The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 345 Tang Ping Asks the Way
The Four Kings and Eight Dukes were founding heroes and the main political force in the early Zhou Dynasty, before the rise of civil officials.

When the retired emperor had just ascended the throne, he had been working for many years to divide and suppress the four kings and eight dukes.

Therefore, Jia Jing, the previous head of the Jia family, was extremely supportive of Prince Yizhong, which caused a huge impact on him. However, at that time, the Jia family was the most prominent and prestigious among the noble families, and the retired emperor, considering stability, did not exterminate them.

When Jia Jing became a monk, he also relinquished control of the Beijing Garrison. From that point on, the Jia family never again had any contact with military power.

The Jia family's backup plan was Prince Teng.

Prince Teng was still young at the time, and the retired emperor liked him, so he did not oppose the move. After all, the retired emperor could not force the nobles to the brink of destruction.

then.

Prince Teng was ambitious. Seeing that the emperor's power was becoming more and more stable, he used his power to switch sides and pledge allegiance to Prince Zhongshun.

No matter how good the military governor of the capital is, he is not from the royal family.

Replacing the governor of an important military town with a new one was something Wang Ziteng had always wanted.

I've worked hard my whole life.

In the end, it all came to nothing. Meanwhile, the younger generation before him, Wang Xin, was only thirty years old, yet he was already a general and had a good chance of becoming a regional military governor. Wang Ziteng was both resentful and unwilling to give up.

"You can't beat Zhang Jifu."

Wang Ziteng said seriously, "Besides, there are also a group of local bigwigs. You can't easily fight against just one of them, let alone both of them fighting against you together. While there is still room for negotiation, I can help you out."

"How to do?"

Wang Xin asked deliberately.

It wouldn't hurt to listen and see what Wang Ziteng was really up to.

Seeing that there was hope, Wang Ziteng became even more energetic and analyzed as if instructing a junior: "The emperor's predicament has led to his severe lack of military power, so he will definitely value you."

That's not surprising.

That's also why I've never been in a hurry.

Because of Lin Ruhai's relationship with Jia Zheng, although he had cooperated with Zhang Jifu for many years, he had never sided with Zhang Jifu. Therefore, according to the original pattern, even if the emperor still won, it would not affect him.

On the contrary, because of the lack of military power, the emperor may even value himself in the early stages.

Actually, these things aren't complicated.

The complex thing is how to make the principles visible to everyone without hindering oneself.

The idiom "to help others achieve their goals" truly represents a beautiful aspiration.

In official circles, not interfering is considered a great favor.

Because the greatest ability of officials is only to do bad things. So, doing bad things for you and for the country is their true nature; otherwise, how would they demonstrate their power?

When I was in Jiangnan.

He understood the strengths and weaknesses of the Japanese pirates, and with Qi Jiguang's Mandarin Duck Formation, which was specifically designed to defeat them, as well as his own system, he was able to do things that ordinary people could not.

Therefore, no one stopped him.

Then the Beijing Garrison, and then Datong.
Not much has changed.

It's because it's "cheap enough", "high quality", and "easy to service".

Such a high-quality, cost-effective daily necessity would be hard for any housewife to resist, let alone Zhang Jifu, who was already in such a difficult situation. The more difficult it was for him, the more irresistible it was to use his own product.

But all good things must come to an end.

The shared interests between myself and Zhang Jifu have finally come to an end.

He was already a general.

Zhang Jifu could not give himself more, and as his power and strength grew, his views and actions inevitably affected the imperial court, thus influencing Zhang Jifu.

If the imperial court wanted to prevent refugees from entering the capital, it sent troops to suppress them.

If I turn a blind eye, the court's objectives will not be achieved; this is the consequence of my current position.

The influx of refugees into the capital shattered some beautiful lies and revealed some facts. For the officials, this was not a good thing, but rather a troublesome matter that added fuel to the fire, a case of creating trouble out of nothing.

There were already too many things to do, and now I'm making things worse.

If you can't see it, then nothing's wrong. But if someone exposes it and lets them see it, then that's causing trouble.

This indicates a lack of responsibility, instability, and a failure to grasp the bigger picture.
If it affects the official positions of some people, others will definitely retaliate, and thus one will be impeached.

Actually, this kind of thing has happened before.

However, due to his lowly status in the past, his words and actions could not reach the imperial court. Lin Ruhai had resolved the issue before, and later, Jia Zheng and his group in the capital also helped him.

no matter who.

It won't work without help.

Therefore, Wang Xin chose Lin Ruhai and Jia Zheng, rather than Jia She and Wang Ziteng.

This is called achieving success through the help of people.

A classic theory in later investment banking is that investment is ultimately about investing in people.

"You have deceived the Emperor Emeritus once again. Aren't you afraid of angering him?" Wang Xin had already guessed Wang Ziteng's purpose. While he was unconvinced, he was even more curious about what Wang Ziteng was thinking.

Wang Ziteng was stunned.

"Haven't you thought about it?"

Upon seeing this, Wang Xin was even more surprised.

