Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

"Brother Jie Zheng, you have suffered." Jia Cong greeted him as he walked out of the second door with a smile.

"I would like to thank the young master for giving me a new life." Liu Jiezhen's eyes were filled with tears and he bowed his head.

"Hey, we are brothers, don't be so formal." Jia Cong rushed forward with a smile and helped him up.

Niu Jizon, Qiu Zhixin, Wang Ziteng and others also offered their condolences.

Liu Jiezhen was overwhelmed with emotion. He thought he was going to be unlucky this time, but he didn't expect that not only was he reinstated, but he was also given an important task.

He bowed to all four directions and said, "Old Liu would like to thank the Marquis, Qiu Zhitai and all the old friends for their help. In the future, if I can be of any use to you, I will go through fire and water without hesitation."

Everyone laughed and thanked him, saying, "No merit, no reward. It's all the credit of the young guard."

Liu Jiezhen naturally understood that if it weren't for the protection of the Jinyiwei along the way, he would have died long ago. He looked at Jia Cong and was about to thank him again, but he was interrupted by Jia Cong.

"Come on, we are old friends and comrades-in-arms, why do we have to act like children? Now we have an important task, so it is important to discuss the important matters first and not mention the rest." Jia Cong said with a smile.

"Yes, I will obey the orders of Shao Bao and General Qiu."

"Come with me."

Everyone followed Jia Cong to the inner study and sat down.

"General Qiu, my fellow brothers, although we are mainly using troops from the Western Regions and Gansu this time, the local people are also brave and the herdsmen of all ethnic groups can fight as soon as they mount their horses.

However, without talented generals to lead them, they will ultimately be a group of scattered sand. Although there are many brave generals in Gansu Town, they also have to shoulder the responsibility of defending the border, so it is not advisable to withdraw too many of them.

I think we should draw some experienced generals from the Beijing camp to strengthen the Western Expedition Army, what do you think?"

Qiu Zhixin said: "Master Bao, what you said is very true. As the saying goes, if a soldier is incompetent, so is a general. If the army can be led by a wise general, it will naturally be more powerful."

"That's exactly the truth." Everyone quickly agreed.

Jia Cong said: "In this case, let's each nominate candidates and then make a decision after the summary.

First of all, we must make it clear that this battle can only be won and not lost. The people we select must be qualified, must have the courage to lead the troops, and must have the talent to command troops with extraordinary strategies. Those who have no real ability and only want to gain experience will not be employed at all. "

"Yes, we understand." Everyone clasped their fists and said.

"Let me start by saying that I intend to transfer Lieutenant Generals Su Can, Zhao Lingkong, and Yang Zhi from the Beijing Camp to fight in the Western Regions.

Needless to say, Su Can and Yang Zhi are from aristocratic families, well-versed in military tactics, and have fought many battles in Liaodong. Ling Kong is also a top military scholar, both civil and military, wise and brave, with outstanding military achievements, and they are all the best choices of the time." Jia Cong said.

"Young Master is right. These three guys are all talented and can be put to important positions." Everyone said hurriedly.

"I recommend..."

"I recommend..."

Soon, he recommended twenty or thirty people, from captains to commanders, all of whom were brave generals with some fame in the capital. Wang Ziteng hurriedly registered them one by one and presented them to Jia Cong for review.

Jia Cong flipped through the list casually, put it on the table, and said, "Okay, the candidates have been selected. As for how to choose, we will discuss it later.

In addition, my brothers have heard what I said in the palace today. Are you interested in the Western Regions trade route?"

Niu Jizong, Liu Fang and others hesitated for a moment, thinking that this meant that everyone would have the first meal, but since Jia Cong had spoken, they couldn't refuse.

"The young guard knows that Lao Niu's family is poor and has little spare money. If it was proposed by someone else, I wouldn't even look at it. Since this is a brilliant idea proposed by the young guard, there is nothing to say. Lao Niu is willing to spend all his money to participate in this great cause."

"We are the same." Everyone said hurriedly.

Jia Cong smiled and waved his hands: "My dear brothers, don't worry. Does Cong want to harm his own brothers?

