The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 376 Change
"Dong Dong. Dong."

Whenever the palace bells rang, the retired emperor would close his eyes and listen for a long time. Even after the sound had faded, he would remain immersed in it, as if unwilling to wake up.

Outside the curtain.

The eunuch at the door lowered his head and whispered ingratiatingly, "Your Majesty, since the Emperor enjoys hearing the bell, why not order it to be rung several more times each day? The Emperor will be pleased and will surely praise you again."

Ming Shen looked at him with disdain and muttered under his breath, "What kind of crazy ideas are you coming up with? What are you so capable of? Why don't you just stay here and serve me alone?"

The little eunuch was trembling with fear.

Dai Quan glanced at Ming Shen, then smiled and took the little eunuch's hand, saying kindly, "The sage likes to hear the bell, but he doesn't just listen to the bell. You are still young and haven't fully grasped many principles. Don't rush things. What's yours will be yours. The more you rush, the more likely you are to be disappointed."

"I will remember it in my heart and never forget it day or night."

The young eunuch was deeply moved.

Dai Quan no longer takes on godsons. His other godsons are all getting old and rarely take on any more. His youngest godson, Ming Shen, is almost forty, but he doesn't like taking on any sons, considering them all to be petty people.

Therefore, the eunuch had no way to seek favor, nor even the chance to become a servant.

"Let Jifu come."

at last.

A soft, airy voice came from inside the door.

soon.

Zhang Jifu tidied his appearance in the side hall and bowed upon entering the main hall.

"Wang Xinsheng is the military governor of Datong. This matter was handled a bit hastily." The retired emperor was now unwilling to even sit up, lying on the golden couch and being gently held in the arms of the eunuch.

The retired emperor had a fondness for young eunuchs who had not yet grown up.

They greedily inhaled the scent emanating from them, as if trying to suck something away.

The eunuch dared not move, his whole body like a piece of wood.

"Your Majesty, I believe that there is no time to delay."

Zhang Jifu sat upright.

Upon hearing Zhang Jifu's tone, the retired emperor turned his head with difficulty, opened his blurry old eyes, and then squinted to try and see clearly.

Zhang Jifu neither backed down nor made a fuss; he simply sat there.

From Wang Xin's experience, Zhang Jifu understood the meaning of "going with the flow" and figured out many things.

It's not just me who's anxious; it's something everyone's anxious about. So why is it that no matter how hard I try, no one is satisfied? Because many things are kept hidden, and whoever steps forward bears more responsibility.

"why?"

The Emperor Emeritus's "why" seemed to be asking something else entirely.

Zhang Jifu calmly said, "The peasant uprising in Shandong has not been quelled yet. According to the information I have gathered, there are many people behind the scenes who are deliberately pushing it, unwilling to let the government troops quell the uprising, and even hoping that it will become bigger and bigger. There is also the discord between the Prince of Dongping in Liaodong and the Liaodong Military Commander, whose relationship has suddenly deteriorated rapidly. Many people are happy to see this. Many things can be seen with clues."

After a while.

The retired emperor suddenly opened his mouth, his voice hoarse, "Who are they?"

"Xia Shouzhong, the Grand Eunuch of the Six Palaces; Wu De, the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard; Prince Bei Jing, Prince Zhongshun, Prince Licheng, Prince Chengyong; Liu Ru, the Second Grand Secretary; Tao Jie, the Minister of Military Affairs; Wu Wenhua, the Governor of Guangdong; Lin Ruhai, the Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate; Feng Yong and Wang Ziteng of the Five Military Commands; Ding Yuan, the Military Governor of Ping'an Prefecture; and Yun Guang, the Military Governor of Chang'an."

Zhang Jifu reported on each point.

The retired emperor fell silent again.

If we wipe out all these people, then only Zhou Daofeng and his disciples will remain in the court.

Over the years, he has dealt blow after blow, which is also the reason why he tacitly allows the existence of many people. People like Lin Ruhai, who have not completely submitted to the emperor, he will try his best to keep them and even give them important positions.

"Would it be enough to just kill all of them?"

The emperor suddenly said.

Zhang Jifu knew that the retired emperor would not agree, nor would he himself.

