Chapter 588: This Place Ought to Have a Defense Commander

At this, Zhao Jin hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping himself. The smile on Wang Zhaojing's face grew even broader, and he said easily, "I've already considered Big Brother's concerns. Besides, over on your side and with Bingfeng, you only hold military household status. Those positions of Centurion and Chiliarch still rest with Uncle and Uncle Dong. What good post could you even seek as an official? And once Big Brother has an official rank, for one thing, the Xuzhou Regional Commander would gain authority over you — it would be an incredibly troublesome entanglement."

"Then you..."

"It's inconvenient for us, but it's convenient for Uncle and Uncle Dong. Moreover, a father is a father, and a son is a son — in official matters, they can be kept separate. And then we can place the forces that are inconvenient for us to gather under Uncle and Uncle Dong," Wang Zhaojing said in a deep voice.

This time, it was Zhao Jin who froze. He couldn't help but lower his head and pace a few steps. When he looked up, his brow was already tightly furrowed. He hesitated for a moment, then said, "This method is feasible, but what positions could there be?"

"For Uncle, it's the Defense Commander of Xiao County. For Uncle Dong, it's the Defense Commander of Dangshan County. This matter is already ninety percent certain, and the silver has already been sent out. Otherwise, I wouldn't have come to speak of it."

The foundation of the Zhao Character Camp was in Xuzhou — to be precise, in the southern part of Xuzhou, the portion south of the Yellow River that divides it. The main camp was here, the critical manors were here, the market was here. Xiao County and Dangshan County were also on the southern bank of the Yellow River. Dangshan bordered Guide Prefecture in Henan, while Xiao County lay southwest of Xuzhou city, just so happening to sandwich the He Family Manor between them. It was quite fitting to say they provided cover on both flanks.

Because Xuzhou city was the garrison post of the Xuzhou Regional Commander, the entire territory of Xuzhou fell under the Regional Commander's direct jurisdiction. For ease of command, the four counties within Xuzhou's borders were only assigned Brigade Commanders, and did not establish independent, self-contained low-ranking military posts like Defense Commander or Assistant Commander. However, over in Pizhou, there was already a Defense Commander posting.

Someone else might not understand, thinking that a colossal sum of over ten thousand taels had been thrown down just to obtain two insignificant Defense Commander posts, and wondering how much had been embezzled in between.

But Zhao Jin knew the silver was well spent, because these two Defense Commander posts were created out of thin air. The relevant offices in the capital had to first bring them into existence, and after creating them, they had to ensure they fell upon specific, designated individuals. This whole series of operations, from top to bottom, required greasing who knows how many palms. Those ten-odd thousand taels of silver, once scattered, had certainly been spent where they needed to be spent.

The benefits of these two posts went without saying. Securing the Defense Commander positions in the two counties meant controlling the defense of Xuzhou's southern bank of the Yellow River on an official level. It meant the Zhao Character Camp would be under the protection of these two Defense Commanders and their government troops. If anyone else came to investigate, these two places would be the first line of defense.

Whether it was the Embroidered Uniform Guard or the Eastern Depot, they might sometimes act like wolves and tigers towards civil officials, but when facing military officers who had blades and men at their command, they were always exceptionally cautious.

What was even more ingenious was that no connection could be drawn between the two sides. The children had grown up and had their own businesses and scenes; the fathers couldn't control them. The fathers' side was official business, and as sons, they couldn't recklessly interfere. Each side had a means of deflecting blame.

Even from the perspective of the Zhao Character Camp's own household troops, the Zhao Character Camp had come first, and only then had these two men gained official posts. It would be seen as them rising to power by leveraging the Zhao Character Camp's influence, without giving rise to any other notions.

"This method is not bad. It satisfies both sides." Zhao Jin thought it over from beginning to end and could find no problem with it.

Hearing Zhao Jin's affirmation, a smile appeared on Wang Zhaojing's face. Over so many years, Zhao Jin had dominated the decision-making. It was rare for him to initiate and plan something and receive approval; he was truly happy at heart.

"This was my father's idea. My father has always been concerned about things here in Xuzhou. After those agents from Nanjing came last time, my father thought about what method could be used to circumvent this..." Wang Zhaojing explained very clearly.

An operation to secure official posts, especially a shady deal conjured out of thin air like this, absolutely required that the news not leak. If word got out and someone snatched the post midway, there would be nowhere to cry about it.

Wang Zhaojing simply sent silver to the capital. This matter was only mentioned in the letters between him and his father, precisely to maintain secrecy.

What surprised Wang Zhaojing greatly was that despite him withdrawing silver with so little justification and the frequent exchange of letters, his brothers raised no doubts. This trust itself was deeply moving.

"This matter of yours probably started around November last year, and now it's April — roughly six months. But six months isn't a long time for something like this. How exactly was it managed? Tell me in detail."

Having confirmed the matter was feasible and realizing its benefits, Zhao Jin now grew interested in the process of how it was handled. If he could understand it clearly, he would also gain a clear understanding of many procedures and key concerns within officialdom.

Hearing Zhao Jin's words, Wang Zhaojing couldn't help but laugh. Shaking his head, he said, "I knew Big Brother would want to understand, so I asked about it very thoroughly."

Zhao Jin was interested in the processes and details of all kinds of affairs, often inquiring meticulously and recording them. From officialdom and military matters down to all sorts of crafts and trades, he was like this. Over time, the companions and trusted aides around him all knew this habit and would explain things to Zhao Jin in detail.

"... Actually, it wasn't as miraculous as Big Brother might imagine. Zhang Qinghai, the Director of the Bureau of Operations in the Ministry of War, and my father..."

