The Red Chamber: Starting from Saving Xue Baochai

Chapter 143 Watching Him Build a Building
Before I knew it, several days had passed.

The Beijing camp was reorganizing its army in full swing. Wang Ziteng changed his previous lukewarm attitude and suddenly became resolute and vigorous.

The Fenwu Camp and the Liwei Camp made progress simultaneously and found nearly 10,000 vacancies involving more than 20 officers, including two lieutenant generals, five guerrilla generals, and the rest were all captains.

Wang Ziteng's treatment of these people was also very simple. He used severe punishment to force them to make up the shortfall of 100,000 taels of silver.

At the same time, they took a two-pronged approach and laid off nearly 5,000 old and weak soldiers.

In just a few days, the number of troops in the two battalions was reduced by nearly 40%. The reorganization process went smoothly, which gave Wang Ziteng enough confidence.

However, such a simple and crude operation has caused resentment and dissatisfaction in the hearts of everyone from officers to soldiers. Coupled with the collusion and instigation of some people with ulterior motives, this resentment has become more and more intense. The Fenwu and Liwei battalions are now like a powder keg, at risk of exploding at any time.

On this day, Shen Yuan brought a few personal guards, rode on horses, and planned to go to the Military Equipment Bureau to inspect the progress of firearms research and development.

On the way, I passed the Ministry of War’s office and heard a noisy sound outside the office.

Shen Yuan reined in his horse and stopped, looking up. He saw about a hundred people gathered in front of the Ministry of War. They were very emotional and were in a standoff with the guards of the Ministry of War.

"Go and ask what's going on." Shen Yuan instructed a personal guard beside him.

"Yes."

The guards left in response, and soon returned to report, "My Lord, those are from the Fenwu Camp and the Liwei Camp."

"People from the Beijing Camp..." Shen Yuan paused and asked, "What happened?"

"They are all officers and soldiers who were recently laid off. They feel that they have been treated unfairly, so they gathered here to ask the Ministry of War to administer justice."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yuan raised his eyes and took another look. The people from the Beijing camp did not carry any weapons and their accusations were only verbal.

After hesitating for a moment, Shen Yuan rode his horse towards the palace.

Hundreds of soldiers from the Beijing camp gathered to surround the Ministry of War. This was a very serious matter. No matter how the situation would develop next, Shen Yuan felt that he should remind the emperor to prevent the situation from getting out of control.

Even though he had never been optimistic about Wang Ziteng from the beginning, he did not want to see war break out in the capital, with lives being lost and the situation getting out of control to the point where no one could handle it.

Qianqing Palace, Imperial Study.

Behind Emperor Yuanzhen sat the dragon table, with Yu Qian, the Minister of War, and Wang Ziteng, the governor of the Beijing camp, below him.

The emperor listened to Wang Ziteng's report on the results of the Beijing camp's military reorganization. The originally serious emperor now looked pleased.

At this time, a eunuch came in to report.

"Your Majesty, the commander of the new army, General Yunwu Shen Yuan, requests to see you."

Emperor Yuanzhen was surprised for a moment, then said, "Let him in."

Soon, a handsome young man dressed in the robes of a third-rank military officer was led into the imperial study by an eunuch and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I am Shen Yuan, here to see you."

"Huai Zhong is here." Emperor Yuanzhen raised his hand to support him, motioning him to stand up and take a seat.

Shen Yuan had just sat down and had not spoken yet when he saw Emperor Yuanzhen smile and said, "Huaizhong, we'll talk later. Now is a good time to hear about the reorganization of the Beijing camp."

The emperor looked at Wang Ziteng again and said, "Please continue, Mr. Wang."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Wang Ziteng responded.

Shen Yuan paused slightly, glanced at Wang Ziteng and Yu Qian in the hall, put aside what he was about to say, and listened quietly.

“After these few days of investigation, we found nearly 10,000 vacancies in the Fenwu and Liwei battalions alone. Plus, with the layoffs of 5,000 old and weak soldiers, we can save more than 40% of military pay in the future.” Wang Ziteng said, and although he tried his best to remain restrained, one could still sense a hint of complacency in his tone.

Without pausing, he continued, "Moreover, the officers involved in the empty salary have been arrested by me. I believe that within half a month, I will be able to make up for the shortfall of 100,000 taels..."

Emperor Yuanzhen listened to Wang Ziteng's report on the gratifying results with a pleased look on his face. He nodded from time to time to express his appreciation for this trusted minister.

Although the figures of corruption and ghost employees in the Beijing Army sounded shocking, the emperor was also excited that the matter was properly investigated and handled.

Problems with the Beijing Army have always existed. Emperor Yuanzhen is also aware that there are many problems, and he has sent people to investigate in the past, but they have always been unable to get to the bottom of the problem.

The reason for this is that the people sent to investigate did not dare to face the power of Wu Xun directly, and they turned a blind eye to the investigation process and dealt with it hastily.

It has to be said that Wang Ziteng was desperate this time in order to gain merit. He gave no face to the military heroes at all, clung to Emperor Yuanzhen, and acted impartially to the outside world.

