The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 250 Value

The tree catches the wind.

Based on his own strengths, Wang Xin believed that he did not need to actually lead troops.

Each part is like a branch or trunk.

Each member of my personal guard battalion receives three taels of silver per month, which is unheard of given the current economy and prices in the Great Zhou Dynasty.

With such high military pay, naturally there are even higher demands.

Two hundred people is just right, both in the eyes of outsiders and within one's own capabilities.

Actually, two hundred people is a bit too many.

Over the course of a year, I can examine seventy-two people within my capabilities, but it would take two or three years to finish, and I wouldn't be able to re-examine them.

There's no need to be so careful.

Whether it's about one's own abilities or about oneself.

Everyone should have value.

Wang Xin did not believe that just because he was the creator of this army, he could continue to "reach out" indefinitely.

By leveraging his own strengths, he can provide the army with a continuous stream of officers who are ideologically unified, highly capable, and skilled in both military and civilian affairs. This is his greatest value to the team.

That's human resources.

Then comes property.

"A meeting is held before the end of each year to decide on the allocation of military funds for each department, as well as the supply of food, equipment, and so on, based on the year's performance and future expectations."

Wang Xin said in a deep voice, "We must first ask the imperial court for help. If the imperial court can provide for us, that would be the best. If there is any shortfall, the public treasury can make up the difference."

Everyone nodded in agreement, offering no further comment.

This has been the practice for the past few years.

Ordinary soldiers received one tael of silver per month, cavalry and artillerymen received two taels of silver, and elite soldiers received one tael and five mace. Most of the military expenses came from the money earned by the generals through business.

Tang Ping couldn't hold back any longer and said in front of everyone, "All the silver was earned by the general. There's no need for the general to go to such lengths. The general can decide how to allocate military funds."

"Yes."

Huang Wen was dumbfounded, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

Although he had always admired General Wang, he was still deeply impressed by General Wang's demeanor after personally attending such a high-level meeting.

A vague understanding dawned on him.

No wonder the Wang Family Army is so united and of one mind.

With such a leading general, who could possibly be dissatisfied?

Wang Xin shook his head.

Although I know that Tang Ping and the others meant well, I can't take all the credit for myself just because of their kindness. That would be hypocritical and I would be letting my brothers down.

"The rent for the Hexi Camp was brought up by the brothers below offering their own barracks, with the brothers crammed into one shared bed."

Wang Xin remained calm.

Everyone listened attentively.

"It is the brothers below who risk their lives to fight, one by one, to earn our face and strength. Without these things, I would be like a skilled cook without rice. No matter how capable I am, I would only be painting on water."

"You all say that I provided the opportunity, but wasn't it also the brothers who gave me the opportunity?"

As Wang Xin finished speaking, he gradually became somewhat moved.

"Without a general, even if we wanted to fight to the death, there would be nowhere for us to fight."

Liu Tong couldn't help but speak up as well.

Liu Tong was the most introverted person, despite his exceptional skills.

However, this man was truly remarkable. While everyone else was sent out to take charge on their own, Liu Tong was left by the general's side. He remained silent and completely unconcerned.

All eyes in the room were on him.

Liu Tong smiled wryly and said, "General, you are too modest. Many of us come from poor backgrounds, and many of us are remnants of defeated soldiers. If we hadn't followed you, General, what right would we have to talk about our merits?"

Everyone agreed.

The Great Zhou Dynasty lacks everything except people.

Before they had generals, could they win battles? Everyone was caught in a dilemma.

Wang Xin shook his head, disagreeing with Liu Tong's words.

This is a common problem among elites.

Elites often believe that ordinary people can't accomplish anything without them and are just a bunch of rabble.

He can manipulate a mob at will.

But Wang Xin didn't think so.

Elites and ordinary people complement each other.

Without the selfless dedication of the people, what use are the elites?

However, many elites have forgotten their roots, and some are even inherently bad.

Compared to the idea that human nature is inherently good.

Wang Xin believed that humans were born with evil in them.

Because of desire.

As long as desire exists, evil will not cease.

Only by clearly recognizing evil can we truly avoid it, instead of simply embellishing good people and actually providing fertile ground for bad people, turning our place into a paradise for evil.

in short.

Be realistic and pragmatic.

It is what it is.

"No one in this world is indispensable, and neither am I, Wang Xin. There's no need to overestimate my importance." Wang Xin regained his composure and instructed everyone, "However, you must not forget your roots."

army.

The ultimate goal is to win the battle.

To win a battle, they will stop at nothing.

Any means, as long as they help win the battle, are good means.

