The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 313 High-spirited
A cloud of suspicion hung over Datong, suggesting an impending major battle.

People living in border areas have long been numb, just like people living in earthquake zones who don't take the risk of earthquakes to heart and just go about their daily lives as usual.

On the contrary, the militiamen sent from other places panicked, but what could they do?

There is only one difference.

The factories in the Niuxinshan area have become even busier these days.

"Many herders from outside the Great Wall are scrambling to buy firearms from merchants." Zhou Shiming got off the carriage, stood next to Wang Xin after seeing him, looked at the various work sheds not far away, and said with a smile.

In Wang Xin's plan, at least 150,000 people could be relocated from the entire Qiantao region.

With these 150,000 people settled here, and a business model for trading goods with the inland areas established, this region will no longer be at risk of being lost and then regained, because there are already benefits to be gained.

More importantly, it can alleviate the economic pressure on Datong and help more disaster victims, which can be described as beneficial in every way.

"The fact that the herders know to spend money to protect themselves shows that they have truly learned their lesson. They know that it is better to rely on themselves than on anyone else. If they have guns, even if they die, at least they can fight to the death."

Wang Xin said calmly.

It takes immense courage to wield a knife and attack someone.

However, pulling the trigger is easy, and the power of firearms is far greater than that of cold weapons.

Carrying a kitchen knife, robbers would not only be unafraid, but would mostly ignore it and might even laugh at it. But if a woman carried a musket, even one who was powerless could terrify the robbers.

Zhou Shiming looked at him with admiration, "These are all the general's insightful views."

Who would have thought that firearms could become commodities?

There are indeed risks in the mainland, but not in the areas outside the Great Wall.

They already had smuggling dealings with the Hu people, even engaging in risky trades like selling iron pots. Now, with Wang Xin's permission, it was all a matter of timing and fate.

The opportunity has arrived.

"Although the Qiantao region has only relocated less than 80,000 people so far, there were 4,000 to 5,000 households in the first year, and this year has already yielded a bumper harvest. In the future, more herders will be added every year."

In addition to supplying the army, there was not only the demand for tens of thousands of muskets annually, but also various small items such as gunpowder, lead bullets, and tung oil. The general's business acumen was no less than his military prowess.

Zhou Shiming first praised him for a while, then showed hesitation and became worried.

"However, the battlefield situation is ever-changing, and Ou Yanhu should not be underestimated. Isn't it a bit hasty to launch a northern expedition now?"

Wang Xin affirmed, "Now is the perfect time for a northern expedition."

“The general is absolutely right,” Zhou Shiming said. “If all the armies in Datong can work together, then little Ou Yanhu is no match for us. I’m afraid the general has been deceived.”

Wang Xin joked, "Is Master Zhou worried about me?"

Zhou Shiming smiled.

Zhou Shiming did more than one thing to win over Wang Xin's subordinates; he even gave up his granddaughter.

This is a method used by local tycoons for thousands of years. Don't worry about whether it's old-fashioned or not, as long as it works. This is what a calculated strategy looks like.

In reality, the wealthy families led by Zhou Shiming were eager for Wang Xin to leave Datong so they could divide up the "legacy" he left behind.

Wang Xin was in Datong.

The herders must be guaranteed a certain number of acres of pasture, and the interest and debt must be extended for a certain number of years. The risk of loss cannot be transferred to individuals; it can only be borne by the commercial bank.
If Wang Xin were no longer alive, these costs would simply be extra pure profit for the merchants.

A person who earns 10,000 yuan will never be satisfied with just 10,000 yuan.

As for whether other people are having a good time or a bad time.

It's none of his business.

Besides, when others are struggling, he has lower personnel costs and therefore more power.

Otherwise, if everyone's lives were better, who else could he enslave?

“If the general is defeated, the merchant guild will face Ou Yanhu directly, which will be even more risky,” Zhou Shiming said sincerely.

"I will not be defeated."

Wang Xin didn't care about Zhou Shiming's honest words, which shows that Zhou Shiming really didn't want to fail, at least not now.

“Ou Yanhu is not reckless. He is not only patient but also a skilled and victorious general. Does the general know that Ou Yanhu has been reorganizing his troops and has even sent people to contact some people in Datong?” Zhou Shiming said, “Not everyone has a sense of the big picture. Many people would like to see the general fail.”

"Zhang Wenjin, or Hu Liyong?" Wang Xin asked, frowning.

Zhou Shiming shook his head.

“Although Governor Zhang is greedy, he dares not delay the war. Although General Hu is jealous of the general, he also understands the dangers of the battlefield.” Zhou Shiming continued, “With the general’s insight, he should know that sometimes things are decided by the people below.”

"Come on then," Wang Xin said with a sneer. "I once fought against the Japanese pirates in the southeast, where the situation was just as complicated. The more Japanese pirates I wiped out, the more people hated me."

