Chapter 703: Who Said That

Pizhou was still manageable — the outer forces of the Zhao Character Camp were garrisoned there, and the Xuzhou Regional Commander had also been reassigned to the area, so no one dared cause trouble. But everywhere between Pizhou and Qingjiangpu was in serious chaos. The collection of the Liao tax here had already scattered and ruined the common folk, creating masses of refugees and displaced people. Now the local strongmen were fighting among themselves, and besides their own clansmen, they were also rounding up these refugees and displaced people in droves to use as cannon fodder.

The more people there were, the greater the chaos. The entire region around the three counties of Suining, Suqian, and Taoyuan was ablaze with conflict everywhere, like oil drums sitting beside a fire — ready to ignite at any moment.

The clerks and runners in these areas were secretly starting to miss the Zhao Character Camp. With a tiger like that around, no demons or monsters dared stir. It was nothing like the mess things were now.

"What's there to miss? Once Zhao Jin is put down, everything will go back to the old ways. We all got by just fine all those years before — why can't we now?" an old-timer said.

"What old ways? Grain prices in Qingjiangpu have been climbing nonstop. It's already the start of the seventh month, and the autumn harvest is just a month away. In past years, prices would have dropped long ago, but they still haven't come down."

"And you call yourself a government runner — don't you know anything? Those salt merchants have been buying up grain this whole time. How could prices possibly fall?"

Starting from the third month, all along the canal route north from Yangzhou to Pizhou, the salt merchants' properties on both sides had begun stockpiling grain and all kinds of supplies. Their salt shops and warehouses were packed full of every kind of material. Anyone in the know could tell at a glance — this was the setup for military supply depots.

Some government officials sensed something wrong and went to inquire, only to be blocked by men from the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Since even the Guard agents saw no issue, no one else bothered to interfere. Investigating and ferreting out unlawful activities was the Embroidered Uniform Guard's duty, after all. If they had given their word, why should anyone else worry?

"... We'll station two companies inside Xuzhou city, plus six hundred militia. With those who can help out, pulling together fifteen hundred men for a desperate fight at the critical moment shouldn't be a problem. And that's not even counting the people standing with us. With that kind of force, we can at least hold the city walls for a few days, or seize a city gate. We won't need to hold long — the main force will be there soon..." Zhao Jin was speaking with his companions on the drill ground.

A personal guard was carrying the four treasures of the study and a wooden chest directly on his back. At a word from Wang Zhaojing, brush, ink, paper, and inkstone were immediately brought out, and the wooden chest served as a desk to record everything on the spot.

"Send Zhao Wan and Zhao Song over. They know the city well enough anyway, and that Zhao Shiyi of yours is sharp as a tack too," Chen Sheng said.

Zhao Jin nodded, then his tone suddenly turned stern: "By the day after tomorrow, all of you get your families moved over to He Village. Tell your uncles and elders not to be stubborn — is that clear?"

Everyone agreed. In truth, this was mainly directed at Chen Sheng, because his father Chen Wu was extremely obstinate. He kept saying that his father had worked so hard to build up all this family property in Xuzhou city, and he was going to stay right here and guard it — no one was allowed to touch a thing. Everyone understood that Chen Wu had never recovered from the death of Chen Sheng's grandfather.

But if Chen Wu fell into the hands of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, that would be a huge problem for the Zhao Character Camp. Since this trouble could be avoided, Zhao Jin was going to press the matter sternly.

To put it more plainly, the reason for placing nearly a thousand men inside Xuzhou city was precisely to keep the city from falling into anyone else's hands — because most of the Zhao Character Camp soldiers' families lived in Xuzhou city. It was really the same principle as the Chen family's situation.

"After all, not many of the brothers' families have anywhere else to go. It'd be best if the Xuzhou Guard can take some of them in. Those with nowhere to go will just have to stay in the city. We have an obligation to keep them safe," Zhao Jin said in a low voice. The brothers all nodded.

