The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 140 Lin Daiyu's Nickname
Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

It is the fragrant month of April, and the spring is bright and beautiful.

The fragrance of flowers fills the red railings.

Lin Daiyu leaned on the stone table of Qinfang Pavilion, holding the brush with her slender white fingers, writing out lines of delicate words.

A corner of the light apricot cloud-patterned crepe jacket was lifted by the wind, revealing the mauve satin undershirt underneath. The lotus embroidered with silver thread appeared and disappeared with the breath, like stars floating in the green mist.

Qingwen and Zijuan were also copying. Every time the girl wrote a piece, they would copy one.

They were originally in the study, but the weather was really good today, and everyone had been writing in the room for several days, so they suggested going outside. Lin Daiyu also wanted to come out and get some fresh air.

Xueyan squatted by the stone railing and copied. After a while, her feet became numb, so she stood up and couldn't help complaining, "Miss, we have to copy more than a hundred copies, and there are only a few of us. We can't finish them even if we work ourselves to death."

As soon as he finished speaking, someone else's voice suddenly sounded in the distance.

"So you're hiding here."

They all looked and saw that it was Xue Baochai and Xiangling.

Lin Daiyu was asking questions and her mind was focused on them, so she didn't notice that it was Zijuan who said something in Lin Daiyu's ear, and she woke up in shock. She quickly got up and found that Xue Baochai had already come to the pavilion.

"What are you doing?" Xue Baochai asked curiously.

It's not a secret.

Qingwen and Zijuan each spoke a little. After Xue Baochai finished listening, she found out that it was about Wang Xin. She felt a little unnatural, but no one was surprised. After she realized what was going on, Xue Baochai gradually felt relieved.

Xue Baochai looked around with her clear eyes and came up with an idea. "The one who set the questions didn't complain of being tired, but the ones who copied them did."

Ten questions should be learned a day, which means three hundred questions a month. During these days, Daiyu has to do at least three hundred questions, and they are of different types, and then copy out more than a hundred copies.

Xueyan was simple-minded. After hearing what Xue Baochai said, she felt embarrassed and a little dissatisfied. She murmured, "How can I compare with you? You are so smart."

Lin Daiyu knew Xueyan's character and was too lazy to pay attention to her.

Xue Baochai then said, "Why not ask the sisters from other places to help? More people will help us copy faster."

"Yes."

Xueyan clapped excitedly.

Zijuan was a little hesitant. It was not that she had not thought about this, but if she bothered the girls in the yard for no reason, wouldn't it be shameful if she was rejected? Or if they didn't want to, but she was too embarrassed to refuse, wouldn't that also be annoying?

Because Xue Baochai knew it was about Wang Xin, although she felt a little shy, she suppressed her feelings and thought that no one would know, so she dared to offer her advice.

Lin Daiyu looked hesitant.

Xue Baochai smiled and said, "We girls don't know whether this guest's matter is important or not, but we can't let him get in the way. The young ladies in our family are not outsiders, and they won't spread the news, so it shouldn't be a big deal. But even so, it's best to ask."

Xue Baochai felt that there should be no problem.

Because Zijuan and Xueyan were also copying.

Lin Daiyu also thought of this matter and knew that she couldn't do it alone, so she asked Zijuan and the others for help, and her uncle did not refuse.

Just as Xue Baochai said, it is best to ask no matter what.

Qingwen said, "Master Xin went out early this morning. I don't know when he will be back."

"He didn't give any explanation?"

Xue Baochai is not usually a nosy person, and she didn't expect to encounter his business today. It was not someone else's business, so Xue Baochai took the opportunity to ask while no one knew about it. Even so, she still felt numb in her heart and couldn't help feeling a little shy.

Qingwen didn't notice the difference and smiled, "I stay at home ten days a month. I don't go out at night, and during the day I either stay home or go out to meet people. Why should I be told separately?"

Xue Baochai nodded and asked no more questions.

It was not until the evening that Wang Xin returned to Tuobi Villa. It was already past dinner time. Wang Xin said he had already eaten, so Qingwen did not go looking for him.

Qingwen took out the booklet she had compiled during the day.

Wang Xin mainly looked at Lin Daiyu's part, which was still the basic parabolic equation. In fact, the questions were not simple. They were not set for the sake of setting questions, but for the sake of making the group of rough men under him learn them. What needed to be considered was human nature.

Most people are really not capable of doing this. Even if they can solve the questions, the questions they ask may not be suitable for others to learn.

Learning is about gradual progress, just like fighting a war, it is about the whole.

After reading for a while, Wang Xin was very satisfied. Lin Daiyu was indeed one of the smartest women. She was like the girls who studied well in the class, always clean and tidy, and could do their best. But when he was in elementary school, either the ink spilled or a corner of the book was missing. He always encountered bad things.

On the second day, Wang Xin took time to return to the military camp and distributed the prepared questions to the selected artillerymen.

The artillerymen were paid the same as the cavalrymen, two taels of silver per month.

So there are many people who want to be artillerymen, but in the end many people don't want to do it anymore. They would rather struggle in the training ground than study in a clean room. However, it is not easy to get in, and it is not easy to quit.

Not only the artillery, but also the officers of the artillery battalion must be proficient.

Just like a school.

