Chapter 629

In Zhao Jin's mind, Shandong had suffered successive years of famine and the activities of the Incense-Smelling Sect were rampant, so the region was surely far from peaceful. Passing through Shandong therefore demanded extreme caution and speed. But once they entered the Northern Zhili territory, they could relax a little, because this was the central hub of the realm, the outer extension of the capital, and surely no one would dare be negligent here.

But to his surprise, after entering the Hejian Prefecture in Northern Zhili, he found the area somewhat better than the most devastated parts of the road behind them, but not by much. The villages and market towns clearly had just as many bandit scouts and trap-setters as those in Shandong.

Still, no one dared to recklessly provoke Zhao Jin's party. These twenty-odd men were all lean and formidable, their horses robust. Even putting aside the blades, swords, bows, and arrows, anyone with a discerning eye could tell that Zhao Jin and his men had taken more than a few lives. Clashing with a mounted troop like this, the potential gain was one thing, but their own lives were quite another.

It was said that out-of-town merchants were like meat on the chopping block — clean them up and there would be no aggrieved party to seek redress. Yet by the same token, out-of-town merchants didn't have to care too much about the local rules either. They could cut loose and fight to the death, then simply ride away afterward. Every old hand of the rivers and lakes understood this logic, and so Zhao Jin's party journeyed northward, escaping danger without real mishap.

What was even more interesting was that they suffered no harassment from government runners along the way. Zhao Jin even made a point of asking why, and the answer he got was that his party's bearing was stern and disciplined — they were either the household troops and retainers of some great magnate, or the personal guards and soldiers of a major yamen. People like that, no one dared offend.

Just like that, they arrived at the Tongzhou district. Tongzhou was no more than fifty li from the capital. They reached it at noon, and if they had pressed their horses hard, they could have rested at a large inn outside the capital's walls, making it even more convenient to enter the city the next day.

But Wang Youshan's letter had specifically instructed them to stop and stay one night in Tongzhou before entering the capital. Since the elder had put it so solemnly, they naturally had to obey.

What no one expected was that, twenty li from Tongzhou, they encountered Uncle He, Wang Youshan's personal attendant. Zhao Jin and Wang Zhaojing both dismounted and bowed in greeting. Though the relationship was nominally master and servant, it was really more like that of an elder and a junior.

"Good thing I had the foresight to wait for you here. If you'd barged into Tongzhou, wouldn't you have stirred up a huge mess?" The moment Uncle He saw Zhao Jin's group, he couldn't help but smile wryly.

Tongzhou was practically a secondary city to the capital. Travelers arriving from Jiangnan and the eastern regions always stopped for a night in Tongzhou. It was also the terminus of the canal transport route; the cargo brought by the great fleet of grain barges was all offloaded here and then transported to the capital by cart and horse.

The capital was full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers — countless imperial relatives, powerful eunuchs of the inner court, and grand ministers of the outer court. One misstep could mean utter destruction. Those truly in the know would settle their families here in Tongzhou; it was, after all, more comfortable and had fewer rules.

Where wealth and goods gathered, and where the rich and powerful congregated, such a place was naturally a location of paramount importance. By the same logic, lawbreakers seeking to enter the capital would likely also stop in Tongzhou, perhaps even setting up their base of operations here.

For these reasons, the Eastern Depot, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Ministry of Justice, and Shuntian Prefecture all had various informants and secret agents in Tongzhou. It was said there were even spies privately kept by certain grandees, and some individuals whose origins were so murky that even the Eastern Depot dared not interfere with them.

While carrying out their own duties, these people were also on the lookout for opportunities to line their own pockets. Outsiders entering the capital, ignorant of the rules, committed countless taboos. If they looked easy to bully, a crime would be pinned on them and a shakedown would follow. If they refused to pay, their identities would be exposed and they'd be thrown straight into the big jail, at which point the trouble would be even worse.

