The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 311 Loud and Clear
Wang Ren was like a gambler who had lost everything. Although he didn't actually have any chips, he was just hoping for other people's chips. He kept holding onto this hope and spent a lot of money, but in the end, he still came back empty-handed.

In his moment of losing his composure, Wang Ren unleashed a torrent of angry curses. As soon as he finished speaking, he realized what was happening and turned pale with fright.

Fortunately, they were in the territory of the Jiedushi of Ping'an Prefecture. Wang Ren quickly looked to the next table for help.

Ding Yuan paused his teacup at his lips, seemingly not having heard, though his brows furrowed slightly.

Jia Lian had already stood up and reached out to cover Wang Ren's mouth, but before Wang Xin could speak, he scolded, "Are you having an episode? Hurry up and apologize to Master Xin."

"Humph!"

"How dare you bully my general?"

Shi Ping and the others were not far behind. Although there was opera on the stage, soldiers making noise, and the hall was noisy, Shi Ping kept a close eye on everything.

As a personal guard, one is equivalent to a master and servant.

The general didn't care for such things, but Shi Ping and the others always regarded the general as their master. How could they tolerate someone insulting the general? They immediately stepped forward.

"Wait a minute."

Someone reached out to stop him, but Shi Ping seized the man's wrist and twisted it with ease. The man, a big guy, didn't even have time to utter a sound before he fell to the ground.

The man was stubborn; he clutched his wrist and got up, his forehead throbbing with sweat, but he didn't say a word and glared fiercely at Shi Ping.

Shi Ping stepped forward, with Xiao Shitou following behind. The other guards followed Shi Ping, moving forward like an arrow.

The conflict happened very quickly.

Several soldiers stepped forward, but Shi Ping quickly took them down.

In an instant, Shi Ping arrived in front of Wang Ren, kicked away the stool under his feet, grabbed him with one hand, lifted him up and flipped him over, and then kicked him in the back of the knee.

"Pfft."

"Ouch."

Wang Ren was forced to kneel on the ground with his arms twisted behind his back in agony.

The others stood around Wang Xin, and at this moment, Xiao Shitou had already followed, but quietly stood behind Ding Yuan.

Ding Yuan's personal guards were shocked and were about to step forward when Xiao Shitou suddenly produced a small knife and brandished it threateningly. The others dared not step forward and waited for Ding Yuan's orders, daring not to speak their anger.

"What's going on here?"

Jia Lian hurriedly clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, fearing a conflict might break out between the two sides.

If Ding Yuan and Wang Ren really fall out because of Wang Ren, it won't be good for either of them to get hurt, so there's no need for that.

"Who are you, and what is your status, that you dare to insult a high-ranking official of the imperial court without cause?"

Wang Xin ignored Jia Lian and didn't even look at Ding Yuan at the next table.

"Slap me!"

Wang Xin said without mincing words.

Upon hearing his general's order, Shi Ping twisted Wang Ren's arm behind his back, turned to the side, raised his hands, and drew his bow with both hands.

"Clap clap clap."

In just a few moments, Wang Ren's face was bruised and swollen, and blood was coming from the corners of his mouth and nostrils.

After several years of training, Shi Ping, despite being only nineteen years old, is incredibly strong and possesses internal power in his strikes; ordinary people can't withstand more than a few blows from him.

Although he wanted to kill this person, he knew the general's character and that he wouldn't take people's lives easily. Also, since they were on someone else's territory, he couldn't be too ruthless and should leave a way out.

In the final few blows, Wang Ren didn't even let out a wail.

Knowing that continuing the fight would result in someone's death, and that the young master in his hands couldn't withstand the blows, Shi Ping released his grip, and Wang Ren fell straight down like a dead pig.

Everything happened quickly, and Shi Ping acted swiftly as well. It was only after Wang Ren collapsed that Jia Lian seemed to react. He hurriedly knelt down and, seeing that Wang Ren was still breathing, reluctantly got up.

Ding Yuan's expression turned even uglier.

His own men couldn't even stop the enemy; what face did he have left?

The man who had spoken earlier retorted, "This kid attacked me from behind; I was only trying to advise him out of kindness."

"Damn it, they're bullying us."

"Don't think you can just let it go like this."

The soldiers who surrounded them all cursed.

Little Stone gripped the knife tightly in his hand, but Ding Yuan didn't even glance at him, completely indifferent, his eyes fixed only on Wang Xin.

"General, you are indeed young and impetuous. Although Wang Ren was unreasonable, there was no need to use such a heavy hand."

“This man insulted my deceased mother. Even if I kill him, the court will not punish me. It is already a favor that he spares my life.”

Wang Xin remained calm.

"Hahaha!"

Ding Yuan burst into laughter, his laughter filled with anger.

While Wang Ren's outburst of anger stemmed from Wang Xin's repeated rejections, Ding Yuan and the others also saw it as a sign of their disappointment in Wang Xin.

It's like a group of corrupt officials trying to win over a capable and honest official.

The official's refusal angered them, especially since they had a close relationship with him and viewed it as a loss.

Hearing the general's laughter, he sensed his dissatisfaction.