Everyone who had followed the general for many years knew what their roots were, so they nodded heavily. However, Huang Wen, the newcomer, was a bit confused and didn't dare to ask. He could only keep it to himself and find an opportunity to ask later.

Wang Xin left Huang Wen behind alone.

Huang Wen was thirty-three or thirty-four years old, with a full beard, and was the garrison commander of Tuanshan Pass.

"I'm asking you to join my personal guard battalion and leave Tuanshankou. I wonder if you're truly willing or just pretending?" Wang Xin asked Huang Wen amicably, inviting him to sit down.

Upon hearing Wang Xin's question, Huang Wen stood up again.

"Reporting to the General, I am truly willing to follow you." Huang Wen said, looking nervous.

He was afraid the general wouldn't believe him.

Wang Xin did not doubt Huang Wen's words; no one could deceive him.

“Speaking of which, it was the first time we met when you wouldn’t let me through Tuanshan Pass. Before we knew it, more than half a year had passed.” Wang Xin suddenly smiled.

Huang Wen felt embarrassed when he talked about it.

"It was General Feng's order, and I dared not disobey. However, the general was adamant and wanted to bombard the pass. The pass could not stop the general, so to avoid unnecessary casualties, I had no choice but to let the general enter the pass."

"Your decision is right."

Wang Xin agreed.

At that time, the conflict between myself and Feng Yong was an internal struggle. Regardless of who was right or wrong, if a real war broke out, it would be Zhou's army that would suffer casualties.

Some people are unwilling to resist because they are afraid of death, while others see the situation clearly and are unwilling to resist even at the risk of losing their positions, rather than fighting amongst themselves.

Huang Wen belongs to the latter category.

Wang Xin naturally wanted to recruit such a talent to his side and personally train him.

Huang Wen's personality wasn't stubborn; instead, he had a sense of the big picture and went with the flow, which made Wang Xin think highly of him. As a garrison commander, he might just be a brilliant military leader.

Of course, the more talented people the better.

Most importantly, Tuanshan Pass must be kept under the control of our own army.

The two passes leading from the west into the interior are Weiyuan Pass and Tuanshan Pass. Controlling these two passes is the lifeline for the army's economy.

otherwise.

She herself would not "send" Tang Ping away.
-
The desert.

The north wind howls.

It was still dark at this time, and the temperature difference between night and midday was extreme; it could freeze you to death in the morning.

A place that is out of sight in the distance.

The howl of a lone wolf could be heard from time to time.

Due to a lack of food, the wolf pack was also scattered and searched for food on their own.

Lone wolves are also the most dangerous.

On the contrary, wolf packs, if they see a threat from an opponent, will generally not fight desperately after assessing the situation. Only lone wolves are exceptions.

The consequence of not finding food is also death.

For a bite to eat, a lone wolf will risk injury to attack a human.

Aru, in his thirties, was wearing only a tattered sheepskin, shivering from the cold, with a basket on his back. Braving the bitter cold, he collected more cow and sheep dung before most people got out of bed.

Cow and sheep dung is scattered across the desert, requiring not only searching but also a long journey.

Aru's basket contained more than a dozen pieces of dried cow and sheep dung, mixed with undigested hay. He encountered three or four people like him, all of whom were the lowest-ranking herders in the tribe.

They not only had to gather materials for their own tents, but also for the chieftains, and the best materials had to be contributed to the chieftains.

"Aru".

"What's wrong."

"I can't survive, can I borrow some food?"

"I do not have either."

Aru shook his head in refusal, unable to bear seeing the expression on his childhood friend's face.

Aru's partner did not complain.

It's tough for everyone these days. Not only has Taiji paid half of his cattle and sheep as tribute to the Zhou people, but there are also many other problems. Even though it seems like there are fewer people in the desert, life has become even more difficult.

"When will the Zhou people arrive?"

"They won't be coming now."

After thinking for a moment, Aru said again, "Autumn hasn't come, winter won't come, and next spring, I'm afraid there will be problems too."

The merchants already have their own ranches and herdsmen, so why should they buy from them?

If you were a businessman.

Aru thought about it for a moment, then dared not continue thinking about it.

The companion didn't understand; he only knew that merchants from the Great Zhou wouldn't come during the winter.

I used to complain about these merchants, but now that they've stopped coming, I realize they can't live without them. Even if they borrowed money from them, they could still make a living, unlike now.

No matter how many cattle and sheep there are in the tribe, they don't belong to them.

On the contrary, they had to offer their own cattle and sheep as tribute to the tribe from time to time.

Aru sighed and patted his companion's shoulder. Beneath the filthy animal hide, there was only hard bone. At this rate, his companion probably wouldn't survive the coming winter.

