Chapter 337: Guard Post Commander Jia

This time it was Ruhui who was stunned, his smile freezing on his face. He had never imagined Zhao Jin would give such an answer — it was utterly unexpected.

The room fell silent again. Ruhui, having recovered his wits, slowly shook his head and looked at Zhao Jin. "Master, if you already find life this dull, what will you do later on?"

A smile appeared on Zhao Jin's face. He answered slowly, "There is gain and loss in all things. Besides, if it is dull here, great joy can be found elsewhere."

After saying this, Zhao Jin stood up. "In the future, let's dispense with the cryptic talk and verbal sparring. This marriage alliance must be made. The Xu family is too large. If they marry into another family, a new, uncontrolled power will appear out of nowhere, greatly hindering us. Handle this matter quickly and report back as soon as possible!"

This time, a bitter smile also appeared on Ruhui's face. He rose and accepted the order. "Please await good news, Master. Your subordinate will go and busy himself with this at once."

Watching Ruhui leave, Zhao Jin shook his head. Ruhui was shrewd, shrewd enough, and possessed a set of political maneuvering skills, but at his core, he could not shed the temperament of a romantic scholar. He had suppressed himself to avenge his father back then, but now, with no burdens and few strict rules under his command, his true nature was gradually resurfacing. With such a disposition, he could only serve as an advisor; he likely would not thrive in officialdom.

The courtyard at the goods yard was already bustling with noise. The family soldiers on leave all had their addresses recorded here, making the recall notice simple. The soldiers on leave had now all returned to the ranks.

Zhao Jin opened a wooden chest in the corner and took out a ledger, flipping through it. As expected, there was no punctuation, making it a real hassle to decipher. Zhao Jin put the court gazette back, strode out, and went to observe the morale of his men.

But before he could leave the courtyard, he ran into Dong Bingfeng, who had hurried back. A trip from the city to the Qingjun Office at the Xuzhou Guard outside the city should take at least two hours. How had he returned so quickly?

Dong Bingfeng, usually a man of few words and calm demeanor, was furious. The moment he saw Zhao Jin, he spoke. "Brother, when I was arranging for my family to leave the city, I never expected my father and Commander Jia had been waiting inside the city all along. They are heading this way now. This matter was handled so shabbily by them."

Zhao Jin laughed in spite of himself. The people from the Xuzhou Guard truly acted in a wretched manner. Afraid and unwilling to lose face, they sent a junior like Dong Bingfeng to sound him out, and then, fearing they would offend by arriving late, they waited inside the city early. But this only made Dong Bingfeng feel humiliated.

"Let Uncle Dong go to my home to visit my father. Have this Commander Jia come by himself," Zhao Jin said with a smile.

Zhao Jin did not say much more, giving a crisp and direct reply. This made the somewhat embarrassed Dong Bingfeng feel much better, and he immediately turned and ran out.

Zhao Jin had heard his father speak of this Commander Jia. His family had been in the Xuzhou Guard for many generations. It was said his ancestor had risen to prominence by following the Yongle Emperor during the Jingnan Campaign. The title had been passed down through the generations. One of Commander Jia's younger sisters had married into a family in Nanjing, reportedly becoming a concubine of a certain powerful figure's younger brother. Relying on this connection, he had always managed affairs in the Xuzhou Guard. A concubine of a powerful figure's younger brother — it did not sound respectable, but in the Xuzhou region, it was already a considerable status.

As he was thinking this, the courtyard gate opened. Dong Bingfeng led in a portly middle-aged man. Zhao Jin remained seated, unmoving, merely narrowing his eyes to observe.

How was it that every hereditary officer in the guard post looked nothing like a military man, but rather like a wealthy merchant or landlord? Dong Bingfeng's father, Dong Jike, was like this, and the man before him was even more so. If not told beforehand, one would simply see a fat, well-fed rich squire, with not a single trace of a warrior visible on him.

If not for his face being slick with oil and grease, this Commander Jia could even be called handsome — otherwise, his sister would not have married so well. But now, he was so fat he was beyond recognition, and his looks were no longer worth mentioning.

The moment Commander Jia entered, he saw Zhao Jin. The young man was sitting there with a bold, assertive posture, showing no intention of rising to greet him. Commander Jia frowned, his face immediately showing displeasure. Zhao Jin's prestige was one thing, but he was still a junior. Moreover, no matter how powerless a Commandant was, he was still a military officer of the upper third rank. Zhao Jin's own father was only a Centurion, and Zhao Jin himself was merely a village headman without official rank. This arrogance was far too excessive.

Before coming, Commander Jia had indeed been uneasy. As a native of Xuzhou, he naturally knew the power of local strongmen. But upon seeing Zhao Jin in person, seeing how young he looked, he immediately put on his own airs.

"So this is the young fellow Zhao Jin, is it? Zhao Zhentang was so down and out back then, who would have thought his son would turn out so accomplished!" Before Dong Bingfeng could even make the introduction, Commander Jia spoke in a loud, casual manner.

Zhao Jin rose from his seat with a smile. The anxious Dong Bingfeng was taken aback, and a smile appeared on Commander Jia's face. Old Dong had described this Zhao Jin as a man-eating tiger, but in the end, he was just a youth, easily fooled by a few words. This Zhao Jin had many businesses in his hands — perhaps there was some profit to be made? Commander Jia's mind began to wander with wild thoughts.

"This is no place to receive guests. Commander Jia, follow me!" Zhao Jin walked out of the room with a smile, making no gesture of cupping his fists in salute or any other courtesy. He simply walked right past Commander Jia.

