The Military Governor in Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 111 A Great Joy in Life

Jia Chen was dumbfounded. Abunai wanted to see him?

What are we supposed to do?

I don't have much of a relationship with him.

"Father-in-law, this humble servant does not understand," Jia Chen said respectfully.

Hu Youcai laughed and said, "What's there not to understand? I've heard that the little prince is usually unruly and arrogant, but such a guy has been defeated by you twice and even captured by you. It must be a great humiliation for him. His Majesty has agreed to release Abunai at the end of February. Before he leaves, he may have something to say to you. Maybe he'll say something harsh or threaten you."

Jia Chen was speechless; he hadn't expected the eunuch to joke with him at the end.

If Abunai were to meet him, would he really say something like, "You just wait and see"?

You know what, it's not impossible for something like this to happen.

However, in Jia Chen's opinion, Abunai probably still wants to know more about him.

Although he captured Abuna himself, he hadn't had much interaction with him before.

Chen Tai quickly took him away, so Jia Chen and Abunai didn't have much time to interact.

Wanting to understand one's enemy better is understandable.

Especially for someone like Abuna, who holds a high position, being defeated twice by one of his own soldiers is probably something he can't let go of.

"Father-in-law, is there still more than half a month left?" Jia Chen asked. "Is the imperial court releasing Abunai so soon? Why not keep him locked up for a few more months?"

It's January 11th now, and it will be about 20 days until the end of the month.

In Jia Chen's view, even if an agreement was reached to let Abunai go back, it would still take a while.

Even if we don't talk about the end of the year, we'll have to wait until at least autumn.

Since most of the northern barbarians migrate south in the autumn, as long as Abunai is still in the hands of the Great Hong Dynasty at this time, Ligdan Khan will be wary and will likely be unable to raid south this year.

If we send them back now, the Chahar tribe might head south in the spring.

These guys are unreliable; going back on their word is commonplace for them.

Upon hearing Jia Chen's question, Hu Youcai sighed and said, "We think the same way as you, but the matter is already settled, and there's nothing we can do to change it."

Jia Chen thought to himself, "That makes sense. Perhaps those bigwigs in the court have other ideas."

If Abunai was released so early, Jia Chen became more wary.

Will this guy immediately lead his men to retaliate after he gets back?

Considering that he sought revenge last year when the roads were blocked by heavy snow, it's clear this guy holds a grudge.

Although some people within the Chahar tribe wanted to plunder during the last southward expedition, Abunai certainly played a key role in it.

"When water comes, we'll cover it with earth; when soldiers come, we'll block them with generals," Jia Chen thought to himself.

My current strength has improved compared to before.

Of course, this does not mean that our troops have increased.

These are all new recruits; they've only had a month of training, so it's not enough.

However, considering that Abuna was released at the end of February, no matter how quickly they retaliate south, they would still need to prepare for more than a month.

That means these new recruits have at least two more months of training.

Three months of training might not be enough to completely transform them or turn them into veterans, but I believe they'll be able to defend the city without any problems.

Jia Chen's so-called improvement in strength mainly came from his improvement in firearms.

During this period, Jia Chen had Lu Dahai and his team build more Tiger Crouching Cannons and Three-Eyed Cannons.

The manufacture of bird-shaped funnels is currently impossible due to a lack of experts in this field.

However, Jia Chen's number of bird units has increased considerably.

Ye Fandong didn't take the bird commanders from Juqiang Fortress with him, but he gave almost all of them to Jia Chen from Zhenqiang Fortress.

In exchange, Jia Chen sent over a dozen tiger-squatting cannons and some thunderclap bombs.

Compared to these bird-like cannons, Ye Fandong preferred the Tiger Crouching Cannon.

With these defenders in place, he felt that Zhenqiang Fortress could be more secure.

Finally, with Lu Dahai's selection and some repairs, Jia Chen's bird collection increased by more than 60 birds, bringing the total to 122 birds.

Regarding the allocation of these bird squads, the Juqiangbao bird squad has 82 members, and the Qianshanbao bird squad has 40 members.

In Jia Chen's opinion, this number is still too small.

Bird systems need to reach a certain scale to exert greater power.

But this is the limit of what he can do now.

Logically, it would be best to use them all together in a unified manner, but considering that Qianshanbao also needs a certain amount of long-range firepower and deterrence, some were also equipped with them.

Ultimately, there are still too few bird commanders. Even if they were all in the Fortress of Resisting Walls, it can't be said that they could increase the power by much.

Having the opportunity to return to Beijing, Jia Chen felt it necessary to visit Jia Zheng and his father-in-law, Qin Ye.

The manufacture of firearms in the capital was mainly divided into two departments.

One was the Ordnance Bureau under the Ministry of Works, and the second was the Weapons Bureau of the Inner Palace, which was controlled by eunuchs.

The Ordnance Bureau was mainly responsible for manufacturing the conventional armaments needed by the Beijing Garrison, including ordinary armor, bows and arrows, swords and spears, and various types of ordinary firearms.

The Ordnance Bureau would manufacture weapons like the Three-Eyed System.

Bird-shaped weapons were manufactured by the Armory.

The Armory Bureau was responsible for producing fine armor, swords, spears, and firearms.

Although the Ordnance Bureau does not manufacture firearms, Jia Chen felt that he could still recruit some firearms craftsmen from among them.

Then there's Hu Youcai. Jia Chen was thinking that after returning to the capital, he might be able to find a way to get some craftsmen skilled in musket manufacturing from the Bureau of Armory and bring them back to Juqiangbao.

This is very difficult. It's easier to deal with ordinary firearms craftsmen, but for someone like Bird Commander, the imperial court will strengthen its control.

