The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 299 The Fierce Girl

Tan Chun glanced around and saw that there were seven or eight large boxes in the room, and nothing else.

There were seven or eight boxes, quite a lot, but with three people, Tan Chun asked in surprise, "Is this all the stuff?"

Qingwen smiled and said, "Most of it belongs to me and Sister Ping'er. Master Xin has the least, just a few sets of clothes, a dozen or so miscellaneous books, and a precious sword."

"A precious sword?"

Tan Chun glanced at the box again. The wooden box wasn't very big and didn't look like it was meant to hold a sword.

Ping'er, who was beside her, pointed to the wall.

A sword was hanging on the wall.

“Don’t listen to Qingwen’s nonsense. It’s not some kind of precious sword. It’s just an ordinary sword with nothing special about it. Lord Xin doesn’t like valuable things,” Ping’er explained with a smile.

Tan Chun understood and joked, "Anything that belongs to Master Xin is precious in Qingwen's eyes."

Everyone in the room was amused.

One of the old women, emboldened, chimed in, assuming it was one of the unmarried young ladies in the household, "Third Miss is absolutely right. I think Qingwen has Master Xin in her heart."

Ping'er and Qingwen were both a little embarrassed.

It would be one thing to talk about it in private on ordinary days, but now Tan Chun and the people she brought were also present.

Tan Chun glanced at her sideways, her expression unchanging, yet there was an indescribable sternness in her eyes, which stopped the old woman from speaking.

The other old women were also taken aback.

The atmosphere in the room paused for a moment. Tan Chun turned around, her expression unchanged, and smiled, "Master Xin is a man, so it doesn't matter if he has a few more or fewer clothes. Sister Ping and Qingwen are also here. We are young ladies, and we shouldn't compare ourselves to the men outside. I know that Sister Ping trusts Second Sister-in-law and confides in her. Although I've said many things to Sister Ping, she only took it as politeness and didn't take it to heart. But Sister Ping has been here since I was little, and I've always regarded her as an older sister. Although I don't know if she considers me a younger sister, even if she doesn't, I can understand."

After hearing this, Ping'er's eyes reddened, and she couldn't help but grasp Tan Chun's hand, choking back tears as she said, "Third Miss."

The old women were surprised by Ping'er's strong reaction.

Qingwen was also startled.

Tan Chun's eyes were like jade, as if she understood everything.

Ping'er didn't intend to explain. She only felt that she had truly gotten to know the Third Miss today. In the past, she had relied on the Second Mistress's influence and hadn't really put much thought into the girls.

Although he treated the girls well, he didn't really understand them.

Unlike others, Ping'er was a maid brought by the Second Mistress and was sent here. She felt inferior about her status and never dared to consider herself a concubine. She was always cautious around everyone.

It was only because of Master Xin's good character over the years that he dared to stand up for Second Madam the other time.

Although Qingwen was a maid, he never treated her like one. Who knows, one day Master Xin might take Qingwen in, and in the end, he might find himself in a lower social status than Qingwen.

Tan Chun's eyes were deep, as if she understood everything. She comforted her, "Sister Ping'er, you must know that Second Mistress will always be Second Mistress of the mansion. And not only Second Mistress, but also the Old Ancestor, Madam, Eldest Mistress, and I all remember Sister Ping'er. Since the Old Ancestor and Madam have entrusted me with the affairs of the mansion, Sister Ping'er, you must not lack anything in your clothes, your hands, or your mouth. You must not let anyone look down on you. You must tell me, otherwise Second Mistress will be even more heartbroken if she finds out."

This time, Ping'er didn't refuse and nodded.

Tan Chun turned around and smiled at Qing Wen, saying, "Qing Wen, everyone says that Master Xin has a good temper and a considerate personality. However, it is a woman's business that many things are inconvenient to do. I'm afraid Master Xin doesn't know these things, so if it's inconvenient to tell him, just send someone to tell me. I will definitely help if I can."

Qingwen nodded repeatedly, feeling a warm feeling in her heart.

In this way, Tan Chun sent a lot of silk and satin, all of the finest quality, as well as various items for her daughter, and even boxes of cosmetics, adding five or six boxes in total.

Tan Chun knew that Ping'er and Qingwen were leaving the mansion.

Tan Chun was also resentful about her second sister-in-law's affairs, but she knew her place. Being allowed to manage affairs did not mean she could manage everything.

Since that's the case, I can only try my best to be thorough.

The affairs of the manor need to be sorted out. Ping'er and Qingwen can leave, but they cannot do so with resentment. They must remember that they came from the Jia family and should still regard the Jia family as their maternal home after leaving.

That's the real reason for giving it as a gift.

Otherwise, if you send someone away and they end up with a lot of resentment, it's better not to send them at all.

Besides, Tan Chun herself knew that she hadn't been insincere.

Both Ping'er and Qingwen received top-notch treatment in the mansion, with their food, clothing, and daily necessities far exceeding those of ordinary people.

If everyone gets things done happily, they can live happily and harmoniously in the future. Only in this way can everyone live well. How could such a principle be wrong? I'm afraid even Lord Xin would be happy.

