The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 400 Clear
Taiyuan Prefecture was the provincial capital.

Besides the prefect of Taiyuan, there was also the Three Departments Office, and above the Three Departments Office was the Governor's Office.

The governor's office held administrative, military, supervisory, and judicial powers over a province and led three provincial offices: the Provincial Administration Commission, the Provincial Surveillance Commission, and the Provincial Military Commission, demonstrating its immense power.

This is because the more local conflicts there are, the more necessary it is for someone with great power to handle them promptly.

Especially when mobilizing troops, they were reluctant to entrust the military power of a province to a military general, thus giving the governor the power to supervise troops.

The Governor's Office of Shanxi Province.

People are talking about the defeat at Yangwuyu.

"I never expected such a swift defeat," an official exclaimed in the hall, his face filled with worry.

Everyone was talking at once.

"Envoy Gu," someone asked, "your hometown is in Daizhou. I heard that your clansmen have known Wang Xin for a long time. What's your opinion on that?"

Upon hearing this, many people turned to look at the man.

Gu Chen was speechless.

He was the Commissioner of the Taiyuan Prefecture Agricultural Settlement Circuit and also the cousin of Gu Shi, a wealthy man from Daizhou.

Gu Chen dared not refuse to answer and truthfully replied, "Wang Xin has been acting perversely in Datong. Although he has not raised the name of rebellion, he has the power of a regional warlord. However, he is always very secretive in his actions. By the time he does something, he has already made thorough preparations, and it is often difficult to resist him."

Everyone was shocked.

I never expected Gu Chen to have such a high opinion of this person.

"I am also puzzled. This thief's words are quite capable of bewitching people. He is really spreading heresy and misleading the masses. Why don't the local gentry oppose him? Now that I think about it, this person is a villain who appears to be loyal. How many people have been deceived by him? Once he shows his fangs and everyone sees his true face, how will they be able to deal with him? They will already be unable to move because of his defenses."

“Mr. Ma is right.”

"It's so damn good."

"It's a pity that this thief comes from a noble family and has deep connections in the capital. The court actually allows him to run rampant in the provinces, which has led to such a huge problem. Today he even dared to attack government troops. Tomorrow he might even dare to attack cities and counties?"

"Isn't Daizhou considered to have been captured?" Ma Lin retorted.

"Sigh." The man sighed. "I misspoke. It's because this person is low-key and easy to overlook. How hateful!"

Gu Chen knew that his colleagues disliked Wang Xin, and many of them not only disliked him but had come to hate him.

Wang Xin's actions aroused the hatred of many people.

Aside from not daring to offend his colleagues, Gu Chen himself also disliked Wang Xin. He was in charge of the land reclamation work, but now there was no land left for the people to cultivate; it had all been divided up by the officials.

The once lucrative government offices have long since become impoverished ones.

The benefits were not great to begin with, but he was still an official himself. According to his cousin's letter and the words of his nephews and nieces, the officials had lost all civility. However, as a member of the clan, he had no choice but to bow his head under the eaves of others.

Some clansmen were cooperating with the Jiedushi's office, and there was already discussion among his colleagues. Gu Chen pondered and said, "In the past, the imperial examinations promoted virtuous and talented people. Wang Xin is close to sycophants and relies heavily on merchants. He is only interested in profit. If this continues, how can things be left unmanaged? Will there still be any morality in the world?"

Everyone nodded in agreement; these words resonated with them.

"Educating the people is no easy task, requiring a century of effort, but destroying them can be accomplished in a single day. Although this scoundrel has only been under his rule for a short time, his moral destruction is deeply regrettable. How many people will be led astray and fall into crooked ways? Alas!"

Ma Lin looked utterly dejected.

"Ugh!"

The lobby next door.

Tao Yi was over fifty years old, with a handsome face, gentle and refined manners, and a beard on his chin, exuding the air of a celebrity. At this moment, his brows were furrowed. "It's not that I, the governor, don't support your decision to send troops. You've heard what your colleagues are saying, and on the contrary, the voices supporting you are louder."

"We must fight."

The tea in the teacup on the coffee table next to Zhou Wen had gone cold, and he didn't ask anyone to change it. He said anxiously, "If we can't take back Yangwuyu, we can't hold Ningwu Pass. I will have to withdraw the army. If we can't hold Ningwu Pass, the whole of Taiyuan will be under the threat of Wang's army. They can then launch a surprise attack."

Worried that the governor might not take it seriously, Zhou Wen reminded him, "The loss of Yangwuyu was also due to the sudden attack by the bandit Wang, who advanced unimpeded and left no place to defend."

