The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 211 Xue Baochai is not bad

In the early morning light along the Tonghui River, the sound of the canal's clappers urges the boatmen to quickly lower the sails.

The massive 800-ton ship made the river tremble. The brand on its bow brushed against half of the hitching post on the bank. When the ship docked, the laborers on the shore went up to negotiate.

Zhu Shenggong's expression was calm, lacking his usual cheerful demeanor. He and Wang Xin surveyed the wharf outside the Hexi market. The endless stream of caravans and pedestrians was enough to demonstrate the prosperity of the place, although it was still in its early stages. In time, many houses would spring up.

Although he saw the potential benefits, Zhu Shenggong remained unmoved.

Zhu Shenggong asked curiously, "Those people run the dock so well, aren't you going to do anything about it? Don't be fooled by their tattered clothes and miserable appearance; they do all sorts of bad things in secret."

Wang Xin nodded and smiled, "They have their reason for existing."

"Oh?" Zhu Shenggong became even more curious.

He had a lot of contact with Wang Xin and knew him quite well. Most people only saw Wang Xin's ability to lead troops into battle, but Zhu Shenggong knew that this man's ability to turn stones into gold was equally astonishing.

The more Zhu Shenggong understood Wang Xin's prowess, the more he valued him.

The Zhu family did not interfere with the profits of the Hexi market, and this was partly due to their high regard for Wang Xin.

Wang Xin did not hide anything and said, "There are a lot of vagrants and beggars outside. They are allowed to storm the docks. The laborers who used to make a living from the docks are now left with nothing. So the laborers need gangs to stop the vagrants and beggars from attacking them."

Zhu Shenggong shook his head and said, "This is outrageous."

Wang Xin did not speak again.

The stability and prosperity of a dynasty are not determined by the wealthy, but by the vulnerable. Why? Because there were still a large number of poor people. The Great Zhou Dynasty did not treat the poor as human beings. Laborers and beggars and vagrants, for their own interests, thus became adversaries, one fighting for their own food, the other for survival.

Fighting and killing are unavoidable; where there is profit, there is darkness—that's human nature.

Seeing that Wang Xin didn't speak, Zhu Shenggong assumed that Wang Xin was worried that the Zhu family had designs on this place. Instead, he was pleased and said with a smile, "I came to the Hexi market, but my main purpose is not your Hexi market."

“The Hexi market is not mine,” Wang Xin explained.

Zhu Shenggong didn't care about Wang Xin's denial. The Hexi market was mainly composed of the Xue family from Jinling, as well as merchants from Yangzhou, sons of nobles, and gentry from Jiangnan. Their influence was not particularly strong.

Zhu Shenggong winked at Wang Xin, appearing friendly, and said with a smile, "The future of the Hexi Market is promising, but out of respect for you, I have no intention of getting involved."

"Is the Admiral facing difficulties?" Wang Xin wondered to himself as he asked.

Zhu Shenggong was speechless.

I really want to open this person's brain and see what's going on. Helplessly, I said, "It's hard to say what the difficulties are. Didn't the Emperor recently reinstate the Military Governor's Office? My father is worried about this."

Wang Xin understood, seemed to be deep in thought, and vaguely agreed in his heart, saying, "The Admiral's concerns are justified."

Upon hearing Wang Xin's words, Zhu Shenggong's smile vanished, and he asked seriously, "You think so too?" Zhu Shenggong trusted Wang Xin's judgment and realized the seriousness of his lapse in composure.

Even a guerrilla general like himself was being closely watched, let alone Zhu Wei, the commander of the Eastern Army.

Wang Xin said matter-of-factly, "The Ministry of War and the Military Administration led the reform of the Beijing Garrison. From the merger of the Twelve Battalions, the Imperial Guards, and the Beijing Garrison into one, to the struggle between the two sides for dominance, the Admiral has gained many advantages. Now that things have come to fruition and the situation has settled, the Admiral's power will inevitably be reduced."

Wang Xin remained calm, but Zhu Shenggong couldn't contain himself and said bitterly, "Zhou Daofeng and Zhang Jifu are crossing the river and burning the bridge." However, he dared not mention the Emperor Emeritus in his words.

Zhu Shenggong seemed to realize something and looked at Wang Xin, asking curiously, "Since you guessed that the court would definitely deal with you, didn't you make any preparations?"

It's not so much about dealing with them, it's just about consolidating power.

Moreover, he couldn't explain his method to Zhu Shenggong. He glanced at the panel subconsciously and said vaguely, "The east wind is strong now, so it's not appropriate to fight it head-on."

Zhu Shenggong nodded and commented, "I almost forgot, you are a loyal subject."

Upon hearing the words "loyal minister," Wang Xin was speechless.

I'm just a soldier, why talk about loyalty? If I had to set a goal, I would only be loyal to the world.

Zhu Shenggong stopped probing and asked directly, "I do not want my father to go to the Five Armies Commandery. I will definitely fight with the court. Please do not help the court. Our Zhu family has done nothing wrong to you."

No one questions Wang Xin's abilities.

With Wang Xin's cooperation, the imperial court was able to overthrow Feng Pangzi in Datong, and they could also overthrow their own father in the Beijing garrison. This was the biggest worry for Zhu Shenggong and his son.

Unbeknownst to me, Wang Xin had turned into a troublemaker.

Why is he so annoying? Zhu Shenggong couldn't help but think of what Wang Xin had said about the dock earlier. From this perspective, he was like a vagrant beggar who had nothing of his own, so he would fawn over the court for even a bone and run to pledge his loyalty to the court.

