The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 335 Gift of a Precious Sword

The Zhou dynasty followed the Ming dynasty's system.

Civil and military officials wore official robes when attending court ceremonies, court sessions, or when meeting the emperor; everyday clothes; and official robes when in office. Only during large-scale military exercises or battles would generals and soldiers wear armor.

Wang Xin was wearing a new second-rank military officer's uniform, with a black gauze hat, a round-necked shirt, and a belt.

The robes were adorned with a plaque on the front and back; civil officials wore plaques with birds, while military officials wore plaques with beasts.

Wang Xin's insignia was embroidered with a majestic lion, representing a high-ranking military officer of the first or second rank, and he was the highest-ranking officer present. Next was Li Wei, who was a third-rank officer, and his insignia was embroidered with a tiger.

This is the newly arrived general.

Many people were watching, those behind couldn't see clearly, or didn't care, or stood on tiptoe to look, but there was a strange group of people in the corner.

Dozens of elderly and infirm people stood in neat rows, each with a proud look on their faces. It turned out to be Old Man Shi and his men from Hexi Camp.

"It's over."

A man with a full beard was restless and anxious.

"General Lin, wouldn't it be better to just behave yourself in these kinds of times?" the man next to the bearded man remarked, as those around them strained to see what was ahead.

Upon hearing this, the bearded man glared at him.

"Isn't General Lin just thinking about the brothers? You're being disloyal and heartless by saying that!"

"Wang Ying, if you're really loyal, then go up and speak up for Lin Jie." The man sneered and said sarcastically, "Don't just say nice things."

The bearded man was furious.

"Boss, don't fall for their provocation. Being loyal doesn't mean you're going to your death."

Someone grabbed the bearded man.

"Alright, stop making a scene." Someone advised, "If you're unhappy, don't show it today. A new broom sweeps clean, so don't risk your life."

"Will President Lin be dead?"

Someone worried.

"will not."

One veteran shook his head and speculated, "The commander-in-chief is from the Eastern Army and has a good reputation, so it's unlikely. However, he will probably punish Commander Lin severely as a warning to others."

That makes sense.

Lin Qianzong was very loyal and kind to his soldiers, so everyone hoped that nothing would happen to him.

As for suffering a little, there's nothing anyone can do about it.

There was much discussion on the drill ground, but Wang Xin ignored it and only looked at the military officer in front of him.

The atmosphere gradually quieted down.

"I've heard about you."

Wang Xin laughed.

The military officer pushed away the person pressing down on him, rubbed his arm, and said politely, "Please understand, Your Excellency, I did not cause any trouble."

"Why is that?"

Wang Xin asked patiently.

Some people looked anxiously at Li Wei, but Li Wei remained calm and stood behind Wang Xin with a gentle expression, saying in a very mild tone, "Explain yourself clearly. The General Commander has always been fair and just, with an excellent reputation. He will make his own decisions and will not tolerate your insolence."

Li Wei had made up his mind to follow Wang Xin's lead.

Nothing else matters.

"Your subordinate, Captain Lin Jie, respectfully welcomes General Commander. I just thought it was inappropriate to bring up this matter after assembling the entire army so early in the morning and leaving them hungry until now. I did not expect that my superior would try to confuse the situation, falsely accuse me of causing trouble, and use General Commander to get rid of me."

The commander in the distance immediately stepped forward.

“General, this man is talking nonsense. He caused trouble in front of the entire army, and everyone saw it.”

The commander turned around and scolded, "The whole army came to welcome the general, and we've only waited half a day. Why can't you wait? If we're on the battlefield, can't we even wait half a day? Will we still fight?"

Lin Jie retorted, "Commander, you don't need to use grand principles to intimidate me."

"enough."

Li Wei interrupted the two, his face cold and his voice low, "Unless the Commander-in-Chief gives the order, none of you shall speak." Then he looked at Wang Xin and respectfully said, "Please give your instructions, Commander-in-Chief."

Whether this was a coincidence or not, it certainly gave him an opportunity to make an example of someone.

Wang Xin shook his head.

"Lock them both up." After saying that, he ignored them and walked straight towards the high platform in front of the training ground.

The voice just fell.

Several guards stepped forward and took action. Each of them was tall and strong, with muscular bodies, and they were unstoppable. In no time, they dragged the two away, leaving many people still in shock.

Shi Gandang, accompanied by a row of personal guards, followed closely behind Wang Xin, his waist slung over his waist, his hand on the hilt of the sword, exuding a murderous aura.

Under such imposing pressure, Li Wei obediently followed.

When Wang Xin arrived at the high platform and took his position as the commander, he glanced at the soldiers below.

Those with fierce faces, arrogant expressions, or calm demeanor were mostly the personal guards of their respective generals.

The Eastern Army also had three battalions.

Each battalion consisted of two to three thousand men, either commanded by a lieutenant general or a guerrilla commander, and was named after the general's surname, generally referred to as the "So-and-so Battalion".

