Chapter 438: Returning to Xuzhou

The thug who could bully men and women in Fangcun Market had an uncommon background. His family were local tyrants in Fangcun Market, dabbling in the private salt trade, with a dozen or so capable fighters at their disposal. But no one expected that the honest carpenter who usually swallowed his anger would dare come to their door himself — and that he could fight so well.

That night, Carpenter Jiang hacked down ten men, then stabbed the thug's entire family to death with a chisel. Finally, he set a fire. He himself suffered only light wounds.

Anywhere else, a case like this would have been reported to the authorities. Here, it was covered up. The tyrant had never been popular, and many people couldn't stand seeing the Jiang family pushed to such an extreme. In the end, Carpenter Jiang was protected, and many young men came to his door to follow him.

Over time, he gained the status and strength he has today. And because of what happened back then, Carpenter Jiang conducts himself with great discretion and keeps his men on a tight leash. Everyone in Fangcun Market thinks well of him.

Twenty or thirty years have passed. Back then, telling this story might have been full of blood and tears, but now it's told with calm. After finishing, Carpenter Jiang changed the subject and said with some excitement, "Master Jin, Pizhou over there is mountains of gold and seas of silver. The brothers have long wanted to go over and grab a share — they just lacked a big brother to lead them. With Master Jin stepping up this time, all of Xuzhou is sure to answer the call!"

After a night's rest, Zhao Jin set out on the return journey. Before he left, not only did Carpenter Jiang see him off for thirty li, but all those from the guard posts who had come to help, as well as the local militias from various places, were in no hurry to go home for the New Year. Every one of them came to Zhao Jin to show their face and pay their respects.

The guard post men were traveling the same way as Zhao Jin, and they fawned on him the whole journey. Several centurions and the assistant chiliarch directly tried to get close to Zhao Jin and Dong Bingfeng, building connections. Everyone was very warm and friendly, and it wasn't until after lunch that things quieted down.

"If we push on, we can reach the walls of Xuzhou City late at night. To be safe, we should rest at the Lower Court in Xiao County," Zhao Jin said.

"Last night, someone came skulking around to spy. They didn't dare approach because they saw how tight our security was," Dong Bingfeng had reported the situation to Zhao Jin early that morning.

Entering Xuzhou territory did not mean they were safe. The border between Xuzhou and Huai'an Prefecture was merely an imaginary line — flat, open country between them, with only a few hills and earthen mounds. A mounted force could rely on speed to raid and strike.

But once they left Fangcun Market and traveled by day, they wouldn't have much to worry about from then on. This was already territory firmly under the Zhao Camp's control.

"Are we going to make a move against the Feng family?" As everyone rode along in silence, Chen Sheng suddenly spoke up and asked.

"If they're willing to give up their territory in Huai'an Prefecture, then we don't have to!" Zhao Jin said with a laugh. Everyone joined in with a burst of laughter.

After saying this, Zhao Jin grew solemn and added, "It's just that the Zhao Camp doing this alone would be very tough. We'll have to pull in all the bold men of our Xuzhou."

Ji Xiang nodded and said, "Everyone will be tempted. My father often says that there are too few people in our Xuzhou who are content to work honestly."

... Bold and possessed of extreme strength, the people delight in plunder and raiding. At the slightest displeasure, an overbearing and unruly heart stirs — not stopping at mere violence. Emperor Gaozu of Han, Xiang Yu, Liu Yu, and Zhu Quanzhong all came from within a few hundred li of Xuzhou. The people take pride in this, and a spirit of heroic daring has accumulated into custom...

The land of Xuzhou is barren, and the local custom esteems martial prowess. In the past, with the advantage of the canal, people were still willing to work honestly to make a living. Now, with livelihoods withered, even toiling in the fields might not guarantee enough food and warmth. Who could still be content with their lot? Everyone thinks of relying on their own skills, on the blade and sword in their hands, to fight for a better life.

Pizhou in particular was once far inferior to Xuzhou, yet now it flourishes and prospers because it inherited Xuzhou's canal trade. Huai'an Prefecture has thrived all along on the Huai salt trade. If wealth were far away, it would be one thing, but with neighbors like these, who could bear it? The reason there was no action before was that Huai'an Prefecture and Pizhou had their own strength, and on Xuzhou's side, Cloud Mountain Temple and the Smelling Incense Sect each had their own spheres and didn't contend for them. Everyone was alone and weak, so naturally they couldn't gain any advantage.

But now, with a powerful leader like Zhao Jin stepping forward, everyone naturally had no more worries — they only thought of hitching a ride on this favorable ship.

The mounted troops who came to support them were not just from Fangcun Market. Dong Bingfeng had mobilized everyone who could be drawn from the eastern part of Xuzhou. These men would, over the coming days, spread the words Zhao Jin had spoken that night far and wide, and the news would travel farther and wider, until all of Xuzhou was stirred up.

"That bunch of local tyrants always wants to cling to their own little territories. Now let's see how they hold on. If they want to get rich, if they want to expand their turf, they'll have to be of one heart with us. Otherwise, they can stand aside!" Zhao Jin said with a laugh.

That evening, when they reached the Lower Court in Xiao County, being hosted was much more relaxed. The monastery already had the function of lodging guests, and since the Xiao County Lower Court was itself a large estate with ample supplies of grain, fodder, and goods, hosting Zhao Jin's party of over a hundred men and horses was simple. The women were settled in an outer courtyard, which was also convenient.

This place was only a little over two shichen from Xuzhou City. Staying here, they were safe and free from worry. Everyone relaxed, and even the night watch was halved.

