Chapter 345: Do Not Let Him Succeed

This approach quickly yielded results. Many of the diehard ringleaders among the refugees, remnants of the Shandong Smelling Incense Sect, and those who had stayed behind waiting for an opportunity to act were rooted out. Xuzhou's Chief Constable Chen Wu took this matter very seriously, deliberately assigning several ruthless men to handle the interrogations. Not everyone could remain utterly loyal and fearless in the face of death; quite a few confessed, and this chain of confessions dragged out many more people.

Hidden figures among the refugees, local sect agents and evangelists planted in Xuzhou, secret liaisons—all manner of things were continuously unearthed. Heads began to roll, and the prison constantly reported deaths by "privation and illness" or "sudden illness." After a few days, public sentiment settled considerably. The most helplessly ironic discovery was that over a dozen monks from Cloud Mountain Monastery were also arrested; their crime was embezzling disaster relief funds and grain.

This made Ruhui feel deeply humiliated. Everyone at Cloud Mountain Monastery, from top to bottom, had grown accustomed to skimming profits off whatever they handled, but these monks clearly had no sense of proportion—they actually dared to lay hands on Zhao Jin's money.

No one would be fed for doing nothing. Letting people idle around all day penned up would surely lead to trouble—this was the consensus from top to bottom. After a brief rest, the refugees' first task was to build their own shelters. A second task was also planned: digging ditches and clearing silt. Though they lived by the Yellow River, they had never enjoyed any benefit from irrigation. After consulting with various people well-versed in farming, Zhao Jin decided to dig canals to irrigate the farmland. Once this major project began, the refugees all had work to do.

On the eighth day of the seventh month, Commander Jia, who had previously been left covered in dust at the city freight yard, came calling, bringing several prominent figures from the Xuzhou Guard.

Because they arrived later than the date Zhao Jin had set, the Xuzhou Guard had specially sent someone ahead to apologize, explaining that several men had been away and not yet returned, and that they would come once everyone was gathered.

However, the man sent to apologize was on good terms with both the Dong and Zhao families. He stated bluntly that one of the commanders had taken two concubines in Qingjiangpu and could not make it back in time.

Three Commandants, one Assistant Commander, and one Judicial Commander—these guard postings were held by more than just these few men, but those who came were presumably the ones whose word carried weight.

They had actually arrived on the evening of the seventh day of the seventh month, but first sent someone to deliver a visiting card, saying it was too late to intrude and that they would call the next day at the hour of the Goat.

This struck Zhao Jin as very strange. The hour of the Goat was already afternoon—what were they doing in the morning? He did not need to give the order himself; Liu Yong had already assigned men to keep an eye on them.

The next morning, Zhao Jin had no leisure time. After martial practice, he drilled the troops for half a shichen. Then Zhou Xuezhi, Chen Hong, and several accountants from Cloud Mountain Trading arrived carrying account books. The magistrate's yamen could not produce so much ready silver at once and would have to offset the sum with goods from the treasury; presumably there would also be arrangements regarding salt certificates and the autumn grain levy. This actually suited Zhao Jin's needs perfectly. At the very least, the refugees needed grain right now. To prepare for the influx of refugees Ruhui had described, increasing reserves was also essential.

How much of Zhao Jin's own reserves to use, and how much labor reward the officials would pay—all of this needed to be calculated. The two distilleries had resumed production and sales, and the Sun family of Yutou Town was placing larger orders, not only filling several shortfalls but even exceeding them. How to allocate the sorghum, and how much silver to allocate for the disaster victims to purchase materials and farm tools—these also required planning.

Among everyone present, the one most familiar with all this was Chen Hong. Despite his youth, he strikingly assumed the manner of a head steward. Whatever figure Zhao Jin asked about, he could immediately report the exact number and propose a solution. At first, Zhou Xuezhi and the other accountants watched him with looks that said, "This boy is truly remarkable." Later on, they no longer treated Chen Hong as a youth, but discussed the figures with focused seriousness.

"Both of you brothers toil for my sake. You're so robust, I don't worry about you, but Erhong isn't even fifteen yet and already frets over so much. I hope it doesn't harm his spirit—if it does, I'd be committing a sin," Zhao Jin said with a smile to Chen Sheng. Once the accounts were sorted out, Chen Hong had to take a carriage back to the city as quickly as possible; he still needed to reconcile and verify the accounts with the clerks and record-keepers of the yamen's Revenue Office.

At the mention of his younger brother, a smile appeared even on the normally stoic face of Chen Sheng. Shaking his head, he said, "My grandfather took up a blade and went into battle at twelve. My father joined the constabulary at fifteen. All my brother does is use his brain—what's there to fear? He's not that coddled. At home, only my mother fusses over him, always nagging that with such a mind he should be studying for scholarly honors. But Erhong can remember accounts; he just can't remember his books."

At this, both men laughed. Just then, Liu Yong entered the room. Pouring himself some tea, he spoke: "That group from the Xuzhou Guard got up early and dragged Bingfeng around sightseeing. They visited every market, and also looked at our sorghum stockpiles and the liquor sales point. The whole way, they were asking prices and inspecting goods. The servants they brought along even bought quite a few things."

Both Zhao Jin and Dong Bingfeng came from guard backgrounds. The Zhao family's ties to the Xuzhou Guard had grown thin, but Dong Bingfeng's connections were countless and tangled. As long as there was no open break, he had to act the junior, so when these men summoned him, he had no choice but to go.

