The Military Governor in Dream of the Red Chamber

"Sigh, Second Uncle, as you said, even though you're a centurion, back in the capital, Wang Shen in the Beijing Garrison, even if he's just a low-ranking officer, would probably dare to give you attitude," Jia Mao said.

Jia Chen did not answer; he knew Jia Mao was right.

The Wang family members were practically untouchable in the Beijing military camp.

If the Jia family's descendants were not very capable and only earned a meager salary, they wouldn't be targeted.

On the contrary, outstanding people like Jia Chen are suppressed.

This can be seen from Jia Gan's case.

With Jia Gan's abilities, he should have been promoted long ago under normal circumstances, but he has been stuck at the rank of captain for a long time without being promoted.

"Let's take it one step at a time." After a moment of contemplation, Jia Chen said, "At least this rotation of troops to guard the border had a good outcome. If they knew, they'd be furious. It's a good turn of events."

Jia Chen really hadn't thought about what the future held.

When I was at Qianshandun, all I wanted was to survive and hope to return to the capital alive. I had no time to think about anything else.

Now that things have basically stabilized, it's time to properly plan my future career.

The Jia family is unreliable; they won't last many more years.

If we wait until the building is about to collapse, it will be too late.

We need to prepare for this matter as soon as possible and leave ourselves a way out.

Where should we begin?

Jia Chen has no clue what to do right now.

Of course, it can't be said that there is none at all.

I received a lot of silver this time. If the Jia family really falls in the future, I, as a member of a collateral branch, might be able to escape disaster and avoid being purged.

As long as there's money, I believe we can still make ends meet.

Of course, it's best to have more insurance, even if there's still a high possibility that a collateral branch will be implicated.

Hearing Jia Chen's words, Jia Mao smiled and felt a little better.

If it weren't for their underhanded tricks, my second uncle and the others really wouldn't have been able to achieve any merit.

The candidates for governor and commander-in-chief of Datong Town were quickly decided.

The governor came from the capital; he was essentially parachuted in.

The commander-in-chief was Chen Tai, the former deputy commander of the Northeast Route.

In the days leading up to the final decision, rumors circulated in Datong's official circles, especially in the military, that Chen Tai might be promoted to general. However, at first, no one wanted to believe it.

Chen Tai didn't have much of a background, so he would never get an important position like the commander-in-chief.

It wasn't until the imperial edict arrived that everyone was forced to confront this fact.

Subsequently, Chen Tai's North-Eastern Route, during the Chahar tribe's southward raid, was well-commanded, and his soldiers fought bravely, achieving great victories.

These stories quickly spread.

The Battle of Qianshandun, in particular, is widely known.

Under the leadership of the commander Jia Chen, Qian Shandun launched a surprise attack on the Northern Barbarian camp, rescued the captured soldiers, defended Qian Shandun to the death, and then stormed the returning Northern Barbarian army to rescue the abducted civilians.

They killed over a hundred enemies and captured 12 heads of the northern barbarians, of which four were taken by the headman Jia Chen.

For a time, Jia Chen's name spread widely in Datong Town, especially on Beidong Road, and he was regarded as a hero of Beidong Road.

Jia Chen had no idea how he became famous.

Thinking back on it, he realized it was mostly because of Chen Tai.

Chen Tai had just taken office as general, and his position was not yet secure. He needed some means to consolidate his power.

While it's said to be about the great victory at Qianshandun, it's actually also a reference to Chen Tai's achievements.

It was mostly Chen Tai who was pushing things along behind the scenes; otherwise, how could this news have spread so quickly, especially regarding the military achievements, which were all real and undeniable, something that ordinary people wouldn't know?

This is creating a hero, and Jia Chen certainly has no objection.

For him, there were only benefits and no drawbacks.

However, he wouldn't be able to enjoy this benefit for long, because he had to return to the capital.

"Second Uncle, do you think you would be doing better if you were in Datong Town?" Jia Mao asked.

When discussing the victory at Qianshandun, Jia Chen's name is naturally the first one mentioned, along with others like Jia Mao.

Therefore, Jia Mao has been walking with his head held high and chest out these days, looking very proud.

Jia Mao paused for a moment.

To be honest, he had considered leaving the Beijing garrison and trying his luck elsewhere.

In the Beijing garrison, under the shadow of Wang Ziteng, he had almost no room to maneuver.

But Jia Chen didn't think that his great victory at Qianshandun would make his future easier.

If we were to actually settle down in Datong Town, the situation would be completely different.

I am an outsider with no real roots.

Although they have some fame now, it will soon fade away.

Especially considering the vast difference in status between himself and Chen Tai, he was just a nobody, and who knew if Chen Tai would forget him one day.

If we encounter any trouble here, won't we be left helpless and unable to get help?

If he returns to the capital garrison, the worst that can happen is that he will have difficulty getting promoted. As long as he behaves himself and doesn't try to steal the limelight from Wang Shen and other members of the Wang family, he can at least keep his life.

It's just a bit pathetic.

We'll have to wait until we get back to Beijing to make plans for the future.

Since he was a member of the Jia family, and it wasn't easy for him to get along in the Beijing garrison, he could rely on the Jia family's influence in other ways.

The Jia family will be prosperous for at least another decade or so, and I need to make sure I have a way out during that time.

"Don't overthink it," Jia Chen said with a sigh. "You don't always have this kind of good luck."

"That's right, do you really think the Northern barbarians are so easy to kill?" Liu Cheng glanced at Jia Mao and said.

Jia Mao chuckled. Of course he knew all this; he was just saying it casually.

Just ten days after Chen Tai was promoted to general, there was another bombshell in Datong Town: Liu Tianwang, the former guerrilla general of the Beijing Rotary Training Camp, was promoted to deputy commander of the Beidong Road of Datong Town.

Once the position of General was decided, the position of Assistant Commander of the Northern East Route became the target of many people's attention.

Those with connections used various means to pull strings and spend money, but unfortunately, they ultimately failed to achieve their goals.

After Liu Tianwang became the military commander of the North East Road, the original troops of the Rotary Training Camp stayed with him in the North East Road and did not return to the capital camp.

Such an order immediately sparked discontent within the rotational training battalion.

Because many soldiers in the rotational training camp were unwilling to stay in the border town.

It's fine to make them work hard and guard the border for a few months, but if they have to be stationed in the border town for a long time in the future, very few will be willing.

Liu Tianwang was reasonable and told the soldiers of the training camp that he had reported to the court, and that the court was considerate of the soldiers and would reward those who wished to stay, while those who did not wish to stay could return to the capital camp.

This finally calmed things down at the training camp.

"Second Uncle, it's so late, why aren't you asleep? Why did you pull us up?" Jia Mao asked, yawning.

I had been sleeping for quite a while, but I didn't expect Jia Chen to wake me up.

Liu Cheng didn't say anything, but looked at Jia Chen with some curiosity. What was it that couldn't be said tomorrow?

"I can't sleep. I've been thinking about it for a long time, and I feel I need to discuss it with you guys," Jia Chen said.

"What are you thinking about?" Jia Mao asked.

"I want to stay here and guard North East Road," Jia Chen said with a serious expression.

"Huh?" Jia Mao's sleepiness vanished instantly. "Second Uncle, didn't you say that a couple of days ago?"

Just a couple of days ago, he jokingly said that staying in Datong Town might be better than being in the Beijing Garrison.

At the time, both Jia Chen and Liu Cheng were against it.

Why has Jia Chen changed his mind now?

"Times have changed," Jia Chen said, shaking his head.