The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 374 Baochai Visits
Wang Xin felt much more relaxed after leaving Zhang Jifu's residence.

I still remember the red memorial on Zhang Jifu's desk.

All memorials first went to the Directorate of Ceremonial, then to the Grand Secretariat. After the Grand Secretariat discussed and approved them, the Directorate of Ceremonial presented them to the Emperor—the Retired Emperor.

The retired emperor hasn't read memorials in a long time.

They wouldn't even let the emperor see it.

Therefore, Zhang Jifu wielded immense power, as did his mentor Zhou Daofeng. Although the cabinet of the Great Zhou Dynasty was similar to that of the Ming Dynasty, its power far exceeded that of the Ming Dynasty's cabinet.

Memorials concerning routine local affairs were displayed in daylight, while those concerning high-ranking officials or important matters were displayed in yellow. Only memorials concerning impeachment were displayed in red.

Zhang Jifu saw a red memorial on his desk, which was most likely meant for him. If he wasn't mistaken, it was an impeachment against him. He wondered why Zhang Jifu had changed his attitude and hadn't taken it out.

However, these are all minor details.

As long as Zhang Jifu supports him, any impeachment will not even cause a ripple.

Or perhaps the recent memorial impeaching himself was actually approved by Zhang Jifu.

"go home."

Shi Ping led two horses, each with a manure bag hanging from its rear end to prevent them from defecating anywhere. In the capital, most livestock, whether pulling carts or carrying people, carried this thing; otherwise, the Five City Garrison Command would have taken action.

However, nobles and civil and military officials preferred to ride in sedan chairs, and it was rare for someone like Wang Xin to ride a horse.

Shi Ping looked surprised. "Not going to the Five Armies Commandery?"

Wang Xin nodded, mounted his horse, and the rest of his guards followed.

I originally planned to meet with Zhu Wei if we couldn't reach an agreement, but now there's no need to. Meeting him might just create distance, so it's better not to meet and leave room for maneuver.

arrive home.

Wang Xin had no further plans to go to the Jia family mansion to settle things in the capital. For example, the Hexi market had grown significantly over the years, and its share should not have been reduced to only nine thousand taels. Xue Yan had also been helping to keep an eye on the Hexi market.

It's time to give him a good talking-to. His position as the military governor of Datong is enough to crush him, and he'll eventually become completely devoted to him.

The only unexpected thing was the Jia family's side.

However, the eldest branch of the Xue family belonged to the Jia family, while the second branch belonged to Xue himself.

As long as I support Xue Yan's deep cultivation in Datong, Xue Yan will inevitably give up on the Jia family, because no matter how hard I try to curry favor, it won't be as good as the relationship between the eldest branch of the Jia family and their own sisters.

Blood ties were still the primary factor among nobles.

Support the Xue family business, expand the Xue family business, absorb more merchants, and develop according to your own plan. In three to five years, huge changes will occur. As for the changes in the capital in recent years...

Let him go.

Therefore, Xue Yan had to both warn and win them over.

Otherwise, without a starting point, one would have to start all over again, lacking not only funds but also channels and a large number of talents.

Developing a robust distribution channel is not something that can be bought with money.

Especially in an immature market environment like Da Zhou.

Not to mention that they had no money.

Zhang Jifu guaranteed that this year's military expenditure would not be lower than last year's, but Datong's military expenditure was still short by hundreds of thousands of taels of silver. He himself, the military governor of Datong, was already burdened with a mountain of debt before even taking office.

Zheng Ang was cleaning up the accounts, Zeng Zhi had taken leave to return to his hometown in Liaodong, and Wang Xin also wanted to learn about things in Liaodong.

The sky is high and the emperor is far away.

Two years have passed, and the court is still debating who instigated the conflict in Yunnan and who actually suffered the defeat. Each side has its own reasons, and they still don't even know how many troops Diwuci actually had.

Although Liaodong seems much closer to Beijing than Yunnan, it is only connected by the Liaoxi Corridor, and the winding route is actually one or two thousand miles long.

"Lady Ping is back."

"The servants in the mansion called out."

Ping'er and Qingwen rode together in a carriage, each carrying a baby who was a little over one year old.

The remaining maids rode in a carriage, escorted by four guards and four male servants, back to the capital from Tongzhou. There were also two other carriages, both filled with luggage.

