The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 194 Midnight Terror
"Okay!"

"How could I not have thought of that?"

Lu Zhongheng slapped his thigh, his face full of admiration, but it was only Lin Ruhai.

Lin Ruhai was his mentor, so Lu Zhongheng didn't pretend.

Holding Lin Ruhai's letter, Lu Zhongheng couldn't help but read it again.

Wang Xin sat in the living room of the Yangzhou Guild Hall, which, in terms of refinement, was no less than that of the Jia family mansion.

However, in terms of location and size, it falls short of the Jia family mansion. Land in the capital is incredibly valuable, and the location of the Jia family mansion alone is immeasurable, far beyond what money can buy.

“If we follow our mentor’s advice, there shouldn’t be any major problems.” Lu Zhongheng handed the letter back to Wang Xin and offered his opinion.

Wang Xin nodded; Lin Ruhai's thoughts were not complicated.

The Ministry of War had already reformed the Beijing Garrison, organizing it into four armies. To further strengthen control over the army, each army was further divided into three routes.

Since there is a precedent to follow, and it was initiated by the Ministry of War itself, then it can be applied to Datong. Based on the Datong military garrison, a separate force can be established.

This line of thinking perfectly aligned with the imperial court's intentions. Didn't the court also want to strengthen its control over the military? It was like a pillow being delivered just when someone was about to fall asleep.

The imperial court would agree, the Ministry of War would support it, and even the retired emperor would be satisfied.

Even the court's "criticism" of Wang Xin would dissipate as a result of this arrangement. If they continued to target him, it would be seen as targeting the person rather than the issue.

The only one affected was the military governor of Datong, because his military power was divided up. However, the current military governor of Datong, Feng Yong, has already returned to the capital to report on his duties and cannot return to Datong.

So for him, there was nothing to object to; who the successor was, how could he possibly care?

From a moral and rational standpoint, and from both a public and private perspective, once this matter is brought up, there is no way it will be rejected.

Because it is in the interests of all parties.

As for why Lu Zhongheng was so excited, it was because he originally spoke out for his own private interests, but Lin Ruhai's proposal could be transformed into a strategy to resolve the court's controversy, which was also beneficial to Lu Zhongheng personally.

This proved Lu Zhongheng's talent and was beneficial to his reputation.

At this stage, Lu Zhongheng's most important task is to gain recognition from all sides; his reputation is extremely important. Therefore, Lu Zhongheng decided to personally offer his opinions to the various bigwigs.

Wang Xin thought he was pretty awesome, but after this incident, he had to admit that Lin Ruhai was truly amazing.
If you don't have your own unique advantages, even if you have a lot of foresight about the Dream of the Red Chamber, you are not qualified to compete with Lin Ruhai in wisdom.

The way this person's brain works is truly astonishing.

The key point is that this person is to my liking, and working with him is satisfactory, unlike that Wang Ziteng.

Thinking of Wang Ziteng, Wang Xin couldn't help but shake his head.

Cooperation is about win-win situations. This time, Lin Ruhai, not to mention others, even Lu Zhongheng, such an arrogant person, was so excited despite being his master and disciple. It shows how happy he was.

This kind of relationship is long-lasting and gets better and better.

On the contrary, Wang Ziteng, who has led the four families for many years, has seen the blood ties among the four families become closer, but their hearts have actually become more and more scattered.

In this respect, Lin Ruhai still has much to learn.

Lin Daiyu seems to have inherited her father's intelligence very well.

However, because she was a daughter, she didn't show it to outsiders.

However, their intelligence is also astonishing; they can solve many math problems that even they themselves might not be able to solve successfully.

She, however, was able to apply what she learned to other situations, and through self-study and the ideas she developed herself, she actually surpassed herself.

Comparing yourself to others will only make you miserable. As for brains, if you don't have one, you simply don't have one.

Wang Xin sighed, realizing he would have to invite Lin Daiyu to dinner later to prevent her from continuing to "hate" him.

Wang Xin dared not linger after leaving this place and entrusted many matters to Lu Zhongheng. Lu Zhongheng readily agreed, and then Wang Xin rushed back to the Jia residence.

～～～～～～～
～～～～～～～
Wang family.

The Wang family's property was only half the size of the Jia family's, which was actually quite good.

The fact that the steward of the Jia family owned a house that was half the size of the Jia family's house and no smaller than the Wang family's house caused dissatisfaction among many people.

The methods that once attracted people when the Jia family was at its peak have now become useless.

The rules in the Wang family are even stricter: masters are masters, and servants are servants.

Since the master returned, the mansion has become increasingly quiet.

At this moment, Wang Ziteng squinted as he listened to Wang Ren recount Wang Xin's attitude.

