Chapter 341: Night Dream

After rushing about all day and exchanging hollow pleasantries with those gentry and notables in the evening — and having had hardly any real rest while inside Xuzhou city — once he returned from the wagon inn, exhaustion surged over him. He could barely hold on.

"You should rest early too. I'm going to sleep first."

"Master, please go and rest. Your subordinate will sort through last year's court gazettes. Tomorrow you'll be able to see the first batch," Ruhui said with a smile.

There had been little wind these past few days in Xuzhou's prefectural seat, so the stench of corpses being burned outside the city lingered unbearably long, making everyone deeply uncomfortable. He Village was much better in that regard — only the smell of cow and horse dung remained. Zhao Jin's room there was also spacious and cool. He dragged his body to the bedside, collapsed, and fell straight asleep.

Zhao Jin rarely dreamed, but he had experienced too much these past days. After falling asleep, he drifted hazily into a dream.

In a dream, one never realizes everything is illusion. Zhao Jin found himself walking along a broad road, his companions following behind. The chubby Sun Dalei was among them too, stammering, "Big Brother, I... I'm not scared. I just have family matters at home."

"You really are that much of a coward," Chen Sheng cursed with a laugh from the side. The others all burst into jeering laughter.

Zhao Jin had already forgotten that Sun Dalei had died in battle. He only felt that he was still alive. Listening to his companions joke and laugh, his heart was filled with nothing but pure joy.

They all just kept walking forward like that, chatting and laughing, with no idea where they were heading. They simply felt happy walking together.

Perhaps they had walked a very long way, or perhaps only a few steps. Sun Dalei stopped and said, "Big Brother, all my brothers, I have to go home now. You all keep walking."

"Stop using home as an excuse! Your parents are both over in Yutou Town. What fun would you have going home by yourself?" Jixiang heckled.

"I really have to go. My parents miss me. Big Brother, walk well, all of you!" Sun Dalei said with a smile, standing by the roadside and waving goodbye to everyone.

Zhao Jin waved back with a smile. Chen Sheng shook his head and said, "Dalei's problem has always been his mouth. Every time he charges in with the rest of us, and every time he shrinks back afterward."

"That's just how he is. He's one of our own brothers — why fuss over so much!" Zhao Jin said with a laugh. Beside him, Wang Zhaojing and the others nodded repeatedly.

After walking on a stretch, Zhao Jin looked back and saw Sun Dalei still standing there waving. Zhao Jin waved again and called out, "Hurry on back now! See you tomorrow!"

His voice was not quiet, but Sun Dalei gave no reply. Zhao Jin paid it no mind and led the group onward. The road was very broad, yet almost empty of people. Far, far ahead, there seemed to be some figures moving about — but overall it was desolate and vast. The fields on both sides of the road were empty too, yet there were many, many people on either side. They didn't look like farmers, and their faces were indistinct. Zhao Jin couldn't be bothered to care.

After walking another stretch, Wang Zhaojing tapped his forehead and said, "Brother Zhao, everyone — this humble brother still needs to study. I take my leave now."

"Bah! You just don't want to walk with the rest of us. You look down on us martial types," Chen Sheng said bluntly.

Dasheng was never this direct and harsh in word or deed. What was wrong with him today? Zhao Jin turned and shot him a glare. Wang Zhaojing still had a smile on his face as he cupped his fists and bowed, saying, "I take my leave."

With that, he turned aside. Out of nowhere, a rather spacious path had appeared branching off the main road. Wang Zhaojing strode quickly onto it.

"We're all brothers here. Besides, his family is so noble and scholarly — of course he should be studying. Saying something like that only wounds the bond between us all," Zhao Jin couldn't help saying.

"You say we're all brothers, but his mind is full of schemes. He always treats the rest of us like fools. It infuriates me just looking at him," Chen Sheng said indignantly.

Zhao Jin shook his head, having nothing more to say. They all continued forward. After another stretch, Dong Bingfeng suddenly said, "Big Brother, there are so many people on both sides of the road!"

Looking over, they saw both sides packed and jostling, a dense mass of black — people everywhere. Every face was blurred and indistinct. Some were weeping and wailing, some were cursing and shouting, their voices also muffled and unclear. They seemed to want to surge forward, but never once stepped onto this main road.

Zhao Jin glanced once, then paid no further attention. In his heart, he felt this was nothing important, nothing worth much notice. He had taken only a few steps when he saw Wang Zhaojing running back, panting, from a fork in the road. He came up to them and said with a smile, "Big Brother, this little brother had better walk with you all after all!"

With that, he fell in behind Zhao Jin. Chen Sheng could be heard muttering, "What was all that fuss about!"

Zhao Jin shook his head with a smile and simply kept walking forward. This time, after only a few steps, he saw a young woman by the roadside, dressed in a pale green sleeveless jacket and ruqun skirt. She bowed deeply in a wanfu salute and said, "Young Master Zhao, may this concubine walk with you?"

The woman's face was hazy and unclear. Zhao Jin was startled at first, then realized it was Xu Zhenzhen. He didn't find anything strange about it and nodded with a smile, saying, "Let's walk together then!"

Xu Zhenzhen fell in behind him as well. Just then, a peal of silvery laughter rang out ahead. Zhao Jin followed the sound and saw the back of a running girl — it was Mu Shulan, it was Xiaolan. Zhao Jin's heart surged with sudden excitement, and he immediately moved to chase after her...

In that very instant, Zhao Jin woke. He sat bolt upright in bed, gasping several ragged breaths. His forehead was already drenched in sweat.

