The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 363 Military morale is available
The most fertile plateau in the Hetao region.

The most fertile naturalized city in Dabansheng.

Over the years, thousands of acres of farmland have been reclaimed outside the city.

The terrain is flat, the soil is fertile, and irrigation is convenient.

Adding to the sight of the gray-white tents dotting the horizon where the blue sky, white clouds, and yellow earth meet, Zhang Yuncheng, returning again, was incredibly surprised. "How long has it been? Did you cultivate these fields?"

Zhang Can quickly shook his head, "How could it be me, a rough and uncultured man like me?"

"That is?"

Seeing these fields, Zhang Yuncheng's opinion of Datong and the area outside the pass rose even higher.

That's just luck.

The commander probably never imagined that farming could be done in the Guihua City area.

“Many people traveled to and from the area outside the pass. As people came and went, some stayed behind. The surrounding land was unclaimed. Several times, people asked if it was possible to cultivate the land. I did not object. So, some people took the lead in cultivating the land, and then even more people went.”

"Unbeknownst to many, there were thousands of farmlands outside the city, which could supply the city every year."

Zhang Can smiled and said, "Fortunately, this land has returned to our hands; it would have been a waste if it had been in the hands of the Hu people."

Zhang Yuncheng loved it dearly.

After riding around on horseback for a few days, I became more and more satisfied with what I saw.

Guihua City was no worse than Datong.

Datong is a mountainous area with few and scattered places suitable for farming. In contrast, the Guihua City area has flat terrain, fertile soil, and abundant water resources. It can cultivate thousands of acres, and even tens of thousands of acres.

The surrounding area is not good, but the land is vast. Originally, we hoped to gather more than 100,000 herders. With the farmland of Guihua City, reaching 200,000 should not be a problem.

"What are your orders, Commander-in-Chief?"

Zhang Can, lacking patience, pressed Zhang Yuncheng for answers.

Zhang Yuncheng was not in a hurry and did not give a definite answer. He only told people to wait, from Zuoyun to Tuanshan, from Tuanshan to Weiyuan, from Weiyuan to Zhenlu, from Zhenlu to Yunchuan, and finally from Yunchuan to Guihua.

Zhang Yuncheng knew what was going on, so he wasn't in a hurry.

Zhang Can had no choice but to wait for Zhang Yuncheng's idea. However, Zhang Can knew in his heart that the true core of the Datong Western Army was the three thousand battalions, most of which were under his control and used to intimidate the Hu people who had hidden themselves.

The Hu people were scattered and returned to where they came from.

However, quite a few stayed.

However, not daring to offend Guihua City, they stayed far away, even hiding in the Sanbucichuan area, thousands of miles away, to live a difficult life. That area was closer to Xuanfu, only three or four hundred miles away, so Zhang Can could not easily launch an attack.

It would easily alarm the imperial court, so to avoid trouble, they turned a blind eye.

In short.

The 1,000 armored cavalry and 500 arquebusiers of Guihua City, plus the more than 2,000 troops in Zhenlu and Yunchuan in the rear, were certainly not enough to deal with the Hu people at their peak, but they were enough to deter the Hu people in the present.

If the General Commander wants to return to Datong, he will definitely need me.

Unlike inside the pass, outside the pass, the imperial court's power couldn't reach them; only the merchants held sway. In any case, inside the pass was in complete chaos, and Zhang Can didn't care. Since that was the case, he would just wait patiently and stopped pressing for answers.

“If the General Command returns to Datong, he will definitely need me, so I need to make preparations.”

Zhang Can told Zhang Yuncheng.

He then selected 500 armored cavalry and 500 arquebusiers, and with only 1,000 cavalry, he quickly set off for the Xiaohuang River area, sweeping along the river for half a month without encountering a single Hu tribe.

"Erdene".

"How many people are in your tribe now?"

