The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 391 Crisis
There are many mountainous areas in Datong.

Farmland needs flat land, a large population needs a large amount of farmland, and a large amount of farmland needs a large amount of flat land. Therefore, the mountains have fragmented the land into small, scattered plots of flat land, with one large plot in the east and one small plot in the west, forming one village after another.

The mountains were sparsely populated and frequented by bandits, so local strongmen and gentry built fortified villages on the plains in the mountains.

It not only defended against the Hu people, but also guarded against bandits. At the same time, once the gate of the fortress was closed, officials could not enter.

"The mountain path is difficult to travel."

Seeing Xue Baochai panting behind him, Wang Xin stopped and waited for her with a smile.

Accompanying them were Zhang Yuncheng, Tang Ping, Xue Ke, and a few others from the Jiedushi's office, as well as Du Song from the Xue family's business, Xue Baochai, and more than a hundred personal guards.

Zhang Yuncheng, Tang Ping, and others had a very good impression of Xue Baochai, even though she was a 29-year-old unmarried woman. She not only had the support of the military governor, but was also the head of the Xue family's main business.

The reforms and future plans of the Jieshuai Mansion in Datong were inseparable from the Xue family, or more precisely, from the support of the trading company.

Looking at all the businesses currently cooperating with the Jiedushi government, which one can compare to the Xue family?

In terms of strength, influence in Jiangnan, and trust, the Xue family is outstanding. Moreover, their attitude is impeccable; they wholeheartedly support the Marshal's Mansion. Xue Baochai has only been in Datong for a short time, but she has already gained the approval of many people in the Marshal's Mansion.

Wang Xin did this on purpose.

Xue Baochai is a very good business partner, but unfortunately she is a woman. However, since things have come to this point, I must support her.

He'll be making a lot of public appearances from now on.

Such a thing is barely acceptable in Jiangnan. In the original timeline, the famous traveler Xu Xiake's family were large landowners, and his widowed mother managed all the properties. As the only son, he was not interested in fame and fortune, but rather aspired to travel the world, which was inseparable from his widowed mother's support.

The environment in the north is intolerable, and in the eyes of many, this is "deviant" behavior.

Therefore, Xue Baochai needed the support of a powerful figure behind her.

My own identity is the most suitable.

"When I was little, I envied my cousin the most." Xue Baochai blushed slightly, wiped her forehead with a silk handkerchief in her hand, and came to Wang Xin's side with a smile: "I thought I would never be able to do that in my life."

"The second young lady of the Xue family is indeed different from others."

Xue Yan often brought Xue Baoqin to Datong in previous years. Xue Baoqin had also been to the area outside the Great Wall and spent some time with Wang Xin. Everyone still remembers this little girl from their memories, Zhang Yuncheng added.

Xue Baochai slightly curtsied to Zhang Yuncheng, who smiled broadly.

The Xue family's businesses in Datong, especially in grain and vegetable trading, were closely linked to the Jiedushi's (military governor's) government. The Xue family's cooperation and role greatly reduced Zhang Yuncheng's burden.

Zeng Zhi was in charge of the entire military governor's office, while Zhang Yuncheng was in charge of specific matters. In this respect, Zhang Yuncheng liked the Xue family business more than Zeng Zhi.

"One generation plants the trees, another enjoys the shade."

Wang Xin did not continue walking, but stopped at this hillside where the view opened up. He pointed to the beautiful landscape below and couldn't help but sigh.

"During the reign of Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, the post roads, built with enormous manpower and resources, became the main roads of Datong. The predecessors planted the trees, and the successors enjoy the shade. Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty left a rich legacy for the Great Zhou Dynasty."

Under the rule of the Yuan Dynasty, the north had almost become a no-man's land.

Those ancient capitals and historical cities, one by one, have turned to ashes.

“In such mountainous areas, it would be good if the county town’s population reached 10%. In the interior, it would definitely be a poor prefecture. In fact, the population of Datong County is at least 30% or 40%.”

Xue Baochai covered her mouth and laughed.

“There’s no building that tall,” Tang Ping retorted.

Wang Xin laughed and said, "This ratio is quite good even in Jiangnan. However, in Jiangnan, there are so many people in the county towns, but because they are mainly engaged in commerce, very few of them are soldiers. On the contrary, in Datong, there are many soldiers. It is a poor area to begin with, and it also has to support a large proportion of soldiers. This is the current situation of most of the nine border garrisons. Every year, the imperial court purchases grain and silver from the south and then transports it to the border areas for distribution."

Zhang Yuncheng listened carefully, pondering the meaning behind it. The commander's solemnity must have a profound purpose.

"This is what the court did in practice, inheriting the legacy of the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Yuanzhang did a lot of things that were right, even if some of them were due to 'insufficient ability' or wrong methods, the direction was indeed correct. For example, transferring the population, financial resources, and materials from the south to the north to replenish the population of the north and strengthen the foundation of the nine border regions, etc."

