Chapter 701: A Man of Promise

"I understand that, but you can set your mind at ease, Master Jin. I hear they're only using cavalry over there. In a place as crowded as Qingjiangpu, a mounted column can't maneuver at all — if they fight us, it's a dead end for them," Li He said.

Zhao Jin nodded with satisfaction. When it came to understanding the Zhao Battalion's structure and drilling, Li He was far behind the household troops who had grown up with them, but he had one advantage few others could match: experience and a sense of proportion. Paired with the relatively rough and straightforward Lu Da, the two men complemented each other perfectly.

"Not bad. I didn't misjudge you," Zhao Jin said in praise.

After giving a few more instructions, Li He kowtowed once more in thanks and got up to leave and make preparations. Just before he stepped out the door, Zhao Jin called him back and said with a frown, "The Zhao Battalion values discipline and appearance. Before you go, find a barber and get yourself cleaned up. Do you think the Wu family's daughter likes looking at you like this?"

Li He stood there stunned for a moment, then gave an awkward laugh, took his leave, and departed.

Although Lu Da was the principal and Li He the deputy, the instructions given to Li He had to be very detailed, whereas for Lu Da it was a simple order — nothing so complicated.

"Mister Zhou is coming back from Qingjiangpu. By now he's probably on the Embroidered Uniform Guard's wanted list as well — are we supposed to leave him there waiting to be arrested?" This letter was also sent off by fast horse.

One move set everything in motion. Zhang Hubin's several companies returned from the north bank of the Yellow River. The Xuzhou Levies stationed across Xuzhou's various districts no longer dispersed to separate posts but instead massed into large formations of three or four thousand, quartered on Zhao Jin's various estates, where the buildings and provisions were already in place and supply was easy.

For the people of Xuzhou, high and low, those with better-informed sources also knew that Zhao Jin was pulling back his household-troop units from both Luoma Lake and Qingjiangpu. Taken together, these signs were enough for anyone to draw all sorts of conclusions.

"Big Brother, the Honorable Cai of Qulipu has already taken his whole family and left for Kaifeng — says he's visiting old friends. The steward he left behind is selling off those shops in Qulipu at cut-rate prices." With funds and goods now flowing in and out in large volumes every day, Chen Hong came to report to Zhao Jin every other day.

Zhao Jin merely smiled. Seeing no reply, Chen Hong went on, "Big Brother, I think we might as well buy up those shops. They're bound to turn a huge profit later."

The first batch of gentry and local strongmen who had thrown in their lot with Zhao Jin had received many privileges from the Zhao Battalion. Take this Honorable Cai, for instance — his family was the preeminent clan in Qulipu, and the Zhao Battalion's Cloud Mountain Firm and Sun Family Trading House had deliberately not opened many shops there, so as not to compete with the Cai family for profit.

"So no one's betting on us," Zhao Jin said with a smile. The faces of the men around him showed no amusement. Chen Sheng's expression was grim; Ji Xiang wore a look of indignant resentment; Wang Zhaojing's face was dark as still water. Only Ruhui remained perfectly composed.

Ruhui glanced at Zhao Jin, then turned and said with a smile, "Erhong, if you think it's worth buying, then let's allocate a sum of silver for it. We can use this chance to give all of Xuzhou a good scrubbing. We've run this territory so well, and yet we've let these ungrateful, conscienceless wretches get rich off it."

Zhao Jin merely nodded, and the matter was settled. The next to speak was Wang Zhaojing. He cleared his throat and said, "Yesterday, the Xiucai Zou of Zou Family Stockade came to see me. He said his clan is short of able-bodied men now and wants to bring back the six sons and younger kinsmen serving in the Scholar-Troop Company to help out. The man who came with him was an old classmate of my father's — I couldn't very well say too much."

"Wasn't this settled long ago? Whoever wants to leave, let them go," Zhao Jin said with a wave of his hand.

"These literati and scholars are the most fickle of all. Without you, Big Brother, how could they ever have flourished to this extent? The moment the situation looks the least bit dangerous, every last one of them shrinks back." These words came from Wang Zhaojing himself. At the end, his mouth opened and closed — the shape of his lips was clearly forming a curse, but in the end he held it in.

Zhao Jin shot Ruhui a glance. Both of them were struggling not to laugh. With those words, Wang Zhaojing had just cursed himself as well.

"Master, some merchants have been spreading rumors in the marketplace. Now, aside from our local traders, all the out-of-town merchants have shut their doors, closed up shop, and gone home. However, from what Old Zhou says, the great market at Qingjiang is business as usual. A pity we already collected all the rents and fees before the new year — now we can't tell what they're really thinking," Ruhui said.

"This isn't necessarily a bad thing. At the very least, it lets us see people for who they really are. On ordinary days they look utterly devoted, but when it counts, their true colors show," Chen Sheng said coolly.

Ji Xiang's expression was not nearly as composed as the others'. His tone was thoroughly hostile: "All the wolves and dogs are crawling out of the woodwork. My father, out of consideration for his relatives, let them help out in several of his shops and gave them a share of the profits every year. But now they're actually demanding to withdraw their shares and insisting my father pay them out in silver for their stake. It's absurd — he never took a single copper from them in the beginning, and now he's the one who owes them? My father turned on them on the spot, and then those relatives had the gall to say our family was guilty of rebellion, that all this property was as good as forfeit anyway, so we might as well give it to them..."

At this, the men in the room either snickered or gave cold sneers. Zhao Jin was silent for a moment, then said, "After this is over, Xuzhou will be entirely our place. No gentry, no local strongmen, no imperial law — only us."

