novelSusiti Chapter 62 Accommodating Retainers
Chapter 62 Accommodating Retainers
"Take this medicine and sweat it out, and you'll be fine. Luckily, they're all strong and healthy men, so there's still a chance of recovery." The military doctor that Li Xuan brought was very experienced in dealing with these symptoms of fever and chills. With the efficiency that military doctors are known for, he asked a few questions, examined the feverish man's tongue and skin color, and then prescribed the medicine.
Zheng Hui and the others hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed to the military doctor: "Thank you for your mercy, Doctor, for saving our lives. We can never repay your kindness."
The military doctor said sternly, "I am a healer; there is no reason for me to ignore an illness. You must take good care of yourselves. I will also prescribe some herbal decoctions for you. Your bodies are weak, and external pathogens will easily enter. If they collapse, you may not be able to hold on for long. Taking medicine and resting are essential for all of you in the next two days. As long as you get through these two days without any problems, this hurdle will be cleared. Don't push yourselves; wouldn't it be better to be lively and energetic, waiting for the New Year?"
Zheng Hui and the dozen or so men still standing in the caravan kowtowed to the military doctor: "Thank you for your guidance, sir. We will certainly follow your orders."
Because of Li Xuan's prior instructions, the military doctor brought back some commonly used medicines for treating fever and chills from the military camp when he came out, and now an apprentice is waiting outside in a car.
Li Xuan was waiting outside talking to his apprentice. There was a sickly atmosphere in the room, and Li Xuan didn't want to have any unpleasantness before the New Year.
The illness reminded Li Xuan of a neglected problem: the weather was cold, and the Haizhou army had mobilized a large number of civilians to fight in the city. After the city changed hands, these people scattered and almost all went home to hide.
Zheng Hui and his group, who had traveled extensively, were all considered healthy, yet half of them fell ill. So how many people in Haizhou City are currently sick? Is the disease contagious?
Thinking of this, Li Xuan felt very uneasy. He immediately summoned Li Ji and said, "Go, find Commander Chen immediately and ask him to take you to the Chief of the Capital Garrison. If Zheng Hui and his men can fall ill, how many of those forcibly conscripted people have fallen ill this morning?"
Today, the people are afraid to go out, perhaps because the symptoms haven't yet manifested. But tomorrow and the day after, they will still need to go out to work and live their lives. Once the disease spreads, our Black Spear Dragon Cavalry, with its camps full of wounded soldiers, cannot withstand the strain. I urge the Commander-in-Chief to immediately summon all the doctors and medicine providers in the city, and have them check every household. We must not allow the disease to escalate into a plague.”
Upon hearing his cousin's words, Li Ji was immediately horrified. People who did not live in this era could not understand the great threat that disease and plague posed to life.
Many people die simply from a fever after being caught in the wind and rain outside. Every long journey between loved ones feels like a farewell; even if they are lucky enough to avoid theft, there is a high chance they will die of illness on the road. Saying goodbye is not a joke, but a life-or-death entrustment, filled with deep sorrow.
Li Ji nodded and said seriously, "I understand. I will go find Commander Chen now and ask him to inform the Commander of the Capital Garrison. At the same time, the military camp should be sealed off immediately to prevent soldiers and residents from having any private contact."
Li Xuan slapped his forehead, realizing he'd been so busy instructing others that he'd forgotten to inform his superior, Commander Hu. Li Ji, however, reacted quickly; besides treatment, the most urgent task was to prevent an epidemic from breaking out in the military camp.
Li Xuan couldn't sit still any longer. He immediately summoned his personal guards and gave them a thorough warning. The guards were terrified, their faces turning pale, and they nodded repeatedly. The plague was no joke; it could wipe out entire villages in no time. No matter how valiant you were on the battlefield, it wouldn't help.
The pale-faced guard mounted his warhorse and looked around at the silent streets and houses. He felt as if a disease was lurking inside, watching him intently. Terrified, he spurred his horse and galloped back to the military camp without looking back.
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After the consultation, the apprentice began to prepare the medicine according to the prescription written by his master. Zheng Hui walked out of the room and knelt down in front of Li Xuan with a thud, saying, "The whole city is desolate, only the general extended a helping hand and saved us from our dire straits. I have no way to repay your great kindness. We had some wealth, but unfortunately it was taken away by the Haizhou army when they forcibly requisitioned it. We only have a few pieces of silver left, and our gifts are meager and really not presentable. Zheng Hui kowtows to the general."
