The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 371 Returning to Beijing
Datong.

General's Residence.

Zhou Gui nervously went to the door and brought a generous gift.

Zhou Gui had expected to be harassed or even punished by Wang Xin, but to his surprise, Wang Xin treated him kindly and was not angry. They even discussed the history between their two families, which moved Zhou Gui deeply.

After returning.

Zhou Gui honestly told his father.

Zhou Shiming sighed.

"You can't beat him. Remember this lesson from now on."

Zhou Gui retorted, unconvinced, "What did my son do? My son didn't do anything."

At first, I was a little unsure of myself, but the more I talked, the more I realized it was true.

I didn't do anything.

Otherwise, why wouldn't Wang Xin care about himself?

"You know shit."

Zhou Shiming looked disappointed, but there was nothing he could do.

The man before him was his only son; he did have two daughters, who had already married out.

Ignoring his son, he instructed the steward, "Prepare five thousand taels of silver and send it to the General's mansion."

"Father, I have already given you very valuable gifts, why do you need another five thousand taels?" Zhou Gui asked anxiously.

The Zhou family's money didn't come from thin air.

Wang Xin forbade them from using their connections to do business; they could only trade fairly. Anyone could enter Datong to do business. Given this, what did the Zhou family have to thank Wang Xin for?

Moreover, Juzhongchang had to give 25% of its profits to Wang Xin every year.

Zhou Shiming ignored his son.

The steward dared not disobey openly and hurriedly went to the accounting office to prepare.

Wang Xin had someone send away the eldest son of the Zhou family. Out of respect for Zhou Shiming, although he did not intend to completely eliminate the Zhou family, he also did not intend to let the matter drop. However, it was indeed not good to offend too many people at the moment.

"Things need to be done one at a time."

"First, we need to clear out the army. After we finish recovering the stolen goods, we can do the rest. There has to be a priority."

Zeng Zhi laughed, saying that he could easily see through the commander-in-chief's thoughts on this matter.

Wang Xin nodded.

He is currently focused on the reorganization of the three armies and has no time to waste. No matter how much he delays, he must return to the capital by the Mid-Autumn Festival, otherwise there is a risk of trouble at the court.

Unlike before.

Now I have more trusted confidants, and with their help, although things are complicated, the efficiency is not low.

First, the military system was established.

Next came the reshuffling of military commanders.

Although he could assess the loyalty of generals, the number of positions was limited, so he could only focus on the top generals. The selection of middle and lower-ranking officers still had to be done carefully by the people below.

The entire army had five or six hundred sentry officers alone.

There were over eight hundred officers at various levels.

This is after the reduction.

He couldn't possibly take care of everyone, and he had never even met many of the lower-ranking officers. He had only exchanged a few words with most of them.

This includes the list of those promoted.

Many people didn't have a chance to meet.

For example, when I heard that Li Qi was gathering a group to plot something, a school officer drew his sword and confronted him. Everyone was speculating, but I was quite interested in meeting him.

Unfortunately, I simply couldn't find the time.

Their precious spot wasn't originally meant for him, but the discussions about him just wouldn't stop.

Some people believe that it should not be used lightly and should be ignored.

Some believe that failing to reward merit will discourage the soldiers, especially since the Yongxing Army and Tiancheng Army are already in a state of discontent.

That's why Wang Xin decided to waste a spot.

The decision to promote this person then quelled the controversy.

In addition, the Datong military town was even more complicated. Wang Xin did not trust most of the people in the original governor's office system. Even those people like Zhai Wen, who he currently believed in, had many flaws.

Don't use people with suspicion, don't use people who are suspicious.

Xue Yan fled back to the capital, but Xue Ke continued to give him important positions.

Firstly, this kid is extremely loyal to me; secondly, he's a rare talent.

There aren't many loyal people.

There aren't many capable people either.

Loyal and capable people are even rarer to find.

Which one wasn't cultivated as a core member?

So, out of respect for Xue Ke, Wang Xin had no intention of arguing with Xue Yan. Besides, who knows who Xue Yan might persuade in the capital to mediate? Let's just wait and see.

In short.

In busy days.

The Datong Army underwent a tremendous change very quickly.