Just as they were speaking, someone came in from outside to announce that Cheng Daqi of Cheng Family Manor in Pizhou had arrived. Zhao Jin did not have him brought in right away. Instead, he asked, "Has Cheng Dahu been pulled back yet?"

"Nie Hei has already gone to Qingjiangpu. Xiaoyong will bring Cheng Dahu back with him," Wang Zhaojing said.

Zhao Jin nodded. The moment this storm broke and word spread, the most unreliable elements proved to be exactly these affiliated local strongmen and gentry. Right now they were either busy saving their own skins or turtling up and playing dead. The household troops, by contrast, were holding very steady in their thinking. A few were nervous, to be sure, but there had been no desertions to speak of.

The men understood the reason perfectly well themselves: "We are Master Jin's household troops and retainers. We've done so much bloody work for him — if the court wants to arrest Master Jin, then every last one of us will be rounded up too. For a crime like this, extermination of the entire clan, there's simply no running away."

Cheng Dahu had performed outstandingly in Qingjiangpu, and because his family was closely tied to Zhao Jin, he held considerable authority there. Whenever Liu Yong was away, it was essentially just him and Wei Mugen in charge.

But the recent conduct of the powerful families had made them impossible to trust. Even someone like Cheng Dahu would be temporarily replaced. Nie Hei, who came from the Smelling Incense Sect, was more trustworthy.

"That Cheng Daqi also brought over fifty riders, all fully armed and armored. They've been stopped a mile out. Only Cheng Daqi himself is being allowed through." Another report came in from outside.

To the Zhao Battalion, a mere fifty-odd riders were nothing to worry about. But at a moment like this, Cheng Daqi showing up with armed men was decidedly odd.

"Everyone stay and watch. Everyone else is heading out — it's rare to have someone coming in," Zhao Jin said lightly.

Not long after, Cheng Daqi was escorted in. His weapons had been left outside. Once inside, he took in the scene and immediately cupped his hands in salute, saying very politely, "All you masters are here."

"At a time like this, when everyone's busy, what are you here for?" Zhao Jin asked directly.

Cheng Daqi straightened up and answered, "Master Jin, word is everywhere, inside and out, that a fight is coming. I've brought fifty-six able men from my family to help out — to do our part for you, Master Jin!"

Everyone in the room was taken aback. Everyone outside was keeping as far away as possible — yet here this man was, coming forward of his own accord.

"Out there they're all saying I'm going to rebel. With a charge that serious, you still dare to come forward?" Zhao Jin asked with a smile.

Cheng Daqi let out a "Heh!" and said bluntly, "If Master Jin rebels, am I not an accomplice? You think I could run from that when the time comes?"

The room erupted in laughter; no one could hold it in. Cheng Daqi went on, "Never mind all the people we've offended over the years by drilling with blades and spears — the Feng family would love to eat me alive. If I don't follow Master Jin all the way, everything the Cheng family has built up over these years will be devoured by others down to the last scrap. The main branch, the second branch — all of us will be slaughtered without a trace. Is that so hard to figure out? All these years, Master Jin has never come out on the losing end of anything, and he's not the least bit flustered now. Old Cheng here can see that perfectly well."

Zhao Jin nodded slowly. Chen Sheng, however, spoke up: "This is where you can tell true cleverness from mere cunning."

"Master Jin, I know this paltry family force of mine doesn't amount to much in your eyes, but if it really comes to a fight, having one more man who dares to fight to the death is always a good thing. These fifty-seven lives of ours, all three hundred and seventy-five souls of the Cheng clan — we place them all in your hands, Master Jin!" Cheng Daqi finished in a rough voice and then, with the utmost gravity, made a deep bow with clasped hands.

Looks of approval showed on everyone's faces, and a smile appeared on Zhao Jin's as well. "Leave ten men with me. Take the rest back to your Cheng Family Manor. Keep an eye on Pizhou for me. See who doesn't know their place, who's stirring up trouble at a time like this — write it all down!"

"Master Jin, we can go back, but these few dozen lives of ours can't hold off an army. There are still a thousand or so government troops in Pizhou. If they come, the Cheng family won't last more than a few days."

"Why would they move against you? Why would they dare waste time on the road? Just stay in Pizhou. I don't want this business to be over and find we have none of our own people left anywhere," Zhao Jin said with a smile.

Hearing Zhao Jin speak so plainly, Cheng Daqi clasped his fist solemnly in assent. Zhao Jin added, "If the forces that come start sweeping through everywhere, you'll still have time to bring your whole family here to me. Rest assured!"

Only after these words did Cheng Daqi's mind settle. He saluted, took his leave, and departed. The earlier discussion had left everyone feeling stifled; Cheng Daqi's arrival lifted their spirits considerably.

The moment he was out the door, Zhao Jin thought for a moment, then added, "Don't bring Cheng Dahu back. Qingjiangpu is exactly where we need people in the shadows right now. Have Nie Hei, Cheng Dahu, and Wei Mugen all three manage the shadow operations — that'll be more secure. Send the message out now; it might still catch him on the road."

Wang Zhaojing acknowledged the order and immediately wrote the letter. Zhao Jin stamped it with his personal cipher, and only then was it sent off by fast horse.

Everyone dispersed to their respective tasks. Over on his side, Cheng Daqi, after much arguing and persuasion, left twenty-five riders behind — a gesture of his family's sincerity — before leading the rest away.

As it turned out, no sooner had Cheng Daqi left than Jiang Mutou from Fangcun Market arrived with over a hundred riders. When he requested an audience, his face bore an expression of considerable fury and distress.

Thank you, everyone.