Li Xuan's rescue of them wasn't for money. He said amicably, "Our dynasty has pacified the Jianghuai region precisely to save the people from suffering. The harsher the Yu Kingdom is, the more lenient we will be. As long as you understand this in your hearts, that's enough."
Zheng Hui quickly considered the general's words and cautiously asked, "What does the general mean?"
Li Xuan smiled and said, "You travel all over the country, so you must be very familiar with the connections between the underworld and the legitimate world. As long as you can make contributions to our army, what does the favor of healing the sick and saving lives today matter? Our dynasty will reward you, and if your merit is great, you might even be able to get an official position."
Zheng Hui looked up in surprise, glancing rudely at Li Xuan. In the brief moment their eyes met, he suddenly felt Li Xuan looked vaguely familiar. He tentatively asked, "May I ask if the general's surname is Li?"
Li Xuan paused for a moment, then asked, "Indeed, I have traded goods between the Yangtze and Huai rivers in the past. May I ask who you are?"
Zheng Hui was still somewhat unsure, so he tentatively asked, "I once worked in a trading company and accompanied my master to receive a wealthy man surnamed Li from Jiangbei, who was in the business of trading salt. This wealthy man was known as the 'Little Mengchang of Date Salt,' I wonder if you know him, General..."
Li Xuan became interested and asked, "Which trading company did you work for before?"
Zheng Hui said with a hint of excitement:
"I used to be a manager at Tongli Trading Company, and my employer was a protégé of Dou, the Minister of Ceremonies. After Dou was convicted, our Tongli Trading Company was also implicated and its assets were confiscated. I lost my job, and other trading companies were unwilling to hire me for the position of manager."
In a fit of rage, the villain led some of his former business associates to become itinerant merchants. Over two years, they also made some close friends among their peers. Unexpectedly, they all ended up in Haizhou City. If it weren't for the general's help, we would probably all be nothing but withered bones.
Li Xuan suddenly realized and laughed heartily, "So it's Tongli Trading Company. I know now. Your boss's surname is Dou, and you're a relative and protégé of Dou Qian, the Minister of Ceremonies, right? No wonder you've seen me before. That's right, I'm that 'Little Mengchang with the Date Face,' currently holding the eighth rank in the Zhou state. After this battle, I'll receive further commendation, and perhaps I'll be promoted to the seventh rank or even the sixth rank."
Zheng Hui looked envious, his heart pounding with excitement. He said, "Congratulations, General Li! What can we do to repay your life-saving grace, given your earlier promise to serve the Northern Dynasty?"
Li Xuan looked strange. As expected of a businessman, he had already established a relationship.
However, it's good to build a relationship. If a mere merchant tries to establish a connection with Commander Li, a military officer of the imperial court, Commander Li will definitely be in a strong position and won't suffer any losses.
In fact, Li Xuan didn't have a long-term plan for how to use these smugglers; he had simply developed the habit of casually placing a piece on the board.
As Zhou's southern campaign continued, Yu's troops were also steadily advancing north of the Yangtze River. Zhou was militarily strong, while Yu was wealthy. Both sides were powerful nations vying for supremacy, and both had founding emperors and ministers—none were mediocre or incompetent.
The war might last for many years, and Li Xuan subconsciously believed that having such people in Jiangnan as informants and covert forces would be helpful for him to achieve military merits in the future.
With this in mind, Commander Li said kindly, "There is a very important matter that requires your help right now."
Zheng Hui quickly inquired for details.
Li Xuan explained, "The war is arduous; everyone is engaged in a dangerous business. As is customary, after our army captures a city or territory, we always give our soldiers the opportunity to plunder, otherwise it will not be enough to boost morale. Our commander is kind-hearted; after Haizhou changed hands this time, he did not indulge the soldiers but decided to use the wealth of Haizhou to reward them."
But if the money isn't readily available and the brothers are unhappy, the Commander-in-Chief will have no reason to stop us. Therefore, whether we can gather enough wealth from Haizhou City is a matter of life and death for everyone in the city. There are tens of thousands of shi (a unit of dry measure) of salt in the Haizhou warehouse; I would like to ask you to find a way to sell it. I wonder if you can lend me a hand and save the people of Haizhou?”
Zheng Hui said with difficulty, "Tens of thousands of shi is indeed no small amount. Our ships have previously carried at most a thousand shi of salt."
