The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 441 Killing two birds with one stone

Gaizhou City lost its vitality.

Because of the barbarian soldiers' looting and rape, the people of the city were filled with fear and no one dared to go out easily. Every household kept their doors tightly shut, and unless they really had no food, they had no choice but to bite the bullet and go out to find food.

There wasn't a single shop open on the street, but the doors of the shops were wide open, and the shops inside had already been emptied.

Many workshops have been burned to ashes, and the surrounding area is full of broken walls and ruins.

The survivors lived like rats, terrified of encountering barbarian soldiers on the streets.

The residence of the General's Commander.

Women in the city with even a little bit of beauty were all abducted and brought here.

Upon entering the gate, one sees barbarian generals wreaking havoc everywhere, their sparse, yellow teeth revealing cruel smiles, while beneath them lie women with ashen faces, already numb.

As more and more women were dumped out, more and more women were brought in.

The barbarian soldiers search the city every day.

This is their greatest joy.

They tortured and killed men, and were even more cruel to women. Ordinary evil deeds were no longer enough to satisfy their appetites; they even tried to harm infants, using methods beyond words.

"Crackling."

Lamb is roasting over a campfire.

The lotus pond next to it was already stained red with blood. The bodies would be retrieved and dumped in the mass grave, but the blood could not be dealt with in time.

Several Taijis sat together.

Dozens of young women, completely naked, stood silently and numbly around them.

"The Prince of Dongping has lost his patience and wants us to retreat." Rocco cut mutton with a knife. The mutton was not yet cooked, and blood dripped onto his chest, but he didn't care. He was covered in grease and said rudely, "What do you have to say?"

“The Zhou people are weak and easily defeated,” Hutabu replied.

"What is your leader thinking?"

Rocco was satisfied with Hutabu's answer and waved casually in delight.

Two women next to them obediently crawled over.

Rocco fed them the meat, then shoved it into their mouths, treating them like hunting dogs.

Everyone was used to it, but recently they've gotten a little tired of it.

The people of the Zhuhe Barbarians are too far away to communicate with in time. Luo Ke himself does not dare to act alone, so he has to involve the Jihe Barbarians. As long as A'dun of the Jihe Barbarians agrees, he will dare to try.

"The Prince of Dongping has been in charge of Liaodong for a hundred years. It would be best to test his strength."

Hutabu sneered, "If it were a dog, of course we'd kick it away."

"it is good."

Rocco made a decision.

“Taiji, don’t do it yourself,” Hutabu suggested. “Let other tribes test the waters.”

"Ok?"

“Degelai was once whipped by the Prince of Dongping and has held a grudge ever since. If we instigate him from behind, he will definitely be willing to step forward. If he succeeds, we will follow suit. If he loses, we can also distance ourselves from him.”

"Hahaha."

Rocco laughed heartily and said reluctantly, "Come and follow me, be my commander of ten thousand."

Among the various barbarian tribes, the Donghe, Jihe, and Zhuhe tribes were the largest, with the Donghe tribe being the most powerful. Luo Ke had two commanders of ten thousand men under his command, one being his son and the other his younger brother.

Hutabu didn't take it seriously. He knew that Roko really wanted him, but even if he left Jihe tribe, Donghe tribe couldn't give him anything more.

“Dergelai, they are using you.”

"so what."

Degelai said happily, "This is my chance to get revenge. I am willing to take the lead. As long as we take Niuzhuangyi, the Zhou army will have no stronghold south of the Liao River. They can only dream of taking back Liaozuo."

Seeing this, the subordinate leader did not try to persuade him further.

If they succeed, all will be well, but if they fail, their tribe cannot bear the wrath of the Prince of Dongping.

The Prince of Dongping's Mansion has been stationed in Liaodong for generations.

The prestige of the Prince's Mansion is deeply ingrained in people's hearts; who hasn't grown up hearing about its reputation?

Three to five hundred cavalrymen, each with two horses.

