The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 276 Wang Xin, the Layman

Wang Xin has received his official position in the Ministry of War, but the local authorities are unaware of it yet.

He couldn't just go to Datong with his official position in the Ministry of War and tell everyone he met that he had been promoted to the rank of Assistant Commander.

Ordinary officials who are promoted are not eligible to be listed in the imperial gazette.

Wang Xin was promoted from a guerrilla general to a deputy general, but he was still not qualified. In principle, he would not have been reported in the official gazette. However, the court still wanted to establish the Datong West Route and the Datong West Army in Datong, which was equivalent to establishing a new town.

Logically, such military towns should be under the command of the general.

In short.

The news of Wang Xin's promotion to the position of Assistant Commander of Datong West Route was published in the official gazette.

This is one of them.

The Ministry of War would also send officials to Datong City via the post road to complete the handover procedures with the city government.

Wang Xin held the imperial gazette in his hand.

Shi Ping and the others rested on the side, leading their horses.

Having left the capital, following the post road of Xuanfu, we have arrived at Huai'an. Beyond Huai'an lies the territory of the Tiancheng Army.

I read the official gazette again.

Wang Xin confirmed it again; Zhang Jifu was really cunning.

No wonder Zhang Jifu sent him back to Datong first.

The fact that his military registration was not transferred to Datong with his promotion, but remained with the Beijing Army, indicates what? Zhang Jifu still remembered his words: that he would be transferred back to the Beijing Army after he successfully quelled the Hu rebellion.

Who would be so shameless?
He had finally helped Zhang Jifu, but Zhang Jifu had already prepared to discard him after he had served his purpose.

It's absolutely infuriating.

Zhang Jifu is truly unafraid of abandoning his post.

Fortunately, I was prepared.

I've given up on these officials, so forget it.

Wang Xin shook his head.

If the left path is blocked, then go to the right.

We will stick to the original plan and divide up our troops. The court doesn't need to intervene. We've prepared everything in advance so that the court can see what it means to prioritize the overall situation.

Wang Xin put away the official gazette and used it to confirm Zhang Jifu's intentions.

Since they were still part of the Beijing garrison, and were considered guest troops in Datong, they naturally needed Zhang Wenjin to relay messages to the local authorities.

Zhang Jifu was pleased that he had obtained 150,000 taels of silver for military expenses, but Zhang Wenjin was probably the one who was unhappy. Zhang Wenjin was very likely to hold Zhang Wenjin responsible for the 500,000 taels of silver that had gone wrong.

I need to explain this to Zhang Wenjin properly.

It wasn't his own fault; it was because other military towns were demanding them all that Zhang Jifu refused to give them to anyone.

Since we need to return to Datong first, we need to go through Xuanfu, pass through the territory of Tiancheng Army, and then arrive at Datong City.

Datong City.

The lights were still on in the governor's and censor's offices.

Zhang Wenjin sipped her tea.

Hu Liyong looked at the official document from the imperial court and was shocked to see that Wang Xin had been promoted to the rank of Assistant General and was in charge of the Western Army of Datong.

The official document addressed to Zhang Wenjin was different from the official document from the government office.

Official documents from government offices are relatively concise.

The official documents Zhang Wenjin received were much more detailed, even including the newly established Datong Western Army, its annual military budget, and the necessary procedures.

"Fifteen hundred thousand taels?"

Hu Liyong was shocked and looked at Zhang Wenjin in disbelief.

This Wang Xin is getting more and more impressive.

When he was still a guerrilla general, he was able to arm wrestle with Fatty Feng when he first arrived, and even won in the end.

I can't afford it.

He had been suppressed by Fatty Feng for so many years, but Fatty Feng was easily defeated by this person. Although there were other reasons, this person was indeed someone to be wary of.

Therefore, I avoid this person and don't want to get involved.

But some things just happen the more you fear them.

