Chapter 982: Xu Housheng in Jining

"Master Jin is right. These princedoms are a nuisance to the local authorities and to the imperial court alike. With a kinsman of the same surname sitting right there, you can't simply ignore him — you have to step forward on every matter, and it's nearly impossible to just muddle through. After all, the laws and statutes of our ancestors cannot be violated," Ma Chonghao chimed in.

"The Prince of Lu and the palace eunuchs and officials all want more land and more profit. In truth, their thinking is no different from ours. It's just that Xuzhou and Yanzhou Prefecture border each other, and both sides have already swallowed up nearly all the available land. We want to expand, they want to get rich, and conflict between us is inevitable. If it were some other powerful house, we might let it slide, but the Prince of Lu's estate has a direct line to the highest authorities. At every turn they use the court and the government troops to bully people. Inside and out, who knows how much trouble they've caused us. They cannot be allowed to remain." Zhao Jin's words were a simple explanation. For the sake of secrecy, only his companions had known of this operation beforehand. It was only when they were about to move that they began selecting household troops and assembling a force. As for why they were doing this, Zhao Jin had not offered much explanation — this was the first time he had really brought it up.

"Master Jin, don't forget — less than thirty li from Ziyang City lies Qufu County, and there you'll find the Kong Estate of the Duke for Fulfilling the Sage. Their wealth and influence are in no way inferior to a princely estate!" Ma Chonghao said with a grin.

The Duke for Fulfilling the Sage was a first-rank state duke, second in status only to a full princedom, and the lands and properties he held actually exceeded those of the Prince of Lu's estate. He was one of the supreme titans of Shandong. When Ma Chonghao brought this up, Zhao Jin replied with considerable disdain: "Nothing but a spirit tablet. The Duke for Fulfilling the Sage concurrently serves as the magistrate of Qufu, and the real power of that office is the measure of his standing. A mere county magistrate — what is that worth?"

When Zhao Jin led his force back to the walls of Jining City, it caused no stir. Many people were not even aware such a movement had taken place. The prisoner-of-war camp beside the Zhao Battalion encampment was now largely empty. During the days he had been away, the refugee prisoners had been taken in groups to the border between Xuzhou and Shandong. There they would receive a brief resupply and rest. Some would then be sent to Xuzhou in the Southern Metropolitan Region, to Huai'an Prefecture, or to the Suzhou area of Fengyang Prefecture. Others would return to the various manors scattered across Yanzhou Prefecture in Shandong — only now their status would be that of manor servants and tenant farmers belonging to Zhao Jin of Xuzhou.

No one asked Zhao Jin what he had done. They simply began reporting on administrative affairs from the very start. To Zhao Jin's mild surprise, Xu Housheng brought news from Wang Zhaojing's side: "Third Brother Wang says that many of the fields west and south of Jining are now Eldest Brother's property. For the next stage of relief and resettlement, it would be better to send the prisoners directly to those places. They're close by, so the grain and funds consumed on the road would be less. Settling them nearby would also help put their minds at ease."

"Better to spend extra grain and silver than to let these prisoners stay in their native soil. In times of famine and war, they are terrified and naturally obedient and docile. But once there is peace and they are fed and clothed, their thoughts will inevitably multiply. Don't begrudge the expense. Our accumulated reserves over these years are already more than sufficient. The situation is expanding, and there will be even more to come." Zhao Jin made his decision, and Xu Housheng hurriedly noted it down.

Xu Housheng greatly enjoyed this kind of clerical work. In his eyes, this was doing great things — doing great things for his brother-in-law — and it gave him the feeling that his own family was growing up as well.

Back at the encampment, the most pressing matter was the resettlement of the prisoners. After Xu Housheng finished writing the reply letter, he sealed it, handed it over to Zhao Jin's side to be stamped with the seal, and arranged for someone to deliver it. Only then did they turn to the main business at hand.

"This time you went on a long journey, from the sea all the way to the south. How did it feel?" Zhao Jin asked with a smile.

"To be honest with you, brother-in-law, only after making this trip did I realize I've been a frog at the bottom of a well. So the world is actually this vast…" Xu Housheng replied with great sincerity.

He had assumed Zhao Jin's questions were merely the polite concern exchanged between relatives, but he had not expected Zhao Jin to ask in such detail — from the several people he had dealt with aboard the ship, all the way to the scenery and customs of Macau, inquiring about each in turn. This meticulous questioning left Xu Housheng both delighted and astonished.

On this sea voyage, despite the hurried pace of the journey, Xu Housheng felt he was no longer the same as before. His horizons had broadened, and his aspirations and outlook had changed greatly. He had thought he would feel out of place back in Xuzhou, but he had not expected his brother-in-law to understand his thoughts so well. As they talked and chatted, it was only at this moment that Xu Housheng came to a realization: his brother-in-law had always possessed far-reaching vision. It was not that his brother-in-law understood him; rather, it was only now that he himself could barely keep up with that line of thought. Having a kindred spirit, and at the same time sensing the growth of his own insight and intellect — of course he was happy.

The reason Xu Housheng was astonished was that he knew Zhao Jin had never traveled far. That one trip to the capital was the sole exception. Most of the rest of the time, he had moved within a range centered on Xuzhou, north to Jining and south to Qingjiangpu, never exceeding those bounds. Yet when they talked, Zhao Jin seemed very knowledgeable about matters on the open sea and the dealings with those foreigners. This made Xu Housheng recall the rumors of innate wisdom. Could it be that his brother-in-law was truly the reincarnation of some star spirit?

The two of them talked like this for over two hours, until Louis sent someone from outside to request Zhao Jin's presence. Before leaving the command tent, Zhao Jin said to Xu Housheng, "There will be many things for you to do in the future. You must manage the Xu family's coal and iron business well, but don't confine yourself solely to coal and iron. Look more to the sea, and look more to the south."

