The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 262: First Appearance
Zhu Shenggong actually really liked the Hexi Camp.

There's a certain smell about Hexi Camp.

It's not available anywhere else.

Zhu Shenggong hoped that his army would have one like Wang Xin, and even wanted to learn from him, but the result was disappointing.

When Wang Xin was away, Zhu Shenggong rarely came to visit, to avoid gossip or misunderstandings. But when Wang Xin returned, Zhu Shenggong couldn't resist coming back.

From the bottom of my heart.

Zhu Shenggong still preferred Wang Xinying, so he asked, "Are you really indecisive, or do you just not care?"

Wang Xin's expression remained unchanged.

Others can't figure out what he's thinking.

"If he goes too far, we should have our men kill him."

Sudden.

Shi Ping said menacingly.

Zhu Shenggong was stunned, staring blankly at Shi Ping, though he did recognize the boy.

Shi Ping is already over sixteen years old.

I've been eating well these past two years and putting in a lot of physical exertion every day.

Liu Tong was born in Shaolin.

Shaolin is a thousand-year-old temple that has survived countless wars and turmoil. It has many secret experiences passed down through generations, covering various aspects.

Liu Tong was the top Shaolin martial monk in previous years, so under his guidance, Shi Ping and the other children enjoyed many benefits, experiences that couldn't be found elsewhere and that money couldn't buy.

He's tall and strong, and he'll continue to grow even at his age.

However, it is not thick or large; rather, it is lean and slender.

Wang Xin had heard some of it.

According to Liu Tongxue's experience, being too strong is not good, nor is being too weak. Being lean and capable is the best, as it not only provides ample energy, strength, and endurance, but also a long lifespan.

And how to develop a strong physique, while maximizing one's strength, etc.

How would an ordinary person know this?

Only religions, with nothing better to do than study these things.

It is also different from the West.

Western religions have great religious power and look down on the lower classes, but they favor refined things such as music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

In the realm of Eastern elegance, Confucianism holds the highest status, so it is naturally Confucianism that engages in refined pursuits, while religions can only engage in what is left behind.

As the saying goes, skill breeds boldness. Having honed his skills, Shi Ping, though still young, spoke with unwavering confidence and a menacing air, which only made Zhu Shenggong envious.

Wang Xin had too many good things, all of which made him envious.

"What nonsense are you spouting, child? How dare you act recklessly under the emperor's nose?" Zhu Shenggong scolded him, then looked at Wang Xin with a smile, "This kid doesn't know the rules, why don't you give him to me, I'll teach him a lesson."

Wang Xin looked at Zhu Shenggong speechlessly.

Zhu Shenggong laughed sheepishly.

Realizing she had spoken out of turn and revealed her jealousy, she quickly changed the subject, offering a half-joking reminder.

“This time, Wang Ziteng is different. You don’t know what his expression was like at the time. You’d better be careful. He’s probably going to fight to the death.”

Zhu Shenggong's expression turned serious as he finished speaking.

Even his father dared not underestimate Wang Ziteng.

Think about it too.

The closer it gets to the end, the more frantic things become. Who knows what crazy things Wang Ziteng might do in order to save his family's future?

This person has a strong gambling addiction.

In previous years, he even dared to betray the retired emperor. If he dared to do such a thing, I wonder what else he wouldn't dare to do.

It's best not to provoke a madman like that.

Zhu Shenggong was embarrassed.

Although he had a good relationship with Wang Xin and treated him like a brother, Zhu Shenggong couldn't support Wang Xin unconditionally. He also had to think about his father, who had been having a hard time ever since Zhang Jifu returned to the capital.

Seeing Zhu Shenggong's expression, Wang Xin guessed his inner turmoil and instead comforted him.

"It's alright. Wang Ziteng is a mad dog. There's no use in reasoning with a mad dog; a stick is the most effective."

"You're not really going to do something reckless, are you?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Shenggong hesitated.

"I have my measure."

Wang Xin waved his hand.

Seeing this, Zhu Shenggong said no more; it was best for him to keep quiet about the matter.

After Zhu Shenggong left, Shi Ping went to see him off.

After a while.

Shi Ping came back.

"General, shall we make our move?"

Killing nobles is a major event, especially in the capital.

Shi Ping wasn't worried.

He wasn't worried that the general would suspect him.

The only concern is that Wang Ziteng's family is very wealthy and powerful.

If he were to make a mistake or even be caught, even if he insisted that it was his own fault or committed suicide, others would still suspect the general, and the general would not be able to clear his name of suspicion. Therefore, Shi Ping had no hope.

However, Shi Ping had followed the general all the way and was no longer the ignorant child he used to be; he had seen many things.

The general is facing too many troubles now.

Another Wang Ziteng has appeared. Wang Ziteng's madness is indeed a big problem.

Knowing that the general was in a difficult situation, Shi Ping was willing to risk his life to help the general get rid of Wang Ziteng, as his own life and safety were not important.

Why are you becoming less and less composed than a rock?