“Datong’s annual military expenditure is one million taels, but in reality, only 70% reaches the local level, and sometimes even less than half,” Hu Liyong reminded. “It’s not even enough to cover the military expenses paid to the soldiers, and now another 150,000 taels have been distributed out.”

Hu Liyong hopes that Zhang Wenjin can step forward in this matter.

Zhang Wenjin smiled, seeing through Hu Liyong's plan, and said with a smile, "The Ministry of War said that the 150,000 taels of silver will be recognized by the imperial court and will not be included in the original military expenditure of Datong."

Old fox.

Hu Liyong cursed inwardly.

But he dared not stand back, so he forced himself to say, "That's what the Ministry of War says, but there's only so much silver. When it comes time to distribute the silver, it will inevitably come from the Datong military budget."

Zhang Wenjin stopped laughing and calmly asked, "Then what do you suggest we do?"

Hu Liyong's face darkened.

Zhang Wenjin was in charge of Datong's finances, with the bulk of the military expenditure coming from the Yongxing Army and his own Tiancheng Army.

If the military budget is reduced by 150,000 taels of silver in the future, Zhang Wenjin will certainly not reduce the Yongxing Army under his command, but will deduct it from the military budget of his Tiancheng Army.

That's exactly what Feng Yong did back then.

Of the million taels spent on military expenses, only 70% was allocated, and sometimes even less than half.

Of course, they would detain them from other armies.

This is how the Weiyuan Army, Gaoshan Army, and the other three armies perished.

Otherwise, why would the court have remained silent for so many years, allowing Feng Yong to eliminate his political opponents? Because the court itself was in the wrong, it could only let Feng Yong solve the problem based on reality.

Without military funding, all the talk is just nonsense.

I never thought that after surviving Fatty Feng, I would fail to outlast Zhang Wenjin this time and fall into Wang Xin's hands.

Hu Liyong squinted.

Zhang Wenjin, unlike Fatty Feng, did not want to easily give away the family business he had worked so hard to build. Instead, he used Fatty Feng's family business to act very powerfully in Datong, wielding considerable official authority.

"A few days ago, a businessman from the capital came to find me."

Hu Liyong said through gritted teeth.

Zhang Wenjin asked with a smile, "Oh?"

Seeing Zhang Wenjin's face, Hu Liyong felt a wave of nausea. It seemed that this person had been watching him for a long time and was now waiting to manipulate him.

These civil servants are shameless.

They talk a lot of classical Chinese phrases in public, but they're more ruthless than anyone else when it comes to making money.

People have to bow their heads under the eaves.

Hu Liyong forced a smile and said, "There's no reason to let Wang Xin control the trade routes outside the pass. What Wang Xin can do, Tiancheng Army can do too."

Zhang Wenjin remained calm.

A few days ago, I asked Hu Liyong to send troops, but he pretended not to hear me and made various excuses to refuse.

None of these military leaders are good people.

“Wang Xin is too autocratic. Don’t learn from him. I want half of Baiyangkou and Huyukou passes,” Zhang Wenjin said firmly.

Wang Xin wiped out the Hu tribes in the Tu Mao Chuan area.

The Shanyu tribe is also not a significant force.

As a result, the troubles caused by the barbarians on Tiancheng Army's side have also decreased significantly. Although the area outside the pass here is not as good as the western part of Datong, it is still a good place compared to other deserts, and it can be divided up as well.

With Wang Xin as a model, it's not difficult to learn from him.

Moreover, businessmen have taken the initiative to come and talk.

Knowing that Zhang Wenjin was targeting him, Hu Liyong sighed and agreed to Zhang Wenjin's request.

According to Wang Xin's rules, Tiancheng Army also gets 20% of the merchants' profits. Now that Zhang Wenjin is taking half, Hu Liyong has decided to wait for the merchants to get their businesses up and running.

Once the business is successful, there will be a steady stream of profits.