"What we need to do now is the same: preserve the population. Otherwise, without a population, everything is meaningless. For ordinary people, what they need now is to survive, so what we need to do is help them survive."

"As the saying goes, we are invincible in battle and defend our country. How can we be invincible? Defending our country is the foundation. The family comes before the country, and the family consists of the people. Soldiers come from the people and fight for their families. This is the greatest principle. With this foundation, our army can be invincible."

That's certainly true.

As for the results? The performance of the Datong Army speaks for itself.

"The commander is absolutely right. At present, we are tightening our belts and increasing production to help ourselves. The soldiers have to eliminate the bandits who are vicious and ruthless to the people outside the pass, maintain training, and continue to produce. Although there are many complaints, the military governor's office is explaining why things are the way they are, so the army doesn't have much of an opinion in the end."

“Explanation alone is useless.” Wang Xin shook his head and said, “Justice resides in the hearts of the people. Make the income and expenditure of the military governor’s office public.”

"what?"

Zhang Yuncheng was stunned.

Tang Ping, Xue Baochai, and the others were also full of surprise.

Everyone could understand what Wang Xin said, but they couldn't grasp the meaning behind it.

"We should show the outside world our income and expenditure last year, this year's allocation, and next year's plans, including where the money was spent. For example, how much military expenditure was spent, how much grain was collected and where it was used, how much pension was spent, and how much the expenses of the military governor's office were. As long as we have a clear conscience, we can show it to outsiders openly. That's how we can be confident."

Wang Xin said with a smile.

Whether or not one dares to make it public depends on whether they have a clear conscience. Those who have a clear conscience certainly wouldn't dare to make it public.

The Datong Military Governor's Office has reached this point, and there's no turning back now. Although he's confident the court won't bother with him, he still needs to make preparations; he can't rely on luck.

Compare population, army size, and food supplies.
In every aspect, Datong is at the bottom.

Being at the bottom is not a problem.

The Datong Military Governor's Office had one great strength: fairness, openness, and impartiality.

Zhang Yuncheng's eyes lit up.

Why didn't I think of such a good method? Indeed, a thousand words are not as good as letting others see it with their own eyes.

"Let people see what kind of Datong is," Wang Xin said without a doubt. "As long as Datong does well and wins the hearts of the people, I'll put it this way: if the court tries to deal with Datong in the future, and Datong can hold on, believe it or not, even the bigwigs in the court will send their families and wealth to Datong, not to mention the common people, who will spontaneously come to support Datong with handcarts."

Xue Baochai looked at the man in front of her in disbelief.

Such courage and confidence are truly unimaginable.

Is the Jiedushi Mansion really that good?
It doesn't seem to be either.

However, there are indeed many times better than the yamen. Xue Baochai's heart stirred, and most of her worries from the past few days suddenly disappeared. Wang Xin has never failed since he joined the army, so he must see further and more clearly than she does.

Zhang Yuncheng was filled with excitement, as if he had seen something amazing.

Tang Ping grinned foolishly. This time, if any soldiers complained again, he would yell back, his back standing tall and firm.

“Baochai,” Wang Xin called out subconsciously, “Many things, once started, cannot be abandoned halfway, otherwise the losses will be even greater. Since you have come, it means you already have a plan in mind. So today I promise you that the Xue family’s main branch’s business will only be recognized by the Jiedushi’s mansion. The Jiedushi’s mansion will support you in any trouble caused by power.”

When Xue Ke heard Wang Xin call his cousin by her maiden name, he suddenly looked up and was stunned for a long time. After hearing the general's promise, Xue Ke couldn't help but sigh inwardly that his father had missed out on a lot this time.

What is this called?
Greedy for small gains and forgetting righteousness, yet willing to risk one's life for great deeds.

Mingming's second branch had cooperated with Jie Shuai earlier and more deeply. Now, with Jie Shuai's promise and the status of the main branch's business, as long as they don't make any mistakes, they will definitely have an important position in the future.

Xue Baochai nodded seriously.

Xue Baochai knew how important the opportunity was.

If it were Tan Chun, she would seize such an opportunity with all her might. Therefore, she had thought of many things before coming. Xue Baochai's clear voice assured her, "The Xue family business will definitely abide by the law and will not do anything to bully the common people."

"That's good."

Wang Xin smiled happily.

If you're going to be an official, be a good official; if you're going to be a businessman, be a good businessman. But for some reason, it always ends up being about bullying the common people.

Therefore, the Great Ming Code.

Although there are many shortcomings, they will be improved in the future, but no one is exempt from the law; the emperor is subject to the same laws as the common people.

If Xue Baochai has this kind of understanding, then I dare to support her more wholeheartedly. Otherwise, if someone has the wrong understanding, it is easy for things to fall apart in the future, just like my relationship with the Zhou family.

