Chapter 716: I Stand Unmoved (7,000 words)

If they hadn't seen their share of the world and cultivated deep composure, they'd be drooling by now — but the excitement still couldn't be hidden. Just think of all the benefits if they took Zhao Jin down. Some even sneered at Commander Chu and Shi Ping'ao for not coming, saying they'd been scared witless by Zhao Jin and were letting all this silver and money slip through their fingers for nothing.

The men sent along by Xuzhou Mobile Corps Commander Zhou Baolu had been acting like startled birds the whole way, glancing left and right as they walked, terrified of being discovered. Their nervousness grated on Ma Chonghao, who'd already warned them several times. Meanwhile, the men from Wolf Mountain wore expressions of pure anxiety and regret, repeating over and over: "Our Mr. Shi truly had business and couldn't come. We've sent plenty of people this time — our share of the spoils must not be arbitrarily reduced."

Everyone understood why he was saying this: seeing the huge profits rolling in, he was afraid that missing this trip would mean a smaller cut, so he had to fight to claw some back.

With profit right before their eyes, their petty calculations were hardly going to be easily satisfied. Someone immediately shot back a few teasing remarks, and the man, red-faced and frantic, argued his case until it nearly came to drawn blades. In the end, Ma Chonghao couldn't stand watching any longer and barked at them with a frown, telling them to settle it after they got back. Only then did they grudgingly quiet down.

By now, Zhao Jin's inspection had reached the formation phase. The companies below were still shouting as they dressed ranks, each company commander staring down every row and file, terrified of the slightest crookedness. This drew another round of laughter from the onlookers.

"These youngsters just love this flashy, impractical nonsense. So what if the soldiers under him stand perfectly straight? Is war just a contest of standing at attention? They've clearly never seen the real world. Standing at attention now — once they're on the battlefield they'll have to scatter and prove themselves in real combat. What use is just standing there? He thinks it looks imposing and fierce. With all this time, wouldn't it be better to drill more martial skills?" Commander Hu muttered sourly.

"If Zhao Jin really had that kind of ability, wouldn't taking him down just mean more trouble for us? This is perfect, just perfect."

"That's a fair point."

Just as they were talking, the cavalry unit entered the field. In any Ming official army review, the cavalry unit was always the top-tier battalion, and as the commander's personal guard and household troops, they were the best in the entire camp in equipment, spirit, and bearing — naturally placed at the very front for all to see. To put it crudely, it was just like setting up a stall to sell vegetables or fruit: if you want to keep customers and sell your goods, of course you put the best stuff up front.

"... There's no space up front anymore!" someone muttered after seeing the cavalry formation. The distance between the regiments and companies of the Zhao Battalion was very tight — there was no room left for the cavalry to move forward.

The moment this cavalry unit appeared, the expressions of Ma Chonghao, Xu Tiebiao, Commander Hu, and every man who'd come along turned grave once more. In their eyes, this lavishly expensive cavalry unit had to be the most elite and troublesome force in the Zhao Battalion. If it came to a real fight, they'd likely end up facing this very unit, so each man instinctively grew serious and began observing carefully.

Nearly four hundred mounted household troops — their formation was quite orderly, and the horses were decent enough. But after watching for a while, Xu Tiebiao couldn't stop shaking his head: "No wonder they say this scoundrel has Tartars under him. I'd say at least four in ten of this cavalry unit are Tartars, and they certainly put on a good show. But they're far too young — they probably haven't trained their skills yet. As for the remaining six in ten who aren't Tartars, most of them clearly haven't been at it for more than a few years."

Riding requires training, and the longer one spends in the saddle, the more refined the horsemanship, the more seamless the coordination with the mount, and the stronger the combat ability. No matter how much someone grew up on horseback, if they're too young, their riding skills will still be lacking. And judging by the way those others handled their horses, quite a few had clearly only been riding for a few years. What use could such a cavalry unit possibly be on the battlefield?

"Don't underestimate them too much. When could the local strongmen and bandits around Xuzhou ever mobilize a few hundred riders?" Ma Chonghao said gravely. "At the very least, the financial resources here are quite impressive."

