The Military Governor in Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 112 Warmth in the Hibiscus Tent

Upon returning to the Fortress, Jia Chen immediately summoned Jia Mao, Zhao Zheng, and Wang Baisheng.

He needed to make arrangements for his upcoming trip to the capital.

The land reclamation work in Madu must continue, especially the digging of irrigation canals, which must be expedited.

Judging from the current situation, Ma Du is doing a very good job and is very hardworking, almost always leaving early and returning late.

The military training and defense of the fortified stronghold were naturally entrusted to Zhao Zheng and Wang Baisheng.

These are all people Jia Chen trusts.

As for Sun Tieyi's alleged treason, that should be dealt with after he returns from the capital.

Hu Youcai agreed with this.

After all, Hu Youcai still needed to profit from it.

That won't do if the person isn't there.

Jia Chen will also send people to keep an eye on Sun Tieyi's side; he can't let him escape.

Jia Chen originally wanted to take Jia Mao back with him, since Jia Mao had now been promoted to a centurion.

Going back would be quite a glorious experience.

However, Jia Mao stated that he wanted to stay at Juqiangbao, believing that a true man should prioritize making achievements and establishing a career.

Jia Chen could understand some of Jia Mao's thoughts.

Since he had left, Jia Mao was essentially leaving to watch over the place for him.

Actually, Jia Chen wasn't afraid of Zhao Zheng and his group causing any trouble.

Since you trust them, then stop being suspicious.

Also, I won't be staying in Beijing for long; I'll be back soon.

However, it's good that Jia Mao stayed, as the Fortress is currently short of manpower.

Once Abhuna is released, who knows if he will immediately head south to plunder?

The most crucial thing is to get the new recruits at the fortified position into combat-ready positions as quickly as possible.

With veterans like Jia Mao around, the new recruits can be trained much better.

Three days later, on January 14, Jia Chen received Hu Youcai's order to immediately go to Desheng Fort to meet him, and then head to the capital.

Jia Chen led thirty personal guards, ten of whom were armed with muskets, ten with three-barreled muskets, and ten others carrying swords and spears and shields.

In fact, according to the standard, Jia Chen, as a garrison commander, was equipped with twelve personal guards.

He brought three thousand people, claiming it was to protect Eunuch Hu.

Of course, no one would care if they really wanted to equip themselves with more personal guards or something.

Anyway, these are all privately owned, and as long as you can afford to support them, generally no one will interfere.

These personal guards were usually the general's personal servants, and their treatment was several times or even ten times that of ordinary soldiers.

Only in this way can combat effectiveness be guaranteed.

These personal guards of Jia Chen were not household servants, and their treatment was not much better than that of other soldiers just because they were protecting him.

The captain of the personal guards was named Wei Dao, who was in his early thirties. He joined Qian Shandun when Wang Baisheng and his men first recruited.

His family was killed during a raid by the Northern Barbarians, and he joined the army to avenge them.

Wei Dao had previously performed meritorious service and was awarded a small flag.

He was a lay disciple of the Hanging Temple of Hengshan Mountain and possessed remarkable martial arts skills.

In a one-on-one situation, Jia Chen is no match for him.

Speaking of which, Jia Chen learned his martial arts from his father, Jia Gan, and could be considered an ordinary martial arts practitioner from a mountain sect.

It's far inferior to upholding morality.

Wei Dao comes from a prestigious and upright family.

What interested Jia Chen was the Weidao Society's qigong, which was similar to the internal energy and true qi seen in martial arts TV dramas from his previous life.

This world truly exists.

However, cultivating true internal energy is by no means easy. In addition to having a good lineage and guidance from a famous teacher, it also requires personal comprehension and diligent practice.

According to Wei Dao, his martial arts talent is not bad. He has been practicing since childhood and has only achieved some minor success.

That is why, even though Jia Chen was quite strong, he was no match for Wei Dao.

Jia Chen only practices external martial arts, while Wei Dao cultivates both internal and external skills; they are incomparable.