Zhao Jin's group was clearly out of the ordinary at a glance, to say nothing of their mounted troop and their luggage bundles. A truly sharp-eyed observer could tell at a single look what was inside. Blades, swords, bows, and arrows were lethal weapons; gold and silver were of dubious origin. And in the eyes of those old constables and old hands of the rivers and lakes, Zhao Jin's party clearly had the look of men who had killed. All these various factors combined made them the perfect target for extortion.

So what if your twenty-odd men are elite? The Imperial City's Four Great Camps, the capital's Twelve Regiment Camps, the Eastern Depot, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Shuntian Prefecture, the Five Wards Military Command — with so many soldiers and bailiffs, did you really think they couldn't seize you?

If they could extort silver out of you, that was one thing. If they couldn't, they could still turn it into a merit-worthy arrest. Either way, they wouldn't lose out...

"If you swagger in like this, thinking you're being discreet, the moment you enter you'll become meat on someone else's chopping block. When that time comes, don't talk about losing a layer of skin — you might lose actual flesh," Uncle He explained in considerable detail.

Zhao Jin and Wang Zhaojing looked at each other. They had to admit, Uncle He's words made a great deal of sense. They had thought their own planning was thorough, but they hadn't realized the capital was different from other places, where the slightest carelessness could lead to one calamity or another.

Wang Youshan and Uncle He had likely anticipated this as well, which was why they had made arrangements in advance. By intercepting them beforehand, the subsequent troubles naturally wouldn't be a concern.

Uncle He had already rented a courtyard residence outside Tongzhou. The large group of men they had brought this time was first settled there. Zhao Jin and Wang Zhaojing, accompanied by only four attendants, would then enter the capital with their luggage and funds.

Wang Zhaojing held the rank of Provincial Graduate. Zhao Jin could be said to be his personal attendant, and the other four could be called servants. A scholar traveling to study while bearing a sword was itself a convention; it was not uncommon for his subordinates to ride horses and carry blades as guards. The people of the capital had seen more than enough of great households' pomp, and this scale hardly counted as anything.

As for the rest of the men, they would stay in the rented courtyard, and after the examinations were over, everyone would return together.

"It's just that we'll have to put you in an awkward position, Big Brother. But we only need to pretend when we're being inspected entering and leaving the city. The rest of the time, there's no need for that," Wang Zhaojing said to Zhao Jin with a smile, though in truth he was seeking Zhao Jin's opinion.

"As long as it's convenient. This trip is entirely for your sake," Zhao Jin replied crisply.

Under Uncle He's urging, Wang Zhaojing made a point of changing into a long scholar's gown. Though it made riding a horse somewhat inconvenient, it better displayed his status as a Provincial Graduate and a scholar, making passage through checkpoints and the like much easier.

Once all this was settled, Uncle He led Wang Zhaojing, Zhao Jin, and the four attendants to find a decent inn in Tongzhou to stay. The rest of the men could also rest well at their lodgings.

Early the next morning, Uncle He led Zhao Jin's group out, and they reached the city gate before lunch.

"The soldiers guarding the city are dressed just as shabbily. Only those few tax clerks look a bit more presentable," Wang Zhaojing murmured to Zhao Jin before they entered the city.

From Xuzhou all the way to the capital, they had seen government troops and soldiers along the road. The impression these men gave was one of poverty and hardship: wearing tattered clothes, carrying rust-speckled weapons, their faces sallow from malnutrition, many unable to straighten their backs. Zhao Jin and Wang Zhaojing were both accustomed to the upright bearing and confidence of the Zhao Character Camp's household troops. Having grown used to their own fierce, wolf-and-tiger-like warriors, seeing the poverty and cowering of these government soldiers made the contrast especially stark.