"Ugh."

Tao Yi sighed, "In my opinion, it is not advisable to provoke Wang Xin too much. Instead, we should slowly hinder the trade routes, leaving him in a dilemma of whether to act or not. If this continues, he will eventually fall apart on his own."

Zhou Wen refused.

After his own Western Army left in disgrace at Datong, how could Zhang Jifu not be disappointed in him?
Although the position of admiral is high, it is a temporary post.

Integrating the Taiyuan Army was merely fulfilling Zhang Jifu's goal; unless he did even better, he could not go any further. Therefore, he had no choice but to be assertive.

Moreover, Wang Xin's threat was real.

Zhou Wenzhen said sincerely, "I have had contact with Wang Xin in the Western Army of Datong for quite some time, and we even met in the capital. This man always puts himself first. If we let him take advantage of the situation, he will definitely take the initiative to attack when he feels the need, and then I will be even more passive."

"Isn't this putting us in an even more passive position?"

Tao Yi didn't give him any face and said bluntly.

Zhou Wen was speechless.

After a moment, Zhou Wen raised his head and insisted, "We must take back Yangwuyu."

Tao Yi shook his head.

He nodded again.

Zhou Wen was overjoyed.

Having gained the support of the governor, Zhou Wen immediately returned to mobilize troops.

"This person is eager to atone for his crimes by performing meritorious service."

Li Hao stepped out from behind the screen and pointed out incisively, "Princess, don't be fooled by him."

“What he said is not wrong.” Tao Yi said calmly, “The reason we have suppressed him for so long is to temper him and make him dare not be careless again. No matter what, we must take back Yangwuyu.”

“This place is indeed important,” Li Hao said, echoing the governor’s words.

"Taking back this place isn't the key; the important thing is to make Wang Xin behave himself."

Tao Yi sighed.

The civil unrest in Shaanxi not only failed to be quelled, but it escalated even further than in Shandong, engulfing several prefectures. If it weren't for the Yellow River, it might have even spread to Shanxi.

The urgent plea from colleagues in Shaanxi, the situation in the capital, and the hidden dangers everywhere.

Actually, David Tao didn't care much.

How long can he remain an official in Shanxi? Normally, he would have been transferred long ago.

It’s just that.

Tao Yi felt deeply threatened by Wang Xin's actions in Datong.

His hometown has tens of thousands of acres of land. How much did he do for those tens of thousands of acres? If Wang Xin had done things the way he did in Datong, what would have happened? Otherwise, everyone in Taiyuan Prefecture would have been in a state of panic, forcing them to turn around and support the military officer.

The people of Taiyuan Prefecture have never been so united.

Natural disasters and man-made calamities can occur anywhere without food and money shortages, but in this matter, the relief was given readily.

"Puff puff".

In the camp.

They actually ate rice.

The soldiers devoured their food like wolves, each one wolfing it down, wishing they could finish it in one go and then rush to get another bowl as soon as they were done.

The largest tent.

"Boss, are you really alright?"

Li Zhao nervously confirmed.

On their way back, they were so hungry that they started looting. Once they started, they couldn't stop. The soldiers looted all the way, fighting over valuables and killing or injuring many civilians.

Upon returning to Taiyuan, everyone was both shocked and frightened.

However, it's not fair to say they regret it. Although everyone outside the city was poor, they still managed to accumulate a considerable amount over time.

"Now I'm scared."

Zhang Yi's eyes widened.

"There's no other way," Li Zhao said, fawningly.

"It's not that I don't want you to make money, but you must be discerning. You need to know who you can rob and who you can't." Zhang Yishun smoothly gave the instructions.

Once the deed is done, not only the lower-ranking officers, but even the platoon leader himself can't stop it.

Blocking someone's path to wealth is like killing their parents.

The soldiers, blinded by greed, had long since forgotten military discipline. At this point, it wouldn't matter if someone tried to stop them, or even if their own superior intervened; they might even be abandoned.

“The common people can rob, but the gentry cannot,” Li Zhao answered without hesitation, laughing, “Can’t you even understand this principle?”

Zhang Yi nodded and said, "We can't let the soldiers run wild too much, otherwise how will you control them? You are different from the soldiers; you are a sentry officer, not an ordinary soldier."

Li Zhao understood his boss's good intentions and quickly replied, "Understood."

at this time.

The Governor's Mansion. A group of officers gathered.

Now that the money and provisions are being given generously, the officials who used to be arrogant and domineering have become amiable towards them, and the local gentry are also coming to the camp to reward them. Although they know why, who wouldn't be happy to be coaxed like this?

