kong Jiuying, is he?"

Xu Bende's body shuddered violently. He turned around, only to see Liu Yong and Chen Sheng staring right at him. The color instantly drained from his face, leaving it deathly pale.

"Third Uncle is utterly loyal to our Xu family and has no dealings with Kong Jiuying. He was merely thinking of our family's interests, unwilling to invite trouble and disaster." Xu Zhenzhen explained.

Zhao Jin still wore a slight smile as he continued asking: "Kong Jiuying's territory spans three provinces, and he has an estate in Xuzhou. I presume your Xu family delivers goods right to his door?"

"Exactly. The demand for weapons, horse tack, and farming tools at the Kong estate is considerable, and they also sell weapons in all directions. The Xu family delivers goods to every part of his estate."

"Good. When the time comes, we will certainly need the Xu family to guide the way!" Zhao Jin said in a clear, loud voice.

Xu Bende's body was already trembling. No longer bothering to lower his voice, he simply turned his head and said: "Niece Zhenzhen, this must not be done, must not be done! That Kong Jiuying is a man-eating tiger. If he learns of today's matter, then you will have ruined the Xu family, ruined all of us!"

"Third Uncle, our Xu family is busy digging coal and smelting iron. We have no mind for martial aggression. But do you truly believe Kong Jiuying dares to move against us?" Xu Zhenzhen behind the screen also raised her voice.

Zhao Jin drew a deep breath, then nodded. This woman was truly no simple character. Kong Jiuying might run rampant across the borderlands of three provinces, but the Xu family was likewise a colossal entity. Their several thousand able-bodied men were all coal miners and ironworkers, but if issued weapons, they could fight too. The Xu family ran legitimate business and naturally had no wish to clash with a major underworld figure like Kong Jiuying. But if they truly tore off all pretense, the outcome was far from certain—only that both sides would suffer catastrophic losses.

Over on that side, Xu Bende stood stunned. Perhaps he had simply never considered this. Xu Zhenzhen's voice returned to its calm as she continued: "Kong Jiuying is a great scourge. He extorts a cut from every Xu family business venture into Shandong and Henan. These past few years, he has repeatedly pressured our family, wanting to take control of all sales in Shandong and Henan himself. If Young Master Zhao would righteously eliminate this menace, the Xu family is willing to lend its full support."

The room fell silent. Zhao Jin was taken aback. He turned to look at Chen Sheng, then at Liu Yong, then glanced back at Cao Ruhui, who wore a faint, enigmatic smile, and couldn't help shaking his head. Zhao Jin's expression at that moment was also rather peculiar. He had thought he held the initiative this time, but how had it ended up with him doing the work for someone else's gain? This Xu Zhenzhen seemed to have long harbored a need to eliminate Kong Jiuying, and he had just delivered himself right into her hands.

Right at this awkward moment, laughter rang out in the room. It was Ruhui, sitting there, laughing quite happily.

Zhao Jin turned his head and looked at Ruhui, puzzled. Then he couldn't help laughing out loud himself, shaking his head as he laughed. Over on the other side, Xu Bende had sat back down in his seat, looking somewhat at a loss.

"Eldest Miss Xu is truly extraordinary. Only today do I understand why the Xu family is so prosperous and thriving." Laughing too much would be discourteous. Zhao Jin laughed a few times, then stood up and spoke with solemnity.

"Young Master Zhao, you flatter me. Managing the household as a woman, I've drawn who knows how much idle gossip. But such a vast family enterprise cannot simply be watched as it falls apart." Xu Zhenzhen's voice carried a slight tremor of emotion.

Everyone in the room looked at Zhao Jin with astonished eyes. Xu Zhenzhen was indeed outstanding, but she was, after all, a woman. For a man of Zhao Jin's stature, was there any need for such praise?

Zhao Jin himself found it perfectly natural. This Eldest Miss of the Xu family was truly remarkable—meticulous in her calculations, settling so many matters in their very first meeting, and maintaining the initiative at every turn.

As Xu Zhenzhen spoke these words, everyone saw the embarrassed look on Xu Bende's face. Such a vast Xu family, yet managed by a woman. As a male member of the family, his embarrassment was indeed warranted.