After saying that, Wang Ren knew his uncle was angry, so he didn't dare to say another word.

Wang Ziteng suppressed his dissatisfaction and sighed, "This person grew up in Jinling after all, so he's not close to me emotionally."

Wang Ren knew his uncle's words meant much more than that.

However, Wang Ren didn't want to explain that his uncle always valued blood ties, so he insisted on strengthening ties with the Jia family, including the Xue family.

His uncle values ​​blood ties, which benefits him, so how could Wang Ren, as his nephew, object?

So she didn't voice her thoughts. Although she had only known Wang Xin for a short time, she could sense his strong personality.

In terms of assertiveness, this person is more like an uncle, except that he is more gentle towards others.

I don't know if it's because this person is young, or if he hasn't reached the age of being an uncle yet.

That's probably not it. I've heard that my uncle was very domineering since he was a child, and from the time I was old enough to understand, I remember my uncle being the one who always had the final say.

"This person has had it too easy and has become complacent, losing sight of what's important."

Wang Ziteng didn't care about Wang Ren's thoughts, and without asking, he instructed, "Pay close attention to this person, and find a way to make him suffer."

"What about my cousin's marriage?" Wang Ren thought his uncle had changed his attitude. He had been running around to both sides about this matter, so Wang Ren wanted to find out.

"The marriage remains unchanged." Wang Ziteng said confidently with a smile, "When he grows up and understands the importance of family, of course the family will come first. Let's wait and see."

Wang Ren knew what was going on, so he didn't ask any more questions.

However, he was somewhat troubled. His uncle had been away from Beijing for a long time, and many of his connections were no longer effective. He couldn't rely on his connections.

“I’ve been busy with official business since I returned to Beijing. You can ask your aunt to arrange a time for your aunt, cousins ​​and other relatives to come to our house for a visit.”

Prince Teng had no children of his own, so he always treated Wang Ren as his own son.

Wang Ren grew up by Wang Ziteng's side and his status in the mansion was second only to Wang Ziteng; he was practically half the head of the household.

After Wang Ren left, Wang Ziteng crossed his fingers and looked gloomy.

Upon returning to Beijing this time, his words carried less and less weight. It was one thing for outsiders to disobey him, but even someone within his own family dared to defy him.

This is outrageous! Wang Ziteng suppressed his dissatisfaction once again.

"Spare the rod and spoil the child," and Wang Xin, having grown up without parents, was used to being wild and unruly.

I had overlooked this point; this kid now thinks he's all grown up and can disobey me.

I initially supported this boy staying in Datong, but now it seems more important to temper his arrogance and teach him a lesson. I'm doing this for his own good.

～～～～～～～
～～～～～～～
Wang Xin rode his horse along the left-hand side of the main road in the capital.

Since the Song Dynasty, there has been a set of rules for seating and walking. The carriage is in the middle, with animals on both sides, then sedan chairs, and pedestrians on the far side.

The pedestrians are surrounded by shops and vendors on both sides of the street. If I had more time, I would love to check out the Hexi Market.

Now that Lin Ruhai has his plan, barring any unforeseen circumstances, I should be able to return to Datong and even get a promotion.

The next crucial step is to develop the economy and secure sufficient funds and supplies.

Without money and supplies, everything comes to an end. In the current Great Zhou Dynasty, every army with any strength is trying to find ways to save itself.

The traditional method was to drink the blood of soldiers and receive salaries for doing nothing. This drinking of soldiers' blood did not refer to the blood of elite soldiers, but rather the blood of the old and weak.

Why would I do this myself? It turns out that the thing I hate the most has come to happen to me, and I'm doing the same thing. What kind of behavior is that?
If you don't like something, you don't like it. There's another way: self-reliance through production. Many people have actually done this, including Wu Sangui in history.

The three thousand cavalrymen in western Liaoning were also given a lot of land to cultivate for their families. Western Liaoning was plagued by war for years and was frequently invaded by the Qing Dynasty, so those who could escape fled.

These soldiers and their families stayed behind, working hard to make ends meet and supplement their military pay and food supplies, while struggling to survive the Qing Dynasty.

My environment isn't that harsh, and I have many advantages that I can take advantage of.

For example, the Hexi Market.

Wang Xin was well aware of the enormous advantages of the Hexi market. If utilized properly, it had unlimited potential to be explored.

On the contrary, with farmland, no matter how much effort is put into it, the output is limited. The greatest function of land is to sustain people, while the function of capital is to generate life.

But there's no rush. I'm still young, and taking too big a step might lead to trouble.

We can't start planning other things while we're still dealing with things in Datong and working on them.

Such a temperament can easily turn into a desire for grandstanding and success in the end.

