The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 610: Red Cannon Arrives
On the evening of the sixth day of the first lunar month in the ninth year of Qiansheng, Jia Huan bid farewell to Jia Mu and Jia Zheng in advance, and said goodbye to Chai Dai and other girls. He set out early the next morning and hurried to Shanhaiguan. In addition to Tie Niu, Jin Bao and Mu Ye who were responsible for escorting him, Mandalin also went with him in men's clothing. This foreign maid had a man's bun on her head, a red headband tied at her eyebrows, and carried the first flintlock rifle made in Jinling. She was full of energy and looked heroic.

On the afternoon of the eighth day of the first lunar month, the group finally arrived at Shanhaiguan. Although the weather was still very cold, Sun Chengzong had already begun to arrange for the refugees to be escorted out of the pass and return home.

Standing on the top of the Shanhaiguan Pass and looking east, you can see Liao people with their families pouring out of the pass continuously, heading east along the coastal road, stretching for dozens of miles, with no end in sight.

Looking at the Liao people shivering in the cold wind, Jia Huan couldn't help but say to Sun Chengzong beside him: "Teacher, isn't it too early to let the people out of the pass now? In fact, it won't be too late to let them out when the weather warms up next month."

Sun Chengzong shook his head and said, "It's not too early. Before Xiong Tingbai entered the pass, he fortified the city and cleared the fields. Most of the fortresses and houses have been demolished and must be rebuilt. In addition, the farmland outside the pass has been abandoned for half a year. We must turn the ridges and prepare the soil in advance, otherwise we will not be able to catch up in early March for spring plowing and sowing. Spring wheat is the main food crop in western and eastern Liaoning, and it only grows once a year. If we miss the farming season, we will have no harvest this year."

Jia Huan frowned and said, "If that's the case, then the logistics should also keep up. Why are there still people walking barefoot or using leaves to cover their bodies? How can we teach them how to keep warm while traveling? I'm afraid many people will get sick and freeze to death along the way."

Sun Chengzong glanced at Jia Huan and said with a wry smile, "I would like to give each of the common people a set of cotton-padded clothes and boots to keep warm, but we are short of money everywhere. Now we must first ensure the needs of the soldiers on the front line."

Jia Huan fell silent upon hearing this. Over the years, the Jin Dynasty had suffered repeated defeats in Liaodong. Not only did it lose the entire Liaodong, but it also lost half of Liaoxi. The most fertile Liaohe Plain fell into the hands of the Jurchens. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers were killed or wounded, and the direct and indirect economic losses were incalculable.

Not to mention anything else, just the fact that Xiong Tingbai abandoned Ningyuan City and moved hundreds of thousands of people from western Liaoning into the pass resulted in a loss of one million taels of silver. This was because a huge amount of manpower and material resources had been spent on building the western Liaoning defense line in the first place, and it would cost at least one million taels of silver to rebuild it now. Add to that the various expenses of the front-line troops, and the national treasury would be devastated in the course of the year. Unfortunately, not long ago, the Great Jin Dynasty experienced a coup d'état, which undoubtedly made the situation worse.

Sun Chengzong stretched out his hand to press Jia Huan's shoulder, and said in a serious tone: "I am very pleased that Ziming can sympathize with the people, but things have their priorities, and good steel must be used on the blade. The most urgent task is Ningyuan City. Only when Ningyuan is defended can the people of Liaoxi rebuild their homes safely and our goal of rebuilding the Guanning Defense Line can be achieved. Therefore, Ziming has a heavy burden on his shoulders!"

Sun Chengzong pointed to the long line of Liao people outside the pass and said in a deep voice: "The safety of Ningyuan not only concerns the lives of these Liao people, but also concerns Shanhaiguan, the capital, and even the survival of the entire Jin Dynasty.

