Chapter 656: A Deranged Scheme

The fire up ahead was quickly extinguished. Because enough hands had been stationed here, the blaze was put out after burning through half a building. In that merchant's courtyard, they found a shop hand's corpse and incendiary materials — it seemed the fire was set to draw everyone's attention, after which the assassin, disguised as a panicked market worker, slipped close to Zhao Jin to strike.

After making a round with his men, Zhao Jin saw that everyone had been mobilized — some preparing to fight the fire, others standing guard. It was truly unlikely anything else could happen here. A single fire could be quickly doused using the nearby water vats and sand buckets. Only then did Zhao Jin leave the Great Market, but he did not return directly to Cloud Mountain Martial Hall. Instead, he waited for the results at a nearby property belonging to Cloud Mountain Trading. Yu Zhiyuan did not go back either; in the current situation, staying by Zhao Jin's side was certainly safer.

The Qingjiang Great Market and its surrounding area began to bustle with activity. Wang Zhaojing assigned men to seal off the market completely. The household guards Shi Manqiang brought began searching every building and courtyard. Anyone inside the market needed three people who could vouch for them before being released; otherwise, they were detained until a guarantor arrived or they could prove their identity. The wineshops, brothels, and gambling dens that relied on the Qingjiang Great Market for business were all thrown into chaos. Under Liu Yong's direction, the Jianghu men of Qingjiangpu began investigating themselves — no one dared be negligent. After all this time, everyone knew the Zhao Character Camp had countless eyes and ears in Qingjiangpu's underworld.

"... I can learn of any stir within the yamen. As long as I maintain good relations with the clerks and runners inside, every scrap of news leaks out. I can learn of any matter in the Jianghu — I have eyes there, and they know the Zhao Character Camp's strength. The moment anything involves us, even if we can't trace it, they'll come forward on their own. But what the common folk think and do, I have no way of knowing. Qingjiangpu has several hundred thousand people, and I can only mobilize two thousand at most — naturally, I can't cover every corner. And the common people's minds are hard to fathom. They may yearn for peace and a full belly, but if someone deceives them with gods and buddhas, they'll commit irrational acts. For example, knowing full well that I've strictly banned the Smelling Incense Sect, they still secretly set up incense halls and worship Maitreya..."

Zhao Jin rarely spoke at such length. Anyone could see his mood was poor. But Yu Zhiyuan caught the meaning behind his words and asked bluntly, "Brother Zhao, are you saying the Smelling Incense Sect is behind this?"

"Aside from them, no one else would call me a demon. And if they'd shouted it at the very start of the attack, it might have been a frame-up. But that man at the end was clearly steeling his own nerve — there can be no mistake. If the Smelling Incense Sect could kill me, they'd make sure the whole world knew. Why would they hide anything?" Zhao Jin said with a cold laugh.

They were sitting temporarily in a wineshop. The place had been cleared out; the manager and staff, after serving fine tea and pastries, had also been driven off with orders to return the next day. As Zhao Jin and the others sat inside, they could hear screams drifting in from time to time. The Zhao Character Camp's best interrogators in Qingjiangpu had all arrived, and they would show no mercy to an assassin like this. Yet the men seated in the room remained utterly composed, chatting idly.

Even Yu Zhiyuan's expression was perfectly normal as he conversed with Zhao Jin at his leisure: "Qingjiangpu is, after all, a place Brother Zhao just conquered. There hasn't been much time to manage and absorb it. I imagine Xuzhou is far better in that regard."

At this, Zhao Jin could not help but sigh and shake his head. "Xuzhou is no better than here. My Zhao Character Camp can only control the broad situation — we can't reach every corner. If the Smelling Incense Sect truly infiltrates and opens incense halls, as long as no one reports it, I'd have great difficulty finding out."

"And Brother Zhao just lets this be?"

"It must be dealt with. The mutual responsibility system must be put into practice. Otherwise, Xuzhou and Qingjiangpu will sooner or later erupt in chaos again," Zhao Jin said with finality.

Ten households form one placard, ten placards form one jia, ten jia form one bao. Households jointly guarantee one another, signing a collective pledge that none will engage in unlawful or forbidden acts. If one household commits a crime, the other nine must report it. If they fail to report it, all ten share the punishment. This system has existed since ancient times. Wang Zhaojing had explained it, Zhao Zhentang had mentioned it, and when Zhao Jin received the post of Bao Chief, the county clerks had discussed it at length. Zhao Jin's own memories from the past also contained it — though the baojia system was harsh, if enforced effectively, it could indeed exert strict control from the very top down to the last individual, a tight legal net without gaps.

Hearing this, a smile appeared on Yu Zhiyuan's face. With a hint of teasing, he said, "It is a fine method, yet it has never been implemented, nor can it be. Brother Zhao has difficulties here!"

Zhao Jin glanced at Yu Zhiyuan and said, shaking his head with a smile, "You truly have a calm disposition, to chat and laugh so easily in circumstances like these."

Yu Zhiyuan had not yet changed his clothes; blood, filth, and mud still clung to him. Screams echoed in his ears, and he had just witnessed that scene of slaughter and tension, yet he seemed utterly unbothered. No wonder Zhao Jin praised him.

After that offhand remark, Zhao Jin returned to the main topic. "Raising local braves and militias is nothing much. But if I register and organize the common people into units, that is no longer the act of a mere local strongman or gentry. It would be violating a taboo of the court and the yamen, and it would inevitably cause a huge uproar."

