The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 355: Three Points Destined

Jia Mansion.

Grand View Garden, Qiushuangzhai.

Since Jia Tanchun got engaged, and to someone with a very promising future, many people have come to visit her.

For example, a few days ago, the Shi family invited Lady Wang and others to appreciate the flowers, and they specially invited Tan Chun.

Although Tan Chun is a concubine's daughter, after marrying into the family, her status will become that of the mistress of the house. She is qualified to be the wife of a general. As the saying goes, a man fears choosing the wrong career, and a woman fears marrying the wrong man.

Tan Chun has a strong personality, and now that the environment has improved, she shouldn't make a mistake.

Is Miss inside?

Upon hearing this, Chan Jie looked out the window and saw that it was Aunt Zhao. She quickly replied, "At home."

Tan Chun sat on the bed, with Shi Shu beside her.

The most striking thing is the sword hanging next to the desk.

After Aunt Zhao came in, before Tan Chun could speak, she said anxiously, "Master and the eldest master had a fight. Such a big thing, why aren't you worried at all?"

Tan Chun, on the contrary, breathed a sigh of relief.

Knowing that Aunt Zhao had come for a reason, Tan Chun calmly said, "What good will it do to be anxious?"

Aunt Zhao sat down next to Tan Chun, and Shi Shu had already gotten up to pour tea for Aunt Zhao.

Since Tan Chun's marriage was arranged, Aunt Zhao's temper has actually improved somewhat. At least she doesn't argue with the young lady as much anymore, and Shi Shu doesn't dislike Aunt Zhao as much.

Aunt Zhao didn't care; she didn't care about the maids' attitude.

"Do you know who it's for?"

Tan Chun ignored her.

She didn't want to pay attention to it, but she could understand her mother's anxiety.

"It's all for Wang Xin."

Aunt Zhao was used to her daughter's attitude, and her face was full of worry. "I heard that the son-in-law doesn't fight for anything, he's like a block of wood, and he's been taken advantage of. He even said he has nothing left."

Tan Chun frowned.

Aunt Zhao sighed, "We women don't understand the specifics. A woman's only hope in this life is a man. If a man is not up to par, a woman's life is ruined."

“When you marry a chicken, follow the chicken; when you marry a dog, follow the dog.”

Tan Chun finally spoke, hoping her mother would listen: "As long as others care about me, whether it's fine clothes and delicacies or simple meals, I can satisfy them. I don't believe that someone with hands and feet can starve to death."

"You put it lightly."

"Although you have lived cautiously all these years, when have you ever lacked food and clothing in the manor? You have never truly suffered, so you can only say such foolish things."

"What does the mother think her daughter should do?"

Tan Chun, too lazy to reorganize, directly asked a question in return.

Aunt Zhao, who had no idea what to do, hesitated for a long time before vaguely saying, "Anyway, the son-in-law can't not fight for it. If he, a man, doesn't fight for it, are you going to let a woman fight for it?"

"Although I don't understand the principles of the outside world, I know that sometimes not competing is also a form of competition."

Letting her mother continue her wild speculations, who knows what kind of trouble she might cause? Tan Chun thought for a moment, then, speaking from her own perspective, continued, "With his abilities, he has reached this point, so he must not be an ordinary person. Those who don't understand don't need to worry about it."

That makes sense.

Aunt Zhao just wanted some comfort. After so many years of insecurity, she was most anxious about bad news.

"Since you're so confident, I hope so."

Tan Chun did not reply.

He looked like a wooden puppet.

Aunt Zhao had known for a long time that her daughter was very capable. Seeing her daughter's expression, her unease gradually subsided.

If the son-in-law is really as capable as the daughter says, and he also likes her, and the daughter is also shrewd, then life will probably be very easy for them in the future. If they can also raise Jia Huan to be a successful person, then they will have no regrets in this life.

Upon hearing about her brother-in-law's situation, Aunt Xue rushed over immediately.

"Wang Xin again?"

Aunt Xue was speechless.

Seeing her sister's expression, Madam Wang asked curiously, "Have you heard of him elsewhere?"

As Wang Xin's status rose, his influence in the household also grew.

Madam Wang had to admit that this guest who used to live in the mansion had become quite remarkable.

Aunt Xue did not hide anything.

Firstly, Madam Wang was her own sister, and secondly, she still needed to rely on her brother-in-law's family. The more stable her brother-in-law's family's position was, the better her life would be. Aunt Xue was still aware of the situation.

“Your son-in-law is very ambitious. He has his eye not only on the second branch of the Xue family, but he also doesn’t intend to let go of the first branch.”

Aunt Xue smiled.

Madam Wang became even more curious.

Aunt Xue was unaware of Wang Xin's plan, but with so many people in the Xue family business, how could there not be any smart ones? The head manager, Zhang Dehui, immediately saw through Wang Xin's intentions.

However, Wang Xin's plan was advantageous to them, so he was more likely to gain Zhang Dehui's support.