It was I who proposed this matter, so naturally I will take the lion's share. You can each contribute whatever amount you are willing to. Let's jointly establish a business firm that specializes in trading in the Western Regions.

The tax exemption amount is limited to the amount of money each family contributes. For example, if you contribute 30,000, you will be exempted from 30,000 customs duties for one year. If you contribute 50,000, you will be exempted from 50,000. As for the number of years, how about setting it at 30 years?"

Everyone's eyes lit up, it sounded like there was something going on, and they hurriedly said, "Don't worry, Master Bao, I'll ask my wife to get all the money we have and send it to you when I get back."

Jia Cong smiled and nodded, saying: "I'll say it again, this is all voluntary. Inviting brothers to join the partnership means sharing the good and the bad, and it mainly depends on the merchants to pay.

We are just having fun, everyone should do what they can. If there is no extra money, why would Cong force it? And it will not damage the friendship between us. "

"Young Master, you are so righteous. We are grateful to you. We should follow you in doing things that benefit the country, the people, and ourselves."

Jia Cong said, "Okay, let's all get rich together." Then he raised the teacup.

Niu Jizong, Wang Ziteng and others knew that he had important things to do, so they hurriedly got up and said goodbye.

After sending everyone away, Jia Cong looked at Liu Jiezheng and said, "Brother Jiezheng, Lord Qiu strongly recommended you to me, saying that you are the best person to recover the Western Regions. Do you have any good ideas?"

Liu Jiezheng stood up and bowed, saying, "You are too kind, Marshal. I have only a little knowledge of the affairs of the Western Regions. Since the young master has asked me, how dare I hide my incompetence? Please see..."

Everyone followed him to the study and stood in front of the huge Western Region sand table.

“The Western Regions are vast and boundless, with people from various tribes living together. The situation is complicated. Once we march forward, the pressure on logistics supply will be enormous, and it is very easy for others to cut off the food supply routes.

Today, the Luosha people are in the north, occupying the Ili River Valley, which is easy to defend but difficult to attack. Abulai, the White Army and the rebellious bandit chieftains occupy the vast land in the south and garrison in different cities. Therefore, I think that if you want to capture the Western Regions, you must have eight words. "Liu Jiezheng said in a deep voice.

"Which eight words?" Jia Cong asked.

"First south then north, advance slowly and fight quickly!" said Liu Jiezhen.

Jia Cong hesitated for a moment and said, "It is quite different from Di Yan's fighting method. Tell me your reasons."

"Yes. The terrain of the Western Region is three mountains and two basins, with the north high and the south low. The Tianshan Mountains separate the north and the south, and the only passage across the Tianshan Mountains is through Dihua, Turpan, and Korla. The north can control the south, but the south cannot control the north.

After our army moves forward, we will first take these three cities, and then we can move south to sweep southern Xinjiang at any time, and at the same time block the main road for the Russians to advance eastward. As for northern Xinjiang, there are no important cities there, so we can take our time.

After taking southern Xinjiang, it will be easy to march north and recapture Yili. This is what we call "conquering the south first and then the north."

Jia Cong nodded slowly and said, "What do you mean by slow advance and quick battle?"

"For those who advance slowly, a large amount of food and supplies must be transported from Yong and Liang, across the Gobi Desert for thousands of miles to reach Gucheng, Barkol, and Hami. This is very difficult, so we must advance slowly.

We must not act too hastily and give the enemy an opportunity to take advantage. We must be steady and cautious, step by step, and first take over the three cities of Dihua and Turpan. It is like a craftsman drawing a circle. He must first define the center, and then he can do whatever he wants. "Liu Jiezheng said.

Jia Cong pondered for a moment and said, "This move is exactly the same as Di Yan's. He also took these three cities first, but later he abandoned southern Xinjiang and took Yili first."

Liu Jie Zheng said: "Di Yan was too arrogant in commanding his troops, thinking he had everything under control, but he did not expect the battlefield situation to change rapidly, how could he have calculated everything?

Therefore, we must fight urgently. If we don't move, it's fine. But if we move, we must make a decisive move and not give the enemy a chance to survive. If we become stalemated, we will definitely lose our strength and add more variables."

Jia Cong praised: "Brother Jie Zheng has grasped the essence of the military strategy of 'win first and then fight'. Cong admires you."

