The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 361 Not worth mentioning

Jia Mansion.

Having moved away from Convex Jade Villa for several years, Wang Xin couldn't help but reminisce about his days in the Grand View Garden after arriving at the Jia Mansion.

The scenery in the Grand View Garden is indeed beautiful.

It truly lives up to its reputation as a manor built at a cost of hundreds of thousands of taels of silver.

Waiting in Jia Zheng's living room.

Jia Zheng was unaware of his arrival today and was working at the yamen. The steward, Zhou Rui, had already gone to the yamen to find Jia Zheng, and it would take at least half an hour.

Now that he had reached an agreement with Zhang Jifu, and knowing that he wouldn't have much time to stay in the capital and that traveling between Tongzhou and the capital would take time, Wang Xin decided to wait and explain things to Jia Zheng before returning to Tongzhou.

"Greetings, Magistrate Wang."

Doorway.

A figure appeared, accompanied by Wang Shanbao. Wang Xin recognized Wang Shanbao; he was Jia She's steward, and they didn't usually have much contact.

"Lord Xin."

Wang Shanbao greeted him respectfully.

"you are?"

Wang Xin did not recognize the people around Wang Shanbao.

That man was a talented individual, strong and powerful, and made an excellent impression.

"I am Sun Shaozu, a military officer in the Northern Army. I came here to pay my respects upon hearing that you are here, sir. Please forgive me if I have offended you."

It turned out to be him.

Wang Xin couldn't help but take a few glances.

It is said that Jia She sold Yingchun to Sun Shaozu for a few thousand taels of silver.

But the reality is often not so simple.

First of all, Sun Shaozu was indeed a very ambitious person, and he would do anything to achieve his goals. He was truly skilled in both literature and martial arts, and was also very handsome. If it weren't for the trouble that happened to the Jia family, Yingchun's fate would have been very different.

However, it is necessary to understand Sun Shaozu as a person.

He was a destitute man, which means that several thousand taels of silver was all his savings, or more likely, several thousand taels of silver that he had obtained by using up all his resources.

He took a desperate gamble and joined the Jia family, marrying their daughter in the hopes of using the Jia family to build connections. He also married their illegitimate daughter to demonstrate his loyalty and tie his future to the main branch of the Jia family.

result.

The Jia family fell into ruin, and the eldest branch of the family's property was confiscated.

Sun Shaozu suffered a crushing defeat.

As a person who was single-mindedly ambitious, Sun Shaozu made a choice that was beneficial to himself.

He drove Yingchun to her death, thus severing ties with the Jia family.

Such a heartless and ruthless person—who can see through his true nature?

Just like the Lai family, the old steward of the Jia family.

The loyalty of several generations, even Qingwen was given to Grandmother Jia by the Lai family. Who could have imagined that the county magistrate produced by the Lai family would be a person who seeks profit and avoids harm, and even disregards the kindness of the Jia family.

This is also due to my own influence.

Lin Ruhai did not die, nor did Wang Ziteng. With their own improved status, the Jia family's foundation is currently very solid, and there is no sign of it collapsing.

The four major families prosper together and suffer together.

Even if the eldest and second wives didn't get along, they still shared the same title. In addition, Jia She originally followed the military path and not only had an excellent relationship with the military governor of Ping'an Prefecture, but also had other connections.

Otherwise, Sun Shaozu wouldn't have approached Jia She.

Therefore, Sun Shaozu treated Yingchun quite well, and he himself became a military officer in the Beijing garrison.

In Jia She's eyes, including outsiders, at least for now, everyone thinks Sun Shaozu is a good son-in-law.

You can know a person's face, but not their heart.

If I hadn't been aware of Sun Shaozu's actions, I probably would have misunderstood him and thought he had a good impression of him. He was a handsome and strong man, and it was hard to dislike him.

"Aren't you in Shandong?"

Wang Xin asked curiously.

