Chapter 772: Future Prospects

Mu Wujia tried to draw his weapon, but just at that moment, he suddenly felt a chill in his back, followed by searing pain — it must have been a dagger stabbing into his waist. It was said that a knife thrust into a certain spot in the ribs would cause such agony that one could not even utter a word. That was something his second brother Mu Wuzhen had told him back when they were learning martial arts. One stab, then another. Mu Wuzhen's body had already lost all strength. The shouts and screams all seemed very far away from him. Someone had already thrust a blade at his chest.

"Master Jin sends his regards…" Mu Wujia heard these words faintly. They were the last words he ever heard.

His martial skill was refined and his experience rich, but when people closed in right before him, seized his limbs, and outnumbered him, there was simply no chance to react or resist — and that was Mu Wujia and his six outwardly fierce but inwardly feeble guards. The local Jining attendant, however, reacted quickly. The moment that bran-and-vegetable cake was thrown over, he instinctively dodged to the side, and then he saw a dozen or so beggars rush forward. Some drew attention from the front, while others pulled out short weapons. Mu Wujia and the men around him did not even manage a few screams before they collapsed, their bodies riddled with bloody holes.

The few screams, the bodies riddled with bloody holes — all these sounds and images were the Jining local attendant's own imaginings. The moment the first knife struck, he had already started running, bolting toward the entrance of the Taibai Tavern. The tavern had its own guards; once he burst inside, he would be safe. He had only run a few steps when something came flying at his face. The attendant's skill was not bad; he raised a hand and swatted away the object thrown at him, then flipped his hand and had already drawn a dagger into his grip. But in that instant, he only heard a sharp gust of wind rushing at his face. It was too late to dodge. His left eye was pierced straight through. The attendant clutched his eye, his mouth gaping wide to scream — *Thwip! * — another sound, and his throat was pierced as well. The Jining local attendant staggered two steps. Through his right eye, he saw a tall, lean man cast a cold glance this way, then turn and leave.

Wasn't that man Nie Hei? Wasn't it said that he had died in Xuzhou? The attendant collapsed onto the street, the light in his right eye slowly dimming.

The street descended into chaos, yet few people realized a killing had happened. All anyone saw was a disorderly swarm of beggars and refugees surging forward, and then people collapsing onto the ground one after another. Everyone instinctively kept their distance, afraid of getting caught up in it. Those refugees and beggars were covered in ill fortune; contact with them would only bring bad luck.

About half an incense stick's worth of time passed. Only when the beggars and refugees scattered in a hubbub did someone sense something was wrong. It was then that the streets around the Taibai Tavern truly fell into chaos. The local authorities were on high alert, terrified that this was a case involving the Chief Clerk of the Prince's Household, which would implicate the Prince of Lu's estate — a rebellion case that would pierce the heavens. But the investigation brought everyone relief. The dead were a few outsiders, and the local man was from a minor household with no background to speak of. Heaven only knew why a vendetta killing had happened in broad daylight; it was probably related to some grudge in the Jianghu. When faced with such matters, the authorities were always too lazy to bother.

The local Smelling Incense Sect only mobilized an hour later, but by then, those who needed to leave the city had already left, and the men were long gone. Meanwhile, the manager of the Taibai Tavern, still in shock, also felt puzzled. Those two diligent young waiters hired just a few days ago — how had they simply vanished without a trace…

Zhao Jin returned to Xuzhou on the second day of the first month — the second day of the first month of the first year of the Tianqi reign.

The whole family reunited to celebrate a belated New Year. These past two days, Xu Zhenzhen had been indisposed, so at night Zhao Jin rested with Mu Shulan. Before sleep, Zhao Jin said to Mu Shulan, "Mu Wujia was killed in Jining."

Mu Shulan froze for a moment, then a flash of satisfaction crossed her face, followed by a relief that was visibly like a weight lifted. To Mu Shulan, Xu Hongru was not even as hateful as her fourth uncle. After hearing this, Mu Shulan could not sleep. After all, with the tempering of these past few years, the girl did not feel fear at such bloody slaughter; instead, she asked about the details.

This matter was indeed worth recounting. After Lei Cai had finished negotiations in Linqing Prefecture, on his return journey he received a message from Xuzhou instructing him to kill Mu Wujia in Jining. Jining was a key stronghold of the Smelling Incense Sect. Even though Mu Wujia was an empty-shell branch master, he was still heavily guarded in the territory of the incense hall branch, making him a difficult target. If he were the kind of branch master or incense master deeply rooted in the sect's affairs, staying secluded all day and keeping a low profile, even his whereabouts would be hard to track. But Mu Wujia loved fine food, beautiful women, and showing off, so his patterns were very easy to grasp. According to Lei Cai's plan, they would first poison him inside the Taibai Tavern and then strike. If that failed, they would attack him at the tavern entrance using beggars in disguise, swarming him.

Unexpectedly, a snag arose at the last moment. The Chief Clerk of the Prince of Lu's estate had booked the entire tavern, and all other guests had to leave. However, Lei Cai had already planned the approach and the retreat, knowing that even after striking, they could withdraw with ease. So they acted right then, turning the situation to their advantage. They had the household troops of the inner guard, disguised as waiters, toss the cakes right in front of Mu Wujia and his men. This was done simply to make the "beggars" rushing over seem more plausible.

Zhao Jin narrated this quietly in bed. Before he had even finished, he saw that Mu Shulan had already sunk into a deep sleep. This news had put the girl very much at ease.

