The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 207 Winning over
Zhang Jifu arrived at the cabinet as usual. Unlike in the past, he had arranged to meet with two important figures today. Therefore, the clerk had made arrangements for the meeting in advance. In the morning, Li Chengxian, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, and Chen Heng, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, arrived one after the other.

"This is a list of Wang Xin's subordinates."

Chen Heng, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, took out a copy of the roster and placed it flat on the table. Zhang Jifu and Li Chengxian stood beside the table, their eyes drawn to the roster on the table.

Zhang Jifu remained silent. Li Chengxian was pushing the direction of things, Chen Heng was handling the specifics, but Zhang Jifu himself provided the ideas.

Li Chengxian was so focused on this that he couldn't stay still and urged Chen Heng to hurry up.

Chen Heng, his face radiating confidence, calmly began by flattering Zhang, "Grand Secretary Zhang was indeed well-prepared."

Hearing Chen Heng praise Zhang Jifu, Li Chengxian felt displeased. Before Zhang Jifu came to the capital, Li Chengxian did not like him and was somewhat wary of him.

This person was very assertive, and Li Chengxian had heard of him. However, the ideas this person proposed were simply too compelling for him to refuse. Although they were currently cooperating, Li Chengxian was still somewhat wary, so he couldn't help but ask, "What makes you say that?"

Chen Heng glanced at Zhang Jifu, whose expression remained calm. Chen Heng knew what was going on and said, "These people have all made contributions and have been promoted, but the system is quite strict. Those who can avoid promotion will not be promoted, and those who can be promoted only slightly will not be promoted much."

There's no way to find fault with it. Whether it was before or later, the Hexi Camp mainly made its achievements in the southeast. It was handled by the Ministry of War in Nanjing. When the Ministry of War in Nanjing took the lead, the Ministry of War in the capital just stamped its seal.

At that time, Zhang Jifu was the Minister of War in Nanjing, so it was obviously his doing. Therefore, they had a good opportunity to make their move in winning over these generals.

What can you do when Wang Xin is affiliated with one of the four great families? Although Wang Xin can achieve merit, the four great families cannot. Indeed, Lin Ruhai is quite capable, but he is not in the capital, so even if he is capable, there is nothing that can be done.

What the four powerful families can't provide, they can provide; what the four powerful families can't promote, they can promote. As long as you listen to them and obey their rules, you'll be guaranteed benefits.

Chen Heng confidently stated, "This Zhao Yong was originally Luo Ming's subordinate. Everyone knows about Luo Ming's affairs. He had nowhere else to go, and Wang Xin happened to appear, so Zhao Yong went to join Wang Xin."

After introducing Zhao Yong's background, Chen Heng raised his hand to stroke his beard, his eyes full of pride, as if victory was assured. He casually said, "Given his background, his previous contributions to the fight against the Japanese pirates in the southeast, and the current situation in Datong, whether he has made merits or demerits is just a matter of a word from us. Therefore, he is the easiest person to win over."

Datong was one of the nine military towns of the Nine Borders, and it was under the jurisdiction of not only Wang Xin but also Feng Yong.

Feng Yong was definitely not going to be used anymore; he had been completely sidelined. Wang Xin, however, had no choice but to be used, because he was young, held a low official position, and had caught the eye of the retired emperor. There was no reason not to use him, so he had to be used in a controlled manner, becoming a tool of the court, and using his abilities to intimidate the other military garrisons.

The Ministry of War was the first to win the reform of the Beijing Garrison, and it led the implementation and progressed smoothly. With the Beijing Garrison and Datong Garrison combined, the situation was completely opened up.

Li Chengxian nodded in agreement, saying, "This person wasn't trained by Wang Xin, so there's really no problem with him. I see that he's only a junior officer on the list; we could promote him to a guerrilla commander."

The promotion from Zuoji to Youji is equivalent to advancing two ranks, and Youji is a true general, a level that most military officers struggle to achieve in their entire lives. In Li Chengxian's words, it's as simple as eating a meal.

The two pointed at the list on the table, but Zhang Jifu didn't say much.

As a high-ranking cabinet minister, it would be beneath my dignity to deal with Wang Xin, who was merely a guerrilla general. Besides, I had intercepted him and brought him to the capital with the intention of grooming him as my confidant.

Zhang Jifu was confident that he could find Wang Xin among the four major families, and of course he would strengthen his control over him, but he would not go to the extent he has done today.

