The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 291 Falling out
Weiyuan Pass.

Tang Ping and his men rode around on horseback before returning, making a lot of noise.

"Damn it."

"You guys aren't even as fast as me."

Tang Ping cursed and swore the whole way.

The military officer under him said with a grin, "Before, when we ran faster than the commander, the commander was unhappy. Now that the commander runs faster, he's still unhappy. We're in a real predicament."

"Yes, the commander's horsemanship is improving day by day, and the brothers can't keep up with him."

Someone echoed.

During battles, the commander was very strict, but in ordinary times, he was extremely kind to his brothers.

Now that they have returned victorious, everyone knows that the commander is in a good mood, and everyone is in a good mood as well. They are not afraid of the commander and know that the commander is not angry.

“Before, I rode fewer horses, and you ran faster than me, so of course I was unhappy. Now that I ride more horses, you ride just as many as I do, but you can’t run as fast as me. How can I be happy?”

Tang Ping cursed.

"Commander, you're being unreasonable. Your horse is a fine one that someone gave you. How can the horses of our brothers compare?"

The military officer just now said unhappily.

Tang Ping raised his hand.

"You son of a bitch talk the most."

"Hahaha."

The crowd erupted in laughter.

Tang Ping couldn't help but smile. He liked it when people called him Commander, just like when he was called General Commander.

I know I'll never catch up to the general's skills in this lifetime, but that doesn't stop me from learning from him.

Weiyuan Pass had 500 cavalrymen, mostly light cavalry, and was garrisoned by 1,000 militiamen.

The Western Army of Datong changed the traditional way of the army.

The original elite infantry were reformed into cavalry, with both heavy and light cavalry coexisting.

Only a small number of elite infantrymen were retained.

A portion of the auxiliary militia.

Some joined the artillery.

Most of the militia were converted into arquebusiers.

The elite troops assisting the militia were mainly swordsmen and shieldmen or spearmen.

The newly formed infantry primarily employed vehicle battalions and three-stage volleys as their main combat tactics.

The militia had to undertake more tasks and functions than before, but without much increase in consumption. Practicing with a musket was not difficult, unlike drawing a bow and shooting arrows, which required not only skill and talent but also physical strength.

Tang Ping's strengths and weaknesses.

From south to north, the use of infantry, if not masterful, was at least roughly the same.

As for the new artillery unit, I am more familiar with it.

The weakness is the cavalry.

Therefore, whenever Tang Ping had time, he would practice horsemanship, not to charge into battle, but to spend more time with cavalrymen and gain a better understanding of them.

"Dusi."

Someone at the pass announced, "The young master of the Zhou family has arrived."

"What is he here for?"

Tang Ping frowned.

He was truly content to have married the daughter of a wealthy family; he felt his life had been worthwhile.

They got along very quickly.

Even the rarest things are no longer rare, which only annoys Tang Ping.

The two had too many incompatibilities.

Sometimes I can't help but regret that I shouldn't have been so lustful and should have married a girl from an honest and kind family.

"Go away."

They've all arrived; we can't refuse to see them.

Tang Ping dismissed his subordinates.

soon.

hall.

A young man saw Tang Ping and said with a smile, "Brother-in-law, it's been a long time."

Tang Ping remained silent.

He was in his thirties, almost a full twelve years older than the other person, and he was actually the other person's brother-in-law. Well, what could he do when he married the other person's sister?

"How did you come."

Tang Ping asked.

The young man was used to Tang Ping's attitude and was not surprised.

"My father needs my brother-in-law's help with something."

"What can I do to help? I'm just the commander of Weiyuan Pass. I'm afraid I can't help my father-in-law with this." Tang Ping shook his head.

The young man's eyes showed disgust.

My sister is such a waste to have married such a person.

Since things have come to this point, we can't afford to waste any more time. The young man suppressed his displeasure and said with a smile, "It's nothing serious, just a small matter for the business. Brother-in-law, don't belittle yourself. If you say something, General Wang will consider it."

