Chapter 768: Changes and Projections for Qingjiangpu

The struggle among the Dragon Head sea lords in the Min-Yue-Nanyang region had gradually produced a result: the three major powers had more or less divided the ocean territory between them. However, there were still lingering echoes and the situation was not yet entirely peaceful, so the search for firearms would have to be delayed. The Yu family had already dispatched men to the Wa Kingdom to make inquiries; it was said that the Frangis also had a firearms business there.

He was also aware of Zhao Jin's keen interest in Liaodong, so this conversation focused heavily on that topic. Because Zhao Jin's position in Qingjiangpu was now secure, and because shipping goods by sand ship to Tianjin and then on to the capital and the north was indeed far more convenient than canal transport, the Yu family's shipping business had grown severalfold, even tenfold, compared to before. Their ports were in constant communication with one another. Due to the war in Liaodong, the prices of Liaodong goods and goods from beyond the passes had all soared, but then promptly plummeted, because the volume of outgoing goods had also increased dramatically, and the volume of purchased supplies had surged as well.

"... Since there is fighting, it stands to reason that the price of goods from beyond the passes would rise, but the volume of outgoing goods should fall. Yet the ports in the Liaodong Garrison are all busier than before, and the outgoing shipments from Dengzhou are also greater than before. Moreover, among the bulk supplies being purchased, there is a great deal of cotton cloth, ironware, and medicinal materials. The Liaodong Garrison does indeed need these military supplies, but the court has its own provisions..." Yu Zhiyuan spoke hesitantly, trailing off.

He was stammering, but after Zhao Jin shot him a glance, Yu Zhiyuan suddenly came to his senses. What taboo could there be in this setting? "Big Brother, I suspect that Jianzhou Jurchens may very well have a hand in all this buying and selling. But the entire Liaodong Garrison hierarchy isn't clean either. Without Ming officers and generals reaching out, how could such bulk goods flow in and out?"

Zhao Jin was silent for a moment, then shook his head and said with a cold sneer, "For the sake of getting rich, what does righteousness even count for?"

After saying this, Zhao Jin looked at Yu Zhiyuan and said solemnly, "You must gather intelligence on Liaodong. You may engage in trade to facilitate that intelligence gathering. But you must not do these things just to make money. In the future, it will be impossible to explain away."

Although the two were already quite close and familiar, under the weight of Zhao Jin's gaze, Yu Zhiyuan couldn't help but tremble. He quickly smiled and said, "Please rest assured, Big Brother, I will not touch such business. The dealings you've given me already keep me more than busy. However, regarding Liaodong, the liquor produced in Xuzhou is a treasure there. Whether it's the soldiers of the Liaodong Garrison or the Jianzhou Jurchens, they all adore it. If we were to sell it there, the profits would certainly be enormous."

"Not every province of the Great Ming has it yet, so let's not think about that place for now," Zhao Jin said indifferently.

With that topic concluded, Yu Zhiyuan didn't know what to say for a moment. He had thought that by mentioning the huge profits to be made from liquor in Liaodong, Zhao Jin would make some arrangements. At present, only the Yu family could participate in that trade. Making money from business was naturally good, but even better was the chance to grow closer to Zhao Jin through it. He had not expected Zhao Jin's attitude to be so cold. As Yu Zhiyuan pondered what he had done wrong, he took his leave, afraid that the more he said, the more mistakes he would make.

After Yu Zhiyuan left, Dong Bingfeng, who was stationed here, as well as Zhang Hubin and Zhou Xuezhi, arrived. As the three entered, they saw Zhao Jin rubbing his temples, looking utterly exhausted. Zhao Jin was just past twenty, in the prime of his youth and strength—how could he be in such a state? Before anyone could ask, Zhao Jin smiled wryly and said, "I thought I was calm enough, but when faced with certain matters, I still can't control my likes and dislikes."

Dong Bingfeng and Zhang Hubin didn't know how to respond, but Zhou Xuezhi smiled and said, "The Master is still at an age of hot-blooded decisiveness. It's only natural that you aren't old and stodgy."

Today was the twentieth day of the twelfth lunar month, Zhao Jin's first day in Qingjiangpu. But from the moment he arrived, he had not had a moment's rest. After receiving Yu Zhiyuan, it was now time for his own companions and trusted aides. Everyone first offered their congratulations to Zhao Jin, and Dong Bingfeng also expressed a few sentiments. After that, it was time to handle official business.

The Third Regiment under Dong Bingfeng's command was entirely stable. They conducted their training in seclusion, their supplies were ample, and there was nothing in Qingjiangpu worth mobilizing the Third Regiment for. If the household troops were truly deployed in force, Qingjiangpu would probably run red with blood. Zhang Hubin's Qingjiangpu Guard Regiment, however, had some troubles. These sixteen companies were stationed in a dispersed manner: eight companies in a permanent camp, and the other eight spread out to maintain public order in Qingjiangpu. These militiamen, all of refugee origin, had endured hardship for too long. Upon seeing the prosperity of Qingjiangpu at first glance, many could not restrain themselves. They felt life in the camp was too harsh and that they might as well enjoy this glittering world. As a result, desertions had been occurring constantly.

There were also some brainless, clueless local types in Qingjiangpu who thought these militiamen of the Zhao camp were strong and capable, and they actually took in deserters. But these people didn't get any advantage; their fates were quite miserable. At best, their property was confiscated and their entire families were sent to work on the Pizhou estates. As for the punishment of the deserters, Zhang Hubin initially didn't know what to do and specifically asked Dong Bingfeng for advice. The gentle and taciturn Dong Bingfeng gave a simple answer—beheading.