"Why did you suddenly come back? You should have sent someone to let me know beforehand so I could have come to pick you up," Wang Xin said with a smile as he greeted him.

"master."

"General Commander".

Everyone saluted.

Wang Xin nodded.

Ping'er walked over with a smile, holding the baby in her arms. Qingwen and the housekeeper directed people to move things, distinguishing which items were for use outside and which were for use inside the courtyard.

"Xiao Shun misses Master."

Ping'er found an excuse.

Wang Xin was speechless.

She quickly took the baby from Ping'er's arms. The baby's big eyes were bright and curious as it looked at the unfamiliar face.

“My little Shun, your mother is starting to take advantage of you, poor little Shun.” Wang Xin carried his son inside, lifting him up from time to time to make the baby giggle, showing no signs of shyness.

Ping'er blushed, feeling sweet inside, and followed.

Xiao Shun is Wang Min'an's childhood nickname.

At night.

Qingwen carried Wang Min'an away, leaving Ping'er and Wang Xin behind.

After giving birth, Ping'er's figure became increasingly voluptuous. A pink silk scarf tied around her waist was so small that it could be encircled with one hand, yet it accentuated her breasts, making them even more prominent and captivating.

Seeing that Qingwen had left, Wang Xin pulled Ping'er into his arms.

Ping'er obediently sat down.

She feigned reluctance while showing meticulous care.

Half an hour later.

Wang Xin shivered as he got down, and Ping'er tenderly leaned against him, gently wiping his sweat.

“Mingming,” Wang Xin said, calming his breathing. “Pick a few suitable gifts, send someone to the Lin residence to deliver my calling card, and set a date to bring them to the Lin residence.”

Ping'er's face was still flushed. She slumped down next to Wang Xin, her hands trembling as she wiped her sweat. She asked in surprise, "Didn't you go to the Lin residence yesterday, Master, to give something to Miss Lin?"

Wang Xin shook his head. "You can ask Daiyu's maid to take it to the Jia family mansion and tell her that it was a gift from me to the Third Miss."

Ping'er was completely confused.

Wang Xin sighed, feeling most sorry for Jia Tanchun.

In fact, Wang Xin admired Tan Chun very much.

Whether it's her understanding of the situation, her ability to assess the circumstances, or her decisiveness, this young girl, despite her young age, is quite capable and has the best ending among the girls of the Jia family.

Success is achieved through the people involved.

Many people who face adversity eventually rise to the top.

Like the Third Sister from the original timeline.

Countless Han Chinese women like her have been abducted throughout history.

Whether it was the Taijis outside the Great Wall or the Tusi (chieftains) in the interior, these powerful slave owners would naturally try to seize beautiful women from the interior, and the imperial court couldn't stop them.

And what great things did Third Sister accomplish? It was precisely because she turned adversity into victory.

Such extraordinary women are few and far between.

However, Wang Xin believed that Tan Chun was such an extraordinary woman.

When the Great Zhou Dynasty was defeated and sought peace, the noble illegitimate daughters sent as a marriage alliance were not legitimate princesses. How many of them ended up with a good fate? The best outcome was simply that they were not bullied.

As for hoping that the Taiji chieftains and the captured female slaves would fall in love with each other.

That's what it means to overthink.

Such a thing is not in their minds.

In the end, Jia Tanchun not only returned to the capital in glory, but her demeanor and the aura she exuded made the Jia family, who were filled with fear and anxiety due to the suppression of imperial power, seem to have found their backbone. Tanchun showed no fear whatsoever.

She unexpectedly became an extraordinary princess consort from a foreign land.

No matter what skill he used, Wang Xin had to admire him.

Lin Ruhai will soon understand his actions, and once he understands, Jia Zheng will understand as well, and the entire four great families will soon realize the situation and make adjustments accordingly.

As for his marriage to Tan Chun...

Wang Xin had no intention of breaking the contract.

However, whether Jia Zheng could accept it, and whether the four great families could accept it, was unknown to him.

No change.

Tan Chun's status in the Jia family will be affected.

change.

Tan Chun's status in the Jia family will be further affected.

As an illegitimate daughter, Tan Chun's already meager value was immediately reduced to almost nothing after a failed political marriage. Even if there were other unfortunate opportunities like marriage alliances, they wouldn't fall to her because she wasn't qualified.

The act of sending gifts was not only to inform Lin Ruhai, but also to show that she had not changed her mind about the marriage with the Jia family.