Now that the true situation of the Beijing camp has been revealed, by clearing out vacancies and laying off the old and weak, the military pay alone can be saved by nearly half.

This is just the first step. Next, this method will be quickly promoted to the entire Beijing Camp. After the Beijing Camp is slimmed down, the method of training a new army will be implemented to build a powerful Beijing Army.

"Well done, Mr. Wang. It seems that the reorganization of the Beijing camp has begun to show results." After listening to this, Emperor Yuanzhen expressed his deep appreciation.

At this time, Yu Qian, the Minister of War, asked, "Since Lord Wang has taken such drastic measures, is there any trouble in the Fenwu Camp and the Liwei Camp?"

Wang Ziteng was obviously stunned when he heard this, but he quickly calmed down and said, "After the investigation and elimination, the atmosphere of these two camps has changed drastically. It is completely new and there is no problem at all."

Yu Qian nodded. He had some doubts at first, but judging from what Wang Ziteng reported, the results were indeed remarkable and there were no problems, so he felt relieved.

During the whole process, Shen Yuan just listened quietly, taking in the expressions of several people, and was not in a hurry to pour cold water on the emperor.

At this time, Emperor Yuanzhen cast his eyes towards Shen Yuan and asked, "What do you think of the current situation of the Beijing Camp's military reorganization?"

Shen Yuan cupped his hands and said, "The reorganization of the Beijing camp is indeed effective."

This is true. Clearing up vacancies and laying off the old and weak are all achievements.

Upon hearing this, Wang Ziteng was delighted. In the face of such real achievements, he, the nephew-in-law, had nothing to say.

But Shen Yuan continued, "I came here today to report something to Your Majesty."

Emperor Yuanzhen was slightly surprised and asked, "What's the matter?"

Shen Yuan said, "Not long ago, when I passed by the Ministry of War, I saw more than a hundred soldiers from the Beijing camp gathered. They should still be gathered at the entrance of the Ministry of War."

When these words were spoken, Emperor Yuanzhen frowned and Wang Ziteng was shocked.

Yu Qian, the Minister of War, asked anxiously, "Soldiers from the Beijing camp went to the Ministry of War to cause trouble!? What's the situation?"

"They are all laid-off officers and soldiers. They are blocking the Ministry of War and want the Ministry of War to make a decision for them." Shen Yuan added: "These people are not carrying weapons."

Yu Qian felt relieved after hearing this. He turned to look at Wang Ziteng and asked, "Master Wang, didn't you do a good job of comforting these laid-off soldiers?"

They have even surrounded the Ministry of War, and you still say there is no trouble? Wang Ziteng said, "Master Yu, don't worry too much. Those officers and soldiers who were laid off are mediocre and incompetent. Now they are resentful, so they can just complain. Once the money they embezzled is recovered and these people are compensated and resettled, everything will be fine."

Yu Qian heard this and looked gloomy. He wanted to refute Wang Ziteng: "Why not wait until the embezzled silver is recovered before laying off the old and weak?"

But when the words came to his lips, he stopped and only let out a sigh in his heart.

The Ministry of War cannot stay out of this matter. Logically, the military reduction and pensions should be paid by the Ministry of War, but now there are too many places to spend money and the national treasury is stretched thin, so many things can only be delayed.

Shen Yuan didn't say much at this time, but just paid attention to Emperor Yuanzhen's attitude.

Some things don't need to be said explicitly, the people here are all very thoughtful.

Soldiers from the Beijing camp gathered together to block the gate of the Ministry of War. Although they were not carrying any weapons, it was still unusual.

Be it Emperor Yuanzhen, Yu Qian and Wang Ziteng, didn't they think of the possibility of "mutiny" in the Beijing camp?

It's just a matter of weighing the benefits and risks.

Emperor Yuanzhen's face turned colder at this time. He pondered for a moment and said, "What the king said makes sense. These people who were laid off were not diligent and dedicated in the past. Now they are asked to take off their armor and still hold grudges. If I let them go to the nine borders to defend against the enemy, can these people really relieve the country's worries?"

The emperor was a little emotional at the moment. These people only knew how to shout for their own interests, but did not think about sharing the worries of the king, father, family and country.

"Your Majesty is wise!" Wang Ziteng was extremely happy to receive the emperor's approval.

Emperor Yuanzhen was silent for a moment, but then added: "Those who need to be appeased should be appeased, and no chaos should be caused."

"Your Majesty, please rest assured that I will handle it properly." Wang Ziteng vowed.

The matter was over, but Wang Ziteng was quite angry at the laid-off soldiers who went to besiege the Ministry of War. The good situation and achievements of the reorganization of the army were almost ruined by that group of mediocre people. They had no sense of justice and did not know what was good for them, so don't blame him for being ruthless.

Even if we give these people compensation money, they will not be satisfied and may even make trouble. Should we arrange a place for them to live and provide them with a lifelong livelihood?
Shen Yuan listened to what Emperor Yuanzhen and Wang Ziteng said in silence.

Obviously, after weighing the pros and cons, the emperor finally agreed with Wang Ziteng's military reorganization strategy.