Back then, whether or not to leave soup for the merchants was entirely up to them.

Zhang Wenjin was, after all, an official on temporary assignment, and couldn't stay in Datong indefinitely. He wanted to make enough money in the shortest amount of time, which was understandable. I'll try my best not to cause any trouble.

As for the people sent by Prince Teng...

He was tasked with intercepting and killing Wang Xin.

This person is quite shrewd, promising to share the spoils of Datong with me.

Although it's tempting, intercepting Wang Xin is such a big deal, and Feng Yong didn't even try to intercept Wang Ziteng back then.

However, it's not that Feng Yong dared not.

Rather, it was because Wang Ziteng had already failed and was no longer worth Feng Yong's risk.

If necessary, Feng Yong would definitely kill Wang Ziteng. Others might not know, but he knew perfectly well that Feng Yong had his own people who had confirmed this information, but Feng Yong ultimately denied it.

The Four Great Families, Prince Teng, Prince Zhongshun, and the Emperor.

I thought of the emperor.

Hu Liyong shook his head. Even if Wang Ziteng failed, he had been working for the emperor all these years. The retired emperor was getting old, and if the emperor were to assume personal rule one day, then he shouldn't offend Wang Ziteng's people.

As for Wang Xin...

This person is really an eyesore.

However, since they are the Beijing garrison, they are considered guest troops and will not stay in Datong forever. If he can tolerate Zhang Wenjin for a few years, he can tolerate Wang Xin for a few years as well.

Hu Liyong was open-minded, and although he had many grievances, he also accomplished many things.

At least Tiancheng Army's military expenses will not have major problems.

Since Tiancheng Army's problems won't arise, then other people's military expenses will be the problem. As for whose expenses they are, Hu Liyong doesn't care.

He knew all too well what the imperial court was up to.

When asked to do something, they readily agree to anything, but once the task is done, they fail to fulfill any of their promises.

It's not that the imperial court wanted to hold them back.

With so many openings at the top and bottom, it's difficult to give them to anyone.

Wang Xin was, after all, a bit too young.

You have to suffer a bit to understand.

But how many people can get back up after falling down? Even Wang Ziteng and Feng Yong couldn't get back up, let alone Wang Xin. Wang Xin's troops are quite good, and some of them can be recruited later.

Hu Liyong smiled, having made his plans, and rode back to Tiancheng City in a carriage with his personal guards.
-
soon.

Wang Xin arrived in Datong.

Zhang Wenjin no longer concealed the truth and announced the news about the Western Army in Datong.

The entire city of Datong was shocked.

"Wow, this guy is only twenty-five or twenty-six years old!"

"A 25 or 26-year-old brigade commander? I don't know about other places, but we in Datong are the first of our kind." The Yongxing Army was in an uproar, and everyone was discussing this.

"Speaking of which, our Yongxing Army and Wang Xin have fought a war before, and there is a grudge between us."

Do you have a grudge against me?

The general next to him asked, glaring at him.

"General Wei, what are you saying? What grudge could I possibly have against Wang Xin? I'm just standing up for my comrades," the officer said, scratching the back of his head, his voice lacking conviction.

"On the battlefield, everyone serves their own master; there's nothing that can be done about it."

The general surnamed Wei remained calm and said, "Later, not only were the people sent back, but many others also voluntarily stayed. After all, General Wang was truly good to his subordinates. How many generals these days can treat their soldiers like human beings?"

After listening, the officers fell silent.

Logically, armored cavalry should be elite troops, and their pay should not be severely delayed.

As a result, most people chose to stay, and no one returned.

It's really bizarre.

The more I learn, the more shocked I become.

There are generals like this.

Wei Yi observed the expressions on everyone's faces, felt satisfied, and said no more.

When I first met Zhao Yong, he told me a lot about Wang Xin's side, which was truly eye-opening and surprising. The unity of Wang Xin's men, which even Zhang Wenjin couldn't win over, was irrefutable proof.

