The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 254 Returning to Beijing
The Great Zhou Dynasty inherited the Ming Dynasty's system, and many policies remained unchanged.

Such as the Yellow Register, etc.

Upon hearing Batel's words, Wang Xin's eyes revealed contempt.

"The population of the Shanyu tribe is less than 20,000. Even if you include the Dabansheng region, the total population of the Hetao region will not exceed 150,000. So do you know how many people the Great Zhou had?"

Batel was stunned.

The others were also a bit confused, unable to figure out what Wang Xin wanted to say.

Zhai Wen vaguely understood that the population recorded in the Yellow Register of the Great Zhou was seventy million, but the actual number was definitely more than that. However, Zhai Wen had no idea exactly how many there were.

"Two hundred million, at least one hundred million."

Wang Xin said calmly.

100 million.

What an amazing number.

Many of the Taijis present could not understand it.

Batel, however, had figured something out and disagreed with Wang Xin's statement, retorting, "If war is just about numbers, then there's no need to fight."

“Battertaiji is right.”

"Although we are few in number, we are not afraid of the Great Zhou Dynasty."

Everyone shared a common hatred of this enemy.

Even Taiji, who was unwilling to offend Wang Xin, spoke out in support of Batel on the spot.

Although Batel was pinned to the ground, seeing the support of everyone, he felt increasingly confident, but he didn't dare to offend Wang Xin too much and hoped that Wang Xin would change his mind.

"of course."

To everyone's surprise, Wang Xin said two words, agreeing with everyone's opinion.

The crowd fell silent.

“Juzhongchang recruited two thousand herder households and settled them in Tumaochuan. According to the latest calculations, about fourteen herder households were wiped out, with no one spared. But did you know that?”

Wang Xin showed a look of pity.

"More and more disaster victims are coming to Juzhongchang. Some people are even willing to be fed. Countless disaster victims are waiting to enter Tumaochuan. So, let alone a dozen or so households, even if half of them die or are injured, people are the least valuable thing to Juzhongchang."

On the contrary, cattle, sheep, horses, tents, and other supplies are more valuable than people.

The Taijis looked at each other in bewilderment.

Zhai Wen also fell into deep thought.

Juzhongchang was a powerful tool launched by Wang Xin, not only to generate military funds for the army, but also to open a breach in the stable volcano of the Great Zhou.

The demographic dividend of at least 150 million people should not be wasted like this.

Therefore, Wang Xin did not want to take the lead.

One will be a million bones.

At the beginning of the Anza people's occupation of the Americas, the roads were paved with the blood of countless Anza people, and their enemies were just ignorant and backward natives who had no horses or advanced military systems.

The Juzhongchang model also requires sacrifices.

Not only must we sacrifice the enemy's interests, but we must also sacrifice the lives of our own people.

All Wang Xin could do was build an elite force to eliminate the powerful enemy and ensure the safety of everyone.

But there will always be sacrifices.

The threat from the Hu bandits, and the casualties and losses they brought, were all within Wang Xin's expectations.

Even if 10,000 disaster victims die and only 1,000 survive, then 100,000 disaster victims die and 10,000 survive, which is still "advantageous".

In the process of the deaths of 100,000 disaster victims, a large number of non-Han people were also consumed.

It was only because of my own reasons.

A powerful army saved most of the disaster victims who would have otherwise died.

The death of a thousand people in the Great Zhou Dynasty is equivalent to the death of one person in the Hu people.

Therefore, even if a hundred people from the Great Zhou died, and one person from the Hu died, the Hu people absolutely could not afford the loss.

Moreover, of the two thousand disaster victims, only a dozen or so have died so far.

For Juzhongchang, it was insignificant; on the contrary, it further stimulated Juzhongchang's desire for expansion, because the loss was too minor.

What Wang Xin needs to do is make the Taijis recognize reality.

“Bater, I know what you’re thinking, and you know what I’m afraid of about you. So you’re relying on these fears to think you can take advantage of the situation and use your talents to your advantage.”

Wang Xin spoke frankly.

No one could refute it, because it was the truth.

“But you,” Wang Xin pointed at Batel, then glanced at Taiji present, and said seriously, “you still don’t understand me enough.”

"May I ask what kind of person General Wang is?"

One of the Taiji couldn't help but ask.

"I am a soldier."

Looking at the still confused Taiji, Wang Xin said again, "My ultimate goal is to win the battle. Any sacrifice is worthwhile to achieve victory, even if it is a sacrifice I do not wish to make."

Zhai Wen felt a dryness in his throat.

He understood.

if so.

This highly respected general would not hesitate to sacrifice himself if necessary to win battles.

It wasn't just the soldiers who sacrificed their lives, but also everyone else.

It was extremely cruel.

Wang Xin doesn't know if everyone can understand.

Even the purpose of founding Juzhongchang was to win battles.

So what if they're capitalists?

Any means and process are acceptable as long as victory can be achieved.

