The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 353 Recruitment
"Mr. Zeng."

The gatekeeper and a guard at Wang Xin's residence greeted the two new guests, one of whom was Zeng Zhi, with great courtesy.

"These are guests invited by the commander-in-chief."

Zeng Zhi gave an introduction and then led Zhang Yuncheng inside.

Knowing Wang Xin's house well, he didn't need a doorman to lead the way. After passing through the west side gate, he arrived at the study.

The courtyard at the entrance is very large, separated by several walls.

Wang Xin's study was very spacious.

Zeng Zhi casually sat down and, seeing Zhang Yuncheng's restraint, laughed and said, "Sit down. General Zhang is easygoing, and you're no stranger."

Zhang Yuncheng hesitated for a moment, then chose to listen to Zeng Zhi and did not intend to stand and wait for Wang Xin.

Even after sitting down, I still felt uneasy.

I had seen my old friend's behavior firsthand, but I said nothing more, lest I make him feel even worse.

Luck is more important than hard work.

Choice is more important than hard work.

My old friend initially served as an observer in the Ministry of War, with a brighter future than me. However, he lacked luck and did not choose to follow Wang Xin like I did. Several years have passed, and he is still an observer, without having obtained any official position.

At what age should one be in what position?

Otherwise, what would they be after?

Just like how most top scorers are young people, because young people have plenty of time to develop, while if a top scorer is older, he may have already died before he can reap the rewards.

No one in officialdom would do something so unprofitable.

So Zhang Yuncheng has changed a lot now, he's lost his former composure, and what about me?

Zeng Zhi secretly took this as a warning and reminded himself to cherish everything he had now.

For a while.

"Mr. Zhang, Mr. Zeng, we've kept you waiting."

Wang Xin strode in.

Zhang Yuncheng quickly stood up, followed by Zeng Zhi, and the two bowed to each other.

"Greetings, General."

Zhang Yuncheng's voice was urgent.

"Sit down, sit down."

Wang Xin waved his hand, noticing that Zhang Yuncheng had changed somewhat. It would be better for him to act more naturally, otherwise the other party would become even more reserved. Wang Xin did not deliberately show it.

really.

After a while, Zhang Yuncheng gradually got used to it.

At this point, Wang Xin got straight to the point.

What's the specific situation in Shandong?

Zhang Yuncheng subconsciously looked at Zeng Zhi.

Zeng Zhi laughed and said, "The imperial court's official report is of unknown authenticity, and the claims from Shandong are also unreliable. It's a mix of truth and falsehood. The General wants to hear more opinions. Brother Zhang, don't be nervous, just tell us what you know."

Wang Xin did not urge him, and had a gentle smile on his face.

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Yuncheng regained his composure and met Wang Xin's gaze, as if he had made up his mind.

The reserved young man from before was gone; the eloquent and talented scholar had returned.

After Zhang Yuncheng's brief explanation, Wang Xin gained a deeper understanding of the situation in Shandong and fell into deep thought.

According to Zhang Yuncheng, it was actually that the peasants could no longer endure it and called for a rebellion in an attempt to overthrow the Great Zhou Dynasty.

This is no small matter.

When it comes to natural disasters and man-made calamities, which year doesn't have them?

The Japanese pirates in the southeast, and the years of suffering from the ravages of the Hu people in Datong, were these man-made disasters?
It's not just about enemies, but also internal problems.

As for natural disasters, there are also quite a few.

Even in the original timeline of the Ming Dynasty, northern Shaanxi suffered from disasters for decades, starting from the Wanli period. It wasn't until the Tianqi era that Wang Er, a peasant from Baishui County, formally led a rebellion.

The vast majority of disaster victims were forced to riot in order to survive.

The wise common people are well aware of the court's character. Only by causing a major incident that affects the officials' positions and attracts the court's attention will their problems have a chance to be resolved.

Don't underestimate the ancient people and ordinary folks.

They're very shrewd.

Therefore, many disturbances or banditry were just minor incidents; none of them actually aimed to overthrow the imperial court.

"Who is this Zhou Lun?"

Wang Xin pressed for an answer.

"He's just an ordinary citizen."

Zhang Yuncheng immediately said, "However, this person is not a disaster victim. His family owns several dozen acres of land, and life in the village is not too difficult. But after coming into contact with the White Lotus Sect, he believed in the nonsense of the ignorant masses and actually developed ambitions."

