The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 227 Weiyuan Pass

The killings in the Tu Mao Chuan area have ended, and Wang Xin does not plan to do so again in the near future.

However, the Hu tribes around Tu Mao Chuan were unaware of Wang Xin's intentions. Zhang Can's efforts had been very effective; the appearance of the armored cavalry rendered the smaller tribes powerless, and most chose to leave.

According to Wang Xin's understanding, the population of the entire Hetao region was about 150,000. There were both Hu people and Zhou people, and the proportion of Zhou people was not small. Mo Bisheng, who was poisoned, was clearly a Zhou person.

The population of the Shanyu City area should be around 20,000 to 30,000, while the Tu Mao Chuan area has fertile land and a pleasant climate, with a population of at least 10,000.

Several hundred people were killed, several hundred more fled, and in the end, at least several thousand people fled to other places, which would bring severe survival pressure to the Shanyu tribe.

The Chanyu had only two choices.

One option is to expand northward to increase their living space, and the other is to move south and defeat themselves. If he remains inactive, the small tribes that have lost their territory will inevitably encroach on the pastures of other tribes in order to survive, and a civil war will break out in the Shanyu tribe.

The Chanyu's envoy did not reply, but would convey his request to the Chanyu.

What choice will the Chanyu make?
He was no match for Ou Yanhu; to attack Ou Yanhu would be tantamount to suicide. To march south and defeat him was also suicidal, given his own knowledge of the power of his artillery.

Therefore, seeking peace with him was what the Chanyu wanted most. As for joining forces with Ouyanhu to march south, this contradicted Ouyanhu's plans.

A man like Ou Yanhu would never easily change his mind, and would more likely be happy to see the Shanyu tribe and the Zhou army kill each other, thus preventing him from leading a large army on a northern expedition and giving the Shanyu an opportunity to grow stronger.

"Will the Chanyu really come?" Zhang Can asked, puzzled.

Ma Fan, who was following behind him, laughed and said, "If I were the Chanyu, I would definitely come for the future of Chanyu City in the face of the current situation."

Zhang Can chuckled to himself, "That's certainly possible."

I understand the general, so I dare not come. The Chanyu does not understand the general. If he judges the general by common sense, he will easily make a mistake.

Just like the agreement between the general and Zhang Jifu, this was a secret that should not have been made public, but the general made a big fuss about it, not caring that it might have an impact, which caused Zhang Jifu to change his mind about what he had promised.

Wang Xin was pleased with Ma Fan's performance. As he gradually relinquished control, a group of officers capable of leading the charge gradually emerged.

No one is born a good fighter, and war is the most costly thing to do and cannot afford to fail. Moreover, you can know a person's face but not their heart, so your own advantages are too great.

It is precisely because of these advantages that I dare to let go and do many things that ordinary people would not dare to do.

"Although we don't plan to fight again, we still need to make it look like we're about to attack, so that the scouts around us will think we're ready to strike at any moment," Wang Xin instructed. "The wagon cavalry will be in front, and the cavalry will be behind."

Unlike when they arrived, the cavalry remained behind, ready to strike at any moment.

Zhang Can hesitated, as if he wanted to ask something.

Wang Xin glanced at Zhang Can, not because he trusted Zhang Can, but because he knew that secrets could lead to disaster. Once they reached Weiyuan Pass, they could tell Zhang Can their true purpose, and that would be the official start. What they were doing now was just an appetizer.

The bigger the matter, the more careful and secretive the matter needs to be.

What I'm doing now is like walking a tightrope; I can't afford to make a single mistake.

Zhang Jifu's desire to stabilize Datong and maintain the status quo was indeed a prudent move, as he recognized Datong's problems. However, Wang Xin preferred to eliminate the hidden dangers rather than allow them to grow.

At the same time, by taking advantage of the opportunity to get rid of Ou Yanhu, they can find a new source of income for the Hexi Camp.

The imperial court doesn't support them, forcing them to support themselves, which leaves them with no choice.

Seeing that the general had no intention of revealing anything, Zhang Can didn't think much of it and didn't believe that the general distrusted him. So he put aside his doubts and did as the general instructed.

The cavalry consisted of 20 men per squad, and 60 men per scout, for a total of five scouts.

Two outposts covered the rear, two outposts followed the army, one outpost provided support, and five outposts took turns driving cattle and sheep towards Weiyuan Pass. Following the Qingshui River, they gradually penetrated deeper into the hills and had already entered the territory of the Great Zhou.

The Hexi Camp arrived at Moershan and entered the pass from there, heading straight for Weiyuan Pass. The journey went more smoothly than expected. Feng Yong left Datong, and it seemed that Feng Di could not control his subordinates.

Faced with the rumored commander who would soon become their superior, the garrison troops at the various passes of Weiyuan Pass clearly dared not resist, which also shows that these garrison troops had little loyalty.