Although he saw it, Aru was helpless.

Go to new places to collect cow and sheep dung.

After searching for two hours, Aru finally returned to his tribe, exhausted, and went first to the chieftain's tent.

"Ada."

As soon as he entered, he heard a familiar female voice coming from inside. Aru looked up abruptly and asked in surprise, "What are you doing here?"

Inside the tent, several sheepskin rugs and silk from the Great Zhou Dynasty were laid out on the bed. Only a woman's head was visible. The woman's body was in the blankets, looking at Aru with a wronged expression.

"After Ah Da left, the chieftain sent someone to summon me."

Upon hearing her daughter's explanation, Aru's lips twitched as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she could only remain silent.

The chieftain's tent was supported by wood in the middle and was much wider than the herders' tents.

Aru familiarly lifted the lid of a bamboo basket, revealing more cow and sheep dung inside. Then Aru poured his own dung in. He was originally going to pour in most of it, but after thinking about it, he only poured in a little bit this time.

After putting down the lid, Aru slung the basket back over his shoulder and prepared to leave.

"Let's go back early later."

"I know, Da."

The woman in bed watched her father's retreating figure and quickly replied, too embarrassed to ask him to add some dried cow and sheep dung to the stove.

The Hu people had a complex origin and did not form their own unified culture, but were greatly influenced by the inland areas.

Some tribes call their father "A-Da".

soon.

A man dressed in sheepskin with a silk cloak covering him returned to the tent.

“My brother-in-law just arrived.”

Hearing the woman's voice from under the covers, the man changed direction, reached out a hand, lifted the lid of the basket, glanced at it, and sneered twice.

The woman in bed said with dissatisfaction, "I told you to sleep."

"roll."

"Tell your eldest brother to send it back to me."

The man cursed.

The woman got up from her bed, wrapped herself in her tattered clothes, and left the tent crying.

On the grassland.

Only the strong can be leaders.

You need to make others fear you.

If I were to pass away one day, and my son were not yet grown up, I could be killed at any time, and my property would become someone else's.

We cannot allow the herders under our control to improve their situation.

Everyone is getting better, so who would still care about him, the chieftain?

just.

A hint of worry appeared in the chieftain's eyes.

soon.

The headquarters holds a bi-weekly gathering where the chieftains gather in the Taiji's tent, where the Taiji prepares a sumptuous meal.

And there were also warriors brought by the chieftains.

Everyone ate meat and drank wine to their heart's content.

They enjoyed the preferential treatment given to them by Taiji, and were sincerely grateful to Taiji and loyal to him.

The chieftain said worriedly, "This year, the tribe's livestock is half gone."

Batel put down his wine bowl.

The other leaders also quieted down.

You speak, I speak, and we recount the hardships of this year.

The cold winds came unusually early this year.

The tribe was dissatisfied.

People harbor resentment.

Batel said sternly, "The Zhou people have no integrity and are the worst people in the world."

Upon hearing Taiji's words, the chieftains all nodded in agreement.

"When you return, tell your herdsmen, so that they may understand the ways of the world."

Not only the various small tribes, but even the main tribe was full of complaints.

Knowing the situation was unstable, Batel summoned the heads of various departments.

He said angrily to the crowd, "They steal our cattle and sheep and occupy our pastures. We are weaker than them now, so we can only endure it. Everyone, tighten your belts and work hard. Once the tribe has regained its strength, I will definitely lead everyone to take revenge."

The chieftains thought Taiji's words made sense, and that's how they should explain things to their herdsmen.

Taiji is still Taiji.

According to Taiji, the herders cannot live without their chieftain.

Without their leader's guidance, who could be a match for Zhou's army? Their suffering was all brought about by the Zhou people.

As for the lack of food and drink, everyone has to endure it; the responsibility lies entirely with the Great Zhou.

"Go to Zhenlu City."

After seeing the chieftains off, Barth summoned his son.

"what?"

The young man looked bewildered, unable to fathom his father's intentions.

“Go tell Zhang Can of Zhenlu City that many people are dissatisfied with them, but I have suppressed it.” Bart revealed a confident smile.

For the herders, they can't live without them.

On the Zhou people's side, their rule over the grasslands was also inseparable from their own efforts.

This is my own value.

Only the intelligent can last.

Chi Na isn't smart enough, and he's too impatient. Now look what's happened; he's like a stray dog ​​in Osaka, without any of the prestige of a Taiji.

However, I can try to contact this person myself.

The existence of Chi Na makes her value stand out even more in front of the Great Zhou.

(End of this chapter)