"Mutual responsibility, registering and organizing the people — Brother Zhao even knows of these things. And yet the rumors outside still paint Brother Zhao as a crude, ill-bred warrior. Are they all blind? You feared violating taboos before — why dare to act now?" Yu Zhiyuan asked, following the thread.

"Liaodong has suffered several defeats in a row, and this latest one was another crushing loss. On top of that, the Liaodong levy is being squeezed out of the people. With all this, who in the realm still has eyes on Xuzhou and Qingjiangpu? Who even has the attention to spare for this place?" Zhao Jin explained in great detail. Normally, he would only speak such words to his brothers. Though his contact with Yu Zhiyuan had been brief and infrequent, it was necessary to explain things thoroughly to him.

Hearing this, the smile faded from Yu Zhiyuan's face. He was silent for a long moment before he finally spoke. "Brother Zhao possesses great vision and bold strategy. I truly cannot imagine what kind of situation will unfold in the future."

"Right now, I'm still just a local strongman with money and men. I can't yet help you sever the canal transport and switch it to the sea." Having said all that, Zhao Jin's mood had relaxed considerably, and he spoke with a smile.

Yu Zhiyuan was taken aback. The two exchanged a look, then both burst out laughing.

Outside the room were household guards and personal retainers. While Zhao Jin was inside, he had specifically told Niu Jinbao to sit and rest. Niu Jinbao did not stand on ceremony; he sat there drinking tea and eating pastries, unabashedly wiping down his axe and short blade. This demeanor only deepened Zhao Jin's approval. Niu Jinbao was slowly recovering and recuperating, conserving his strength for whatever might come next. Though Niu Jinbao sat there, the moment there was movement outside the door, he reacted before anyone else and went to open it.

"Big Brother, we've gotten it out of them. In a place near the seat of Shanyang County, there's an incense head of the Smelling Incense Sect preaching and expounding scripture. These assassins all came from Shandong," Liu Yong said as he entered.

"Seize them. Tonight, arrest everyone you can get your hands on, then interrogate them thoroughly. Find out who exactly is behind this. This is the territory of those canal transport factions — Shandong wouldn't rashly send people here to spread their teachings. For this to happen so suddenly today, there must be someone behind it. Find him!" Zhao Jin said sternly.

Liu Yong nodded in agreement. He glanced at Yu Zhiyuan, who was sitting off to the side, paused, and then said, "Big Brother, what if it turns out to be those incense heads from the canal transport?"

The canal transport factions and the Zhao Character Camp shared mutual benefits. They cooperated extensively on tribute grain, salt goods, and liquor. Most of the various canal transport groups were followers of the Smelling Incense Sect, only they were not of the same branch as the main headquarters in Yuncheng, Shandong. These canal transport incense heads and the Zhao Character Camp had intertwined interests and treated each other with courtesy. If Zhao Jin rashly moved to strike and kill, it would surely terrify the others and leave a great deal of troublesome loose ends to deal with.

"Handle them the same way. Kill whoever needs killing." Zhao Jin's answer was crisp. Liu Yong nodded, turned, and left to make the arrangements. The echoing screams could no longer be heard from within the wineshop. Before long, the rumbling thunder of hoofbeats rose and faded into the distance.

"Many people in Qingjiangpu won't be sleeping well tonight," Yu Zhiyuan remarked with emotion.

Zhao Jin turned to Yu Zhiyuan and said with some gravity, "Tonight's matter is a small one. In establishing this Zhao Character Camp, I've grown accustomed to life-and-death struggles. As long as we can pull through, it's no concern. What worries me most right now is the Nanjing Embroidered Uniform Guard. If I want to know what those spies are up to and prepare defenses in advance, I must rely entirely on that winery in Nanjing. That is the critical juncture before us. If Brother Yu can help in this matter, Zhao will remember it firmly in his heart."

"Your younger brother knows how important this matter is. However, Brother Zhao need not go to great expense. There are still many areas where I must rely on Brother Zhao's side, and I still need Brother Zhao to help me grow wealthy. A task Brother Zhao entrusts to me, I will naturally devote my heart to carrying out," Yu Zhiyuan said with a smile.

A smile also appeared on Zhao Jin's face, and he nodded.

From the moment Yu Zhiyuan arrived until now, Zhao Jin and his companions had never treated him as an outsider. They confided everything and laid their cards on the table. They dared to do this because, first, the Nanjing winery had bound them all together in life and death, and second, Yu Zhiyuan himself had perceived a great deal and was willing to cooperate, even willing to follow and participate. Since that was the case, they could all be a bit more open with one another. Yu Zhiyuan's attitude also proved that he understood this.

It was already early summer, the most comfortable season in Qingjiangpu — neither cold nor hot, perfect for sleeping soundly until dawn. Yet that night, many went without sleep. Those with well-informed sources knew a fire had broken out at the Qingjiang Great Market and rushed over to see. Those with even better information also knew that Zhao Jin had been the target of an assassination attempt, and they knew Zhao Jin was unharmed, that the true culprit had been found, and that the cavalry had already been dispatched. Who could have such audacity, to dare make a move against Zhao Jin? Some also thought that since the Zhao Character Camp had apparently found the real culprit, they wondered which faction's power in Qingjiangpu would be implicated. That party's misfortune was certain — and after their downfall, could everyone else scavenge some benefits? Aside from this, most people were hopping mad and cursing. Had they lost their minds or what? The Qingjiang Great Market brought in mountains of gold and seas of silver every single day. Everyone had no small amount of goods stored there. If it had burned, how many people died would be a trifling matter — the real question was how much wealth would be lost. Truly, utterly deranged.

Thank you, everyone.