Chapter 383: Joyful Events, Troublesome Matters

"The foremost house north of the river?" At those few exchanges, someone already cried out in alarm. North of the river in South Zhili lay Fengyang Prefecture, Yangzhou Prefecture, Huai'an Prefecture, Luzhou Prefecture, Anqing Prefecture, Xuzhou, Chuzhou, and Hezhou—these prefectures and subprefectures were often larger than those in other provinces. Though they could not match the flourishing brilliance of Jiangnan, they still gathered wealth and noble houses in abundance, and the salt merchants of Yangzhou were the richest under heaven. Yet on such ground, this family actually dared to call itself the foremost house, and even the riffraff of Xuzhou knew the name—a clear sign of its blazing influence.

As cries of alarm rippled through the crowd, a look of smug satisfaction appeared on the faces of the two riders. They assumed the clueless city gate guard before them would surely step aside. They never expected that the guard would merely glance to the side, keep his long face fixed in place, and ask only: "What's your business here?"

The expressions of the riders in the procession finally changed, each looking ready to explode. But then someone whispered, "Don't move rashly. Look around."

Glancing about, they saw several dozen sturdy young men armed with long spears already closing in. Ordinarily, a mounted troop held a complete advantage over foot soldiers, but the formation and bearing of these young men before the city gate were not to be underestimated. And beyond these several dozen, the riffraff and the yamen runners all looked ready to strike, while even the dozen or so ragged, shifty guards at the gate had drawn their weapons.

"The Feng family of Yangzhou has come especially to offer congratulations to Young Master Zhao!" Seeing the situation turning sour, a rider on horseback hastily shouted out their origins.

The moment these words were spoken, the tense atmosphere immediately relaxed considerably. Smiles appeared on the faces of the hostile crowd, and the soldiers guarding the city gate broke into broad, fawning grins as they said, "So you've come to congratulate Lord Jin. This humble one has given much offense and begs your forgiveness. However, all carts and horses entering the city must be inspected; we hope for your understanding."

Once these words were out, the yamen runners and riffraff all stepped forward. Though their greetings were polite, they still searched the carts with swift, efficient thoroughness.

This treatment left the dozen or so riders of the mounted troop looking rather displeased, but under the circumstances, they could only grit their teeth and endure it.

"All gifts of congratulations." The results of the inspection were quickly relayed back. Now smiles appeared on everyone's faces, and they politely allowed the party to pass inside.

The usual rule for entering the city was to give the gate guards some token of goodwill, but after that scene just now, the Feng family party was in a thoroughly foul mood and could not be bothered to care. They rode straight in, leaving the gate guards behind in a ceaseless buzz of discussion.

"I always thought Lord Jin's household troops were something else, but look at these gift-bearers from the Feng family—tsk, tsk, they look just like Vice General Zhou's personal guard. Truly crack troops!"

"The Feng family is said to originate from those who served the late emperor personally; they can even mobilize government troops. Cavalry like this is nothing rare for them. Even when Kong the Tiger was at his most overbearing, he never dared block a cart or merchant convoy flying the twin-horse banner. Impressive, truly impressive!"

"Even figures like that still have to come congratulate our Lord Jin. Our Lord Jin is truly remarkable!"

"What does a snot-nosed kid like you know? Salt shipments have to pass through Xuzhou—how could they not come and say a word first?"

While the buzz of discussion continued here, the west gate of Xuzhou presented a different scene. Though the late autumn weather was cold, the sun had come out and its warmth felt pleasant. Those who were supposed to enter the city to offer congratulations had long since arrived; the rest were just ordinary common folk, so there was no need to devote too much attention. Everyone lounged about listlessly, some even dozing against the base of the city wall.

One of the riffraff was an old hand who had followed Chen Ergou, but he got along well with Liu Yong. Through all the ups and downs, he had never been dragged in. He had carved out a comfortable little post as a minor headman for himself. With his seniority and background, he could afford to be casual here. Having gotten hold of a straw mat from who knows where, he had spread it on the ground and lay there, squinting at the passing crowds while others laughed and joked in scattered clusters.

Just as he was lounging at ease, the man suddenly leapt to his feet, dragged a yamen runner headman, and dashed off to one side. Over there were two squad leaders the Zhao Camp had stationed at this spot. The few of them muttered together briefly, then immediately dispersed, each relaying orders to his own men.

As they busied themselves, some among those entering and leaving the city gate took notice, while others found it odd but paid no mind.

No one expected that in a mere moment, the yamen runners would block off one end of the road, the Zhao Camp household troops would seal both sides, and the riffraff along with the gate guards would bar the gate itself—the entire area was locked down.

"You—the one in the felt cap! And those four in the conical hats—don't any of you move!" the man shouted.

The few people he had called out trembled all over. After shouting this, the man swept a glance from the corner of his eye and immediately roared, "Tell your people not to move rashly, or they'll be killed without mercy!"

At this shout, the yamen runners drew their blades, the Zhao Camp household troops leveled their long spears, and the riffraff brought out the tools in their hands. Instantly, a dense, murderous aura filled the air.

The unblocked parts of the road instantly descended into chaos. Passersby first fled far away, then stopped to watch the excitement. Those encircled were too terrified to move. Blades, spears, and axes all glittered with cold light, ready to strike at the slightest wrong move. Who would dare speak or stir recklessly?

"The one in the felt cap is the leader. Those four in conical hats are women disguised as men. And behind them, one, two, three... these fifteen are all part of their group!" the man said, pointing and gesturing.