They had assumed that the localities were poor, but that the capital, the central hub of the Great Ming and the very feet of the Son of Heaven, would be different. They hadn't expected it to be much the same. On the official road from Tongzhou to the capital, they could see columns of government troops. Only after asking Uncle He did they learn these were soldiers from the capital camps, sent to work on the estates of eunuchs and ennobled nobles — everything from farm work to menial chores, without exception.

This was just like Xuzhou. In the Xuzhou region, whenever a large labor force was needed, one had to look in two places: one was Vice General Zhou, the other was the Xuzhou Guard. Both had soldiers available as laborers, usable as long as you provided their meals.

They had never imagined the capital was the same. Everyone felt that since the nearly two hundred thousand troops of the capital camps weren't fighting wars, they were idle anyway and might as well go work for various households. What's more, using them meant the government paid their grain and wages — you didn't even have to provide meals. This was truly a good deal, making money with zero capital.

In fact, many of the capital camp soldiers were normally not in their camps at all, but in the mansions and estates of those ennobled nobles and eunuchs, ordered about directly as if they were slaves and menials.

"... Every part of the Great Ming realm is the same..." Wang Zhaojing remarked with emotion.

After entering the city, there was nothing to give one the sense that the capital possessed any kind of magnificent aura. Several snowfalls since the onset of winter had blanketed many filthy areas under a thick layer of snow, which made things look decent enough. But wherever the snow had been swept away, garbage could be seen everywhere. Add to that the burning of firewood and coal, and even the snow was covered in black ash. Whenever the wind picked up, dust immediately filled the sky, making Zhao Jin and the others, who had come from the Southern Zhili region, very uncomfortable.

The places where the poor lived were no better than anywhere else — just as dilapidated. Quite a few beggars and vagrants gathered inside the city. The moment they spotted outsiders entering, they would swarm around, mouths spouting pleas or auspicious, congratulatory phrases, while some tried to take the opportunity to stealthily paw at the luggage.

It was only because Zhao Jin and his men were mounted, their bearing clearly not that of good-natured folk, that the beggars did not pester them relentlessly.

Once past this area, when they reached the place where Wang Youshan lived, the streets on both sides became much tidier. The residences in this district were all occupied by capital officials.

Zhao Jin noticed one thing: the gates of every other household had carriages, horses, and servants waiting outside. Only one gate was desolate. Looking again at the worry on Wang Zhaojing's face, he could roughly guess which household that was.

The Lantern Festival had already passed, and all the various government offices had reopened for business. However, Wang Youshan had not gone to the Censorate, but had stayed home to await his son and Zhao Jin.

"When I was young, I didn't feel it, but looking at it now, it really is far too cramped. But that's just how it is in the capital. There are no large residences inside the city; even the manor of the Chief Grand Secretary is only three or five courtyards deep." Wang Zhaojing adjusted his mood quickly. As they walked into the courtyard, he even smiled and explained to Zhao Jin.

The residence was two courtyards deep. As the father, Wang Youshan should by rights have waited inside the house, but he had already come out to greet them. Seeing this, Wang Zhaojing and Zhao Jin both hastily removed their hats and bowed respectfully in greeting. The reunion between father and son was clearly emotional; Wang Youshan scrutinized his son with deep concern, the rims of his eyes reddening slightly.

However, a scholarly household stresses propriety and rules; even the bond between father and son could not be displayed too openly. Wang Youshan soon smiled and said to Zhao Jin, "It hasn't been that long since we last met, yet little Jin's bearing has grown even more steady and composed. It seems starting a family and establishing a career truly go hand in hand."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, they all entered the house together. Though the gate had been desolate, Wang Youshan showed no sign of caring about it, remaining perfectly composed and at ease.

"It's good that you've come out to see the world. But you are now tied to matters on every side, so go quickly and return quickly. Once the exams are done, hurry back to Xuzhou; don't let affairs there be delayed." Since they were all family, Wang Youshan spoke very directly.

There are only a few days left for double monthly tickets, everyone dig deep into your reserves — after these few days, the double effect will be gone!