Upon hearing about the general, Tang Ping calmed down.

After a while.

Tang Ping asked calmly, "What is it?"

The young man thought Tang Ping had changed his attitude and was overjoyed, saying, "It's a good thing that the business wants to expand, but it's only been a short time and it has already raised three rounds of funds. The risks involved are too great. Doing business is like fighting a war; you can't act recklessly."

Tang Ping didn't speak, but listened silently.

It turned out that Zhou Shiming didn't want the business to expand too quickly.

Because even the Zhou family is falling behind.

Therefore, they hoped the business would expand slowly, and that the Zhou family would make more money and have more resources before expanding the business.

After explaining, the young man said in a serious tone, "It's all for the good of the business. Who doesn't want the business to become better? But you can't rush things. You have to eat one bite at a time."

"fart!"

Tang Ping launched into a tirade of curses, showing absolutely no respect.

"The business should expand as quickly as possible and secure a foothold in the Hetao region in order to control the territory and concentrate our forces to deal with Ou Yanhu. How can we be slow? Who knows when Ou Yanhu will return? Now it's all about speed."

Tang Ping knew the general's thoughts and also saw through the Zhou family's intentions. He cursed, "The Zhou family has eaten so much that they can't eat anymore. In order to take it all for themselves, they actually want to slow down the business. Have you and your son lost your brains?"

The young man, insulted in this way, couldn't help but stand up and look angrily at Tang Ping.

"Don't think that just because the Zhou family married their daughter to you, you're all that great. The Zhou family has people and power to their name. They married their daughter to you out of kindness. Is this how you repay the Zhou family?"

Young people simply cannot understand Tang Ping.

He was originally just a battalion commander; it was the Zhou family who helped him rise to the rank of commander.

As long as the Zhou family is doing well, he will surely benefit from it in the future.
They keep calling the Zhou family stupid and foolish, not caring about their own feelings, but what about their sister's feelings?
The young man glared at Tang Ping, not afraid that Tang Ping would turn on him.

In Juzhongchangli, the Zhou family holds a significant share and wields considerable influence among the owners.

Not to mention the imperial court behind him.

To put it bluntly, the fact that Juzhongchang's methods have managed to remain relatively unscathed in Datong is largely due to the efforts of the Zhou family.

Even when facing Wang Xin, the Zhou family could make their voices heard and express their attitudes, let alone Tang Ping, so the young people were really dissatisfied.

The atmosphere in the hall was lively.

The two seemed about to have a falling out, and the younger man wouldn't back down.

"Ugh."

Tang Ping suddenly sighed.

He had heard the general mention it.

Merchants in business will sell anything for profit, including the guillotine that will behead them.

Tang Ping couldn't understand how such a person could exist.

Now I understand.

Indeed, as long as the profits are big enough, businessmen will do anything.

Knowing full well the existence of their formidable enemy, Ou Yanhu, the Zhou family, for their own benefit, actually attempted to delay the expansion of their business.

"Go back now, I can't help your Zhou family with this."

Tang Ping calmed down.

When the young man saw Tang Ping's change in attitude, he thought Tang Ping had given in. But when he saw Tang Ping's calm demeanor, he realized that it was not a concession, but a sign that Tang Ping had made up his mind.

"That makes no sense."

The young man turned and left.

Tang Ping wasn't angry.

The more Tang Ping saw, the more he admired the general. Many things hadn't even happened yet, but the general had already foreseen them and made arrangements accordingly. Instead of forcing things, he believed in guiding rather than blocking, and thus proactively facilitated things.

No wonder the general wanted to divide the family property.

Tang Ping understood the general's actions and was completely convinced.

night.

Tang Ping did not go home; instead, he drank with Liu Ying.

The moonlight was perfect at that moment.

People feel refreshed in May.

In the courtyard.

