The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 97 Entering the Lin Mansion Again
It's still dark.

At a ferry crossing outside Yangzhou City, grain boats were already loading and unloading silk from the south of the Yangtze River. The boatmen were bare-backed, with coarse cloth towels draped around their necks, and were working skillfully.

The managers of various businesses stood at the dock, twirling their newly arrived celadon salt shakers, their glazed surfaces reflecting the shimmering waters of the canal, and occasionally chatting. All around them, gangs of coolies were hard at work, and the dock alone was bustling with activity.

The well-connected waterways are home to not only cargo ships, merchant ships, fishing boats, and flower boats, but also ferries, passenger ships, etc.

The boat ride is cheap.

Wang Xin and several other young men chartered a small boat. Shi Ping paid the copper coins, and the boatman smiled and reminded them, "Watch your step, my dear."

As soon as he finished speaking, several teenagers had already landed safely on the shore.

Wang Xin also jumped and stepped from the bow to the shore. Several young men came over and walked towards the outside of the dock.

There are a few sheds built not far from the pier, and small vendors are waiting for business.

After passing this place and entering the street, the restaurants along the street are not places for coolies. It’s not that they are forbidden to come, but the restaurants cost more and are mostly places for managers.

The coolies preferred to go to the vendors.

The rice in a greasy, salty broth was not only filling but also delicious. Everyone could eat several large bowls, and the price was shockingly cheap. As for what kind of meat it was, it didn't matter, as long as it wasn't human flesh.

After finishing work in the morning, I come here to have a meal, drink a few cups of wine, and then go to the old place to have a good sleep. Sometimes I oversleep, and the bosses of each store come to call people in angrily, cursing them while urging them to start work quickly.

There are also casual workers who keep coming from other places to look for work.

Every day you can see a crowd of people squatting at the dock, waiting anxiously, with no guarantee of a stable job. Sometimes there is work, sometimes not. When they see the bosses, they try to please them in the hope of joining them and getting a stable livelihood.

He is in charge and acts tyrannically, but he doesn't dare to ask people for help without authorization. After all, there is only so much work to do, and he has to take care of his own people first.

Storytellers, letter writers, opera troupes, acrobats, magicians, clinics, teahouses, restaurants, drugstores, spectacles shops, Western-style shops, bookstores, horse racing shops, dental clinics, large shops, cloth shops, tailor shops, and laundry shops
There are even businesses that help transport corpses back to their hometowns.

From the outer city to the inner city.

There are 365 trades in Yangzhou.

Several young men looked around, wearing coarse cloth jackets, as if they were farmers' children who had just moved to the city. People around them were not surprised.

The teenagers were stunned.

The atmosphere here is completely different from that of the capital, as if it were two different worlds, one grand and magnificent with strict rules, the other small and exquisite, full of vitality.

The street at your feet.

The avenues of the capital city can accommodate dozens of horses running side by side. It is as grand as it can be, but no one dares to walk around on it. Soldiers from the Five Cities Military Commission patrol from time to time.

And this Yangzhou.

The street is not wide, but people are coming and going. Carriages pass in the middle, sedan chairs pass on both sides, and people walk at the edge. There is an endless stream of people, and everyone is doing their own thing without bothering others.

They even saw a vendor pointing at a policeman's nose and cursing him. The policeman was so angry that he wanted to take action, but was persuaded by his neighbors.

An incredible scene, completely unimaginable.

According to the rule, Wang Xin did not need to wear military uniform after leaving the camp, so when they arrived at the Lin Mansion, the people in the Lin Mansion almost did not recognize Wang Xin. After learning about it, the housekeeper hurriedly ran out and invited Wang Xin in. The young men also had a place to rest.

The Salt Inspector was the chief official.

The yamen and the residence were connected together, with the front half being the yamen and the back half being the official's residence. Lin Ruhai also bought land around it and built a garden, and opened a gate next to it.

Therefore, Lin Ruhai did not live in the yamen, but he was not far away from it.