For example, as is customary, when troops are mobilized domestically, such as the Beijing garrison traveling from the capital to Qingzhou in Shandong, in addition to the troops' own rations, their daily supplies are provided by the prefectures and counties along the route.

Because Qingzhou was in the midst of a civil unrest, and no main base had been established yet, the army arrived first and fought relying on its own supplies while waiting for supplies to arrive later.

The supplies were arranged by the Ministry of Revenue to be transported by laborers, and were temporarily placed under the management of the Ministry of War.

After the supplies arrived at the front lines and were delivered to the military camps, the remaining supplies, apart from the temporary rations for each unit, were transported and protected by the militia.

This included doing odd jobs for the cavalry and taking care of their horses.

Each cavalryman would be accompanied by one or two militiamen.

Therefore, the cavalry commander actually led three hundred cavalrymen, plus four, five or six hundred militiamen. These militiamen maintained the cavalry's supplies and provisions, and even cooperated with the cavalry in battle. The entire cavalry battalion had nearly a thousand men.

Now, the Western Army of Datong.

Three thousand armored cavalry, two thousand heavy archer cavalry, plus ten thousand militia, totaling fifteen elite cavalry battalions, each commanded by a commander of a thousand men.

One cavalryman was paired with two militiamen.

It's not literally the case that the militia were there to serve the cavalry; it means that the militia were responsible for the vast majority of logistics.

Then there were 10,000 cavalry and 10,000 militia, which made up twenty ordinary cavalry battalions.

The 10,000 elite infantrymen and 10,000 militiamen were combined to form 20 infantry battalions, which were assigned to guard various border fortresses.

Infantry served as shields.

The cavalry used spears.

The Tiancheng Army consisted of five elite cavalry battalions, five infantry battalions, one acting deputy commander-in-chief, two brigadier generals, six guerrilla commanders, and twenty centurions.

The acting deputy commander-in-chief was appointed by Tang Ping, the former deputy commander of the Datong Western Army.

Yongxing Army has five elite cavalry battalions, ten cavalry battalions, and ten infantry battalions.

The acting deputy commander-in-chief was Zhao Yong, the former deputy commander of the Datong Western Army.

The Great Western Army consisted of five elite cavalry battalions, five infantry battalions, and five infantry battalions.

Zhou Wen remained the commander-in-chief of the Western Army in Datong, but Liu Tong and Zhang Can took over the duties of Zhao Yong and Tang Ping, effectively becoming the deputy commanders of the Western Army.

Wang Xin dared not go too far. Zhang Jifu demanded that the Datong Western Army must still be under Zhou Wen's command. So, if Wang Xin did not touch Zhou Wen, Zhou Wen would continue to serve as the commander-in-chief of the Datong Western Army. As for whether he could control the Datong Western Army, that was not his own business.

It's the same as receiving a salary without working.

The Datong military garrison had a registered force of 100,000 soldiers, but in reality, there were only over 60,000 soldiers, meaning that more than 30,000 soldiers were paid without actually serving their salaries.

Even more soldiers in Datong Military Town were receiving salaries without working after the rectification.

The difference is that military pay is actually distributed to the soldiers.

The annual military pay and provisions for 55,000 soldiers require more than 990,000 taels. If there is no war, the normal annual maintenance and wear and tear, as well as the repair of various military forts, will amount to about 270,000 taels.

The total is 1.26 million taels per year.

It was 280,000 taels less than the 1.4 million taels stipulated by the imperial court.

However, in reality, the imperial court allocated a maximum of one million taels to Datong.

According to past practice, if the Datong military garrison receives a total of one million taels of silver in military pay each year, then the actual annual shortfall is 260,000 taels.

If the imperial court distributes the funds according to regulations, the Datong military garrison will have an extra 280,000 taels of silver each year, which can be used to purchase more military equipment.

However, these are all under the most favorable circumstances.

Wang Xin couldn't help but worry.

Will the imperial court reduce military pay even more this year?

Therefore, I must return to Beijing to try and win him over.

The sooner I reach an agreement with Zhang Jifu and finalize the military expenses for Datong, the more at ease I can return to Datong and continue with the next steps. Otherwise, without a source for the million taels of military funds, my position as the General of Datong will be unstable.

just.

What can we exchange with Zhang Jifu?