It was time to take leave and see the guests off. Inevitably, Zhao Jin and his group accompanied Xu Bende out of the courtyard. After the sedan chair was carried in, the maidservant remained in the courtyard. In any case, the young lady would step out from behind the screen and directly into the chair, unseen by any others.

Once the sedan chair had left the courtyard, Zhao Jin and the others went back inside. The Meng siblings hurried into the room to tidy up. Ruhui, however, called out to stop Meng Ziqi and said with a smile: "Little sister, when you went behind the screen to serve tea just now, what did that elder sister look like?"

Everyone was stunned. Chen Sheng's brow furrowed deeply, and even He Cuihua in the inner room coughed once. Cao Ruhui's question was far too frivolous.

Meng Ziqi was first taken aback, then immediately blushed bright red with embarrassment. Ruhui, normally so worldly-wise and tactful, seemed utterly unconcerned with everyone's reactions and opinions. He actually bent over and pressed further: "Tell me, was that elder sister pretty or plain?"

Meng Ziqi was so flustered she didn't know how to react. Finally, in a voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz, she said: "Pretty, and very kind, too."

Having said this, she fled out with the tea tray. Meng Zhiqi nearby shot Ruhui a vicious glare as he finished tidying up. Ruhui, however, seemed completely oblivious and said with a smile: "Children don't know how to lie. At the very least, this Eldest Miss Xu's appearance can be considered proper and upright."

This made everyone feel increasingly strange. Chen Sheng and Liu Yong exchanged a glance and simply decided to ignore him. Chen Sheng came straight to the point: "Zhao Jin, you don't actually trust this Xu family, do you? What if they are in collusion?"

"If the Xu family and the Kong family are in collusion, and our Zhao Character Camp walks into an ambush halfway, then total annihilation is possible. However, with the Xu family's help, our move to wipe out the Kong Estate would be at its most covert and most convenient." Zhao Jin spoke.

Seeing that Zhao Jin had it all thought out, Chen Sheng and Liu Yong said no more. Zhao Jin smiled and said: "The Xu family raised so many conditions and demands tonight. If they can't help with this, then everything else is off the table. Let them go back and think over the stakes involved!"

"The East Master is seventeen this year, isn't he?" Ruhui asked. Zhao Jin nodded subconsciously.

"This subordinate knows the East Master's age, yet every time I ask, I find it hard to believe. At such an age, how can you have built such a grand enterprise? Truly a hero, a great man!" Ruhui said with emotion.

Everyone was discussing serious matters—how could this man, supposedly their chief strategist, be so absurd? Every single person was baffled.

Xu Bende had come by carriage. When he left the courtyard, however, he did not board it, but instead walked quickly alongside the sedan chair. The street in front of the Zhao residence was full of fully armed household guards, so he did not speak.

Once they exited the intersection, the mounted escort that had been blocked outside also caught up. Xu Bende drew close to the sedan chair, about to speak, when one of the bearers warned in a low voice: "Third Master, mind your words. The vicinity is not clean."

Xu Bende was startled. He looked to both sides and noticed some "idlers" squatting by the roadside. But the sky was already so dark, and there were no gambling dens or brothels here. The street was deserted—who would come here specifically to idle and chat?

They walked outward for two more streets like this when they saw six or seven ruffians gathered in a circle ahead. The moment they spotted the procession approaching, the ruffians quickly scattered and ran off. Inside the circle they had surrounded were four squatting men, their faces bruised. They looked utterly disheveled. Seeing the Xu family procession arrive, they stood up and came forward.

The mounted escort was about to block them when Xu Bende, beside the sedan chair, said impatiently: "They're our own men."

After the four men ran over, Xu Bende waved for the procession to stop and asked with a frown: "What happened? Weren't you told to scout around?"

"Third Master, the moment we small ones arrived, we were surrounded. Before we could even make a move, they pulled out their knives. It was only when we small ones reported the Xu family name that they didn't strike."

"Incompetent. Disgraceful..."

"Third Uncle, let's go back early. Shouting here is even more disgraceful." A cold voice came from the sedan chair.

Xu Bende shot a vicious glare at those men, then resumed walking beside the sedan chair. They hadn't gone far when, seeing no one else around, Xu Bende said somewhat anxiously: "Niece, agreeing to those things for Zhao Jin will wound the very foundation of our Xu family. If we follow through on all of this, that Zhao Jin, a man already like a wolf or tiger, will surely get ideas about swallowing us up."