For example, the battalion led by Li Wei was called the Li-character battalion.

The five smaller camps under the Li-character camp.

They were also named after the surnames of the battalion commanders, and were also called "Family Battalion".

The character 营 represents a large camp.

The representative of Jiaying is Xiaoying.

Based on the size of the number of people present, it was estimated to be less than 7,000, while the actual number on the roster was 9,000, which is nearly one-third less.

It looks pretty good.

But this was a few years ago, after Zhu Wei reorganized the Eastern Army under the guise of fighting against Japanese pirates.

In just a few short years, the fully-staffed Eastern Army has lost many men.

Although some of them were taken back by the other three armies, there must have been other reasons as well.

The right wing had 7,000 men, the left wing had about the same number, and if you include the main force, the total number of the Eastern Army should be around 20,000. The other three armies would certainly have fewer men.

That is to say, the entire Beijing garrison could muster about 60,000 to 70,000 men.

It's barely enough to keep the area in check.

Last year, when Datong led the northern expedition, he gathered 50,000 to 60,000 troops. Although most of them were militiamen, unlike the Beijing garrison, whose 60,000 to 70,000 were all soldiers, Wang Xin believed that less than half of them could be considered soldiers.

In this respect, the reorganization of the Eastern Army in the past few years has been effective.

The Beijing garrison was stronger than the Datong garrison.

The Beijing garrison generally did not fight alone, but rather cooperated with local troops.

Therefore, if the 60,000 to 70,000 troops of the Beijing garrison were to go to a certain place to fight, together with the tens of thousands of local troops and militia, they could maintain an army of more than 100,000 to fight. However, whether they could maintain it was uncertain.

A leopard can be seen in the tube.

Zhu Wei's status is evident.

Wang Ziteng was the Right Commander-in-Chief, while Zhu Wei later rose to become the Left Commander-in-Chief, although one was in the Central Army and the other in the Left Army.

The position of Admiral of the Eastern Army has attracted much attention.

Unwittingly, he had been pushed into the vortex again. Whether he could stand firm or not, Wang Xin withdrew his gaze.

A big wave of his hand.

"Let's eat."

There was total silence.

Many people doubted that they had misheard.

"General...General Commander." Li Wei stepped forward, dumbfounded, wanting to confirm again.

"Let's eat."

Wang Xin said calmly.

Knowing the face but not the heart.

Li Wei certainly wouldn't dare offend me, and would probably be loyal to me, hoping to gain my trust. Even if he didn't gain my trust, I hoped he would keep me from being wary of him or hold a grudge against him.

Including Lin Jie.

Wang Xin had already glanced at it and his attitude towards him wasn't very good.

Anyway, there are eleven spots available. Of the generals from lieutenant general to adjutant general, only three are missing and cannot be seen. The rest can be reviewed.

A month is enough time to select one or two people who meet your needs. Then you can continue to select from lower-ranking officers, round after round. After about six months, you'll have a stable pool of candidates.

royal palace.

Huiji Gate Pavilion.

The retired emperor rarely sees outside officials anymore, entrusts all affairs of the court to the cabinet, and at the same time makes good use of the inner court.

Dai Quan tiptoed up behind the Emperor Emeritus and began massaging his back as before. Seeing the Emperor Emeritus's hardship, she choked up and said, "Your Majesty, please allow me to return and serve you."

"Hehe." The retired emperor made a few unclear sounds in his throat, as if he were half asleep.

Only Dai Quan truly understands him.

When it comes to massaging backs, no one is as good as Dai Quan.

However, the retired emperor still shook his head and said calmly, "What's been happening outside the palace lately?"

Dai Quan had no choice but to keep quiet.

"Nothing serious, but there is an interesting story."

"Oh?"

The retired emperor turned around and glanced at Dai Quan.

Dai Quan nodded.

The retired emperor withdrew his gaze with relief.

In the past two years, it has become increasingly quiet, almost unbelievably so.

Even though it's exactly what I wanted, I'm still not at ease.

Could someone be plotting against me?

The retired emperor closed his eyes suspiciously, intending to listen to the interesting stories Dai Quan had to tell him.

"The Imperial Guards are keeping a close watch on the capital, so His Majesty can rest easy. I guarantee nothing will happen," Dai Quan said reassuringly. People become more afraid of death as they get older; they don't take it seriously when they're young.

"Ah."

The retired emperor, with his eyes closed, uttered a sound.

Zhang Jifu and his men could only rely on themselves. The emperor wouldn't tolerate them. For their own safety and well-being, they would all find ways to keep a close watch on the emperor, even without the emperor's supervision.

not enough.

If Dai Quan wants to be the ancestor, let him be.

There have always been ministers who pledge allegiance to a new emperor, but I have never heard of an emperor who uses old eunuchs. The more henchmen Dai Quan has, the less likely he is to cause trouble for himself.

Only interests remain constant.

Loyalty, gratitude, and gifts are all meaningless.

The retired emperor didn't believe a single one of them.