At these words, Xu Tiebiao let out a scoff, saying with utter disdain: "Looking at their gear, they've certainly spent plenty of coin, but what are these trained cavalry worth? Nothing but clay chickens and pottery dogs. They count as cavalry? They'd be lucky to have a mule."

Everyone nodded at his words, clearly sharing the same opinion. And just then, the Zhao Battalion cavalry took their position. Seeing where they were placed, everyone immediately relaxed.

So the Zhao Battalion cavalry hadn't been placed at the very front after all — instead, they were positioned on the far right. All tension drained away, and smiles appeared on the faces of both Ma Chonghao and Xu Tiebiao.

"And to think we were so worried before. Turns out the cavalry isn't even considered the most useful in Zhao Jin's eyes! What kind of fighting can you do with that mindset? The cavalry is what he has to rely on, yet he won't give them top treatment. When it comes to real combat, can he still count on them? He's already chilled their morale to the bone..." Ma Chonghao shook his head as he spoke. It was clear that even he now harbored no doubts whatsoever about the coming victory.

Just then, the urgent drumming sounded again, drowning out all other noise. Everyone watched as the vermilion spear on the wooden platform was raised and lowered several times, and they all fell silent in turn.

Then the drums stopped, and the vermilion spear was lowered. The entire drill ground fell silent. In that moment, everything seemed frozen still.

Earlier, as the soldiers had been slowly entering the field, the common folk and onlookers watching from the sidelines had been commenting and chatting idly. It wasn't just Ma Chonghao and his group talking — others were chatting too, though they were only discussing the spectacle, not "reading the deeper meaning" like Ma Chonghao. Occasionally, a vendor carrying a bamboo basket of snacks would pass by, just like at an opera performance. But now, everything went quiet. Even those who wanted to speak found their throats dry and instinctively dared not utter a word.

The Guard Company currently commanded twelve platoons, three regiments totaling thirty platoons, and the cavalry had a structure of four detachments. All these units stood in perfect order at their positions. Earlier, when everyone had been making their comments, they'd called this a useless exercise, flashy and impractical. But looking at it now, the neatly arrayed spear formations were utterly forbidding. Just standing there was enough to make one feel an oppressive weight, as if struggling to breathe, each breath coming quicker...

"It's just a fancy show, useless..." someone forced out, though their voice was dry and hoarse, so quiet they couldn't even hear themselves.

Ma Chonghao, Xu Tiebiao, and Commander Hu had all dropped their smiles. The trusted men who'd come along to watch wore much the same expressions, all of them staring into the field with grave looks.

They were all men who'd led troops for many years — there was no way they couldn't read military bearing and morale. And precisely because they could read it, doubt was gnawing at their hearts. Xuzhou was supposed to be a prosperous, civilized place in the Divine Land. How could the private troops of a local strongman here possess the aura of the Nine Borders' finest — or even surpass it?

Before they could voice their thoughts, from where they stood, they could see the man in black armor on the wooden platform suddenly stride forward a few steps, then gently raise an arm, as if about to address the troops. Standing on the platform in his armor, Zhao Jin was majestic and awe-inspiring, exuding authority with every glance. Even these enemies had to admit that Zhao Jin certainly cut an impressive figure.

"... Before the Zhao Battalion existed, could you eat your fill?..."

"... Before the Zhao Battalion existed, could your families eat their fill?..."

"... Before the Zhao Battalion existed, could you stand straight when speaking before others?..."

From this far away, Ma Chonghao and his men certainly couldn't hear the man on the wooden platform speaking. Zhao Jin's pace was very slow, pausing after each question. Then the household troops of the Guard Company, standing from the platform all the way to the depths of the formation, repeated Zhao Jin's words in succession, like speaking tubes amplifying his voice, until it finally converged into a questioning roar as mighty as toppling mountains and overturning seas.

"Before the Zhao Battalion existed, did you have any dignity at all? Didn't you have to kowtow even to a lowly, unranked runner from the yamen?"