Zhang Can barged into Erdun's tribe, but Erdun didn't pay any attention and calmly received Zhang Can.

Zhang Can clicked his tongue in amazement and laughed, "Erdun, you weren't like this before. Where did your former caution go? Are you no longer afraid of me?"

Erdun made a cup of milk tea for Zhang Can.

Tea leaves and caramel from Sichuan were poured into sheep milk from the grasslands and boiled in a ceramic pot from Hubei and Hunan on a small stove. The resulting milk tea was delicious, and Zhang Can loved it, drinking cup after cup.

Erdun was also drinking.

After finishing his milk tea, Erdun said, "All the able-bodied men in the tribe have gone to work for the Zhou people's trading companies. Our tribe owes Juzhongchang more than 60,000 taels of silver. Even if we sold the entire tribe, we still couldn't pay it back, and we still have to pay interest every year."

Zhang Can was also speechless.

The merchants were too good at business. Fortunately, the town chief drew a red line before leaving, so the herders were still doing quite well.

This was also the biggest source of dissatisfaction for the merchants, who felt it hindered their ability to make money.

However, merchants are adept at finding opportunities, and while the herders couldn't get their hands on them, there were also the Hu people.

Zhang Can raised his teacup and laughed, "You used to be able to drink such delicious stuff? Even though you have a lot of debt, you're not worried about having too many lice. Anyway, you don't have any money. What businessmen are going to eat you up? Life is still easy."

Erdun ignored him.

The tribe is already in this state, and the people's hearts have completely fallen apart.

People are busy making a living, and no one cares about tribes anymore. Nobody talks about fighting, and many even believe that they were oppressed by tribes in the past.

Thinking about all this, Erdun was furious.

Without tribes, what are they?

Zhang Can surveyed Erdun's territory but didn't see anything amiss. Besides, the merchants' influence extended far and wide, and he would receive news of any disturbances long ago. So he decided to leave.

Is General Wang coming back?

Erdun suddenly asked.

Just as Zhang Can was about to mount his horse, he heard Erdun's words and turned around to ask, "Who told you that?"

“I’m not deaf. So many things have happened in Datong, and half a year has passed. How could I not have heard about it? Your sudden arrival, with such a commotion, is easy to guess.” Erdun remained calm.

Zhang Can stared at Erdun for a long time.

Erdun thought he had something on his face.

“Erdun, you’re more capable than me.” Zhang Can suddenly laughed, and said smugly, “Unfortunately, you’ve run into the General Commander.”

Erdun, certain that Wang Xin might return, changed his attitude drastically and immediately retorted, "What nonsense is this? I am a Zhou person, and naturally I will obey the general's orders. What is there to regret? Not at all."

"Hahaha."

Zhang Can admired the commander-in-chief even more.

When Zhang Can returned to the tribe, he learned that Zhang Yuncheng had left. He rushed to Xuanfu because the general had sent an order for Zhang Yuncheng to meet him there. Lu Zhongheng also left with him.

"Should we have Zhang Can lead his cavalry to quickly circle around from outside the pass and join us before entering Tiancheng City?"

Yan Zhongzheng was unsure of himself.

After Wang Xin understood the situation in Datong in Xuanfu, he did not linger and led five hundred soldiers to Huai'an in Xuanfu, which is the border of Datong. The next place was Tiancheng.

Hu Liyong was too confident, failed to gather the main force of the Tiancheng Army, and was too eager for quick success, which resulted in his defeat and death.

To be on the safe side.

Bringing the main force of the Tiancheng Army along would prevent a complete defeat, even if the mutiny could not be quelled.

"Soldiers are valuable and quick."

Wang Xin shook his head.

Hu Liyong was eager for quick results because speed was of the essence in war. Otherwise, if the chaos escalated and the situation was suppressed forcefully, it would be difficult to win back the morale of the Yongxing Army later.

However, his approach was to deal with troublemakers.

I can understand Hu Liyong.