Wang Xin glanced at Shi Ping sideways.

Shi Ping scratched the back of his head, feeling wronged.

Wang Xin did not say much.

One is hard work, the other is talent.

Sweat determines the lower limit, talent determines the upper limit.

There are many orphans in the army. With the help of the old instructor Chen Zhixing and other rare figures like Liu Tong, who imparted all their knowledge and provided them with plenty of food and drink, the number of orphans who could truly surpass the level that ordinary people could reach was no more than a palm's breadth.

The fastest walkers were Shi Ping and Shi Tou.

Where there are people, there will be conflict.

From the very beginning, Shi Ping and Shi Tou were secretly competing with each other, neither willing to lose.

I don't prevent this kind of competition, as long as it's kept within a reasonable range.

The situation between me and Wang Ziteng hasn't reached the point of mutual destruction yet.

What does Wang Ziteng want to do?

It's actually not hard to guess.

It couldn't be that they've set their sights on their own men.

The Western Route Army of Datong.

Indeed, it was a concept proposed by myself and Zhang Jifu, and I have been pushing it forward step by step. It has already taken shape in Datong, and local relations have been established. We are just waiting for the court's final approval, after which everything will proceed naturally.

but.

Although I am the founder, it does not mean that I can become the controller.

There are countless examples of people picking peaches halfway through the journey.

This is what officialdom is like.

The saying goes, "The more you do, the more mistakes you make; if you do nothing, you make no mistakes."

Once you achieve something, others want to reap the benefits, or even seize it entirely, changing its name to belong to someone else.

The final outcome of anything.

It is often inevitable.

The more you do, the more mistakes you make; the less you do, the less mistakes you make. This seemingly absurd statement actually reflects the lessons many have learned from experience, lessons observed by many.

Wang Ziteng and Feng Yong fought for military power in Datong.

Feng Yong has now lost to himself.

His own reputation and qualifications were inferior to Wang Ziteng's, and Wang Ziteng could still rely on being a member of the same Wang clan and having the status of clan leader to suppress him, and was superior to him in officialdom and ethics.

As long as the Eastern Army Governor's Office is willing to help him, or remain neutral.

Wang Ziteng used his connections to get himself transferred back to the capital garrison by imperial decree, thus completing half of his plan to seize power.

Utterly shameless. But shamelessness knows no bounds.

It was still because of Zhang Jifu.

Wang Xin frowned.

Anything can be delayed, and Zhang Jifu delayed for too long, so things changed. The addition of Wang Ziteng gave him an opportunity.

The key issue is still Zhang Jifu's side.

Now, let's talk about Wang Ren.

Once Wang Ziteng made up his mind, he immediately took action, and Wang Ren was also put to work non-stop all day long.

Wang Ren still hesitated when he thought about his uncle's decision.

It was already evening when they returned to the manor.

Knowing that his nephew hadn't eaten yet, Wang Ziteng ordered someone to prepare a table of food and wine.

"Master, young master Wang Ren is back." The butler led Wang Ren to the side hall where Wang Ziteng was.

"uncle."

Wang Ren called out after he came in.

"sit down."

Wang Ziteng nodded.

Wang Ziteng had no son, so he treated Wang Ren as his own son. Wang Ren's status in the household was second only to Wang Ziteng.

Therefore, Wang Ren took his uncle's affairs as his own and also attached great importance to the future of the Wang family.

After sitting down, Wang Ren thought for a moment and couldn't help but say, "Uncle, is it really necessary to take such a risk? If something happens, I'm afraid the Wang family will be doomed."

My uncle wants to hang himself from a tree.

He once again pledged allegiance to the emperor, thus securing military power for him.

The last time they did this, the retired emperor only took away his uncle's power. If they don't learn from this lesson and fail this time, the retired emperor will definitely not let the Wang family off the hook.

After much deliberation, Wang Ren realized that with the Wang family's wealth, even if his uncle lost his official position, the family would still be wealthy for generations, and he was unwilling to take the risk.

"Bastard!"

Wang Ziteng shouted angrily.

Wang Ren was so frightened that he stood up and stood with his hands hanging down.

Because he was only Wang Ziteng's nephew, Wang Ziteng rarely scolded Wang Ren. Wang Ren also knew that he was not Wang Ziteng's biological son, so he always acted with respect and caution.

At this moment, Wang Ziteng became furious, and Wang Ren was terrified.

"How can you only think of yourself?" Wang Ziteng said, exasperated.

The traditions passed down from generation to generation cannot simply be lost.

My nephew is alright at maintaining the status quo, but that's about it.

Without real power, the Wang family will inevitably decline within three generations. I'm already old, how many more years can I endure?
But in the end, he wasn't my biological son.

Wang Ziteng didn't want to make any definitive statements.

Wang Ren dared not explain further.

My uncle is old; he can disregard the fate of the Wang family. But for the sake of pride, are we all supposed to be buried with him?

No matter how you look at it, the emperor could never turn the tables under the reigning emperor.

