Chapter 490: This Isn't an Opera

Zhao Jin nodded there and said, "No wonder that assassin wasn't afraid of confessing. But we can't handle it that way on our side."

Liu Yong chimed in as well: "Old Wu makes sense. Even if we aren't the ones publicly posting the bounty, outsiders will still guess it's us. The yamen has plenty of interrogation methods, and men who do this for silver aren't necessarily reliable. Once they confess, the officials will target us. We can't just fall out with the authorities."

The room fell quiet for a moment. Zhao Jin smiled, shook his head, and said, "If he'd just stayed put in Yangzhou and honestly made his fortune, there wouldn't have been much we could do for a while."

As salt merchants, the Feng family's greatest profits came from "official-route private salt." That salt moved openly and was protected by the authorities. Zhao's Camp couldn't touch it at all — striking at it would be little different from rebellion, inviting all manner of disaster.

As for the other private salt that couldn't see the light of day — the estates in the Wild Grass Flats, the illicit salt works — those were the Feng family's schemes, but not their foundation. The greatest source of their wealth still lay in the government-run salt fields and the salt administration. As long as the Great Ming court stood, the Feng family would always grow rich.

"It won't be that cheap. If we can't move against his family itself, we'll move against everything we can. Pizhou and Suining are stable now — the various places don't need so many men. Send them all into the Grass Lairs. Sweep the Feng family's estates. Drive them out of every illicit salt works and warehouse they've set up in the Wild Grass Flats. Doesn't the Feng family do a purge every year? This time, it's their turn to be purged!" Zhao Jin laid out the plan.

Everyone nodded in agreement. One man spoke up: "Master Jin, among the strongholds and stockades across the three mountains and five peaks, there are plenty of men with nowhere to go. Give them a patch of ground to shelter on, and they'll gladly stake their lives. The Feng family has dominated the Grass Lairs for years now — anyone who wouldn't obey their orders was driven out, and newcomers were barred from entering. Now that territory belongs to Master Jin. We can use it to put men to work."

Zhao Jin nodded slowly, but looked toward Liu Yong and said, "Li En's idea is a good one. Go spread the word. But one thing: no one utterly heartless, no one drenched in blood. We'll use them, but our Zhao's Camp's reputation matters."

Liu Yong quickly agreed. Hearing this, the earlier speaker, Li En, exchanged glances with several men beside him, and all lowered their heads slightly. Everyone in this room was a core member of the Internal Guard — old hands of the jianghu, meticulous and shrewd. In a situation like this, of course none of them would purse their lips or furrow their brows.

Yet inwardly they were deeply dismissive. Zhao's Camp's reputation? Over the past year and more, how many estates had been slaughtered? Had the deeds of mountains of corpses and seas of blood been few? What was the point of playing merciful in a minor matter like this?

But the meticulous-minded could also easily think of one point: Zhao's Camp had indeed committed plenty of killing, but most of it was with just cause. Those killed were either notorious tyrants and bullies, or demonic heretics colluding with evil cults, or else roving bandits plaguing the countryside. The words "open and aboveboard" could just barely be applied. One really couldn't find too many faults.

Nie Hei, who had been silent the whole time, spoke up: "Master Jin, the Grass Lairs are close to Luoma Lake, and the lake connects to the Grand Canal. We need to be wary of cult members slipping through. They're everywhere."

"That does require caution. Otherwise we'll just be doing someone else's work for them." Zhao Jin exchanged a glance with Liu Yong as he spoke.

This time, the few men standing at the side did not exchange glances, but what they thought was much the same: sure enough, a traitor strikes hardest against his former people.

As they were speaking, a household guard reported from outside: "Master, the company commander on duty at the eastern sentry post today has a matter to report."

Liu Yong waved a hand at the men in the room, and the others all withdrew. He then told the company commander to enter. During this interval, Zhao Jin said in a low voice, "Station Zheng Quan's men among the refugees, and then have your people keep watch on Zheng Quan's men. Those with a cult background — handle with caution!"

Liu Yong acknowledged the order. A young company commander entered the room, saluted, and then said: "Master, a horse cart has come along the official road. The driver and another man on the cart tied each other up and came here. There are also children and a woman on the cart. The two men gave their names — one is Li He, the other is Li Dajin. They said Master would certainly know their names, and they request an audience with Master."

"Li Dajin, Li He?" Zhao Jin repeated, his tone carrying unconcealed surprise.

Liu Yong also furrowed his brow tightly. He turned his head and said, "Big Brother, wait a moment. I'll have men verify their identities, and then call Second Brother and Third Brother over."

Li Dajin was the leader of the Feng family's private soldiers. Li He was the battalion commander who had besieged the refugee stockade. These two men were, one could say, mortal enemies of Zhao's Camp. When the battle lines collapsed, they had fled first, and then vanished without a trace. What exactly became of Li Dajin was unclear, but Li He had been made the scapegoat — all the blame for the dead and wounded soldiers was shoved onto him. One could imagine Li Dajin's fate hadn't been much better. He had squandered the capital the Feng family had accumulated over many years; they certainly wouldn't let him off.

No one had imagined these two would actually come here to the He Family Estate. Zhao Jin pondered in silence for a moment, then a smile surfaced on his face. He nodded and said, "Call over everyone who's free. And bring that horse cart outside, along with the people inside it. This is interesting!"