Now all their tribes are very wealthy. They have more supplies than they can use in Shenyang and Liaoyang alone, not to mention the supplies in other cities. For their tribes, everyone can now wear double-layered armor.

Not to mention one person with two horses, one person with four horses is no problem.

However, the distance is not far, so bringing too many horses would be troublesome.

After the fall of Liaozuo, Zhou's army completely collapsed.

Finally, the Prince of Dongping's Mansion in Beizhen took the initiative to send troops to seize the south bank of the Liao River, build camps along the river to defend it, and preserve a stronghold for the counterattack on Liaozuo. Otherwise, it would have been several times more difficult.

The various tribes' looting in Haizhou could not be ignored, for fear that the Prince of Dongping would lead his troops to attack.

But who doesn't know that the Donghe tribe and the other two tribes are the lackeys of the Prince of Dongping?

These three tribes grew strong thanks to the Dongping Prince's Mansion. None of the other tribes could defeat them and had to obediently admit defeat and follow their orders. In reality, they were subordinate to the Dongping Prince.

Although it was all just his own guess and Degerai had no evidence, there were many people who said it, and Degerai believed it without a doubt.

If the three tribes can turn against the Prince of Dongping, the rest of their tribes will be able to improve their situation; otherwise, they will be swallowed up by the three tribes sooner or later.

It's not just about revenge, but there are some things that can't be said.

Dege is willing to endure it.

For this opportunity, they are willing to bring the young and strong men of the tribe to fight desperately.

They were just a bunch of Zhou's troops.

"Come on!"

Finally, they saw Zhou Jun's camp. They had rushed all the way here to catch Zhou Jun off guard.

Bypass Zhou Jun's fortifications and attack from the weak points.

Deger led the charge.

Then they saw squads of Zhou soldiers, armed with long spears and ready for battle. Unlike Shen Liao's Zhou army, these soldiers were quieter and more closely packed, their spears forming a dense forest, impenetrable to the elements.

"Boom."

The tiger-squatting cannon in the rear fired.

The shells landed on the ground, tumbling through the mud, breaking several horse legs and leaving a trail of blood.

Before Deger could react, a group of cavalry charged out.

On one side were the barbarian cavalrymen, their men and horses in disarray, and on the other side were the well-prepared elite retainers.

Deger was killed without any chance to fight back.

The other side.

Despite receiving the good news from his subordinates, the Prince of Dongping showed no joy.

"Why is the Prince so troubled?"

"Your chief advisor, who is also his chief secretary," Yang He asked with a smile.

“I knew the three tribes would have ambitions, but I never expected that my years of kindness with them would be so easily defeated. It is quite disheartening,” sighed the Prince of Dongping.

“Barbarians fear power but not virtue, so why should they feel sentimental?”

Yang He disagreed, “If you beat them into submission, they will naturally obey. If you’re happy, give them a bone; if you’re angry, kick them. If you’re not comfortable with them, just chain them up. The Prince is good in every way, except that he is very sentimental. Talking about sentimentality with them is like casting pearls before swine.”

“Yes.” The Prince of Dongping nodded. “The Chief Secretary is right.”

Although the Jihe barbarians had tipped them off, even if he himself didn't know what Adun was thinking, surely all the smart men under his command could see through it?
Adon has even greater ambitions.

He wanted to use his own hands to destroy Roko so that he could annex the Donghe barbarian tribe.

When he unifies the barbarian tribes, that will be a real problem.

"The problem with the barbarian tribes isn't too big. As long as the three tribes are constantly scheming against each other, they can't escape the control of the Prince. Once we completely control the land in Liaodong and distribute it to our soldiers, their fate will be in the Prince's hands." Yang He said confidently.

"What if the court doesn't accept this and eventually breaks off relations and launches a large-scale attack?" The Prince of Dongping knew that things had come to this point and there was no room for regret, but he still wanted to remain resolute.

The ten-year plan was not what I had envisioned.

The prince's mansion remains unchanged, but the local officials come and go.