The newly established artillery battalion specially set aside several rooms to use as classrooms for them, and they had to study in the classrooms every day.

Everyone received their own booklet, which could only be left in the classroom and had to be handed in when entering or leaving. It was kept by a special officer. When he saw the various topics in the booklet, a look of pain appeared on his face.

The person who sets the questions makes each one tricky, just enough that most people have to stand on tiptoe and stretch their hands to reach the answer.

In other words, I can do it, but I am not proficient in it. I need to think hard and rack my brains to do it.

"This handwriting must be from a woman." "Hermessiah."

"Yes, it's the dominatrix."

In the classroom, the artillery officers and soldiers with sullen faces were cursing loudly, just wanting to vent their anger.

When Wang Xin heard the nicknames given by his subordinates, his expression was complicated. He wanted to laugh but didn't dare to. After returning, he told Qingwen as a joke.

Although Qingwen seems strong-willed, she is actually not very smart.

The next day, the fool told Xueyan, and Xueyan was even more foolish. She told her own young lady in front of Xue Baochai, and stood up for her young lady with an unconvinced look on her face.

"Miss is so kind. She has put in so much effort, but they still don't appreciate it. They say she is a female demon. Mr. Xin doesn't care about it either. They are really heartless."

Xueyan denounced Wang Xin.

Xue Baochai lowered her head and smiled quietly.

Zijuan slapped Xueyan speechlessly. Xueyan looked aggrieved and cried, "If you want to hit someone, go hit Master Xin. Master Xin has no conscience. Why are you bullying me?"

Silly Xueyan made everyone in the room laugh.

Xichun is the youngest and laughs along with everyone else; Yingchun is the most timid and has no idea what to do. She just does whatever she is told to do and copies word for word. Tanchun listens to others discussing Wang Xin, the most mysterious guest in the house, but her eyes are fixed on the booklet. I don't know what she is thinking.

Wang Xin has been busy these days. He cannot let his hands be touched for nothing, so of course he goes to the Ministry of War and asks for a lot of money. He will not lose anything if he tries twice. He pesters Chen Yan, the Yuanwailang, who is so annoyed that his scalp is numb.

Just for the two thousand sets of cotton armor, Chen Yan thought Wang Xin was crazy, and he even dared to ask for iron armor.

Even if the Ministry of War is dismantled, it cannot be taken out.

These things are treasures for everyone. They are the property accumulated over many years. Where can the Ministry of War get them all at once? Of course, they don’t have them.

Wang Xin also knew that what he asked for was too much, but if he asked for more and others gave less, he would give it anyway; if he asked for less, others might not give it at all, so he was not embarrassed at all.

The next day, Wang Xin came to the Ministry of War again.

"General Wang, didn't Lord Chen say he would consider it for a few days? Why are you here again?" The official from the Ministry of War was immediately overwhelmed when he saw Wang Xin again.

Wang Xin smiled and said, "Master Chen is so busy. How can I delay Master Chen's time? So I have to finish it as soon as possible so that I can disappear and not delay Master Chen's other things."

Officials' words are deceiving.

If you really listen to the officials, the daylily will be left to dry up until there is not even a shadow left to be seen.

The man was also speechless.

Eunuch Ming's attitude towards this man has spread. Although many officials despise eunuchs, no one dares to offend them, at least in the capital. Although the scholars curse him harshly, that is only in the local area.

Moreover, this person is a military officer, and relying on the power of the eunuch, he has no shame. He is not a scholar, so it is ridiculous for him to have the character of a scholar.

Chen Yan hid away.

Wang Xin was not in a hurry. He would not push Chen Yan so much that he would get angry, nor would he let Chen Yan delay him. So he sat and waited in the yamen, not to see Chen Yan, but to convey his attitude.

In the officialdom, things are worked out through hard work.

You can't be impatient, but you can't be unhurried either.

It's a tiring job. People with impatience can't succeed in officialdom. Even the biggest boss will grind them down to a pulp, so many officials end up looking just like the same person.

After drinking two rounds of tea, Wang Xin decided to leave.

Just then an official came in and asked, "Excuse me, is this General Wang Xin?"

Wang Xin quickly stood up and politely replied, "That's right."

"General Wang Xin, please follow me." The man politely asked, "The Minister of the Ministry wishes to see you."

Wang Xin was still a little slow to react when the man emphasized, "Zhang Butai."

Wang Xin understood. Zhang Jifu wanted to see him. Why did he want to see him? Puzzled, he followed the man without further delay, pondering the matter all the way.

Zhang Jifu valued his own abilities and took action to prevent him from staying in Yangzhou, which showed that he was a man who wanted to do things.

It doesn't matter to me.

If Zhang Jifu gave him more, he could sell it.

After a while, the clerk asked Wang Xin to wait in the outer room, which was much larger than other classrooms. There were several tables in the outer room, with several clerks sitting there. One of the clerks greeted Wang Xin warmly.

Soon, the official invited Wang Xin in.

After Wang Xin left, several clerks couldn't help but ask each other.

"That's Wang Xin, right?"

"It's him."

They are well-informed and know a lot of things.

"Greetings, Lord Minister."

When Wang Xin saw Zhang Jifu again, he felt that Zhang Jifu had become more well-behaved than when he was in Jinling. He just didn't know whether these rules were set by him or by others.

(End of this chapter)