Establish your mind for the world, establish your life for the people, inherit the lost knowledge of the past sages, and create peace for all generations. This is the discipline of my Diecui Academy, and it is also the faith of our generation of scholars who are determined to move forward without hesitation. Ziming, Ningyuan City is now in your hands! "

Jia Huan felt a heavy weight on his shoulders, and his chest was filled with blood. He said solemnly, "Don't worry, sir. As long as I am still alive, I will not allow the Jiannu to advance further."

Sun Chengzong smiled and said, "Master, I believe you have the ability to do this. Go ahead. Young people are full of vigor and vitality, but don't indulge in women."

Jia Huan's handsome face turned slightly red, and he bowed and said, "Student will follow the teacher's instructions." Then he took Mandalin and others down the city wall.

The foreign maid pouted her lips and whispered something.

After Jia Huan and his companions got down from the city wall, they immediately mounted their horses and rode out of the pass towards Ningyuan City. While they were resting on the way, they happened to meet a family of Liao people who were also resting nearby. They were huddled together and shivering from the cold.

Jia Huan asked Mu Ye to take out two thick clothes and a pair of new boots from his bag to give to the family to keep warm. The family was so surprised that they knelt down and worshiped as if they had met a living Buddha.

Jia Huan hurriedly helped them up and said, "Get up. Where are you from?"

"I live in Ningyuan Shihaozhai." The middle-aged man in the lead answered respectfully, and then took a curious look at the blonde Mandarin and asked, "Your accent doesn't sound like you're from outside the Great Wall. I don't know what to call you. The situation outside the Great Wall is not peaceful right now. If it's nothing urgent, you'd better turn back quickly."

Jia Huan was wearing casual clothes and had a delicate figure. Although Mandalin was dressed as a man, she could still be recognized as a woman at a glance. So the man mistakenly thought that Jia Huan was a rich young man from some family who was out for fun and excitement with his beautiful maid.

Jia Huan smiled and said, "Thank you for the reminder, uncle. Just call me Third Master Huan. What a coincidence that I am also going to Ningyuan this time. By the way, the weather is so cold, why don't you and your family wait until it's warmer before leaving?"

The middle-aged man shook his head and said, "I can't wait! I can't wait!"

"Why? Did the officers and soldiers force you?"

The middle-aged man smiled and said, "No, I'm just thinking about the 20 mu of land at home. The governor said that as long as we return to our hometown, each adult male will be given another 20 mu of land, and there will be three years of tax exemption. Hehe, if we go back too late, the fertile land will be occupied by others, and the remaining poor land will not be worth it. So our family plans to go back early and get the land to turn the ridges and prepare it early, just in time for spring ploughing. By the way, I heard that the government also provides oxen, farm tools and wheat seeds, how great! Now the only worry is that the Jiannu will attack us."

Jia Huan laughed and said, "We have our own army to deal with the Jiannu. Uncle, just rest assured to farm. It snowed so heavily this year. I hope you and your family will have a good harvest this year. I wish your warehouses are full and your warehouses are flowing."

"Oh, then I will accept your good words, Third Master Huan." The middle-aged man said with a smile. Jia Huan mounted the horse, waved his hand, and galloped away.

The Hanzi family watched Jia Huan and the others disappear on the official road. The woman happily stroked the two new thick clothes and said, "Master, this time you really met a bodhisattva. These two clothes and boots are worth at least several taels of silver!"

The man curled his lips and said, "You are ignorant. I don't know if you can buy this kind of material and workmanship for more than ten taels."

The woman couldn't help but be surprised and said, "It's so valuable, it's incredible, then quickly wrap it up, and when we sell it, the money will be enough for our family to eat for a year."

"Bullshit, put it on the girl quickly. It's useless to have money when someone is freezing to death... Hey, Third Master Huan? I heard that the military commander of Ningyuan seems to be called Jia Huan. Could he be the young master just now?"

"It can't be such a coincidence?" the woman muttered.