Over the course of a century, more and more local forces have attached themselves to the Prince's Mansion. However, most of the areas are controlled by the Liaodong Military Command, and with the added burden of natural disasters and man-made calamities, even in order to make a living, he has no choice but to be pushed around by his subordinates.

Yang He was one of them, except he was smarter.

The Prince of Dongping knew that he could not do as he pleased; as a prince, he was not entirely free to act as he pleased.

"The court has nurtured someone like Wang Xin, who is said to be plotting against Shanxi. Does the court dare to launch a large-scale attack on Liaodong? The court is currently in a predicament, with rebels rising up all over the country and the court itself in financial distress. It's like a clay Bodhisattva crossing the river; it's best to protect itself first."

"Even if the imperial court is determined to attack us, we can hold our ground in Liaoxi, waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out. We have the advantage of timing, location, and popular support. How could we possibly lose?"

The barbarians robbed all the wealthy families in Liaozuo.

The poor also suffer, but they have no money to begin with; their lives are just cheap human lives.

We lack everything, except for poor people.

Then, if the Prince of Dongping's mansion were to gain the land of Liaodong for free, and then distribute it to the soldiers and the poor, everything would be revitalized, and the popularity of the Prince's mansion in Liaodong would reach its peak.

Morale, public sentiment, land, and food.
Including medical devices.

How dare the various barbarian tribes refuse to share with the Prince of Dongping?
Is it Roko who dares not to give it, or Adun, or perhaps Juechang?

Yang He really couldn't figure out how he lost.

"With three million li of Liaodong land in the hands of the Prince, he can raise an army of 100,000 elite troops and draw upon 60,000 barbarian soldiers. He can then sit back and watch the world from the shadows." Yang He became more and more excited as he thought about it.

"I heard that Wang Xin is doing quite well in Datong."

Unlike the Chief Secretary, the Prince of Dongping did not get excited; instead, he calmly asked the question.

"The Prince is indeed composed and his subordinates are impressed. He truly has the bearing of an emperor," Yang He said in front of everyone.

Those around him were all his trusted confidants, and upon hearing this, they all smiled.

The Prince of Dongping was both amused and exasperated. He scolded, "You have no sense of propriety when it comes to your words. Sooner or later, you'll be in trouble because of them. You dare to say anything. If this gets back to the capital and the court comes after you, I won't be able to stop you."

Yang He didn't care, and neither did anyone else.

From childhood to adulthood, they had no knowledge of the imperial court.

"As the saying goes, gold corners, silver edges, and grass bellies are all signs of wealth. Wang Xin is backed by the Prince of Xining and in front of the imperial court. Moreover, he is hesitant in his actions. Because of a lack of funds, he dares not expand his army and takes huge risks. He lacks the courage of a ruler and will not accomplish anything."

Yang He simply couldn't understand Wang Xin.

Is it hard to say if they're short of money?

Look for a businessman.

Given Wang Xin's power and status, which merchant would dare to refuse him?

The results of it.

The crowd echoed each other, as they had all heard some things about Wang Xin. One person pointed out, "Although he is a good person, he is indecisive. He is fine when things are going smoothly, but when there are setbacks, how can he control the situation?"

Everyone wants to be on good terms.

But who can do that?

The Prince's mansion maintains tens of thousands of elite soldiers. Without these tens of thousands of elite soldiers, would the Hu people willingly submit? Would the barbarians willingly obey?

Everyone understands these great principles, but no one puts them into practice.

Not only is the imperial court unable to collect its taxes, but the soldiers in their princely mansion are also going hungry.

For generations, countless people had served as soldiers for the Prince's mansion. They could only rely on the Prince's mansion, and the Prince's mansion had no choice but to intervene. They couldn't ignore it; the two sides were too deeply intertwined.

Since that's the case, then don't blame the Prince's Mansion for being ruthless.

No matter how much you usually show respect to the Prince's Mansion, this time the Prince's Mansion will use the barbarians to wipe you clean.