For example, the second emperor of the Sui Dynasty was the biggest spendthrift in history.

A powerful, stable, and wealthy superpower was ruined in his hands.

He's truly a talented individual.

He is indeed smart, and everything he does is right; his only mistake is that he is too hasty.

When Wang Xin returned to the Jia residence, it was already late at night. He breathed a sigh of relief upon learning that no one from the palace had come.

However, Wang Xin also told the Jia family that he had gone to the Yangzhou Guild Hall, so even if people from the palace came and he wasn't in the mansion, they could still find him. But doing so was very risky, and who knew what might happen.

These past few days I've been worried about Datong's future, but now that I can finally relax, I feel much more at ease.

"After Xinye came back, he seemed much more relaxed and less stressed."

While eating, Qingwen kept glancing at Wang Xin, and finally couldn't help but ask.

Wang Xin laughed and said, "You care about so much."

Qingwen was still somewhat resentful about the time when Sister Ping bathed Master Xin. She pouted and said, "There are so many temptations outside, none of them are good. Master Xin, don't go astray."

Wang Xin was speechless. He reached out and flicked Qingwen's forehead. Qingwen tilted her head and couldn't dodge. She covered her head and cried out in pain, staring at Wang Xin with wide eyes, feeling wronged and angry.

Wang Xin scoffed and said with a laugh, "Who are you learning all this nonsense from? I'm out on business."

Qingwen's eyes darted around, as if she had come up with a good idea. Her face turned sly, and her attitude softened.

"Who knows where you went out to do? Maybe next time you go out, you should take me with you, then I'll believe you."

Wang Xin found this plan amusing and said speechlessly, "It's not impossible."

Upon hearing Wang Xin's answer, even Ping'er couldn't sit still. She stopped eating and stared blankly at Wang Xin.

Not to mention Qingwen, who quickly approached Wang Xin and asked earnestly, "Master Xin, are you serious?"

"When have I ever lied to you?" Wang Xin glanced at Ping'er again and said proactively, "When there's a chance, I'll take Qingwen and you out for a stroll together."

When Ping'er heard Xinye speak, Qingwen called her by name and said "you" to her.

Ping'er felt a sense of wonder she had never experienced before.

Since I can remember, no one has ever cared so much about my feelings.

It seems that I was being overly cautious about others, afraid of offending anyone.

Before I knew it, tears were streaming down my face.

Qingwen, being younger and more naive, exclaimed happily, "Master Xin is so kind!"

Seeing Ping'er crying again, he was startled and quickly asked, "Ping'er, what's wrong?"

Wang Xin also looked concerned, thinking that Ping'er had encountered some difficulties.

Ping'er is doing very well at the estate. As for Jia Lian, he's at home by himself; even if he had the desire to steal, he wouldn't have the guts.

So it's not something that concerns Ping'er herself, Wang Xin guessed, "Is it something that concerns the family?"

Ping'er felt truly happy at that moment, shaking her head with tears in her eyes.

She cried and laughed at the same time: "Master Xin, I'm fine."

Qingwen was about to ask another question when Wang Xin stopped her, understanding Ping'er's feelings.

I've always been controlled and suppressed, and I've never known the taste of freedom.

The first taste of freedom is like the boundless joy and drive of those who were first lifted up the mountain.

Wang Xin knew what Ping'er wanted to hear most at this moment, and said earnestly, "I never lie to you, so you don't need to doubt my promises to you."

Tears streamed down Ping'er's face, but she nodded vigorously, her pursed lips curving upwards.

As night fell, Qingwen continued to comfort Ping'er, and soon after, she fell asleep herself.

Wang Xin had a dream.

I dreamt that I returned to the battlefield beyond the Great Wall, where the barbarian cavalry that had attacked me rushed up to me, sneering as they drew their bows and shot arrows at me.

Wang Xin yelled and dodged, rolling off the bed.

It turned out to be a dream.

Wang Xin couldn't help but smile bitterly; it turned out he was still afraid.

But that's normal. I'm not made of iron, so how could I not be afraid?

As long as he knew he was sitting upright and acting honestly, and that he hadn't killed any innocent people, Wang Xin gradually calmed down and regained his composure.

The benevolent are invincible. Upon returning to bed, unable to sleep, Wang Xin began to ponder these words more deeply, gaining a clearer understanding of their meaning.

"Pfft."

Ping'er wasn't asleep. Hearing the noises next door—it was Master Xin's family—Ping'er quickly opened her eyes.
After a while, things calmed down, and Ping'er hesitated for a moment.

She got up, put on a thin jacket, and wearing only a bellyband, mustered up her courage and opened the door.

"Master."

"Who?"

"it's me."

～～～～～～～
～～～～～～～
(End of this chapter)