Tang Ping blushed and said, "The Zhou family is ignorant and arrogant, trying to go against the general. To put it bluntly, even if I agree to the Zhou family's request, I'm afraid it won't be able to influence the general."

Liu Ying also drank quite a bit.

He rose from a cavalry officer in the Yongxing Army to a prisoner of a general, and is now a battalion commander in the Datong Western Army.

Liu Ying was also deeply moved and couldn't help but express her feelings after hearing Tang Ping's words.

"The general's abilities are truly admirable to those who have met him. Even Commander Feng is no match for the general. However, when Commander Feng was in Datong, whether you called him selfish or ambitious, he at least treated the Yongxing Army as a treasure."

What happened to the Yongxing Army?

Tang Ping asked curiously.

He thought the Datong Western Army was the most powerful, but for Datong, the Yongxing Army was the main force, while the Datong Western Army and the Tiancheng Army were secondary forces.

Liu Ying heard many things and said regretfully, "It's still about unpaid military salaries."

"What's the big deal? Every year, military pay is delayed."

Liu Ying shook her head.

“Those civil officials look down on us military men all day long. They always talk about us as a menace and are on guard against us. They are full of benevolence and morality, but in reality they are greedy and insatiable. After Marshal Feng left, they were no longer restrained. In less than two years, the entire Datong has been hollowed out by them.”

Tang Ping nodded.

Isn't that exactly what happened to me during the day?

Businessmen are willing to do anything.

Those officials were equally daring, even more so.

Fortunately, the general was there to keep them in check.

It has only been less than two years since Feng Yong left, and Datong has fallen into such a precarious situation. Will the general not be in Datong in the future?
Tang Ping thought for a long time but still couldn't figure out how to deal with it.

Then I thought about it again.

If I've thought of these problems, surely the general has thought of them too? Stop worrying unnecessarily; just listen to the general.

"drink wine."

Tang Ping spoke with a clear mind and a cheerful tone.

Seeing Tang Ping's incredible prowess and imposing presence, Liu Ying dared not drink any more and tried to find an excuse to slip away. However, Tang Ping saw through Liu Ying's plan and held on tightly. Helpless, Liu Ying had no choice but to stay and keep him company.

"When Zhao, the registrar, went to the capital, he spent two thousand taels of silver to buy two paintings and calligraphy pieces and brought back three women."

"Enter Datong City openly and honestly."

"Not only did no one say anything, the officials also hosted a banquet for Zhao, which was considered a welcome feast for him. Zhao brought out the two paintings he brought back from the capital, and many people wrote poems about them."

Zheng Ang said with a smile.

I went home and heard a lot of recent news.

Xue Ke didn't pay any attention; these were normal occurrences, so what was strange about them?

Wang Xin remained calm.

He also had an old grudge against Zhao, the registrar.

This man was once Feng Yong's confidant and had plotted against him several times. However, he was opportunistic and, seeing the situation was not good, he switched sides to Zhang Wenjin in advance, allowing him to escape unscathed.

As an adjutant, his annual salary was only thirty or forty taels of silver.

Even if you don't eat or drink for thirty years, you'll only have a thousand taels of silver.

The two thousand taels he spent on the painting, plus the money he earned from buying women, etc., he couldn't earn that much even if he didn't eat or drink for his entire life.

This person's skills extend far beyond these.

He owned no less than a thousand acres of farmland in his hometown, and loved calligraphy and painting the most, spending countless sums of money on them. Including his house in Datong and his house in his hometown, he probably amassed at least thirty to fifty thousand taels of silver.

The annual military expenditure of Datong Military Town is no more than one million taels.

Even a mere clerk like him could rake in tens of thousands of taels of silver, not to mention others.

Moreover, it has reached the point of blatant greed.

No wonder Tao Sheng followed him for a while, but eventually went back to Datong.

Following me only earns me a real salary, at most some subsidies and rewards. It's like I'm just a military officer, while others are considered good officials if they can rake in tens of millions or even a few taels of silver a year.