Ping'er was stunned when she understood.

“Third Miss has had a hard life since she was little. She’s finally settled down a bit, but what are we going to do?” Ping’er stammered. If it were her, Ping’er would have turned pale and felt pity. “Master has made his stance clear. The Jia family patriarch is kind to you. He won’t just call off the engagement, will he?”

"Ugh."

Wang Xin sighed, "I'm afraid some people will think I'm trying to please both sides." Ping'er was a shrewd girl, and Wang Xin didn't hide many things from her. She understood immediately, and felt even more uncomfortable.

"It's a pity that the Third Sister is such a person."

Ping'er carefully selected a gift, and two days later, she took Qingwen to the Lin residence.

Wang Xin then went to Tongzhou.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, I will not return to the capital for several years, except for the traditional practice of sending high-ranking military officers back to the capital to report on their duties every three years. Unless there are special circumstances, I must return to the capital to report on my duties once every three years.

The right flank army will likely have to be surrendered, which is a pity, but worthwhile.

Those who want to stay can stay, and those who don't want to stay can go to Datong.

If I leave the Beijing garrison, it will be even more difficult for me to get more of my share in the Hexi market.

After finishing his official duties, Xue Ke brought a message.

"Old Manager Zhang Dehui has returned to Beijing."

"Ok?"

Wang Xin looked up, his face full of surprise.

Wasn't he in charge of the Xue family's business in Datong? The Xue family's main branch started their business in Datong outside the pass late, so they needed someone capable of managing the business to personally oversee it, at least like Xue Yan, who stayed in Datong for two or three years. Only after the business was established did they gradually reduce the time they spent in Datong.

"I heard it's because of the 100,000 taels of silver," Xue Ke said softly, his head lowered.

He couldn't explain this.

Upon receiving the news, he came to inform them immediately. However, he couldn't say much about his father, as anything he said would be wrong. Even if the commander-in-chief didn't believe him, he had a clear conscience.

"Xue Pan?" Wang Xin asked coldly.

Xue Ke nodded.

"You can't make a good impression on someone who's already rotten." Wang Xin thought with disgust.

His cooperation with the Xue family's eldest branch was a win-win situation, and anyone with a discerning eye could see that. Although he was currently taking more money and it seemed like the Xue family's eldest branch was at a disadvantage, Zhang Dehui, the head of the company, knew the truth.

Only short-sighted people cannot see this.

Was Xue Pan a short-sighted person?

Coincidentally not.

An incompetent person, a representative of spoiled brats.

Even Jia Lian, who was a womanizer, a lover of pleasure, and a complete failure, was far better than him.

Out of respect for Xue Ke, Wang Xin did not mention Xue Yan.

Xue Yan's handwriting is not among them; Wang Xin dared to write his own surname backwards.

He had just asked the Xue family's eldest branch for 100,000 taels of silver when Zhang Dehui was transferred back to the capital halfway through his journey. What a coincidence! Xue Yan was indeed a businessman by nature. In the end, he lost the title of imperial merchant and gained a touch of Jiangnan style.

As for resentment, I wouldn't say so.

Because of the fall of the Ming Dynasty, the blame was inexplicably shifted entirely onto the merchants.

Taxes collected during the Chongzhen reign were much higher than those collected during the reigns of previous emperors.

The root of the problem lies with the officials, not the businessmen. Yet, the businessmen are being blamed again. How many soldiers do businessmen have?

Officials and businessmen are officials, not businessmen.

Just like the elite soldiers of the most advanced firearms army were reduced to stealing food to survive, and in order to fill their stomachs, they were eventually crippled and paraded through the streets, which forced the newest firearms army into the hands of the Qing Dynasty.

Whose responsibility is this?

Is this something a merchant from the traditional social hierarchy of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants could accomplish? This is something only those in power can do.

Xue Yan's actions were driven by a pursuit of maximum profit. As long as it didn't break the law, Wang Xin didn't have much of an opinion. As for the damage to his own interests, that was a matter between the two of them. If it really harmed society, then legislation should be enacted to address it.

such as.

He steadfastly set a loan ceiling outside Datong Pass to protect the interests of herders, and even issued guns to herders to protect them from being bullied.

It was not merchants, but local gentry, who drove Li Zicheng to rebellion.