Zhang Dehui also did not want to see the business being swallowed up by the second wife.

"I didn't know at first, but when I found out, I realized I couldn't possibly manage things outside. It's not like the old folks at the counter can make all the decisions. I never expected that the business over there would open in just six months."

Aunt Xue sighed, "To be honest, my brother is very principled. This time, he obediently bowed his head to your son-in-law."

Lady Wang became increasingly confused.

"I understand what you're saying, but what does it have to do with the household?"

"I heard it from my brother."

"Your son-in-law, don't be fooled by his lack of ambition. He's actually been laying a solid foundation, waiting for the opportunity to soar to great heights."

Aunt Xue looked regretful. "If Tan Chun were born from your womb, I wouldn't say anything. But even though Tan Chun calls you 'Mom,' are you really her mother? I shouldn't have listened to my elder brother back then."

Madam Wang's face darkened, and she said with displeasure, "What kind of talk is this?"

Aunt Xue said indifferently, "Why bother, sister? Everyone says Tan Chun is a clever girl. Since that's the case, who knows how sincere she is towards you? I think it's just like how your son-in-law treats my brother. Whether he's sincere or not, keeping him in your hands is the most effective thing."

Madam Wang hesitated.

The second son of the Xue family was no pushover.

If it weren't for their fear of the Jia family, they wouldn't have allowed the Xue family's eldest branch to divide up their business; it would have been swallowed up long ago.

Now that Wang Xin has him in his hands, how much of his sincerity can he have?

As my sister said, what can you do if you don't have a righteous heart? This is fate.

Aunt Xue laughed and said, "Can the concubines in the mansion accept my sister's dissatisfaction? It's all fate. That's just how fate is. No matter how much dissatisfaction they have, they can only hide it and dare not show it at all."

"Tan Chun is a pretty good girl."

"hey-hey."

Aunt Xue chuckled a few times.

Hearing Aunt Xue's laughter, Madam Wang found it extremely grating.

“Yuan Chun is your only true support; no one else is,” Aunt Xue said.

Madam Wang was stunned.

Although her sister didn't say anything, Aunt Xue knew that her sister already had a plan. Her brother-in-law was clearly her son-in-law, but now he belonged to someone else's family. Aunt Xue felt a thorn in her side.

Especially the family business.

Wang Xin merely lent a hand; Zhang Dehui went to Datong and returned radiant, saying there was great potential there, and that he could seize the legacy of generations.

So this is the real source of Wang Xin's confidence.

Aunt Xue felt even more remorseful. Thinking about how Wang Xin was going to meet her brother and the Grand General today, and how both branches of the Xue family were working for him, she realized they could have had a better relationship. Aunt Xue left feeling frustrated, her mind heavy with worry the whole way.

"What's wrong with mother?"

Aunt Xue did not go back home, but went to her daughter's residence.

Xue Baochai was alarmed to see her mother's unsettled thoughts.

Aunt Xue knew that her daughter was intelligent and had more ideas than she did, so she didn't hide it from Baochai. She explained the situation and then affirmed, "I'm doing this for your own good, sister."

Xue Baochai was speechless.

Knowing her daughter's thoughts, Aunt Xue didn't want her to worry too much, so she quickly said, "Wang Xin is so promising, he might be even more promising in the future. What if he really becomes as successful as the Jia family? Wouldn't the Third Miss be willing to mentor her own younger brother then?"

"Of course it will."

Xue Baochai had no doubts.

Hearing that her daughter thought so, Aunt Xue became even more confident, her face full of certainty, "Everyone understands this principle, except your aunt, who hasn't figured it out yet, and still keeps talking about Baoyu. What will happen to Baoyu when Jia Huan becomes successful?"

Xue Baochai was even more speechless.

Although she knew it wasn't good for Tan Chun, what could she do about it?

"Next year, the eldest and second branches of the Xue family will each have to pay 30,000 taels of silver."

Wang Xin spoke without hesitation.

Zhang Dehui kept his head down, while Xue Yan hesitated to speak.

Wang Xin didn't finish his sentence.

“I don’t have that many people to monitor your business, and I can’t verify the authenticity of the specific accounts. In that case, let’s have a fixed price. If you think it’s reasonable, the deal is done and everything will remain the same. If you think it’s unreasonable, then I will find a new partner.”

Business is business, and feelings are feelings.

If there is no profit to be made, there is no basis for cooperation among the parties, let alone any emotional connection.

"I can guarantee that the supply to Jiangnan and Datong Pass will only go to your two companies," Wang Xin promised.

Sixty thousand taels a year.

It's barely acceptable; in fact, the Xue family's two branches still take the lion's share of the profits.

Xue Yan was worried. Who knew how big Wang Xin's appetite would be next year? He had seen this kind of thing many times before. He had originally planned to deal with it, but he did not expect Wang Xin to be so decisive and directly arrange for the eldest son's family to intervene.

It's truly moving.

