Chapter 816: Severance

And at every road leading toward Shandong from the territory controlled by the Zhao Battalion, all routes were tightly blockaded by various forces. Anyone with a Yanzhou Prefecture accent, whether entering or leaving, was subjected to meticulous interrogation.

The matter seemed anything but trivial, yet none of the Zhao Battalion's several head leaders showed their faces, sparking a flurry of speculation among outsiders. Only those within the Zhao Battalion knew that Zhao Jin had taken the lead, and everyone had gone to the First Regiment's training grounds for drills. This time, it was said to be a joint exercise of long spears, bows, and fire lances. Both the personal guard and the First Regiment were to participate, and beyond Qingjiangpu, regiments and large companies from all nearby areas were even required to send their backbone officers to take part.

Every year from May to October was the busiest and most prosperous season for the tribute grain transport. Grain and goods from the south traveled north via this Grand Canal, which linked north and south, supplying the capital and its surrounding regions, sustaining the Nine Border Garrisons, and allowing the great merchants of north and south to amass fortunes. It also sustained the livelihoods of everyone involved in the transport system, allowing some to have food, some to eat their fill, and some to make a killing.

As the hub of the tribute grain transport, Qingjiangpu was the prime example. Every year, it began bustling from April onward. Grain, goods, and wealth from Huguang, Jiangxi, and Jiangnan converged here, then were shipped north either by tribute barges or by cart and horse, fueling the commercial prosperity of the entire realm.

During June and July, needless to say, it was the busiest time of all. Grain gathered at Qingjiangpu's Ever-Full Granary from the previous year and the start of this year had to be shipped to Northern Zhili and the capital. Goods from Jiangnan had to be sent north for sale. Everyone in the transport system worked nonstop. How much to skim off the tribute grain, how to arrange the smuggling of private goods—every single item involved massive sums of money and grain flowing in and out.

The office of Lian Ping'an, the Granary Commissioner of the Ever-Full Granary, was as noisy as a marketplace. The clatter of abacuses sounded like firecrackers. Dozens of bookkeepers were busily recording accounts, while people of all sorts hustled in and out. This Granary Commissioner Lian Ping'an worked on behalf of several parties. He handled many affairs for the Fengyang Governor and the Commander-in-Chief of Tribute Transport, and it was he who delivered their customary bribes. Relying on these connections, Lian Ping'an also had the authority to arrange the loading and unloading of tribute barges and the allocation of tribute grain quotas. In this season, the authority of a mere Rank-9 Commissioner Lian Ping'an was hardly inferior to that of the Minister of Revenue.

"Commissioner Lian, these fifty thousand catties of rice absolutely must go to me. Help me store it in the granary. The silver is easy to discuss."

"Old Bai, have you lost your mind? The autumn harvest hasn't arrived yet, and rice from everywhere hasn't come to market. Grain is at its highest price right now, and you want me to store it for you? Are you joking?"

"It's not like I won't pay the silver. Don't you know who I'm buying grain for? If not, I'll have that side come and speak to you."

"Zhao Jin? Damn it, why didn't you say so earlier? What's with all the mystery? It's yours. I'll store it for you. But you have to get the silver here quickly, or else even his Zhao Battalion has to follow the rules of trade."

As Lian Ping'an wiped sweat with a handkerchief, he closed a major deal with a certain prominent merchant of Qingjiangpu. A few people nearby murmured quietly, "He should have stockpiled enough brewing grain for the distillery. Why does he need to buy so much more? To feed his men?"

"With all the manors he controls, does he even need to buy grain to feed his men?"

"Tsk tsk, look at that Old Bai. When Ma Chonghao was here, he was the most eager to jump around. Now he's become a purchasing agent for the Zhao family, calling that Zhou Xuezhi 'brother' all day long."

Up front, business was being discussed; down below, there was sarcastic muttering. Just then, someone outside shouted, "When the master is receiving guests, everyone must wait!"