Zhou Wen's face was grim.

“Wang Xin wouldn’t dare to act recklessly, otherwise he wouldn’t have sent young men to raid Hu Ying’s troops. Hu Ying was ambitious but incompetent, careless and sloppy, and was successfully ambushed. He has no one to blame but himself, so he deserved to die.”

Everyone lowered their heads. Although the admiral's words were unpleasant, the logic was sound.

With the return of the defeated soldiers, the reasons for their defeat became clear.

However, they were ambushed.

He himself was ambushed and killed, so his defeat was not surprising.

Now that we understand the reason, we'll be more careful next time. How could we possibly be ambushed again?
“But we are different. I have the support of the Grand Secretary, and Daizhou belongs to Taiyuan Prefecture. I dare to fight him with all my might. If he dares to fight back, I dare to guarantee here that the day he fights back will be the day he is destroyed.”

Zhou Wen's gaze was deep, and he said coldly, "The court has convicted him of treason, cut off his trade routes, and seized his money and grain. We'll see how he dies."

No matter how much trouble Datong goes through, it will still go up.

Let alone 700,000 or 800,000 people, we can't even feed 400,000 or 500,000.

"What about Xuanfu?"

"The commander-in-chief of Xuanfu has replied and will send additional troops to Huai'an to contain Wang Xin." Zhou Wen said calmly. He hadn't rushed to send troops these days to ensure everything went smoothly. Wang Xin had miscalculated this time.

I'm not afraid of him sending troops; what I'm afraid of is him not sending troops, otherwise I won't have a chance to turn the tide.
-
Beijing.

Yangzhou Guild Hall.

The doors and windows in the room were tightly closed. Lin Ruhai frowned, while Jia Zheng lowered his head and remained silent.

Lu Zhongheng broke the quiet atmosphere in the room and looked at Jia Zheng earnestly, "Lord Zheng, you must not act rashly. Regardless of Wang Jieshuai's reputation, the fact that he commands tens of thousands of troops is what matters. We must keep him in check now."

Jia Zheng was displeased.

Since Wang Xin left the capital without even saying goodbye, Jia She has been practically cursing him to his nose.

Even the emperor doubted Jia Zheng's abilities and whether he could control the people in his faction.

Although he was not the actual leader, everyone was acting under the banner of the four great families. There were even rumors in the palace that the emperor was neglecting his daughters.

As the ladies often say.

A woman's status in her husband's family depends entirely on the strength of her own family.

The women of the Wang family were wielding power and influence in the Rongguo Mansion, which aroused the emperor's suspicion. He also listened to Prince Zhongshun's suggestion and began to win over and appoint military generals, and even Prince Teng caught the emperor's eye.

I tolerated it myself.

The more outstanding Wang Xin's husband was, the more uneasy his wife became. In the end, she couldn't help but take action and drive Aunt Zhao insane.

I held back.

Now I'm telling myself to prioritize the bigger picture.

Jia Zheng said aggrievedly, "Haven't I been sincere enough to Wang Xin all these years? I've worried so much about him, endured so many scornful looks, and argued with him countless times, and what has he done in return?"

Lu Zhongheng looked at his mentor speechlessly.

Lin Ruhai shook his head helplessly.

My brother-in-law is honest and kind, but sometimes he's a little too honest and not shrewd enough.

“When you reach Wang Xin’s position, you have no choice in many things.” Lin Ruhai patted Jia Zheng on the shoulder and said patiently, “The more people we have, the more conflicts will arise in the future. We must seek common ground while reserving differences, otherwise people’s hearts will fall apart.”

Jia Zheng sighed.

She sniffed sheepishly, "You can make the decision yourself, why ask me? What ideas do I have?"

Lu Zhongheng breathed a sigh of relief.

That's one of Jia Zheng's strengths; he's gentle enough.

No wonder Wang Xin likes to rely on Jia Zheng. How could Lu Zhongheng not understand Wang Xin? He just found it funny. He had heard the Jia family's comments before. Jia Zheng actually had the nerve to complain about his son Jia Baoyu's soft nature. He didn't even look at himself.

"I'll go to Datong myself."

Lu Zhongheng suggested.

"can."

Lin Ruhai nodded. "Since you think so highly of him, it's clear that Wang Xin hasn't stopped progressing over the years and has grown a lot. You know him best, so it would be good for you to meet him in person."

Jia Zheng quietly looked out the window.

Her eyes welled up with tears again.