"You are too kind, my opinion is not worth mentioning." Qiu Zhixin said with a smile, "Don't worry, as long as we have enough money and food, there is no reason for this battle to fail."

Liu Jiezheng said hurriedly: "The commander is right. If we lose the battle, I will cut off my own head and apologize to the court."

Jia Cong glanced at the two of them and said, "I boasted about 2000 million silver in the court, but that was just bluffing. I have no idea whether I can raise that much.

But Qiu Shuai once said that 1000 million silver would be enough, so I think it won't be less than this number, so don't worry. How does Qiu Shuai plan to spend this money? "

Qiu Zhixin took out a booklet from his bosom, flipped through it, and said, "According to preliminary estimates, it will cost at least 500 million silver to purchase food and fodder.

The journey to the Western Regions is long, and the food supply in Shaanxi and Gansu is limited and cannot be achieved. However, of one stone of grain transported from the inland, at most one-fifth would remain.

In addition, it is not easy to withhold the army's bounties and salaries; they must be paid in full to boost morale. The old, weak and disabled soldiers who are laid off must also be given travel expenses.

Thirdly, the purchase of supplies and military equipment is also a big expense. I heard that the firearms of the Western barbarians are very powerful, and this war will inevitably involve sieges. If we can buy some high-quality artillery, we will get twice the result with half the effort.

Fourthly, the cost of transporting the military supplies with animals, carts and laborers is another huge sum of money. Even if we calculate carefully and transport them step by step, and rent all the animals and vehicles, it will cost no less than 300 million silver. In this way, 1000 million silver is just barely enough. "

Liu Jiezheng sighed, "What the commander said is very true. The difficulty of the war in the Western Regions lies in the fact that it is more difficult to raise money than to raise soldiers, more difficult to raise food than to raise money, and more difficult to raise transportation than to raise food.

If the transportation is not smooth, no matter how many soldiers, horses, money and food we have, we can do nothing about it."

Qiu Zhixin sighed, "That's right. I've already asked someone to do the math. Based on an army of 8, we need to rent at least 8000 carts, 20 donkeys and mules, camels, and laborers. The journey will be long and dangerous, and difficult."

Jia Cong felt overwhelmed after hearing this, and glared at the two men, saying, "Okay, stop it, I'll give you 2000 million, why are you complaining to me?

Let me make it clear first, this money doesn't come easy, you have to spend it wisely, and try to be frugal. After we conquer the Western Regions, you'll have to spend money to garrison there, so don't just spend the money without considering the future.

The two of them hurriedly bowed and said with a smile: "Don't worry, young master, we are from a poor family and have never been extravagant.

In today's world, only Shao Bao has such a skill to call the wind and rain, and he asked for 2000 million silver coins at the first sight. I admire him very much."

Seeing the two men smiling happily, Jia Cong helplessly spread his hands and said, "Jie Zheng, if you win this battle, I will recommend you as the Protector General of the Western Regions. You can do whatever you want."

Liu Jiezheng was overjoyed and bowed, saying, "Thank you, Young Master, for your support. I will never disappoint you, even if I die."

Jia Cong added: "I will take care of the firearms. There is no time to lose. You can set out with your men in two days and go back to Gansu to raise funds. I will send you money, food and supplies in batches, so you won't be late."

"Okay, without further ado, I'll go down and prepare right away."
-
In Changchun Palace, Empress Chen was chatting with Concubine Yuan, and the topic unconsciously turned to Jia Cong.

"Sister, Cong has brought honor to your family again this time. He even rejected important military and national affairs agreed upon by Yuanfu and others. It is true that heroes have always emerged from youth." Queen Chen said with a smile.

Princess Yuan showed a worried look on her face and said with a wry smile, "Your Majesty, you are joking. Brother Cong only cares about the present and not the future. He doesn't look like someone who can start a family.

This time I have risked the whole world's condemnation and rejected the national policies set by so many senior officials in the court. Even Lord Ru Hai could not persuade him. I am really unsure of myself.

Now I can't say anything to him, please teach him a lesson for me, or what will I do in the future?"

Empress Chen shook her head and smiled, "I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing. If Cong-ge was acting recklessly, there wouldn't be so many important officials in the court responding.