It doesn't resemble myself at all.

With his Midas touch, and his salary of two hundred-odd taels, he only earns a little over a thousand taels a year.

Xue Ke and Zheng Ang are both young people, and they have families behind them, so their interests are different.

They are somewhat similar to scions of aristocratic families.

The sons of powerful families are not greedy because they have more to scheme for and more ways to monetize their power; while the power of officials is only limited to their term of office, so of course they will try to make as much money as they can while in office.

Therefore, apart from Zheng Ang and Xue Ke, the only truly talented people are some ordinary people who have been recruited. They have too little experience and knowledge and need a lot of time to learn and grow.

It's not that the Great Zhou lacks talent; rather, the talent it receives from the government far exceeds what it can gain on its own.

He himself was merely a junior officer.

There was no incident of seeking refuge or anything like that.

Could such a powerful Zhou dynasty survive?

The Ming Dynasty owes its existence to Zhang Juzheng.

Many people only know about the Single Whip Law, but they overlook Zhang Juzheng's Performance Evaluation Law.

It can be said that Zhang Juzheng truly extended the life of the Ming Dynasty.

It not only solved the problem of the imperial court's financial arrears, but also greatly changed the way imperial officials did things.

Did the Great Zhou Dynasty have a Zhang Juzheng?
The most promising candidates are currently Zhou Daofeng and his disciples.

The two held immense power, even though they had an emperor emeritus above them. The emperor emeritus was not foolish; he was simply unwilling to relinquish power. He had the potential for reform, but it was not certain that he would.

What if the retired emperor worries that it will provoke opposition from his ministers, leading them to support the current emperor?
Each has its own problems.

This is probably one of the reasons why the moral character of the Great Zhou Dynasty declined so much.

With their newfound power, officials have become increasingly audacious over the years, and those above, for their own benefit, are powerless to stop them and can only turn a blind eye.

"Has your father written to you, saying when he will return to Datong?"

Wang Xin looked at Xue Ke and asked.

Xue Yan also has business in Nanjing and has been away from Datong for half a year.

“Father said he has arrived in the capital, the matter there has been resolved, and the next step should be to return to Datong,” Xue Ke said hurriedly.

just.

He also needed to return to the capital, fearing that the two of them might miss each other.

"Send a letter to your father, telling him to wait for me in the capital," Wang Xin said.

I can't control what's going on with Yongxing Army.

Zhao Yong's concerns were not unfounded.

The Yongxing Army has now become a destabilizing factor. Could we perhaps have a talk with Zhang Jifu?

Although Zhang Jifu had many shortcomings and was full of the habits of an official, he could still get things done to some extent. Officials who can get things done are rare, and this is not just due to Zhang Jifu's reputation and talent.

The retired emperor must have valued Zhang Jifu's ability to get things done.

There are plenty of smart people in the world.

Doing practical things is thankless and easily offends people; it's the riskiest and least worthwhile thing to do.

If you don't want to go along with the wrongdoing but still want to get things done, you'll always need someone to help you.

Although the army can solve the problem, the army also needs to eat. It cannot win over the landlords and gentry, but instead has to break their dependence. So the only ones with money and resources are the merchants.

Businessmen also have their own ideas, and not all businessmen can agree with them.

Sometimes, interests may clash.

Therefore, it is essential to have your own people involved, so that your interests are more closely aligned and you can maintain consistency most of the time, preventing you from being completely passive when your interests clash.

Xue Yan is a good fit.

This person is intelligent, has a wide business network, and possesses the necessary strength to meet his needs.

Being too weak won't work.

Once we get to the capital, we need to have a good talk with him.

Wang Xin looked at Xue Ke meaningfully, thinking, "He's been so good to me raising his son. He should at least repay the kindness."

Xue Ke felt a little uneasy under the general's gaze.

I wonder what the general is planning.

(End of this chapter)