Not to mention the retired emperor, there's also Zhou Daofeng and Zhang Jifu, master and disciple, who are keeping things under control. It's hard to say whether the emperor can smoothly assume power, but the retired emperor will definitely not let the Wang family off the hook a second time.

Wang Ziteng said, "Datong has tacitly approved and even supported this matter. At this point, even without Wang Xin, the Datong Western Route Army would still be pushed forward. Wang Xin doesn't care about the Wang family, so how can you and I not care?"

Wang Ren knew what his uncle was going to do.

In order to gain support, the uncle had to go to the emperor again.

Wang Ren said bitterly, "In the end, no two families can write the character 'Wang' twice. If this gets out, I'm afraid the whole capital will laugh at us. Why don't you go see Feng Yatou again and persuade Wang Xin in front of him together?"

Wang Xifeng has been suffering in the Jia family recently.

However, Wang Xifeng was always shrewd and had a good relationship with Wang Xin.

By leveraging the relationship between Wang Xifeng and Wang Xin, if she could persuade Wang Xin to change his mind and actively support her return to Datong, she wouldn't have to completely submit to the emperor, and she wouldn't have to face the wrath of the retired emperor.

If he hadn't been driven to desperation, Wang Ziteng wouldn't have dared to offend the Emperor Emeritus.

"Go ahead."

Wang Ziteng decided to give it a try.

“As you said, he is surnamed Wang after all. Give him a chance,” Wang Ziteng said calmly.

Wang Ren lacked confidence.

The only hope was Wang Xifeng. They would see if she could help. Wang Ren knew time was of the essence, so he didn't even wait until dawn.

The Jia family not only had two wives from the Wang family, but also some stewards, wives, and managers from the Wang family.

Like Zhou Rui's family.

Wang Ren dared not make a big fuss and went to see him quietly.

With such a critical matter looming, we can't afford to worry about such trivialities.
-
The Eastern Army's camp was in Tongzhou.

Furthermore, the offices of the left and right generals were also located in Tongzhou, while the Eastern Army Commander's Office was located in the capital.

According to the imperial court's plan, the generals on the left and right routes had greater control over the army than the commanders-in-chief. The commanders-in-chief were in the court and only took charge of leading the army in battle during wartime.

But plans are no match for changes, and reality rarely unfolds according to plans.

The Eastern Army Commander's Office was powerful, while the Left and Right Army Commanders' Offices were weak.

"Swish swish."

The sound of arrows rang out.

Wang Xin was troubled by the matter of Wang Ziteng. After seeing Zhu Shenggong off, he still hadn't figured out how to deal with Wang Ziteng, so he wandered around the camp.

The Hexi Camp monopolized the riverbank.

To the west lies the capital city, and to the east are the camps of the left and right routes.

As they walked, they came to a training ground, which was no longer within the Hexi Camp area.

Shi Ping was scolded away by Wang Xin, and Wang Xin was left alone.

Wang Xin noticed a general practicing archery on horseback in the drill ground.

It's not that this person has exceptional skills, but rather that he is proactive.

The cost of a warhorse is not low.

They also need to practice riding and archery.

Originally intended for military support, most of the Eastern Army's military funds were used for Zhu Wei's own armored troops. The left wing was alright, as they had some personal guards, but the right wing had been completely neglected since Cheng Hong lost power.

Therefore, someone who can still hone their skills even when they are in a state of utter indifference must be an ambitious person.

Wang Xin couldn't help but cheer loudly.

Upon hearing the cheers, the general looked back from his horse and then turned his horse around, heading towards Wang Xin's direction.

He dismounted at a distance and held the reins.

The general recognized Wang Xin and exclaimed, "General Wang!"

As Wang Xin and the others approached, they saw the person's face clearly and felt that he looked familiar, but they couldn't remember who he was.

"The mark is strict and upright."

Wang Xin remembered, "It's you! Weren't you at the Eastern Army headquarters? How did you end up on the right flank? And that guy named..."

Wang Xin only remembered a boy who was inexplicably hostile towards him, probably out of jealousy.

Yan Zhongzheng felt embarrassed and said, "General Wang, are you referring to Zheng Ang?"

"Yes, that's him."

Wang Xin remembered this person's name and asked curiously, "Why isn't he with you?"

Yan Zhongzheng never expected to run into Wang Xin.

Upon seeing Wang Xin, Yan Zhongzheng was deeply moved.

This person's surname is Wang.

There's someone behind them.

The first time they met, he was only one rank higher than him. This time, when they met again, the other party was already a guerrilla general, leading an army, while he was still a centurion, stuck in the same place.

Yan Zhongzheng composed himself and said with a bitter smile, "I died in Liaodong."

I never expected him to die.

It was a bit unexpected.

Wang Xin said regretfully, "Although they may not be convinced by me, soldiers should always have some pride. It's a pity they died."

Yan Zhongzheng became furious.

Wang Xin was greatly surprised.

Although I didn't immediately think of this person, my impression of them was that they were calm and composed; I had never seen them lose their temper.

(End of this chapter)