Seeing no answer from the sedan chair, Xu Bende spoke again: "Niece, you've always made the decisions in the Xu family, big and small. Third Uncle has never had a word to say. But this matter is too great. I must discuss it with your father..."

"Third Uncle, you also know he is a wolf and a tiger. Shouldn't we exchange for some benefits and make a friend while we haven't yet fallen out, rather than wait until we do fall out and have him simply seize it all?" Xu Zhenzhen's voice from the sedan chair was very cold.

Xu Bende froze and stopped in his tracks. Once he recovered, he hurriedly chased after them again and said, rather flustered and exasperated: "If that Zhao Jin dares to make a move against our Xu family, our nearly ten thousand able-bodied men will give him a show he won't forget."

"Nearly ten thousand able-bodied men. With so many people, why then do we grovel before Kong Jiuying? Zhao Jin holds Cloud Mountain Temple in his grasp and has recruited so many refugees. Do you think he couldn't muster nearly ten thousand able-bodied men himself?" Xu Zhenzhen's tone was calm and grim.

"Big Brother, the Xu family sent a few scouts wanting to probe the situation around here. They were caught by the lads and have all been released now." Liu Yong had long since received the report from outside and directly relayed it to Zhao Jin.

Zhao Jin nodded. Chen Sheng glanced at the night sky and turned back to say: "Tonight I'll go keep watch at the freight yard. You stay at home for the night."

"Dasheng, you've finally come back once. Spend more time with your parents." Zhao Jin said with a smile.

Chen Sheng shook his head and said: "I'm one of two brothers. Your family only has you. It's not the same."

As he spoke, he was already out the door. Liu Yong over on the other side said his farewells and left as well. Ruhui, who had been lost in thought about who knows what, hurriedly called out: "Little Brother Liu, wait for me. Let's go together."

Zhao Jin hadn't yet reacted when Ruhui had already dashed out at a run. All he heard from outside was Ruhui asking, "... our side has made very detailed inquiries about the Xu family, so..." The footsteps and voices both faded into the distance.

With the outsider gone, Zhao Zhentang and He Cuihua came out from the inner room. Zhao Zhentang's shoulder was still bandaged, but with the dressing changed and medicine applied every day, it was improving day by day. It was all thanks to the Zhao family having the means — anyone else, wounded in such stifling hot weather, would likely have had the wound fester long ago. Even if they were lucky, the arm would have been lost.

Moreover, Zhao Jin had given special instructions that the bandages used to dress the wound must be boiled in water and then exposed to the blazing sun, and used ones were to be discarded outright. This had also played a part.

"Why don't we just buy the neighboring house? Every time you have a guest, your mother and I have to hide away in the room. Such a hassle," Zhao Zhentang said with a laugh.

Zhao Jin scratched his head and answered with a smile, "Better that I buy a large residence and hire more servants. Father and Mother should be enjoying life by now."

"I'm not moving. This house has good feng shui — otherwise how would you have survived a brush with death and turned out so promising? And your father just throws money around. You're over at He Village all day; how many times can you even come back? If there were guests to entertain at home every day, I'd rather put up with it," his mother He Cuihua cut in sharply.

After saying this, He Cuihua called Zhao San's wife in and told her to bring Zhao Jin some pastries. When only the family of three remained in the room, Mother He Cuihua frowned and said, "Xiao Jin, those brothers of yours are all fine, no different from blood brothers. But this Ruhui — Mother doesn't like him. He's older, not decent. Another family's girl holding up the household, showing her face in public, is already hard enough, and he actually went asking about her looks, all slick and sleazy. A person like that, you need to keep your distance."

"What does a woman like you know? Don't talk nonsense. Xiao Jin is so clever — how could he not understand these things? Besides, this Ruhui was a notable figure in Xuzhou back in the day. How could he be bad?" Father Zhao Zhentang scolded bluntly.

After saying this, Zhao Zhentang cleared his throat and said, "Still, this Ruhui is quite the ladies' man. Some matters... Xiao Jin, you're not short on silver now, and with such power and prestige, you must keep yourself in check when it comes to women. Don't drain your health. Mother of the child, isn't it time we arranged a marriage for Xiao Jin?"

