The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 200 Unwilling to Be an Enemy
The retired emperor was probably testing him, and Wang Xin did indeed feel the pressure of the emperor's "majesty," as if he were facing a job interview. Fortunately, he had many interview experiences. Suddenly, he felt a little fortunate; who hasn't had a few interview experiences?

"I am a general appointed by the court, representing the dignity of the court. Whoever dares to offend the court, I will defeat them." Wang Xin did not waste any more words.

The most important thing in an interview is to keep your mouth shut, think carefully before you answer, and never try to show off. Interviewers are professionals; don't try to compete with their expertise using your amateur skills. You can choose what's relevant, but never lie, especially when dealing with a shrewd person like an emperor.

Wang Xin didn't believe the Emperor Emeritus was unaware of what had happened in Datong. He was certain the Emperor Emeritus knew perfectly well who was right and who was wrong, regardless of what other emperors said. Therefore, what he wanted wasn't his own explanation, but rather his own stance.

Like some interviewers, what they want is not the interviewee's carefully prepared and varied answers, but rather an attitude from the interviewee that they are cheaper than others and more willing to work overtime.

So what kind of attitude does the retired emperor want to project?

If you're right, it aligns with the Emperor Emeritus's wishes, meaning Jian is on the Emperor's side. If you're wrong, it doesn't meet the Emperor Emeritus's expectations, meaning you've missed out on imperial favor.

Wang Xin had no opinion; the court's opinion was his opinion. He was a general leading troops, and he had no thoughts of his own; the court's opinion was his opinion. Looking at it from another angle, it's no wonder Feng Yong disliked him.

"Hehe." Laughter came from inside the curtain, followed by, "Interesting."

Dai Quan smiled beside him, and Wang Xin breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed he had passed the test. However, he knew that it wasn't that the Emperor Emeritus believed he was a loyal subject; anyone who could read a few words and had read a few books wouldn't believe in loyalty.

How could someone as sensitive as the retired emperor possibly trust the loyalty of others? He was only satisfied with his own attitude.

"You're a smart man, you know what you should do. I heard you're saving up to buy a house, and I also heard you once said you just wanted to live a simple life." The Emperor Emeritus's voice came out, word by word.

The Emperor Emeritus knew what he had said. He had only spoken about it at the Jia residence, and not many people knew about it. It's possible that it had been leaked out. In any case, it shows that the Embroidered Uniform Guard was not only an army, but also retained the intelligence functions of the former Ming Dynasty.

Wang Xin remained unmoved, knowing he had acted uprightly and had nothing to fear from others bringing up past grievances.

Dai Quan had been observing Wang Xin all along. He was surprised that Wang Xin, at such a young age, could remain calm in the face of both honor and disgrace. He was not stubborn, and he could also say nice things, but he wasn't obsequious.

Others may not know, but Dai Quan knew in his heart that the Emperor Emeritus was satisfied. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths and given such a long speech. It was also because it was the first time they had met, and in his memory, the Emperor Emeritus hadn't spoken so much in a long time.

"Although you are just a military general, you understand the principles of upholding heavenly laws and suppressing human desires. This shows that you are indeed someone who knows how to protect the country and its people, and not just someone who talks the talk. In that case, you should focus on your work and not think about such nonsense."

After the Emperor Emeritus finished speaking, Wang Xin quickly replied, "Your humble servant will obey the Emperor Emeritus's decree."

After a while, someone inside said again, "The idea of ​​setting up another town in Datong was Lin Ruhai's, wasn't it?"

Wang Xin's face froze for a moment, a trace of worry rising in his heart. Lin Ruhai had sent the letter to him by someone he had previously sent, and it was from his former subordinate. Wang Xin had no doubts about Liao Rong.

How did the retired emperor find out? It certainly wasn't the Embroidered Uniform Guard. The Embroidered Uniform Guard might still be somewhat useful in the capital, but outside of the capital, with today's speed of transportation, they don't have such powerful methods anymore.

If the Embroidered Uniform Guard could know everything about places thousands of miles away in such an environment, then the Great Zhou Dynasty would not be the Great Zhou Dynasty it is today.

Therefore, the retired emperor made this judgment based on the style of the matter!

It was truly shocking. Wang Xin was numb. Although he had not met the Emperor Emeritus in person today and had already greatly overestimated him, he was still terrified. The Emperor Emeritus was indeed the most cunning person he had ever met when it came to scheming against people's hearts.

So what are your own thoughts? Could the retired emperor also know the answer?

Surprised and doubtful, Wang Xin honestly replied, "Your Majesty, it was indeed Lord Lin's idea."

Dai Quan remained calm, as if it were commonplace, but he was taken aback by Wang Xin's "honesty." There had been similar situations before, but few people could act like Wang Xin; most would instinctively deny it.

Wang Xin didn't hesitate and readily admitted it.

The curtains fell silent for a moment.

At this moment, two century-old ginkgo trees outside the hall were shedding their golden leaves. The yellow leaves rolled along the white marble steps, crashing into the wave patterns engraved on the gilded bronze vat. Suddenly, they were swept up by the wind and drifted into the open beak of the bronze crane incense burner at the corner of the hall.

Wang Xin glanced over instinctively, then realized what was happening and quickly turned back to straighten up, while Dai Quan beside him remained motionless.

The silence was broken, and the Emperor Emeritus's voice rang out again, "I heard that Lin Ruhai fell seriously ill the year before last. If it weren't for the doctor you brought, he might not be here anymore."

I don't know if it's just my imagination, but I could clearly sense the Emperor Emeritus's concern in those words, rather than his previous casualness.