"Report quickly! A matter of the utmost urgency! Master, Master, it's me, Little Su!"

The guests present all knew this rule. When Granary Commissioner Lian Ping'an received visitors, servants were absolutely forbidden to be present, because the business discussed at these times involved too much. If word leaked, it would mean trouble from every direction.

But the voice shouting outside had already become somewhat shrill, clearly indicating a major incident. Lian Ping'an wiped his sweat and shouted irritably, "Let him in, let him in! After following me for so long, does he not know the meaning of the word 'discretion'?"

Before long, the man had run inside. As soon as this Little Su stepped through the door, several others followed behind him, their expressions panicked and panting heavily. One look told you they had run the whole way, arriving in a frantic rush.

Little Su tripped directly over the threshold and fell heavily to the floor. The sight made several people in the room unable to suppress their laughter. Lian Ping'an felt he was losing face. He flung his handkerchief down and was about to curse, but Little Su couldn't even bother to crawl up. He just raised his head from the ground and shouted, "Master, the canal has been sealed! The canal has been sealed!"

At these words, everyone looked over, their faces full of utter disbelief. In Qingjiangpu, in such a busy season, you say the canal has been sealed?

"Magistrate Lian, the canal has been severed!"

"Master, the canal has been cut off by the Zhao Battalion!"

Finally, one person managed to say the whole thing. Several clattering sounds rang out—more than one person's teacup had fallen to the floor, or they had knocked over the objects beside them, shattering them to pieces.

In this busiest season for tribute grain transport, the most profitable season for everyone's business, the transport route had actually been cut off. If anyone else dared to do such a thing, everyone would simply call them a madman. But if the Zhao Battalion did it, it was precisely something they were both capable of doing and bold enough to do.

The next moment, everyone turned to look at that merchant surnamed Bai. That merchant also wore a completely bewildered expression. He paused for a moment before realizing that everyone was hoping to get an answer from him. This Bai fellow said, somewhat exasperated, "What are you all looking at me for? I don't know anything."

Just then, someone cried out in pain. Everyone looked over and saw that Granary Commissioner Lian Ping'an had been scalded. He shook his hand there and, without a care, shouted out, "What are you standing around for? Quickly, prepare the carriage! Get over there, quickly!"

The prominent merchants each had their own carriages and horses, with drivers and grooms waiting at the entrance. Once the order was given, everything was quickly readied, and they carried their masters off toward the canal.

Along the way, things were already somewhat chaotic. One had to understand that the entirety of Qingjiangpu lived off the canal. Once the canal was severed, everyone's livelihood was gone. News that the canal had been cut off over there had already begun to spread. The merchants were gripped with fear, and the various figures who made their living from the canal were certainly panicked as well.

Some merchants recognized that this was Lian Ping'an's carriage and retinue and hurriedly followed along. This group actually grew larger and larger.

"Just now, the Zhao Battalion cut off the canal..."

Someone who already knew what had happened came over to explain. It was just this morning, when the official boats were preparing to continue north, that they discovered several boats turned sideways and blocking the section of the river channel exiting Qingjiangpu. Wasn't this holding up everyone's business? Immediately, someone went over to curse them out. Unexpectedly, after just one curse, an arrow shot directly over from the boat blocking the way and embedded itself in the cabin lattice, scaring several people into jumping straight into the river.

After those boats were turned sideways, people came from both banks carrying wooden frames one by one. Each wooden frame had an iron cage on it. They placed the wooden frames across the river just like that, then threw stones into the iron cages. After some time spent in this manner, the wooden frames stood firm in the river. Several layers of frames were set down. Although nothing could be seen on the river's surface, any boat that passed over would inevitably run aground. Then, on top of the wooden frames, they laid rafts made of bundled thick bamboo. Once this was laid out, the areas on both sides of the boats blocking the river were almost like flat ground. People coming and going could casually tread and walk across them.