After finishing his tea, Liu Yong also shook his head with a laugh. "That Xuzhou Guard bunch looks just like a group of merchants. You'd never guess they were all military officers. When Commander Jia was asking about prices, I even edged closer for a look. There wasn't a single callus on his hands. I'm afraid he's never done a day's labor in his life, never even touched a sword hilt."

As he spoke and drank his tea, Ji Xiang also came in. Ji Xiang was different from Shi Manqiang. Whenever he saw a crowd of his brothers gathering, regardless of whether he had tasks at hand, he always had to drift over and say a few words before leaving. Shi Manqiang, on the other hand, would finish whatever he was doing first and would not come over unless called.

Hearing Liu Yong's words, Ji Xiang chimed in with a laugh: "The Xuzhou Guard is far inferior to our Zhao Character Camp. I wonder what the other guards around the realm are like?"

At this offhand remark, Chen Sheng spoke up: "We Xuzhou folk have fiery tempers; everyone here esteems martial valor. Sometimes, without a second thought, we just draw our blades and charge. Because of that, the guard officers don't dare go too far in some matters, so this place is actually considered decent."

Ji Xiang and Liu Yong both stared wide-eyed. The Xuzhou Guard seemed utterly useless, yet it was actually considered decent?

"I heard my second uncle say that in other guards, the officers truly treat the military households like beasts of burden. Things like forcibly seizing wives and daughters are commonplace," Zhao Jin added.

With this supplement, everyone could understand the situation in Xuzhou. Given the temperament of the Xuzhou Guard's military households, they could endure being worked like livestock, but if anyone tried anything else, they would truly draw their blades and fight to the death, with countless people cheering them on afterward. With such local customs, the officers naturally knew where to draw the line.

"Xuzhou is this useless, and yet the other places are even more useless," Ji Xiang chuckled a few times, then turned to go back to his tasks.

"The Great Ming no longer relies on the guards for battle. Troops like Vice General Zhou's are the real foundation now," Zhao Jin said with a smile. Ji Xiang nodded and strode out the door.

Ruhui only appeared at lunchtime. The refugees taken in by Cloud Mountain Monastery had to be scattered and mixed as thoroughly as possible; people from the same county or district were to be kept apart as much as they could. Ruhui had been busy with this all morning, and several estate managers had come from Cloud Mountain Monastery.

"Master, word has come from the Xu family. It turns out Kong Jiuying also sent a marriage proposal. I suspect the Xu family's young lady found herself in a dilemma, which is why she feigned illness," Ruhui also brought other news.

The marriage alliance between the Zhao and Xu families had caused a sensation in Xuzhou at the time. When Kong Jiuying sent his men to propose, even if the Xu family had wanted to keep it secret, they could not have hidden it for long.

At this news, Zhao Jin's face darkened, and anger showed on the faces of his other companions. To brazenly interfere in a marriage arrangement was utterly arrogant, and the insult implied by this act was far too great.

"From what Zheng Quan has gathered among the refugees, I'm afraid the Kong family's horse team was also involved. A scourge like that should be wiped out!" Ji Xiang said angrily.

Shi Manqiang nodded beside him, adding in a gruff voice, "That pack of scum only relies on having four extra legs. They can't beat us in a fight, so they just run fast. Now they've really grown recklessly bold. They can't be left alive."

"They should be exterminated!" Chen Sheng said, his words brief but resolute.

"Big Brother, the Kong family has operated north of the Yellow River for too long. Their reach extends deep among the outlaws and wanderers outside the city and into every corner of society within the city. Even though quite a few people have come to kowtow and pledge allegiance this time, they're still a problem. The Kong family is a major threat to us," Liu Yong added.

Zhao Jin had remained silent. His grim expression returned to normal as he tore off a piece of flatbread and said in a deep voice, "They do indeed need to be wiped out. But just now, Shitou hit the nail on the head. They have horses. Such a great distance is no major obstacle for them. Mounted, they can roam and harass at will, while our range of movement is much smaller. Moreover, we're unfamiliar with the Kong Family Village at Paoheyan right now. If we really went there, we'd be discovered far too easily. If they refuse to meet us head-on and instead keep sending horse teams to harass us, that would be a disaster."

These words sobered everyone up. Zhao Jin shook his head, was silent for a moment, and then said to Ruhui, "The Kong family is doing this to target us. And since there's no river between the Kong family and the Xu family, their influence over the Xu family is surely even greater. The Xu family is in a difficult position now. Given enough time, I expect they'll lean toward that side."

"Master is right. The Kong family has its own horse team, and the several bands of horse bandits over there are either their disguised men or under their control. If the two sides truly fall out, the Xu family's trade routes for shipping goods out will be completely blocked. That Xu family young lady values the family business above all else. It's truly hard to say what she'll do," Ruhui spoke very bluntly.

Zhao Jin tore the flatbread into small pieces and put them into his mouth one by one. Only after finishing did he say in a muffled voice, "If the Kong and Xu families unite, it will be a great calamity for us. I do not want to see this come true."

Upon hearing this, Ruhui looked directly at Liu Yong. Liu Yong paused for a moment, nodded to Ruhui, and then the two of them nodded together to Zhao Jin.

After that lunch, the atmosphere was somewhat gloomy. Just then, Dong Bingfeng walked in, wiping sweat from his brow. The moment he entered, he complained, "I never knew these people had such energy. Back at the guard, they were afraid of cold, heat, and hardship—too lazy to even ride a horse. But today they were so spirited, wandering east and west until now, refusing even a sip of water, constantly looking and asking questions. They've worn me out!"

Dong Bingfeng had a calm and stoic nature; no one had ever seen him act this way before, which showed he was truly annoyed beyond measure.