In Wang Xin's eyes, the sole purpose of Juzhongchang was to continuously provide the army with money and provisions.

However, in this process, it is necessary to allow merchants to gain profits in order to absorb a large amount of human, material and financial resources invested by the merchants and create a huge interest group. The ultimate goal is to help the army win battles.

They wanted to use the lives of the herders to threaten the army into abandoning victory.

It's like terrorists slaughtering ordinary people to achieve their goals.

This plan is flawed.

Even if all but a dozen or so households were wiped out, there would still be a continuous stream of disaster victims who would still be willing to take risks just to have enough to eat.

unless
The Great Zhou Dynasty enjoys peace and prosperity, and its people live a comfortable life.

No ordinary people would risk their lives to graze their livestock in the Hetao region just for a few bites of food.

Wang Xin will only change his plans if the people do not support him.

Necessity is the mother of invention.

If it weren't for the extremely harsh living conditions in Britain, which led countless people to risk their lives to start a new life in the unpredictable New World, there would be no American countries later on.

Similarly, if Huizhou hadn't been so poor...

And where does the saying "no business can be done without a badge" come from?

The difference is that the Americas are indeed fertile land, while the Hetao region, compared to the Americas, is more like a barren place, far from comparable.

Therefore, the Great Zhou Dynasty had to bear an even greater price.

Wang Xin ignored Batel and turned to look at the other Taijis, his face serious and admonishing.

"You Taijis."

"Don't make me feel threatened."

"And don't make me feel hostile."

"Anything that makes me unhappy, I will take my revenge on you."

Each demand left not only the Taijis stunned, but Zhai Wen was also incredulous; it was truly forceful.

Wang Xin didn't care about their opinions.

"If you want to live a peaceful life, you must not only follow the Zhou rites, but also think more about the Great Zhou. In many things, you should first consider the interests of the Great Zhou. If this matter will harm the interests of the Great Zhou, you, as military officers such as the Assistant Magistrate of the Great Zhou, should eliminate such matters."

"If this matter is beneficial to the Great Zhou, you should take the initiative to do it."

Wang Xin made his demands one by one.

Zhai Wen felt a soreness in his teeth.

I even felt embarrassed; how could someone make such a request?
"Only if it is for the good of the Great Zhou will you be good in the end." "You should take the initiative to solve the problem of the Hu people and eliminate the Hu people, instead of waiting for me to deal with it, or even hoping that the Hu people will give me a headache and force me to give you benefits. All these ideas are wrong."

“Bater is ambitious and has violated all the taboos. He is not worthy to be a military officer of the Great Zhou. Since he is not a military officer of the Great Zhou, he is an enemy of the Great Zhou. Anyone who supports him will become an enemy of the Great Zhou.”

"Who still opposes me?"

Wang Xin asked in a cold voice.

The armored soldiers waited quietly for the general's orders.

No one dared to speak.

No one expected Wang Xin to be so domineering, speaking such words as if they were perfectly natural.

How could he have such a perception?
These are all unreasonable demands. Judging from his expression, he genuinely believes that this is the right thing to do. Many people don't even have the desire to refute him; they simply don't know how to start a conversation.

"I'm not convinced."

Seeing that things were not going well, Batel immediately voiced his opposition.

"You are an enemy of the Great Zhou. There is no need for you to submit. There is only one ending for you, and that is death."

Wang Xin waved his hand.

The soldiers immediately sprang into action, carrying Batel away cleanly and swiftly, as if he were a chick. He couldn't even utter a sound before falling silent.

The room was ashen.

Wang Xin didn't care and continued, "The reason I summoned you here is not to make an example of you, nor to persuade you, but to save some of the smart ones among you."

This statement was menacing.

"Does General Wang think there are still some of us who deserve to be killed?" a Taiji asked angrily.

The man next to the taiji pulled him up.

Wang Xin glanced at him, and the Taiji who had reached out to pull him back.

"Erdene".

"I'm here."

That Taiji was going all out.

"Whether or not some of you should be killed depends on your choice. If you can meet my requirements, I will not only not kill you, but I will also protect you. However, if I feel threatened or realize that my interests are being harmed, I will kill you."

Erdun Taiji found it laughable; it was always them who suffered losses. He couldn't help but ask, "Losses? Is there any business where profits aren't lost?"

Wang Xin nodded. "The interests of the Great Zhou must not be harmed. If the interests of the Great Zhou are damaged, you must find a way to make up for the loss. This is the way to ensure long-term stability."

It's really unreasonable.

Erdun has lost the desire to communicate.

Wang Xin ignored Erdun and said in front of everyone, "I know some of you will do something underhanded after you go back, and may even help the Batel tribe, but it doesn't matter. Whoever wins is king."

That statement is correct.

The Taijis obeyed the strong.

If you can't win, you're a slave; if you win, you're a slave owner.

Indeed, upon hearing Wang Xin's words, many Taijis felt despair.

"You guys go back."

