Chapter 688: Another New Year Approaches

"Big Brother, if I slash up my own face and poison my blade, then no matter how tight his guard, the moment I get close and stab him, he's dead for sure. I won't leave myself alive for anyone else either — it'll all be over and done with." Lei Cai spoke with unwavering resolve.

Zhao Jin's face darkened. "Did you not hear a word I just said? Your life is worth more than Ma Chonghao's. If he dies, someone else might come after us later. But if you die, where am I supposed to find another Lei?"

Lei Cai gritted his teeth and dropped straight to his knees. He kowtowed heavily, then raised his head. "Big Brother, I didn't say that to show loyalty — I meant every word. With an operation as big as yours, there isn't much I can help with beyond being cautious and thorough. But this Ma Chonghao is a mortal threat to our Zhao Camp, to you, Big Brother. I'm not much use, but I do have one life I can put to use."

Zhao Jin shook his head. He stepped forward, grabbed Lei Cai by the shoulders, and hauled him to his feet. Once he was up, Zhao Jin clapped both hands hard on Lei Cai's arms and said sternly, "The other day I asked Niu Jinbao if he was confident. He said less than fifty percent, so I dropped the idea. Now, at this stage, I actually want to see what kind of trap Ma Chonghao has laid, how exactly he plans to deal with us — I even want to see how all the people involved, inside and out, handle this. What are you going to do, go make a move yourself? Did I keep you around just to kill people?"

"Big Brother, we can't afford to be careless. If he really finds an opening, everything we've built could be destroyed."

"I'll say this only to you. These past few years, things have been too smooth, too idle. Money pouring in from everywhere, the household troops drilling but never seeing blood. From me down to every last man, we all need to be tested. I want to try. I want to see."

"Big Brother, you're the one who told us brothers never to be careless, never to treat these matters as a game, never to gamble!" Lei Cai's words were earnest. As he spoke, he tried to kneel again, but his frame was thin and short — Zhao Jin held him fast, and he couldn't move at all.

Zhao Jin fixed his eyes on Lei Cai. "Caution is right. But you also need to understand what we're betting with. We can afford to gamble. Besides, this isn't a bet where we lose everything. Testing things now will also show us how many people are willing to stand with us — so that when we really do stake something big, we won't find everyone too afraid to follow."

"Big Brother..."

"Don't repeat this to anyone. And don't get clever and go kill Ma Chonghao on your own. I have my own plans. Do you understand?" Zhao Jin's tone was deadly serious.

Lei Cai stared at Zhao Jin for a moment, then slowly nodded. He answered with grave emphasis, "Rest assured, Big Brother. Since you forbid it, I will not do it."

"Lei, there's a long road ahead. At our age, we're going to live a long, long time, and do a great many things. Don't go throwing around talk of life and death so lightly. Understand?" Zhao Jin softened his tone. Lei Cai nodded firmly.

The secret talk in that room could only be called harrowing. But once it was over, Lei Cai didn't pause to catch his breath or relax, nor did he stay for the New Year. He rushed straight back to Nanjing without stopping. Two young men from the Inner Guard set out an hour after Lei Cai — their destination was also Nanjing, and their task was to keep a close watch on Lei Cai and make sure he didn't do anything rash.

"This is from Lei. Look how bright the stone is — he said it's a Nanjing specialty, and there weren't any bigger ones." After seeing Lei Cai off and arranging the men to follow him, Zhao Jin returned home. He placed a stone tiger the size of a fingertip on the bedside table.

"It's quite exquisite. Your little brother is very thoughtful." Xu Zhenzhen said with a smile. Both Liu Yong and Lei Cai were "little brother" in Xu Zhenzhen's words.

"This thing is for warding off evil and granting protection. And for begetting sons," Zhao Jin remarked offhandedly.

Xu Zhenzhen held the red stone tiger in her palm and studied it. Smiling, she said, "Right now, on my husband's side — from Father and Mother, to the younger brothers below, to all the men under your command — everyone is hoping I will bear a son for you. If it's another girl, even if you refuse, they'll all force you to take a concubine..."

This was the kind of teasing that passed between husband and wife. Whenever she said it, whether Zhao Jin responded with self-deprecation or irritation, it always made Xu Zhenzhen laugh for a while. And Zhao Jin always responded. But this time, he said nothing. Xu Zhenzhen found it a little strange. She looked up from the tiger carving and saw Zhao Jin standing there in a daze, lost in thought, as if pondering something.

"Husband? Husband?" Xu Zhenzhen asked twice. Zhao Jin shook his head and snapped out of it.

It was rare to see Zhao Jin drift off like that. Curious, Xu Zhenzhen pressed further: "Husband, what were you thinking about?"

Zhao Jin was silent for a moment, then spoke. "Earlier, I said a few things to Lei. They convinced him... but I'm not so sure I believe them myself. For one, we can't move yet. For another, it's too early... the earlier we move, the greater the risk... Still, moving early might not actually be a bad thing..."

The words were disjointed, halting. Xu Zhenzhen listened intently, but she was still a bit confused. Only after Zhao Jin had been quiet for a long while did she realize he was finished. She covered her mouth and laughed.

The laughter pulled Zhao Jin out of his reverie once more. He looked at Xu Zhenzhen curiously. She chuckled softly. "Why is my husband asking me, a mere woman of the inner chambers, about such matters? Go discuss them with Second Brother and Third Brother. Go ask Father."