Following behind Zhou Shiming, Zhang Hui glanced at Wang Xin subconsciously, seemingly to confirm whether Wang Xin was genuinely confident or just boasting.

Regarding the northern expedition, many soldiers were unwilling to fight, and the generals were also unwilling to get involved.

In contrast, Ou Yanhu is different.

Ou Yanhu will fight desperately for his life.

Therefore, even if Datong does not take the initiative to launch a northern expedition, Ou Yanhu will still make a comeback. However, he may first unify the various tribes of the Hu people, so Wang Xin's idea makes sense.

While there may be some merit to this argument, it doesn't mean that everyone will support it.

They had discussed it on the way here.

Zhang Wenjin only wanted to make money, endure the next year or two, and then get promoted to another position. He certainly didn't want any major wars to happen during his tenure.

As for Hu Liyong...

He was an eighty-year-old man carrying water; he was willing but unable to do so. If he were truly capable, Fatty Feng wouldn't have kept him around for so many years.

The reason he was kept in the palace was mainly because he was not very talented and could reduce the court's suspicion, which is why Fatty Feng did not take action against Hu Liyong.

The only force we can truly rely on is the Western Army of Datong.

It's just a matter of whether to launch an attack or stay and focus on negotiations; there are only two options.

“General, you have three thousand elite soldiers, but that’s too few. Are you going to rely on those militia?” Zhou Shiming asked.

Wang Xin pointed ahead.

Those factories not far away.

Zhou Shiming was puzzled, but Wang Xin laughed and said, "That's what it's all about."

The group looked bewildered.

Seeing that Wang Xin had made up his mind, the group could only return empty-handed.

Wang Xin didn't pay much attention to it.

The struggle was nothing more than for dominance over western Datong.

Merchants and officials are both human, so their thinking is the same; neither is more noble than the other.

Zhang Wenjin wanted to maintain stability during his tenure, and the merchants, for their own benefit, also wanted to keep the Hu people in check. Neither of them cared about cooperating with the Hu people; they only cared about their own interests.

In their minds, it was possible to negotiate with the Hu people.

Isn't this how we've lived all these years?

It's better than a one-off deal. If you win, great; if you lose, you lose everything.

They were already living a good life, and even if they won, they would simply continue to live a good life, but if they lost, things would be terrible, so of course they were unwilling to resort to war.

The poor are actually the least afraid of war.

If you're so poor that life is meaningless, you might as well die. But fighting a war might give you a chance to turn things around.

As for losing.

Then it's a lose-lose situation.

Unless they have an absolute advantage, businessmen will not have a strong war mentality. Otherwise, they will be more inclined to use negotiation and various forms of pressure to achieve their goals.

Which method is better depends on the timing.

Wang Xin now needs more land to feed the disaster victims, so eliminating Ou Yanhu as soon as possible is what Wang Xin needs.

The interests of the two sides are not aligned.

One by one, the Portuguese transported the goods to Guihua City.

The journey from Niuxin Mountain to Guihua City is hundreds of miles long. If it were a temporary transport, it would require an immeasurable amount of manpower. However, by transporting the goods in advance and extending the transport time, the burden on the manpower could be reduced.

This also highlights the importance of military bases.

The United States has accumulated countless military supplies at military bases around the world, enabling it to wage war at any time globally.

This further illustrates the importance of Guihua City.

With Guihua City as a bridgehead, Wang Xin saved at least half of his energy and received substantial guarantees in all aspects. This is how to win battles.

In the words of our former leader.

Always be prepared.

These five simple words are the key to winning the battle.

"Boom."

The area around Niuxin Mountain was also bustling with activity.

Many militiamen would come to the foot of Niuxin Mountain for intensive training for half a month, during which the intensity of firearms drills would increase dramatically. Transporting supplies out would require manpower and resources, so by first transferring the militiamen to Niuxin Mountain for training nearby, resources could be saved.

They not only practiced with firearms, but also with the Hongyi cannons.

The Hongyi cannons were also moved to Guihua City.

A thick brick wall was specially built on the four earthen walls to house the Hongyi cannons. With these cannons in place, the risk of Guihua City being captured was greatly reduced.

The Hongyi cannons were used for defending cities, while the Portuguese cannons were used for field battles.

There are two types of breech-loading machines.

One type is the lead bullet cannon, which can fire many small lead bullets in one shot. The other type is the large lead bullet cannon, which is less powerful than the Hongyi cannon, but has the advantage of a faster rate of fire and is lighter, so it can be pulled by a horse-drawn carriage.

For this northern expedition, Wang Xin divided 9,000 militiamen into 20 small camps.

The three thousand elite soldiers were divided into five elite battalions and one artillery battalion.

The elite troops were divided into front, rear, left, center, and right camps.

Besides the central army battalion which carries five smaller battalions, the other four army battalions each carry three smaller battalions.