As in previous years, Zhao Jin and Mu Shulan did not visit her maiden family. Instead, Xu Benrong and his son Xu Housheng came early to the He Family Village estate. On the third day of the first month, everyone set aside formal etiquette, and the two families gathered together at Zhao Jin's residence for a feast.

But the two families were not really at ease in each other's company. Zhao Zhentang and Zhao Jin were both military men by origin, while Xu Benrong styled himself a scholar of renown, and Xu Housheng had always been a student. The divide between the civil and the martial — something unnoticeable between Zhao Jin and Wang Zhaojing — was very apparent between him and his father-in-law and brother-in-law.

Over the years, Zhao Jin had drilled household troops, charged into battle to defeat enemies, and made life-and-death decisions. Unknowingly, his bearing exuded an intimidating, fierce authority. The Xu father and son had always lived in wealth and comfort; how could they endure that? At the banquet, they were already extremely ill at ease. It was fortunate that Xu Benrong was very fond of his granddaughter and grandson, which kept the atmosphere from becoming too awkward and strained.

Xu Housheng had been uneasy and shrinking the whole time. In the past, he would sit for a while and then find an excuse to leave, but this time he never left, mumbling as if he had something to say. Zhao Jin did not notice, but Xu Zhenzhen, perceptive as she was, saw it and said gently, "We're all family here. If there's something hard to say, just speak your mind."

At her words, the attention at the table shifted to Xu Housheng. Xu Housheng's face turned red. He glanced at the people at the table, deliberately avoiding his father's gaze, and said hesitantly, "Brother-in-law, I don't want to study for official honors anymore. I want to follow my sister and learn to manage the family business."

Hearing this, Xu Benrong immediately glared at him, but Xu Housheng refused to look his way. Zhao Jin was somewhat surprised and looked at Xu Zhenzhen, saying, "Is Housheng still studying?"

Zhao Jin remembered very clearly that Xu Zhenzhen had once asked him whether he could secure the rank of Provincial Graduate. After receiving a negative reply, she had said she would have Xu Housheng learn to manage the household. By his reckoning, it had been half a year to a year since that conversation. Why had he still not started learning to manage the family affairs?

But Xu Zhenzhen merely glanced at Xu Benrong. A junior should not criticize an elder, but that one glance made Zhao Jin understand. His father-in-law valued civil pursuits over martial ones. His own scholarship was mediocre, yet he always styled himself a renowned scholar, so naturally he was unwilling for his son to engage in anything commercial — perhaps regarding it as very lowly in his eyes.

Zhao Jin shook his head. Without this lowly practical work, where would your leisurely freedom come from? Moreover, this practical work was arduous, and all these years it had been Xu Zhenzhen who bore the burden. To put it bluntly, it was as if Xu Zhenzhen was supporting her father's leisure and her brother's studies.

"Coal and iron are fundamental, great undertakings. If you want to learn to manage them, then study well. Once you've mastered it, work hard to help your sister and me," Zhao Jin said with a smile.

Seniority and generations were one thing, but everyone knew whose decision ultimately carried the most weight. Once Zhao Jin spoke, even though Xu Benrong's expression was unpleasant, he said nothing more.

"Reading and writing are not bad things, but pursuing the path of official honors is not necessarily a good thing. Never mind whether we can outcompete others — why would someone from our family need to walk that path at all?" After the gathering dispersed, Zhao Jin spoke very plainly to Xu Zhenzhen.

"Everything is as my husband decides," Xu Zhenzhen said, a phrase she rarely uttered. But seeing her smiling expression, it was clear this was merely playful banter between husband and wife. After saying this, Xu Zhenzhen's expression grew more solemn. She sighed and said, "It is fortunate that my husband said these things. I was not in a position to speak of them."

Although Father-in-law Xu Benrong was family, he was, after all, somewhat removed, and could not see certain matters so clearly. Naturally, he still wanted his child to study and pass the civil examinations, believing this to be the proper path, or at the very least, to pass down a tradition of scholarship through the family. This was a common aspiration among the wealthy and noble at the time. However, he had not considered that this path might not be so easy to walk in the future — especially since the Xu family was the family of Zhao Jin's wife.

Zhao Jin did not hide from Xu Zhenzhen his plan to have Mu Shulan manage the Xuzhou Smelling Incense Sect; he explained it to her directly and clearly. Such matters, if concealed, would only stir up trouble. Xu Zhenzhen had no objection to this. She merely laughed and said of herself, "…It's fortunate that I still have to look after the Xu family estate. Otherwise, once I had free time, spending all day with Dafeng and Xiaolong, where would I direct all that spare mental energy? The household would surely fall into chaos."

These words were both self-mockery and an expression of her attitude toward Zhao Jin's arrangement. Zhao Jin smiled and pulled Xu Zhenzhen into his arms, saying with a laugh, "I look after the greater picture outside, and you look after the greater picture at home. Neither of us has it easy."

Xu Zhenzhen buried her face in Zhao Jin's chest, her voice somewhat muffled. "All I think about now is for our children to grow up well. I won't contend for anything else, nor do I think about it anymore."

Just before falling asleep, Zhao Jin, lying there, suddenly thought to himself: he and Xu Zhenzhen — one twenty, the other in her twenties — yet the way they talked and thought was like people in their forties. It was truly laughable.

For the poor and suffering common folk, every moment is spent seeking food and survival; they have no concept of celebrating the New Year at all. For those with comfortable means, the New Year is not considered over until the end of the first month — a whole month to properly relax from a year's toil. For the wealthy and noble, every day is like New Year's; the New Year's Eve and first month hold nothing rare. For Zhao Jin and his companions, the Spring Festival ended on the fifth day of the month. There were simply too many matters to attend to.

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