The housekeeper invited Wang Xin to sit down and wait in the side hall. After a while, someone brought tea. Wang Xin was not idle either. He was not somewhere else and didn't know when Lin Ruhai would come back, so he just wandered around the yard.

Wang Xin was not unfamiliar with the Lin Mansion and had been to the backyard several times.

In terms of relationship, I am also a relative of the Lin family. Lin Daiyu has to call me uncle. It would be quite interesting to sail together for a month or so. I wonder how this girl has been doing recently.

"Wang Xin."

Someone called him by his name, Lin Ruhai is back.

"Mr. Lin."

Wang Xin turned around and bowed.

"Come on, sit inside."

Lin Ruhai went in first as usual. Wang Xin smiled and thought Lin Ruhai was not angry, so he followed him in.

The two men entered the side hall, and Lin Ruhai did not suggest going to the main hall. These unruly and disrespectful behaviors actually showed an attitude that he treated Wang Xin as his junior.

Wang Xin didn't hide it either. He took out the official order issued by the governor, which included the documents requesting food and fodder from various places. He smiled and handed it to Lin Ruhai, saying, "Mr. Lin, please help me."

Lin Ruhai took it, glanced at it, and put it aside. He asked, "That's easy to say. What do you think?" After a pause, he asked, "Why do you want to offend the lieutenant general of Yingtian Camp?"

"It's not a matter of offense. As the vanguard of the army, military affairs are my priority. I should go see the admiral first to report the military situation." After Wang Xin finished speaking, he saw that Lin Ruhai was dissatisfied. Knowing that he could not hide it from him, he decided to tell the truth.

"The Admiral values ​​my fighting ability and wants me to be a role model. He also offered generous conditions, so I agreed. Since I have agreed, I will give it my all."

Hearing Wang Xin's answer, Lin Ruhai shook his head.

The Jia family could also give Wang Xin the position of guerrilla general, and they had informed Wang Xin in advance. It would only take a few years to gain experience. What's more, the Jia family provided him with good food and drink, and had servants to serve him.

Lin Ruhai asked, "Is the Jia Mansion not doing well?"

Wang Xin nodded and said, "Master Zheng has a good temper. Although he looks down on warriors, which is a common problem among scholars, he still shows proper courtesy and respect. It's just that he is dealing with the eldest master." Wang Xin hesitated.

"How come you've changed after being in the capital for half a year? You're so hesitant when you speak." Lin Ruhai was dissatisfied.

There was nothing to be said, so Wang Xin said seriously: "The Jia Mansion has too many rules. Maybe that's the custom in the capital. I just can't adapt to it. I'm more adapted to Yangzhou. With Lord Lin taking care of me, I feel comfortable."

After hearing Wang Xin's explanation, some things became clear to me, such as the matter of Jia Yucun.

Logically speaking, Jia Yucun established a relationship with the Jia family through his own efforts. Since the Jia family was his benefactor, he should have been closer to them. However, in fact, Jia Yucun was not very enthusiastic about the Jia family, but was closer to Wang Ziteng.

So could it be the same reason?

The Jia family has been a noble family for a hundred years, and was one of the founding families of two countries. Although they have lost their foundation, their face is still there, so Jia She inevitably maintains his old habits.

At the beginning of the Great Zhou Dynasty, all the military leaders were nobles from various families.

Most people want to be a lackey, but they can't.

Things are different now. The nobles have indeed fallen into decline. Not only Jia Yucun, but also Wang Xin, no one wants to be treated like this by the nobles. The main reason is that the nobles have lost their foundation.

If he still had the same power as before and could offer benefits to his subordinates, it wouldn't have come to this.

And there's the matter of Wang Xin being arrogant.

If it were an ordinary person, let alone being a dog, they would be happy to kneel down and call someone grandpa.

But most of these people are incompetent, and most of those who are capable are arrogant.

Wang Xin knew that Lin Ruhai was a smart man who could understand many things at a glance and could understand him, which made him feel much more at ease.