Wang Ziteng shook his head: "The retired emperor is too old. A few days ago, he deliberately went hunting to prove to the outside world that no one showed up. The emperor will definitely win."

He's a gambler.

Wang Xin understood.

"I think you should be more careful. Stop watching me all the time and take care of yourself first."

It's not because I'm kind-hearted.

Why are outsiders wary of Jia Zheng?

What abilities could Jia Zheng possibly have? He was just a decent gentleman with good character.

Who's afraid of good people?

It's all because of the reputation of the four major families.

Although there were several baskets, they were all from the same brand.

For him at present, the reputation of the four great families is still useful; otherwise, any censor could impeach him and remove him from office.

This is the difference between having someone behind you and not having anyone behind you.

Is there no one behind you?

Even a single insult to an imperial censor could trigger the Great Zhou Code, resulting in imprisonment for violating the law.

Is someone behind this?

They could insult the censors like grandsons, blatantly violating the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and get away with it.

Wang Ziteng thought Wang Xin was mocking him, and he stood up abruptly in anger, pointing at Wang Xin and saying in a low voice, "You become arrogant after you get ahead. Such a petty person. Jia Zheng and the others have really misjudged you."

Wang Xin was speechless.

Lin Ruhai died of genuine illness.

He wrote a letter to Lin Daiyu and invited her home. As his illness continued to worsen, he passed away more than a year later.

Wang Ziteng's death was very unexpected.

Looking back now, given Wang Ziteng's gambling nature and the amount of money he had, his death wasn't entirely unjust.

It's true that the retired emperor can't touch the emperor, but can't he touch you, Prince Teng?
It's easiest to start halfway through.

The Great Zhou Dynasty inherited the Embroidered Uniform Guard from the former Ming Dynasty.

If the retired emperor really did use the Embroidered Uniform Guard to assassinate Prince Teng, it further illustrates that some things had become so serious that the retired emperor could no longer act openly and honestly.

For example, dealing with a prince named Teng.

In the past, a single decree from the retired emperor was sufficient.

The same decree could now dismiss Prince Teng, but it would send a worse message to the outside world, which would be more detrimental to the retired emperor.

People will become more suspicious of the retired emperor.

After a less-than-pleasant parting with Wang Ziteng, Wang Xin hoped that Wang Ziteng would not come again. However, if he was not mistaken, Wang Ziteng probably wouldn't live much longer, so it seemed that his fate had not been affected by him.

Actually that's right.

He had not really interfered in the power struggles in the capital. Although he cooperated with Zhang Jifu, it was all about matters in the border regions. The matters in the border regions were indeed significant, but they affected the border regions, not the capital.

Just like Liaodong at the end of the Ming Dynasty, the situation was so dangerous that it even invaded the capital region several times, but it did not stop the factional struggles in the court.

So, barring any unforeseen circumstances...

Within three years. Or even within one or two years.

The emperor must take personal control of the government.

The most likely explanation for the death of the retired emperor is that something happened to him in the last two years, and he may have reached the end of his life, given his advanced age.

What should I do then?

This time, the imperial court issued an order for the army to suppress the people. This was in ancient times, not in the new China of later generations. In the new China, there would never be an army dealing with the people.

In the new China.

The military will only protect innocent civilians.

In fact, without the struggle between the retired emperor and the emperor, the future situation would probably be even less for him to act recklessly.

"It can't be hidden anymore."

Wang Xin paced back and forth in the hall.

The General's Mansion has a set layout and rules. Different Generals might change the furnishings to suit their preferences, but Wang Xin never made any changes.

As a result, the hall appeared both spacious and solemn.

As one's position rises, one's words and actions become less effortless than before.

In the past, there were few consequences for speaking carelessly.

Nowadays, even a casual remark can easily reach the imperial court.

So what should I do?

Ping'er was pregnant, and in order to protect the fetus, Wang Xin did not allow Ping'er to come to Tongzhou. At the same time, he asked Qingwen to help take care of Ping'er.

Unexpectedly, Ping'er couldn't let go of Wang Xin and took it upon herself to send Qingwen to Tongzhou.

When Qingwen arrived in Tongzhou, Wang Xin was startled. Since things had come to this, he had no choice but to let Qingwen stay.

I have just returned to the inner courtyard of the General's Mansion.

As Qingwen helped Wang Xin change out of his official robes, she said, "The old lady of the Jia family has invited an imperial physician to examine Sister Ping's pulse."

"Is Ping'er not feeling well?"

Wang Xin asked hurriedly.

Qingwen quickly laughed and said, "Why don't you wait for others to finish speaking? You're getting more and more impatient."

Seeing Qingwen's expression, Wang Xin breathed a sigh of relief.

Qingwen patted Wang Xin, rolled her eyes, took the official robe she had taken off and folded it neatly, saying, "The old lady is meticulous. She asked the imperial physician to take a look. After examining him, the imperial physician said everything was fine. Sister Ping'er was also happy and sent someone to deliver the message."

This is equivalent to a prenatal checkup.

