Chapter 500: Wouldn't It Be a Joke If It Ended Just Like That

Once word of the two families' truce got out, everyone involved breathed a sigh of relief, and the salt market flourished in turn.

Of course, no one knew that the man behind this truce was Li Dajin. He and his group disembarked at Qingjiangpu, switched to horses, and continued their journey back north.

At first, the men who had gone south with Li Dajin were not convinced and even harbored hostility, thinking to themselves: I'm here to keep an eye on this outsider for Master Jin. If this man harbors ill intentions, I'll have to carry out heaven's justice.

But after everything they experienced on the journey, everyone's attitude toward Li Dajin changed considerably. His martial skills were polished, his experience rich, and he handled every matter with thoroughness and care. Since many on this trip were men of the jianghu from the Inner Guard, they felt an even greater sense of kinship with this Li Dajin.

The Zhao Camp operated with great restraint — no wanton killing, no bloodlust, strict discipline. This made many of the jianghu men, long accustomed to running wild, very uncomfortable. But this Li Dajin showed no softness in his methods and knew how to be flexible. When they stormed Feng Shaoliang's outer residence, everyone helped themselves to quite a bit of gold, silver, and valuables. In the Zhao Camp, nine times out of ten they would have been shouted at and stopped, yet Li Dajin paid no attention at all.

Over the course of the journey, everyone came to think highly of Li Dajin, and they began calling him "Big Brother Li, Big Brother Li."

"This Li Dajin has ability, no doubt, but his jianghu habits run too deep."

Among those operating alongside Li Dajin, there were of course informants planted by the Zhao Camp. Upon returning to Xuzhou, they immediately reported everything they had seen and heard.

After listening, Zhao Jin offered a single comment. When the brothers heard the phrase "jianghu habits run too deep," they understood that Li Dajin's future prospects in the Zhao Camp would be limited. The Zhao Camp stressed rules — everything had to follow rules, be done according to rules — and "jianghu habits" was one of the synonyms for not following rules, for a lack of rigor.

"He's getting on in years. His drive and ambition faded long ago. He's always thinking about handling his assignments well and building good relations with the people around him. Coming to our Zhao Camp — it's less about seeking a future for himself and more about thinking of his children. That Li He, on the other hand, once he's proven his loyalty, can be used." Liu Yong saw it very clearly as well.

"These two should still be placed in the Inner Guard for now, but they must be kept separate from Ding Jun and those children from Ding Family Village," Zhao Jin said with a nod.

After arriving in Xuzhou, Li Dajin did not get to see Zhao Jin right away. Instead, he was arranged to reunite with his wife and children. Li Dajin's family had been settled in Tian Family Village. Ever since Tian Family Village submitted to the Zhao Camp, it had been transformed inside and out. Many merchants doing business in He Family Village had moved their residences and warehouses here, bringing considerable prosperity to Tian Family Village. But in the eyes of the Li family, this kind of prosperity hardly counted for anything. Compared to Yangzhou, there truly were few cities under heaven that could be considered anything at all — let alone this rural countryside of Xuzhou.

His wife was fine, simply happy that her man had returned safe and sound. The children, however, kicked up a fuss about going back to Yangzhou. At first, husband and wife sat in silence. Later, when the fussing got out of hand, Li Dajin gave them two slaps. The children cried and wailed, and Li Dajin felt unbearably agitated.

Fortunately, he did not have to stew for long. Someone from the Zhao Camp came, saying that Master Jin had summoned him. Only after Li Dajin stepped out the door did he breathe a sigh of relief.

With Li Dajin's level of insight, he could naturally tell that many arrangements had been made around him in Tian Family Village — the neighbors in front, behind, left, and right, for instance, or the seemingly idle loiterers at the village entrance. If he tried anything reckless, there would certainly be no chance to resist or flee.

Dismounting at He Family Village, Li Dajin observed very carefully all the way. The Zhao Camp's training, the Zhao Camp's equipment, the Zhao Camp's bearing — he took it all in. The more he looked, the more he felt he had not come to the wrong place.

Before, he had thought of having his children study and advance themselves. But without the Feng family's help and patronage, for the children of a military household to seek scholarly honors was a joke. Yet to flee somewhere, hide his name, and let his children live out their lives as common folk — Li Dajin could not resign himself to that. With the official path, the path in the open, already cut off, Li Dajin decided to take a gamble and come to the Zhao Camp. Making a name for himself among the outlaws and greenwood fraternities, and seeking amnesty and recruitment in the future, wouldn't be so bad either.

In his eyes, the Zhao Camp was just a large band of fierce, powerful bandits. They would surely stir up trouble sooner or later, and they would surely seek amnesty. Li Dajin had spent a long time in the government army and understood these routines perfectly.

He had not expected that upon arriving here, he would find the reality somewhat different from his judgment. This made Li Dajin's mind far more active. He had skills of his own — could he seek a place for himself here? His children were still young — could they train and gain experience here? These were all things he was considering.

He announced himself outside the gate, a household servant relayed the message, and Li Dajin was led inside. In the main hall, Zhao Jin and his brothers were already waiting.

Seeing this council hall converted from an ordinary residence, seeing the busy but orderly young men, Li Dajin could not help comparing it to the Feng family. The Feng family's grandeur far exceeded that of the Zhao Camp, yet it lacked this atmosphere of spirited upward momentum. The young men of the Feng family spent their days in pleasure-seeking, quarreling and squabbling over petty rivalries; few were occupied with serious matters.