The presiding monk and the other monks of the Lower Court naturally knew Zhao Jin's weight. They busied themselves with eager flattery. Zhao Jin treated them courteously, and after they presented a banquet, he sent them away.

Though they were inside a monastery, the banquet table was laden with both meat and vegetable dishes, without the slightest taboo. As usual, Zhao Jin and his men did not drink alcohol. They wolfed down the meal. After entering the city tomorrow, they would be able to get ample rest.

After they finished eating, before they could call the monks to clear the table, a household guard from outside reported that Ding Jun sought an audience. Having rushed all the way from Grass Den, Ding Jun had been looking after the women and children from his village. He hadn't been able to help much in the fighting, and after the incident at *****, he was confused about the roads and such, following the group like a burden. The original plan had been to settle him after returning to the He Estate, but it seemed Ding Jun couldn't wait.

As soon as he entered, Ding Jun knelt and kowtowed. The defiant arrogance he'd shown when they first met at Ding Family Enclosure was gone. In just a few days, Ding Jun had actually grown white hairs. Combined with his haggard face, he looked as if he had aged ten or twenty years.

"I beg you, masters, to take in these poor souls from Ding Family Enclosure. We are all wretched people. We won't eat for free — we can do any kind of work, and the children can help too. We only beg you, masters, to grant us a place to shelter!" After this plea, he kowtowed again.

"We were going to take you in anyway. You don't need to worry about that," Zhao Jin said gently.

"I beg Master Jin, I beg you masters, to avenge the wronged souls of Ding Family Enclosure!" Ding Jun's tone suddenly grew fierce.

Zhao Jin leaned forward, his voice turning stern. "I will see justice done for you, but everything must be done under my orders. If you act recklessly, not only will your revenge fail, but you yourself will be lost. Go and look after your fellow villagers. If you need anything, tell the people at the Lower Court!"

Having witnessed Zhao Jin's status and methods throughout this journey, Ding Jun shuddered at these words and hurriedly stood up to take his leave.

As soon as Ding Jun left, the monk attending them tried to enter. Zhao Jin and the others sent him straight away.

"How do we settle these people? Aren't all of your departments saying you're short-handed?" Zhao Jin asked.

"The only one among them who can be of use is Ding Jun..." Dong Bingfeng said with some difficulty.

Ji Xiang glanced at Zhao Jin and spoke hesitantly. "Uncle Zhao and Aunt Zhao have too few people serving them. We could pick some of the women to go there, and the children too."

Before Zhao Jin could speak, Chen Sheng slowly shook his head. "That won't do. Those coming from there don't know the rules, and the violent resentment in their hearts is too heavy. It wouldn't be convenient."

Ji Xiang immediately fell silent. Liu Yong pondered for a moment and said, "How about arranging for these women to work under Uncle Ji? Right now, the people handling the Zhao Camp's provisions are all hired from outside. These women would actually be more reassuring. There's a place to settle them, and they'd be easy to manage."

No one objected, and Ji Xiang nodded as well. Ji Xiang's father oversaw the Zhao Camp's logistics. The cooks, helpers, and all other aspects involved over three hundred people. But most of these were temporary hires — some had come along from within Xuzhou City, others were hired from the Nine-Bond villages. It wasn't that these people did poor work, but when considering every contingency, they ultimately couldn't be fully trusted. There was the hidden danger of someone being bribed to tamper with things, which was why Liu Yong's Internal Guard had stationed quite a few men there.

Now, arranging these helpless, unattached women from Ding Family Enclosure there — as long as they were managed well — would naturally be far more reliable than outside hires.

"The women must be kept far from the military camp. Don't let them come into close contact with the Zhao Camp's household guards. The delivery of meals and supplies should still be done by men," Zhao Jin said in a deep voice.

The household guards were all young men in the prime of their vigor. If they came into contact with these young women, who knew what might happen? It could cause trouble and affect army morale. But because everyone was young, and no one except Zhao Jin was married, these concerns hadn't occurred to them at all.

After thinking it over, everyone felt Zhao Jin's reasoning was sound. With the women settled, next came the children. This time, no one spoke up. Everyone looked at each other, and in the end, it was Liu Yong again who spoke. "Big Brother, how about leaving all these children to me?"

"Xiao Yong, you're so busy over there — how could you have the energy to look after children? Let the people in the village raise them!" Dong Bingfeng quickly spoke up to warn him.

Liu Yong's Internal Guard was the busiest of all the departments. Recruitment, training, and all sorts of confidential matters — everyone knew about them. If a bunch of children were added on top of that, it would surely be chaos.

But Zhao Jin did not speak. Liu Yong gave a dry laugh and said, "Looking after them is one thing. What I'm thinking is that the Internal Guard, like the provisions side, is full of outsiders and men of the jianghu. These people have skills, but their minds are too restless — using them isn't entirely reassuring. It might be better to train these children from a young age..."

Liu Yong's confidence seemed to waver as he spoke this, his voice growing quieter. Everyone else remained silent as well. In the end, they all turned to look at Zhao Jin. Zhao Jin slowly nodded.

"Put Ding Jun in the Personal Guard. Da Xiang, you keep an eye on him!" Zhao Jin suddenly changed the subject. Ji Xiang quickly acknowledged the order.

"When we enter the city tomorrow, Xiao Yong, you will immediately send men to investigate. Find out exactly who followed that Feng family to make trouble for us. Bingfeng, you go find Qi Erkui. From now on, the Feng family can forget about moving salt through Xuzhou." Zhao Jin issued a string of orders.

When they set out the next day, firecrackers were popping everywhere. Zhao Jin sent someone to ask around and only then realized it was the Little New Year. These days of rushing about and fighting, they hadn't even noticed the date.