"Wang Xin has returned to the capital, Your Majesty, do you remember?"

Dai Quan said with a smile.

"Yes, he's a unique person."

While enjoying Dai Quan's back massage, the retired emperor casually gave a few perfunctory replies.

Dai Quan rubbed his elbow with one hand and supported it with the other, which was the best way to apply force and the angle was just right. It was a secret he wouldn't tell anyone. He laughed and said, "He went to the right wing of the Beijing garrison. After half a month, he's earned a nickname."

"What nickname?"

"Three things to master."

"Ok?"

The retired emperor, intrigued, opened his eyes and showed curiosity.

Dai Quan was even happier.

He quickly said, "General Wang Xin himself said that he only did three things well when leading the right wing army: eating, paying wages, and training. I thought it was just a polite remark, but I never expected that General Wang Xin would actually only do these three things."

"It's not easy."

The retired emperor closed his eyes again.

How many people will this offend?

"Yes."

Following the Emperor Emeritus's words, Dai Quan said, "I heard that over a mere grain clerk, the matter eventually escalated to the Ministry of War."

Why offend a private person for official business?
If only it were that simple: if people worked diligently, they would be loyal to everyone.

"Let it be."

The retired emperor was too lazy to care.

That's why the retired emperor didn't bother with Wang Xin. No matter what Wang Xin did, even if it displeased the retired emperor, he wouldn't intervene.

The retired emperor couldn't think of a reason to suppress such a loyal minister who only focused on official duties, didn't cultivate his own confidants and power, and was readily let go when the court said it would take him back.

Even Zhang Jifu couldn't help but stop using him, so the retired emperor could only say that there are still fools in the world.

It would be better if there were more fools like that.

Then I wouldn't have so many worries, and the Zhou dynasty would be stable.

Dai Quan stopped mentioning Wang Xin.

Many people don't understand Wang Xin; what's the point of all that hard work?

I genuinely thought he had some grand plan.

He did indeed create a Western Army in Datong, but in the end it was taken away, and he returned to the capital alone without a word.

Is he married?

Dai Quan stopped mentioning it, but the retired emperor suddenly brought it up himself.

"She was engaged to Jia Zheng's illegitimate daughter."

“He’s already a general, and an orphan. I’m worried about him all alone.” The Emperor Emeritus’s old face scrunched up. After thinking for a moment, he asked, “Has he met Jia Zheng’s illegitimate daughter? Do they have any feelings for each other?”

"I heard you've seen him."

Dai Quan understood the Emperor Emeritus's concerns and said carefully, "Moreover, according to the inquiries of our subordinates, Wang Xin is very fond of her and personally delivered his personal sword to the girl."

Could this be a scheme?
The retired emperor subconsciously became suspicious, but then he thought about Wang Xin's character.

Forget it.

What kind of conspiracy could such a person have?

The Eastern Army is crucial, and it's the strongest force in the Beijing Garrison. Giving one of its armies to them wouldn't be a bad idea.

"Send someone to keep an eye on it."

Although he was no longer worried, the retired emperor still wouldn't let him off the hook.

"The slaves obey the order."

Dai Quan kept moving his hands and feet, reluctant to leave.

Important figures in the capital were all monitored by spies from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and their daily words and actions, as well as who they contacted, were recorded.

"This is his treasured sword?"

Aunt Zhao found an opportunity to come to Qiushuangzhai, eager to see the exciting news that had been making headlines in the mansion recently.

Jia Tanchun looked shy.

"Did he see you in the garden?"

Aunt Zhao watched for a while, but quickly lost interest and started gossiping.

Jia Tanchun blushed even more, but still nodded.

"Hurrah."

Aunt Zhao laughed and scolded, "So you're a lecherous scoundrel who's been eyeing you for a long time."

"mother."

Jia Tanchun revealed a look of dissatisfaction.

Aunt Zhao laughed and said, "So you're starting to protect people now?"

"I can't control what outsiders say, but do you expect me to join them in laughing at me?" Tan Chun regained her composure and tried to remain calm.

"It was just a joke, why did you take it seriously?"

Aunt Zhao was in a good mood and spoke in a relaxed tone, saying happily, "It shows that Wang Xin really likes you. I wonder how many people will envy your good life after you marry him."

Tan Chun didn't know how to respond, so she lowered her head again.

Jia Huan, who came with Aunt Zhao, still examined the precious sword with great interest.

"Next time I see my brother-in-law, I want him to teach me swordsmanship."

Jia Huan suddenly said.

She even called him "brother-in-law," and Aunt Zhao couldn't stop smiling.

Tan Chun glared at her younger brother, Jia Huan, who looked completely indifferent. Tan Chun was both angry and helpless, yet felt a sweet warmth in her heart.

original.

He's liked me for a long time.

We met briefly then, and I didn't dare look at him too much, so I can't quite remember what he looked like.

Tan Chun subconsciously touched her face.

So hot.

(End of this chapter)