The Military Governor in Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 97 Killing Shangguan

"Hmph, the garrison commander of Qianshan Fort is my second uncle," Jia Mao sneered.

However, he became wary.

After all, a few days ago Jia Chen had mentioned to them that Wei Ya and others might have ulterior motives towards Qianshan Fort.

Jia Mao believed Wang Chuan's words to some extent.

"What if Lord Jia is transferred to Zhenqiang Fort?" Wang Chuan said. "Gao Gou mentioned that Garrison Commander Wei will visit the Vice Commander after the New Year, and Desheng Fort should issue the transfer order then. But it's good, according to Gao Gou's intentions, Lord Jia will at least be promoted to Qianzong. Lord Jia will most likely take you with him, so you don't need to worry about that. The others who stay in Qianshan Fort are not Gao Gou's confidants, and their future days will probably be difficult. Look at me, because my surname is Wang, I'm being harassed in all sorts of ways under him, and I can't live like this anymore."

Liu Tianwang and Wang Ziteng didn't get along, and Wang Chuan, being a member of the Wang family, naturally didn't have a good time here.

Even so, he stayed here, which shows that Wang Shen really suppressed him very hard.

Of course, Wang Chuan also had the ambition to achieve great things.

He had no chance at all in the Beijing garrison, but he had some opportunities in the border towns.

"What else do you know? For example, when will Wei Ya go to Desheng Fort after the New Year?" Jia Mao asked, his heart sinking.

"That's all. Gao Gou didn't explain it clearly back then," Wang Chuan said, shaking his head. "Brother Mao, if Lord Jia gets promoted, could you put in a good word for me? I'd like to follow him."

In his opinion, even if Jia Chen and Jia Mao left Qianshan Fort, their lives would still be quite good.

Didn't you see that Jia Chen is now a thousand-household commander?

If I follow Jia Chen, and Jia Mao takes care of me, at least I won't be targeted by anyone.

"You only just remembered now?" Jia Mao rolled his eyes at him.

"This?" Wang Chuan's face showed unease. "I caused Lord Jia a lot of trouble by following that bastard Wang Shen before. I'm afraid that, sir..."

"Are you kidding? My second uncle is magnanimous. Would he remember your trivial matters?" Jia Mao said. "I'll talk to him about it later, but since you're in Gaogou now, it's hard to say whether he'll release you. Anyway, I'll do my best."

Jia Mao quite approves of Wang Chuan.

Wang Chuan also told me the reason why Jia Chen was sent to Datong for rotational training and border defense.

In terms of martial arts, Wang Chuan was actually stronger than Wang Shen.

However, the Wang family was mainly pushing Wang Shen, so Wang Chuan naturally had to step aside. Even if he was capable, he had to kneel down and make way for Wang Shen.

Moreover, if Wang Chuan's news this time is true, it's equivalent to making a great contribution. It wouldn't be a problem to ask him to come over and give him a meal.

Furthermore, the two had a good relationship to begin with, and seeing Wang Chuan's current miserable state, Jia Mao wanted to lend a helping hand.

"Thank you so much, Brother Mao. This mutton?" Wang Chuan felt a weight lifted off his shoulders.

"Eat up, eat up." Jia Mao released his hand.

Wang Chuan grabbed it as if afraid someone would snatch it away.

"Slow down, you're like a hungry ghost reincarnated. Nobody's going to take it from you," Jia Mao said.

"Brother Mao, you're a well-fed man who doesn't know the hunger of an starving man."

Wang Chuan didn't linger there long; after eating and drinking his fill, he went back.

After seeing Wang Chuan off, Jia Mao immediately went to find Jia Chen and explained what had happened.

After listening, Jia Chen's expression became somewhat serious.

Seeing that Jia Chen hadn't spoken for a while, Jia Mao couldn't help but get a little anxious.