After this was done, a tribute barge was brought over from somewhere. It looked to be an empty boat and was simply parked to one side of this "temporary dam." Someone shouted a couple of times, and a few clay jars were tossed onto it. Then someone else drew a bow and nocked an arrow. This time, the arrowhead was wrapped with oilcloth and lit on fire.

The arrow struck the boat, and with a great boom, the vessel burst into flames. The tribute barges and official boats crowded not far away hurriedly moved their vessels in a panic. Coming into contact with even a single spark would mean the end.

Everyone just watched helplessly as that tribute barge burned completely in the great fire and slowly sank into the water. By this point, everyone understood: this was a show of force by the people blocking the river. If you rashly approached without knowing your place, this would be your fate!

But what made everyone's eyelids twitch even more were the troops stationed on both banks. At a glance, it looked like only a few hundred men, but that level of discipline, that murderous aura, was something these well-traveled people rarely saw. Not to mention the hundred or so cavalrymen galloping back and forth, who also looked awe-inspiringly majestic.

This canal was said to be a waterway, but the boats were packed too closely together. If it really came to a fight, the other side didn't even need to know anything about water combat; it would be no different from fighting on land.

Transporting tribute grain was for the government. It wasn't worth risking your life for it. Besides, with so many people calling the shots in Qingjiangpu, when was it ever the turn of us laborers on the boats to speak up?

By the time Lian Ping'an arrived, both banks of the canal, especially the banks of that blocked-off section, were already packed with people. It seemed the Zhao Battalion had no intention of going on a killing spree, so everyone had come over precisely to watch the excitement and see something new. For so many years, no one had ever heard of anyone blocking the canal. It was indeed interesting!

Lian Ping'an had long since lost track of where his handkerchief had gone. The weather was already hot, and he was a round, plump man, so sweat poured off him like rain. He wiped continuously with a hand towel, which was already soaked through. But Lian Ping'an couldn't care less about any of that. He just pushed forward with all his might. When he stood on the riverbank and saw this scene, his face immediately turned deathly pale. Looking again at the Zhao Battalion troops stationed on both sides of the river channel, already setting up camp, his body began to tremble slightly.

"This is bad. If this shipment of mine can't be delivered, I'll take a huge loss on this deal!"

"I'm even more unlucky. There are a few items on my boat that someone specifically requested. If I don't deliver them, I can forget about doing business next year!"

No one dared to raise their voice too high. Although not everyone knew the name "Internal Guard," they all knew that the Zhao Battalion had quite a few eyes and ears in Qingjiangpu.

The tribute grain transport was blocked, and blocked right at the hub. What was to be done next? Everyone's business would certainly be ruined, or they would have to spend a great deal more silver. The road from Qingjiangpu to Xuzhou was still fairly easy to travel, but north of Xuzhou, it became very troublesome. It would cost a lot more silver and still might not be safe. They might even have to hire the Zhao Battalion for an escort.

After considering their own affairs, they then considered the state's. Tribute grain was the lifeline of the capital. Without the delivery of tribute rice, the capital and its surrounding areas would go hungry, and even the Nine Border Garrisons would become unstable. Not to mention how many people were tied to this transport system. Countless people across the realm relied on this canal for their meals and made their fortunes from it. From the millions of tribute laborers and transport soldiers, to the distribution of profits and spoils among the Ministry of Revenue and the powerful Jiangnan clans, not to mention the even higher-ups, the grandees and powerful eunuchs—severing the canal like this was tantamount to offending all of them.

Having offended so many people and destabilized the central hub of the realm, what would happen next? Inevitably, the imperial court would dispatch a great army to encircle and annihilate them, crushing the Zhao Battalion into dust.

Thanks to "Sweet Sugarcane, Wu Liulang, Yuan Heng Li Zhen, User Sword Dance Flourish, 123*, User Cold Night" and several other old friends for the tips. Thank you all for your subscriptions and monthly tickets.