Zhao Jin started coughing too. The topic was veering stranger and stranger, and in the end it had landed squarely on him. Ruhui's behavior tonight had indeed been unlike usual, but all he needed was to find out the reason. How had it come to his own marriage?

At this, He Cuihua nodded repeatedly and said, "We must search carefully. There aren't many girls worthy of our Xiao Jin."

At this point, He Cuihua thought of Mu Shulan again and said with some emotion, "I wonder how little Lan is doing?"

"Stop going on about it. Whether we'll ever see her again is anyone's guess," Zhao Zhentang said indifferently.

Hearing his parents bring up that name, Zhao Jin felt a moment of loss as well. Where exactly was little Lan? He had even asked Zheng Quan about her separately, but Zheng Quan and his wife had no news at all.

Everyone under heaven knew that Shandong was now a hell on earth. There had been drought for two years — people exchanged their children to eat, and uprisings were everywhere. Hell itself probably held no scene so cruel.

Of Shandong's six prefectures, Dengzhou, Laizhou, and Qingzhou were the most devastated. Jinan and Yanzhou, though still barely getting by, were stirred up by refugees from the other areas, turning what was a seven-tenths disaster into a twelve-tenths one. Apart from the prefectural seats and a few key locations, everywhere was scarred and ruined. The only place somewhat better off was Dongchang Prefecture.

Dongchang was the smallest of Shandong's six prefectures. Small in area, it had two key canal hub towns — one was the prefectural seat of Liaocheng, the other was Linqing Subprefecture. But relying on canal transport, trade, and commerce, it could still sustain the entire prefecture. Add to that a few years of barely passable weather, and with Yanzhou and Jinan blocking the disaster victims, life there was still tolerable.

But with famine victims on the move, no place could avoid it entirely. Quite a few had also flooded into Dongchang. The authorities and the common folk were naturally on high alert, but unexpectedly, most of these refugees went to Yanzhou instead. Word had it they even surged toward South Zhili.

The refugees who could flee all went south. Those who couldn't died at home or on the road. Dongchang Prefecture, against all odds, became peaceful and prosperous.

This was like fortune falling from heaven. Everywhere, people burned incense and worshipped Buddha, making vows and giving thanks. Word spread quietly among the people that Dongchang had escaped such a great calamity because a Holy Maiden had performed rituals, invoking Maitreya's protection to ward off evil spirits and demons.

Though the word was quiet, anyone who made even a little effort to inquire could find where the Holy Maiden was — in Linqing Subprefecture, near the border of North Zhili.

The provincial capital of Shandong was Jinan, and the prefectural seat of Dongchang was Liaocheng, but neither compared to Linqing's prosperity. The wealthiest and most flourishing places in Shandong all lay along the canal — one was Jining Subprefecture, the other was Linqing Subprefecture. Judging by the city's size alone, Linqing was several times larger than Liaocheng, perhaps even more.

Linqing thrived on the canal. Along the canal docks and on both banks, shops and warehouses stood everywhere, along with the grand residences of some wealthy and powerful families.

The Holy Maiden was staying in the largest of these households — the residence of Canal Inspector Li. Countless goods and wealth passed north and south along the canal every day, and all of it went through Inspector Li's hands. He had long since amassed a colossal fortune. This Inspector Li had taken one wife, but had over a dozen concubines.

Despite all his wives and concubines, Inspector Li had only one son, though he had seven daughters. And because this son was his sole heir, born when he was nearly forty, the boy had been spoiled from childhood and had always been in poor health.

Last year, he caught a wind-cold illness and took to his bed, too sick to rise. This threw the entire Li household into panic. Inspector Li was now nearly fifty, his heart willing but his body weak. If this child were lost, his vast fortune would all go to outsiders. For Inspector Li's whole family, it was as if the sky had collapsed.

They sought doctors and asked after medicines, spending silver like flowing water. They invited famous physicians from Jining, from Jinan, and even from the capital. Yet the sole heir's condition only worsened day by day. It was clear he was nearing the end.

At this point, Inspector Li truly cast aside all restraint. He began inviting Buddhist monks, Daoist priests, and spirit mediums into his home. Naturally, more large sums of silver were spent, but the child's health only deteriorated further — he was truly heading down the road to death.