Chapter 706: Might There Be an Imperial Decree?

Anyone could guess that what lay beneath those cloths were spearheads. In the current situation, this street was already choked so narrow by carts that horses could not possibly charge, and now with squad after squad of men arriving, there was no longer any way to get through.

Ma Chonghao raised a hand and waved it. The men who had followed him from Nanjing did not know the signal, but when they saw Ma Chonghao's personal guards and retinue steadying themselves, they could only hold still as well.

They had just come to a stop when two riders hurried forward from the rear. They were dressed like commoners, and when some of the guardsmen moved to block them, the pair produced their waist tallies — it turned out they were their own people, and they were let straight through to the front.

"Commandant, the Shanyang garrison commander is hurrying this way with five hundred men. They were called in by the Li family of Qingjiangpu."

Ma Chonghao's mouth twisted, but he said nothing. Inwardly he cursed: how in the world did Lu Quanyou of Wolf Mountain command his troops? A garrison commander under his own authority ignored military orders, yet let himself be ordered about at will by this gang of wealthy merchants. The Brocade Guard had openly shown their hand, yet this garrison commander was not even afraid of being charged with rebellion and dared to lead troops to oppose them.

Fury burned in his heart, but Ma Chonghao's shrewdness ran deep, and his face betrayed no emotion. He merely looked at the other man, who drew closer and said in a lowered voice: "Commandant, around the Qingjiang Great Market there are at least two thousand men massed — remnants of the Zhao Camp, plus the household guards of every family, and no small number of jianghu fighters as well. There's also word that many of the families have sent men south and north to seek help from their patrons..."

"Utter lawlessness!" At this, even Ma Chonghao could not hold back and cursed under his breath.

Behind the wealthy merchants of Qingjiangpu stood major figures connected to both the capital and Nanjing — vast fortunes, immense power, and such overwhelming influence that any case could be suppressed. Besides, these people had not actually plotted rebellion; even that implication was, at best, a fabricated charge. If this truly blew up in the imperial court, or if someone submitted a memorial, Ma Chonghao knew he would come out the worse for it. A half-fallen Assistant Commander of the Brocade Guard, and one stationed in Nanjing at that — before the truly powerful, he was little more than an ant.

Ma Chonghao drew a deep breath, then first turned his head and said: "Everyone hold steady. Without my order, no one is to make a reckless move!"

That said, he slowly shook the reins and urged his mount forward, stopping when he reached the outermost cart. He drew another deep breath and shouted from horseback: "I am Ma Chonghao, Assistant Commander of the Nanjing Brocade Guard! I have led this force north to investigate the treason case of Zhao Jin of Xuzhou! You do not recognize me — but do you not recognize this flying-fish robe I wear?"

The scene fell quiet, and only Ma Chonghao's voice echoed: "I am a personal guard of the Son of Heaven, specially charged with arresting lawbreakers, rebels, and traitors. Seeing me lead the Brocade Guard here in force, you would do well to harbor no more wishful thoughts. Otherwise, once the chief culprit is seized, every one of you will be deemed an accomplice. Do you imagine these tricks before you can block us for a moment, and thereby block us forever? When the imperial court's great army truly arrives, all of you will be ground to dust! Consider carefully!"

Having shouted this, Ma Chonghao swept a cold gaze over the scene before him. Some cart drivers had turned ashen, their whole bodies trembling uncontrollably, yet the men who had come bearing poles still showed no reaction. That stocky driver who had answered him earlier also remained stone-faced, without the slightest trace of fear.

After his survey, Ma Chonghao wheeled his horse around and withdrew. The guardsmen behind him were still somewhat puzzled, but under the pressure of Ma Chonghao's stern glare, they too turned and withdrew one after another.

"Commandant, are we just letting it go at that?" a trusted aide asked in a low voice.