Zhao Jin raised a hand and smacked his forehead, laughing as well. He stood and waved. "I've been overthinking it. Got turned around. I'll go ask right now."

Barring any major incident, Chen Sheng and Wang Zhaojing would always be in Xuzhou, and they would always stay close to Zhao Jin. Zhao Jin returned to the council hall. Before long, the two of them hurried over.

"Lei came by and reported on Ma Chonghao's movements. As things stand, it looks more and more likely that Ma Chonghao is targeting us. There are a few things I can't make up my mind about. We can't move right now — we still need to build up our strength and prepare. Moving too early carries too much risk. But if we keep holding still like this, a lot of people won't be able to read the situation. What do you two think?" Zhao Jin spoke slowly.

What Lei Cai had reported to him, and what he had just said to Lei Cai — he would not directly tell his brothers. There were too many complications.

The words surprised Chen Sheng and Wang Zhaojing. They exchanged a glance. Ever since the rise of Zhao Camp, Zhao Jin had made every decision. Everyone had grown accustomed to him being right, accustomed to following his command. For Zhao Jin to ask such a question today was indeed out of the ordinary.

Chen Sheng recovered quickly. He said sternly, "What is there left for you to be unsure about? At this point, are we still thinking of turning back?"

The sharp question actually made Zhao Jin smile. Chen Sheng continued, "I have no clever ideas. I only know that what we're doing now, we have to see through to the end."

Zhao Jin nodded slowly. Wang Zhaojing did not offer an opinion right away. Seeing that no one else spoke, he said slowly, "I think I can guess what's on Big Brother's mind. Are you worried that when the time comes, we still won't be ready and will be caught off guard?"

"Big Brother, if I may be so bold — if the moment truly arrives, is there any chance we could simply not act?" Wang Zhaojing paused, then asked.

"If we don't act when the time comes, we become meat on the chopping block for anyone to carve up," Zhao Jin answered.

"Exactly. If we can't plan first and then act, we have no choice but to act. What is there left for Big Brother to hesitate over? It's simply a matter of making every possible preparation before we move!" Wang Zhaojing said.

Zhao Jin was silent for a moment, then shook his head and laughed ruefully. "What you two just said is the same as saying nothing at all."

"We've already come this far. Talking about these things is pointless to begin with," Chen Sheng said, still blunt as ever.

Wang Zhaojing, however, also smiled. "Regarding Big Brother's questions, I will write and ask my father. My father is learned and widely experienced. He has been considering our affairs for many years — perhaps he will have a more suitable approach."

Zhao Jin nodded. Chen Sheng had always been a man of strong opinions. Raised by his grandfather from childhood, he had then fought alongside Zhao Jin. In all matters, he thought and judged for himself. Wang Zhaojing, on the other hand, had always followed his father's counsel. Even his decision to abandon the imperial examination path and follow Zhao Jin had come with Wang Youshan's tacit approval. After all, to Wang Zhaojing, Wang Youshan was simply too towering a figure.

"New Year's almost here," Zhao Jin said, apropos of nothing.

In the forty-seventh year of the Wanli reign, a great many people in the Great Ming were having a miserable time. The court officials were plagued by the border war in Liaodong; the common people across the realm groaned under the burden of the Liaodong levy and two rounds of additional taxes. But for the great aristocratic houses of the Jiangnan region, none of this had the slightest impact. Most of them held examination degrees and had no need to worry about the Liaodong levy being collected from their households. Their wealth came from commerce and maritime trade, which had little to do with the harvests. This Spring Festival, as usual, was a time of leisure and revelry.

Compared to most of the wealthy and powerful in Jiangnan, Ma Chonghao — the Nanjing Brocade Guard Assistant Commander, at the height of his influence — spent the holiday in stark solitude. His family had reportedly all returned to the capital. Naturally, no one in Nanjing had paid any particular attention to where Ma Chonghao's family had actually gone. Many of the Brocade Guard's local Nanjing natives secretly gloated over his cold and lonely New Year.

Though separated from his family, Ma Chonghao did not spend the New Year alone. The kitchen staff of a restaurant along the Qinhuai River had been unable to return home for the holiday. Instead, they brought their helpers and ingredients to Ma Chonghao's residence to prepare a banquet. "Commander Ma" was hosting old subordinates who had come down from the north.

Three tables were set in the main hall, with nearly forty men seated around them. All were in plain clothes. The guests were all in their thirties or forties — not a single one soft or paunchy. Every man exuded a fierce, battle-hardened air. Their weapons were piled by the door, ready to be grabbed at a moment's notice. The serving was done by the restaurant's helpers. The first time one of them carried a dish into the room, the entire group stared at him in unison. He was so terrified he couldn't stand steady and sent the wooden tray crashing to the floor. The porcelain plate shattered, cold dishes scattering everywhere — which sent the whole room into roaring laughter.

"In that moment, every hair on my body stood on end — just like when I ran into a wolf in the wilds as a kid..." the sweat-drenched server explained to his coworker.

According to Brocade Guard regulations, a high officer of the Imperial Guard such as the Assistant Commander was entitled not only to his own household servants but also to Brocade Guard constables standing duty and attending him. But Ma Chonghao had never trusted these local Nanjing natives. They were not even permitted to enter the courtyard — they could only stand guard outside the front and back gates.

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