The soldiers surrounded them in layers, so tightly that not even a mosquito could get through.

The atmosphere became tense.

The actors on the stage were so frightened that they dared not move.

"In that case, your men injured mine first, shouldn't you also be handed over to me for punishment!"

Ding Yuan stopped laughing and squinted as he spoke.

As Ding Yuan spoke, many soldiers gradually approached Shi Ping, but Shi Ping was not afraid at all.

“My people did nothing wrong in this matter.”

"You're going to protect your own."

Wang Xin was too lazy to say more, knowing that he couldn't explain it to Ding Yuan.

Ding Yuan stared at Wang Xin for a moment. The situation was becoming increasingly critical. The surrounding soldiers were about to pounce on him at any moment, and Shi Ping and the others were also ready to fight to the death.

Jia Lian was inwardly groaning.

Just when everyone was at a loss, a young man dressed like a playboy walked onto the stage.

"We brought you here to perform, not to watch. We've spent so much money, and you dare to slack off?"

The silence was broken, and everyone looked at the man.

Jia Lian breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the man clearly; he recognized him as Ding Yuan's son, Ding Shengan.

The man's appearance eased the tense situation and drew everyone's attention. The young master shouted, "Beat him!"

"Oh!"

The soldiers swarmed forward.

Like a black line, the soldiers climbed one after another onto the stage, and the actors on stage were so frightened that they knelt down and begged for mercy.

But the soldiers weren't about to let them get away.

Just as they were about to make their move, Wang Xin stood up.

"enough!"

Having stopped everyone, Wang Xin had no more time to linger and turned directly to Ding Yuan, saying, "General, this humble general will take his leave now!"

The other soldiers did not make way.

Ding Yuan suddenly smiled, as if he hadn't been stern just moments before, and said with a laugh, "General Wang is worried about this opera troupe getting beaten up, but he doesn't care about his own family members. You are truly an extraordinary person."

Hearing Ding Yuan's words, Wang Xin worried that Ding Yuan would take his anger out on the opera troupe after he left, so he cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.

"The opera troupe that General Jie has invited is excellent. I would like to invite them to Datong to perform for the soldiers there. General Jie knows what is about to happen in Datong, and it is also under the personal attention of Grand Secretary Zhang. I would like to ask General Jie to do me the honor of bringing them back for me, as a reward for the soldiers."

Upon hearing Wang Xin mention Zhang Jifu, Ding Yuan's smile vanished.

"it is good!"

"General Wang truly lives up to his reputation for loving his soldiers like his own children. I agree on behalf of my father!"

From a distance, the young master in the audience shouted, and before Wang Xin could reply, he looked at the opera troupe and threatened, "Go to Datong and perform well. Don't embarrass yourselves, or I won't let you off the hook."

The actors on stage were so frightened that they lost all composure and could only kneel and kowtow.

"This is my son, Ding Shengan. He is a few years older than General Wang, so please excuse his age."

Seeing his son step forward, Ding Yuan smiled again.

"So it was Ding Sheren."

Wang Xin bowed slightly to save face.

"General Wang."

The young man smiled and returned the greeting.

The atmosphere gradually eased, and many people breathed a sigh of relief. However, Wang Xin did not stay long; when he returned, he had an extra opera troupe with him.

The opera troupe was originally quite famous locally. Even opera troupes from other places dared not offend the local military governor. For the sake of their future livelihood, the opera troupe obediently followed Wang Xin.

Wang Xin did not make things difficult for them.

Although it's none of my business, the situation did start because of me, and there's no need to make their lives even harder. I don't have that kind of perverse sense of humor.

Not long after the opera troupe met him, they sensed that Wang Xin had a gentle temperament and was no longer as sharp as before, and smiles returned to their faces.

The opera troupe came and went, and with their company, the road was indeed much more lively.

Shi Ping had the most contact with them.

The opera troupe was also impressed by this young man.

"General, aren't you going to do anything about it?"

Stone asked in a low voice.

Wang Xin looked at the stone, which resembled a thief's den, and said speechlessly, "What's it to you?"

"Shi Ping has recently become close to a female opera singer in the troupe. The two of them talk endlessly every day. I think Shi Ping is infatuated with her. If the general doesn't intervene, Shi Ping might marry her."

Small stones become big stones.

Stone looked worried.

"You're so nosy."

Wang Xin was too lazy to bother with it.

I'm not a feudal patriarch.

Life is short, so besides fulfilling our responsibilities, we should do what we love.

Shi Tou was unwilling to give up. Although he and Shi Ping often competed, he was unwilling for his brother to marry an actress. He continued, "General, aren't you afraid of being laughed at?"

“If Shi Ping is worried about being laughed at, then he should stay away from others. If he doesn’t care about worldly opinions and only pursues what he likes, then why should you care about him?”

The group left Zijing Pass.

Looking out over the mountains from the mountainside, it was as if the sun was rising. This time, Wang Xin walked more slowly, as if he wanted to take in more of the scenery along the way.

Having seen through the general's attitude, Stone had no choice but to leave.

We finally arrived in Datong.