Wang Xin hesitated.

The rebellion in Datong was quelled.

Merit, hard work, promotion, rewards, and advancement of generals of all ranks.
The implementation of military spending.

The commotion caused by the pursuit of stolen assets.

Same as above.

“I have no other requirements for you.” Zhao Yong, Tang Ping, Zhang Zhen, Liu Tong, Zhang Can, Wei Yi, Zhao He, and others.

The acting commanders and deputy commanders of the three armies were all present.

The crowd gathered at the General's Mansion.

Not easy.

Looking at the generals before him, Wang Xin felt a pang of emotion. Back then, he was just a battalion commander, not even qualified to meet a lieutenant general. Now, he had a whole corps of lieutenant generals under his command.

Moreover, they are all genuine military officers.

Everyone felt conflicted knowing that the commander-in-chief was returning to the capital the next day.

Tang Ping and the others were fine, as they had been separated more than once or twice over the years. Zhang Zhen, Wei Yi, and Zhao He were more sensitive, so they appeared very serious, while Tang Ping looked relaxed.

Although Liu Tong was also very serious, it was clear from his eyes that he didn't seem to care that much.

Wang Xin always gave detailed instructions to the generals he trusted, without hiding anything from them.

"Although the situation in Datong has been stabilized, the terrain in Datong is complex. Many things inside and outside the pass cannot be judged by appearances alone. Therefore, the rules I have left behind must not be changed without authorization, whether you understand them or not."

Wang Xin was mainly addressing the new members.

Tang Ping and the others didn't need to explain themselves; they knew what they should do. If they didn't even have this basic understanding, how could they withstand any storms?

The same is true.

Zhang Zhen and the others nodded repeatedly, "General, rest assured, whether or not you return to Datong, your subordinates will still follow your orders and will not listen to anyone else's orders but only to you, General."

Tang Ping couldn't help but tilt his head.

Did I go through the same thing back then? My teeth feel really sore.

It seems so.

At that time, the Yangzhou camp was facing disbandment. Weren't his words more outrageous than those of Zhang Zhen and others?
Only then did Wang Xin feel relieved enough to leave.

Building is better than destroying.

After several years of development outside the Great Wall, Datong finally got on the right track and became more and more famous, cultivating a large number of familiar managers and employees. These insightful people from the inland areas more or less went out to work independently.

The market needs more people to join.

The more business people join, the fiercer the market competition becomes. As long as the bottom line is maintained, the market circulation becomes more efficient, and the overall wealth of society will increase.

This ensures that the herders' pastures remain intact.

This is Wang Xin's fundamental red line.

There are more than 23,000 herding households and 150,000 herders. Each household has ample pastureland and can support an average of 80 sheep, 20 cattle, and 10 horses.

After the cattle and sheep have reached maturity.

Under a stable environment.

Each year, it can produce more than 20 lambs, six calves, and three foals.

It takes five years for a foal to grow to adulthood.

They have eleven years of prime age, and begin to age after the age of sixteen.

It takes eleven years to complete a cycle.

Even without this restriction, the demand for cattle, sheep, and horses in the vast society of the Great Zhou Dynasty is far from reaching its limit.

These are the most silent herders.

They are the cornerstone of the market's operation.

They are there.

The faster the market operates, the more money generates money, and the faster social wealth grows. In this rapid process, it is astonishing but never out of control.

But they weren't there.

A booming market can quickly turn into nothing.

Therefore, Wang Xin was not worried about anything else, but what he was most worried about was that the powerful families would win over the generals and ultimately harm the interests of the herders.

Tang Ping and the others had held on.

The reorganization of the three armed forces in Datong is a good thing, but it also has its drawbacks.

Compared to the original Datong Western Army, Wang Xin dared not say that he could completely control the Datong military town.

That's why I gave you these instructions before leaving today.

Beijing.

Lin House.

After returning to the capital, Lin Ruhai was appointed as the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief, becoming a high-ranking official of the third rank.

Although the Salt Commissioner was not of high rank, he had always wielded great power. Even the Governor of Nanjing could not afford to offend him and had to be mindful of his feelings, as the Salt Commissioner was the lifeblood of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

In addition, Lin Ruhai had served in the Six Ministries in Nanjing, and the retired emperor was quite satisfied with him. When he returned to the capital this time, some people speculated that Lin Ruhai would become a vice minister of the Six Ministries, but they did not expect him to become the Left Censor-in-Chief.

