Chapter 571

After a few questions and answers, Shi Ping'ao's voice and expression grew stern, but Qin Yue, the Garrison Commander of Shanyang, answered more and more confusedly. A nearby captain of the personal guards sneered and said, "Old Qin, are you really that dumb or just playing dumb? Don't you know about Li He's battalion?"

"Weren't they infected by the plague?" Qin Yue asked blankly in return.

Battalion Commander Li He was considered a fierce general in the Wolf Mountain Army, and his battalion was one of its main forces. Who could have imagined they would be infected by plague and suffer over half their numbers dead or wounded? Naturally, that was what was said publicly, and internally it was kept as secret as possible, never mentioned if it could be avoided.

The men who had come with Shi Ping'ao were all personal guards and household retainers of the Wolf Mountain Vice General. Such trusted confidants naturally knew the inside story. Hearing Qin Yue's reply, they all paused, then burst into laughter. Even Shi Ping'ao's expression turned to stunned disbelief, then shifted into a helpless, bitter smile.

But Qin Yue, the Garrison Commander of Shanyang, was only made more frantic by this laughter. Flustered and exasperated, he shouted, "Even if I'm to die, let me die an informed ghost! With you all being so secretive, how is anyone supposed to know what they did wrong?"

Shi Ping'ao let out a long breath and waved his hand. The Wolf Mountain Vice General's personal guards were quite reverent toward him and immediately stopped laughing.

"Old Qin, you've been in this position for some time now. Regarding Li He's matter, have you truly only heard the plague story?" The form of address had changed, and his tone had softened considerably.

Qin Yue was no longer agitated. He simply scratched his head and said, "I did hear some wild rumors, but I took them for nonsense. How could a proper battalion of the imperial court's regular army go into the Wild Grass Shoal and be wiped out by some local militia? I may never have traveled far, but I still have that much sense."

Shi Ping'ao and the dozen or so men he had brought all wore awkward expressions. Shi Ping'ao's bitter smile deepened. Before speaking, he couldn't help but clear his throat, and his voice dropped involuntarily: "And what if they weren't wild rumors?"

The counter-question was rather vague. Qin Yue, the Garrison Commander of Shanyang, frowned tightly, not hearing it very clearly—or perhaps he had heard it, but found the content utterly inconceivable.

After saying that line, however, Shi Ping'ao refused to say more, merely nodding at Qin Yue.

Having received confirmation, Garrison Commander Qin of Shanyang's eyes involuntarily widened. He couldn't help but raise his voice and ask, "How is that possible? I've dealt with Li He before—he had some real skill in drilling and leading troops, and he didn't pocket much of the payroll either. A battalion like that was defeated in Jiangbei? Don't tell me it was the Xuzhou Mobile Corps Commander leading his personal guards, or troops from the Fengyang Imperial Mausoleum?"

The military forces in Jiangbei were broadly divided under three commands: the Xuzhou Mobile Corps Commander, the Wolf Mountain Vice General, and the Fengyang Garrison Eunuch. In Qin Yue's view, the strongest elite troops were also in these three places. To wipe out the battalion led by Battalion Commander Li He, only the elite forces of these three could have done it—and it might even have required the cavalry household retainers personally led by a commanding general.

"How could the government army fight among themselves? It was this Zhao Jin who did it." Shi Ping'ao's voice remained very soft.

This time, Garrison Commander Qin of Shanyang heard clearly. His already wide eyes nearly burst from their sockets. A local thug from Xuzhou had actually annihilated one of the Wolf Mountain Vice General's most formidable battalions? Had the sun risen from the west?

Garrison Commander Qin of Shanyang had not seen much of the world, always content with the status quo here in Qingjiangpu. Yet he had more or less heard all kinds of news. He had never believed it before, but now that things had flipped, those reports that had once seemed shockingly outrageous turned out to be true. The more he thought about it, the more his heart trembled with fear.

The room fell utterly silent for a moment. Shi Ping'ao and the Wolf Mountain Vice General's personal guards were naturally unwilling to dwell on their own disgrace, while Garrison Commander Qin Yue was still in shock, unable to react for a time.