Silence reigned below. Ma Chonghao instinctively leaned forward. Such provocative words — was there really no reaction at all from below? Was it just that he couldn't hear? But aside from the household troops repeating line by line, there was not a single other sound.

Ma Chonghao suddenly felt a suffocating tightness, as if he couldn't draw a full breath, as if something heavy were pressing on his chest. These were clearly just the private troops of a local strongman, yet this unit's military discipline was solemn and absolute to such a degree!

"... Famine struck Shandong and Henan, countless refugees surged over. If not for us, how could this place have been preserved..."

"... Everywhere they're levying the Liao tax, flaying skin and tearing flesh, making it impossible to survive. Only here in our territory..."

The household troops surrounding Zhao Jin began recounting the events of their own lives, one by one. Though each person's experience was different, they all shared one common thread: before becoming household troops of the Zhao Battalion, they had been of low and base status, each struggling just to find enough food and warmth. But after joining the Zhao Battalion and becoming household troops, everything had changed.

"... Did all this fall from the sky? Did the court and the officials give it to us? None of it! We fought and bled to take it for ourselves!"

At this point, whatever Zhao Jin's tone might have been, every man repeating these words couldn't help but raise his voice and roar: "We fought and bled to take it for ourselves!"

Though the soldiers below did not answer aloud, every single one of them was visibly stirred, nearly overcome with emotion. Some were even weeping quietly. It was clear their blood was boiling.

And yet, even so, the formation remained silent, standing solemn and unmoving.

Did this mean Zhao Jin's rousing words had no effect? No one thought that. No one was that self-deceiving. They simply stood there in silence, as if waiting for something.

"... We helped ourselves, helped our families, helped our fellow villagers. We gave our families face and property, we made Xuzhou a land of peace. Are you not proud? Other regions are now in deep misery, yet our Xuzhou is utterly at peace. Is this not your achievement?..."

"But now, there are those who insist on accusing us of rebellion. We found a way to become prosperous, and that's rebellion? We protected our homeland's peace, and that's rebellion? They aren't trying to capture rebels for the court — they're coveting the peace and prosperity here, wanting to plunder it all! They want to seize everything we've earned, make us oxen and horses again, plunge our families back into poverty and hunger, turn Xuzhou back into the wretched place it once was, make us Xuzhou people despised by others once more. Can you endure this?..."

The words had barely finished when a sudden gust of wind swept across the flat ground, bringing a refreshing coolness. After so many days of stifling, humid heat, this made everyone feel comfortable.

That single cool breeze also let Ma Chonghao and his men breathe a sigh of relief. Zhao Jin's entire harangue, combined with the fervor of the soldiers below, had made them feel as if they were being pulled in themselves. Someone glanced to the side and noticed that among the watching villagers, some now had tears streaming down their faces — clearly, Zhao Jin's words had struck a deep chord with them.

Was Xuzhou still part of the Great Ming realm or not? A chill ran through their hearts once more.

Just then, a flash dazzled everyone's eyes. A bolt of lightning suddenly tore across the dark, oppressive sky, and immediately after, thunder exploded with a deafening boom.

A slight stir rippled through the formations, while on the right flank, horses in the cavalry unit neighed in alarm — clearly, some mounts had been spooked by the thunder. Though it was hard to see clearly from this distance, the disorder there was unmistakable.

"This thunder couldn't come at a better time. Let him stand there trying to beguile the masses. A unit that falls into chaos at a single thunderclap — what more is there to say?" Xu Tiebiao said with a cold laugh.

Scattered raindrops were already falling. After being pent up for so many days, it was finally going to rain. The drops were large — a downpour was clearly imminent.

Zhao Jin said no more. The formations returned to silence. Among the onlookers who'd come to watch the excitement, some were already hurrying to turn back. This review was uncomfortable to watch and lacked any spectacle — better to head back early and get out of the rain.

The sky flashed again, followed immediately by several tremendous thunderclaps. The rain was already growing heavier. The cavalry unit on the far right of the formation could be seen wheeling around, clearly intending to head back to the stables.