No one is made of clay.

One or two might be able to do it, but if they actually did it, the court would rebel the next day, especially since the cabinet had not yet completely controlled the Beijing garrison. So even if Zhang Jifu had such an idea, he couldn't do it.

Zhang Jifu truthfully told them, "Even if we kill Wang Ziteng, Wu Wenhua, and Lin Ruhai, it won't be long before the Jia family puts forward new people, such as Jia Yucun, Lu Zhongheng, and Wang Xin. The same applies to the Jia family and other parties. As long as the emperor is still alive, it will only make all parties see that the interests of secretly supporting the emperor are greater, and they will be more willing to place their bets."

The retired emperor said no more.

He had already guessed what Zhang Jifu was thinking.

This person is already getting anxious.

There was no other way.

If he were ten years younger, if God gave him more energy, the retired emperor waved his hand wearily, "Go and do it. The cabinet can still be decided by you as always. You don't need to ask me."

Civilian official.

By the time Zhang Jipu reached that stage, he had transcended mere appearance and was now a mere photographer.

Zhang Jipu got up and took his leave.

The hall fell silent again. After a moment, the retired emperor, who had regained some strength, said weakly, "Dai Quan."

"Your Majesty, your servant is here."

"What has the emperor been doing lately?"

The Emperor Emeritus opened his cloudy eyes, but all he could see was a blur. He had to exert a lot of effort to see clearly. With each breath, it felt as if he couldn't get enough air, and he always felt like he wasn't getting enough.

“Eunuch Xia Shouzhong is currently guarding the Emperor’s side. He’s usually in the palace, and I don’t know what the Emperor is doing. Perhaps…” Dai Quan hesitated before continuing.

"What could it be?"

Dai Quan said softly, "He's probably just trying to stay awake."

"boil?"

The retired emperor was taken aback.

He is tired.

He didn't want to fight anymore.

But he was afraid.

He was afraid of the emperor.

What will the emperor do to me after I die?
or.

What if I were to give power to the emperor? How would the emperor treat me?

I felt cold all over.

The retired emperor was filled with fear, and he closed his eyes, unwilling to let anyone see his weakness.

It's ridiculous to say that.

Who would have thought that the retired emperor would be afraid of the emperor?

Seeing this, Dai Quan waved his hand.

A dozen or so guards suddenly rushed over, dragged the young eunuch away before he could react, and pushed in a new young eunuch, who trembled and clung to the Emperor Emeritus's head.

Perhaps it was the weariness of raising his head, but the Emperor Emeritus took a deep breath beneath the eunuch's lower abdomen.

It was as if they were trying to make up for something.

Recalling the stories that no one in the palace dared to tell, the young eunuch turned pale with fright, as if he could truly feel something draining from his body, but all he could do was be surrounded by vicious and ruthless guards.

The little eunuch had his mouth gagged, so much so that his eyes rolled back, and he couldn't even breathe properly, let alone make a sound.

Then they were lifted up and carried high.

In the end, there was no further news, and no one knows what happened to him.

According to the old man in the palace, once the spirit and energy have been drained, only an empty shell remains. Living will only attract wandering ghosts into the body. The appearance will remain the same, but the person will have changed, so it must be killed.

The princes, military governors, and commanders-in-chief of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

The title "Admiral" specifically refers to the Beijing Garrison.

The original intention was to appoint officials in a fixed system, with the Ministry of Revenue distributing money and grain, the Ministry of War managing promotions and appointments, and logistics controlled by the imperial court, such as distributing military equipment and purchasing horses.

Later, thanks to the Emperor Emeritus's efforts to win him over, the practice of lifelong appointments and succession by sons was established.

This was actually the treatment afforded to a military governor.

The difference is that the money, provisions, logistics, and promotions are still in the hands of the imperial court.

Zhang Jifu's reform of the Beijing Garrison essentially aimed to restore the original system of appointed officials. In doing so, the Beijing Garrison would be completely controlled by civil officials, and the current situation would be completely in Zhang Jifu's hands.

The prince was the most powerful.