"Reporting to the Governor," Sun Shaozu replied respectfully, showing no displeasure despite the lack of intimacy in Wang Xin's tone. "I have rendered meritorious service in suppressing the bandits and will return to the capital to report my achievements. I will be returning soon."

You're about to get promoted.

He's only reached the rank of brigadier general; is he going to be promoted to deputy commander-in-chief?

It seems that the eldest branch of the Jia family has invested a lot of resources. Jia She has gone to great lengths; he probably hasn't even put in this much effort for his son.

"The people of Shandong are different. The imperial court has ordered you to quell the rebellion, and you cannot refuse. But you must have a conscience. You should treat the disaster victims with compassion. Unless they are extremely vicious villains, you should show mercy to the disaster victims and retreat if possible."

Wang Xin knew the other party wouldn't listen, but he still had to speak.

Sun Shaozu smiled and said, "Your orders are correct, General. I will certainly obey."

He agreed so easily; I should have been happy, and then I would have had a very good impression of him, wanting to bring him under my wing or treat him as one of my own.
pity.

Wang Xin didn't believe that someone who could be so cold-hearted to his wife would listen to him.

What kind of merit did he perform?

It wasn't because of the suppression of the disaster victims.

Wang Xin would only appreciate generals who advocated appeasement.

As for the Qing Dynasty's method of slaughtering all the disaster victims and resolving all the problems on its own, although it was a quick way to solve the problem, Wang Xin could never accept it.

"Then I won't bother you any longer, Master Xin."

Seeing that Wang Xin's attitude was not very harmonious, Wang Shanbao took the initiative to speak.

Wang Xin nodded.

Sun Shaozu remained respectful and showed no dissatisfaction as he followed Wang Shanbao away.

Good people sometimes don't act like good people.

Because good people don't pretend.

Sometimes bad people are more like good people than good people, because bad people know they have to pretend.

The same reason.

Petty people often manage to seize high positions because they are truly adept at faking it.

Given Sun Shaozu's performance, it's no wonder Jia She liked him so much.

"Master Xin and Master have a bad relationship, I never expected that they would take it out on the son-in-law," Wang Shanbao said indignantly.

Sun Shaozu smiled.

"It's fine."

Seeing how magnanimous his son-in-law was, Wang Shanbao felt it was unfair and asserted, "Master Xin can barely protect himself, but our son-in-law is making steady progress. Sooner or later he will surpass Master Xin and go further than him. When that happens, let the second branch of the family see what he's made of."

Wang Shanbao snorted coldly.

Sun Shaozu also felt that Wang Xin was too honest and wouldn't go far. Even if he achieved great things, what use would it be if he couldn't keep them in his hands?

It's a pity I still wanted to make use of this person.

After all, others were taking advantage of him and gaining a lot of benefits, which he envied.

What exactly is it about yourself that you're dissatisfied with?
Sun Shaozu couldn't understand it.

soon.

Jia Zheng returned in a sedan chair and hurriedly entered the living room.

"I heard from Zhou Rui that you came out of the cabinet?"

Jia Zheng asked as soon as they met.

Wang Xin did not hide anything and told Jia Zheng about his discussion with Zhang Jifu.

Jia Zheng was overjoyed.

"I didn't expect you to actually get your chance. Now that you're back in Datong, the court won't be able to touch you easily." Jia Zheng breathed a sigh of relief. He had indeed been under considerable pressure lately because of Wang Xin's matter.

Wang Xin was unconventional in his actions and could not be tolerated in officialdom.

It was only by chance and Wang Xin's abilities that a certain situation was maintained.

However, the more Wang Xin did, the more people impeached him. How could a military general withstand so many impeachments? If the cabinet were to change its mind and investigate Wang Xin one day, who could withstand the investigation?

The wall fell and everyone pushed.

Everyone says that Wang Xin has lost power, so Jia Zheng is under even greater pressure.

it's good now.

Jia Zheng was in a good mood.

"Not necessarily." Wang Xin shook his head.