"Why would you offend such a god of slaughter? Zhao Jin may be fierce and brutal, but he understands the ways of the world. What's due to you won't be shorted. Why stick your neck out for the local interests?" Shi Ping'ao slowed his tone to persuade him.

"Mister Shi, many people from Dahe Guard are in Qingjiangpu. That Zhao Jin from Xuzhou has hurt them badly. If I do nothing, I'm afraid the men in the guard station will curse me behind my back. Mister Shi, what happened at the Wild Grass Shoal is one thing—there were no people or villages there, so those Xuzhou men had no restraints. But here in Qingjiangpu, a place bustling with people, what if we make a move? Could Zhao Jin really tear all face with the government army and fight openly? This is the perfect chance to wipe him out!" After a moment of silence, Qin Yue spoke these words with sudden excitement.

He was born in Dahe Guard and counted as a local soldier of Shanyang County, Huai'an Prefecture, with deep, tangled connections to every faction in Qingjiangpu. His desire to send troops was strong. And so what if the Xuzhou men led by Zhao Jin were tough? He wouldn't dare openly resist government troops in broad daylight. If he dared do that, it would be rebellion, and the consequence would be a joint encirclement by the imperial court's grand army. Even if Zhao Jin had three heads and six arms, he wouldn't dare act recklessly!

The more Qin Yue, Garrison Commander of Shanyang, spoke, the brighter his eyes became, convinced his stratagem was brilliant. But after being excited for a moment, he saw Shi Ping'ao's expression growing colder and colder before him, while the commanding general's personal guards on both sides were also staring fixedly at him, clearly on the verge of making a move.

"Qin Yue, do you think what you've thought of, the General hasn't thought of? Are you the only clever man under heaven?" Shi Ping'ao coldly asked in return.

Without waiting for Qin Yue to speak, Shi Ping'ao continued, "The General, mindful that you've made no major mistakes these years, sent me to wake you up. If you only think of the petty profit before your eyes and disregard the greater cause, then today we can seize you according to military law!"

Qin Yue trembled all over. Only now did he finally sober up. He could guess a thing or two about the crux of the matter. Since Li He's battalion had not contracted the plague, and the commanding general's trusted advisor was so protective and anxious about Zhao Jin, it was obvious that Zhao Jin held some leverage over them. How laughable that he had been foolishly baring his fangs and brandishing his claws. If he kept this up, he'd likely be the one who ended up ruined.

Once he came to his senses, Garrison Commander Qin of Shanyang's response became perfectly proper. He just chuckled a few simple laughs and said carefully, "I'm just a rough fellow, running my mouth to satisfy my tongue. On important matters, I still have to follow the General's military orders. That much I understand."

Shi Ping'ao stared fixedly at Garrison Commander Qin. Only after watching him for a while did he say in a deep voice, "Old Qin, this matter is of grave importance. Don't try any petty tricks."

"What kind of talk is that? If Mister Shi doesn't believe me, then stay a few more days in Qingjiangpu with the brothers. It may not compare to Yangzhou, but it's not far behind. Everyone can have a good time." By now, Garrison Commander Qin was already crying out as if suffering a great injustice.

A rough man still has subtlety within his roughness. A bustling place like Qingjiangpu naturally offered boundless pleasures of wine and women. They had just been at odds, and this was the perfect chance to smooth things over with wine and beauty. The moment Qin Yue finished speaking, the atmosphere in the room abruptly calmed. Whether Shi Ping'ao or those personal soldiers, every man's face revealed a slight smile. Since Garrison Commander Qin had said this, he was clearly going to play host. The matter was settled, and there were pleasures to be had—why not enjoy it?

Early that morning, the silver from Lian Ping'an, the Warehouse Commissioner, was sent out. The county yamen's official document was delivered to the prefectural yamen, and the prefectural yamen, putting on a hypocritical show, then requested reinforcements from the garrison commander. Various figures gathered at Garrison Commander Qin's residence. Garrison Commander Qin Yue thumped his chest and readily agreed. Step followed upon step, like war drums beating—the government army was about to jointly encircle and annihilate the Xuzhou villains.