Whether the people are being fooled or not, and who is fooling them, is not what Wang Xin cares about; what he cares about is the strength of this person.

Zhang Yuncheng also put his heart into it.

Wang Xin knew more about this matter than Jia Zheng. He was just trying his luck. Lu Zhongheng was not in the capital, so he had fewer sources of intelligence. He didn't expect that Zhang Yuncheng, who had been sitting on the sidelines for several years and seemed to have become disheartened, was still working hard in secret.

It really is unbelievable.

Zhou Lun used the White Lotus Sect to incite the disaster victims. He had made up his mind to rebel from the beginning. He started a rebellion in Jingzhi Town, quickly captured Anqiu County in the north, killed the magistrate, and then headed north to attack Yidu, the capital of Qingzhou Prefecture.

They encountered government troops on the way and suffered a major defeat in Linqi. They fled to the mountains with the remaining confidants.

The officers and soldiers were also careless.

Who would have thought that even though the government had dealt a heavy blow to the rebels, perhaps due to the slow flow of information, the disaster victims in various counties still responded to the rebellion, and a large number of disaster victims joined Zhou Lun.

Zhou Lun was in Yishan, Danishan, and Moushan.
In other words, the mountainous area between Linqu, Yishui, and Anqiu counties received a large number of manpower. Although they lacked supplies and weapons, the counties in Shandong were also weak.

In particular, the officers and soldiers who rashly went into the mountains to pursue the fugitives were completely surrounded by disaster victims and were wiped out.

"These three counties have all fallen into the hands of the bandits. I heard that this man has gathered no less than 300,000 people and claims to have an army of 100,000. Therefore, it is urgent to send troops to wipe out this band of bandits. If we continue to let it go, I'm afraid it will only get bigger and bigger."

Zeng Zhi frowned and said worriedly, "These are more than just rioters; they are rebels. And the court is still debating what kind of nature to use to define them. It's really ridiculous."

Zhang Yuncheng nodded, but then shook his head.

What are your thoughts, Brother Zhang?

Wang Xin was also quite curious and wanted to see how capable Zhang Yuncheng was.

Zhang Yuncheng probably knew what Wang Xin was thinking, and perhaps he didn't want to miss any opportunity. Faced with his friend's question, he pondered it carefully.

"If the imperial court responds in time, the cost of suppressing this band of rebels will be less. If it continues to drag on, even if the band of rebels is eventually suppressed, the imperial court itself will be severely weakened."

Zeng Zhi felt that Zhang Yuncheng's words made sense.

Wang Xin nodded in agreement.

The annual tax revenue of the entire Qingzhou Prefecture was only over 200,000 shi (a unit of dry measure), which, when converted to prices during a stable period, amounted to 100,000 taels of silver per year.

A cannon fires a thousand taels of gold.

When the Beijing garrison is deployed to local areas, the military expenditure will be substantial.

Moreover, there were losses in various parts of Qingzhou.

In order to save two million taels of silver every year, Zhang Jifu wanted to carry out a major military downsizing across the country. At this critical juncture, Zhang Jifu was unaware that military reforms would leave behind many hidden dangers and risks.

The key issue is that he had no choice.

It is absolutely impossible to expect Qingzhou Prefecture alone to absorb the economic losses from such a rebellion. The entire Shandong province will be implicated, and the total losses will probably not be less than two million taels of silver.

The best outcome would be for the local authorities to extinguish the fire themselves, but that's no longer possible.

The most elite army in Shandong was the Wokou Reservation Army, but it had long been defunct. The local elite militia had also been completely wiped out this time, and even if they were to be recruited again, they would all be new recruits. How could they possibly be a match for the rebel army?

Therefore, the only option is to dispatch the Beijing garrison as soon as possible.

Firstly, the Beijing garrison was nearby, and secondly, the border troops had to guard the frontier and could not be easily mobilized. Otherwise, if the rebels were just suppressed and external enemies rose up again, then it would be a complete disaster.

As for the risk of mobilizing the Beijing garrison and weakening the city's defenses, given the current situation and public sentiment, that risk is minimal.

So spending money is something you absolutely have to do.

Zhang Jifu could probably accept spending a hundred thousand taels of silver.