Feng Di was not a qualified person, and Wang Xin became increasingly disappointed. He stopped paying attention to him and crossed his name off the list.

Early on the third day.

The army arrived at Weiyuan Pass. The gates of Weiyuan Pass were already open, and officials and officers from inside the pass came out to greet them. Among the crowd, Feng Di was very low-key. Wang Xin asked, "Who is Feng Di?"

Feng Di reluctantly stepped forward and said in a low voice, "It is I."

"I don't have a subordinate like you," Wang Xin said condescendingly from his horse.

Everyone was shocked.

Although everyone knew that Wang Xin was after Feng Di, and Feng Di had initially refused to back down, he eventually gave up. They were all helpless and felt a bit resentful.

Feng Di looked up in surprise, his eyes slightly uneasy. The two men he had sent had not yet returned, and he wondered what had happened to them. He asked hesitantly, "What mistake did I make? Why is the general saying this about me?"

“You colluded with the Chanyu and plotted a rebellion. Now that your crimes have been exposed, you still repent even as you face death. You are truly guilty of heinous crimes,” Wang Xin shouted.

The soldiers were prepared and immediately went up to capture Feng Di.

Feng Di was the adjutant of Weiyuan Pass. Several officers around him instinctively tried to stop him, but hesitated because of Wang Xin's reputation and status. Liu Tong shouted, "Do you want to rebel?"

Liu Tong was also a garrison commander, dressed in the uniform of a sixth-rank military officer. His status was only lower than Feng Di's, so no one dared to stop him. Seeing this, Liu Tong led his men to push past them.

Seeing that he had nowhere to turn, Feng Di anxiously protested, "Wang Xin, you are slandering me. I will report you to the court. Gentlemen, please bear witness for me." He tried to get the people around him to help him.

Many people were indeed dissatisfied with Wang Xin, and their attitudes became complicated.

"You won't give up until you've hit rock bottom," Wang Xin mocked. Seeing that the expression on Wang Xin's face seemed genuine, and hearing Wang Xin sneer, "This time I fought my way through Tu Mao Chuan, and the Chanyu, in order to make peace, sent me two men. I brought those two men with me. Are you sure you don't want to leave yourself any chance?"

Rebellion would result in the confiscation of property.

Wang Xin didn't intend to prosecute Feng Di for treason, not out of pity, but because lawsuits were troublesome. Not only were ordinary people afraid of lawsuits, but to avoid complications, if Feng Di obediently committed suicide, he would leave Feng Di's family alone. Feng Di fell silent, his eyes lifeless, knowing he was finished.

He stopped resisting and let Liu Tong tie him up and press him down. Seeing Feng Di's attitude, the people around guessed what had happened. Although they were dissatisfied with Wang Xin's domineering attitude, they were relieved that at least the rules had not been broken.

As expected, Wang Xin stationed himself at Weiyuan Pass and took stock of all matters. Because of the show of force he had just received, no one dared to object.

at night.

The storage room where Feng Di was imprisoned.

Feng Di seemed to have aged ten years, becoming lifeless. Wang Xin disregarded Feng Di's thoughts and asked, "Besides you and your two clansmen, was anyone else involved in your secret dealings with the Chanyu?"

Internal contradictions are internal contradictions, and external contradictions are external contradictions.

If it were just an internal conflict, Wang Xin wouldn't care. But colluding with the Hu people to assassinate colleagues is absolutely unforgivable. Wang Xin has no intention of letting anyone involved go.

Feng Di, having lost his daytime spirit, sat in the pile of weeds and said indifferently, "So what if it exists, so what if it doesn't? Since the general is so insightful, he can investigate it himself."

At this point, Feng Di knew he had no way out and was willing to give up resistance, only hoping for the safety of his family. However, his hatred for Wang Xin did not disappear; on the contrary, he wished he could kill the man himself.

Wang Xin snorted coldly and threatened, "I am a soft-hearted person, but since I joined the army, countless people have died at my hands. The evidence of your collusion with the Chanyu is conclusive. Are you hoping that Feng Yong will help you get away with it, or do you think I can't convict you of the crime of secretly communicating with the Chanyu and plotting a rebellion?"

Feng Di snapped out of his daze, swallowed hard, and dared not think any further. With a deflated temper, he said dejectedly, "Nobody knows. How could I let so many people know about this? The fewer the better."

"I hope you're not lying to me. If you are, even if you die, I will make you regret it and make your family take the blame," Wang Xin said calmly, and he really would do it.

Feng Di seemed to realize something, and an ugly smile crept onto his lips.

