The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 298 Meeting Tan Chun

The Prince of Beijing and the Jia family had a good relationship.

In fact, the Jia family had close ties with the four founding princes.

In Rongxi Hall, Jia Zheng's residence, there is a couplet made of ebony with silver-engraved characters. The couplet is signed in small characters: "Respectfully written by Mu Shi, my fellow townsman and brother of the Prince of Dongping."

This is the Prince of Dongping, who is stationed in Liaodongbei Town.

This includes the future Prince of Nanning coming to the Jia family to select daughters to marry into foreign countries for political alliances. Although Tan Chun cried when she got married, she returned as a princess of a foreign country. From the perspective of the political group, they would choose reliable members from within the family.

This illustrates the importance of having a network or social circle.

Even though Jia Zheng was only a fifth-rank official, it did not affect his status in the circle.

Moreover, he has a daughter who is a concubine, and a brother-in-law like Lin Ruhai.

Having chosen the path of literature, aside from his abilities, he had extensive connections, able to entangle himself with almost anyone, including a high-ranking official who suddenly appeared to recommend Jia Zheng.

Not to mention those with little influence, such as Lai Shangrong, a county magistrate born into the Jia family, and Fu Shi, a protégé of Jia Zheng and a sixth-rank sub-prefect.

Wang Xin asked, "Why are the Prince of Nanning's men coming to the capital?"

Upon hearing Wang Xin's question, Jia Zheng sighed and complained, "They wouldn't seek out the imperial court for good news. Since they've sent someone to the capital, it can't be anything good."

Jia Zheng still had some scholarly ideals and was mindful of the bigger picture.

Wang Xin thought to himself.

If it were someone else, they wouldn't care whether it was a good thing or a bad thing; they would only care about whether there was any benefit to be gained.

The four kings and eight dukes were founding heroes. Regardless of their internal conflicts and their separate paths, they generally stick together for mutual support.

Rongxi Hall is the central building of Rongguo Mansion, and the plaque there is inscribed by Emperor Taizu himself, "Presented to Duke Rongguo, Jia Yuan".

The Rongguo Mansion abandoned martial arts for civil affairs. Although the eldest son, Jia She, was still involved in martial arts, the head of the Rongguo Mansion actually became Jia Zheng of the second son's family. Therefore, most of the Rongguo Mansion's political resources were invested in Jia Zheng.

However, there are some details that are not worth discussing.

Jia She's resentment and various underhanded efforts, Jia Zheng's easy victories, and even the sudden changes in the situation, all these unexpected events led to the removal of idle officials from their comfortable lives and their forced emergence to lead the way.

Through years of contact and some memories, Wang Xin has gained some understanding of this system of four kings and eight dukes.

It is not a complete political force, but more like a loose political alliance.

Relying on the extensive network of connections established by the Four Kings and Eight Dukes, it spread densely throughout the entire country.

The connections of the Glorious State Mansion are all over the country, from the military governors of the capital region to the generals of Guangdong and Guangxi, from the Hanlin Academy members like Mei Hanlin in the imperial court to the prefects of Jinling. Not to mention those low-ranking officials of the sixth or seventh grade, let alone those who are not even in the mainstream.

The two mansions had about a thousand servants, and their monthly wages alone amounted to about a thousand taels of silver.

Such a gate signifies the Jia family's status.

Therefore, it is truly rare to find someone like Jia Zheng who still has the big picture in mind amidst such power struggles.

For a few taels of silver, many people would throw national righteousness and moral virtue to the wind, which is why Wang Xin admired Jia Zheng.

A power or nation.

Its foundation must have been destroyed by corrupt officials.

It is utterly absurd that so many people believe that prosperity and stability can be achieved through capable but corrupt officials.

Wang Xin believed that most of the affairs of the Great Zhou court were not difficult and did not require professional skills. Anyone could do them after a period of training, so ability was not the problem; attitude was.

Wang Xin deliberately guessed, "Could it be that there are border troubles in Yunnan?"

Jia Zheng assumed Wang Xin had a keen sense of smell, nodded, and frowned, saying, "I heard that the Diwuci over there are going to cause trouble."

"Diwuci?"

Wang Xin seemed somewhat familiar.

Jia Zheng recounted the origins of Di Wuci.

It turns out that Diwuci was a Pacification Commissioner's Office established by the Ming Dynasty. After paying tribute during the Xuande era, it never came again. The Ming court at the time didn't pay much attention to it, since it was an overseas vassal state and might be destroyed.

Even when the Great Zhou Dynasty was newly established and took over the Pacification Commissions and Pacification Offices surrounding the former Ming Dynasty, due to deficiencies in the records, they did not know about this Diwuci.