Wang Xin nodded and agreed to Zhu Shenggong's request. Zhu Shenggong breathed a sigh of relief. To be honest, he was afraid that Wang Xin would not agree. The small commander who had once piqued his interest had now become a powerful force capable of shaking the interests of all sides.

Just like the foreign cannons that this person introduced, which caused a great commotion.

Zhu Wei is prudent in his actions and will most likely reach a mutually acceptable agreement with the court, unlike Feng Yong. Moreover, the Eastern Army under Zhu Wei's command is the strongest force in the Beijing Garrison, and the court will inevitably have to control it, both morally and logically.

Just like the market in Hexi.

Wang Xin looked over again, and Zhu Shenggong, seeing Wang Xin's gaze, also looked towards the Hexi market. To be honest, the Hexi market was quite profitable; he had heard that Wang Xin could earn ten thousand taels of silver every year.

Tsk tsk, ten thousand taels of silver is not a small amount. This is not a case of enriching oneself at the expense of the public or exploiting soldiers. These methods take advantage of the court's interests, with profits going to everyone, so the actual amount that ends up in one's own hands is not much.

Of the 100,000 taels of silver, half would be taken by various departments and eunuchs in the capital, and after that, the local governments would take their share. By the time it reached the army, it would be good if 30% was left, and sometimes it would even be delayed for a month or two.

Wang Xin was thinking about the Xue family, who were actually the best partners for cooperation.

Everything has an owner. Just as the Zhou Dynasty was vast, there was no reason why not an inch of land was unclaimed. Similarly, merchants also have owners.

They were either eunuchs, powerful officials, local gentry, members of the imperial family, or members of wealthy clans.
The Xue family was not small, but due to their decline, they could no longer rely on the imperial family or the Ministry of Revenue. As for the Yangzhou Chamber of Commerce, it belonged to local gentry and wealthy families, so how could they be controlled by the Xue family? They couldn't get around Lu Zhongheng.

They would only support civil officials who rose through their ranks; their self-interest determined their stance. Therefore, in the Hexi market, the only organization they could truly influence was the Xue family's trading company.

If it's just ordinary business activity, but the pursuit of efficiency and profit is different, how can the actions be the same when doing business for the military?

Or should we invite Xue Yan to the capital?
After considering this idea, Wang Xin quickly abandoned it.

Xue Yan is a true businessman, and he is probably even more difficult to deal with than Xue Pan. Wang Xin frowned.
-
Zhu Wei wanted to challenge the imperial court, which would be advantageous to him. Wang Xin and Zhu Shenggong reached an agreement and returned to Tubishan Manor.

Unexpectedly, there were more guests at the resort.

In the flower hall, Ping'er, Qingwen, and Xue Baochai were chatting and laughing.

Wang Xin was somewhat surprised to see Xue Baochai. He quickly thought of his previous unpleasant encounter with Xue Pan, and realized that Xue Baochai was no ordinary woman. Could it be that she was there because of this?
With a question lingering in his mind, Wang Xin smiled and asked, "What brings Miss Baochai to Convex Jade Manor today?"

Ping'er and Qingwen both looked at Xue Baochai. They were hesitant to ask directly, but unexpectedly, Xue Baochai spoke up first.

Xue Baochai paused for a moment, then quickly regained her composure and said softly, "I heard from home that Master Xin and my brother have different opinions about the Hexi market. My brother is a straightforward person and doesn't have any bad intentions. If he has offended Master Xin in any way, I will apologize to him on his behalf."

These words were spoken so casually; perhaps Xue Baochai was simply eloquent.

Xue Pan is indeed a fool; he only has the wrong name, not the wrong nickname.

Given the serious political situation between himself and Wang Ziteng, why would a royal merchant, and a dissolute playboy at that, get involved? He could guess Xue Pan's thoughts.

It was nothing more than wanting to prove herself to Wang Ziteng, and also because she was worried that he would take advantage of her and break his promise.

The matter could have been addressed through other means; getting involved in politics is simply courting death.

This matter could be a big deal or a small deal. If we were to be aggressive, we could even drive the Xue family out of the Hexi market. But if we did drive the Xue family out of the Hexi market, then the Yangzhou Chamber of Commerce would have monopolized the market.

At that point, it won't be the Yangzhou Chamber of Commerce that will be controlled by me, but rather I who will be controlled by the Yangzhou Chamber of Commerce.

That's why Wang Xin was annoyed. Xue Pan was a damn idiot. Who gave him that nickname? Absolutely right.

Wang Xin said calmly, "You should advise your brother not to interfere recklessly. In business matters, he should listen to the ideas of your family's general manager, Zhang Dehui. If there's really no time, he can listen to you."

Hearing Wang Xin criticize her brother, Xue Baochai was somewhat unhappy. But when she heard the rest of the conversation, which seemed to be praising her, Xue Baochai was left speechless, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

Xue Baochai said patiently, "My brother doesn't have much experience yet, but give him some time, and I believe he can do it well."

Wang Xin shook his head.

The truth is, things didn't go well, and the Xue family's business plummeted, to the point that they even had to rely on their daughter-in-law's dowry.

Wang Xin seemed to realize something and stared intently at Xue Baochai.

Xue Baochai couldn't help but blush. If it weren't for the falling out between Xinye and her uncle, her uncle might have already proposed marriage to her. Many people know about this, so would he know about it too?

Thinking of this, Xue Baochai became even more restless.

Looking at the fair-skinned and beautiful Xue Baochai in front of him, Wang Xin thought that Xue Baochai had a good personality. Doing business required thinking things through. Xue Baochai was far superior to her brother Xue Pan. It was a pity that she was a girl.

(End of this chapter)