Autumn.

A sunny day.

"Woo——"

The horn sounded, and the flags waved.

In every battle, Wang Xin would make adjustments to the army, allocating troops according to the actual situation.

Different places and different enemies will naturally lead to different army compositions and tactics. There is no single tactic that can conquer the world, unless it is a small Western country where you will soon be crossing someone else's border.

"Boom boom boom——"

Drums sound.

Each battalion entered the battle in turn.

Forming ranks and marching are long-standing traditions of the Datong Western Army. Starting with Wang Xin's rise to power, the initial Yangzhou camp began training in these exercises, and over the years, many officers have internalized them.

Wang Xin was satisfied; it already had that kind of flavor.

The entire army was fully armored.

Iron armor, cotton armor, cloth armor, etc.

In addition, there were various chariots of different colors surrounding the camp, equipped with swords and shields, spears, muskets, breech-loading cannons, and tiger-squatting cannons.

"Woo——"

The horn sounded a second time.

All battalions had been deployed, and the drill ground was completely silent.

"Woo——"

The horn sounded for the third time.

"Zhang Can, step forward!"

Wang Xin stood on the command platform, his hand on the sword at his waist, and shouted loudly.

His guards waved flags beside him.

From a distance below, Zhang Can, clad in armor, strode towards the command platform from one of the formations, the iron plates on his body clanging loudly.

Upon reaching the command platform, he knelt on one knee, cupped his hands, and said, "Your subordinate is here."

"I appoint you as the vanguard general."

"Here!"

Zhang Can readily agreed and took the command flag from the general's hand.

He then turned to face his own army formation, waved his hand, and the vanguard flag swung open, circling several times before being skillfully raised.

The several formations on that side, led by their captains and sentries, produced a tremendous sound.

"color."

"color."

"color."

Three consecutive sounds, with astonishing force.

It's not just about boosting morale, but also about making sure the soldiers recognize their own flag in front of everyone. These are details that outsiders wouldn't know.

Wang Xin had led troops for many years, not to mention the Qi Family Military Strategy. Many subtle details, without anyone noticing, allowed for smooth integration, which invisibly improved the army's combat effectiveness.

Wait until the drill ground is quiet.

Zhang Can rolled up the command flag, put it away, turned around and saluted Wang Xin, then stepped down from the platform and returned to his position.

"Liu Tong, step forward!"

Wang Xin continued shouting.

same.

Liu Tong soon arrived at the command platform and was appointed as the general of the central army.

These titles like "Front Army General" and "Central Army General" do not mean they are generals; they are miscellaneous generals in the military.

He appointed several generals in succession.

Wang Xincai arrived at the front.

At this moment, the entire drill ground was completely silent, except for the sound of the flags.

Over the years, Wang Xin felt that he hadn't done enough.

Although I have done very well compared to others, good is good, and bad is bad.

People aren't stupid.

Everyone wants to live a good life.

A strict yet lenient environment, a painful yet joyful environment, an environment where you can't get rich, but you can still feed your family.

The people I feel most sorry for are the militia.

Even in later generations, there was a distinction between conscripts and professional soldiers, and their treatment was different.

Wang Xin felt ashamed because he had given the militia far too little.

However, everyone has a heart.

Even when the militiamen saw their general walk to the front of the stage, they all opened their eyes wide and pricked up their ears, not daring to breathe too loudly, for fear of missing any of the general's words.

Once people are on the rise, the world becomes boundless.

Wang Xin didn't say much, and slowly raised his arm.

"The Great Zhou is invincible."

The four characters sounded like a resounding drumbeat.

"The Great Zhou is invincible!"

"The Great Zhou is invincible!"

soon.

The soldiers below the stage shouted, their faces red and necks bulging, their veins even bulging.

This was a response to the general.

The cry was loud.

It seemed as if the ground was shaken even in places very far away.

This was a form of self-affirmation, yet Wang Xin felt saddened.

The poem reads: "In the village at sunset, soldiers dismount. How many have returned from battle?"

This war is fraught with danger, and even merchants are worried, preferring to focus on negotiations.

The Datong military town launched a three-pronged attack, ostensibly to support each other, but in reality, each had its own agenda. The total force numbered fifty to sixty thousand, seemingly not much weaker than Ou Yanhu's. According to information gathered by scouts, Ou Yanhu could muster at most eighty thousand soldiers.

Sixty thousand soldiers against eighty thousand soldiers.

The advantage is mine.

However, everyone knows that the most dangerous enemy is not the enemy, but the teammate.

"Do you have confidence?"

Wang Xin turned around, smiled, and looked at Shi Ping.

Shi Ping was stunned.

The general's answer was puzzling, but Shi Ping quickly broke into a smile, his face radiating youthful confidence, and declared triumphantly, "We will win!"

Shi Ping, who had been married for two months, was in high spirits.

(End of this chapter)