If he wasn't mistaken, the Emperor Emeritus wanted to understand the matter of life and death. No matter how shrewd the Emperor Emeritus was, as long as he feared death, he was vulnerable now. So, if he just acted like those swindlers who deceive the elderly, and preached to the Emperor Emeritus that people could live to be a hundred years old, but that it was only because of factors such as air pollution that lifespan was affected, and mentioned some methods of health preservation, Wang Xin believed that he might be valued by the Emperor Emeritus.

But so what? Wang Xin didn't want to do that, so he said seriously, "Due to years of busy official duties and pressure, Lord Lin caught a cold and couldn't catch his breath. It was also lucky that the doctor I brought was not very famous, but he was quite skilled. He kept him breathing and Lord Lin got through it. He caught his breath and gradually recovered."

Zhang Youshi was not a famous doctor in the capital; he came from out of town and was not well-known. Otherwise, if he were famous, the Jia family would have known about him and would have needed Feng Ziying's help to introduce him. Wang Xin also approached the matter with a try-it-and-see attitude. The book described him as capable, but who knew if he was real? Unexpectedly, he was indeed a remarkable doctor.

The difference between different practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is as vast as the difference between a seasoned professional and a charlatan.

There was nothing magical about it. The atmosphere was subtle. Wang Xin kept his head down, and because it was so quiet, he could faintly hear a sigh coming from inside.

Dai Quan seemed to have heard this as well, and gestured downwards with his palm to Wang Xin. Wang Xin understood, bowed, and said, "This humble subject takes his leave." After saying this, Dai Quan personally led Wang Xin out.

Is this person outwardly loyal but inwardly treacherous?

After everyone left, he muttered to himself inside the curtain, "It doesn't matter. Whether they are loyal or treacherous, it doesn't matter."

The retired emperor leaned against the pillows, his face aged like a withered tree, only his eyes still held a light. He was slightly closed, stroking his whisk, as if calculating the affairs of the world. In any case, no matter how fake Wang Xin was, he was still better than those princes and generals who obeyed orders but not summons, and even better than those powerful civil officials who took all the benefits and pushed all the blame onto the court.

If the country is governed well, it is the responsibility of the civil officials; if it is governed poorly, it is the responsibility of the incompetent ruler.

The retired emperor was disgusted. There were no good or bad people in the world, only interests. Since Wang Xin wanted to follow the path of loyalty to the emperor and patriotism, he would just let him have his way.

If he were truly sensible, he might have left behind a beautiful story of a ruler and his subject. If he were Yue Fei, he wouldn't want to be Zhao Gou.

Lin Ruhai was still the same Lin Ruhai, always able to find a way that pleased most people in complex situations. Unfortunately, he was too cunning and could not be controlled by others.

He has a good grasp of the timing and is one of the few people the emperor trusts and doesn't dislike.

Because of this limited trust, the emperor would not truly believe Lin Ruhai. This was Lin Ruhai's deliberate act; only by letting the emperor see things clearly would he allow Lin Ruhai's "opportunism."

There are too many smart people, but they are ultimately just ants.

Thunder and rain are both acts of imperial favor.

The retired emperor waved his hand, and the eunuchs behind the curtain hurriedly went to fetch the medicinal ingredients. The retired emperor had to take the elixir made by the immortal master every day, and no one dared to neglect this matter.
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"You're really good." After leaving the palace gates, Dai Quan stopped Wang Xin and praised him.

Wang Xin cupped his hands in thanks: "If it weren't for Eunuch Dai's guidance, I'm afraid I would have been completely clueless and might have offended the Emperor without even realizing it." Just now in the main hall, he had indeed judged things by Dai Quan's expression.

Could this be intentional on the part of the retired emperor? Since he is not seen in person, his ministers do not know his mood or anger and can only judge him by his voice.

Dai Quan had served the retired emperor for many years and knew him best. His expressions were all written on his face, making him a barometer for his subjects to judge the retired emperor's mood. This was very likely, or at least partly, the reason.

Dai Quan had to go back to serve the retired emperor and confirm that Wang Xin appreciated his kindness before arranging for two eunuchs to escort Wang Xin out of the palace.

As for the Emperor Emeritus's thoughts, Dai Quan did not say, because he did not know either. It was difficult to guess the Emperor Emeritus's thoughts, and no one dared to say that they could guess them.

Without receiving a clear reply, Wang Xin felt uncertain, but judging from Dai Quan's attitude and even the Emperor Emeritus's words just now, he should be affirming of him.

Now is not the right time. Find an opportunity to visit Zhang Jifu and see if you can sound out the situation. Lu Zhongheng and Jia Zheng have already mentioned the matter of setting up another town in Datong in the court.

Whether it succeeds or not, I don't really care. However, I have more and more people under my command. Unlike Yangzhou, where there is Yangzhong Island, it is easy to settle the people who follow me. The environment in Datong is more difficult, so it is not an easy task.

Relying solely on Daizhou would likely be insufficient to supply the troops at Yanmen Pass, and the self-built military system would go bankrupt.

As he passed through Huiji Gate, someone there noticed him. After the person left, that person returned to the Inner Cabinet.

"he's gone."

Zhou Daofeng, who had not shown his face for a long time, asked.

Since Zhang Jifu entered the capital, he no longer interfered in many matters and reduced his public appearances. However, Zhou Daofeng was still in charge of the overall situation, with Zhang Jifu sitting to the left.

Upon hearing the news that Wang Xin had left safely, Zhang Jifu knew that Wang Xin was getting further and further away from him.

Zhou Daofeng looked at Zhang Jifu and reminded him, "It will be very difficult for you to control him."

Zhang Jifu frowned. He didn't want to deal with Wang Xin. After all, he had brought this young man back from Jinling. If he were to take action against him, it would mean that he had lost control of some things, which was beyond his expectations.

(End of this chapter)