The reason for changing his mind was twofold: firstly, this person didn't have the intention of completely pledging allegiance to him; secondly, after hearing the Emperor Emeritus's words, he gave up. Competing with the Emperor Emeritus for the person wasn't impossible, but it wouldn't be worth the risk. Since that was the case, he decided to proceed officially. It was precisely at this juncture that Wang Xin stepped forward.

That's exactly what he said.

"If you do nothing, nothing will happen; the more you do, the more trouble you'll cause." Zhang Jifu was disgusted by this saying in public, but today was different. For the sake of the court, he would have to make an exception for Wang Xin.

Chen Heng then asked, "We can only discuss things from above; we can't get in touch with them directly. The most important thing is Zhang Wenjin. Is he reliable? What if we've already prepared everything, but he can't handle it and ruins everything at the last minute?"

Zhang Wenjin was a friend of Li Chengxian, and Li Chengxian spoke up for his friend, saying, "As long as the imperial court cooperates, Zhang Wenjin will definitely be able to hold his ground."

"Let's hurry," Zhang Jifu finally said.

Everyone nodded.

Ultimately, it depends on Zhang Wenjin. His interactions with these lower- and middle-ranking officers in Datong were nothing more than attempts to entice them with benefits. It was all for personal gain; that's the truth. Who isn't acting in their own self-interest?

Now that the imperial court has presented itself as a powerful ally, who would be so foolish as to refuse?

While working in the cabinet, Zhang Jifu was constantly surrounded by people coming to see him. After a busy day, he left the palace in a sedan chair and returned to his residence, a brand-new courtyard with a garden featuring artificial hills and ponds.

"Having come to this capital, I've lost my own time because of the court's affairs," Zhang Jifu sighed, sinking wearily into his recliner.

More than a dozen actors were sent from Nanjing. Among them, one actor had the best skills. His fingers were smooth and soft. He gently stroked Zhang Jifu's forehead, and Zhang Jifu quickly forgot his troubles.

But Zhang Jifu was still Zhang Jifu, and he was making plans in his mind again.

The two towns of Xuanhua are not a big problem. With the addition of the Beijing Garrison and Datong Garrison, we can then target western Liaoning. The imperial court has been too short of funds in recent years and can no longer make up for it. Last year, we quelled the Japanese pirates and brought peace to the southeast. We also used several newly trained troops from the Beijing Garrison to plug the loopholes in the nine border regions and stabilize the northern nomadic threat.

After a year or two, the imperial court's tax revenue will improve, but it won't be reissued. With money in hand, one can control the generals on the border, win over the obedient ones, and suppress the ambitious ones.

After three to five years, everything was under the control of the cabinet, and even if the retired emperor was gone and the new emperor took over the reins of power, it wouldn't have much of an impact.

Because everything was controlled by civil officials, if the emperor disobeyed and acted recklessly, they would make him drown or through some other accident, and replace him with a more obedient emperor.

In those days, the world belonged to everyone!

Civil officials are selected through competition among scholars who come from ordinary people. Everyone can study, and as long as they are capable, they can pass the imperial examinations and become officials. What could be a fairer path than this?

It's better than being a noble family, isn't it?

As an ordinary person, Zhang Jifu did not have noble blood, so wouldn't he have to be a commoner or servant for the rest of his life?

Moreover, to be an official, one must have a good reputation, be principled among scholars, and have a court full of upright officials, so that the world may prosper. Throughout the thousands of years, only I have achieved such a feat.

Although I indulged in some pleasures, these were things I deserved. I didn't steal or rob. The actresses I bought were selling themselves; no one forced them. So no one can blame me; I didn't do anything wrong.
-
Hexi Camp. Liu Tong was supervising over sixty teenagers as they practiced their martial arts.

There were over ninety children under the age of sixteen in Hexi Camp, with the majority, more than half, being under ten. It turned out that the older, more clever children had already slipped out of the camp to beg, which was better than staying in the camp and waiting to die, hence the large number of children.

That's fate. Those who stayed fared better, while those who escaped could never come back.

It wasn't that Wang Xin was ruthless, or that he was dissatisfied with those who had fled; rather, it was that his abilities were limited, and he could only take care of those he could see. Liu Tong understood the general's thoughts very well.

It wasn't until Wang Xin arrived that the soldiers of the Hexi Camp's lives improved. Elsewhere, the system of household guards still existed, and only the elite soldiers were fed well; ordinary soldiers were still treated like dirt.

Those who can follow Wang Xin must be over fourteen years old, so Wang Xin currently only has about twenty young guards around him. The rest remain in the Hexi Camp, supervised by Old Man Chen in the camp.