"Why?"

Jia Zheng exclaimed in surprise.

Wang Xin was very calm. He wasn't in a hurry about these things, so he was at ease and could see things carefully without making any oversights.

"Grand Secretary Zhang did not mention the Right Route Army."

Leaving aside the Right Route Army, was Wang Xin still a general in the Beijing Garrison? Therefore, the court could still use this reason to transfer Wang Xin back to the Beijing Garrison at any time; the court was not acting recklessly.

Jia Zheng also thought of it and said anxiously, "Why didn't you bring it up?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

Wang Xin shrugged.

Zhang Jifu left the Beijing garrison open for himself because he thought that with 5,000 troops of the right wing army in Shandong, and 2,000 troops left under someone else's command, he could only take 500 men with him.

Normally, shouldn't this be enough to control the right flank?
Therefore, Zhang Jifu was not worried and did not relinquish his position as commander-in-chief of the right wing army, hoping to use this position to be recalled at any time if needed in the future.

But should I just let Zhang Jifu do whatever he wants to me?
In many situations, people are not in control of their own destiny. Wang Xin needed to go with the flow and was unwilling to stir up trouble.

I do things right.

Only then can their subordinates have confidence.

"If the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be crooked too"—this is a profound saying.

Therefore, I will not and cannot take the wrong path. I must walk the righteous path. This is also my personal charm, which attracts people around me and allows me to select a large number of people who truly follow me.

Jia Zheng became increasingly puzzled; sometimes he truly couldn't understand his son-in-law.

"Do you really expect to control the right flank army?"

How is it possible?

Wang Xin said calmly, "Giving it a try is not a bad idea."

The Hexi Camp, which has been under construction for nearly a year.

Taking advantage of the current opportunity, the right wing army was reorganized, etc.

Although there are many problems, he is not without options. This is not a shortcut, and Wang Xin is willing to take the risk.

Given the current situation, the imperial court wouldn't trust him, and he really didn't want to listen to the court. What if the court asked him to go and relieve the disaster victims one day? Should he go or not? If he didn't go, the court would be even less likely to tolerate him.

If Shandong is experiencing disasters, surely other places won't too?

Once you start, something else will follow.

Wang Xin did not want to listen to the court's order to exterminate the disaster victims, nor did he want to be dealt with arbitrarily by the court. What if they wanted to kill him? Would he obediently listen to them?

So there's no other way.

He was strong enough that the imperial court dared not deal with him arbitrarily.

What will happen in the future?

Step by step.

Just like myself and Zhang Jifu, the two of us have ended up in this situation because many things were beyond our control, and no one could do anything about it.

"Your Excellency still needs to keep an eye on the right flank. Just pretend I'm still in the Beijing garrison."

Wang Xin pleaded.

Jia Zheng didn't have many ideas, and seeing his son-in-law's insistence, he could only agree, but said, "Once you go to Datong, we don't know when you'll return to the capital, and the court will have something to say about your marriage."

"I am already thirty, and I could never have had this much, but what can I do?"

Wang Xin asked with feigned concern, "How has the Third Miss been lately?"

Jia Zheng stroked his beard and laughed. This kid has some nerve, actually taking a liking to my daughter right here in the Grand View Garden. "There's no rush. Once you've settled down in Datong, we can arrange the marriage."

Jia Zheng didn't want to drag things out any longer, in case things changed again.
Wang Xin nodded.

In the eyes of the court, Ping'er was just a concubine, a maid sent by the Jia family. He himself was a general, and a general who was to be stationed in Datong. He still didn't have a family. This was unreasonable.

No one would feel at ease.

The more he admired the Third Sister, the more at ease the court officials felt about their dates.

Although the reasoning is simple, it has been true for thousands of years.

Lin Ruhai is going back to Beijing, so it seems I won't be able to see him this time.

Wang Xin left the Jia family mansion and returned to Tongzhou.