If I could follow a general like that, I would die without regret.

Although he was a general, he was a fake one.

General Zuoji is not a proper general.

This man was promoted to the rank of Assistant General, leading a separate route, and is expected to become a General in the future, or even a regional military governor.

Should I think of a way to transfer myself?

I'm afraid Zhang Wenjin won't release them.

Wei Yi's expression shifted between light and dark.

Things went very smoothly in Datong, but perhaps too smoothly.

Zhang Wenjin's attitude is different from before.

There's also Hu Liyong.

Wang Xin dared not fail to think it through, after all, a bad teammate is more terrifying than an enemy.

Unable to figure it out, Wang Xin was going to Zuoyun after leaving Datong.

The headquarters of the Western Army of Datong was located in Zuoyun.

Ten-mile riverbank.

Ahead lies Niuxin Mountain, the site of the firearms factory.

On the left is Weiyuan Pass, and on the right is Tuanshan Pass.

The route continues through Pinglu, Shuozhou, Mayi, and Shanyin.

This is the entire Datong West Road.

As for Zhenlu City outside the pass, there are currently no formal regulations; it is only located within the Datong West Circuit.

Five cities and two passes.

He had 9,000 militiamen and 3,000 soldiers under his command, totaling 12,000 men.

If there are 9,000 militiamen, unless the 150,000 taels of military funds are in my own hands and I pay the militiamen their salaries, even if each person doesn't have a single tael of silver, they will still obey my orders.

Otherwise, it will inevitably fall into the hands of local authorities.

Whoever provides the food is the boss.

If the county doesn't take care of the militia, and the militia has no food, then they will have no choice but to flee.

Wang Xin would certainly not allow such a situation.

Militiamen are indeed cheap, and you can't expect them to be very effective in combat, but muskets can.

They can be combat-ready after three months of training.

That's what the arquebus was used for.

No strength, no talent, no brains required; all you need to do is pull the trigger.

Work hard.

The most important thing was firearms.

Firearms must be of high quality.

Wang Xin arrived at Niuxin Mountain immediately.

This period of about a month.

The first breech-loading machine has been copied, and the construction of the third breech-loading machine has begun.

"Based on the assembly line production method provided by General Wang, the speed at which each craftsman can make one musket per month has been increased to five per month. Most importantly, ordinary people can also participate."

Master Liu said gloatingly.

Liu Er is no longer a craftsman, but a factory owner.

Wang Xin was not surprised.

The Ming Dynasty could replicate the Portuguese arquebus, including the Hongyi cannon and galleons. The Great Zhou Dynasty, which followed the same lineage, could also replicate them, especially since it was entrusted to the Xue family, who had hired famous craftsmen.

Two.

The assembly line is indeed very powerful.

It's not just about increased efficiency, but more importantly, it's about lowering the barrier to entry for workers.

In the past, a craftsman who could forge a musket had to be either a highly skilled master or a seasoned apprentice. With the assembly line that breaks down the process, anyone can master it simply by practicing.

Recruiting craftsmen is difficult, but recruiting workers is not.

Moreover, craftsmen are expensive, while laborers are cheap.

How many workers does the factory have?

"There are almost two hundred people now."

Liu Er looked proud.

"That's not enough; we need to recruit more."

Wang Xin requested.

A thousand poles a month is too few. A force of twelve thousand people would need a year's worth of production. Are we really going to wait another year before going to war?
"what?"

Liu Er was dumbfounded.

In just a few months, the factory's workforce expanded to two hundred people.

If it weren't for the fact that skilled craftsmen weren't required, it would have been impossible to accomplish using traditional techniques. Liu Er already felt he had done it very quickly, but he didn't expect General Wang to still be dissatisfied.

He's definitely an amateur.

All they know how to do is give blind orders.

Liu Er was dissatisfied, but dared not say it.

(End of this chapter)