Prenatal checkups, which are common for ordinary people in later generations, were only available to wealthy families in the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Wang Xin was also pleased.

Just as we were about to eat, someone came in from outside and said, "Tang Ping, the guerrilla commander of the Western Army of Datong, has arrived."

"he?"

Wang Xin glanced at the sky and said, "Let him come."

Logically, since it's late, they should have come tomorrow morning. Since they made it in time, they probably haven't eaten.

Qingwen sensibly withdrew.

Wang Xin wasn't particularly strict, but he wouldn't deliberately go against the rules either. He would follow local customs in many harmless matters. However, the General's Mansion had a reception room in the inner courtyard, and Tang Ping was no ordinary person, so Wang Xin simply invited Tang Ping to come and eat with them.

After Tang Ping entered, he took a clear look at the scene inside the room.

Wang Xin sat at the square table with four dishes and a soup, smiling and waving to Tang Ping. Such an ordinary gesture made Tang Ping feel as if he had returned to the past. His nose tingled, and he lowered his head and quickly went up to sit down.

"Let's eat first."

Wang Xin didn't waste any words, and the two picked up their bowls and chopsticks as if they were having a casual meal.

Wang Xin doesn't drink much.

In order to restrain one's desires.

Tang Ping and the others knew Wang Xin's style, so they didn't usually like to eat with him. But this time was different. They had been officially separated for half a year and had experienced many things, especially after hearing what they heard in the alleys of the capital.

After finishing their meal quietly, Wang Xin took Tang Ping to the study.

at this time.

Tang Ping has fully recovered, and the feeling he once had has returned; all negative emotions have vanished without a trace.

"You've come at the right time, so we don't have to make things unclear in the letters."

Wang Xin had a big smile on his face.

"What is it?" Tang Ping asked curiously.

“I plan to support the Xue family’s eldest branch. I’ve already spoken with their head of operations, Zhang Dehui. Everything else will be fine. We need your help in Datong,” Wang Xin explained in detail.

"Master Xue has a lot of nerve."

Tang Ping immediately understood and said angrily, "How dare he?"

Wang Xin stared at Tang Ping with a strange expression.

Tang Ping understood again.

He sat back down speechlessly; the root of the problem still lay with him.

Tang Ping felt somewhat ashamed and resentful, and said with a sullen face, "Didn't the general not object to me marrying a daughter of the Zhou family before?"

Who doesn't love a beautiful woman?

Wang Xin shook his head. "It's like a sugar-coated bullet. Eat the sugar, and then throw the bullet back."

That's a good point.

Tang Ping straightened his back immediately.

Wang Xin did not say much.

Many things are unsolvable.

After the founding of the Ming Dynasty, the poor men who used to marry women from wealthy families ended up marrying women from poor families. On the contrary, the royal family established a rule that the empress could only be chosen from among women from humble backgrounds.

"General, what do you plan to do?" Tang Ping felt that his own problem was easy to solve, but Wang Xin's was the difficult one, so he couldn't help but ask with concern.

"Continue doing it that way."

Wang Xin did not hesitate.

Tang Ping also shook his head, reminding Wang Xin, "I'm afraid things won't be like they used to be."

Even he found it difficult to move forward, and many things angered him, let alone the position of general.

"You should have listened to me back then. We should have kept the enemy in check. Besides, we weren't really keeping the enemy in check." Tang Ping complained, but more so because he was annoyed that the general had so many tricks up his sleeve and didn't use any of them.

"You do not understand."

Wang Xin became indifferent.

The practice of "raising a bandit to enhance one's own prestige" was never truly about raising a bandit in the first place.

Nurhaci's ancestors were once among the most loyal to the Ming Dynasty.

Therefore, when this group petitioned the Ming emperor, wanting to change to a better location with richer resources and closer to Liaodong for convenient trade, the court readily designated Jianzhou for them to reside in.

“If the roots are not upright, problems will inevitably accumulate.”

Seeing that Tang Ping didn't take it seriously, Wang Xin spoke solemnly.

If the root of a matter is not right, even if the direction is right, the result will only be more outrageous in the end.

Only those who walk upright can sit straight.

Then many things will get better and better.

Because the more unjust something is, the more measures must be taken to suppress the people and prevent them from becoming enlightened.

Just as the Qing Dynasty encouraged the Eight Banners to study, but strictly prohibited ordinary people from studying, anyone who dared to set up a private school would be charged with treason and have their family and clan exterminated.

Therefore, foreigners dared to come and preach, opening the eyes of the people and letting them see the world. Even though they knew they were no match for the Qing people, and they knew that the foreigners were not interested in the Qing people, but only in how to exploit the Qing Dynasty, the Qing Dynasty was also going to war.

Because foreigners undermined the foundation of the Qing Dynasty's rule.

Wang Xin was most worried about Tang Ping because Tang Ping was the most unruly and disregarded the imperial court.

"Does the general mean he's absolutely loyal to this damned imperial court?"

Tang Ping expressed his dissatisfaction.

(End of this chapter)