Ever since he learned about the so-called internal energy cultivation techniques, Jia Chen had wanted to learn them. As a man, who doesn't dream of becoming a martial arts hero?

Unfortunately, Wei Dao refused, saying that the technique could not be passed on to outsiders without the sect's permission.

However, Wei Dao said that he could consult his master, and he could not guarantee whether it would be successful in the end.

Jia Chen didn't force him; it would be best if he could learn, but if not, he would find another way.

These martial arts techniques from various sects are indeed not to be passed on to outsiders. If any disciple dares to pass them on without authorization, they would probably be hunted down by their sect.

As one's status and power increase, the possibility of obtaining internal martial arts manuals from other places is quite high.

Wei Dao also told Jia Chen that even a master of internal martial arts would likely find it difficult to withstand the damage from firearms.

At most, they can rely on some light footwork techniques to avoid bullets or be hit in vital areas.

Jia Chen never imagined that practicing internal energy would make him invincible and impervious to swords and spears; it wasn't that mystical.

He just thought that after practicing, he could improve his physical fitness and become stronger.

In case of an assassination attempt someday, it will be better able to fight back.

As one's official rank rises, the number of people one offends will inevitably increase, and there will certainly be many who want to kill one.

Just like now, isn't Sun Shaozu trying to kill him?

He usually takes Wei Dao and his men with him when he goes out. This time, he brought thirty men, ostensibly to protect Hu Youcai, but also to protect himself.

You can't be careless about your own safety.

Wei Ya serves as a cautionary tale.

Seven days later, Jia Chen and Hu Youcai returned to the capital.

Hu Youcai told Jia Chen to go home and wait for news. If nothing unexpected happened, someone would come looking for him within three days.

After parting ways with Hu Youcai, Jia Chen took Wei Dao and the others back home.

The family had already received the news.

Although Jia Chen did not inform his family of his return, when they returned to the street corner, they were already seen by the neighbors, and many people ran back to report the news.

Who doesn't know Jia Chen now?

Especially with thirty men, including Wei Dao, following behind Jia Chen, even though they had put away their weapons such as knives, guns, and muskets, they were still very conspicuous when walking on the street.

Wei Dao and the others were arranged to stay in the front courtyard's rear building, where they slept on beds in several rooms, which was enough to keep them occupied.

Fortunately, it's only a short stay.

In the inner courtyard, Jia Shenshi, supported by Qin Keqing, came out and immediately saw Jia Chen standing there. She excitedly exclaimed, "Chen'er, you're finally back!"

"Mother! I'm going to the capital on official business, so I can come home for a few days. I'm sorry to have worried you," Jia Chen hurriedly said.

"Master!" Qin Keqing, who was standing next to Jia Shenshi, called out softly.

Jia Chen looked at Qin Keqing, who stood beside his mother, her figure slender and graceful. Her eyes and brows exuded intelligence and gentleness.

Her eyes were slightly red, and she seemed hesitant to speak.

Jia Chen was touched to know that she was worried about him.

So he smiled slightly at her and nodded.

The two looked into each other's eyes, and Qin Keqing blushed slightly. They had only met once before, on their wedding day.

Although she had been thinking about Jia Chen ever since he went to Datong, she still felt shy when she saw him again.

Jia Liuya pounced over like a little sparrow and hugged Jia Chen's arm: "Second brother, Mother and sister-in-law have been talking about you every day. You didn't even say you were coming back. It gave us quite a fright."

Jia Chen patted Jia Liuya's little head, picked her up, and laughed, "It happened so suddenly, next time I'll definitely send someone to notify you first."

.

It was a rare occasion for the whole family to sit together for dinner.

Madam Jia Shen looked delighted. Qin Keqing, sitting next to Jia Chen, gently served the dishes, while Jia Liuya chattered on about interesting things happening in the border town.

"Second Brother, what rank is a garrison commander? Is it higher than a chiliarch?" Jia Liuya asked.

"Yes, Chen'er, what rank is he?" Madam Jia was also a little curious, as she didn't know much about these things.