The Zhou family are traditional merchants and wealthy households. The two sides had cooperated well in the past, each getting what they needed. However, the Zhou family's attributes were still rooted in feudal traditions.

If it were a feudal official, such as Han Bin, the prefect of Datong, considering the Zhou family's status and social connections, what would be a matter of bullying the common people? He could have easily smoothed things over with a wave of his hand. But Wang Xin would not agree to that.

Wrong is wrong.

If you make a mistake, you must be punished.

After climbing the mountain for only a short while, no one had the energy to climb any further.

Sheep from outside the pass have entered the pass.

Although their lives had improved somewhat, they were still not well-off. They had discussed everything they should and shouldn't have, and Wang Xin's appearance in Datong with Xue Baochai was enough to show his stance. He then returned to the Jiedushi's residence.

Two days passed.

The garrison commander of Shuozhou sent military intelligence from Shanxi in the south.

Ningwu Pass was reinforced with 5,000 troops, bringing the total number of soldiers to nearly 10,000, while Shuozhou, the southern gateway to Datong, only had a small battalion of 450 soldiers in the city.

Time flies.

Zhou Wen had been in Shanxi for over a year, but unexpectedly, he gave Datong a pleasant surprise.

What does he want to do?

Looking at the map, Tang Ping frowned and said with dissatisfaction.

Although Datong had 55,000 troops, they were too scattered.

From the rear to the front, from the front to Daning, and then from the front to the Xiaohuanghe area, Datong expanded its territory outside the Great Wall, seemingly controlling a vast territory, but in reality, its output was less than that of Yangzhou Prefecture.

However, maintaining such a large territory is not easy, not to mention the occasional raids by small groups of nomadic tribes.

Given the current situation, local governments can ignore the disaster victims, but the military governor's office cannot. Because the military governor's office has raised its slogans and won people's hearts, it must also put them into practice, otherwise it will be just empty talk.

No matter how loudly the slogans are shouted, if they are empty words, the people are not stupid and naturally no one will believe them.

The slogans of the Marshal's Office are not empty words, which is why they can now be followed by orders. This is a practical issue where every cause has its effect.

"Could it be that the imperial court is about to take action against us?" Zeng Zhi worried. "If Shanxi makes a move, Xuanfu will follow suit. They've made ample preparations and are then demanding that the military governor return to the capital to report on his duties."

“There’s still a year left,” Zhang Yuncheng retorted.

"Make up any excuse, and once the imperial decree reaches Datong, the military commander has no room to maneuver."

Everyone was silent.

The merchants employed over ten thousand soldiers. Outside the pass, they maintained order and eliminated bandits. At the same time, they had another twenty thousand soldiers produced and trained by themselves outside the pass, while inside the pass, they had only twenty thousand soldiers.

Troops were dispatched from four prefectures and seven counties, and grain was also to be obtained from wealthy households. These civilian strongholds were not easy to deal with; in fact, they were much more difficult to deal with than grain merchants in the city.

But what if we turn against the imperial court at this time?

Putting aside the panic among the people, under the guise of the imperial court's greater cause, can the morale of the army be maintained? How long can Datong maintain its current model?
"Then we have no choice but to fight our way out."

Tang Ping thought for a moment, "At this point, it's definitely not feasible to stay in Datong. We must take the initiative to break out, otherwise it's a dead end."

No one doubted it.

But should they really do that? Everyone looked at Wang Xin.

Wang Xin pondered.

What was Zhou Wen's intention behind this move? Was it truly an arrangement by the imperial court?

Although things have come to this point, Wang Xin is not afraid of a complete falling out, but he does not want to, because this is the worst possible outcome. Datong is not well-prepared, and launching a civil war at this time would cause far more damage than it would bring to governance.

If it is unavoidable, it is best to postpone it for one or two years, at least until Datong can be self-sufficient, or even have surplus savings to provide relief to disaster victims, and then promote Datong's approach.

Only in this way can the world pay the least price.

Although the output outside the Great Wall is limited, it is still possible to accumulate reserves by exchanging space for output.

Wang Xin frowned. He had barely taken the first step when the imperial court made its move. Did Zhang Jifu no longer care about anything else and only focus on him, or did he no longer need his support? This matter must be more complicated than it seemed.

"Send a small battalion over first," Wang Xin decided to wait and see.

That's only nine hundred people.

There are nearly 10,000 people at Ningwu Pass on the other side.

"Let's send a Class A battalion," Tang Ping suggested, since the garrison in Shuozhou was a Class B battalion.

"We must keep a close eye on the city, especially the Zhou family. They will definitely find out the news, so we must guard against them colluding with us from within." The eldest son of the Zhou family had died, and Master Zhou suddenly became quiet. Zeng Zhi did not believe that this man could let it go.

Even though his son had killed countless people and committed a capital crime, how could such a family be reasonable?

(End of this chapter)