Although the Ministry of Works was in charge of the Ordnance Bureau, in order to maintain control over the military, the emperor would often send trusted eunuchs to participate in its management, and sometimes the eunuchs were the ones in charge.

Not to mention the Bureau of Armory; the emperor would never allow the manufacture of these deadly weapons to slip out of his control, so he would let eunuchs control the core aspects.

"Father-in-law, I am ready to depart at any time, even now," Jia Chen said.

"There's no need to rush," Hu Youcai said with a smile. "When I get back, I need to hand over some affairs in Datong Town to Feng Shan, and also see my godfather and listen to his advice. This is my first time being a garrison eunuch, so I have no experience and dare not be negligent."

Since Feng Shan left Datong and returned to Beijing before the Lunar New Year, he has not come back.

Now that Feng Shan has become the Grand Eunuch of the Daming Palace, holding a high position and great power, it is even less likely that he will return to Datong Town to hand over military affairs to Hu Youcai.

However, Hu Youcai was still quite proud when he said these words.

What does it mean to be inexperienced the first time?

Haven't eaten pork and never seen a pig run?

From a junior eunuch to a garrison eunuch, his status, position, and power increased immeasurably.

That's showing off.

"Yes, then I will go back and make proper preparations. As soon as Your Excellency is ready to return to the capital, I will set off immediately," Jia Chen said respectfully.

"Hmm?" Hu Youcai suddenly had a thought and stared at Jia Chen for a long time.

Hu Youcai's gaze made Jia Chen feel uneasy. Could this eunuch have some ulterior motive?

"Jia Chen, it's no wonder you were in such a hurry to return to the capital. It was your wedding day, and you had to leave for war before you could even consummate your marriage. I understand, haha~~" Hu Youcai laughed loudly.

Jia Chen looked somewhat embarrassed; this eunuch was actually thinking about such things.

To be honest, Jia Chen was thinking about firearms the whole time, and nothing else.

However, after Hu Youcai said that, Jia Chen couldn't help but think of Qin Keqing's peerless beauty, which made him restless and eager to fly to the capital immediately.

"Now that you're a city garrison commander, you've achieved quite a bit," Hu Youcai said, noticing the change in Jia Chen's expression. He was even more certain of his assessment, feeling he'd guessed correctly, and was in high spirits. "When you return, it will be even more glorious. Passing the imperial examinations and your wedding night! The greatest joys of your life!"

"Nothing can escape your discerning eye, Father-in-law. I apologize for making you laugh," Jia Chen said.

Let's just go along with what Hu Youcai said.

"It's only human nature, it's only human nature," Hu Youcai waved his hand and said. "We'll try to get back to Beijing as soon as possible, so you can stay in the capital for a few more days and have more time to spend together as a couple."

"Thank you, sir!"

"No need to thank me, I also want to get back as soon as possible to hear more of my godfather's teachings," Hu Youcai said with a smile. "Alright, let's not talk about that now. You mentioned to me last time that you wanted to take back the military farmland, how's that going?"

Jia Chen had reported this matter to him earlier.

Previously, he neither supported nor opposed it, basically making no statement.

"My lord, I have gathered enough evidence. Lord Liu is not very supportive, but I do not want to give up. I am preparing to jointly report to the General's Office with Lord Ye of Zhenqiang Fort." Jia Chen immediately composed himself and replied.

"Yes, these guys are really too reckless. How can we expect our soldiers to guard the border when they are encroaching on the soldiers' land like this? They even dare to collude with the enemy. They are courting death. This matter must be investigated, thoroughly investigated, and those who started it must be severely punished," Hu Youcai said angrily.

Jia Chen was taken aback. The last time he mentioned this matter to Hu Youcai, Hu Youcai didn't seem very interested.

But today, their attitude has completely changed.

Jia Chen quickly understood.

It was still because of Hu Youcai's change of position.

Hu Youcai clearly knew he was going to be promoted, and at this crucial moment, he certainly didn't want to cause any trouble, so he wanted to proceed with caution and prudence.

Now that the promotion is settled, there are naturally fewer concerns.

Especially since he was previously a deputy eunuch, but now he is a garrison eunuch, he has even more power.

With power in hand, Hu Youcai had nothing to worry about.

"With Your Excellency in charge, it is a blessing we have accumulated over generations. I thank Your Excellency on their behalf," Jia Chen said. "Your Excellency, those who have colluded with the enemy are quite wealthy. Please take stock and oversee their assets."

Hu Youcai laughed heartily, his eyes narrowing, clearly very pleased.

Jia Chen had really hit the nail on the head.

He doesn't have many other hobbies, except for gold and silver.

How could he not know the true nature of these local wealthy families in Datong?

Many of them smuggled goods to areas outside the Great Wall, and their families were very wealthy.

As long as you take over one company, you can reap a lot of benefits.

"Jia Chen, don't worry, go ahead and handle it. I'll also keep an eye on things with the Marquis of Pinglu; I'm sure there won't be any problems," Hu Youcai said with a smile. "However, you must be careful. Don't go near the Prince of Dai's residence."

"Your Excellency, I understand. This time, we only need to pick out a few heinous criminals and make an example of them. What do you think?" Jia Chen asked for instructions.

"Very good, you are very reliable in handling matters, we are at ease." Hu Youcai nodded.

Hu Youcai was becoming increasingly satisfied with Jia Chen.

This young man is not only brave on the battlefield, but also handles these matters very well.

Although he had become the garrison eunuch, and many people would surely come to curry favor with him, he still needed some capable and reliable people to handle his affairs.

He can't trust just anyone.

Jia Chen is clearly a very reliable one.

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