Tan Chun said all the nice things and bought her the necessary items, only speaking again when she was leaving.

“Master Xin could have stayed permanently, but now that his status is high, we have to avoid suspicion, so we had no choice but to separate.” Tan Chun said with a half-smile, half-reminding, “Every time Master Xin returns to the capital, the first thing he does is visit the Master. The Master has worried so much about Master Xin’s affairs. This time, Master Xin fought a guerrilla general. It’s quite remarkable. I remember when Master Xin first came to the capital, he was only a military commander. Now he’s become a dignified guerrilla general, and he just started fighting like that.”

Qingwen hurriedly said, "Master Xin never bullies anyone, it must be that person's fault."

Tan Chun nodded, ignoring Qing Wen, and looked at Ping'er. Ping'er regained her composure and dared not speak carelessly, saying cautiously, "I have remembered everything the Third Miss said."

Everyone says that Qingwen is clever, but it seems that she is more courageous than clever; she hasn't quite figured things out yet.

Ping'er is just as rumored; no wonder Second Sister-in-law relies on Ping'er.

That's good, though. Smart people know what they shouldn't do, so they don't have to worry too much.

"Master is talking to Master Xin in front, and I reckon he's almost done. I won't stay and disturb him. When Master Xin returns, if he has any instructions, Sister Ping'er can send someone to tell me."

Tan Chun stood up and smiled.

Ping'er and Qingwen also stood up.

The group escorted Tan Chun all the way to the garden, and only when Tan Chun and her entourage were out of sight did Ping'er turn her gaze away.

The population of the former area is probably around 100,000, but it shouldn't exceed 200,000.

Two hundred thousand people is the population that the former set of regions had at their peak.

In the Tu Mao Chuan and Shan Yu regions, 20,000 to 30,000 people were successively eliminated. Although the sweep in the Da Ban Sheng region only eliminated more than 10,000 enemies, it destroyed the ecological environment of the Hu people, which would indirectly eliminate more Hu people.

That's why I'm so eager to attack.

Fighter jets are something you absolutely can't miss.

The principle that if you don't take what Heaven gives you, you will suffer the consequences is just like that.

Having missed this opportunity to disrupt the unification of the Hu people, even if only a large part of them were unified after the Hu people were unified, the problem would no longer be solvable in one place; it would require the combined strength of the nine border regions.

Given the current situation of the Great Zhou, how can it gather the necessary food and military pay for its army?

They seized the opportunity and gained the upper hand.

Ou Yanhu led 30,000 to 50,000 able-bodied men on a northern expedition. If he succeeds, he will return with 100,000 barbarian cavalry southward. Ou Yanhu's physical strength will not be able to withstand that. Therefore, Ou Yanhu must launch an attack.

Just like in the early Ming Dynasty.

At the height of the Timurid Khanate's power, even though Timur was furious with the Ming Dynasty's envoys, he ultimately had no choice but to submit and pay tribute. This was because Timur feared that the Ming Dynasty would attack him, putting him in a predicament of being attacked from both the east and the west.

Moreover, Ou Yanhu is still in his infancy.

After returning to Datong, I will need to lead a large army on a long expedition, which will require the support of the imperial court.

Not just my own journey.

The entire Datong military town would need to launch a three-pronged attack to share the burden, which would require an additional expenditure of over a million shi of grain and hundreds of thousands of taels of military pay.

It all depends on whether Zhang Jifu has the courage.

Otherwise, if the imperial court does not agree, the crisis facing Datong will not be completely resolved.

Then we can only hope that Juzhongchang will succeed.

At that time, it won't be me suppressing Juzhongchang, but rather I will have to listen to Juzhongchang.

Zhang Wenjin is also under pressure.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have asked the imperial court for money. Unfortunately, this place is a bottomless pit; no amount of money can fill it. It's already been distributed among various families halfway through, and nothing ends up at the bottom. The more money Zhang Wenjin asks for, the more bloodthirsty mouths he'll attract.

Ultimately, it resembled Liaodong at the end of the Ming Dynasty.

Every year, tens of millions of taels of silver were spent, but in the end, at the most critical moment, only Wu Sangui's three thousand servants were available.

so.
Even if Zhang Jifu allocates funds of a million shi of grain and hundreds of thousands of taels of silver, how much of it will actually be put into practice?
We need to think about this carefully.

It really feels a bit helpless.

The current situation in the Great Zhou is not that no one sees it clearly; on the contrary, there are so many intelligent people who understand the problem. It's just that in the current environment of the Great Zhou, no one has a solution.

Zhang Wenjin still wanted to get things done.

The more they did, the more problems arose.

Instead, this caused instability in the Yongxing Army.

It's not just a matter of individual ability; it's mainly a problem with the overall environment.

At this time.

It requires a person with absolute power, who can gain a large amount of support, suppress all dissenting voices, and carry out extremely tough reforms to fundamentally change the overall environment and achieve a completely new atmosphere.