All sides were making preparations, contributing men and money. Those brandishing blades and spears had to organize militia to assist, and all sorts of rewards had to be prepared. More importantly, they were preparing to divide the spoils. Under the grand army's joint encirclement, how could those Xuzhou thugs possibly survive? The Cloud Mountain Cart Company was a small matter; the Great Cart Gang had already collapsed. As long as this Zhao Jin could no longer dominate, everything would be a feast for them all. The sooner they acted, the more they could grab.

Just as all sides were rubbing their hands in eagerness, everything came to an abrupt halt.

The plea for help that Huai'an Prefecture had sent to Garrison Commander Qin was returned, unopened and untouched. Someone saw Garrison Commander Qin accompanying a group of guests drinking and making merry in the most prosperous part of Qingjiangpu, showing no sign of assembling troops to suppress bandits. When someone went to ask, they were instead furiously rebuked by Garrison Commander Qin Yue: "The world is at peace, the heavens are clear, and the people live and work in contentment. What bandits and thugs are you talking about!"

Hearing this reply, everyone's hearts went cold. It seemed this Garrison Commander Qin would not be sending troops. Then who in Qingjiangpu could still control those Xuzhou thugs?

The Huai'an Prefectural Magistrate's yamen also fell silent. In Jiangbei, the only forces that could be mobilized were the three great commands: the Xuzhou Mobile Corps Commander, the Wolf Mountain Vice General, and the Fengyang Eunuch. The Wolf Mountain Vice General had already been suppressed by Zhao Jin. At the prefectural yamen level, news was even better informed than elsewhere. Someone had already recognized Shi Ping'ao. Recognizing this trusted advisor at the Wolf Mountain Vice General's side, they naturally understood that no help could be expected from the Wolf Mountain Vice General.

As for Xuzhou, all those previous rumors now seemed to be true. Zhao Jin had stirred up this much trouble and the Xuzhou Mobile Corps Commander hadn't intervened; now he was even less likely to lift a finger.

With no hope from those two places, there was no hope anywhere. The Fengyang Central Capital did indeed have a large force, but no one looked to them for help. Collude with eunuchs and bear the infamy of being a eunuch partisan? Then you could forget about any promotion for the rest of your life!

"Sir, are we just going to let this matter drop?"

"We can only let it drop. What else can we do?"

"But are all those yearly benefits just going to be swallowed by that Xuzhou brute alone? Sir, the forces in Jiangbei aren't limited to Qin Yue's one detachment. If the local authorities request reinforcements, neither the Wolf Mountain Vice General nor the Xuzhou Mobile Corps Commander can decide whether to send troops. As long as we can get the Grand Coordinator's office to act, once his command is issued, who would dare disobey?"

"Before that could happen, Qingjiangpu would be thrown into chaos, and then that gang of lawless thugs might even storm into the city. We would all die horribly. Even if we were lucky enough to escape, we'd still have to bear the blame for the chaos in Qingjiangpu. For a bit of profit and silver, why risk both our lives and our careers?"

"That's how things are in officialdom. What can you do if you're unwilling to accept it? If you can't win, you can't win. His sheer force overcomes all schemes. If the government troops don't move, how can anyone else? If I go to the Grand Coordinator to request reinforcements, the Vice General and the Mobile Corps Commander might well oppose me, making things even more tangled. This matter... we have to accept it!"

Not many outsiders knew of this conversation in the prefectural yamen. Similarly, the county yamen had similar discussions and could only hold their noses and accept it too.

Before the great battle, those with good information had heard Zhao Jin's name and deeds, but only treated them as legends and anecdotes; no one took them seriously. Yet over these past few days, as those with intent took the initiative to learn more, Qingjiangpu's understanding of Zhao Jin grew more and more complete. Those connected to the private salt trade were very clear about Zhao Jin, able to recount his every deed as if listing family treasures. Listening in detail, when those rumors that had originally seemed absurd and untrue were combined with that day's great battle, you had no choice but to believe.

There are only a few hours left until the end of August. Does anyone still have monthly tickets?