Wang Xin had official business to attend to in Datong, so he sent Shi Ping with the opera troupe to Zuoyun County.

The headquarters of the Western Army of Datong was located in Zuoyun County, including the residence of Wang Xin, a military officer.

However, Wang Xin rarely stayed in Zuoyun. Instead, he spent half his time outside the pass and the other half traveling around.

With a major battle imminent, Wang Xin genuinely wanted to cheer up his soldiers.

Watching a play to relax was a popular form of entertainment in the Great Zhou Dynasty.

The opera troupe that Ding Yuan invited must have been famous. Such troupes are usually hard to find in remote areas, and Wang Xin didn't insist, so he got a chance.

"Let's put on a play about our general fighting against the Japanese pirates."

On the way back to Zuoyun County, Shi Ping said firmly.

The members of the opera troupe looked at each other in bewilderment.

A girl of sixteen or seventeen years old advised, "If you practice during a certain time period, you might make a mistake and cause trouble."

"You don't understand. Your ability to play generals is the best thing for our brothers in the Datong Western Army. They love watching it." Normally, he would give in, but now Shi Ping had no intention of backing down.

Shi Ping knew what the Western Army of Datong was going to do next.

The general never spoke of his inner suffering, but he knew it all himself.

A fierce battle is imminent.

When I invite my brothers to a show, I naturally invite them to watch the shows they like; I can't just fool them.

The troupe leader was an elderly man in his fifties. Seeing that everyone was at a loss, he had no choice but to step forward and agree to Shi Ping's suggestion.

After Shi Ping left, the troupe leader instructed the troupe leaders to practice diligently.

"Don't be careless. They can turn on you in an instant. You should think carefully about whether you'll be able to leave this area."

"The troupe leader is exaggerating. How can they not leave Datong? Shi Ping said that their Datong Western Army is different."

The girl just laughed.

"Yunniang, don't let that boy's sweet talk fool you. We've been living under his roof all this way. It's a good thing if you can get along with him. I won't stop you."

"Boss!"

Yunniang stamped her foot.

After Yunniang left, the remaining people looked at each other and laughed, none of them optimistic about Yunniang's future.

A few days later, the generals of various departments received military orders and came to Zuoyun to discuss matters, and news of the northern expedition began to spread.

More and more soldiers were entering and leaving Zuoyun County.

Shi Ping found a large courtyard and set up a platform that could accommodate two or three hundred people, although it was a bit crowded.

As evening approached, the weather cooled down a bit.

Yunniang watched nervously from behind the scenes. Not only Yunniang, but everyone else became serious.

Squads of soldiers entered the field.

They entered in a row.

"Standing!"

"Wow."

"Take a break!"

"Standing!"

One of the captains finally said, "Sit down!"

"Crash."

More than thirty soldiers in military uniforms sat cross-legged on the ground.

One team did this, then two teams did this, and so on. Soon, the courtyard was filled with people. The sky darkened, becoming a dense, dark mass, yet utterly silent.

The opera troupe had never seen such a situation before, and even Yunniang dared not breathe loudly.

Regardless, everyone had to bite the bullet and keep acting.

It tells the story of an army of several hundred men who, upon learning of the Japanese pirate invasion, overcame numerous difficulties and traveled many miles in a single day and night. In the end, they lost only a few men but wiped out hundreds of Japanese pirates.

The opera troupe didn't believe it; the story was all told by Shi Ping.

The Yihuang dialect is used.

These opera troupes aren't difficult to set up; the difficulty lies in avoiding mistakes. These days, it's not easy for people to watch operas, and they are very particular about it. Making a mistake will not only cause people to jeer, but it will also ruin their own reputation.

What are you afraid of?

The actor playing Wang Xin was so nervous that he sang off-key and choked on his own saliva, coughing red in front of hundreds of soldiers on stage.

Finished!

The troupe leader was shocked, but he forced himself to go on stage.

Seeing the hundreds of stern-faced soldiers below the stage, the troupe leader was so frightened that he couldn't speak and hurriedly knelt down to kowtow.

Yunniang couldn't bear to watch any longer, and for the sake of the opera troupe, she ran out from behind the curtain.

"Gentlemen, I am truly sorry!"

Yunniang was going all out; even though she couldn't see Shi Ping, she didn't care about anything else.

"Crash."

offstage.

A school officer applauded.

In an instant, thunderous applause erupted from the audience.

To maintain morale, the officer rose from the stage and addressed his comrades, saying, "Filial piety is the foundation of virtue, and it should be prioritized in military campaigns. Ready. Sing!"

Subsequently.

A torrent of water surged forth.

"Filial piety is the foundation of virtue, and it should be the first priority in military campaigns. Love your parents as you love yourself, and share hardships with your comrades. The kindness of our bodies and hair is passed down from our parents. Protecting ourselves on the battlefield is also an extension of filial piety. We should unite as one family, bound by brotherhood, helping each other and advancing and retreating together. Filial piety is the strength to stand firm."

The singing is loud and clear.

The stage high above fell silent, and everyone present was stunned.

Yunniang burst into tears.

She suddenly felt a little confident; Shi Ping hadn't lied to her.

(End of this chapter)