"Second Uncle, if what Wang Chuan said is true, and Wei Ya and the others really want to transfer you away and take over Qianshan Fort, then this is what Wang Baisheng meant by 'picking the peaches' (profiting from others' labor). We worked so hard to build this city and manufacture these cannons, and they just want to take over like this?" Jia Mao was so angry that he could hardly vent his anger.

"Go and call everyone here," Jia Chen said in a deep voice.

What was bound to happen has finally happened.

Jia Chen just didn't expect it to come so quickly.

The so-called "master" was naturally Jia Chen's confidant, and Jia Mao certainly knew this.

Everyone gathered together again.

"Old Sun, tell me, how credible is Wang Chuan's story?" Jia Chen asked.

Sun Tiechong was responsible for gathering intelligence on Wei Ya and his group's movements, but so far there hasn't been much progress.

This cannot be blamed on Sun Tiechong. After all, Wei Ya came from Deshengbao and did not trust the locals much, so he still used the troops from the Beijing Garrison.

Moreover, it has only been a few days, and it will take time to gather information.

"My lord, if we consider his statement, I think the matter is almost certainly true," Sun Tiechong said. "As for when Wei Ya will go to Desheng Fort to see Liu Tianwang, I think it should be on the third day of the first lunar month."

Because of Jia Chen, people privately address these people by their first names.

They're all plotting against Qianshanbao, so what's there to respect?

"You old codger, you haven't uttered a single word these past few days, not a single piece of news from Zhenqiang Fort, and now you've suddenly decided on the date of Wei Ya's departure. Are you trying to fool everyone?" Wang Baisheng cursed.

"My lord, the third day of the first lunar month is the usual practice, and I don't think there will be any changes this year," Sun Tiechong said.

"Shouldn't it be the first day of the Lunar New Year? The earlier the better," Wang Baisheng said again.

"What do you know? Doesn't Liu Tianwang have to go and pay his respects to the General?" Sun Tiechong glanced at Wang Baisheng and said, "It's nearly 90 li from Desheng Fort to Datong Prefecture, and it takes a day and a half to go back and forth. Liu Tianwang will need to rest when he gets back, so the third day of the first lunar month is the day when the General and the others go to pay their respects to him."

"That makes sense," Liu Cheng nodded.

"These days, the garrison has been purchasing some New Year's goods, which should be what Wei Ya prepared when he went to Desheng Fort," Sun Tiechong said.

"The garrison troops on the north road and east side should all be heading to Victory Fort on the same day, right?" Jia Chen said.

The relationships among the military commanders in the border towns were delicate, involving both camaraderie and competition.

If you sneak off to pay a New Year's visit to your superior without prior arrangement, your colleagues will see it as scheming, flattery, or an attempt to get special treatment.

Therefore, military officers of the same rank would usually communicate privately and arrange a time to go together, which was both safe and respectable.

Jia Chen couldn't help but think of Ye Fandong. Even if he couldn't get the exact departure date from Zhenqiang Fort, he should be able to find out from Ye Fandong.

"That's right, together," Sun Tiechong laughed. "So the departure date isn't exactly a secret; we should have news in a few days."

Hearing this, everyone felt much more at ease.

"Second Uncle, can't you go and talk to the General about this? If he intervenes, I believe Liu Tianwang won't be able to transfer you away, right?" Jia Mao asked.

All eyes turned to Jia Chen.

They knew that Chen Tai now valued Jia Chen highly, and this might be a solution.

Jia Chen shook his head and said, "Let's not even talk about the fact that Lord Chen is not in Datong right now. Even if he comes back after the New Year, countless people will come to pay their respects. I'm not qualified to go there. Besides, my transfer is within Liu Tianwang's duties and authority. I suspect they might even promote me. At that time, Lord Chen probably won't be able to interfere."

Chen Tai is indeed not in Datong.

After he was granted a title, while he was still in the capital, he wrote a letter home, asking his family to properly repair the ancestral graves.

