Chapter 407: The Yutou Town Side

"That really is a possibility. Once we're back, I'll assign someone to investigate thoroughly," Liu Yong replied hastily after his initial shock.

Zhao Jin smiled, shook his head, and said, "That won't be necessary. It's enough just to know from now on that this Jiang the Blockhead is shrewd."

They rested a night here in Shuanggou, and both men and horses got good rest. The next day, everyone was in fine shape. Leaving Shuanggou, they entered the territory of Pi Prefecture in Huai'an Prefecture.

The official road ran more or less parallel to the Yellow River. With the Yellow River frozen solid now, crossing it was extremely easy. The city of Xuzhou lay on the river's southern bank, while the city of Pi Prefecture lay on the northern bank. All along the way, the scenery was completely different from Xuzhou. Xuzhou was desolate and dilapidated, while here everything was thriving.

"... This is all because they stole our Xuzhou's canal..." Many in Zhao Jin's party muttered this; the native Xuzhou people had always been bitterly resentful about this matter.

Once inside Pi Prefecture, Zhao Jin and his group actually traveled more freely. Whether it was Zhao Jin or the Zhao Character Camp, their activities had always been confined to Xuzhou territory. The raid on Kong Family Manor had taken them to the border of Shandong and Henan. In places like Huai'an Prefecture and Pi Prefecture, hardly anyone knew them, so they were taken for just another merchant caravan.

Compared to Xuzhou, Pi Prefecture had far more inns and cart-and-horse hostels. Resupply and rest were both very easy. Even their own party did not stand out so much; they often saw caravans of a dozen or even several dozen large carts heading north—all merchant convoys and companies hurrying back to celebrate the New Year.

They could have originally traveled for two more shichen and entered Yutou Town late at night, but Zhao Jin ordered the party to halt at dusk and stop at an inn outside the city of Pi Prefecture.

"Master, throughout Pi Prefecture territory, Grass Den bandits are active everywhere. Travelers on the road, waiters in the inns—any of them could be lookouts for the Grass Den bandits. If we stay at an inn properly, the innkeeper and such have face in the jianghu, and the bandits won't dare act rashly. But if we just keep traveling on the official road like that, it's very easy to invite trouble, and they'll likely rob us under cover of night." Qi San was indeed familiar with Pi Prefecture—or perhaps he had once done the work of a Grass Den bandit himself.

If some Grass Den bandits tried to waylay them, nine times out of ten they would be slaughtered to the last man by Zhao Jin's group. But an advantage was just an advantage; once a fight broke out, word would leak out, and that risk was too great. Out of caution, they traveled only by day. Moreover, Zhao Jin and his companions had also arranged night watch shifts, ensuring that one person remained awake at all times through the night.

The inn where they stayed was quite good. Not only had it been newly built just a few years ago, but the bedding was all very clean. The innkeeper and waiters were all attentive and courteous, making people feel very comfortable. The food at the inn was quite well prepared, and someone even came to ask if they wanted women.

Xuzhou no longer had inns like this. After the Jia Canal was opened and the Grand Canal was rerouted through Pi Prefecture, the entire Pi Prefecture area had prospered along with it.

The night passed peacefully, but when they rose for breakfast, Ji Xiang, who had been on night watch, said in a low voice, "In the latter half of the night, two waiters from the inn came to the stables and tried to go through our luggage. They only shrank back when they saw someone was on watch."

Everyone's expressions grew serious. Ji Xiang continued, "We seized and interrogated them on the spot. They said that whenever a large party of traveling merchants comes to the inn, they always come to probe the details. There are specific people who pay money for this kind of information."

Hearing this, everyone actually felt somewhat relieved. If it was not specifically targeted at their own party, then there was nothing to worry about.

"Hurry up and get on the road. Pi Prefecture is prosperous everywhere, but beneath the surface, it's not as peaceful as Xuzhou. Everyone be careful," Zhao Jin said gravely.

Traveling from Pi Prefecture to Yutou Town by land took just over two shichen. While Zhao Jin's party was on the road, at least four groups came to spy on them.

An ordinary merchant caravan might not have noticed at all, but Zhao Jin had many men who understood these things. A few were even former horse bandits and naturally saw it clearly. Dong Bingfeng and a few others with outstanding archery skills had already taken out their bows in preparation.

However, those among the outlaws of the greenwood who survived were all cautious sorts. No matter how Zhao Jin and his group dressed, they could not conceal that fierce, aggressive air. And with over seventy sturdy, able-bodied men, anyone thinking of making a move would have to weigh it carefully. So although undercurrents swirled all along the way, by the time they reached Yutou Town, they had arrived safe and sound.

Upon arriving at Yutou Town, everyone except those few who had been here before was stunned by the scene before them. For no other reason than that this place was truly wealthy and flourishing.

Before coming, everyone had heard how prosperous it was here, but no one thought it would be anything extraordinary. After all, it was merely a town, without even a city wall.

But after seeing it with their own eyes, they realized they had been mistaken. A rough estimate of Yutou Town's size showed it to be at least a quarter the size of Xuzhou city, if not larger. The city of Xuzhou was already a major city in the north; many prefectural cities could not match its scale. Yet Yutou Town was already larger than many county seats, even rivaling some smaller prefectural cities. As for its prosperity, it far surpassed them.

