The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 360 Jia Huan Comes to Join Us
Compared to the civil unrest in Shandong, the military coup in Datong drew the court's attention, causing a great deal of discussion and rumors throughout the capital. The cabinet was under the most pressure, and Zhang Jifu was in charge.

With civil unrest and military turmoil, voices questioning the cabinet's capabilities are growing louder.

"Lin Ruhai is going back to Beijing."

Upon receiving the message from the Jia family, Wang Xin couldn't help but sigh. There were also two secret letters on the side of the desk, both from Datong.

Reform is really not easy.

Throughout thousands of years of history, very few reforms have succeeded. Even Zhang Jifu's reforms, which were far less forceful than Zhang Juzheng's, suffered a huge backlash and faced greater pressure than Zhang Juzheng's.

With the support of the imperial family and the inner court, Zhang Juzheng could rest assured behind the scenes.

Zhang Jifu didn't have that.

The retired emperor did support him, but even though the emperor was suppressed by the retired emperor, he still could not ignore the emperor's influence.

"General, Third Master Huan is here."

Shi Ping came in personally.

"he?"

Wang Xin was curious.

Jia Huan is Tan Chun's younger brother. No matter how low Jia Huan's status is in the Jia family, even the maids look down on him, but the people around him do not despise him. Shi Ping is very polite to him, calling him Third Master.

Wang Xin did not request a change in address, as he still retained the impression of admiring Tan Chun in the court, and it was only right to extend that admiration to her.

"Let him in."

Although he didn't know Jia Huan's purpose in coming, the fact that he took the initiative to visit meant that he must have something to ask of him.

If it's a minor matter, that's fine.

"Brother-in-law."

soon.

Jia Huan entered, led by Shi Ping. When he called out "Brother-in-law," not only was Shi Ping stunned, but Wang Xin was also somewhat taken aback.

"Come and sit."

Wang Xin waved.

Although Jia Huan mustered up the courage to call him "brother-in-law," his face turned bright red, showing that the boy was putting on a brave face.

Actually, when it comes to my opinion on the children of the Red Mansion,

I have a deeper impression of Jia Huan.

It's not about whether it's good or bad, but rather about perseverance and execution.

Jia Huan undoubtedly suffered suppression in the Jia family. Even the maids despised him, and his mother was looked down upon by the maids. The fact that the maids dared to fight with Aunt Zhao already speaks volumes.

However, if Baoyu dared to flirt with Jia Huan, Jia Huan would dare to retaliate.

This kind of courage is not something that ordinary children possess.

However, Jia Huan was not lustful, or rather, he hadn't yet figured things out. In any case, not being captivated by beauty meant his energy wouldn't be excessively distracted, allowing him to concentrate better on one thing at a time.

My mother went mad.

A concubine went mad in a wealthy household; whatever the official explanation, the truth is easily imaginable.

A concubine who has gone mad.

Is it rare among wealthy households?
Given such circumstances, the fact that the boy was able to pass the imperial examinations and even receive praise from Jia She for composing a poem during the Mid-Autumn Festival at the Jia family mansion was enough to earn Wang Xin's high regard for him.

Moreover, there are several other things. This child is not a good person, but he is intelligent and ruthless.

Extremely vengeful.

Jia Huan sat down nervously, trying to remain calm and forcing himself to look naturally at his brother-in-law, but when he got closer, he still became flustered.

Wang Xin reassured her, "How are your mother and sister?"

"Still the same."

Jia Huan managed to utter a sentence.

That statement has a deeper meaning.

Even an upright official finds it difficult to settle family disputes, and he himself couldn't interfere in the affairs of the Jia family. Having a good impression of the young man before him, Wang Xin smiled and asked, "What brings you here?"

Jia Huan no longer hesitated, stood up and said, "I want to work for my brother-in-law, please accept me."

The first sentence was quite forceful, but the second sentence revealed weakness and carried a hint of pleading.

Even though Wang Xin was his brother-in-law, Jia Huan didn't dare to hope that the other party would definitely help him.

He knows too much.

Children born out of wedlock to wealthy families were looked down upon.

Baoyu is the proper young master, especially since he has a beloved imperial concubine as his elder sister.

Lady Wang was also related to her brother-in-law.

