Chapter 456: Something

Opposing the Feng family, the campaign in Huai'an Prefecture, and the meddling of the Fragrance Sect — to an outsider, it all looked like chaos, impossible to juggle at once. In reality, it wasn't that troublesome. Inside and outside the city, the Fragrance Sect was more or less handled by the elders of Zhao Jin and his companions. To put it bluntly, those old-timers were local powers; every corner of the region would do them a favor. Add the strength of the Zhao Character Camp, and getting things done was easy.

The Fragrance Sect kept sending people to infiltrate, and those sent were eliminated one by one. Seizing this opportunity, the Zhao Character Camp's control over the Fragrance Sect in Xuzhou actually tightened.

For smuggled salt entering Fengyang Prefecture from Huai'an Prefecture, the most convenient route was the official road by Suining County. That was why, despite Suining County being relatively remote, the Feng family stationed their household-born retainer, the Lai family, there — partly to look after their own salt convoys, and partly to intercept smuggled salt convoys from elsewhere.

After the Lai family estate was taken by the Xuzhou men, as agreed beforehand, over a hundred and fifty men were stationed there to keep watch. Their task was simple: detain any passing Feng family salt convoys, and collect tolls from everyone else passing through.

Sitting on the spot and collecting money — this was far more comfortable than scratching a living from the soil in Xuzhou or fighting to the death.

Salt prices were high in the first and second months, so the Feng family naturally sent large cart convoys through. Normally, the route was completely unobstructed, but this time, they were stopped right on the official road.

Compared to the salt convoy that went to Xuzhou, the manager of this Feng family convoy was much shrewder. The moment he saw they were surrounded, he immediately begged for mercy and tried to curry favor, even saying that seizing them this time was just a one-off deal, but if they only collected the customary toll, it would be a long-term benefit.

These Xuzhou men were all terrified of poverty. Swayed by the manager's glib tongue, they immediately thought it made sense. Even if they seized the salt carts, they couldn't sell the salt at a high price themselves. But if they took a steady trickle, collecting a fee every time a convoy passed through, the earnings over a few months or a year would be far richer.

Zhao Jin's current purpose in mobilizing the Xuzhou martial men to campaign in Huai'an Prefecture was to ensure the smooth transfer of refugees from Grass Hollow and the successful construction of the refugee stockade. Therefore, a considerable amount of direct forces were deployed along the line of Xuzhou, Pizhou, and Yutou Town, while places like the Lai family's in Suining County were given to others, with only a few informants placed inside — all jianghu men close to the Zhao Character Camp.

These jianghu men naturally proposed following Lord Jin's arrangements, but their voices were quickly drowned out by the crowd's greed.

Letting the Feng family salt convoy pass brought in over a hundred taels of silver straight away. The men then unceremoniously seized a cart of salt for themselves, trading it nearby for wine and meat. Even local prostitutes came flocking over on their own. The men called this "Second-Month New Year."

What none of them expected was that the Feng family manager escorting that salt convoy, the moment he passed through this area, immediately switched to a fast horse, bypassed the Lai family estate, and galloped at full speed toward Yangzhou.

A hundred-odd taels of silver wouldn't last many days, but the men had no mind to save. After all, with a steady trickle, more big money would come later — why shortchange themselves?

On the eighth day of the second month, they spotted a large force of men and horses on the official road in the distance. The Xuzhou martial men occupying the Lai estate grew wildly excited, thinking a big business deal had arrived.

It wasn't until this "big business" formation began its charge that the Xuzhou martial men realized they were enemies. Over a hundred mounted riders, nearly three hundred foot soldiers — they came pressing down with ferocious momentum.

After days of indulgence, their hands and feet had gone soft. What fight did they have left? One coward ran first, and the rest scattered in a single breath.

If they had relied on the estate and fought to the death, using the courtyard walls and houses as cover, they could have held out for a while. But once they ran, it was over. The Feng family side naturally showed no mercy. The riders gave chase directly, and only after leaving several dozen corpses behind did the men from Xuzhou manage to escape.

In many places, once taken, no large force was left to garrison — only men left behind to split the silver and take the benefits. These men fled back in utter disarray, and Pizhou city couldn't muster enough strength for a counterattack at the moment. They could only settle some of the men and send riders to **** and Fangcun Village to report the news and call for help.

Word soon came back from the Lai family's place in Suining County: the Feng family men had lit a great fire outside the estate, and during the burning, the stench had filled the sky.

At first, everyone was a bit confused. Then the Pizhou official circles received a verbal message from their superiors: "Seek only justice" and "Do not stir up trouble recklessly."

Men in official circles speak and listen with skill; they never take words at face value alone. By convention, if the phrase "Do not stir up trouble recklessly" was absent, it would mean they were to favor the Feng family. But with both phrases spoken together, it meant the authorities were to help neither side.

Once this news came out, everyone immediately understood. What the Feng family was burning were corpses. Burn everything to ashes, and the authorities had nothing to investigate. As long as no fool filed a lawsuit, on the surface, all was peace under heaven.

Zhao Jin and his group had brought in backing from the capital to neutralize the Feng family's official influence. But after so many years of operation, the Feng family had favors and connections everywhere. Though those connections couldn't help them, they could all manage to stay neutral.

Staying neutral was enough for the Feng family. The Feng family had that confidence in themselves, and not only did they have it — the people in Huai'an Prefecture and Pizhou thought the same.

When the Xuzhou men fled in disgrace to Pizhou city, Old Guo Liu's underlings grew restless. Originally, they had been collecting money as usual, eating well and drinking fine. Who could have imagined the Xuzhou men would just come and take thirty percent? On what grounds?