As everyone stood on the wooden platform looking down, several regiments were drawn up in neat formation, standing at silent attention. They had only just assembled, yet already they were as solemn and still as a mountain. Gazing out at the household troops, Zhao Jin and his companions couldn't help but feel confidence surge within them.

"Starting today, drill once every two days. Rations are to be full and filling, and there must be meat. Each of you is to inspect the arms and armor of the troops under your command. Zhaojing, Mister Cao — you two are to organize three thousand militia to handle the main force's baggage and provisions. As long as the accounts are clear, spend the silver and supplies as needed. If three thousand militia aren't enough, hire civilian laborers," Zhao Jin continued laying out the arrangements.

"Big Brother, we have so many militia we can call up in Xuzhou — why hire civilian laborers?" Wang Zhaojing asked.

"Because sooner or later we're going to need civilian laborers. Might as well learn how to use them now and get some experience," Zhao Jin replied.

Everyone paused, then all laughed. Ruhui shook his head and said, "The Master truly handles weighty matters with ease. At a moment like this, he's still thinking about learning and building experience."

A smile appeared on Zhao Jin's face as well. "We have to think long-term. Now, everyone get to your tasks."

Everyone acknowledged the order. As they were heading down, Shi Manqiang muttered, "Let's just get on with the fighting. It's already the seventh month and still no sign of any action. No idea what all this dithering is about..."

Everyone laughed again. Zhao Jin gazed into the distance and murmured to himself, "I never thought it would be this early."

As the commanding officers of each regiment and company took their positions, the drill ground, quiet just moments before, instantly erupted into a boil. Officers gave orders, suona horns and drums sounded, signal flags waved. Company and squad leaders bellowed commands, and the household troops shouted slogans as they executed their orders. Dust billowed up, and for a moment, it felt as if there were not just a few thousand men on the drill ground — you'd believe it if someone said tens of thousands.

"The weather is so stifling, yet there's not a drop of rain in sight. It's really uncomfortable," Wang Zhaojing said, standing behind Zhao Jin.

Zhao Jin looked up at the sky. There were clouds, but it hadn't rained in over ten days. In any other year, this would have been another minor drought. This time, however, the impact on Xuzhou wasn't great. The water conservancy projects and the extensive digging of canals and ditches ensured that most of the farmland could be irrigated. The harvest this year wouldn't be too poor.

"Big Brother, my father wrote that there's still no word from the Ministry of War. That Ma Chonghao probably intends to act first and report later..."

"Your father makes a good point. Our Zhao Character Camp is sitting on mountains of gold and silver, but with no powerful patron backing us from behind, in the eyes of others, we're just a child walking down the road carrying a fortune. No one can resist coming to snatch it. To people like them, if you don't hold official rank, you're nothing at all..."

The two had just begun talking when they saw a student-soldier running quickly toward them. Quite a few had left the student-soldier unit this time, but those who remained were the truly reliable ones. They were used for delivering orders and messages, and their uniforms were somewhat different from the ordinary household troops.

"Master, urgent report from Li Dajin," the student-soldier announced.

Zhao Jin and Wang Zhaojing both froze. They immediately signaled for Li Dajin to come over. No messages had come from Nanjing for five days now. The reports from Qingjiangpu were all based on information gathered through traveling merchants. Zhao Jin had assumed something had gone wrong in Nanjing and had already dispatched men from the Internal Guard to investigate.

He hadn't expected that on the sixth day of the seventh month, Li Dajin would come rushing back. In the past, it had always been Lei Cai who returned to deliver the reports.

"Master Jin, Master Lei's riding skills aren't good. The news this time was urgent, so this subordinate came back first." The moment they met, Li Dajin explained this question.

The news Li Dajin had brought by fast horse was simple enough: on the third day of the seventh month, Ma Chonghao, the Assistant Commander of the Nanjing Embroidered Uniform Guard, had led eight hundred elite cavalry out of Nanjing and crossed the river northward.

All eight hundred cavalry were traveling light. When crossing the river, they commandeered civilian boats on a massive scale. The reason Li Dajin had been able to get back so quickly was because the Yu family had helped with their boats.