Qin Keqing did know a little, but she didn't say much in front of her husband.

"He's still a commander of a thousand households, but he used to be in charge of a small fortified village. Now he's been transferred to a large fortified city, so it's considered a promotion," Jia Chen explained briefly.

Upon hearing about the promotion, Jia Shenshi's smile widened even more.

She didn't understand anything about defense, but as long as her son was promoted, it was definitely a good thing, no doubt about it.

"My dear husband, did you hear that? Chen'er has been promoted again. May you protect him from heaven and keep him safe and sound—" Jia Shenshi murmured.

"Chen'er, eat more. It's rare for you to come back," Madam Jia Shen said again.

Jia Chen smiled and said, "Mother, I've already eaten two big bowls of rice."

"That's not enough, have another bowl," Jia Shenshi said, shaking her head.

With a smile, Qin Keqing picked up Jia Chen's empty bowl and added rice to it.

It's not that Jia Chen is a chauvinist who doesn't want to do things himself; in this day and age, these are things that wives should do.

Especially in front of her mother-in-law, the daughter-in-law must follow the rules.

After dinner, the family chatted together for a while.

"Little Sprout, ask again tomorrow. It's time to rest," Madam Jia Shen said as her daughter kept pestering Jia Chen with questions.

"Mother, it's still early. I have so much to say to my second brother," Jia Liuya insisted.

"You little brat," Jia Shenshi said sternly, "Whatever it is, we'll talk about it tomorrow."

He left in a hurry when his son got married, without even consummating the marriage with his daughter-in-law.

Since they've finally come back and don't know how long they'll be able to stay, it's natural to let the two of them have some alone time as soon as possible.

She's also looking forward to having a grandson soon.

Seemingly sensing her mother's displeasure, Jia Liuya, unaware of the reason, could only utter an "oh," and then said to Jia Chen, "Second brother, tell me about the fortified wall again tomorrow."

"Okay, I'll definitely tell you tomorrow," Jia Chen nodded.

Jia Chen returned to the east wing and finished washing up.

"Son-in-law!"

Baozhu and Ruizhu were talking quietly with Qin Keqing, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, when they saw Jia Chen come in and hurriedly gave a curtsy.

Jia Chen nodded slightly.

The two women glanced at Qin Keqing, lowered their heads, and retreated with smiles on their lips.

Inside, a brazier was burning brightly, and although it was very cold outside, the room was warm and cozy.

After Baozhu and Ruizhu left, the room fell silent instantly, with only the occasional crackling of the burning red candles.

Looking at Qin Keqing, who was sitting on the windowsill with her head down, Jia Chen softly called out, "Wife."

"Master~~" Qin Keqing's cheeks flushed red, full of shyness.

She knew exactly what would happen today; she had imagined this scene countless times before, but now that the moment had arrived, she felt nervous and uneasy.

Jia Chen sat down beside Qin Keqing and gently held her small hand: "My lady, let's talk for a while."

"Okay~~ I'll listen to you, Master~~" Qin Keqing said in a barely audible voice.

The man in front of her was her everything, so naturally, whatever he said went.

Jia Chen could sense the tension in the woman beside him.

"Let's talk while we're lying down," Jia Chen said with a slight smile.

Qin Keqing hummed in agreement and lay down stiffly.

"Thank you for your hard work while I was away," Jia Chen said as he lay down beside her.

"Grandpa, this is what I should do. My mother-in-law treats me very well."

Perhaps it was chatting about everyday things that gradually eased Qin Keqing's nervousness.

He started stuttering a bit, but gradually calmed down later.

As they spoke, Jia Chen's hands and feet slowly moved forward. Qin Keqing could feel this aggression, but she also enjoyed the feeling.

This is a matter between husband and wife; they would have to face it sooner or later.

"My lady." Jia Chen propped himself up and looked down at Qin Keqing.

Qin Keqing closed her eyes shyly, and whispered "Master" through her cherry-like lips.

Jia Chen could no longer hold back —

The boudoir is warm with hibiscus blossoms, the quilt is turned up in waves of red.

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