The cavalry formation was no longer as orderly as when they'd arrived. Their ranks were somewhat scattered, every rider hurried and flustered, as if afraid of getting drenched.

Everyone else was busy scrambling for shelter from the rain, but Ma Chonghao and his men remained standing on their carts, grinning as they watched the scene before them. The heaviness and oppression that had weighed on their hearts after the earlier shock had now completely vanished. So these soldiers were just flesh and blood after all — in the end, they could still be afraid.

Of course, cavalry dodging thunder and rain was perfectly normal. Horses couldn't withstand the startling boom of thunder.

"They looked so orderly just a moment ago, but now they're about to scatter in complete chaos. What a fine spectacle! I'd always heard of night panics and camp stampedes but never seen one. Never thought I'd get to see one in broad daylight." Commander Hu mocked, and the others all burst into raucous laughter. "And that Zhao Jin — just moments ago he was so impassioned and stirring. Deflated now, isn't he? Even the heavens can't stand the sight of him..."

With skies so dark and heat so stifling, the rain didn't build gradually. After the lightning and thunder, it immediately came pouring down — an instant torrential downpour.

The common folk who'd come for the spectacle all scattered in a hurry. Ma Chonghao and his men didn't move. They weren't afraid of getting soaked. Every one of them was in high spirits, ready to watch these Zhao Battalion household troops scatter in total disarray and make a complete fool of themselves.

However, things didn't go as they wished. Even as the rain poured down in torrents, the soldiers' formations remained utterly motionless. The storm drenched them, soaking every man through. The stifling heat from moments before vanished in an instant, leaving only a faint, penetrating chill.

Quite a while had passed, yet the torrential rain still persisted, but the formations below the wooden platform remained motionless. Beneath the curtain of rain one could not see very far. Ma Chonghao narrowed his eyes and looked toward the wooden platform. That black figure on the platform had not moved. Below the platform, the various units, arrayed in perfect order and mocked as useless parade-ground ornaments, still did not move.

Towering and immovable!

"Damn, these bastards are way too stubborn. We'd better not copy them. There's shelter from the rain under the big cart — let's go take cover down there," someone beside Ma Chonghao said.

Ma Chonghao, Xu Tiebiao, and that Battalion Commander Hu also did not move. The driving rain lashed their faces, the water streaming down uncontrollably, yet they seemed not to feel it. Each man's gaze and expression was somewhat dull and frozen, just staring at the regiments and companies of Zhao's Camp out in the downpour. In every formation they could see, not a single man moved, letting the torrential rain soak them through.

The rain showed no sign of letting up; it even seemed to intensify. The mist from the downpour formed a curtain of rain that made it impossible to see very far, yet right there, not far off, in the place Ma Chonghao and the others could see, the formations of Zhao's Camp still did not move — still immovable as a mountain, still shaking them to the core!

"The Qi Family Army of old, I've heard they were like this too." No one knew who said it, murmuring this one line in a low voice.

"... Can you agree to that?" Zhao Jin finished speaking, but his words were swallowed by the roaring thunder.

Thunder boomed, raindrops fell. From the wooden platform one could notice the chaos among the horse unit. A man might merely be startled by the thunder, but a spooked horse was serious trouble.

Zhao Jin turned his head and gave a quick order. Immediately someone relayed the command to the horse unit, and the horse unit hastily withdrew.

The family soldiers below the platform were all watching Zhao Jin, every one of them watching with rapt attention — watching this tall young man in black armor on the platform. It was this straight-backed, awe-inspiring young man who had given them food and warmth, given them dignity, and led them through life-and-death struggles, winning victory after victory.

Seeing the rain growing heavier and heavier, Wang Zhaojing behind him said quietly, "Big Brother, the rain's getting worse — how about we take shelter..."

Zhao Jin glanced back at him, and Wang Zhaojing immediately fell silent. Liu Yong at his side stood straight with his hands clasped behind his back, not saying a word, keeping his Big Brother company in the drenching rain.

At that moment, Zhao Jin, having turned around, took two steps forward, then stopped and stood still again.