Li Dajin had barely rested the entire journey, and in this season of damp heat, never mind his disheveled beard and hair — his whole body reeked of sour stench. But no one paid any attention to that. As Li Dajin delivered his report, he was carefully observing the expression on Zhao Jin's face.

When he said that Ma Chonghao had set out from Nanjing with eight hundred cavalry, Li Dajin saw no tension on Zhao Jin's face. Instead, he saw Zhao Jin smile.

"Damn it all, they've finally come out. Waiting around drives a man crazy." Zhao Jin rarely cursed, but anyone could hear the relief in his voice.

A smile also appeared on Li Dajin's face. Zhao Jin immediately began issuing orders: "Old Li, you go back to Nanjing. This time, bring Leizi and all our people back. Leave two steady, reliable men — hand the rest over to the Yu family to manage. Be careful on the road. At a time like this, more than ever, you can't afford the slightest lapse."

"Call Xiaoyong here. Have him deploy the Internal Guard and all the informants we've gathered. Keep eyes on this group's every move and report urgently at once!"

The news Li Dajin had brought back was, of course, far more than just this...

On the first day of the seventh month, Ma Chonghao claimed to have received an urgent report from his informants in Xuzhou, stating that a certain local strongman named Zhao in Xuzhou was rallying his followers with intent to rebel, that the gentry were pleading for help, and that the common people were weeping and wailing.

Xuzhou was a pivotal hub of the realm. Chaos there would have enormous repercussions. If it entangled the canal transport system, the capital would surely be shaken. A fast horse from Nanjing to the capital took at least half a month. If they waited for a reply, a month would have passed, and by then the situation would have festered into a catastrophe beyond remedy.

In urgent times, one must act according to expediency. Ma Chonghao, Assistant Commander of the Nanjing Embroidered Uniform Guard, would rather face censure from his superiors than fail to quell the unrest first. Fortunately, the various authorities in the Southern Metropolitan Region were all heroes who understood the bigger picture and were all willing to cooperate fully.

The Nanjing nobility, led by the Xu family, the Duke of Wei, had scraped together over six hundred household troops and personal guards. These joined with Ma Chonghao's own household men and over eight hundred elite operatives of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, crossing the river and heading north.

The gentry and commoners of Yangzhou, moved by Commissioner Ma's lofty righteousness, came forward in droves with contributions of money and grain as tribute and reward. Righteous civilians, bringing their own weapons, mounts, and provisions, followed in his wake.

Outwardly, it was said that the Assistant Commander of the Nanjing Embroidered Uniform Guard was leading the force. But within the ranks, there was something odd. The eight hundred-plus cavalry were divided into two groups — one of over six hundred men, the other of over a hundred — and they kept a certain distance from each other.

"Commissioner Ma, His Lordship my master was very clear in his instructions. Our Xu family will help with this matter and will follow Commissioner Ma's orders. But these men and horses are also the very foundation of our Xu family..." The commander leading the noble household troops was a man in his early forties named Xu Tiebiao. He was said to be a house-born servant, and rumor had it that he and the Duke were half-brothers, born of the same father but different mothers.

Naturally, there were no outsiders present when these words were spoken. Ma Chonghao's face was all smiles as he said, with an air of relaxed ease, "Brother Xu, don't worry too much. We're going on this trip to make a fortune together, not to fight some life-or-death battle. Let me ask you — when the Embroidered Uniform Guard arrives leading a large force of elite cavalry and declares you guilty of the capital crime of rebellion, who would dare resist? Who would dare still follow you? Is there anyone under heaven with that kind of nerve?"

The question caught Xu Tiebiao off guard for a moment. Then he said in a muffled voice, "But hasn't that local tyrant Zhao Jin in Xuzhou already rebelled?"

"Who said that?" Ma Chonghao asked in return, a smile on his face. Xu Tiebiao stared blankly, then burst into loud laughter, all traces of worry gone from his expression.

Thank you, everyone. I'm currently away from home but will do my best to keep updating.