But Jia Huan had no other choice but to try one last approach. Although he knew he would be rejected, he mustered up his courage and finished speaking, but then he had no strength left.

"it is good."

Wang Xin agreed.

Jia Huan was stunned. It was that simple?
"But let me make this clear beforehand: you can come with me, but there will be no special treatment. You'll have to start from scratch. It will not only be tough, but you'll also sometimes not be recognized. After all, you call me brother-in-law, so you won't get any of the credit, but you'll have to endure more hardship than others."

Wang Xin said gently.

The other party was Tan Chun's younger brother. Wang Xin felt guilty towards Tan Chun, after all, he had taken advantage of her.

Therefore, they were willing to keep Jia Huan.

As for why Jia Huan was so eager to step forward, Wang Xin didn't care.

Wang Xin already had enough troubles of his own, and he had no interest in, nor the right to, getting involved in, the petty squabbles of wealthy families.

"Thank you, brother-in-law."

Jia Huan was overjoyed and excitedly said, "I will definitely not let my brother-in-law down."

Wang Xin stopped laughing and became serious. "Leave it to Shi Gandang."

"You can't just leave it to me?"

Shi Ping laughed, saying that he had a good impression of Jia Huan. He was still young, but after being trained by him for a few years, he would definitely amount to something.

Wang Xin remained calm and did not change his mind, "Give it to Shi Gandang."

Shi Ping dared not say more and took Jia Huan away.

Shi Ping has a lively personality, and Jia Huan is inherently extreme. They need someone with a calm and steady nature like Shi Gandang to temper their violent temper.

The matter of Jia Huan has been resolved.

Yan Zhongzheng and others arrived; all those who were supposed to come had arrived.

Yan Zhongzheng, Zhang Yuncheng, and Zheng Ang.

Xue Ke is young, and there are other accountants and other teachers. These people cannot participate in confidential matters at present. Wang Xin currently trusts Yan Zhongzheng, Zhang Yuncheng, Zheng Ang, and Zeng Zhi. Zeng Zhi is going to Datong to make contact in person.

It's not that there aren't more trustworthy people.

However, each skill has its own expertise.

All three of them read Datong's secret letter.

"The situation in Datong has completely collapsed. The court doesn't have many capable people at the moment. The most suitable candidate is Zhu Wei, but Zhang Jifu will definitely not let him go to Datong. He would rather choose the General."

Zhang Yuncheng couldn't help but laugh.

The opportunity has finally arrived.

Upon hearing Zhang Yuncheng's analysis, Yan Zhongzheng and Zheng Ang had no doubts, as Zhang Yuncheng was very familiar with the Ministry of War's style.

"This time, General Commander returned to Datong, resolved the mutiny, and took the opportunity to win over the Yongxing Army and Tiancheng Army. At that time, will there be a second voice in Datong?" Yan Zhongzheng smiled and said, "With General Commander's ability, he will surely be able to ensure the safety of Datong."

"Yes."

Zheng Ang nodded in agreement, "Even though the threat from the barbarians has decreased, Datong is actually more chaotic. Only someone like the General can protect Datong."

Wang Xin did not refute.

Promote common development, suppress the powerful, and protect the underprivileged.

Governing a region is not easy, but it is also very simple.

“If the imperial court allows me to return to Datong this time, I will not refuse,” Wang Xin said confidently.

With the governor's statement, Yan Zhongzheng and Zheng Ang were even more pleased.

But then an untimely voice rang out.

Zhang Yuncheng frowned and said in a deep voice, "The mutiny is serious. Even the general of Tiancheng Army has fallen. I heard that the Western Army has also started a mutiny. If the general fails to suppress it, he will be in deep trouble."

Yan Zhongzheng and Zheng Ang were initially taken aback, but after hearing Zhang Yuncheng's words clearly, they couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Haha."

"Ha ha ha ha."

Zhang Yuncheng asked in bewilderment, "Did I say something wrong?"

Yan Zhongzheng suppressed a laugh. "Military Advisor Zhang, you still don't understand our General Commander, nor do you understand our troops. I can guarantee that the day the General Commander returns to Datong, the chaos will be over soon."