But if it costs two or three million taels of silver, Zhang Jifu will be beyond tears.

As for spending tens of millions of taels of silver?
Even if Zhang Jifu sold out the imperial court, he still couldn't raise that much money. So, it wouldn't be a righteous rebellion; it would be divine intervention.

It all comes down to money.

Like the Ming army at the end of the Ming Dynasty.

Their combat strength can be terrifying when it's high, and laughable when it's low; it all depends on money and supplies.

This isn't a matter of morality; it's about survival. Without money and food, all ideals are meaningless. "What is the General's opinion?"

Everything that needed to be said had been said, and Zeng directly asked.

Zhang Yuncheng glanced at Zeng Zhi in surprise.

At first, Wang Xin was just a guerrilla general. At that time, I had just arrived at the Ministry of War to observe politics. I had a bright future and was full of ambition. My younger brother had been studying at the Imperial Academy and was not short of money, so he was living a carefree life.

But now Wang Xin is a general, and Zeng Zhi is still his subordinate. Why does he still talk like before?
Zeng Zhi seemed to see through Zhang Yuncheng's thoughts and said with a smile, "The General doesn't like red tape. He prefers to get straight to the point, which not only saves time but also makes things clearer for everyone."

Zhang Yuncheng bowed admiringly, saying, "It is also because the General has a broad mind that is beyond the reach of ordinary people."

"You also think my hometown is powerful? If you don't mind, how about coming to work with me?" Zeng Zhi said before Zhang Yuncheng could answer, "Of course, if you don't mind, it's fine to refuse."

Zhang Yuncheng was stunned.

I didn't know how to answer for a moment.

Wang Xin pointed at Zeng Zhi and said with a smile, "Mr. Zhang, you don't need to worry about it. Zeng Zhi has always been like this. However, I am indeed eager to find talented people for you, Mr. Zhang. Although my temple is small, I will never treat you unfairly."

One army from Datong West, and one army from the right flank.

In addition to the Hexi Camp market and the trade outside Datong Pass, Wang Xin couldn't handle it all by himself and definitely needed many capable assistants.

There are no headhunting companies in Da Zhou.

Although the Great Zhou Dynasty has many talented people, Wang Xin cannot recruit them openly. This can only be done in private, which is why he laments the scarcity of such talent.

Zhang Yuncheng is indeed good; Wang Xin has already taken a liking to him.

Zhang Yuncheng hesitated for a moment, then stood up, bowed, and said, "I am deeply grateful for the General's kindness. I am willing to serve him with utmost loyalty and only ask not to fail the General's goodwill."

"Good good."

Wang Xin clapped his hands happily.

Today we not only figured out the situation in Shandong, but we also gained a valuable asset.

However, Zhang Yuncheng was still an observer in the Ministry of War and could not come immediately. He had to resign from his post first and wait three to five months until things calmed down before he could come directly to work for Wang Xin.

Although I can't come now, I can still offer advice and suggestions.

Zeng Zhi was very pleased and personally went to Zhang Yuncheng to introduce the current situation so that Zhang Yuncheng could familiarize himself with it as soon as possible.

Wang Xin doesn't need to worry about these things.

Otherwise, even if Wang Xin did nothing all day, he would still be too busy to do the work of three people.

The training in the Hexi Battalion has accelerated even further.

In addition to the various military equipment sent by the Ordnance Bureau and the firearms purchased from Datong, Wang Xin also trained a cavalry unit of two hundred men.

If you can support a thousand cavalrymen, you can support ten thousand infantrymen.

Because horses are more expensive than people.

If an infantryman dies, you can simply recruit someone else to train. But horses are different. Horses are not only expensive, but they are far more precious than people. People rarely get sick, but horses can easily fall ill if they are not properly cared for.

Horses in the wild don't need to carry people or be trained.

Warhorses and packhorses, however, are not.

The right wing army had limited military funds, and the Beijing garrison's horse farm was practically non-existent. So it wasn't that Wang Xin didn't want to train more cavalry, but rather that he lacked the funds and supplies. A cavalry force of two hundred men was already the limit.

On the school field.

The soldiers are training, and compared to last year, there has been a complete transformation.

Wang Xin saw this.

The biggest reason, in fact, is simply money and supplies.

Eat enough, drink enough.