Xu Housheng hurriedly agreed. He realized that the conversation just now had not merely been driven by Zhao Jin's curiosity and concern. Throughout their talk, Zhao Jin had been constantly taking notes. Xu Housheng finally understood where Zhao Jin's peculiar writing style came from — it was actually quite similar to the quill pens of the foreigners.

The significance of those two hours for Xu Housheng went beyond this. Who knows how many people had seen that, upon returning from outside, Zhao Jin — heedless of his travel-worn state and the mountain of important matters awaiting him — had spent so long talking with his wife's younger brother. From now on, this Xu Housheng would have to be regarded with importance. Perhaps Master Jin intended to make greater use of his own family, feeling that this was more reliable? Speculations abounded, though naturally no one would voice them aloud.

On the open ground between the Zhao Battalion and the city, several hundred paces from the city wall, an earthen platform had been erected out of nowhere. Around the platform were wooden and iron frames, along with thick chains scattered on the ground. Draft animals like oxen and horses were halted a hundred paces away. On that platform sat a cannon. Compared to the artillery pieces that accompanied the Zhao Battalion, its caliber was several times larger, and its length was a multiple as well. A cannon of such immense size was awe-inspiring just sitting there.

Though only a single piece was placed there, it filled people with dread. Apart from this, the eight cannons that had performed so ferociously beneath the walls of Jining that day were now aimed squarely at the southeastern corner of the battlements.

"Brother-in-law, this is the twelve-pounder cannon I bought back in Macau. It's already been test-fired in Xuzhou. The shells and powder are all ready," Xu Housheng introduced with considerable pride.

"Eldest Brother, this thing is far from light. We used over two hundred civilian laborers and more than a dozen oxen, and only with great difficulty did we manage to get it into this position, roughly on target," Ji Xiang said excitedly.

Zhao Jin walked up to it and ran his hand over its somewhat rough surface. Although the general style was similar to their own cannons, the detailed specifications were completely different. This was a twelve-pounder long gun from a Western ship. A vessel floating on water can bear far heavier loads, so naval cannons are both heavier and longer than those used on land. Their powder charge is also greater, and their power is naturally stronger.

"If we build a better gun carriage and limber, ten men and a few horses will be enough to handle it," Zhao Jin said in a deep voice.

"In the few days you were away, Eldest Brother, this Jining City has been restless. The day before yesterday they even opened the city gates and tried to charge out once, but they were driven straight back in, losing over a hundred lives. At other times, people trying to slip out over the walls have all been blocked. But word should have gotten out by now. People have started coming from the direction of Zou County to spy on us. Our cavalry caught a few of them, and they said they were sent by Xu Hongru's side," Ji Xiang reported on the developments of the past few days.

Zhao Jin stepped away from the cannon mounted on the earthen platform and asked in a low voice: "Any news of Leizi?"

At this question, the expressions of the group all turned somber. Chen Sheng, Shi Manqiang, and Ji Xiang all shook their heads. Zhao Jin exhaled, did not press the question further, and instead asked, "What's the situation with Xu Hongru?"

"Strange to say, Xu Hongru's side has pulled back the troops that were attacking Teng County. Forces scattered in several other places are also withdrawing toward Zou County. It's hard to tell whether he's preparing to make a desperate stand or to fight a decisive battle with us," Ji Xiang said with a laugh.

Given the disparity in combat strength between the two sides, Xu Hongru did not have a shred of a chance at victory. The longer he remained inactive, the greater the likelihood of his defeat and destruction. Yet instead of fleeing, this Xu Hongru was actually consolidating his forces to await a major battle. This looked like sheer stupidity. Zhao Jin shook his head and chuckled ruefully. It really did confirm the things he and Ma Chonghao had discussed. A would-be hero who rises in times of peace — once it comes down to a real fight with real blades, he's not worth mentioning.

"Honored masters, the test firing is about to begin. Please withdraw to a safe distance," Louis called out in his strange, accented tone.

The artillery household troops had already stepped forward and begun swabbing the bore and loading the powder. Zhao Jin and his companions all fell back. As he walked, Zhao Jin issued orders: "First Regiment and Fourth Battalion, advance and be ready to storm the city at any moment. Housheng, write a few letters. Say that killing the rebels now still counts as meritorious service. If they wait until the city is breached, they will be treated as accomplices of the rebels. Daxiang, arrange for men to shoot the letters into the city with arrows in a moment."

Ji Xiang quickly acknowledged the order, then spoke up again: "Eldest Brother, you've just returned and must be exhausted. Why not rest a while? This Jining City is meat on the chopping block anyway — we can make our move anytime."

"The various columns of government troops should be entering Shandong by now. Our time here is running short," Zhao Jin replied coolly.

At that moment, the city wall was visible from below. Behind the battlements, many heads were peeking and craning. The Zhao Battalion's activities had not been hidden from them. Anyone could see the Xuzhou troops piling up an earthen platform, expending manpower and animal power to mount an enormous cannon upon it. This cannon was far thicker and larger than the ones used in the great battle beneath the walls that day. No one knew how great its power would be. Yet what puzzled everyone was that this cannon was not aimed directly at the battlements or the city gate. Its muzzle was instead pointed at the southeastern corner of the wall. That was nothing more than a few watchtowers — not a vital point like a city gate. They truly could not understand why.

As for the eight cannons aimed at the battlements, although everyone had been utterly routed by them in field combat, they were not particularly afraid now. The city walls were towering and thick; cannons like these had no way of blasting through them. Everyone just needed to stay hidden behind them.

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