Although he couldn't understand it, seeing Yan Zhongzheng and Zheng Ang so confident was ultimately a good thing, and Zhang Yuncheng smiled with satisfaction.

"Grand Secretary Zhang should meet with the General Commander-in-Chief; the meeting shouldn't be too far off."

Zhang Yuncheng guessed.

Zhang Yuncheng's line of thinking is quite interesting.

Wang Xin pondered Zhang Jifu for a moment. Based on his understanding of Zhang Jifu, he realized that Zhang Jifu might indeed want to meet with him, make some requests, and make some promises.

"wait."

"Remain unchanged amidst constant change." With a solid foundation, one can afford to wait.

Whether it's internal or external, what ultimately matters is one's own foundation.

The more stable one is, the less likely one is to collapse.

Winner takes all.

One word: persevere.

At thirty, one should be able to stand on one's own two feet.

The right wing army split into two, with the main force following them to Shandong. Wang Xin was definitely not going to be able to get his troops back.

It is wishful thinking to expect the remaining two thousand men to quell the Datong mutiny.

The key is still the Western Army in Datong.

With Lu Zhongheng and Zeng Zhi on board, and others to coordinate the various units of the Western Army, Wang Xin wasn't worried about anything. However, he couldn't ignore the two thousand men of the Right Route Army, and now was the perfect time.

Jia Huan had been following Shi Gandang for three days, and no one from the Jia family had come to inquire about him. Wang Xin understood Jia Zheng's opinion.

In these three days.

Jia Huan slept soundly, falling asleep as soon as he hit the bed. Under Shi Gandang's training, he couldn't care less about anything else, and his days were packed with activities.

"How about it?"

Shi Ping glanced at the sleeping Jia Huan and asked curiously.

A slight smile appeared on Shi Gandang's serious face. "It's better than I expected."

"Really?"

Shi Ping became increasingly curious.

Shi Gandang was demanding, so it wasn't easy to earn his praise.

Previously, he had a good impression of Jia Huan, and now he approves of him even more, so Shi Ping asked detailed questions.

"He can endure hardship, is ruthless to himself, and is very smart. Given time, if he doesn't make any mistakes, he will be an excellent prospect," Shi Gandang commented. "Even if he doesn't join the army, he won't be bad at studying."

His intelligence is his strength, and he is also hardworking and persistent, so he will do well in whatever he does.

Early the next morning.

Jia Huan had just gotten up when he heard the noise outside and hurried to check.

An official was seen bound hand and foot, kowtowing to Wang Xin.

"Captain, what happened?"

Jia Huan felt Wang Xin's imposing presence for the first time and became nervous again. He remembered how he used to be so bold as to call him "brother-in-law" when they met, and now he was hesitant to do so.

“That’s our grain clerk, Zhou Yi. The commander-in-chief has wanted to get rid of him for a long time.”

"Oh."

Jia Huan lost interest.

soon.

Shi Gandang also got busy, with the two thousand men of the right wing army intensively training, once every other day and once every five days.

Wang Xin arrested three civil officials and five military officials, sending them all to the Eastern Army headquarters. The evidence of their corruption was irrefutable. This time, the Ministry of War remained silent and did not utter a word of reprimand against Wang Xin.

Everything went smoothly.

He casually mentioned a few names to temporarily replace the dismissed military officers. As for the formal appointments, Wang Xin had already submitted his proposed plan to the Ministry of War, which neither rejected nor responded.

However, in reality, the military officers that Wang Xin named were accompanied by soldiers.

The entire force of two thousand men was disrupted and reorganized, and more than two hundred soldiers were dismissed, causing quite a stir.

It took Wang Xin a year to lead half of the Hexi Camp out. He dared not say that the Hexi Camp was completely under his control. Now that the opportunity had come, he reorganized two thousand troops at once.

Including the Hexi Camp and the troops that were inclined to support them, the Right Route Army, while not claiming to have complete control, had at least controlled half of the territory.

That's a solid half.

With this half of the support, the other half is a natural progression.

Therefore, success depends on human effort, but planning is up to fate.

Or rather, everything is ready except for the right opportunity.

"General, someone's here."

Wang Xin looked over.

"General Wang, you've been working hard lately."

The visitor was none other than Chen Yan, an old acquaintance and a senior official in the Ministry of War.