Aunt Zhao died not long after she went mad. Since Aunt Zhao's death, I had nowhere to turn when I encountered troubles. I had no mind to discuss Wang Xin. I couldn't help but say, "The lotus shadow is shattered by the midnight moon, the cuckoo's cry is cut off by the boat at night."

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhongheng and Lin Ruhai were shocked. They initially thought they were being told something, but after listening carefully, the master and disciple were speechless.

What time is it already?

It's a matter of life and death.

Jia Zheng even had the time to compose a poem to commemorate his beloved concubine.

Lin Ruhai couldn't help but sigh, Wang Xin was truly astute in judging people. Otherwise, given his personality, which powerful figure could tolerate him? Only Jia Zheng had been able to put up with him all these years. Now that he's grown powerful, the situation has changed.

"By having him contain the troops of Xuanfu and Taiyuan, the three towns of Yansui, Ningxia, and Guyuan have also been blocked. It can be said that one man can shake five. Judging from the current situation, the calmer it is, the higher the chances of the emperor winning. With this achievement, we can also give an account to the emperor."

Lu Zhongheng nodded in approval.

There were still things he wanted to say, but he didn't because Jia Zheng was present.

The Jia family has been betting on both sides, including the military commander in Ping'an Prefecture and the capital region, as well as some of their old subordinates. With the eldest son, Jia She, supporting the retired emperor, they also chose Zhang Jifu, which is a case of following the crowd. This is the reason why the eldest son's family has been increasingly suppressing the second son's family in recent years.

Otherwise, if the eldest son's family is weaker than the second son's family, where would Jia She get the confidence to take control of the Rongguo Mansion?

The Rongguo Mansion still holds considerable appeal.

They certainly don't want to lose it.

However, it seems that once the truth comes out, the Rongguo Mansion's banner will be undisputed, either falling to the eldest son's family or the second son's family.

It's time to end.

Has this internal strife, which has spread from top to bottom, finally come to an end?

Lu Zhongheng felt a mix of emotions, including some reflections.

The country is in such dire straits now, it's hard to know how the court will recover, or even if it can recover at all. In order to defeat Zhang Jifu, the emperor must give up countless benefits in such adversity.

Lu Zhongheng frowned.
-
Yangwuyu is located in the wild.

The weather is getting colder.

Although there were trees that Hu Ying's soldiers had cut down from the mountain, as well as supplies they had brought themselves, neither was enough, so the camp was simple and the tents were thin and drafty.

The biggest problem is still food.

Although the grain was delivered on time, each shipment was only a small amount, just enough for consumption, with no surplus. Qi Shannian dared not be careless and forced him to check the grain quantity in the army every day.

"Self-reliance".

Qi Shannian knew that the soldiers were working hard, and he also knew that the situation in the rear was difficult.

The fact that Taiyuan deliberately lured disaster victims towards Datong reveals their wicked intentions and malicious purpose; they are truly inhuman.

Self-reliance and production self-sufficiency have become the norm.

We don't know how long we'll be staying in Yangwuyu, so we can manage to produce extra grain. This will not only lighten the burden on the rear, but also allow the soldiers to eat more, and hopefully, we can also accumulate more savings.

"gone!"

The laborers temporarily recruited from Daizhou pushed empty carts back. Although they were all emaciated, none of them objected to transporting food to the Datong army. They saw the soldiers planting vegetables on the flat land in the distance.

Vegetable gardens were cultivated one after another, and then people went up the mountain to dig for wild vegetables and see if they were lucky enough to hunt prey.

It felt like being outside the Great Wall.

Qi Shannian frowned as he saw the news brought back by the scouts he had sent out: there was unusual activity in the army at Ningwu Pass.

Is Ningwu Pass about to be mobilized?

"Ningwu Pass has over ten thousand troops, which should not be underestimated." Qi Shannian planned to transfer two second-class battalions from the rear, but hesitated. The inspection team and supervision team were undergoing reforms in Daizhou County. Would there be any risks if the troops were transferred?

If something goes wrong in Daizhou, all our efforts will be in vain, and a large amount of resources and money will be wasted, placing a heavy burden on the Datong Association.

Qi Shannian hesitated.

Should we ask the military governor's office for help?
He was well aware of the situation in Datong. He had to suppress the barbarian threat, guard against Xuanfu, and support the reforms. Now he had nine thousand men, accounting for nearly 20% of Datong's military strength.

"Commander-in-Chief!"

Someone rushed in, looking completely bewildered.

"What happened? Why are you so panicked!" Qi Shannian was startled and subconsciously stood up.

(End of this chapter)