He was far from comfortable right now. The heavy rain poured down, and his armor could not keep the water out at all. Rain seeped in through the gaps in the armor, quickly soaking the padding and his inner garments. Soon, from head to toe, it felt as if he were submerged in water — unbearably miserable.

Yet Zhao Jin did not move. He still stood there, looking down at the Personal Guard Company, the First Regiment, the Second Regiment, the Third Regiment — looking at the painstaking work he had built from nothing, bit by bit. And his brothers — Chen Sheng, Shi Manqiang, Dong Bingfeng, and Ji Xiang — all stood ramrod straight, solemnly awaiting orders. It was not only the top brass who were like this; the officers below were the same. Every company commander, every squad leader stood perfectly straight in military posture. Even every single family soldier was the same.

Zhao Jin looked at them, and they looked at Zhao Jin. Everyone stood solemn and motionless, as if time itself had frozen in this very moment.

Right now it was pouring rain, the mist thick in the air, so Zhao Jin could only make out the nearest few rows in front of the wooden platform. But that was enough. The imposing spirit of his army filled Zhao Jin with satisfaction — satisfaction so complete that he forgot every discomfort in his body. He simply stood there ramrod straight. The rain carried away the stifling heat and also leached the warmth from his body bit by bit, yet Zhao Jin felt a burning heat throughout his entire being, felt his whole body brimming with power.

With brothers like these, with family soldiers like these, with strength like this — how could I ever be defeated!

The sudden torrential rain came quickly and left quickly. After about the time it takes a stick of incense to burn, the rain rapidly lightened, turning into a drizzle. The view was no longer blocked by the curtain of water, and everything became clear.

Zhao Jin, standing on the wooden platform, did not move. The family soldiers arrayed below still did not move — solemn and still as a mountain.

Zhao Jin swept his gaze around. Apart from the formations of Zhao's Camp's family soldiers, the only thing in the field was a single horse cart far off with some onlookers — people who apparently had not had time to take shelter from the rain. Zhao Jin could not be bothered with such a trivial matter. He raised his arm and roared, "What we have now, we won with our lives, through life-and-death struggle! Whoever wants to come and seize it by force will have to ask the blades and spears in our hands whether we agree or not!"

The family soldiers relaying the message shouted these words out at the top of their lungs. Zhao Jin roared again, "No one can stop us! We of Zhao's Camp are invincible! Ten thousand victories!"

The formations, silent and solemn until now, finally stirred. Chen Sheng of the First Regiment drew the long blade at his hip, raised it high, and bellowed, "Zhao's Camp — ten thousand victories!"

"Ten thousand victories!" "Ten thousand victories!"

Below, they gradually took up the shout. At first it was somewhat sparse, but more and more people joined in. It began a bit chaotically, yet later grew more and more unified. Every single man was shouting — a roar like mountains and tsunamis.

Zhao Jin glanced back. Wang Zhaojing and Liu Yong were also shouting themselves hoarse. Sun Dalin's face was flushed bright red; he had raised his long spear — which he had leveled flat during the thunder — high once more, shouting with all his might.

"A Zhao's Camp like this — this is my Zhao's Camp. They will follow me as I press forward irresistibly, utterly crushing everything that stands in my way!" Zhao Jin murmured to himself.

By this time, no one had noticed that the cart with the onlookers on the other side had already gone far away.

Once the rain let up, the group that had been sheltering beneath the big cart all crawled out. Seeing Ma Chonghao and the others soaked like drowned rats, they were all startled and hurried over to help support them. Even as they helped them, they wondered to themselves: had these lords gone stupid? Getting drenched in such heavy rain like that without even thinking to take cover?

Ma Liu, however, was more astute. He merely shot everyone a meaningful look, did not go over to help, but instead gave a push, signaling them to get down from the big cart first.

That push revealed it was not just stupidity. Ma Chonghao's whole being seemed as if his soul had left him — not a single reaction when moved. Beside him, Xu Tiebiao and that Battalion Commander Hu had faces of ashen gray, ghastly to behold, looking as if they had just been frozen stiff.