"Master Chen."

Wang Xin quickly cupped his hands in greeting.

"Let's go." Chen Yan familiarly pulled Wang Xin up.

Wang Xin laughed and asked, "Where are we going?"

"Go see the Grand Secretary."

Chen Yan smiled.

Wang Xin was taken aback, but not surprised, and followed Chen Yan away.

Chen Yan rode in a sedan chair, but Wang Xin did not.

More military officers rode in sedan chairs than on horseback, but Wang Xin did not ride in a sedan chair. He either traveled by carriage or on horseback. Chen Yan was familiar with Wang Xin's style, so he did not pay any attention to it.

They proceeded to the Cabinet.

Even in the afternoon.

Wang Xin finally arrived at the cabinet and was quickly invited inside without delay.

Before you see them, you hear their voice.

"You've been making quite a few moves lately; it seems you're very confident."

Zhang Jifu looked at Wang Xin who entered through the door with a curious expression.

However, Wang Xin knew Zhang Jifu all too well.

Zhang Jifu is not as assertive as before. He used to be able to control himself, but now he is hesitant to act rashly.

"I was just doing my duty, and it was all for the good of the Beijing Garrison."

Wang Xin spoke frankly to him.

I did not do anything illegal.

It was merely exposing those underhanded rules and dirty tricks, and then handing them over to the Ministry of War for punishment in the name of the Great Zhou Law. Under normal circumstances, he would have been impeached long ago.

Zhang Jifu saw through Wang Xin and knew he couldn't hide it from him.

Instead of putting on airs, which would have been a disadvantage, Zhang Jifu changed his attitude and said firmly, "Zhou Wen must be alright, and he needs to control the Datong Western Army. You can't touch the Tiancheng Army either."

Here's the deal.

Hand over the Datong Western Army in exchange for the future Yongxing Army.

The Yongxing Army has been rendered ineffective, yet it remains the main force behind the rebellion.

Zhang Jifu's plan was quite clever.

The imperial court can only gain the severely damaged Yongxing Army by suppressing the rebellion without contributing anything, and at the same time, it must completely relinquish control of the Datong Western Army. As for the Right Route Army, the imperial court will certainly have its own arrangements.

Wang Xin thought about it and realized that a firm refusal wouldn't work.

Zhang Jifu's choice of himself was the optimal solution, but that doesn't mean he had no other options. If he angered Zhang Jifu, Zhang Jifu could choose not to use him, but he would have to pay a considerable price, and Zhang Jifu would also lose his chance.

It's a lose-lose situation.

So how do we persuade Zhang Jifu?

Zhang Jifu was so worried about two million taels of silver that he couldn't sleep, which led him to cause trouble everywhere. So money was his biggest weakness.

Wang Xin tried, "I can bring only a few hundred men."

Zhang Jifu was tempted by what he heard.

The imperial court indeed couldn't afford it, which was why he thought of Wang Xin.

If someone else were to quell the rebellion, the imperial court would have to provide them with sufficient troops and funds.

“You can take over Yongxing Army and Tiancheng Army, but the court will appoint an imperial censor, and Datong Western Army will also be handed over to Zhou Wen. You cannot continue to obstruct them.” Zhang Jifu took a step back.

"The Grand Secretary has lost the air of the man he first met."

Wang Xin was heartbroken.

Zhang Jifu laughed and scolded, "Your magnanimity can't be exchanged for money. Conjure up some money for me. I heard you made quite a bit of money in Datong."

Wang Xin shook his head.

I earned the money myself, and not a single penny was extra.

The imperial court wasn't short of money; rather, all the money was embezzled. No matter how much money they collected, it wouldn't be enough, so they would only keep increasing the burden on the people, ultimately leaving the suffering to the common folk.

If the imperial court has no money, it should go bankrupt.

Instead of making excessive demands on the people and pushing them to their deaths.

Zhang Jifu sighed in disappointment.

Wang Xin was still the same Wang Xin, and he still rejected him.

They don't understand the bigger picture.

He only sees the pots and pans in front of him and cannot understand the difficulties of the court. If the court cannot be maintained, the country, the people and the nation will suffer even more. He is, after all, a military man.

(End of this chapter)