The man said excitedly, "It's almost certain. Think about it, at this time, which rich young man would go out to play? Unless he is a fool! And I heard that Jia Huan is a child prodigy who won six prizes in a row. He must be very young."

"Amitabha, I really met a noble person when I went out!" The woman quickly put her hands together and knelt down to worship.

Jia Huan and his party rushed all the way and arrived in Ningyuan in the evening. General Zu Tianshou, Lieutenant General Wu Sangui, Shitou Xingwei and others came out of the city to welcome them. When the soldiers saw the foreign girl Mandarin dressed as a man, they couldn't help but be amazed and secretly envied the good fortune of the military commander.

Although Mandarin was usually lazy at home, she was a strictly trained soldier after all. Once she entered the barracks, it was as if her blood was awakened. She worked meticulously, a typical workaholic. The next day, she asked Jia Huan to take her to the ordnance workshop in the city to start guiding the arms craftsmen to make flintlock rifles by hand.

In the following days, Jia Huan was very busy. On the one hand, he took the time to strengthen the city defenses and build a granary on Juehua Island. On the other hand, he resettled the people returning to Ningyuan from the interior and prepared for spring plowing. The work of training troops was led by Ningyuan General Zu Tianshou, assisted by Lieutenant General Wu Sangui and Guerrilla General Xing Wei.

That's right, Shitou Xingwei is now a guerrilla general. If Jia Huan wants to be the boss, he naturally has to support his own people. In addition, Jia Huan also fulfilled his original promise and promoted Man Gui to a centurion. Man Gui has Mongolian ancestry, is good at riding and shooting, and is brave and dares to fight and charge, so Jia Huan let him lead a cavalry team of 100 people, directly under the jurisdiction of Xing Wei.

In the blink of an eye, it was the end of February in the ninth year of Qiansheng. The weather was getting warmer and the Liao land began to thaw. The people who were allocated land rushed out to plow the land and prepare the soil. Their enthusiasm was unprecedentedly high. After all, there was a three-year tax exemption. Within three years, all the income from the land would belong to them. The more they planted, the more income they would earn, so everyone naturally worked hard.

One day, Jia Huan was watching Mandarin directing the craftsmen to rub the rifling by hand in the workshop. Just as he was lamenting the low efficiency, a personal soldier came in and said, "Sir Bingbei, the adjutant general of the Jinling Navy, Zhang Guizhang, the captain of the Yangzhou Guard, Tiehu, and the inspector of the Dulong Island Inspection Office, Qin Hongyu, wish to see you."

Jia Huan was overjoyed when he heard this. He had finally waited for these people to come, and hurriedly took Tie Niu back to Ningyuan Military Preparations.

When Jia Huan stepped into the hall of the Military Preparation Office, Shitou Xingwei was chatting with Tiehu and others.

"I am here to pay my respects to Lord Bingbei!" When everyone saw Jia Huan, they all stood up and saluted.

After not seeing each other for more than a year, Tiehu was excited, Qin Hongyu was smiling, and Zhang Guizhang was respectful and cautious.

"No need to be polite!" Jia Huan said with a smile. He gave Tiehu a firm hug and then turned to Qin Hongyu and said with a smile, "How are you, Mr. Qin?"

"Thanks to Lord Jia's kindness, everything is fine." Qin Hongyu smiled, seeming a little embarrassed.

This is no wonder. After more than a year, the little scholar has turned into a fourth-rank official in the court, commanding a large number of troops to guard a region. From now on, they will all have to obey Jia Huan's orders.

Jia Huan's eyes finally fell on Zhang Guizhang, the admiral of the Jinling Navy, and he asked with a smile, "Admiral Zhang, have all my red cannons arrived?"

Zhang Guizhang said respectfully, "Your Excellency, they have all been transported here, not a single one missing, and they are all on board."

Jia Huan felt relieved when he heard this. With these twenty red cannons, Ningyuan City would have nothing to worry about.

(End of this chapter)