While the army was on the move and fighting, Old Man Chen was too old and could no longer keep up physically, so several of his apprentices joined the army.

Liu Tong returned to Hexi Camp, and Old Chen was happy to relax for a few days, drinking and bragging with Old Shi and others.

Don't be fooled by Old Man Chen's high military pay; he mostly treats people to meals. When it comes to arguing with other old men, he never backs down and they often get red in the face. Old Man Shi is a particular rival of his.

Liu Tong had nothing to do and couldn't stay idle, so the children suffered. Liu Tong was even more ruthless than Old Man Chen. Old Man Chen mainly relied on intimidation, but Liu Tong really knew how to fight, so the children dared not slack off.

Some children are talented, and some are not. But being a soldier is not like being a gangster. Being hardworking and willing to endure hardship is enough.

Everyone has the qualities of diligence and a willingness to endure hardship; it's just a matter of whether they are willing to do it. Therefore, in times of great turmoil and instability, joining the army is often the best option for ordinary people.

Shi Ping, Xiao Shitou, and three other children were the most talented among the children. Liu Tong saw this but didn't say anything. He was just a little stricter with them. The more talented a person is, the more discerning they are. Old Man Chen was no exception.

Today, Liu Tong is testing the children's breathing skills to see if they've been slacking off.

As the saying goes, you need to train your muscles and skin externally, and cultivate your inner strength. Without this inner strength, it's just a showy display that won't last long and can be easily taken down.

Wang Xin rode his horse, with Shi Ping beside him, and the two returned to the Hexi Camp.

Wang Xin watched Liu Tong train the boys without disturbing them.

Although everyone likes the general, no one wants him to come to the camp. When the general comes, everyone feels uncomfortable. It's not that everyone is unruly, but no one is made of iron, and they can't maintain the camp's military discipline all the time.

Old Chen and Old Shi also secretly hid the wine jug and quietly slipped back.

Previously, considering the practicalities, especially with these old guys, the patrolmen mostly turned a blind eye. But now that the general is here, everyone has to be meticulous, and no one can make excuses.

"General." After finishing his lecture to the children, Liu Tong wiped his sweat and came to Wang Xin's side.

"How about it?"

"Not bad, they haven't forgotten their roots," Liu Tong said with a smile.

Children from poor families forget their roots after only a few days of plenty; that's a waste. Those who want to coast through life are from wealthy families; they can afford to.

There is no such thing as fairness in this world. Some people are born with disabilities, so who can they ask for fairness from?

You either accept your fate or defy destiny.

Wang Xin laughed and said, "You might be getting a promotion?"

"Huh?" Caught off guard by the sudden question, Liu Tong quickly asked, "I want to be promoted to commander?"

Liu Tong was a garrison commander; if he were to be promoted, he would become a centurion.

Wang Xin shook his head. "I don't know. It depends on what the court thinks."

What can the imperial court think?

“If you were less attached to me, you would probably be promoted higher, perhaps even more than just a commander. But if you were more attached to me, you would only be a commander,” Wang Xin guessed.

The court wasn't targeting them, but rather the military generals, aiming to control the military with civil officials.

His subordinates have accumulated a lot of merits, and it is only right and proper for them to be promoted. However, they have been suppressed for a long time. Now, in order to win over and divide his subordinates, promotion is one of the inevitable means.

But it's not to deal with him; the court still needs him, and they need to guard against the barbarians in Datong. So others also need to be promoted, just a few less.

Liu Tong was originally the captain of Zhang Jing's personal guard, and later followed him. The group of men yesterday morning, with his merits and seniority, should be at least a captain, let alone a lieutenant colonel, or even a commander.

After listening to the general's words, Liu Tong was speechless. It was the same old court trick again. He finally smiled bitterly and said, "Damn it, the court is always up to no good. They only know how to mess with us subordinates."

Wang Xin didn't care. He would have done the same thing if he were in Wang Xin's shoes, just with different methods. He laughed and said, "So it depends on your fate."

Liu Tong didn't care. "Let them make a fuss. I'll just stay with the general."

The same guerrilla generals, some have only a hundred or so soldiers, some have a few hundred, and some have none at all, lying in their rich and powerful homes, while generals can lead thousands of soldiers.

Wang Xin trusted Liu Tong, but unfortunately there weren't many people like Liu Tong.

Therefore, the size of his troops has always been limited, not just because of money and supplies. He prefers quality over quantity, only wanting the good and not the bad.

(End of this chapter)