Chapter 665: One of Our Own

The clerks could indeed direct the few men under them and administer a limited degree of reward and punishment, but they could not dismiss or replace anyone. To be precise, they were allies of differing status, not bound by any true subordination.

Zhao Jin's invitations went not only to the several clerks, but also to the men in charge under each clerk. They went to the various chief constables, and even to the squad leaders commanding the runners and bailiffs below them. Since every last person had been thought of, some began to suspect that this was simply Master Jin giving everyone an explanation.

Yet no one imagined that Zhao Jin intended to recruit them — and that was hardly surprising. Constables, clerks, and runners were base servile occupations. Though they wielded considerable authority and enjoyed rich pickings, their status was low, ranked alongside butchers and the like. Who would ever try to recruit men from professions so despised by society? Nowadays, when people spoke of the Zhao father and son, they said only that Zhao Zhentang was a Guard Hundred-Household, currently serving as the garrison commander of Xiao County, and that Zhao Jin had trained in martial arts and held the title of village head. They never mentioned that Zhao Zhentang had once been a constable and an executioner, nor did they bring up that Zhao Jin had once been listed as a runner. This was the so-called "veiling the honored" — they felt the status of a constable was disgraceful.

From the single department and four counties, a total of seventy-six people had come. Under these seventy-six, roughly four thousand men were managed, both civil and martial. The entire department and its four counties relied on them to keep order — and had done so for several centuries now.

Now, when a banquet or feast was held in He Village, there was no need to keep going to the caravan inn. With merchants converging here from all directions, whether to enjoy themselves or to entertain guests, how could a relatively crude and cramped caravan inn possibly suffice — even if it had already been renovated and renamed the Cloud Mountain Inn?

"Tsk, tsk, I can hardly recognize this place anymore. Come to think of it, the last time I came to this He Village was ten years ago. Back then, it was just a decent village. Now, looking at it, it's no worse than Xuzhou City — and it seems just as busy as the canal ever was."

"Far more blessed than us inside the city! Nowadays, every family with money is moving this way. Only we get the bitter end!"

"Don't say that. The common people are still blessed. Soon the Liao tax will be levied. In other places, they'll suck the very marrow from the bones, but here, it'll be nothing more than a scare. That's a tremendous merit!"

Zhao Jin still laid out the banquet at the Cloud Mountain Inn. Before they took their seats, a hubbub of chatter could be heard from below. Some of it was idle talk, and some was spoken for Zhao Jin and his people to hear. The sourness and resentment in those words ran deep, yet everyone kept a smile on their face. No one dared truly lose their temper with Zhao Jin. The only person with the standing to do so was Chen Wu, but there was no need for Chen Wu to come on this occasion. Besides, Chen Sheng's grandfather was in poor health, so Chen Wu had simply stayed home to look after the old man. Everyone had learned from Chen Sheng that the old man, always so robust, had caught a chill one night and could not get out of bed the next day. The family had already begun making certain preparations.

"Uncles and elders, this time your nephew has invited you all here to ask for your help," Zhao Jin said, coming straight to the point.

Though in practice there was a clear distinction between high and low, the gaps in age and seniority were too great. When Zhao Jin began, no one had to stand. But the moment he spoke these words, the guests at the eight tables fell silent for a beat, then rose to their feet one after another. Expectation and excitement showed on every face. The chief clerk of the department yamen's Six Offices, seated at the head table, even declared with sweeping assurance, "What kind of talk is that, Xiao Jin? We're all one family here. Whatever help you need, we'll certainly give it."

The leading figures among the clerks and runners gathered here were all shrewd as could be. Seeing the prosperity of He Village and thinking of their own straitened circumstances, and of how they could not dip their hands into the Liao tax collection, they could not help feeling some resentment in their hearts. But they could also weigh what mattered. The moment they heard Zhao Jin's words, they knew a way forward had opened. Overbearing and domineering as Zhao Jin's methods were, he was not the sort to keep all the spoils for himself. To his enemies, he would indeed pursue them to extinction, but in all other dealings, he was known for fairness and mutual benefit. Since he had cut off the various clerks' and runners' perks, and since they had all been tactful and cooperative, there was bound to be compensation.

Now that the leading figures who represented the clerks and runners everywhere had been invited together, and he had opened with such words, everyone could pretty well guess what would come next.

Speaking with clever people takes no effort. The atmosphere that followed turned perfectly genial. Every trace of resentment vanished like smoke. For Zhao Jin, such an occasion was also quite suitable — it saved him a great deal of talk.

They would consolidate civilian manpower, registering every single household and individual in the whole of Xuzhou, then organize them into tithing units and implement a system of collective responsibility. These matters would be overseen by representatives sent from the Zhao Character Camp, carried out by the clerks and runners of each locality, and supported by the Xuzhou Militia. When necessary, the household retainer squads could be mobilized.

The clerks and runners doing this work would not, of course, do it for nothing. The Zhao Character Camp would pay them, divided into three tiers: ten taels, five taels, and three taels per year, which could also be converted into grain or other goods. The seventy-six people attending the banquet would be responsible for selecting and allocating these sums. Men from the Zhao Character Camp would also take part and would participate in evaluations throughout the entire process.