Liu Yong thought for a moment and then laughed too. He said, "It is indeed interesting. Word from Yangzhou is that the Feng family has always looked down on military men. Think about that together with today's matter — interesting."

Zhao's Camp had no real eyes and ears in Yangzhou, but they could still pick up news on the surface. Hearing Liu Yong's words, Zhao Jin sneered and said, "The Feng family is hardly the only one who looks down on us martial men. Isn't that the way of the whole world!"

The civil esteemed, the martial debased. In the eyes of every stratum of Great Ming society, it wasn't just that scholars were valued above soldiers. Even ordinary law-abiding commoners, though they might fear a martial man, still looked down on him, believing that a son of a good family who played with blades and staves was debasing himself.

It was fortunate that Zhao's Camp was rooted in Xuzhou. Xuzhou esteemed martial virtue; the local folkways were fierce. With that foundation, the household guards of Zhao's Camp lacked nothing in spirit and morale. Had they been anywhere else, the only men they could have gathered would likely have been unemployed drifters and local riffraff.

Before long, Chen Sheng, Wang Zhaojing, Shi Manqiang, and Dong Bingfeng all arrived. Ji Xiang was on outside rotation duty and couldn't come. Among those who came, some had met Li Dajin face to face; the rest knew him only by reputation. Hearing of this matter, all were quite astonished. Chen Sheng and Shi Manqiang were both in full armor. Wang Zhaojing wore a scholar's long gown, but had a sword at his waist.

Liu Yong personally led a dozen or so household guards in escorting Li Dajin and Li He over. Both men were around forty years of age, tall and powerfully built. Though they had fled from their former place, they showed no signs of hardship or exhaustion; presumably they hadn't suffered much along the way.

"The knots they used to tie each other up are dead knots, nothing fancy. But for peace of mind, I tied them up again myself," Liu Yong remarked.

Behind Li Dajin and Li He, two men each kept close watch, ensuring that at the slightest suspicious movement, they could be subdued instantly.

"Have their families been settled?" Zhao Jin asked with a smile.

Liu Yong quickly replied, "All arranged at the cart inn. I've already had someone prepare lunch for them."

From the moment they entered the room, Li Dajin and Li He had been looking around and observing. Though the two sides had met a few times, this was the first time they had been in such close proximity. Like the others, expressions of surprise surfaced on both their faces. Zhao Jin and these men were simply too young.

As those two looked, Zhao Jin and his men were likewise observing. Li Dajin and Li He were about the same age, both with the standard look of martial men. Li He appeared younger, well-maintained, and carried himself with considerable authority. Li Dajin's face bore more of life's hardships, and several scars were visible. According to reports, Li He had always served as a military officer in the army. Li Dajin had endured hardship after leaving, and only later, after connecting with the Feng family, had he regained a proper identity.

Judging by their burly, robust bodies and their large-knuckled hands, however, neither man's strength nor martial skill would be lacking. The years of wealth and status hadn't caused them to slack off.

After entering the room, the two men's expressions were very composed — their plan had clearly been well thought out. Only when they heard how their families were being treated did a flicker of fear cross their faces. Li He even began calculating how to take a hostage.

"This is our Big Brother, Zhao Jin of Zhao's Camp!" Liu Yong raised a hand and introduced him.

Rank titles like camp commander and camp general were for internal use. As for their official status, it was merely that of a constable runner in the Xuzhou Department Magistrate's yamen. Wang Zhaojing, by contrast, had the most presentable public identity — he was a full Provincial Graduate. So every time they introduced Zhao Jin to outsiders, everyone felt it was a bit shabby. Zhao Jin, however, didn't mind.

As for Li Dajin and Li He, they naturally knew the weight this young man before them carried. Neither man hesitated in the slightest. Both bent their knees and knelt, though with their upper bodies bound so tightly, kneeling was quite awkward.

"With these ropes on me, I can't kowtow to Master Jin. I am Li Dajin, and this is my brother Li He. We pay our respects to Master Jin, and beg Master Jin to punish our crimes!"

"I am Li He. I beg Master Jin to punish my crimes!"

The two had clearly discussed their words before coming. Having said what needed to be said, they bowed deeply in unison.

"Punish your crimes? Punish what? If you two hadn't gambled that coming to Zhao's Camp would get you taken in, why else would you have come?" Zhao Jin said with a smile.

The men in the room all showed smiles. Zhao Jin continued, smiling: "I know what you're thinking. You want to give me a reputation for magnanimity. The tale of the commander who wins over surrendering generals — I've heard plenty of those in the storytellers' booths. It's always the same routine."

Embarrassment and tension mingled on Li Dajin's and Li He's faces. The situation wasn't unfolding as they had envisioned. Yet kneeling here, seeing the arrangements in the room, there was no path of retreat left. They could only resign themselves to fate.

"We've fought each other with real blades and real spears. Let's skip the empty formalities. I want to ask you: have you come to join Zhao's Camp?" Zhao Jin came straight to the point.

For some reason, Zhao Jin speaking this way actually put the two men at ease. Li Dajin and Li He both nodded: "We are willing to join Zhao's Camp. We are willing to die for Master Jin!"

A smile surfaced on Zhao Jin's face. Leisurely, he said, "We've fought to the death a few times. Now suddenly, with nothing but empty words, you say you want to join up. If I believed that, wouldn't I be a bit too foolish?"

"What does Master Jin say, then?" Li Dajin raised his head and asked gravely.