Ma Chonghao's expression was taut. Keeping his mount at a steady, unhurried pace, he answered gravely: "What else can we do? If we truly force our way in and fail to break through, and take casualties on top of it, we'll lose face badly. When it really comes to tearing off all pretense, these merchants have official backers who are all extremely powerful — we would suffer a severe loss. Now that I've shouted those words, everyone who needed to hear has heard them. They can weigh the stakes and consequences for themselves."

After they had ridden on for a stretch, Ma Chonghao spoke again in a low voice: "The most critical and pivotal matter this time is still Xuzhou. Once we take Zhao Jin, Qingjiangpu will be mine to plunder as I please!"

Those who heard this all nodded, but Ma Liu, ever observant, noticed that Ma Chonghao's knuckles where he gripped the reins had gone white — clearly he was exerting tremendous force.

By the time Ma Chonghao and his party returned to their encampment, the envoy from Zhou Baolu, the Xuzhou Mobile Corps Commander, had already arrived. He brought considerable news: first, that the Mobile Corps Commander's three hundred fifty personal guards and household troops were already fully equipped and ready to move out at any moment to rendezvous with the main force; and further, that Zhao Jin's Zhao Camp was like a startled bird, now contracting their forces and clustering around the He Family Estate, preparing to make a desperate last stand. However, the common people of Xuzhou's hearts inclined toward the imperial court — as soon as the main force arrived, success would be as swift as a galloping horse.

Such polite pleasantries were to be heard and then set aside. Ma Chonghao and his men did not take them too seriously; they simply arranged for the envoy to report back and continue gathering intelligence. As for matters in Xuzhou, Ma Chonghao had his own informants. What vexed him was that Xuzhou still had not descended into chaos — every side remained perfectly steady.

After that morning's outing, morale was low among the men from both Nanjing and Wolf Mountain. Without needing to be urged, everyone from top to bottom was packing and preparing, ready to set out for Xuzhou as soon as possible.

Ma Chonghao did, however, arrange for word to be spread: the wealthy merchants of Qingjiangpu had ties to both the inner court and the outer court, their backing was solid, and they had always been utterly lawless. Never mind anyone else — even when the two grand eunuch supervisors from Nanjing and Fengyang passed through, they could not squeeze a single copper out of this place; at most, some people offered them travel gifts out of courtesy, nothing more.

Once this news got out, everyone's mood improved considerably. If even such major figures could gain no advantage here, then they themselves need not brood over it too much.

"We've got so many blades, we're so good at fighting — why not just band together and sack this Qingjiangpu? Then we'd have all the silver and women we could want. Why suffer this groveling?"

"Have you lost your mind? After sacking Qingjiangpu, where would you go? Troops from every direction would come after you. You think you'd run off to sea? Do you have ships?"

"Damn it all! I've got a blade, I can fight, and I still have to take grief from these fat-pig rich households? Even if we can't sack the place, we push in, and if they want us to keep our blades sheathed, they'd better obediently hand over the silver. I don't believe they won't!"

"Keep your voice down! If word of this gets back to Nanjing, you won't need the Duke to lift a finger — someone else will flay you and tear out your tendons!"

"Isn't this just idle talk? This Qingjiangpu is a fine, fine place — no city walls, no troops to guard it. It looks just like a piece of meat laid out on the table!"

The men below buzzed with all manner of talk, and these words reached Ma Chonghao's ears through various channels.

"The lads are getting harder and harder to keep in check," Ma Chonghao remarked with a sigh during supper, when he was together with Xu Tiebiao, Shi Ping'ao, and a few others, and the subject came up.

"The higher-ups don't issue rations or pay — we have to scrape everything together ourselves. We've been in Nanjing for years, a decade even, without a single assignment. We train ourselves to the bone, yet we're worse off than these merchants living in extravagance. Of course it rankles to see it. Never mind the lads — sometimes even I feel like drawing my blade and going on a rampage, just to see if those fellows, who usually walk around with their noses in the air, can still act so high and mighty when it comes down to it," Xu Tiebiao, the commander from the Duke of Wei's estate, said bitterly.