Previously, due to urgent military affairs in the border town, he could not leave Datong Prefecture.

Now that Lindan Khan has retreated, Chen Tai returned to his hometown, which is about a day's journey from Datong Prefecture.

He'll probably only come back after spending the Lunar New Year in his hometown.

After all, it was a joyous occasion of being granted a noble title, a chance to return home in glory and bring honor to one's ancestors.

Wang Chuan said that Wei Ya wanted him to serve as a centurion in Zhenqiang Fort, but Jia Chen felt that this was probably not enough.

He was originally a commander of a thousand households, so it was only natural for him to be promoted to the rank of commander of a thousand households; it was not a promotion at all.

Being a garrison officer here is like having absolute power; it's much better than being a centurion in Zhenqiang Fort.

Zhenqiang Fort has two commanders, above them a discipline officer, and then a garrison commander.

For me, Ren Qianzong means demotion.

Therefore, it is very likely that Wei Ya will appoint him as the Integrity Officer.

For most people, this is a huge benefit, as they get a promotion.

But for Jia Chen, this was not a good thing.

Without the position of Tunpu officer, he would no longer be able to command so many soldiers.

At most, they'll take a few close friends or family members with them.

If I really get to Zhenqiang Fort, I'll probably be sidelined.

"Sir, what else can we do? We can't just sit here and wait to die, can we?" Wu Jiangsheng asked.

They don't trust anyone. If a new fortress official were appointed, Wu Jiangsheng doesn't believe they would treat their subordinates as well as Jia Chen did.

The good days hadn't lasted long before the higher-ups were about to crush their hopes; they couldn't stand it.

"I'll say it again, if anyone dares to come, I'll chop them down," Ding Heihu said in a muffled voice.

"Have a brain, you sick cat," Wang Baisheng sneered. "If you really want to kill someone at Qianshan Fort, not only will you be finished, but everyone else will be implicated. Even if you want to kill someone, you should at least intercept them halfway. As long as you don't leave any traces, who will know it was us? Sir, if Gao Gou really wants to replace you, we'll take care of him halfway."

"Yes, kill him. Let's not let anyone ruin our good days." The others agreed.

Seeing the crowd's excited state, Jia Chen sighed inwardly.

Wang Baisheng and his associates' interests were now intertwined with theirs; killing a superior was a grave crime.

But they didn't seem to care at all.

It's understandable, since it's impossible for all newly arrived Tunpu officials to treat their subordinates as well as he does.

How miserable were Wang Baisheng and his group when they didn't have themselves?

It's so unpleasant to not have enough to eat.

Jia Chen reached out and pressed down, and everyone quieted down, their eyes fixed on Jia Chen.

"Do you know that killing an official is a serious crime, punishable by beheading?" Jia Chen said.

"Don't worry, sir. If we are exposed, it will be our own decision and will have nothing to do with you," Wang Baisheng said loudly.

Others also expressed their opinions, and everyone shared the same sentiment.

That's what they say, but if Wang Baisheng and his group are really exposed, can Jia Chen, their superior, just brush it off with a simple "I don't know anything"?

Obviously not, those in power aren't stupid.

"Everyone is right, our good life is hard-won. Anyone who tries to take it from us is taking our lives. Since they want our lives, then we'll take theirs first," Jia Chen said coldly.

Since everyone had the same idea, Jia Chen naturally couldn't refuse.

He already had that intention.

Although murder is not the best method, as it is too risky, if successful, the results would be quite good.

Moreover, Jia Chen doesn't have any better options right now.

The other side has the support of Liu Tianwang, a military officer, so our disadvantage is too great.

"However, we're not killing Gao Gou," Jia Chen continued.

This left everyone dumbfounded. If they didn't kill Gao Gou, who would they kill?

Jia Chen understood everyone's doubts and said coldly, "If you're going to kill someone, kill Wei Ya. It's time to replace the garrison commander of Zhenqiang Fort."

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