Although the family was not doing well, at least they had food to eat, unlike before when they were living hand to mouth. This gave the soldiers the motivation to train, and even the lazy ones dared not skip training. They were the family's hope.

"The security situation in the capital has been rather poor lately."

Wang Ying followed behind Wang Xin and reminded him, "General, you should bring more personal guards. You'll regret it if something unexpected happens."

Wang Xin frequently returned to the capital.

The influx of refugees between Tongzhou and the capital caused numerous disturbances.

Wang Xin clearly remembered that, among the things that left a deep impression on him in the original text, one of them was that Miaoyu, who lived in the nunnery of the Jia family in the original timeline, was kidnapped by a group of villains.

If it were an ordinary wealthy family, it wouldn't be so bad, and that would be somewhat understandable. What's incomprehensible is that this happened in the mansion of a duke in the capital. What kind of situation would lead to such a thing?

"you're right."

Wang Xin did not refute.

The intensity of the training of the 1,000 infantrymen in the Hexi Battalion is something many people have witnessed.

Fighting a war is not the same as fighting.

A thousand elite soldiers are better than ten thousand ragtag soldiers.

Therefore, Wang Xin believed that Jia Zheng was right in one point: that no matter who led the Beijing garrison on this expedition, they would inevitably target the Hexi garrison.

But the soldiers he led were used to exterminate civilians?

Wang Xin patted Wang Ying on the shoulder.

Wang Ying followed.

After a moment, Wang Ying's expression became complicated. If he didn't know his own general well, he would have suspected that the general wanted to raise bandits to enhance his own power. Wang Ying did not object to the general raising bandits to enhance his own power, but it depended on the circumstances.

In the current situation, if the Shandong bandit army continues to grow in size, it will no longer be a case of supporting bandits to enhance one's own power.

Because of her understanding of the general town, Wang Ying rejected this judgment.

We still don't have enough people.

Wang Xin sighed.

There are many loyal followers of the Western Army in Datong, but they are all familiar faces, and the imperial court will not agree to release them.

Although the Hexi Camp worked hard, it only had about a thousand men.

As for the right flank army...

The right wing army not only cannot provide supplies, but also needs to send more of its own trusted confidants; otherwise, who will influence whom?
"If only there were a few dozen more decent young men."

Wang Xin sighed with emotion.

If you have dozens of trusted young men from good families, send them to the army for six months of training, and they will quickly stand out.

With the addition of the Hexi Camp and the men I personally selected from the right flank army, even if generals like Li Wei, who were outwardly friendly but inwardly at odds, still existed, it wouldn't make much difference.

Personnel management power is not entirely in one's own hands.

So even though he knew perfectly well which people harbored strong opinions against him, were unwilling to change their old habits, and opposed his ways, Wang Xin was powerless to do anything about it.

If you want to put someone on a pedestal, you need someone below them.

Wang Xin always felt that the current right flank army was still lacking something. Others were not fools who would let him lose everything; they would always try to trip him up in ways he couldn't see.

If we don't sort out the internal situation, we won't be able to deal with external threats.

Unless there is internal unity, Wang Xin has the confidence to deal with anyone who tries to attack the right flank army.

Although the generals leading the Western Army in Datong had conflicting personalities, they were able to unite against external forces for their own reasons, which is why they have been able to hold on until now. The Right Route Army, on the other hand, is not like that.

Whether it's Li Wei or Yang Rong, these guerrillas...

If a big shot like Zhang Jifu were to beckon, no shortage of people would rush over to fawn over him. In this situation, how could he possibly have the confidence to handle it?

Where did they find so many decent girls?

Even if there are so many respectable men who have no connection with me, how can they be loyal to me?

Wang Xin thought it over and over again, then went back to the General's Office to sleep.

Early the next morning.

Yan Zhongzheng ran over from the General's Mansion, looking at Wang Xin with excitement.

There was a group of young men outside the yamen gate.

From Yangzhou.

They carried Lin Ruhai's letter.

Lin Ruhai.

They always manage to surprise themselves.

After reading Lin Ruhai's letter, Wang Xin felt somewhat conflicted.

It's like someone takes your hen to lay eggs, then gives it back to you, and you're expected to feel indebted to them.

Forget it.

Don't bother with him.

Wang Xin raised his head and looked kindly at the group of young men carrying large and small bags.

(End of this chapter)