Lin Ruhai sighed, "The Jia family's ways are indeed old-fashioned and out of date."

For example, giving someone a maid as a gift.

Lin Ruhai glanced at Wang Xin.

Wang Xin didn't know what Lin Ruhai was thinking, but instead explained a few words for the Jia family.

He said: "It's not really old. In fact, it's OK as long as it works. It's just adapted to local conditions. For example, Yangzhou Prefecture is the richest place in the world. People's livelihood and various industries are prosperous and thriving. Culture is developed. Even peddlers in the market can read a few vernacular novels and tell a few stories. New learning is progressing and advocates equality between men and women. Both are qualified to enter the Taoism. There are even more shocking words.

As for the Japanese pirates, I heard that there is a custom of abandoning the elderly in their native land. The elderly over fifty years old have to commit suicide or go into the mountains to fend for themselves. The common people can hardly eat a bite of white rice in their entire lives. For them, white rice is already a delicacy. Because they don’t have enough to eat, the common people are as short as the Japanese. They can’t even read and write, and have no knowledge of literature and etiquette. They are no different from beasts.

Most of the Japanese pirates were masters of swordsmanship and accurate archery skills, and they could even shoot arrows with their bare hands. Their behavior was similar to that of the Spring and Autumn Period in my country, and they were like servants of noble families.

In contrast, in Jiangnan, everyone is literate, takes pride in studying, values ​​diligence, men farm and women weave, every family is prosperous, and the spirit of learning is prevalent. A lecture can even bring together tens of thousands of scholars.

The people are not afraid of the officials, the officials are not afraid of the court, they talk about benevolence, righteousness and morality, and everyone acts like a gentleman, but the current situation is that Japanese pirates are rampant in the south of the Yangtze River. A few or even dozens of Japanese pirates are rampant in the county town, and tens of thousands of people are afraid of them.

After listening to Wang Xin's long speech, Lin Ruhai was quiet for a moment.

I don't quite understand Wang Xin's attitude.

Should we deny the nobles or support them?

Lin Ruhai asked, "You don't dislike the Jia family, you just dislike their attitude towards you."

"I don't dislike anyone. I'm just an ordinary person, with the same thoughts as the people in and outside Yangzhou. I just have a longer-term perspective, so I'm a little worried."

Lin Ruhai shook his head.

The Japanese pirates were only a minor threat. This young man was worried about nothing. He said, "After the battle, find a chance to stay. As for Yingtian Camp, I'll ask Jia Yucun to help resolve the situation. It's better to resolve a feud than to create one."

Lin Ruhai made the decision in a few words.

To prevent the kid in front of me from having wild thoughts. I told him to study hard so that he could become an official, but he refused.

Wang Xin was very satisfied.

Have a look.

There is nothing wrong with Lin Ruhai.

The Great Zhou inherited the Ming system, and the army was supplied with supplies from counties along the way. Before the Song and Ming dynasties, this was not a problem because military officers had a high status and were controlled by nobles who dared to kill civil officials who failed in their duties.

Therefore, for the sake of their own lives, local officials dared not fail to gather the troops and tried every possible means to ensure the supply of the army.

Song Ming’s approach actually didn’t work.

Because the army began to abide by rules and respect legal provisions, it became difficult for officials to justify killing civilians, and it was even less likely for military generals to kill civilian officials. Winning battles was no longer everything.

For their own interests, local officials and wealthy families were unwilling to supply supplies to the army, and shortfalls in weight were common.

In essence, military officers cannot suppress civil officials.

The cost of military officers suppressing civil officials is very high, and no one is willing to accept it, not even the military officers themselves.

So what should I do?

Of course, I would look for Lin Ruhai.

With the note from the Eastern Army Commander, he could ask Lin Ruhai for help in supplying the troops in the counties along the way. For this God of Wealth of the Great Zhou, solving his military supply problems would be a piece of cake.

(End of this chapter)