Although both are of the third rank, at present, the four major families need a vice minister from one of the six ministries more.

But no matter what.

Lin Ruhai was also the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate.

The deputy position that controls the voice of the nation and supervises all civil and military officials, if he were to be transferred again, would be that of a provincial governor. Zhang Wenjin's previous position as governor of Datong was far superior, as their ranks alone were far inferior.

In addition, there was Wu Wenhua, the governor of Guangdong.

Among the four major factions, there are already one and a half regional governors.

Wu Wenhua is one of them.

Lin Ruhai counts as half.

In addition, there was Jia Yucun, the Minister of War in Jinling.

Wang Xin, the General Commander of Datong.

The Wu family, generals of Yuehai.

The Imperial Concubine.

A civil service group, linked by the second branch of the Rongguo Mansion, rose to prominence and became a political force to be reckoned with in the capital.

As for the main house and Rongguo Mansion.

For example, the military governor of Ping'an Prefecture, although they did not belong to the second branch of the family, still had some connection with them.

So the four major families.

The powerful founding forces, though seemingly dead, have now successfully transformed and are divided into three parts, each of which is not to be underestimated. The most dazzling of them all is undoubtedly the second branch of the Rongguo Mansion.

Xue Yan wore a bitter expression.

Lin Ruhai looked at him with a mocking expression.

"Wang Xin is returning to the capital. You should go see him in person."

Hearing Lin Ruhai's words, Xue Yan became even more anxious, "Please, Lord Lin, lend us your help!"

Seeing Xue Yan's expression, Lin Ruhai laughed and said, "Wang Xin isn't a petty person. You haven't actually done anything, so he won't make a move against you."

"Even so, I'm afraid Lord Wang still has a thorn in his side."

Xue Yan sighed.

He never expected this.

Xue Yan had no confidence in Wang Xin's plan to recover stolen assets. The wealthy families in Datong also supported those generals and had to consider Zhang Jifu, which was why they didn't side with Wang Xin.

This made him even more incredulous.

Such a difficult task, seemingly impossible to accomplish, was actually done by him.

At least he dealt with the opposition within the military.

It was resolved very easily.

“Wang Xin is short of money now, and he will be even more short of money in the future. If you help him earn more money and donate more money, all his dissatisfaction will disappear. It’s more effective than me saying a thousand words.” Lin Ruhai looked at Xue Yan with amusement.

Knowing that Lin Ruhai looked down on him for being stingy, Xue Yan quickly explained, "I have already prepared 50,000 taels of silver."

"In that case, let's wait for him to come back."

Lin Ruhai said no more.

Even after leaving the Lin residence, Xue Yan was still uneasy.

“Wang Xin asked the eldest son’s family for 100,000 taels of silver. With the eldest son’s family in power, even if I sent 100,000 taels, let alone 50,000, Wang Xin would still favor the eldest son’s family.” Xue Yan frowned.

"What does the boss mean?"

The shopkeeper was puzzled.

Xue Yan didn't say anything, and went to find his nephew.

One hundred thousand taels of silver.

Wang Xin treated the Xue family like a fool in this matter.

My nephew hates it when people treat him like a fool, so I have to have a chat with him.

Ideally, the eldest nephew would be angry and dissatisfied with Zhang Dehui's behavior, and even better, he would force Zhang Dehui to urge Wang Xin to repay the money. Of course, the eldest nephew wouldn't be so foolish, but even if he transferred Zhang Dehui or even dismissed him.

Wang Xin naturally understood what the eldest son meant.

If I go to find Wang Xin again...

Only then will the effect be good.

Xue Yan smiled as he thought of his eldest nephew.

You can't write two Xue characters in one stroke.

My nephew is really useless. Giving him the family business is not like sitting back and enjoying the fruits of the land. If the business doesn't improve, it will decline and eventually fail. Since that's the case, why don't my nephew just be a rich man and enjoy his life?

Does that mean his cousin will lose his share of the profits from the eldest son's family?
Xue Yan didn't think he was wrong.

(End of this chapter)