Emperor Yuanzhen had already made the decision, and if Shen Yuan said anything more, it would be like pouring cold water on the emperor's head.

After all, he only had a glimpse of the situation now, and there was no definite evidence to prove that there would be a mutiny in the Beijing camp. He couldn't question Wang Ziteng's military strategy based on his intuition alone. If he did so, in the eyes of the emperor, Shen Yuan would be paranoid.

It is true that Emperor Yuanzhen favored him, but he did not do his every word.

Moreover, it can be clearly felt that the achievements made by Wang Ziteng at present made Emperor Yuanzhen extremely excited, or in other words, the emperor was more eager for the success of the Beijing Camp's military reorganization than Wang Ziteng.

The necessary reminders have been made. What Shen Yuan can do next is to monitor the situation in the Beijing camp at all times. If there is any emergency, he will be prepared in advance and may be able to restore order and turn chaos into success.

After a while, seeing that Emperor Yuanzhen did not ask any more questions, Shen Yuan bowed and said, "If there is nothing else, I will take my leave first."

Before Emperor Yuanzhen responded, Wang Ziteng looked at Shen Yuan and said with a smile, "When the Beijing Camp is fully staffed, we will need Huaizhong to assist in training the troops."

Shen Yuan paused for a moment, then said in a clear voice: "When the time comes, I will do my best."

Wang Ziteng brought up this matter again in front of Emperor Yuanzhen, just to use his achievements in reorganizing the army as an excuse to make Shen Yuan obey his arrangements in the future.

Shen Yuan thought about this and said nothing more. He just watched Wang Ziteng's success or failure and watched him build a tall building. Perhaps...

Emperor Yuanzhen nodded and said with a smile: "Huaizhong, please go back first."

"My minister retire."

After Shen Yuan finished speaking, he left the imperial study under the gaze of several people, suppressed his thoughts, and turned towards the palace gate.

After leaving the palace, Shen Yuan's expression returned to calm. He did not go to the Military Equipment Bureau again, but rode to the New Army Guard Office.

New Army Guard Office, back hall.

Shen Yuan summoned four generals: Feng Ziying, Jiang Fan, Liu Xianglian, and Zhao Huan.

Now that the new military guards have entered into daily training, they no longer need to stay in the barracks all the time. They only go there for patrol in the morning and stay in the yamen at other times.

At this time, Shen Yuan sat in the main seat, and the four people below him sat on his left and right.

After everyone sat down, Shen Yuan instructed Feng Ziying: "From now on, have the new army guards enter a combat readiness state and be on high alert."

Feng Ziying was stunned when he heard this, but he temporarily suppressed his doubts and bowed his hands in response: "Yes, sir."

Shen Yuan looked at Jiang Fan, Liu Xianglian, and Zhao Huan again, and said thoughtfully, "Send people in disguise to keep an eye on the Ministry of War, the Fenwu Camp, and the Liwei Camp. Also, keep in touch with Chen Qing and Pei Xu, and report any major movements in the Beijing Camp as soon as possible."

Chen Qing and Pei Xu were the two captains that Shen Yuan had previously seconded to Wang Ziteng.

Jiang Fan and the other two bowed in response.

Afterwards, Jiang Fan was the first to speak out his guess: "Sir, has something changed in the Beijing camp?"

Facing the doubtful eyes of several people, Shen Yuan said: "Wang Ziteng is now reorganizing the army in a big way. The people in the Beijing camp are now uneasy. The soldiers in the Fenwu Camp and Liwei Camp are particularly angry. Today, some soldiers went to the Ministry of War and surrounded the gate of the government office. I have a feeling that something might happen, so I made some preparations in advance. It's just a precautionary measure."

When they heard this, they were all shocked.

Jiang Fan said: "How could these people be so bold as to surround the Ministry of War? Do they really think that the law does not punish the masses?"

There are also prerequisites for not punishing the majority. If the matter is not serious enough, the court can let it go. But if it is classified as a rebellion, it doesn't matter how many people there are, they will be wiped out with thunder.

Liu Xianglian thought for a moment and said, "Perhaps someone is behind this."

Zhao Huan agreed, "At this moment, the emotions of the soldiers in the Beijing camp are very easy to be incited. With a little guidance, they may be ignited."

Feng Ziying thought for a moment and said solemnly, "If a huge organization like the Beijing Camp were to fall into chaos, it might be in danger of collapse."

The Beijing Camp is said to have an army of 200,000. Even if 40% of them are empty-paid soldiers and the elderly and weak are deducted, there are still hundreds of thousands of soldiers. If they are instigated to cause chaos, no force can stop it, not even the few thousand people of the New Army Guards.

Shen Yuan pondered and said, "Under extreme circumstances, it is unlikely that the entire Beijing camp will riot. We only need to focus on the most likely outbreak points and respond in time to nip the risk in the bud."

He hoped that his intuition was wrong. In any case, Shen Yuan did not want to see large-scale casualties in Shenjing City.

Even if a general's success requires the sacrifice of thousands of lives, he hopes that it is on the corpses of enemies and foreigners.

Shen Yuan gradually fell silent, his eyes turning cold...

(End of this chapter)