"Master... Your Excellency..." When a nudge brought no response, Ma Liu immediately grew frantic. No longer caring that they were near enemy camp, he called out directly.

Only after he called out did Ma Chonghao react. He shook his head, his face utterly gray and defeated. Ma Liu was about to speak again, but Ma Chonghao waved his hand and said in a muffled voice, "Let's go first. We'll head back first!"

In just the span of that bout of rain, Ma Chonghao's voice had gone completely hoarse. Ma Liu nodded. By now the formations of Zhao's Camp were roaring like mountains and tsunamis, and the others had no mind to watch any longer. Each of them followed and left.

That informant who sold salted goods was very thorough in his arrangements. He had already prepared an empty cart for them and filled it with local goods — a common practice among the merchants here.

Ma Chonghao and his party were in extremely low spirits. The deafening shouts of "Ten thousand victories" from the parade ground still rang in their ears, still seeming to follow them like a shadow, bringing immense pressure to bear upon them. Just like this, they rode the big cart off in the direction of Xuzhou's prefectural city.

"Looks like this fight is still going to have its twists and turns. We can't afford to be too overconfident," someone said out of nowhere after a long silence.

"So what? Does that mean we just don't fight? Everyone finally managed to gather together — heaven knows how much effort that took. We're all counting on taking down the Zhao family and dividing up the spoils. If we just go back like this, never mind losing face — who's going to take responsibility for all the money spent?" another man answered crossly. "Don't be scared of everything. Isn't Zhao Jin just some local rich bully? Can he really overturn the heavens in front of the imperial court's grand army? Look at how many horse units we've brought this time — all elite troops! How many does Zhao Jin have?"

"That's true... I just don't believe that scoundrel Zhao Jin can stand against the imperial court. What kind of troops has he trained? Aren't they just a bunch of peasants? All they can do is put on a show. Once they're really on the battlefield, they'll be clutching their heads and fleeing in terror, haha..." The first speaker's voice grew louder and louder, as if he were trying to psych himself up, and at the end he even let out a dry laugh. But this time, no one laughed along with him.

And so in silence they followed the cart all the way out of He Family Village. Only after they had traveled a long while did someone notice something unusual and exclaim in wonder, "Now that's really strange! After such heavy rain just now, this cart can still move! And it's fully loaded with goods too. Anywhere else it would have long since bogged down in the road. This road is really quite well built."

"It must be your first time in Xuzhou, good sirs — you probably don't know yet. This good road was built by that Zhao Jin and his men. When they built it, people kept adding and tamping down earth on the road surface, and there are drainage ditches along the sides. They also say these trees beside the road are good for it too — they can firm up the soil and hold it in place. Though we don't really understand all that high-flown talk, the quality of the road is plain to see. Everyone can tell. Otherwise, folks wouldn't have bought so many of these big carts. Traveling on a good road is just so convenient!" the carter remarked casually, and with that he flicked the reins once more, making the cart move a bit faster.

The rain just now had indeed been heavy. The ditches along the roadside were nearly filled to the brim with rainwater, but the road itself was still all right. The fully loaded cart had traveled all this way and stopped only a handful of times.

Yet no one paid any attention to this. Xu Tiebiao, who was riding in the same cart as Ma Chonghao, suddenly spoke up: "Old Ma — no, Lord Ma, my apologies, but I'm going to take my men back to Nanjing."

The moment these words were spoken, everyone in the cart was stunned. But Ma Chonghao showed no reaction at all and did not answer. Ma Liu, walking beside the cart, looked at his master, who still seemed dazed and lost, grew anxious, and quickly spoke up: "General Xu, what is the meaning of this? We all came together, and your Nanjing side is supposed to take a big share. If you just leave like this, what is that supposed to mean? What will everyone else think?"

Two-in-one big chapter, seven thousand characters.

Thanks to old friends "Wu Liulang, Wuya, Yuan Heng Li Zhen, Mu Ming" for the tips. Seeking subscriptions, tips, and monthly ticket support!