There's no money, so the problem of the unruly soldiers can't be solved. Of course, the urgent task is to deal with the ringleaders.

"just in case?"

Yan Zhongzheng remained hesitant.

The Tiancheng Army was leaderless and in complete chaos. The more chaotic it was, the more risky it became. If the Yongxing Army could be in disarray, the Tiancheng Army could also be in disarray. Their situation was not much better than that of the Yongxing Army.

Many things are just missing someone to take the lead.

"I believe in Zhao He."

"Him?" Yan Zhongzheng asked, bewildered.

Zhao He is one of Hu Liyong's men. Although he is only a guerrilla, he commands a thousand elite soldiers. If he really defects to the general, there won't be much of a problem.

The general had little contact with this person, so why did he trust him?
The general was also unwilling to forcefully suppress the mutinous soldiers, for the same reason as Hu Liyong: he did not want to get too much blood on his hands from the Yongxing Army. Otherwise, even if the mutiny was suppressed, the morale of the Yongxing Army would not be won over.

But things are already in such a mess that even the general's urging for a quick resolution is useless.

"We'll march at full speed tomorrow and try to reach Tiancheng City by the afternoon."

Wang Xin was in a hurry.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have discussed it with the Xue family first.

Hu Liyong had no money, so he could only deal with people who had problems. Unfortunately, he was careless and lacked the ability. In short, he was both bad at the game and loved to play around, which wasn't too surprising.

If this person were truly capable, they wouldn't have been suppressed for so many years.

Moreover, if he were truly capable, Feng Yong would never have kept him around back then.

Lacking ability yet possessing great ambition, this was the inevitable outcome. The problem not only remained unresolved but actually became somewhat more complicated because of him.

If the imperial court had initially allowed him to intervene, things wouldn't have escalated to this point.

But it's hard to say.

It was precisely because the imperial court knew that the Datong issue could not be delayed any longer that he was able to ask Zhang Jifu for 100,000 taels of silver to set off.

In fact, Zhang Jifu made a lot of money.

The current situation in Datong can be resolved by the imperial court with just 100,000 taels of silver.

It should be noted that the imperial court has already spent no less than a million taels of silver in Shandong.

"Report!"

A messenger arrived and announced, "General Zhao He of the Tiancheng Army has led his troops to welcome the General and, along with his officers, is requesting an audience outside the city."

Yan Zhongzheng was stunned.

He was overjoyed.

As for whether the other party has any ulterior motives, they are not fools and will not be unprepared. Moreover, Zhao He took the initiative to bring the officers into the city, which is enough to show his sincerity and that he has made sufficient preparations. He is a smart man.

"Bring them in."

soon.

Zhao He, accompanied by more than a dozen officers, quickly approached Wang Xin upon seeing him from afar.

"Your subordinate Zhao He greets the Commander-in-Chief!"

The officers behind him followed suit and saluted.

"Please get up."

Wang Xin, the eldest son, stepped forward and pulled Zhao He along, saying with a smile, "Zhao He, it's been almost two years since we last met. I didn't expect you to still remember me."

Zhao He had already made up his mind.

Hu Liyong is dead. If Hu Liyong were alive, although he respected Wang Xin in his heart, he would not easily betray him. But now, Wang Xin has been appointed by the court, and he has no reason to refuse, whether for public or private reasons.

"I have always kept General Commander's heroic figure outside the pass in my heart, not to mention General Commander's love for his soldiers like his own children and his great talent and strategy. It is my great honor to be able to follow General Commander."

Without hesitation, Zhao He declared in public: "From this day forward, I will obey any orders from the General, even at the cost of my life. If I break this agreement, I will die a horrible death and never be able to rise again."

The officers behind him looked on in surprise.

They had followed Zhao He for many years, and they had never shown such loyalty, even when facing Hu Liyong.