Not only were the fiefdoms granted in name only, but they were also hereditary and perpetual. The local finances were left to the military governor's office, but this was certainly not enough, so there were also appropriations from the imperial court. These funds went to the prince's office, where the prince decided how to distribute them, including the appointment of military officers below him.

The imperial court retained the power of officials to govern local areas, such as the Liaodong Regional Military Commission.

The military governor is in the center.

The system of officials governing local areas remained unchanged. Local taxes, apart from the expenses of the government offices, had to be handed over to the imperial court according to a fixed amount. The imperial court would then allocate funds to the military governor's office. In other words, the money and grain were controlled by the imperial court. Only the appointment of military officers within the region was mainly decided by the military governor.

Therefore, in order to maintain its relationship with the Jia family, the Chang'an Military Governor's Office in *Dream of the Red Chamber* was able to arbitrarily dispose of its military officer, Commander Qiu. Otherwise, if Commander Qiu's fate remained in the hands of the imperial court, he would not have suffered such a great humiliation. A prince's position was hereditary, a military governor's position was for life and inherited by his descendants, and a commander-in-chief was the lowest rank.

However, there are specific differences.

Based on changes in the situation.

Wang Xin's position as military governor was neither high nor low.

After all, he was the military governor of Datong, one of the top military governors, second only to a prince in power. Therefore, the Datong military governor's office only had military power, not financial power, and was subject to the supervision of the censors.

The Marshal's Mansion was located in Datong.

However, the administration of Datong City was under the jurisdiction of the Datong Prefect, while the administration of each county was under the jurisdiction of the county magistrate. Local taxes were collected by the government, and the supplies of money and grain for the Datong military garrison were distributed by the imperial court on schedule. These were all established practices, and everyone was familiar with them.

Therefore, apart from the army, the military governor could not influence the local area.

Not to mention the presence of censors overseeing the process.

To distort the truth and call a deer a horse—the military governor did not have such great power.

only.

Wang Xin's military governorship was on a larger scale.

The Datong Army numbered 100,000, with an actual strength of over 50,000.

Other military garrisons mostly had around 30,000 troops, while the military governors had only about 10,000 troops, with the most having no more than 20,000. The princes were more powerful than Wang Xin, but since the princes were actually enfeoffed in the border regions, their threat to the court was limited.

Having dealt with everything in the capital, they had no time to worry about Jia Zheng's attitude.

Wang Xin led his men back to Datong without hesitation.

Let the capital fight as it pleases, and focus all your efforts on building a harmonious society.

Whether or not Zhang Jifu overlooked one point.

We don't just have Datong; we also have the area outside the pass. So we'll develop the economy outside the pass, attract more people, and sit back and watch the tigers fight. Whoever wins the final victory won't dare to easily deal with us.

Zeng Zhi rushed back from Liaodong.

Riding his horse beside Wang Xin, he said again, "It is common knowledge in Liaodong that the Prince of Dongping allowed the barbarian king to conquer various tribes. I can confirm that the Prince of Dongping and the barbarian king are definitely in cahoots."

Everyone knows it, except the imperial court.

This is not surprising.

Wouldn't the four great families have an even greater reputation in Nanjing? But outsiders who haven't had any contact with them are equally unaware of their fame.

It would take Wang Xin a long time to adapt to the extent that information flow was so restricted in the Great Zhou Dynasty.

This environment led to the reality that local gentry controlled areas below the county level. It's important to understand that the countryside comprised the vast majority of the population of the Great Zhou Dynasty, meaning that the majority of the population was controlled by the local gentry.

"One wave subsides only for another to rise."

Wang Xin shook his head.

I have worked hard enough over the years. Although I did not eliminate the Japanese pirates myself, I have put in a lot of effort and worked hard in Datong for many years. However, one problem after another has emerged, and I can't keep up with it all.

“The problems of the court are not terrible; what is terrible is the accumulation of problems. Once there are too many problems, it is impossible to eradicate them.” Zeng Zhi put forward his opinion, sitting steadily on his horse, unlike a traditional scholar.

They've been by my side for years; they're the talents I personally selected.

Both my vision and my abilities have reached a point where I am satisfied with myself.

The worst thing is when problems pile up.

It's difficult to handle if they cluster together.