If Zhang Jifu is willing to be that kind of person, I can support him.

He himself was the gunman.

This would allow Zhang Jifu to gain a basic foundation for reform.

Wang Xin's brows relaxed. He had roughly figured out his thoughts for meeting Zhang Jifu tomorrow. As for Zhang Jifu's ideas, he couldn't read his mind. He would wait and see tomorrow.

The scenery of Grand View Garden remains unchanged.

Having figured things out, Wang Xin looked around.

Such a beautiful view is indeed unforgettable. After meeting Zhang Jifu, it will be time to move out, and I'm afraid I won't have the chance to see the scenery of the Grand View Garden again. Wang Xin couldn't help but take a few more glances.

Coincidentally.

Wang Xin lingered by the pool at the Concave Crystal Pavilion at the foot of the mountain for only a short while when he heard footsteps behind him, which then suddenly stopped.

Wang Xin turned around.

There was a young lady who looked very noble, and her maids on either side of her were also dressed in fine silks and satins, each of them extraordinary.

Xue Baochai had met him a few times.

Lin Daiyu needs no further mention.

The beauty of these two girls goes without saying. In the book, Xue Pan was amazed by Lin Daiyu's beauty when he first saw her. Wang Xin, who was used to seeing beautiful women, had to admit that she was superior in character alone, not to mention her natural grace in every gesture.

Even Ping'er was somewhat weaker.

As for Qingwen, she was ultimately the most beautiful maid in the Dream of the Red Chamber. I wouldn't dare to compare her to Qingwen, but I can say that she had a different kind of charm.

The lady I met today has a surprisingly strong presence.

Wang Xin couldn't help but lose his composure.

The maids were startled, their faces turning pale with fright, as if facing a formidable enemy, and they protected their young mistress.

The young lady also looked flustered.

Everyone was in a panic and didn't know what to do.

"But it's Lord Xin!"

Unexpectedly, the young lady managed to calm down and suppress her panic. Although her lips trembled slightly, it was clear that she was trying her best to remain composed and not lose her composure.

"Is this the Third Miss?"

Wang Xin quickly admitted it, while asking a question in return.

Judging from her age and temperament, Wang Xin felt that only Jia Tanchun, as described in the book, matched this woman.

Tan Chun breathed a sigh of relief.

It's good that they're not people whose origins are unknown, although there are still some inconveniences in the end.

Since things had already come to this, Tan Chun smiled and said generously, "It's quite a coincidence. I just came out of Tu Bi Manor and ran into Master Xin. I should have waited a little longer, so that we wouldn't all be stuck here without even a place to sit."

After saying this, Tan Chun blushed slightly.

Logically, it's not a good thing, but since there's no one else around and we've already encountered this situation, why panic?

It's interesting.

She was so nervous that her voice was trembling, but she still had to maintain her composure.

It certainly has a grand atmosphere.

Wang Xin laughed and said, "I sat at Master Zheng's place for a long time but I'm not tired. When you went to the estate, did you see Ping'er and Qingwen?"

Tan Chun raised her head and glanced at Wang Xin.

It was as if he could see through Wang Xin's thoughts.

Wang Xin paused for a moment. What an amazing girl! He didn't have any other thoughts in mind; he just wanted to see how "magnanimous" Tan Chun really was. It was just his own fun, wanting to amuse the younger generation.

Actually, I'm not a serious person.

However, as the responsibilities on my shoulders increase, I sometimes have to be serious.

"Sister Ping'er and Qingwen had a conversation, as well as about Second Mistress's matter," Tan Chun replied seriously, her expression composed.

Seeing that the other party had adopted a serious attitude, Wang Xin could no longer use the tone that teased a junior.

Since the other party was explaining Wang Xifeng's situation, Wang Xin said, "I've heard Ping'er talk about Feng'er's situation. It's all thanks to the Third Miss; otherwise, who knows how much more suffering Feng'er would have endured."

Tan Chun spoke slowly, as if addressing a guest: "Second sister-in-law is currently unwell. With proper care and rest, she will recover and become well. Many matters in the manor still require your assistance. Once you are well, we will entrust them to you."

Wang Xin nodded.

It's good for Wang Xifeng to suffer a little; only by getting rained on can she appreciate the value of someone holding an umbrella for others.

However, these words need not be said to Tan Chun.

"Third Miss is right," Master Xin said with a smile.

Tan Chun bit her lip. "The scenery here is quite nice, so I won't keep Lord Xin company."

"it is good."

Wang Xin watched as Tan Chun and her entourage left.

What a coincidence?

Jia Zheng had just tested the waters when he ran into Tan Chun? Why did Tan Chun have to come to the estate at this particular time?
If it were any other girl, Wang Xin wouldn't have been so suspicious.

Is it just Tan Chun?

Although it was their first meeting, Wang Xin was already certain that this girl was not to be underestimated.

Ultimately, he's still a bit too young and doesn't understand the importance of restraint; he's too sharp-tongued.

It's not because of her; she's already very capable. It's just that she's young, and there are some things you have to experience to understand.

(End of this chapter)