Xue Yan would have been more confident with other businesses, but he was only confident with the eldest son's family.

Both the second wife and the first wife have them.

The business channels controlled by the second wife's family, or rather, the channels, not only belong to the first wife's family, but many of them originally belonged to the first wife's family.

In other words, the first wife can even directly replace the second wife.

The problem is that the first wife is wary of the second wife, so there's no basis for the two wives to cooperate.

Yesterday, when he went to see his sister-in-law, he learned that the eldest and second branches of the Jia family were arguing. He was secretly laughing at her, but today it was his turn. Xue Yan glanced bitterly at Zhang Dehui, the head of the eldest branch. Zhang Dehui didn't even look up, clearly trying to curry favor with Wang Xin, not wanting Wang Xin to take offense.

This time, the eldest son's family has completely sided with Wang Xin.

Xue Yan had no choice but to nod and agree to Wang Xin's request.

Wang Xin breathed a sigh of relief.

Although it's possible to manipulate or even replace the person in charge, it still requires a waste of time and energy; it's better to stick to what you know than to do something unfamiliar.

That's how business is negotiated.

Who flips the table like that?

The clashes continued, and Wang Xin believed there would be more in the future; whoever had more leverage would advance further.

If I weren't lacking in ability, I wouldn't have bothered to put in so much effort.

Customs duties are collected directly outside the customs area.

However, doing so would offend many people. If businessmen banded together, he might not be able to control them. His cooperation with the Xue family was just to save money.

Comparing the two options, supporting the two branches of the Xue family is still a more prudent choice.

The business outside Datong must not go wrong.

Otherwise, the 12,000 men of the Western Army and the 7,000 men of the Right Route Army in Datong, a total of 20,000 men, would still be relying on these troops for sustenance. Without money, even having a system in hand is useless; it cannot guarantee loyalty.

Once the charter for next year was finalized, the displeasure on Xue Yan's face disappeared.

"There are many people in Juzhongchang who are dissatisfied with the rules left by the General. They have caused some trouble in private and have had a falling out with General Zhang Can. Does the General know about these things?"

"know."

Wang Xin nodded.

With more people around, things get more complicated.

Especially after I left.

Zhao Yong was worried that he wouldn't be able to bring himself to deal with the traitor, so he actually planned to take action himself behind his back. Fortunately, Tang Ping did not betray him and came to find him as soon as he entered the capital, so he gave him his own letter.

With this letter, even if Zhao Yong still suspected Tang Ping, he could not continue to act; otherwise, it wouldn't be suspicion, but rather Tang Ping's betrayal.

These are minor matters; as long as I'm still here, I can handle any conflict.

The real trouble was what Xue Yan had mentioned.

“I’ve said before that business is very important. Many people may have misunderstood and think that I can’t live without businessmen. If that’s the case, I can’t live without people who do the work. I will support whoever does the work.”

Wang Xin told Xue Yan and Zhang Dehui his thoughts to prevent them from making the wrong choice.

Xue Yan pondered deeply.

Although he thought he knew Wang Xin well enough, he was still puzzled by what Wang Xin said today. Even Xue Yan was puzzled, not to mention Zhang Dehui, who was completely baffled.

Wang Xin saw this and knew that he hadn't expected the two of them to understand immediately, otherwise he would have become suspicious.

"Officials are not important because they do not create wealth; they only distribute it."

"Merchants are more important than officials because they can promote wealth. However, compared to laborers, who create wealth, they are the greatest foundation. Similarly, the most important people outside the Great Wall are not merchants, but herdsmen."

"Isn't the military the most important thing?"

Xue Yan refuted this.

Wang Xin shook his head.

"Throughout history, there have been many armies that have conquered the northern frontier, but what have they left behind? The Datong Western Army was indeed capable of fighting, but without the vast herders outside the Great Wall who had established a foothold there, what good was the Datong Western Army's ability to fight? In the end, they still had to retreat."

After Wang Xin explained it this way, Xue Yan understood somewhat, and Zhang Dehui also vaguely understood.

Wang Xin said without hesitation, "If I had to choose between the merchant and the herdsman, I would definitely choose the herdsman. So you should know this and not make the wrong judgment."

"But the general's reach is limited. Even if we include Zhao Yong and Zhang Can, we probably can't suppress the powerful families."

Xue Yan understood, but he didn't believe Wang Xin could handle it.

Wang Xin fell silent.

Xue Yan makes a good point.

So all I can do is wait, wait for an opportunity.

If the imperial court is capable of solving problems one by one and doesn't give you a chance, then you can only be a puppet of the court. A general in peacetime can only be a puppet.

But what if the imperial court fails to solve the problem?

Or rather, the problems they encountered were not significant. For example, in the recent Shandong uprising, although Wang Xin sympathized with the disaster victims, he did not believe they could succeed.

The fate of the world is predetermined.

Wang Xin has done his job well; now it's up to the imperial court.

(End of this chapter)