The civil unrest and the actions of the Prince of Dongping were all things that displeased him, but what could he do about it? He couldn't very well raise an army in rebellion.

Although the Great Zhou Dynasty was in chaos.

But the people's hearts have not been lost; it is not the common people who are worth it, but the officials, gentry, nobles and the royal family.

The Prince of Dongping colluded with the barbarian king to cultivate his own power, not to rebel. If he were to rebel himself, he would be happy to lead the prince's army and the barbarian army to quell the rebellion, including the other two princes, not to mention the various military governors.

As for his opinion that it was wrong to harbor bandits for personal gain.

I'm afraid not only the Prince of Dongping won't approve, but the Prince of Xining, who is stationed in the northwest, won't approve either.

Having guarded the frontier for a century, which family wouldn't have a sense of crisis? On the contrary, having enjoyed a century of peace in the interior, many people have lost their sense of crisis.

"such a pity."

Wang Xin sighed.

"It is indeed a pity." Zeng Zhi echoed, "Zhang Jifu is going to fight desperately this time. The situation in the capital will probably settle down in the next two years. By then, there will be no better opportunity like this."

In the past, even if a military commander was highly capable and had made many merits, he would not have achieved his current status.

Both ability and luck are indispensable.

Once you miss this opportunity, you won't have such luck again.

Therefore, Zeng Zhi felt very sorry and secretly hoped that the capital would remain in chaos.

Wang Xin said no more.

Everyone has selfish desires, even ourselves. How can we expect all our subordinates to be selfless? As long as we abide by our own rules, and everyone works diligently within those rules after discussing them, we are already satisfied with that.

Unfortunately, there aren't many people like that.

Even in the prestigious Marshal's mansion, there are hardly any trusted confidants available.

soon.

With the hanging of the plaque for the Datong Military Governor's Office, a new public notice was also posted on the wooden sign at the entrance.

The Datong Army descended from top to bottom.

Disobeying the orders of the General's Office is strictly prohibited.

Violations of military law are prohibited.

Disclosure of confidential information is prohibited.

It is forbidden to infringe upon the rights of ordinary people.

Buying and selling official positions and giving gifts are prohibited.

The use of public funds for meals and entertainment is prohibited.

It is forbidden to frame others.

Enslavement of soldiers is prohibited.

Eight major orders.

The reorganization of the three armed forces has been completed.

The new official took office three fires.

Thirty-five thousand cavalry and infantry gathered in Datong. On a fine, sunny day, they marched out of the pass and, in the Xiashuihai area, divided into several groups to sweep in different directions, eliminating the remaining Hu people who had not yet submitted.

"kill!"

"Hey!"

The Datong cavalryman riding his steppe horse was a brave warrior. He drew his bow and shot an arrow. A Hu man in the distance screamed and fell off his horse. The remaining Hu men scattered like birds and beasts.

Zhou's soldiers split up to pursue them, leaving no one behind.

The Hu people are just bandits.

They would kill and rob any lone herders they saw.

In order to maintain peace and harmony on the grasslands, and to lay a solid foundation for the future prosperity of the grasslands, all the Hu people who have not yet submitted are enemies and must be wiped out.

"kill!"

The cavalryman pushed off with both feet, hung his bow and arrows back on his back with one hand, picked up his spear with the other, stood up on tiptoe, stretched out most of his body, and thrust forward, causing a Hu man who had been caught up to scream and fall from his horse.

It's only been a few months.

The atmosphere in Datong military town changed dramatically.

switch.

Anyone, regardless of their humble origins or limited capital, can go to the area outside the Great Wall to do business without being suppressed by officials.

The first major city after crossing the border.

Outside the gates of Zhenlu City, along the trade route, there were tents everywhere, offering all kinds of wine and spirits, and women soliciting customers. However, the patrol teams came most frequently.

Because it was in accordance with the order of the military governor's office.

No one is allowed to bring a woman to solicit customers unless the woman is alone.

Whenever a woman seeks help from the patrol team, the patrol team is responsible for protecting her and apprehending the person behind the scenes, who will be executed.

Customs.

The penalties are severe.

(End of this chapter)