“I have followed the General to guard the frontier for ten years without fail. I have worked hard even if I have not made any great contributions. The General has already won, so why is he pressuring me like this? If the General had not been so demanding, how could I have contacted the Hu people? I hate the Hu people so much that I don’t even have time to think about it.”

How difficult it was for Datong back then, and how much effort my uncle put in to stabilize Datong.

Feng Di felt indignant for his uncle and also felt that his own fate was unfair. Although he dared not provoke the victor in front of him, the resentment in his heart still made him resentful.

"I acknowledge your hard work." Wang Xin nodded.

Feng Di was taken aback.

Wang Xin said regretfully, "Internal conflicts are just internal conflicts, and they can be resolved. I did not come to Weiyuan Pass with the intention of dealing with you. As long as you obey my orders, I will still give you an important position. Unfortunately, you made the worst decision you could have made: colluding with foreign enemies. Therefore, you must die."

"Now that things have come to this, it doesn't matter what the general says."

Feng Di's attitude softened, and he didn't really believe Wang Xin's words. If it were him, no matter how eloquently Wang Xin spoke, he wouldn't be able to trust him and would definitely choose someone he could trust.

Wang Xin didn't care whether Feng Di believed him or not; he just wanted to have a clear conscience. He then stated his purpose: "Give me a list of all the merchants involved in smuggling at Weiyuan Pass over the years. The more detailed the list, the better. With this list, I will guarantee the safety of your family and not implicate them."

Feng Di once again showed a look of surprise, truly unable to understand the young general before him.

Wang Xin sighed, "My real purpose in coming to Weiyuan Pass is these merchants, not you. If you had remained calm, or if you had a bottom line and hadn't contacted any foreign enemies, why would I have wanted your life?"

He always turned his blade outwards, never inwards.

Feng Di's expression softened a bit. There was no need for this person to talk so much with him. It seemed that this person would indeed let his family go. That was good. Feng Di stopped thinking about it and honestly wrote down everything he knew.

Weiyuan Pass is not only one of the largest trade ports in Datong, but also the largest smuggling point.

Official trade accounts for half of Datong's annual trade, while private smuggling accounts for at least half. With such lucrative profits, how could local bigwigs possibly miss out?

Feng Di was genuinely curious and asked, "General, are you planning to deal with these merchants?"

None of the merchants involved in smuggling have simple backgrounds. Wang Xin is just a guerrilla general. Although he is supposed to be promoted to brigade commander, he hasn't been promoted yet. So what if he is a brigade commander?

If they really offend the merchants, they can use the court to help them. Even if Wang Xin has a powerful background, can't they at least get promoted so that Wang Xin can be transferred to another post?

Why target merchants?

"Merchants are driven by profit and will do anything for it. General Wang's plan to deal with the Shanyu tribe is not so simple."

Wang Xin smiled.

Since he dared to come, he must have a way to deal with it.

However, it's not Feng Di's place to worry about what's next. No matter how talented Feng Di is, after getting to know this person for a while, it's clear that he is indeed organized and clear-headed, but he did the worst thing he could ever do, and that would definitely be fatal.

The list was quickly handed to Wang Xin.

The next morning, when the soldiers at Weiyuan Pass went to deliver food to Feng Di, they found that he had hanged himself, having committed suicide out of fear of punishment.

Both Weiyuan Pass and Tuanshan are passes, but the situations in the two places are completely different.

The terrain at Tuanshankou is relatively flat, allowing the army to easily traverse the mountainous area. However, the mountainous terrain around Weiyuan Pass is steep, with many sections consisting of narrow paths. Therefore, the longest journey from Tuanshankou to Qingshuihe took the Hexi Camp only five days, while the journey from Qingshuihe to the nearby Weiyuan Pass took three days.

Weiyuan Pass was advantageous for defense, and the mountain trails were secluded. Although the trails were winding, they were also accessible to caravans, making them a major route for merchants to smuggle goods.

Due to the terrain, Weiyuan Pass was situated in a mountainous area, and two sections of the Great Wall were built there.

The first route was only forty or fifty li long and guarded the entrance to the mountain valley. The second route was in the middle of the mountain area, with Weiyuan Pass at the very end. Inside the Weiyuan Pass, just like the Hexi Camp, many of the barracks had become warehouses for merchants.

Cotton cloth, silk, tea, porcelain, pottery, bronze mirrors, flint, and jewelry, worth twenty to thirty thousand taels of silver.

Each household had a manager who stayed behind. Knowing that things had changed at Weiyuan Pass, seven or eight managers immediately visited Wang Xin together. They were worried that he would act recklessly, and they also made preparations by sending someone back to inform their employers.

“My general said he won’t make things difficult for you managers. On the tenth of next month, the owners of each business must come to Weiyuan Pass to discuss their respective matters in person.” Shi Ping stepped forward, his face still somewhat immature, but his words were steady.

(End of this chapter)