Upon learning of this, Yan Zhongzheng and his colleagues immediately began to work.

Which one would you choose among 500 people?

How to solve the problems of military food and military expenses?

How much will it cost to settle them in Datong?

And how exactly to handle the aftermath.

Wang Xin and Zhang Jifu have agreed on the direction, but the specific details need to be finalized as soon as possible. I believe that the people under the cabinet and the Ministry of War will be very busy.

The news that Wang Xin was about to return to Datong spread quickly.

Secrets cannot be kept hidden in the capital.

There are quite a few people eyeing Datong.

Although they knew the Datong mutiny was dangerous, it was also an opportunity.

Apart from Zhu Wei.

"It's Wang Xin again."

Feng Yong was so angry he gritted his teeth.

"The key is that Grand Secretary Zhang doesn't trust Commander Feng."

Several advisors offered suggestions for several days, but unexpectedly suffered a complete defeat, and they all began to shift the blame.

"Doesn't the imperial court also distrust Wang Xin? And Wang Xin hasn't made any moves in the capital, so why did Grand Secretary Zhang choose Wang Xin?" someone retorted.

"I don't believe it if it's not this."

The advisor shook his head and patiently explained, "Grand Secretary Zhang must suppress the mutiny in Datong now, otherwise his situation will be very difficult. Therefore, this time, the arrangement for Datong can only be a victory, not a defeat."

Feng Yong calmed down and understood what his advisor meant.

However, the advisor's intention was that he had not submitted to Wang Xin, which made him feel disgusted. He kept a cold face and remained silent.

The advisor, oblivious to the commotion, continued, "Although the Datong Western Army is causing trouble, they are controlling the situation well. On the contrary, Grand Secretary Zhang firmly believes that Wang Xin will be able to control the Datong Western Army after he returns. Coupled with the leaderless Tiancheng Army, even if Wang Xin only has five hundred men, with his abilities and the support of the Datong Western Army, it will be easy for him to subdue the Tiancheng Army and quell the mutiny. Wang Xin has many options."

“Our commander-in-chief can directly suppress the Yongxing Army, why doesn’t Grand Secretary Zhang think so?”

Some people were not convinced.

The advisor smiled and said, "If Zhang Wenjin hadn't subdued the Yongxing Army, Grand Secretary Zhang would have believed that the Commander-in-Chief could still suppress the Yongxing Army. I've heard that Zhang Wenjin has never subdued the Datong Western Army."

"enough."

Feng Yong couldn't stand it anymore. This person was smart, but he was too tactless and not fit for any important task.

"Send someone to contact Li Qi and tell him to act according to the situation. Also, find Yang Rong and see how his unit is doing." Feng Yong didn't think Li Qi would disobey him.

Li Qi was someone I personally trained.

He even told Zhang Wenjin that he couldn't withstand the pressure, and that he had instructed Zhang to outwardly obey while preserving his strength.

And Yang Rong.

His elder brother Yang Yu died at the hands of Wang Xin, and it's hard to believe he would willingly accept Wang Xin's control of Datong.

He himself could not return to Datong, and he would never allow Wang Xin to successfully conquer Datong.

We'd rather let Datong rot than let it benefit outsiders.

What if Yang Rong does something reckless?

The advisor said worriedly, "Wang Xin is not someone to be trifled with. If he finds something wrong with us, we might end up losing more than we gain. Moreover, if the commander-in-chief does this, many people below will probably lose heart."

"Great things don't concern themselves with trifles; what do you know, you bookish idealist?"

Feng Yong gave him a disdainful look.

When I was in charge of Datong, there were many people who opposed me. I dealt with them one by one, and in the end, it was still up to me to say what I wanted.

Wang Xin's approach was pedantic.

The imperial court did not intend to remove Wang Xin from his position as the Right Route Commander.

This shows that the imperial court was being cautious.

Wang Xin is the kind of person who can only benefit others; he will never amount to anything and is not worth mentioning.

(End of this chapter)