Now that this gang of Xuzhou brutes had suffered a big loss at the Lai family's place, and it looked like not many men had been left in the city, why not take the chance to turn on them? It would even earn them a huge favor from the Feng family. Just as his underlings were itching to move, Old Guo Liu overruled them all and forced everyone to stand down.

In the so-called jianghu, it's all about interests. When there's silver, they call you Big Brother. When the benefits shrink, everyone starts calculating. The liquor-selling rights and related benefits promised by the Zhao Character Camp hadn't arrived yet, and with Old Guo Liu suppressing them like this, everyone grew restless.

"Have your brains seized up? From start to finish, have you seen the Zhao Character Camp's own men come out? Hasn't it all been that bunch of Xuzhou jianghu types swaggering around?" The moment Old Guo Liu said this, everyone fell silent.

From the very beginning until now, it had always been the Xuzhou jianghu men charging in like wolves and tigers. But the Zhao Character Camp, whose fame everyone had long heard — they had always held back and not moved. Destroying this estate, destroying that estate, slaughtering a hundred thousand roving bandits… a force with legends that fierce still hadn't moved.

Once they thought this through, everyone quieted down. There were a few unwilling ones who took the initiative to contact the Feng family. They were later found dead on the streets. No one knew whether it was Zhao Jin's side or Old Guo Liu's side that did it. The city instantly fell obedient.

Many didn't dare say anything openly, but in secret they cursed Old Guo Liu for being muddle-headed. The Feng family was about to strike back — had he lost his mind, still helping the Xuzhou brutes? Just how many benefits had he taken?

On the eleventh day of the second month, word came from outside Pizhou city: nearly four hundred mounted men bearing blades were heading toward Suining. It looked like they were going to reclaim the face lost in the Lai estate's disastrous defeat.

What sent a chill through everyone was this: the Zhao Character Camp still did not move. At this, the demons and monsters of Pizhou fell completely silent. Forget the Feng family and the Zhao Character Camp — these Xuzhou men were simply too capable of stirring up trouble. How, with just a wave of the hand, had they produced another four hundred riders?

"If you lose the turf, you lose the benefits. Whoever takes it, it's theirs!"

This was the rule Zhao Jin had set. Zhao Jin had indeed promised to back the Xuzhou martial men who charged into Pizhou. If a large Feng family force attacked, Zhao Jin would also deploy his own strength.

However, the Xuzhou martial men at the Lai estate had first failed to follow the rules — they didn't detain the Feng family salt convoy and even let them leave. Then, when the enemy's main force attacked, they didn't hold their ground and wait for reinforcements.

The Lai family estate at least had courtyard walls and a moat. With over a hundred men holed up inside defending, unless the Feng family committed several times the force in a deadly assault, they simply couldn't take it. If they had just held on, Xuzhou's reinforcements would have arrived. But these men had indulged to excess and thrown away the entire position they'd won.

So everything was reset. All the benefits and dividends from previously holding the Lai family turf were void. They'd have to take it all over again before anything counted.

That unlucky bunch of deserters was naturally dejected and frustrated, but the others were howling with excitement. Ever since the Huai'an Prefecture campaign began, the area Zhao Jin had designated was this one stretch: **** Town, Pizhou, Yutou Town, and Suining County. Within this area, the Zhao Character Camp would manage things. Outside it, you were on your own.

Everyone was well aware of the Feng family's power and all the tales about them. If the Zhao Character Camp didn't step in, going there would just be suicide. No matter how fierce a martial man was, he wasn't willing to throw his life away for nothing. So everyone operated within the designated area.

There were plenty of benefits within the area, but split among everyone, they didn't amount to much. The richest territories, like Yutou Town, had their own established systems. Go there, and you could only skim a little off the surface according to the rules — you couldn't get much more. Relatively speaking, a salt-route checkpoint like the Lai estate became prime turf.

The main route for Huai salt from Huai'an Prefecture entering Fengyang Prefecture was the official road beside the Lai estate. Block that spot, and you could certainly collect huge benefits from the salt dealers and salt smugglers. Sit on the spot and collect money — what could be better?

Not to mention anything else, the rebuilt Salt Patrol of Xuzhou Garrison was already getting rich. They had already intercepted two Feng family salt convoys, and all the other salt convoys coming this way were voluntarily paying their cut. The post was incredibly lucrative. Word was, even the mounted constables from the whole prefecture and four counties, and the household cavalry under Vice General Zhou, were all angling to spend a few days with this Salt Patrol — it was just that profitable.

And besides, that bunch of muddle-headed fools before got unlucky because they didn't follow Lord Jin's rules. When we go, we'll follow the rules. Even if something happens, Lord Jin will have to step in.

None of them were afraid to die. Before, fights over trivial, petty matters got people killed. Even a few measly coppers over scraps of meat and bone drew blood. Now, with so much silver and benefit right in front of them, they'd stake their lives if they had to.

Driven by this fervor, the several hundred riders scraped together from all over Xuzhou swiftly assembled and then surged toward the Lai estate.

What stunned everyone was that the scene from a few days ago now replayed itself. Seeing the large force bearing down, the few dozen men inside the Lai estate fled for their lives. Among those few dozen, only a dozen or so had horses.

Taking the Lai estate was utterly effortless. They captured a few prisoners, and without even needing torture, learned that after seizing the estate, the main force had left, heading east toward the Grand Canal, and likely followed the river south back to Yangzhou Prefecture.

Everyone found it strange. Judging by the surprise attack, the Feng family had some skill. Yet they'd left almost no one to guard this place. Did they really think the Xuzhou men wouldn't come back? That was far too naive…