Li Xuan waved his hand and said, "Of course, I won't just ask you to do things. The powerful families near Haizhou who were transporting supplies to help the Yu army march west have mostly been captured by our army. They'll arrive tomorrow. At that time, let's all pool our wisdom and efforts to find a way to raise the money."
Zheng Hui breathed a sigh of relief, but then a sense of unease crept in. The powerful local tycoons of Haizhou wielded immense influence, and the general would undoubtedly rely on them even more. What should they do? Merely help them process the thousand bushels of salt and keep accounts? No, the opportunity to rise to prominence was right before their eyes; how could Zheng Hui let it slip by?
Zheng Hui kowtowed again and said, "With the help of the powerful men of Haizhou, how can this be considered my merit? The general said he would give me a chance to repay his kindness, but how can selling salt possibly repay you? My brothers and I have a meager livelihood in Jiangnan, and we are willing to die for you. We only hope to become your retainers, and we humbly request that you take us in."
That's right, when an opportunity arises, you have to seize it. In a very short time, Zheng Hui calmly analyzed his own abilities and quickly adjusted his position.
According to Zheng Hui's limited understanding, all armies in the world are bad. Whenever they win a battle, they inevitably plunder to satisfy the soldiers' selfish desires; in fact, simply robbing is considered relatively benign. Rape, plunder, massacres, and cannibalism are commonplace. As long as the soldiers are capable and courageous in battle, the generals often turn a blind eye, even joining in with their own enjoyment.
After the Zhou army captured Haizhou, they didn't rush to seize the loot, nor did they plunder the city's women. Instead, they strictly enforced military discipline, keeping the women in their camps and treating the people with almost no disrespect. Although they would later plunder the entire city, they were already a truly powerful army.
Zheng Hui had lived for nearly thirty years and had never seen soldiers so reasonable. The Zhou Dynasty court, capable of controlling its soldiers to this extent, gained a much higher image in Zheng Hui's mind. Such a court, such an emperor, would surely unify the world!
Thinking about this, Zheng Hui knew that only by joining Li Xuan's side could he have the opportunity to change his background.
They were just ordinary merchants, unfit for battle and lacking in other knowledge. In such a rush, how could they possibly achieve anything? Were they just going to watch this opportunity slip away? Therefore, becoming a retainer under Li Xuan was the best choice.
Li Xuan feigned difficulty, saying, "I'm just an eighth-rank official. What would I do with having retainers? Would I become a laughingstock? Besides, what kind of low-ranking official would have retainers?"
Zheng Hui thought to himself, "I can't possibly climb up to those high-ranking officials!"
He quickly found an excuse: "General, you have risen to the eighth rank in just a few years and have the power to command elite troops. You are obviously destined for great things. Besides, I have long heard that the Northern Dynasty has wise rulers and virtuous ministers who are capable of great things. I have long admired them."
Unfortunately, he lacked the ability to do so and dared not go to Bianliang to make a fool of himself. If he could find a powerful patron and be recommended to obtain an official position after several years, it would be a worthwhile endeavor.
"But in the vast Northern Dynasty, where is there anyone closer to us than General Li? Please, General, have mercy and accept my brothers. From now on, we will go through fire and water for you."
This reason was very compelling. Although there were many officials in the Northern Dynasty, very few came from the Jianghuai region. Only Li Xuan and Li Ji had any connection with Zheng Hui. Therefore, Li Xuan did not refuse and accepted the position on the spot. Now it was just a temporary title; whether it was useful and reliable would have to be tested slowly from scratch.
Both Li Xuan and Zheng Hui are seasoned veterans; they wouldn't place their complete trust in someone from the outset. Li Xuan understood this, and so did Zheng Hui.
Zheng Hui called out the few partners who were still able to move and told them about their plans to become Li Xuan's apprentices. The name "Little Mengchang of Dates" had been widely known in Jianghuai a couple of years ago, and although these people had never met him before, they all knew of Li Xuan.
Upon learning that Li Xuan had risen to an official position in the Zhou Kingdom in just two or three years (actually less than a year), and was about to be promoted again, they were all extremely envious. Zheng Hui wanted to change his social status, and they also dreamed of doing so. Without any hesitation, they all knelt down and said, "My lord, please accept our humble bow."
Li Xuan didn't dare to enter the house. Instead, he sat down with them in a well-ventilated spot in the courtyard and began to inquire about their origins and the troubles they had encountered in Haizhou.