Thinking over his dream, Zhao Jin cursed once and wiped the sweat away. The room was still pitch black — it seemed dawn was still far off. Zhao Jin rubbed his forehead and tried to recall the dream, but found he couldn't remember it clearly. He only remembered encountering Mu Shulan at the very end.

Zhao Jin cursed inwardly. He had already steeled his heart to marry Miss Xu, yet he had dreamed of Mu Shulan. Still, it didn't really matter. There are things one can hardly forget, but thoughts are thoughts, and reality is reality.

If they were to recruit two thousand men, He Village would need another major construction push. If they were to keep all the various places firmly in hand, they would certainly need to send people out. As Zhao Jin mulled this over, he drifted back to sleep. This time, he did not dream.

The next morning, everything returned to its regular order. Zhao Jin first took out that bird gun. He had intended to fire a few test shots, but discovered that no one in the Zhao Character Camp knew how to operate this firearm. They would either have to ask if anyone in the guard battalion had the know-how, or else ask the Xu family for help.

The three Qi brothers had contributed greatly in the battle to break the siege. Zhao Jin directly asked the three of them whether they were willing to join the Zhao Character Camp.

"... Master Jin is willing to take in us humble brothers — that is a blessing for us. But we fled here from Huai'an Prefecture, and we fear that in the future we might bring trouble upon Master Jin..." Qi the Elder said, coming straight to the point.

The three Qi brothers had been with the Zhao Character Camp for some time now and had a fair understanding of Zhao Jin's ways. They knew that hiding things and holding back was worse than speaking plainly. Though Zhao Jin was young, he was not a man who shirked responsibility.

"I'll ask only one thing: is this trouble of yours some heinous crime that outrages heaven and reason?" Zhao Jin asked very directly, not even bringing up "the king's law."

"It is not. It's just a blood feud with the Feng family," Qi the Elder answered.

"You've risked life and limb for me. I will shoulder your troubles," Zhao Jin replied, crisp and decisive.

However, the three Qi brothers were not placed under Dong Bingfeng's command. Instead, they formed their own independent squad, which Liu Yong, Ruhui, and Zhou Xuezhi could all give orders to.

This was because the three Qi brothers had been in the rivers-and-lakes world for so long that some of their habits could no longer be changed. The Zhao Character Camp's name now rang so resoundingly that they could already foresee many more people coming to join them. Those who could be reformed would go to Dong Bingfeng's side; those who couldn't be reformed but could still be absorbed would be assigned to this squad.

This squad was not expected to fight bloody battles or storm fortifications, but it could be used for gathering intelligence, scouting and screening, and even threats and intimidation.

The second matter also involved someone surnamed Qi — Qi Erkui of Qi Family Village. When Zhao Jin had led the Zhao Character Camp to break the siege, Qi Erkui had been among the very first reinforcements to join. Zhao Jin naturally remembered this goodwill.

The first step was re-equipment. All the weapons of Qi Erkui's band were replaced with brand-new, top-quality ones. Qi Erkui and a few of the leaders each received a suit of chainmail as well.

"From now on, if you run into trouble out there, just say you're a man of the Zhao Character Camp. I will stand up for you!"

"From now on, in the Xuzhou region, make your salt distribution business as big as you can. If anyone tries to stop you, I will stand up for you!"

"Those friends from the salt roads who joined the relief of the city this time — you must lead them to wealth together."

"Any sons of Qi Family Village who wish to join the Zhao Character Camp, send them over without hesitation. I will give them priority recruitment, and they will never be treated poorly!"

By the time Zhao Jin had finished these few words, Qi Erkui's forehead was already bruised and bleeding from kowtowing, his face full of gratitude and excitement.

Qi Erkui's side was placed under Yan Blackface's responsibility. Many of the local strongmen forces that had come to join the relief army were managed directly by Zhao Jin if they were nearby. Those farther away and smaller in scale were handed over to Yan Blackface to handle. Qi Family Village, however, was a special case — Qi Erkui's status was only slightly lower than Yan Blackface's.

After dealing with these two matters, Zhao Jin and his companions began pressing on with training. Once it was fully light, Zhao Jin could sense that the noise and bustle outside was far greater than before.

Before he could even go out to ask, Zhou Xuezhi came rushing in excitedly to report: everywhere within a thirty-li radius, apart from those who absolutely had to buy and sell locally, all other markets of any scale had begun converging toward He Village.

At first, it was because the refugees were besieging Xuzhou and everyone felt He Village was relatively safer. After Zhao Jin's complete victory, people began thinking of other reasons. Elsewhere, disputes inevitably arose in business, and strangers always feared being cheated. But here, if anything happened, they could go directly to Zhao Jin to have justice upheld.

Of course, Zhao Jin would not personally step in for such minor matters. But the various markets at He Village were administered by Zhou Xuezhi and his staff, and everything was kept in strict order. Those who bullied the market and monopolized trade, those who used the crowds to steal and pilfer — none dared show their faces at He Village. The man had fought back tens of thousands; who would care about a few petty crooks? Everything was utterly peaceful.

When merchants of some substance arrived, the first thing they did was come to ask about the rules and pay their fees. The second thing was to go back themselves or send men back to pack up everything they hadn't yet moved and bring it over, and then notify their old customers to come here instead.

Paying fees and asking about the rules showed them this was no place of fleecing, but a market where everyone did business by the rules. Seeing so many people coming from north and south, so much bustle and activity, of course they wanted to hurry and move their entire livelihoods over.