Such utter disregard! A little mutual respect would have sufficed, yet he was still this arrogant. If pushed too far, he would write a letter to his brother-in-law. Thinking this, Commander Jia, his face dark, still followed Zhao Jin outside.

Because he sensed something was wrong. The Dong family boy, who had treated him as an elder just moments ago, was now looking at him coldly, his hand resting on his saber hilt. It sent a chill through his heart. Truly, the world was degenerating — did young people no longer know how to respect their elders?

Zhao Jin led Commander Jia to the open ground of the goods yard where they usually drilled troops. A dozen or so soldiers were moving equipment there, as the main force was about to return to He Village, and naturally, much of the gear and supplies had to be taken back.

"Pass my order: all family soldiers, assemble here in formation! Be accounted for within a count of fifty!" Zhao Jin stood there and announced loudly. Behind him, Commander Jia was huffing angrily, still unaware of what was happening.

Before Zhao Jin's words had even faded, the dozen or so family soldiers immediately dropped their tasks and scattered in all directions, running. Commander Jia, however, said with great annoyance, "What did you bring me here for? There's too much dust."

He had just finished speaking when he saw young men holding long spears running swiftly into the open ground from every entrance. Each one had a stern expression, and their weapons gleamed with cold light. Commander Jia immediately retreated several steps and said, somewhat flustered, "What are you doing? I am an appointed official of the court! I know your father..."

Zhao Jin impatiently raised his hand. Commander Jia immediately shut his mouth but kept glancing around nervously, clearly searching for an escape route.

No one knew if the count of fifty had been reached, but the time from Zhao Jin's order to the assembly's completion was indeed very short. The family soldiers of the Zhao Camp stood in a solemn formation, spears in hand, gazing straight ahead.

Because it was an impromptu muster, many soldiers had not had time to change, and their attire was not uniform. But this unit, having undergone the bloody battle beneath the city walls against the refugees, had been completely reborn. Simply standing there according to their standard drill manual, they already radiated a dense, murderous aura.

Commander Jia took one look and dared not move. Although he knew nothing of martial skills and spent his days thinking only of pleasure, feasting, and amassing wealth, he was still a hereditary officer of the guard post and had seen some things. Many in the guard post were content to farm in peace, but there were also those who sought rank and glory with blade and spear. Not to mention far away, right here, several served as personal guards under Vice General Zhou. And these young men before him, dressed in motley clothes, possessed an aura strikingly similar to those personal guards.

Though the weather was scorching, Commander Jia felt the open ground suddenly turn cold and gloomy. He only wanted to lower his head, bend his waist, and make his body as small as possible. Before the assembled ranks of the Zhao Camp, he could barely catch his breath.

Zhao Jin looked at the formation before him and nodded. These several hundred young men had shed their initial roughness and become a sharp, gleaming weapon in his hand. Every time he saw them, he could not help but feel a surge of pride.

After a moment of silence, Zhao Jin turned his head with a smile and said, "Commander Jia, that day, a hundred thousand refugees were at the city walls. I, along with these several hundred brothers, charged in and fought, achieving a great victory and lifting the siege, saving Xuzhou. This is my backing. On what grounds do you put on airs before me?"

Commander Jia's body trembled violently, and his face turned deathly pale. He wanted to say he was a military officer of the fourth rank, an appointed official of the court, and to mention how many men the Xuzhou Guard had. But not a single word could leave his mouth. The young man before him and the power behind him were simply too overwhelming. Perhaps if they truly tore off all pretense, they would be no match for the imperial army, but before that happened, he and his entire family would be annihilated.

"This... this... I..." Commander Jia stammered several times, unable to get a word out.

"That day, when Xuzhou was in peril, even villages of barely a thousand people sent over a hundred militia. The Xuzhou Guard had so many able-bodied men and armaments, yet when I sent someone to request aid, no one came. Only now, after all this time, has someone come to explain. I find it strange — with such fearless courage, why did you all shrink back and hide then?" Zhao Jin's words left no room for face-saving.

Dong Bingfeng, standing to the side, was calm enough, but Chen Sheng, who had just arrived, already had his hand on his saber hilt, staring coldly at Commander Jia.

Although the great battle beneath the city walls that day had ended in victory, those reinforcements who should have come but did not were still detestable. Victory was good, of course, but had they lost, these people would have been accomplices to the slaughter. Zhao Jin and his companions naturally would not react kindly.

"No, no, shutting the gates to protect ourselves was a joint decision of several commanders... Young Master Zhao, Young Master Zhao, have mercy, spare me. For the sake of you also coming from a guard post background, spare me!" Commander Jia stammered, begging for mercy. His legs were already trembling. In this situation, he truly feared being cut down with a single stroke.

At this moment, Commander Jia felt like slapping himself several times. He had been this terrified before coming, and had thought about how this young master had fought his way out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood beneath the city walls. Who would dare offend such a person to the point of enmity? He had come to apologize and beg forgiveness, to let the matter pass.

But once he arrived, he had lost his head. Seeing the other party was young and also from a guard post family, he could not help but put on his usual airs. As a result, he had provoked this situation, which now looked like a death trap no matter how he viewed it.

Zhao Jin stared at Commander Jia for a moment. Just as Commander Jia was about to kneel and kowtow, Zhao Jin finally spoke. "I am busy with many affairs today and have no time to chat with you. Three days from now, come to He Village. We will discuss matters in detail there. You may leave now!"