At this, he roared again, "I told you not to move rashly! Take your hand out of your coat, or we really will start killing!"

The Zhao Camp household troops, spears leveled, took a step forward, frightening the encircled group into a chorus of wails and cries.

"Xiao Gu, don't do anything foolish, and make sure the men beside you don't either!" The middle-aged man in the felt cap at the front slowly turned his head and said in a deep voice. Beside him, several slender young men in conical hats were already covering their faces and weeping.

The one he called Xiao Gu gritted his teeth at these words and withdrew the hand he had slipped inside his coat. The dozen or so around him all lowered their heads resentfully.

"Damn it all, good thing we had ropes and chains ready here, or who knows how we'd have managed!" the yamen runner headman cursed under his breath. Sets of restraints were brought forward.

Compared to everyone else's tension, the riffraff who had spotted the anomaly was immensely pleased with himself. Without waiting for anyone to ask, he boasted proudly, "This group was pretending not to know each other, but as they walked, they kept exchanging glances and words—clearly one unit. In broad daylight, disguised as men, pretending to be strangers—there's definitely something fishy, especially on such a joyous day!"

"You're in luck, old brother. Lord Jin is always generous to those who render service," a fellow ruffian beside him said enviously. The man tried to be polite and modest but couldn't keep a straight face and simply burst into loud laughter.

While minor incidents unfolded outside the city, inside all was joyous and harmonious. Many guests had arrived in the city as early as the thirtieth of the ninth month, just so they could personally offer congratulations and gifts to Zhao Jin and exchange a few polite words to build a connection. Zhao Jin had returned from fetching the bride early, and everyone lined up to approach according to their status and rank. On this day of great joy, Zhao Jin greeted each person courteously, responding to all with a smiling face.

As soon as the Feng family's gift-bearing procession entered the city, someone came to report it to Zhao Jin. Fortunately, they arrived near dusk, when Zhao Jin had a moment of relative leisure. The moment the Feng family presented their visiting card, Zhao Jin had them invited in.

"This humble one is a steward of the Feng family's outer compound, here on behalf of our family head, the Old Master, to offer congratulations on Young Master Zhao's great joy!" The man who entered was one of the mounted riders. He spoke with a smiling face and offered his congratulations with a bow and clasped fists. But compared to the deferential and respectful guests before him, this steward's attitude could be described as neither servile nor overbearing.

The brows of the several companions beside Zhao Jin all furrowed. A mere steward of an outer compound, yet he treated Zhao Jin as an equal. Was the Feng family here to offer congratulations or to deliver an insult? It was far too discourteous.

After saying this, the steward straightened up and spoke again with a polite smile: "Young Master Zhao, the Feng family moves a considerable amount of goods through Xuzhou. In the future, we hope Young Master Zhao will grant us some convenience. Our family head, the Old Master, also said that should Young Master Zhao ever visit Yangzhou, the Feng family will certainly fulfill its duties as host."

To state their own demands right after offering congratulations—everyone's frowns deepened. Who knew how much contempt was hidden beneath this steward's smiling face?

After all, this was a wedding banquet, and the other party had concealed it fairly well. Though Zhao Jin understood perfectly in his heart, he still had to maintain appearances. He merely said coolly, "When the banquet begins shortly, please join us at the table."

"Many thanks for Young Master Zhao's kind intentions. However, this one must still pay a visit to Vice General Zhou and will not impose further. Vice General Zhou is considered a junior to our family's Old Master. Letters of greeting have been exchanged many times. Now that I am here, I must go and inform him of my presence," the Feng family steward said, still smiling cheerfully.

"Then I won't keep you. Please suit yourself," Zhao Jin said flatly.

The steward paid no mind to Zhao Jin's attitude. He merely clasped his fists, bowed, then turned and left.

"Is this offering congratulations or a show of force? Trying to use Vice General Zhou to pressure us?" Chen Sheng said in a muffled voice. The other companions also wore looks of anger.

The visitor had been flippant; a steward of an outer residence had treated Zhao Jin as an equal, and his words repeatedly brought up Vice General Zhou. This was not asking Zhao Jin to grant convenience in Xuzhou at all. Rather, it was saying: if you don't grant convenience, just think about Vice General Zhou. The veiled threat was thick.

"Master, the gift list has been brought over. One thousand taels of fine silver, twenty bolts of brocade, one box of gold and silver jewelry, six sets of lacquerware chests and baskets. The Feng family's congratulatory gifts are quite standard. There are still two carts not yet unloaded; I don't know which household they're destined for." Ruhui came over holding the gift list. He had just finished speaking when he noticed everyone's dark expressions and stopped short. Before he could ask, Liu Yong recounted the matter.

Ruhui shook his head and said, "They treat everything north of the river in South Zhili as if it were Xuzhou. This Feng family is just like Cloud Mountain Temple and Kong Family Village—used to rampant arrogance. It's no surprise they act this way. They've even put out the title of the foremost house north of the river; what wouldn't they dare do?"

After these mocking words, Ruhui smiled and said, "The Feng family is said to have connections with those serving in the palace. These years, their private salt business has been colossal. Civil and military officials everywhere, local gentry, even the outlaws of the greenwood—all share in the profits. Many are practically household slaves and servants to his family. It's said the Prefect of Yangzhou and the Yangzhou Garrison Commander both refer to themselves as juniors before the Feng family. They also have connections of one sort or another in the capital and in Nanjing. No wonder they've grown so arrogant. Master, on such a joyous day, it's not worth getting angry. No need to pay them any mind."