If one didn't know the character of their own guerrilla commander, it would be easy to misunderstand him as a sycophant who was afraid of horses and would say nice things. Many people showed concern, wondering what if General Wang Xin on the other side had misunderstood.

Guerrilla tactics were well-intentioned, but unfortunately, they were overdone.

"Hahaha."

Wang Xin couldn't help but burst into laughter, and happily patted Zhao He on the shoulder.

“Zhao He, if someone else said such words to express loyalty, I would probably not believe it, but coming from your mouth, I believe every word. I won’t say more, there’s still a long way to go, let’s wait and see.”

Zhao He cupped his hands in greeting: "Yes, sir!"

The officers Zhao He brought also breathed a sigh of relief. At least General Wang Xin didn't seem to be just going through the motions, and everyone couldn't help but feel happy.

The Datong Western Army was built from scratch and became incredibly elite. Not to mention the treatment the Datong Western Army received, everyone has seen it all. Who wouldn't envy the Datong Western Army?
This is also the main reason why people do not reject guerrilla warfare.

I don't expect to match the treatment of the Western Army in Datong, but at least I hope it won't be too different.

“Go back and tell the brothers below that from now on, the servants will receive two taels of silver each month, and the militia will receive one tael. The money will be paid at the beginning of each month, based on my reputation as Wang Xin. It will be paid on time every month.”

Wang Xin looked at the officers behind Zhao He and announced the plan that had been prepared long ago.

This time.

Even Zhao He was stunned, not to mention the officers.

Do militiamen only get one tael of silver?
The militia of the Western Army in Datong probably didn't receive a single tael of silver. According to tradition, militiamen served in the military and received tax reductions in their hometowns. Later, the imperial court saw how hard the militiamen were working and made an exception to give them some rewards.

Gradually, the amount increased to two or four qian per month.

Even so, after all these years without money, things have returned to the way they were before. Wang Xin just opens his mouth and the militiamen get one or two taels every month!
If someone else had said it, no one would have believed it.

But what Wang Xin said was exactly what he said; he did indeed have a very good reputation among the soldiers. So even though everyone thought it was impossible, they couldn't doubt that the person who said those words was Wang Xin.

A thousand words.

It's better to have real gold and silver.

Status, money, and honor are all indispensable.

Advocating a spirit of dedication tells soldiers why they fight, but they also receive all the necessary benefits, which must have been the highest level of treatment available at the time.

such as.

Everyone takes pride in serving in the military.

Even the children play the role of soldiers in their games.

Zhang Jifu's reforms have begun.

What's the point of this kind of reform?

Reforms are only effective when they involve those at the top, which is why so few reforms have succeeded throughout history.

It's difficult to get someone who has become obese to change their lifestyle and lose weight.

Moreover, the entire interest group.

Therefore, Wang Xin needs to be quick.

The goal is to quickly resolve the mutiny, followed by sweeping reforms to secure the promised military funding. This can sustain the effort for a month or two, but if the reforms are ineffective, it will become unsustainable over time.

Once the reforms are successful, Datong will be the most secure territory.

Even if the imperial court issued eighteen imperial edicts, it could not sway them.

After a while.

Suddenly, deafening cheers erupted outside the city.

It turned out that the soldiers of the Tiancheng Army couldn't help but shout that although Wang Xin was only the leader of the Datong Western Army before, everyone spoke highly of him and hoped that their superiors could love their soldiers like Wang Xin did.

Unfortunately, many claim to love their soldiers like their own children, but few actually do so.

Although it was hard to believe, what could one do when it came to Wang Xin's promise?

It didn't stop them from thinking it was impossible, but they still cheered for Wang Xin, even if he only accomplished half of it, they were satisfied.

"The morale of the troops is high."

Yan Zhongzheng glanced at it, but couldn't manage a smile.

The general's promises were too high.

Even though he only knew military affairs, he knew that the general had set too high a goal for himself and that it could be lowered.

(End of this chapter)