"…This silver and grain pay must have some formal designation before it can be drawn. Everyone will be counted as a manager, steward, or clerk of my Zhao Family Trading Company, and will need to sign some document or contract. All you uncles and elders work in the yamen — you know how crucial proper regulations and paperwork are…"

"…Your nephew will not shortchange those who do the work. Only those who are diligent and conscientious this time will be hired. Those who just go through the motions can seek their own livelihood. And should anyone try to line their own pockets in the process — all you uncles know your nephew's methods…"

"…If there is any trouble on the official side, just come to your nephew. Your nephew will handle it!"

The terms were laid out plainly in advance. Those ten taels, five taels, and three taels might not compare to the rich pickings a handful of clerks and runners had enjoyed in the past, but it was still an income that could support a family. Moreover, everyone could read between the lines of Zhao Jin's words: Zhao Jin would also give them a future. If they did the job well, what they could earn in the future would not stop there. Clerks and runners were men who had no path upward through official rank or scholarly honors to begin with. The future of the Zhao Character Camp was plain for all to see. To be able to rise and advance within it was a very fine path indeed.

"What trouble could there be on the official side? What do those bookworms know? We are the officials. If we want it done, who would make trouble?" someone said with a laugh, and the whole crowd laughed along. The words were not mere arrogance. In truth, they were the government.

With this given, the attending leading figures and their juniors and followers would have something to show. But the senior heads and elders among these yamen clerks and runners themselves had not yet received any benefit or assignment. A few of them felt deeply uneasy, even though they had actually suffered no losses from the Zhao Character Camp's operations. Most, however, remained perfectly composed and in no hurry at all. The clever ones had figured it out: Zhao Jin would certainly give them their due.

"…This Zhao Family Trading Company is newly established. Some of the business from the He Village salt market and general market will also be handed over to this trading company to run. Your nephew is spending money everywhere at the moment and is a little short on funds. I would like to invite all you uncles and elders to buy shares and lend a hand…"

Once the words reached this point, everyone was immediately delighted. So in the system Zhao Jin had arranged, they were still on top. Those below were managers, accountants, and clerks, while those who had been invited to this banquet were the proprietors.

"To be frank with you, Xiao Jin, those few dozen lads under me are all cunning as foxes, full of every trick. If I weren't the one keeping an eye on them, no one else could really watch them." No matter how tremendous your abilities, Zhao Jin, you still have to rely on us old-timers — that was the thought. They were all local magnates, lacking neither wealth, power, nor influence. What they valued most was precisely this status and respect. Hearing Zhao Jin's arrangement, some could not help getting a little carried away.

"Gentlemen, this Zhao Family Trading Company has its rules. Good work is to be rewarded, and mistakes are to be punished. The implementation of the tithing law is what my eldest brother values most. If the men below handle matters poorly or collude with outsiders, some offense will inevitably be given when the time comes. I ask for everyone's understanding beforehand." At this moment, Wang Zhaojing rose with a smile and spoke.

Given Wang Zhaojing's family background and his status as a Provincial Graduate, his standing was far above these clerks and runner chiefs. And with no ties of the older generation involved, he naturally had no need to address them as uncles or elders. The role of the villain thus fell to him. As soon as Wang Zhaojing finished speaking with a smile, the mood at the banquet cooled slightly. Everyone sobered up from their unrealistic smugness. Xuzhou was still Zhao Jin's to command — that had to be understood clearly.

Sobered and clear-headed, analyzing and judging, beyond being satisfied that they were not getting the short end of the stick, they could also think further and more broadly, and could even grasp what Zhao Jin ultimately intended to do.

"Master Jin, might this matter be pushed too hastily, and stir up some trouble?" The one who addressed him as "Master Jin" was, on the contrary, one of their own. The speaker was Clerk Li of the department yamen's Justice Office. What kind of repercussions this would cause, and what further consequences might follow — these old clerks, steeped in public business for many years, could naturally imagine.

To this question, Zhao Jin had replied several times before, and this time was no different: "With defeat after defeat in Liaodong and the Liao tax being levied, who still has the attention to spare for such a trifling matter?"

The reasoning was not entirely convincing, but perhaps everyone only wanted a reason to begin with. Clerk Li was not fully persuaded, but he did not press the question further.

Even the youngest of the seventy-odd people who came to the banquet and discussion was in his forties. All had spent long years handling official business in the city and had rarely ventured out of town in recent years. Upon arriving at He Village, they were all astonished by its flourishing prosperity, and also deeply intrigued. The salt market, the mule and horse market, and the general market here all held limitless commercial opportunities. And the men qualified to receive an invitation all possessed considerable personal fortunes. Whether they wanted to grow their wealth or seek amusement, there was no shortage of things they could do or wanted to do. Even just sightseeing would have been pleasant. Compared to the dilapidated decay inside the department seat and the four county towns, this place was an entirely different world. Yet after the meal, everyone hurried back with great urgency. This was the perfect moment to dispense favors and rally their factions. The lion's share of this Zhao Family Trading Company would, of course, belong to Zhao Jin and his brothers, but whoever showed a little more diligence could still claim a larger stake than the others.

Each man hurried back, with no inclination to travel together. Each had his own sphere of influence and his own faction. They were already at odds with one another behind a façade of cordiality, and at a time like this, they had even cast aside the veneer of official collegiality — there was even less need for mutual courtesies. Precisely because they did not travel together, no one noticed that a few who ought to have returned to the city were moving rather slowly. Nor did they notice that several men turned back halfway.

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