It had been less than thirty years since the canal was rerouted here, and most of the buildings in town looked very new. The streets were broad and clean, lined on both sides with shops and trading firms. Although it was now the twelfth month, it was not yet time to close doors for the New Year, and waiters greeted and welcomed customers at their doorways, making the scene appear all the more bustling.

Nowadays, Xuzhou no longer had any bustling streets. Its liveliest spot was actually where the Hanjing Famous Liquor distillery was located. Merchants gathered there in droves, bringing some degree of activity to the area. Yet even the outskirts of Yutou Town were far more flourishing than the area around the distillery.

They had not gone far before waiters came over, inviting Zhao Jin and his group to stay at their inns. But Zhao Jin and his men already had their own plans and declined them all.

"Truly, those living by the water live off the water. Wherever the canal goes, that place flourishes," Chen Sheng remarked with feeling.

On horseback, Zhao Jin was also looking around curiously. Having grown up in Xuzhou, this was his first time leaving Xuzhou territory. The prosperity of Yutou Town before him felt very novel, yet at the same time, it felt very familiar. It faintly bore the air of a modern city, stirring memories of the past.

However, Zhao Jin noticed something others had missed. From horseback, he said in a clear voice, "Look, a place this prosperous, right next to the Grass Den, and yet it doesn't even have a city wall. If a large band of bandits gathered, they could sack this place just like that. But we've never heard of such a thing happening. Qi San, how does this place defend itself?"

"To answer you, Master, the government troops over in Pi Prefecture won't even listen to the Prefect himself. But the few powerful merchants of Yutou Town can order them around. They can rush over at any time if something happens. Also, the outlaws of the greenwood around here—whether the mounted bandits of the Grass Den or the river and lake pirates—if they want to feed themselves, if they want to sell their loot and dispose of stolen goods, they all have to rely on the few great households in town. Those people not only won't cause harm, they'll actually protect this place." Qi San was very clear on the inner workings here.

The Grass Den was equivalent to a barren desert. They might be able to grow their own grain for food, but all other supplies had to be brought in from outside. The plundered goods the Grass Den bandits stole also had to be converted into silver so they could purchase usable supplies. This meant their lifeline was held firmly in the hands of the powerful merchants.

Zhao Jin sank deep into thought and did not come back to himself until they reached their destination. As he dismounted, he suddenly said, "They all say Qingjiangpu is ten times more prosperous than Yutou Town, and the two places are very similar. I wonder if things there are the same as here."

The place where their party was staying was connected to Cloud Mountain Temple. It was a trading firm opened by one of Monk Zhenzhi's junior disciples after he had returned to secular life. Backed by Cloud Mountain Temple, his business had always been good. After Yuan Xin and that faction fell, this merchant rose another step. He had bought up all the shops and trading firms Cloud Mountain Temple originally had in Pi Prefecture at low prices, making a huge fortune.

To have reached this point without Zhenzhi's support behind the scenes—or more precisely, without Ruhui's support—would have been impossible. Ruhui did not hide it from Zhao Jin: he held a thirty percent silent partnership in this merchant's business.

Before Zhao Jin came, Ruhui had sent a man ahead by fast horse with a letter. When Zhao Jin arrived and gave the prearranged false name, that merchant immediately entertained them with the utmost hospitality.

Ruhui had already given notice in his letter, so the merchant did not appear in person. He merely assigned a few more seasoned waiters to attend to them. Lodgings in a residential compound, stables for the horses to rest, all necessary supplies for replenishment—everything was arranged properly. If they had any new requests, they could send word at any time.

They were quickly settled in. This large residential compound was effectively Zhao Jin's private residence. As soon as they were settled, Zhao Jin immediately sent men to scout the perimeter and confirm there were no spies or hidden sentries.

Sun Jia had only returned from Xuzhou a few days ago. With the year's end approaching, his own business similarly required inventory and account settlement, keeping everyone above and below frantically busy.

Moreover, while others grew more and more idle as the year's end neared—after all, once accounts were settled, the next step was preparing for the New Year—Sun Jia was busier than usual. Zhao Jin's requests had to be handled now. Every day he went into town to visit and negotiate with various merchants, without a moment of leisure.

"Has the invitation been properly delivered to the Si family, the one that runs the grain business?" Sun Jia asked loudly as his concubine helped him into his outer robe.

"The invitation has been delivered. The Second Master of the Si family says he awaits your convenience at any time. I, your humble servant, have already prepared the gifts." The steward's reply came from outside.

Just as they were speaking, the sound of hurried footsteps rang out. The steward outside scolded, "Where are your manners? What if you disturb the Master and Madam?"

"Head Steward, there is a guest requesting to see the Master. He says he has come from the west."

"What sort of nameless guest? The Master is extremely busy right now..." Hearing such a vague report, the steward grew somewhat irritated and began reprimanding the man in a low voice.

Though Sun Jia was advanced in years, his senses were still very sharp. Hearing this, he started, and called out, "From the west? Did he present a visiting card?"

A visiting card was immediately passed into Sun Jia's hand. Sun Jia saw a small character "Lei" written in the lower left corner of the card. He was first taken aback, then immediately raised his voice and said, "Prepare the carriage. Just have the coachman accompany me."

With everyone busy preparing for the New Year, no one paid much attention to Sun Jia leaving home in a shabby horse cart. Even if someone recognized it as a cart from the Sun household, they would not think it had anything to do with Sun Jia himself. Master Sun's status was so grand nowadays; how could he possibly ride in such a humble cart?