Zheng Hui and his group originally lived in a rented house. Because they were temporarily conscripted, they were captured by the Haizhou army before they could pack up. Fortunately, the Black Spear Dragon Cavalry Army acted swiftly, and the group was only conscripted for one night before they luckily escaped back to the house.
Fortunately, the house had a pot, a stove, and firewood, rice, oil, and salt. Their departure was brief, and their belongings and supplies hadn't been stolen. Just as Zheng Hui and the others were feeling relieved, someone suddenly began to feel unwell.
Having been merchants for many years, the men had some common sense about how to treat common illnesses. Zheng Hui was able to keep things under control at first, arranging for the men who had caught a cold to rest and making them ginger soup. But by the afternoon, more and more men were falling ill.
This startled Zheng Hui so much that he no longer cared about the apparent martial law outside and frantically led two or three of his brothers out to find a pharmacy to fetch a doctor.
Last night, shouts of battle echoed all night long. This morning, the city walls were adorned with the banners of the new king, and the army entered the city. Their fate was unknown, and the people lived in constant fear. All the shops on the streets were closed, and the pharmacies were no exception.
Zheng Hui ran aimlessly from street to street, knocking on the door of each pharmacy. If one didn't respond, he would quickly move on to the next, working up a sweat and his throat was practically churning with blood.
Finally, in despair, he knelt in front of a pharmacy and wept bitterly with his brothers beside him. It was their wailing that alerted Li Xuan and Li Ji, who were returning to the city. It was Zheng Hui who risked everything and boldly sought out Li Xuan to acknowledge their shared hometown ties, which earned Li Xuan's help.
At this point, Zheng Hui and his partners and workers were both moved and saddened. Looking at the medicine being simmered in the kitchen, they all burst into tears, crying out that if it weren't for their lord, they would have been doomed.
Li Xuan sighed as she tried to comfort them:
"It's all in the past, everything is in the past. You are lucky. Before this southern expedition, the emperor issued an order prohibiting the massacre of cities, and our commander-in-chief is a kind-hearted man, which is why Haizhou is peaceful today. There is an old saying, 'Misfortune may be a blessing in disguise.' This means that encountering bad luck is not necessarily a bad thing; a turning point may very well appear in misfortune."
"From now on, you will all serve me well. When my dynasty conquers Jiangnan, you will all be heroes. Let alone shedding your merchant status, what difficulty would there be in donning official robes? To be honest, the Grand Secretaries and fourth-rank officials serving the Emperor of the Great Zhou are my relatives, attending to his every need. My future is secure, and yours is also a matter of a word."
Zheng Hui and the others looked on with envy. The promise Li Xuan had made for them, though small, seemed all the more real and enticing. With such a powerful new employer, their future was bright; surely they, as his retainers, could share in the spoils.
As they talked, the medicine was ready. Li Xuan stood up and said, "Remember to take your medicine. Now that you've become my retainers, you all need to live well. We have a long future ahead of us. That's all for today. When the local gentry of Haizhou gather and start trading salt, I will send someone to call you."
Zheng Hui and the others bowed and said, "Your Excellency, we respectfully see you off, my lord."
After parting ways with his newly recruited followers, Li Xuan quickly composed himself. Recruits could expand his family's business, but the army was his foundation. The army should already be locked down and on high alert; his delay in returning as the military commander would inevitably raise suspicions of negligence.
Upon arriving at the military camp in the city, they found it was indeed under martial law. The garrison in Haizhou City typically numbered less than ten thousand. However, the Yu Kingdom had designed the city for the frequent need to receive reinforcements from the sea. Therefore, the several military camps within the city could collectively accommodate a maximum force of thirty thousand men.
This actually made things easier for the Black Spear Dragon Cavalry, because the original camp of the Haizhou Army had been converted into a prisoner-of-war camp, housing more than three thousand people. The Black Spear Dragon Cavalry was able to leisurely move into other empty camps and avoid a lot of trouble.
When Li Xuan entered the camp, doctors and apprentices urgently recruited from the city were being escorted out of the camp by squads of soldiers. They had just received a reprimand (and were being threatened), and followed behind the soldiers tremblingly, unable to help but look around.
These people were amazed to have encountered the occupiers doing good deeds, while praying that the occupiers would not go berserk and cause chaos in the city.
They were overthinking it. The soldiers of the Black Spear Dragon Cavalry were terrified of the plague and refused to enter any houses. As soon as the door opened, they would push the doctor inside and hide far away. With the New Year approaching, they would be receiving their rewards and returning to Bianliang to reunite with their families. Who would want to get sick at this time?