Chapter 823: Can We All Just Endure This?

On the morning of the seventeenth day of the seventh month, after every household finished breakfast, anyone who could go out headed toward the docks. In the past, going out early to the docks to find work was the most ordinary thing, but now when people went out early, they all headed outside the town. The work sites nowadays were on the outskirts of Qingjiangpu. Today, many who had work also stopped going to their jobs and headed to the place by the docks where they worshipped the River God. A few timid souls who feared trouble didn't want to go, but the people who had come around last night to rally and shout were now making the rounds this morning, so staying away was no longer an option.

People from every household gathered in the small alleys, and the crowds from each alley merged onto the main streets, then surged toward the docks. The crowd grew larger and larger. In every group, there were one or a few people who harbored resentment against the Xuzhou men, shouting curses at the top of their lungs, loudly stirring up trouble. At first, everyone was still a bit afraid, but as the crowd swelled, so did their courage. The grievances they had dared not speak of began to ferment in their hearts.

Before, when they got up in the morning, it was just a few steps to the docks. The ship owners even gave tips for hauling cargo. Grain was cheap here, and at noon you could eat rice and dried fish. In the evening, you could even buy a few coppers' worth of cheap liquor to take home. Life had never been so comfortable. But now, every day they had to walk over half a shichen just to get to the work site, working up a stinking sweat. If the work wasn't done well, they'd be beaten and cursed at. The food was nothing but coarse rice and pickled vegetables. Why was life getting worse and worse? Wasn't it all because of those Xuzhou savages stirring up trouble?

A bunch of local thugs from some remote backwater, people who had always been looked down upon in Qingjiangpu, were now riding roughshod over everyone's heads. In the past, speaking with a Xuzhou accent would get you ridiculed; now, speaking with a Xuzhou accent made you one of the elite. What kind of messed-up world was this?

With fury in their hearts and shouts on their lips, they drew courage from the people around them, believing that the law could not punish a multitude. Their boldness grew with every step as they surged toward the docks.

The place for worshipping the River God was not spacious to begin with, because the docks were always piled high with unloaded cargo. When it was time for the ceremony, they could only clear out one patch of ground to use, and it had to be restored as quickly as possible afterward. But the river had been blocked for nearly a month now. Cargo was either diverted to Clam Port or unloaded on the spot and put into storage. The docks were empty and deserted. Yet the number of people who came was simply too great. Even though the space was now many times emptier than before, it was still packed solid with people.

The shops and brokerages around the docks that were participating in the ceremony all kept their doors open. In front of their doors stood large wooden buckets filled with boiled water, with ladles set beside them. Anyone who got thirsty could come and have a drink. They, too, had seen their business affected by this river-blocking incident, and their hearts were full of fury.

But even more merchants, despite their own dissatisfaction, saw the seething, agitated crowd and sensed that trouble was brewing. They boarded up their doors, packed their valuables, and got their people out of there to hide.

The big restaurants were naturally closed as well. Places like Qingjiang Tower and Linfeng Tower had long since shut their doors. But on the side of Linfeng Tower facing the docks, the windows of a private room on the second floor were wide open, and several people were looking down.

These people looking down were positioned far back from the window, so even if the people below looked up, they wouldn't be able to see them clearly. If they had been seen, it would certainly have given everyone a fright, because several of Qingjiangpu's top-tier merchant princes were in that private room—people from the Xie family, the Bai family, and the like. One could also see scholars dressed in rich, elegant clothes. That kind of attire meant they were either sons of aristocratic families or held the rank of Provincial Graduate; otherwise, they wouldn't be qualified to sit in a place like this.

"... You've really dragged us onto a pirate ship this time. If those Xuzhou savages lash out, it'll truly be a river of blood..."

"... What's the use of saying that now? Everything's already been set in motion. Has your family lost little from this river closure? Didn't your second uncle fall ill from sheer anxiety? Besides, it's not us making a fuss; it's the common people making a fuss because the river's blocked. Their lives are so tight and miserable, of course they're going to stir up trouble. In a bit, when they tear down those things blocking the river, let's see what the Zhao family dares to do. I refuse to believe that with this many people, he'd actually dare to start killing..."

"... As long as we can tear it down once, if they build it up again, we'll tear it down again, until he loses all face..."

These members of the great merchant families spoke through gritted teeth, their faces full of hatred. The middle-aged scholar sitting to the side, however, wore an expression of one who has devised a winning strategy from a thousand miles away. Smiling, he said: "Gentlemen, do not worry. This student has already explained: their blocking of the river is tantamount to rebellion, yet they only claim they are here to seek redress for grievances. This shows they have misgivings in their hearts and dare not openly break the facade. It is nothing but blackmail. In blackmail, if you can bluff your way through, you win; if you can't intimidate them, you lose. By mobilizing so many people, how could he dare to act? Killing one person, ten people, a hundred people might be covered up, but how could he dare to act against thousands upon thousands? If he acts, how could it be kept secret from the local authorities? Even if he could keep it secret, if you gentlemen report it to the higher-ups, it becomes an ironclad case of outright rebellion. Whatever Xuzhou is, whatever Zhao Jin is, they wouldn't dare!"

After this analysis, the worried expressions on everyone's faces eased considerably. One man even thumped his chest and declared, "Master Chen, rest assured, leave next year's official appointment to us. We'll definitely secure you a good post close to home, so as not to waste your great talents."

