“On purpose?” Jin Feng looked at Zhang Liang. “What do you mean?”
“Tie Guan Shan has hundreds of bandits. Why would they specifically send the chief who collects our village’s annual tribute to rob us?” Zhang Liang said. “They don’t rob ordinary passersby, only us, and the toll keeps increasing each time. I feel like Tie Guan Shan is testing us, provoking us.”
The Tie Guan Shan bandits collect tribute once a year, somewhat like the authorities. This restricts them from troubling Xi He Wan without reason. After all, if the village pays tribute and they still cause trouble, it wouldn’t make sense and could provoke resistance from other villages.
But if Zhang Liang struck first and killed their bandits, they’d have an excuse to target Xi He Wan.
“Alas, a tall tree catches the wind,” Jin Feng sighed helplessly.
He didn’t have a good solution for now.
If Zhong Wu and Qing Huai’s personal guards left, the only people Jin Feng could rely on were the Zhang Liang brothers and Zhang Liang’s burly friend, all of whom had varying degrees of disability.
In Jin Chuan County, only a few bandit groups were powerful enough to collect tribute. Tie Guan Shan was one of the larger ones, with most towns and villages west of the county paying them tribute. Their influence was far greater than Mao Mao Shan’s had been.
The two sides were not on the same level.
“We have to pass through Tong Shan to get to the county. How can we keep letting them extort us?” Man Cang said. “Sir, why don’t we talk to the village chief, rally the tiger-hunting team, build heavy crossbows and catapults? Could Tie Guan Shan bandits be tougher than the Dang Xiang cavalry?”
Man Cang already admired Jin Feng, and after the Wei Zhou trip, his admiration reached its peak. In his eyes, Jin Feng had defeated the invincible Dang Xiang army, leaving them in disarray. A mere group of bandits would be easy to handle.
“Man Cang, it’s not the same,” Jin Feng said. “War depends on timing, terrain, and unity. The Dang Xiang were eager to march south and underestimated us, that was the timing.
The terrain around Qing Shui Valley was defensible, that was the terrain.
Every soldier in the Tie Lin Army knew we had to win or die, so they fought to the death, that was unity.
With timing, terrain, and unity all on our side, we won.
Tie Guan Shan’s ferocity is deeply ingrained in people’s minds. When bandits enter the village, how many dare to even look up?
If they can’t even look up, how could they fight bandits to the death?
Most importantly, Qing Shui Shan is easy to defend and hard to attack. I could ensure the Dang Xiang couldn’t breach it, so we could fight freely.
But look at Xi He Wan: flat terrain, open on all sides. Bandits could rush in from anywhere. How do we defend?
If we fail to defend, do you know what that means? It means the village gets slaughtered. That cost is too heavy. None of us can bear it.”
“Timing, terrain, unity… Sir, you’re truly a scholar. Your words make sense,” Zhong Wu said. “But sir, we can’t keep letting bandits extort us, can we?”
“Of course not,” Jin Feng shook his head. “If this continues, the bandits’ greed will only grow, and they’ll eventually swallow us whole.”
“Sir, do you have a plan?” Man Cang looked up and asked.
“No good plan,” Jin Feng said, turning to Zhang Liang. “Liang Ge, how often do we usually go to the county?”
“Usually every three days. Sometimes, if we finish quickly or run out of stock, every two days.”
“Every three days…” Jin Feng thought for a moment. “Make a few more carts to reduce the number of trips.”
“Alright,” Zhang Liang said. “I’ll find a carpenter later.”
Jin Feng turned to Zhong Wu. “The matter of recruiting retired Tie Lin Army soldiers, did the marquis mention it to you?”
“He did,” Zhong Wu nodded. “How many does sir need?”
“How many can you find?”
“Many brothers are from Jin Chuan County, but I don’t know exactly where they live. Like Old Zhang, if I hadn’t run into him, I wouldn’t have known he was here,” Zhong Wu said, scratching his head. “I know of seven or eight I can track down. They likely know others too. If we search slowly, finding a few dozen shouldn’t be hard, though many are disabled.”
Medical care in this era was poor; most retired soldiers were disabled.
Few completed their service unscathed.
“I know three brothers’ hometowns, but they’re all disabled.”
“I know six, four are disabled.”
“I know two brothers’ hometowns, but they’ve both lost arms.”
“Our village has three brothers: two lost legs, only one is fully able.”
The other guards chimed in.
“For now, don’t consider the disabled. Find thirty able-bodied men,” Jin Feng decided. “You all set out together. Before you return to Wei Zhou, find thirty skilled men. Three hundred wen a month, I’ll cover injuries, twenty taels of silver for anyone who dies, and rewards for merit.”
“Deal,” Zhong Wu nodded quickly.
Three hundred wen a month was a high wage in Da Kang.
Even bandits risking their lives didn’t earn that much.
Many Tie Lin Army veterans struggled. Plenty would be willing.
“Don’t get too excited. My money isn’t easy to earn,” Jin Feng glanced at Zhong Wu. “Make it clear to them: I’m hiring them to escort goods. They’ll need to travel far, likely facing bandits. If they’re scared, don’t come.
If they join, they’d better work hard. If I catch anyone slacking, I won’t go easy.”
“Don’t worry, sir. Tie Lin Army men aren’t cowards,” Zhong Wu said, pounding his chest. “If anyone’s scared, I’ll deal with them before you need to.”
“Xiao Feng, hiring so many at once will cost a lot,” Zhang Liang whispered.
He owed Jin Feng a debt of gratitude and worried about him not being able to pay, which would strain relations with his old comrades.
“As long as they’re obedient and can fight, money’s no issue,” Jin Feng said confidently.
This time, both General Fan and Qing Huai felt guilty and gave him plenty of gold and silver.
Let alone thirty veterans, he could afford three hundred for a while.
Originally, he planned to recruit just a few Tie Lin Army veterans to assist Zhang Liang, expanding slowly as business grew.
But Tie Guan Shan’s bandits made him realise the danger.
In an era rife with bandits, danger was everywhere. Last time, a petty thief like Xie Guang nearly cost him his life.
Money mattered, but not as much as his life.
Besides, hiring veterans wasn’t charity; it was for profit.
The textile workshop was just the start. With these veterans, Jin Feng could consider expanding beyond Jin Chuan County.
Paying each veteran three hundred wen a month, Jin Feng could earn three thousand wen from their work.
“I need to pick up the pace,” Jin Feng thought with a silent sigh.
