Chapter 532: Hidden Worries

Ruhui didn't speak either. Watching Zhou Xuezhi's flustered demeanor, a smile actually crept onto her face, and she scrutinized him as if watching a play. Zhou Xuezhi swayed back and forth a few times like that, but in the end he sat back down, took a deep breath, and actually fell silent.

Ruhui was somewhat surprised by Zhou Xuezhi's reaction, but she still reached out and patted him on the shoulder. Zhou Xuezhi looked at her, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, and finally let out a sigh.

"Why aren't you talking? Isn't this exactly what you all wanted to hear? I've said it, and now you're all silent?" Zhao Jin said coldly.

The atmosphere in the room was strange. Everyone looked at each other—some terrified, some agitated, others silent and wordless—but no one answered Zhao Jin's question.

First, everyone looked at Chen Sheng, but Chen Sheng was fiddling with the spring catch on his long saber's scabbard, his expression perfectly normal. His demeanor was the most composed, looking no different from any other day. But Chen Sheng paid no attention to anyone's attitude, as if nothing had been said and nothing had happened.

Then everyone looked at Wang Zhaojing. Wang Zhaojing had initially wanted to lower his head, but in the end he reached up and rubbed the space between his brows, a bitter smile surfacing on his face. Clearing his throat, he said, "Big Brother, this matter involves secrets and concerns the lives and fortunes of everyone here. To state it so bluntly—isn't that a bit imprudent? To use a phrase you often say, Big Brother, the slightest carelessness and we'll be crushed to pieces!"

"Judging by the energy everyone had just now, you were already about to raise a banner in rebellion. What's so inappropriate about me saying it?" Zhao Jin retorted irritably. Ji Xiang and Shi Manqiang both looked somewhat sheepish, while Dong Bingfeng's expression over there was intensely focused, staring at Zhao Jin and waiting for him to continue.

Zhao Jin waved his hand, encompassing everyone in the room, and said in a gentler tone, "We are all one body. I'm not worried that these words will leak out. It's precisely because we are all family that I dare to speak like this."

The atmosphere in the room finally relaxed considerably. Just moments before, with Zhao Jin's sarcasm and stern counter-questions, everyone in the room had been somewhat tense and fearful, not knowing what to say for a time.

"Everyone, sit down. I don't want to talk about this too many times, but this once, I still need to explain it properly," Zhao Jin said, gesturing.

Once everyone was seated, Zhao Jin stood there and spoke slowly: "In a straight fight with real blades and spears, the Zhao Family Camp's household troops, plus the martial men of Xuzhou, plus the able-bodied refugees—we are indeed very strong. This Vice General Zhou is no match for us. Even if he mustered all the troops under his command, he still wouldn't be a match. That Vice General of Wolf Mountain is no match either. Huai'an Prefecture, Yangzhou Prefecture, and perhaps even Fengyang Prefecture—none of them can stop us now."

Hearing Zhao Jin evaluate the Zhao Family Camp's strength in such terms, everyone began to grow excited again. Even Chen Sheng's face bore a proud expression.

"I've said before, don't just look at how elite our troops are, how defeating government forces is effortless. The moment we actually engage government troops, we will immediately be abandoned by allies and kin. The mixed militia regiments we trained will instantly turn against us. The household troops we painstakingly drilled will scatter and flee. The refugees will also disperse in chaos. At that point, what would we use to fight?"

"Big Brother, Lu Da and those guys are definitely of one heart with us. The company commanders and squad leaders everywhere are definitely loyal and devoted to you, Big Brother!" Ji Xiang said urgently. He rushed to interject like that, and it was unclear whether he was trying to convince Zhao Jin or convince himself.

This time, Zhao Jin didn't put on a stern expression for Ji Xiang. Ji Xiang paused, then continued, "If they're loyal, they can keep a grip on the household troops below them. If our Zhao Family Camp main unit can keep a grip, then the militia and martial men here in Xuzhou can be kept in hand, and then the refugees won't dare disobey. As long as the blade is in hand, they have no choice but to move. Pushing them layer by layer, we could even field even more men!"

The more he spoke, the more excited he became. Ji Xiang gradually grew impassioned, his eyes blazing with fervor. A smile surfaced on Zhao Jin's face, and he asked back gently, "Right. The ones truly reliable are us brothers. Then the forty-some company commanders and squad leaders below us are also reliable. Over half of the officer-class men are reliable too. That's only a few hundred people. Can they control these nearly three thousand? How many of those three thousand are reliable? Can they control over twenty thousand? If we really set out to do that thing, what about provisions and fodder? Could I still buy them with silver? Could our liquor still be sold? Are our stockpiles sufficient? Do we rely on looting? Will others willingly go along?"

After posing several questions, Ji Xiang couldn't answer. Zhao Jin raised his voice slightly: "Right now, the Zhao Family Camp has yet to encounter any real hardship. Bonds and loyalty have yet to be tested. Once trouble breaks out, it's very likely we'll be abandoned by all, with even Xuzhou fortifying its walls and clearing the fields against us. One thousand, two thousand, ten thousand, twenty thousand—we can defeat them all. But what if a hundred thousand come? Two hundred thousand? When a great army surrounds us, even the most loyal and devoted will turn traitor. This Great Ming court has stood for over two hundred years. We've only been around a few years. Will they believe in us or believe in the court?"

Zhao Jin was nearly fierce in both voice and expression. Ji Xiang was left speechless, unable to answer a single word. Zhao Jin waved his hand and lowered his voice: "Right now, the realm is at peace. You see unrest here, famine there, but the court's foundation hasn't been damaged at all. There won't be any real upheaval. You see our household troops willing to go through fire and water for us, but they think of themselves as household troops and militia of a great house, selling their lives for silver and full bellies. Perhaps they even think about protecting the region and keeping the people safe. That thing—it's easy to say with empty words, but if we actually tried to do it, this glorious enterprise we see before us would vanish like smoke and scattered clouds!"