Master Chen smiled and nodded, saying leisurely, "What kind of official post can a mere Provincial Graduate get? I would rather you gentlemen look after me more in your business dealings, and let this student have a place in the big market."

"Easily done, easily done!" The room erupted in laughter.

The dockside area quieted down slightly, because the ceremony to worship the River God was about to begin. The temple keeper and his assistants presented the offerings, then led the crowd in kowtowing. After that, the offerings and paper effigies were thrown into the canal, and firecrackers were set off. With that, the ceremony was over. In previous years, what followed would be opera performances and a temple fair, letting everyone have a lively celebration.

But this year was different. Once the firecrackers had finished popping, shouts and yells rose from all corners of the crowd:

"... What kind of life did we live before, and what kind of life do we live now..."

"... Those Xuzhou people don't even depend on the canal for their livelihood, so what right do they have to block it just like that..."

Some people beat their chests and stamped their feet, wailing with heart-rending grief: "... My father fell suddenly ill, and because the river was blocked, we had no means, and he died of sickness at home..."

"Can we all just endure this?"

"Let's go together and tear down that thing blocking the river! We need to eat! Anyone who doesn't go is a turtle's grandson!"

"We used to eat rice and fish by this river every day! Why should we work ourselves to a stinking death and eat chaff and swill? Tear down that river blockage, and we can live the good life again!"

"Is there any justice left in this world? Is there any law? Let's go demand an explanation!"

The shouts and yells rose one after another. Some people beat brass gongs, leading the crowd forward. A few timid individuals who wanted to slip away managed to do so if they could blend out, but if they were spotted, they were threatened by the toughs of the marketplace and forced to march on.

Watching the tide of people surge from the docks toward the river blockage, everyone in the private room couldn't help but lean out to look. By now, everyone below was pressing forward, and no one had the attention to look up and peer around.

"That Zhao character's camp has eyes and ears everywhere. The situation has blown up this big, and they haven't made any preparations at all?" Having experienced incident after incident, they were all still haunted by lingering fears.

"They can't spare the manpower right now. Cutting off the canal transport is a monumental affair. The imperial court is bound to send troops to encircle and suppress them. Right now, all of Zhao's camp's household troops and militia have been drawn away to prepare for battle. Even the ones inside the city have disappeared!" The great merchants of Qingjiangpu had just as many eyes and ears locally; no rustle of wind or stir of grass could escape them.

Although everyone had known this for a while, hearing someone say it out loud always put their minds at ease. Another person voiced a question: "Does Zhao Jin really want to rebel?"

"Rebel, my foot! He just wants to blackmail the authorities, and boost his own shipping business on the side. His carting business has been doing roaring trade these days. I heard even some oxen and horses have been worked to death. Just imagine how much he's raking in—loading and unloading cargo day and night like flowing water. That's all blood he's sucking from us!"

Hearing this complaint, that Scholar Chen gave a cold laugh and said disdainfully, "Even if he has a bit of talent and strategy, he's still just a local thug with shallow knowledge. He runs rampant over a few districts and thinks he can run rampant over the whole world. If the imperial court truly gets serious, what does his Xuzhou militia even count for?"

As they were talking upstairs, they heard a shout coming from below. It was some family's servant shooing people away: "Closed for the day! Go somewhere else!"

Liu Xiaoke mingled in the crowd. Whenever he saw the crowd starting to scatter, he would beat his gong and raise his voice to rally them, then launch into a tirade against Zhao Jin and the Xuzhou people. He used every kind of language—threats, promises, and persuasion. Just like that, he herded the people forward. Liu Xiaoke's worries gradually faded; the further he advanced, the more confident he felt.

That friend of his really had some tricks, being able to stir up so many people. Thinking of the names his friend had mentioned, Liu Xiaoke couldn't help but crack a smile. Having hitched his wagon to figures like these, his future was set for a life of pleasure!

No wonder they could pull off something on this scale. Only those few families had the resources to make such a grand gesture, to command the various figures of the underworld and marketplace, and even make those scholarly students obey their orders.

Liu Xiaoke's group was relatively close to the front. He could even spot many familiar faces in the procession—faces that didn't belong to petty thieves and swindlers, but to notoriously ferocious killers, men whose very appearance meant bloodshed. Normally, these men were kept on retainer by people of status. It was only because the Xuzhou men now held sway that they had kept a low profile. He never imagined they'd all be let loose this time. No wonder people said that in Qingjiangpu, everyone, whether in the light or the shadows, was a slave to those great merchant princes. It seemed those words were absolutely true.

These men were probably meant to draw blood once chaos erupted. Liu Xiaoke felt a twinge of fear and unease in his heart, but his confidence grew even stronger for no apparent reason. Those Xuzhou men truly had no preparations whatsoever, while his own side was so thoroughly prepared. Once the riot started, it wouldn't be so easy to suppress.

The docks weren't far from the river blockage. The spot chosen to pinch off the river had to be a relatively convenient location. Everyone could see the bustle over there, with many horse-drawn carts gathered, presumably waiting to load and unload goods.

"Fellow countrymen! That's the thing ruining our land! We suffer and grow poor, while those cart drivers feast on meat and drink fine wine! Can we stand for this?" someone roared.

Qingjiangpu relied on its waterways, so boats were valued over carts and horses. Moreover, the ox and horse carts were driven and escorted by people from poor, bitter regions, which made the locals look down on them even more. Yet now, these very people were living better day by day. Of course, everyone felt resentful and jealous, seething with indignation.

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