Although Jun Gong and his men are highly respected, they do not have the sharpness of young people. Although there is nothing wrong with their methods, they are not necessarily perfect. It is normal to have disagreements in the court.

"I see that my sister is just keeping her mind at ease, but your brother doesn't know that? He won't release the eagle until he sees the rabbit. How can he act rashly without any certainty?"

Princess Yuan felt relieved and said, "My sister and I all rely on your support and care. I am sorry for causing trouble to you."

Empress Chen said with a smile, "How can we have different opinions when we are one family? You and I are sisters, and Congge is the prince consort I chose. If I don't help him, how can I help an outsider?"

"Thank you, ma'am."

As the two were talking, they suddenly heard someone singing outside the door: "The Emperor has arrived."

Empress Chen smiled slightly and said, "Sister, please follow me to welcome the emperor."

"Yes."

"I, my concubine, see you, Your Majesty."

When Emperor Xifeng saw the empress and Consort Yuan coming out, his eyes moved slightly and he said with a smile, "Stand up. Consort Yuan is here too?"

Princess Yuan said cautiously, "I am here to pay my respects to Her Majesty."

Emperor Xifeng nodded, took the Queen's hand, and said, "Let's go in and talk."

"Yes." Princess Yuan didn't know whether Jia Cong's heroic act of "turning the tide" was a blessing or a curse, so she followed him in carefully.

"Today, this kid Jia Cong gave me a surprise."

After sitting down, Emperor Xifeng said with a smile: "I and Qiu Zhixin and others have come up with a plan to pacify the west without moving a single soldier of the court or spending a single cent of the treasury. I am very pleased."

Empress Chen smiled and said, "This is also due to your Majesty's good teaching. If he hadn't been allowed to go home and reflect on his mistakes, how could Congge have come up with such a brilliant idea?"

Emperor Xifeng waved his hand and said with a smile, "I didn't intend for him to think about how to get the silver. It's just an unexpected surprise. Hmm? Why does Concubine Yuan look so worried?"

"Concubine..."

Empress Chen interrupted with a smile, saying, "Sister Yuanfei is naturally worried about her son Qilin. She just told me that she was afraid that Cong would argue in the Golden Palace today and offend the Duke and his men, thus making the Emperor angry."

Emperor Xifeng laughed and said, "Princess Yuan, you are worrying too much. The ministers in the court expressed their own opinions, but they were harmonious and different, and they were not fighting for personal gain, so how can we say that they offended each other? Is Prince Zhun such a petty person?

If Jia Cong's method can be successful, it will be a great contribution to the country, and Zhun Gong and others will also greatly appreciate it.

I hope there will be more such "unscrupulous" people in the court, who are not loyal to their superiors or their own interests, but only to the country and the people. As the old saying goes, a country will not perish if it has loyal ministers. "

Princess Yuan was overjoyed and hurriedly stood up and bowed, "Your Majesty, you are too kind. I thank you on behalf of my brother."

Empress Chen smiled and said nothing. The emperor's reassurance came at the right time.

Emperor Xifeng raised his hand and said, "Stand up. I am not old and confused yet, how can I not distinguish between loyalty and treachery?

Jia Cong is able to devote all his energy to planning for the country, and is even willing to spend all his family wealth to fight for the country. I am very pleased, very pleased. It shows that my beloved concubine's family style is upright and loyal.

Come, reward Concubine Xiande with 100 pieces of brocade of various colors, 20 pieces of gold and jade utensils, a jar of oriental pearls, a set of Tianxia Taiping porcelain, and a set of four treasures of the study. Tell Dai Quan to pick out the best ones himself."

Princess Yuan was surprised and delighted, and hurriedly declined, saying, "Your Majesty, I have done nothing but accept this reward. How can I accept such a generous reward? Please take back your order."

Emperor Xifeng said with a smile: "I wanted to reward Jia Cong, but he has not yet finished his work, so it is not appropriate to reward him too early. It will be the same if I reward you.

You have done a great deed by teaching your brother, how can you say it is in vain? You are not allowed to refuse."

The Princess Yuan then smiled and bowed to express her gratitude. (End of this chapter)