Silence returned to the room. The excitement on Ji Xiang's face faded, replaced by a hint of dejection. Shi Manqiang's face showed disappointment. Dong Bingfeng, on the other hand, looked somewhat relieved. Chen Sheng glanced at Zhao Jin, then lowered his head and fiddled with his scabbard again. The rest wore indifferent expressions.

"What we can do now is manage this operation well. This situation the Zhao Family Camp has built can also be passed down, ensuring several generations without worry for us. It is the foundation of wealth and status for our children and descendants," Zhao Jin said with earnest gravity. However, as he spoke these words, the disinterest on Ji Xiang's face was visible.

"Settle your hearts. How long has it been since we started from nothing? And how old are we, anyway? Take it slowly. There's no rushing. Especially now, we must be all the more cautious and careful, lest this excellent situation, this enormous enterprise, become someone else's meal on a platter. Do you all understand?" At the end, Zhao Jin raised his voice to ask.

"It was my recklessness. I ask Big Brother and all my brothers not to blame me," Ji Xiang answered sullenly. He now looked utterly crestfallen.

The atmosphere in the room was heavy. No one spoke. Zhao Jin wanted to say something but stopped himself. After a moment of silence like this, Zhao Jin spoke: "Daxiang and Xiaoyong, take the First Personal Guard Company to the inn. Tell those dozen or so Embroidered Uniform Guard agents to get lost, and quickly. Teach them a lesson, but no fatalities. Go now. The rest of you, dismissed!"

Liu Yong and Ji Xiang hurriedly bowed in acknowledgment and went out to take men with them. Shi Manqiang also came over to say his farewells—he was responsible for the night watch and was heading off to patrol now. Before leaving, Ruhui hesitated at the door, then turned her head and said, "Master, what you said today came from the bottom of your heart. But the camp officers are all still young, and they can't compare to you lords in maturity and steadiness. Some impetuousness is inevitable. It's still best to assign people to keep a close watch. If today's discussion were to leak, it would indeed be a great calamity."

Zhao Jin nodded silently. Ruhui bowed and left. Zhou Xuezhi walked out in a great hurry, nearly tripping over the threshold. As Dong Bingfeng was leaving, he seemed to want to say something, but hesitated, leaving the words unspoken.

Whether intentional or not, Chen Sheng and Wang Zhaojing did not leave with the others. Wang Zhaojing took a few steps by the door, then turned his head to look at Chen Sheng. Chen Sheng remained silent. Wang Zhaojing opened his mouth and asked, "What Big Brother said today—was that truly from the heart?"

Zhao Jin was silent for a moment, then suddenly answered irrelevantly, "I was wrong about one thing."

This answer made Wang Zhaojing pause, and then he said with a smile, "Though today was reckless, it wasn't necessarily wrong. If our Zhao Family Camp continues down this path, such a day will come sooner or later. When the matter is upon us, our grasp of it will be all the surer."

Chen Sheng lifted his head and shot a glance over. Zhao Jin, however, smiled bitterly and said, "I thought that at the start, we needed to charge forward fiercely, without the slightest pause, and that once we grew large enough, we could rest and recuperate, waiting at our leisure. I never imagined that what brought our Zhao Family Camp to where it is today was everyone's hot blood. At our age, how can we settle down and steady ourselves? A unit like our Zhao Family Camp—once there's no more fighting, just training and standing guard day in and day out, rotating shifts everywhere, our household troops will grow restless, then irritable, until they become slack, and then just collapse like that..."

Despite the non-sequitur, both Wang Zhaojing's and Chen Sheng's expressions turned grave. Chen Sheng finally spoke: "If it goes on like this, won't we end up walking the same old road as the Kong Family Manor?"

Chen Sheng's expression became stern. Raising his voice, he said, "It will absolutely not come to that. None of us brothers will succumb to the love of ease and pleasure. If the household troops grow irritable and restless, then increase the training until they have no energy left to be irritable and restless. How many bandit and mounted-raider strongholds are still unpacified around here? March out and exterminate them, pacify them..."

At this point, Chen Sheng's own voice grew quieter. His brow furrowed tightly as he said, "To deal with those people, sending out two companies is already a major operation. It won't serve the purpose of drilling the troops."

"Increasing training can only hold them for half a year. Any longer, and they'll grow numb, maybe even break down. When that happens, trouble will definitely erupt inside the camp. At that point, the question won't be whether this blade can be used, but whether this blade will cut its owner," Zhao Jin said coldly.

The room fell silent again. It had fallen silent many times that day. As the very core of this group, Zhao Jin and the few others all felt uneasy in their hearts. The Zhao Family Camp now possessed enormous renown and an enormous enterprise. Yet beneath such excellent momentum lay hidden worries like these.

To an outsider looking in, the Zhao Family Camp ought to be carefree now, enjoying prestige, wealth, and status. But for Zhao Jin and his companions, they were not satisfied with this. Some words had been spoken, some left unspoken yet understood by all. Everyone felt the Zhao Family Camp should not stop here, even though its expansion now seemed to have reached its limit.

Thanks to old friends "Unmoving Mountain, Twilight Cry, Yuan Heng Li Zhen, User Chen Xinjian, Rain Is Rootless Water" for their tips. Book friend Rain Is Rootless Water is now a Sect Leader of this book. Thanks to book friend Unmoving Mountain for their generosity. Thank you, everyone. Seeking all kinds of support—casting recommendation votes is very convenient, everyone please toss one this way.