The Director of the Bureau of Operations in the Ministry of War was a rank 5a official. Compared to a censor in the Chief Surveillance Bureau, he was a full four ranks higher. However, this Director's post was busy with practical affairs and couldn't be considered part of the pure-stream officials. It couldn't compare to a censor, who could freely impeach with grand pronouncements and enjoy the prestige of the pure stream. Thus, despite the disparity in rank, their status was roughly equal.

Zhang Qinghai had entered officialdom via the imperial examinations, and his ranking back then hadn't been poor. It was just that his patrons were powerless, and it wasn't until his fifties that he reached this Director's post. For someone in his fifties to become a Ministry Director — in the eyes of those in officialdom, this man's future prospects were already dim and not worth investing any capital or effort in. Fortunately, the Bureau of Operations oversaw the evaluations and promotions of all military officers in the realm. Although most appointments, rewards, and punishments merely passed through here as a formality and they couldn't decide much, power was still power. With this power in hand, those above and below had to show some face, and the benefits were indispensable. Moreover, military men had money and spent freely. Over his years in office, though Zhang Qinghai's future was dim, his personal fortune had grown substantial.

Wang Youshan and this Zhang Qinghai were acquainted because both had some connection to a certain personage in the palace. In another sense, they could be considered fellow disciples, and their relationship was rather good.

When Wang Youshan had come calling back then, he hadn't resorted to any veils or detours. He stated his idea directly and bluntly. Zhang Qinghai thought the other man was joking and was about to laugh it off. After decades of ups and downs in officialdom, he certainly possessed the skill of evading.

However, Wang Youshan's next move was even stranger. He didn't continue the deep discussion. Instead, he pointed to a curio on the display shelf and said that this curio was an artifact from the Han Dynasty, worth three thousand taels of silver, and asked if Zhang Qinghai might be willing to part with it.

A Han Dynasty artifact? That was a joke. Zhang Qinghai thought Wang Youshan had gone mad. He had watched a craftsman make this curio on the spot at the market outside the South Gate and had only brought it back because he found it amusing. Moreover, its style and grain patterns were contemporary; where could one see any charm of the Western Han?

Zhang Qinghai simply assumed Wang Youshan's fanciful scheme had failed, and he was covering it up with another fanciful act. It was just a curio worth a dozen or so wen; if he took it, so be it. That price of three thousand taels of silver could just be treated as a joke. But Wang Youshan showed no sign of playing the fool, nor any dejection at having his fanciful idea rebuffed. Smiling cheerfully, he took the item and left.

The next day, when Zhang Qinghai returned home after his shift, he was utterly dumbfounded. Three thousand taels of pure, high-grade silver — Wang Youshan had actually delivered it to his home. He had long heard that this Wang Youshan had a huge business in Xuzhou, raking in a fortune daily, but he never imagined it was truly so. Everything could deceive a man, but this gleaming silver could not.

That very night, Wang Youshan came calling again. This time, he brought up the previous night's topic once more: creating something from nothing, establishing two additional Defense Commander posts in Xuzhou, and having designated individuals fill them.

"Upon the matter's success, there will surely be a generous reward."

"Wherever funds are needed, Brother Zhang, just speak up. Youshan will bear the full cost!"

If these words had been spoken yesterday, Zhang Qinghai would not have believed them. But now, with that three thousand taels of silver as proof, these words became extremely credible.

Zhang Qinghai knew he had no further prospects for advancement in his official career. Retiring smoothly and returning home — that was the best possible outcome. But to return home and enjoy a life of leisure, and to provide shelter for his descendants, he would need sufficient silver. So he thought it through very clearly, and then asked very directly.

"How much upon success?"

"Ten thousand taels. I'll pay five thousand upfront." Wang Youshan was equally crisp and decisive. In officialdom, precedent was paramount. A matter of creating something from nothing like this would certainly not be easy to accomplish, so a heavy wager had to be placed from the start. If the price wasn't enough, the other party might shrink back from the difficulty. Only if the price was sufficient could it move his mind.

After all these years, Zhang Qinghai considered himself a man who had seen silver. Yet upon hearing this sum, he was still shaken. He knew Wang Youshan was immensely wealthy, but who could have imagined wealth to this extent? All told, his own side would receive at least thirteen thousand taels from this affair, and he could also skim benefits from the funds used to grease palms up and down the hierarchy.

"Who is to take up these Defense Commander posts? Appointing a commoner as an official — if it blows up, heads will roll!"

"How could I harm Brother Zhang? Both men are hereditary officers. One is a Chiliarch, the other a Centurion, from hereditary military households for generations."

Once this was confirmed, Zhang Qinghai knew it was feasible. For hereditary officers from the Guard Battalions to serve as military commanders was a matter of course; there would be no procedural trouble whatsoever.

A brave man will step forward under a heavy reward — this principle held true here as well. The ordinarily mediocre Zhang Qinghai immediately threw himself into action.

Establishing two Defense Commander posts in the Xuzhou region — speaking of it as creating something from nothing made it seem a difficult task in officialdom. But once they started working on it, they found it wasn't so troublesome after all.

First, the siege of Xuzhou city by refugees demonstrated gaps in the area's defenses. If there had been regional military commanders in each county, they might have been able to hold them off, or at the very least provide early warning. This showed the necessity of establishing Defense Commander posts there.

Furthermore, the Xuzhou Regional Commander controlled the pivotal hub of the realm, holding the critical areas of Henan, Shandong, and South Zhili in his hands. For one man to command a large army and control the strategic points of three provinces was an excessive concentration of power. From the perspective of checks and balances and the division of authority, this place ought to have Defense Commanders as well.

Thanks to the two old friends "Unmoving as a Mountain" and "Yuan Heng Li Zhen" for their tips. Special thanks to the book friend "Unmoving as a Mountain" for the generous reward. Thank you all for your subscriptions and monthly tickets.