Thinking how the Feng family's glory and wealth actually had little to do with their ancestors, and had only been built up in Old Master Feng's hands — and in just a few decades it had already decayed to this state — Li Dajin suddenly wondered whether, a few decades from now, this Zhao Camp would end up like the Feng family. And whether this Zhao Camp would even have a few decades...

His thoughts wandering, he was led into the council hall. Inside the hall were nine people: Zhao Jin, Chen Sheng, Wang Zhaojing, Dong Bingfeng, Shi Manqiang, Ji Xiang, Liu Yong, Lei Cai, and Ruhui. Every face bore a grave expression.

After Li Dajin was brought in, the door was closed. Outside, the household servants said, "The master ordered us to keep our distance," and the voices gradually faded away.

Though curious about what was going on, Li Dajin did not ask. He simply stood there with his hands at his sides. Having spent so long in the Feng household, he had a good grasp of propriety and boundaries.

After all, Li Dajin had not been in the Zhao Camp for long, so he did not realize the significance of so many people gathering together. For the Zhao Camp, now managing a force of several thousand, people were needed at all times to oversee and keep a close watch. It was already rare for the brothers to assemble like this; normally, at least one person had to be stationed outside.

For so many to gather, something major must be afoot. Zhou Xuezhi, who was also in the core circle, was temporarily unable to attend because he was busy with salt market affairs, traveling back and forth by cart and horse between Xuzhou and Pizhou all day long.

"First, tell us how you handled things in Yangzhou," Zhao Jin began the questioning.

Li Dajin answered in full detail. The matter was not complicated. Li Dajin knew very well that the Feng family's Second Master kept an outer residence, and from the very start of the trip to Yangzhou, he had made this Feng Shaoliang the target.

Because it was an outer residence, it had been deliberately chosen in a secluded spot. While convenient for secret trysts, it also made things convenient for Li Dajin and his group. The chance of being discovered during the operation was greatly reduced. Then, once Feng Shaoliang arrived, it was like catching a turtle in a jar.

"You handled this very properly. But did you ever consider what you would do if you were discovered?" Liu Yong interjected in a deep voice.

Li Dajin looked up and saw that everyone in the room was focused intently, waiting for his answer. He hurriedly said, "That area has many private residences and outer residences of wealthy and powerful families. The jianghu characters and yamen runners in the city generally don't go there. And since most of the people kept there are concubines, there aren't many bodyguards or escorts either. If an alarm were raised, no one would come for a while, so there would be time to escape. But at that point, you couldn't leave by the city gates — they would certainly be under strict inspection. I had prepared a few boats in the river. We'd lie flat in the cabins and slip out through the water gate."

Yangzhou was crisscrossed with rivers and canals. Besides the land gates, there were also water gates for boats to enter and exit the city.

"Don't they inspect the water gates?" Chen Sheng asked.

"The water gates are inspected too, but the boats there never thin out from morning till night. You can hold your breath and slip out through the gaps between the boats, and no one really keeps watch. Best of all is to hire a few boats that deliver vegetables and fish into the city — those crews are on familiar terms with the guards at the gate, and no one pays them any attention at all," Li Dajin answered.

The questions paused. Zhao Jin and his brothers murmured among themselves briefly, then Liu Yong spoke again: "In your view, after this incident, will Feng Jinfa and Feng Shaoxian hide inside the city, or will they continue to stay outside?"

Li Dajin started. His heart gave a great leap. He looked up at the people seated there and found every expression calm and composed. Li Dajin mocked himself inwardly — a man of forty, yet his composure was not even equal to these teenagers'. Though thinking this, he still answered dutifully: "In my humble view, the Feng father and son will remain outside the city. The Feng family has too many people; moving into the city would bring all sorts of inconveniences. And right now is the busiest season for the salt business — going into the city would delay trade and dealings. Furthermore, the last incident in the city was seen by the Feng father and son, and indeed by everyone in Yangzhou, as an accident among accidents. The authorities will investigate strictly, and the Feng family themselves will tighten their security. By common sense, no one would walk right back into the trap, so while everyone is on high alert, they won't be worried about a second time. Therefore, the Feng family should still remain outside the city."

"That estate of the Feng family outside the city — how many guards does it have?" Zhao Jin asked.

By this point, Li Dajin had instead calmed down. Since he could guess what they were planning to do, he also knew how to answer.

"Inside and out, roughly four hundred men. The main force is about a hundred — these are all capable fighters."

"What do you mean by 'capable fighters'? How do they compare to those from the Grass Den in Huai'an Prefecture?" Dong Bingfeng asked.

At this, Li Dajin hesitated, and a bitter smile flickered across his face. "In terms of martial skill, the ones in Yangzhou are not weak. But when it comes to fighting to the death, those Yangzhou men won't do. Staying in the inner residence is comfortable. If you go out on business with the masters of the house, the reward money is even more generous than outside graft. So everyone wants to stay. Those who can curry favor, those with family ties to the Fengs — they've all been kept here. As for fighting, they can fight. But when it comes to red blade in, white blade out, I'm afraid they don't have the stomach for it. That Feng Bao doesn't understand these things, but the Feng father and son don't trust outsiders."

Zhao Jin and the others exchanged glances but did not follow up. Li Dajin had not been lamenting long before he spoke again: "Apart from the guards inside the estate, the government runners outside are the real trouble. Those men have the king's law protecting them. If you fight them, it's the same as provoking the authorities. If you don't fight, they'll send word immediately, summoning the rural militia and trained bands from outside the city, even bringing in the government troops. They're a huge problem!"