At these words, even Shi Ping'ao, who came from a scholarly background, showed agreement on his face. Ma Chonghao lifted his wine cup, seemed about to speak, then hesitated, and in the end only sighed and said: "These days, men like us who carry blades and handle the dirty work get no benefit, while those who deal in empty talk rake in fortunes hand over fist. They speak fine words, they know how to generate profit, they scoop up silver from every source — and yet they're called 'the pure stream.' And us? There are times we don't even get our full rations and pay."

"But once we pull this off, we won't have to worry about any of that ration-and-pay nonsense anymore. That Zhao Jin — so young, yet how has he amassed so much? If we succeed, all of us will have enough to last several lifetimes. Public business, private business — everything can be accomplished." Ma Chonghao ended with a few morale-boosting words and a smile.

Xu Tiebiao gave a derisive snort but did not respond. Shi Ping'ao, however, said thoughtfully: "It seems Commissioner Ma still wishes to return to the capital."

"Nanjing is fine enough, but it's only good for growing old. If one wants to accomplish things, to build something, one must go to the capital," Ma Chonghao answered candidly.

Just then, a report came from outside: Lian Ping'an, the Granary Commissioner of the Ever-Full Granary in Qingjiangpu, had arrived.

A mere granary commissioner was only a ninth-rank official. Xu Tiebiao himself held the concurrent title of Assistant Commander of a Guard — a military officer of the upper third rank, and from the ducal estate at that. In Xu Tiebiao's eyes, such a petty figure was utterly beneath notice.

But Ma Chonghao spent his days studying the power dynamics of the Southern Metropolitan Region, and Shi Ping'ao, as the trusted advisor to the Wolf Mountain Vice General, knew exactly how much weight Lian Ping'an carried. The two exchanged a glance, and each could see the smile that surfaced on the other's face.

"Old Xu, don't underestimate this Lian Ping'an. His personal fortune may be no less than what the Duke's estate holds, and he has at least a eunuch and a minister backing him," Ma Chonghao said with a smile.

Now that it was put in these terms, Xu Tiebiao grew serious as well. Ma Chonghao, however, set aside his usual composure and said with unconcealed delight: "Those words I spoke this morning really did prove useful. The situation in Qingjiangpu has now opened up."

The disparity in their respective ranks was far too great; even though they took him seriously, there was no reason for them to go out to receive him. They simply had someone usher Lian Ping'an in.

Though Lian Ping'an was only a ninth-rank granary commissioner, men like Ma Chonghao and Xu Tiebiao, military officers both, truly did not count for much in his eyes. Yet at this juncture, the moment he entered the room he put on a full show of low-ranked humility, squeezed out a few tears, and immediately moved to perform a grand kneeling salute.

All present were seasoned hands at playing their parts, and naturally they would not let him kneel. Ma Chonghao rushed forward a step to raise him up. Lian Ping'an was a great fat man, and his weight was by no means light — even with Ma Chonghao's martial skill, he very nearly failed to lift him.

"Our Qingjiangpu has suffered grievously at the hands of that Zhao Jin! We have all been enduring humiliation and clinging to life, longing only for the court to send someone down to uphold justice. Now that I have finally met you today, this humble official is overwhelmed with gratitude and tears." Lian Ping'an delivered his formal pleasantries with practiced ease.

Before Ma Chonghao and the others could even offer their courtesies in return, Lian Ping'an had already wiped away the tears that had never truly fallen and asked in a choked voice: "Might there be an imperial decree, that this humble official may kneel to receive it?"

All were men of the official world, and they understood the crux of the matter perfectly. Lian Ping'an had gone straight to the critical point with his question. Shi Ping'ao's expression remained unchanged; Xu Tiebiao looked directly at Ma Chonghao.

I'm late — thank you to the several book friends "Zhisheng Jiancai Zhuangshi, Yuan Heng Li Zhen, Wu Liu Lang, Book Friend 1287208672, Ye Luo Mantian" for your support. There will be another chapter around 10:30.