One of the biggest purposes of the army's role outside the Great Wall was to prevent the powerful families in Datong from exploiting the herders and gradually undermining the original agreements, rendering them meaningless.

This is the invisible poison.

I'm not hostile, but I'm still angry.

Wang Xin was furious.

Xue Yan is such a clueless person; he's not even as good at distinguishing right from wrong as his son.

However, Wang Xin was not in a hurry.

Let's wait and see.

Xue Ke left completely bewildered. Even if the commander-in-chief didn't suspect him, why wasn't he angry at all?

Day two.

The imperial court suddenly issued an edict.

He was relieved of his post as the Right Route Commander of the Eastern Army of Wang Xinjing and promoted to Military Governor of Datong. In recognition of his merits, his son, Wang Min'an, was appointed a third-rank Imperial Secretary.
The official document was issued suddenly.

Many people were shocked, including Lin Ruhai, who realized why Wang Xin had changed his mind: "Zhang Jifu has gone mad."

Lin Ruhai sighed to Jia Zheng, "We can't fight a madman anymore."

Jia Zheng's face darkened.

Xue Yan, who was standing to the side, was stunned. His heart was filled with turmoil, and he was filled with regret.

I should have known better.

Wang Xin knew perfectly well that he had persuaded his foolish nephew. He was simply taking advantage of the fact that Wang Xin needed him more right now. Compared to trying to win over the wealthy families in Datong, he just wanted to get more money.

He could be the military governor of Datong.

This is not the Yongxing Army Commander-in-Chief that everyone thinks he is; that's where the mistake lies.

"Lord Lin, Lord Zheng, I must take my leave now. Please forgive me." Xue Yan dared not linger any longer and hurriedly took his leave.

Wang Xin has already left Tongzhou.

They moved back to their own three-courtyard house.

The Jiedushi (military governor) is different from the Zongbing (commander-in-chief).

The conflicts of interest are too great.

Wang Xin began to formulate new rules. If a general had twelve personal guards, then a military governor would certainly have more. The protection of his family would be a greater concern. How many personal guards would be appropriate?

"General!"

Shi Ping shouted loudly at the door, his voice filled with extreme pride, which even a deaf person could hear.

"what's up?"

"Miss Xue, please come in from outside."

Wang Xin was stunned.

This was completely unexpected.

"Please come in," Wang Xin said subconsciously, but before Shi Ping could leave, he added cautiously, "Send someone to invite Qingwen out to keep the guests company."

Outside.

After obtaining permission.

Xue Baochai, supported by her maid, stepped down from the carriage using a low table.

Her hair was styled in a jet-black, glossy bun, adorned with a small gold hairpin inlaid with kingfisher feathers. She wore a honey-colored brocade jacket with dark floral patterns, over which she wore a rose-purple satin jacket with gold brocade and silver fur trim, and a pale yellow cotton skirt with gold woven lotus patterns.

The mediocre people all bowed their heads.

The rules in the manor are strict, but the wages are high, one tael of silver per month.

Food and lodging are provided.

Even in the Jiangnan region, a farmer with ten mu of land, toiling under the sun and wind, would only earn six taels and two qian and five fen of silver a year, barely enough to cover all his food, drink and other expenses.

Therefore, mediocre people are very self-aware and always act cautiously.

"Puff".

A man couldn't help but look up and steal a glance. Upon seeing Baochai's angelic face and temperament, he was instantly captivated and fell to the ground.

He lay on the ground, unable to stand, staring blankly at Xue Baochai.

This caused panic.

Qingwen had already come out with her maids to greet them and hurriedly invited Baochai in. After a while, Shi Ping cursed, and the man on the ground regained his senses, feeling both ashamed and flustered.

“He didn’t have any bad intentions.” Shi Gandang couldn’t stand it and spoke up for him, “How many people wouldn’t be alarmed?”

Shi Ping glanced at the others, who were all still shaken, and then fell silent.

Wang Xin expressed his respect and chose the study.

"Lord Xin."

After entering the room, Xue Baochai took off her shoulder-length jacket and raised her head.

Bathed in light, her face was like a full moon, radiant and glowing; her eyes were as black as lacquer; and her lips were naturally rosy.

“Miss Xue,” Wang Xin said with a smile.

This girl has become even more radiant after not seeing her for several years. No wonder she is one of only two or three young ladies from all over the country in the Dream of the Red Chamber who can rival Daiyu.

(End of this chapter)