"With Batel dead, the Batel tribe will also be wiped out. You either help the Great Zhou or help the Batel tribe. There is no third way. I will not listen to what you say, I will only watch what you do."

Wang Xin waved his hand again.

The Taijis were speechless, wanting to say something but not knowing what to say, and could only leave with their heads down.

Zhai Wen remained in his place, not daring to look at Wang Xin, who was both unfamiliar and familiar.

"you do not need to worry."

Wang Xin knew what Zhai Wen was worried about, and took the initiative to speak.

My actions against Hu Bu were not impulsive; although I initiated them, they were also supported by powerful figures.

Large investors do indeed have their advantages, and they are very powerful.

Therefore, simply confronting them is not a good approach.

If you turn the advantages of large investors into your own advantages, then many problems will no longer be problems.

Let alone a single Shanyu tribe, what difference would it make if it were the entire Hetao region?

As long as the Hetao region is handed over to Juzhongchang cleanly and efficiently, the wealthy households in Datong will wholeheartedly support them.

It's not because they trust themselves.

But because of interests.

Zhai Wen was speechless.

"Why aren't you worried?" he asked, seemingly resigned to his fate.

The so-called Western Route Army is growing stronger and stronger, and there are even signs that it is surpassing the Yongxing Army in Datong.

Besides the garrison troops, the militia of Datong Military Town mainly came from Shanxi.

Generally speaking, the vacancies for soldiers at border checkpoints in various regions are reported by the local authorities to the Ministry of War. After the Ministry of War organizes and unifies the reports, it is submitted to the Cabinet, which then makes a decision and finally assigns the soldiers to various regions.

For example, how many laborers should be sent from a certain place in Shandong to a certain place in Liaodong, and when should this be completed?

Or he could order the governor of Shanxi to send a certain number of laborers to the nine border regions, and so on.

Therefore, even if places like Yanmen Pass reported the actual gaps, the imperial court would summarize them and issue them to the local authorities, who would then send people to places like Yanmen Pass. It would take at least three to five months, or even one to two years, for the round trip to Yanmen Pass and other places.

It's unclear which powerful families intervened and persuaded the governor.

The governor was initially unwilling, but he couldn't refuse out of courtesy, so he agreed to let Daizhou, Shuozhou and other places recruit disaster victims themselves and send them to the border, with a ready-made reason.

In just a few months, they went from herders to militiamen.

Tens of thousands of disaster victims have flowed in.

These tens of thousands of disaster victims indeed satisfied the local county governments, and even the governors had to grit their teeth and bear it, since tens of thousands of disaster victims were unstable and now that they had a place to go, it was equivalent to eliminating a potential threat.

However, in less than a year, Wang Xin's influence transformed him from a guest general into a semi-local tyrant.

Wang Xin was already extremely capable. If he were allowed to continue developing his abilities, he would likely become the second Feng Yong soon, and even more influential than Feng Yong.

"I'm going to the capital soon."

Wang Xin revealed this to Zhai Wen with a smile.

Zhai Wen will definitely tell Zhang Wenjin.

Zhang Wenjin could rest easy during the time he was away.

Many things.

I need to go back to Beijing and give an explanation, and at the same time, I need to give myself an explanation.

"General Wang is no longer concerned with the affairs of the Hetao region?"

Despite his worries, Zhai Wen still trusted Wang Xin's abilities. Upon learning that Wang Xin would be leaving for a period of time, he immediately became concerned about the situation in the Hetao region.

Wang Xin just slaughtered everyone, and many Taijis must be feeling uneasy.

At such a crucial moment, he actually wants to leave.

Wang Xin didn't care.

If Zhang Can can't even handle a single Shanyu tribe, then I need to reconsider whether Zhenlu City should be handed over to him.

In fact, Wang Xin had confidence in Zhang Can.

soon.

Zhang Can assembled the forces of Zhenlu City: 400 iron-armored cavalry, 500 cotton-armored cavalry, 600 barbarian cavalry, and 600 soldiers each from Weiyuan Pass and Tuanshan Pass, for a total of 2,700 cavalry and infantry.

The business had prepared supplies for two months.

At the same time, a large sum of money was given as a reward.

Each militiaman received four taels of silver.

Each soldier received ten taels of silver.

The merchant guild prepared nearly 30,000 taels of silver, including supplies and reward money.

The spoils of war on the grasslands belong to the merchant guild, and any amount exceeding their value is converted into silver and handed over to the army.

Without waiting for news of victory, Wang Xin returned to the capital with Shi Ping, Shi Tou, Zheng Hao, Xue Ke, and Xue Baoqin.

It's too cold outside the pass.

Moreover, the sandstorms are severe, so while it might be suitable for a girl to stay for a month or two as a tourist destination, it's not a good place for long-term living.

The end of the year is fast approaching again.

Xue Yan was really busy, so Wang Xin took Xue Baoqin back to the Jia Mansion and helped deliver her to Aunt Xue.

(End of this chapter)