Head after head was chopped off, and this bloody lesson finally steadied the restless hearts of the militiamen. Then, Dong Bingfeng, Zhang Hubin, and Zhou Xuezhi discussed and slightly adjusted the rules. The men patrolling the markets were replaced by Xuzhou jianghu men from the Zhao Family Martial School and the Cloud Mountain Martial School. When they saw trouble, they could handle what they could on their own; what they couldn't handle, they would call in the militia. What the militia couldn't handle, the household troops would naturally step in. The militia's regular patrols were also canceled, changed to the same secluded garrison duty as the household troops. The mere presence of the camp itself served as a deterrent.

As he recounted this, sweat was visible on Zhang Hubin's forehead, though the room was not nearly hot enough to cause it. He was indeed very apprehensive.

"Militia are not household troops, after all. They don't feel they have a foundation here, so they can't settle their minds. It's not unusual for such things to happen, and it's not your fault. But our household troops are already too numerous; adding more would be a problem," Zhao Jin said with a smile.

He had long known about this matter. Zhang Hubin's report in person was merely a formality. When it had happened, an urgent report was immediately sent to Xuzhou, with no attempt at concealment. Zhao Jin had come here with a solution in mind. After reassuring the apprehensive Zhang Hubin, he turned to Meng Zhiqi, who was standing to the side, and said, "Call Li Dajin in."

Li Dajin also worked in Qingjiangpu, but his status was a tier below the three who had entered first, so he waited outside. Once Li Dajin came in and paid his respects, Zhao Jin got straight to the point: "The militia under Zhang Hubin can't settle down here, but we can't always rely on jianghu men to manage the locality. Li Dajin, your original duties remain unchanged. You will also serve as Zhang Hubin's deputy. From the militia, select out—?"

Hearing this question, Li Dajin pondered for a moment before speaking: "Does the Master wish to employ them as yamen runners?"

Zhao Jin clapped his hands together. The most loyal were his companions and trusted aides, but in terms of broad experience and analytical judgment, the strongest were still these few former enemies who had surrendered. Li Dajin was not bad, and Ma Chonghao was probably not bad either. The thought flashed by, and Zhao Jin smiled and said, "Exactly, use them as runners and constables, but they must be restrained by military discipline. Don't let them degenerate into the likes of those in the yamen. The rules have long been established. When the Cloud Mountain branch arrives, you will discuss and implement it together."

At these words, Li Dajin understood that his status had risen another level. A company commander of the Internal Guard, with real authority over several hundred men, and now overseeing a wealthy and prosperous place like Qingjiangpu—his position and power had both increased significantly. He quickly clasped his fists and bowed, saying, "Please rest assured, Master Jin, your subordinate will certainly do the job well."

"Cheng Daqi will be your deputy. As for Zhang Hubin, train your remaining men as household troops. From now on, everything will be handled according to household troop standards," Zhao Jin finished laying out his arrangements.

A brief silence fell over the room. Everyone looked at Zhang Hubin, their gazes carrying different meanings. Zhang Hubin's expression had initially been poor; half of his sixteen companies had been taken away in one stroke, and he had been assigned a deputy of roughly equal standing—this was tantamount to a demotion and a stripping of power. But the words that followed stirred him to excitement. What did it mean to have over a thousand household troops in hand? That was a level of strength equivalent to a regiment commander, putting him on par with Zhao Jin's own companions.

Although the phrasing was "according to household troop standards," everyone understood that Zhang Hubin was once again the foremost person just below the Little Eight Righteous.

After Zhao Jin gave his orders, Zhou Xuezhi was also required to write up the documents, which then had to be stamped with the seal before being issued. All those rules and protocols that Wang Zhaojing always spoke of—Zhao Jin didn't care for the protocols, but the rules still had to be followed.

When everyone saw that Zhou Xuezhi, besides laying out paper and brush, also placed a thick ledger on the table, they all smiled, took their leave, and departed. They knew a lengthy discussion was about to take place. Among Zhao Jin's subordinates, Wang Zhaojing was regarded as the chief strategist, while Ru Hui and Zhou Xuezhi were the two parallel chief stewards. They managed many areas and their affairs were complicated; every report took at least two hours. Having experienced this many times, everyone had learned that this was the time to withdraw, simply gathering again at lunch or dinner.

Year-end accounting. Many matters had already been reported to Xuzhou via letter, so Zhou Xuezhi was quite relaxed. He even began with a joke: "Come to think of it, among Master Jin's subordinates, those who rose fastest were the men from that battle when the Feng family attacked the refugee stockade. Zhang Hubin defended the stockade, Li Dajin attacked it. Neither is doing poorly now."

Zhao Jin laughed too. But Zhou Xuezhi was not wrong; Zhang Hubin had indeed rendered great merit. Compared to the other battles of the Zhao camp, the fight at the refugee stockade could not be called the largest or the fiercest, but its significance was extraordinary. It was with the refugees and the land from that stockade that the Zhao camp had been able to expand rapidly, gaining a steady stream of follow-up resources and achieving its current scale. For such merit, Zhang Hubin naturally deserved such a reward. As for Li Dajin, he had indeed proven his ability time and again.

"... The gold and silver in our hands this year is already an enormous sum. Besides what's stored in the Xuzhou treasury, the amount here on our side is also staggering..."

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