Over the past hundred years.

The soldiers of the Prince's Mansion had multiplied and their original fields were no longer enough to sustain them. Many military households were forced to leave their hometowns to find a way to survive, and only one in ten managed to do so.

This is truly a case of "everything is fine at home, but everything is difficult when you're out."

“Wang Xin gives his soldiers money, we give them land. Let’s see whose sons fight harder.” Yang He wasn’t unaware of this; he clearly understood the true nature of both sides.

Soldiers who are given money can never defeat soldiers who are given land.

Yang had no doubt.

After observing the expressions on his men's faces, the Prince of Dongping said no more.

The decisions were made by his subordinates, and as long as everyone supports them, the Prince of Dongping has no intention of vetoing them; this is also the foundation of the Prince's Mansion.

"Once we pacify Liaodong, our Dongping Prince's Mansion will have no worries about the rear. On the other hand, Wang Xin is attacked from both sides and will never stop. The court will definitely be on guard, and we can support the court. In short, we will not let Wang Xin have an easy time and will not allow him to continue to grow stronger. We can also directly send troops to help the court to attack Da Ning."

Then someone else offered advice.

Sima Wusen calmly analyzed that Wang Xin's geographical advantage was far inferior to that of the Prince's Mansion, and this was difficult to overcome.

Three million taels of silver is enough.

Zeng Zhi worriedly said, "Three million taels of silver, if you add it up over five or ten years, the interest alone will be as high as 550,000 taels. What if the Jiedushi Mansion can't repay it then? So we can't have any more."

Wang Xin remained noncommittal.

"Given Datong's development momentum, as long as commercial efficiency continues to be supported, and Shanxi is well governed, what is 550,000 taels?"

"I also hope so, but it's better to be on the safe side."

Zeng Zhi insisted.

Since that was the case, Wang Xin did not insist.

The reason he promoted the futures bond was to solve the current shortage of silver in the Jiedushi government.

It's okay to live off future money, but you can't go too far.

Zeng Zhi's caution is a good thing.

Wang Xin stopped thinking about the matter, his expression turned serious, and he began to talk earnestly about the Xue family.

Because of the lesson learned from the Zhou family, I put a lot of thought into the Xue family, especially Xue Baochai.

Actually, I could have just stepped off the field myself.

However, the Jiedushi's office itself has a lot of power. If it personally intervenes in business, then it will inevitably return to its original state in the end. Talented people are not important; connections and background are what matter.

What's valuable is no longer talent, but people with connections.

We've gone back to the same old path.

Therefore, the Jiedushifu (military governor's office) can only supervise.

"The matter of Yongxin Bank's shareholding should be implemented as soon as possible. As more and more people recognize Yongxin Bank's reputation, its banknotes will also be recognized."

Wang Xin hoped Zeng Zhi could understand.

He had a clear understanding of the formidable momentum of Yung Shin Piao Bank, having witnessed its transformation firsthand from its inception.

"The human heart cannot be restrained."

Zeng Zhi exclaimed, "If Yongxin Coinage is run well, it's like the right to mint coins in the Great Zhou Dynasty has been transferred to Datong. How much profit is that? That profit alone would be enough to support the governance reforms in Shanxi."

"I feel relieved that you have this understanding."

Zeng Zhi could lead the military governor's office for another five years. As for whether Zeng Zhi could keep up after five years, Wang Xin had no idea.

"What does the General intend to do about the court's demands?" Zeng Zhi asked curiously.

I don't know who came up with the idea, but they actually wanted to send the Datong Army to Shaanxi to quell the rebellion. Lin Ruhai had suggested it privately once before, but his intentions were different then. He wanted to use the strength of the Datong Army to gain credit for suppressing the rebellion.

Nowadays...

The Datong Army fought against various rebel armies, resolving the internal strife of the court without costing the court a single soldier. The court probably wanted to deal with Liaodong.

Kill two birds with one stone.

(End of this chapter)