It wasn't until the Prince of Nan'an submitted a memorial mentioning the Diwuci that it was revealed that the Diwuci had not only not disappeared, but had also become a formidable kingdom in the region after years of fighting in the south and north.

The Great Zhou had also made contact with this kingdom, but it turned out that the kingdom was quite ambitious, with a strong desire to annex all the surrounding kingdoms.

Of course, the Great Zhou would not allow its Xuanwei Division and Xuanfu Division to be annexed during its term of office.

However, the journey was long and the region was separated from Yunnan by several chieftains who had annexed a considerable amount of land. Now, they had set their sights on the Mubang Pacification Commissioner's Office, which was no match for them. They sought help from the Prince of Nan'an.

Wang Xin suddenly realized.

Isn't this Diwuci the Toungoo Dynasty?

The most powerful dynasty in Burmese history.

It's quite interesting.

The most powerful dynasty in Burmese history went to war with the Ming Dynasty at the end of the Wanli era, sending hundreds of thousands of soldiers and war elephants to attack Yunnan from multiple directions.

Among the several armies was a notorious traitor, Yue Feng, and his son, Yue Nangwu, who led the way.

They attacked various places along the way, including Lei Nong, Zhan Da, Gan Ya, Nan Dian, Mu Bang, Lao Yao, and Si Dian, burning, killing, and looting countless times. They also set their sights on Teng Yue, Yong Chang, Da Li, Meng Hua, Jing Dong, Zhen Yuan, Yuan Jiang, and other places.

Seeing the immense power and formidable military strength of the Toungoo Dynasty, the local envoys and officials of the Xuanfu Division all sided with the Toungoo army.

The military strength has reached an unprecedented level in Myanmar's history.

The final result was a victory for the Ming Dynasty, and the Toungoo Dynasty disintegrated due to its defeat.

Compared to the later Qing-Burmese War.

In terms of both scale and degree of victory, the war between the Ming Dynasty and the Toungoo Dynasty far surpassed the Qing-Burmese War, yet the former is relatively unknown, and the Toungoo War took place during the late Ming period.

Wang Xin already knew what had happened.

It turns out that the Prince of Nan'an had never fought against the Toungoo Dynasty, also known as Diwula.

But that's for the future.

What are the Prince of Nan'an's plans?

"It's not like we're just trying to find out what the imperial court is thinking."

Jia Zheng sighed, "The Prince of Nan'an is unwilling to go to war. Firstly, he is worried that the other side is too strong, and secondly, if the court intervenes too much, it will affect his power in the local area and he will fall into the same situation as the Prince of Dongping."

The Prince of Dongping was facing the Donghu and the barbarians.

When the emperor was unable to act effectively, the imperial court intervened so deeply that the Liaodong Regional Military Commission was established, which seized most of the power of the Prince of Dongping.

The imperial court definitely wanted to weaken the power of the regional military governors.

The four princes certainly wouldn't want their fiefdoms to be reduced.

However, the Great Zhou Dynasty was powerless to do so, leading to the current situation.

Wang Xin also felt the difficulty and worried, "I'm afraid this person is overthinking things. The court won't be able to pay attention to him."

"Yes."

Jia Zheng smiled bitterly upon hearing this.

The imperial court is spending more than it earns, and has been in arrears for several million taels of silver every year.

Wang Xin was also speechless.

Some people say that the Wanli Emperor's country would have fallen without Zhang Juzheng, a statement many consider laughable, but it is not.

Everything is inseparable from finance.

The seven years before Wanli ascended the throne.

In the first year of the Longqing reign, there was a deficit of 351 million taels.

In the second year of the Longqing reign, there was a deficit of 210 million taels.

In the third year of the Longqing reign, there was a deficit of 150 million taels.

In the fourth year of the Longqing reign, a deficit of 150 million taels of silver was recorded. This was tax silver, and the cumulative deficit amounted to tens of millions of taels of silver.

There are also summer taxes and autumn grain taxes, etc.

The Great Zhou inherited the legacy of the Ming Dynasty, whose biggest problem in the late Ming period was a lack of money.

Hundreds of thousands of troops were lost due to lack of funds, many of whom mutinied along the way. Even the strongest new army equipped with firearms at the time defected due to lack of money and eventually fled to the Qing Dynasty.

Wang Xin believed that the Zhou dynasty still possessed organizational strength.

For example, the militia needed by the local authorities were generally able to be provided on time, indicating that the local governments still had control over their respective regions.

The problem with Da Zhou was also that it had no money.

Therefore, the Great Zhou Dynasty also lacked a Zhang Juzheng and needed time to reform.

Did Zhang Jifu have the courage to reform?
The retired emperor can support him, but is there enough time?

Should he consider the emperor's feelings?

There's also the outside.

The court had been reduced to needing to arrange marriages with various ethnic groups, including the Hu, Donghu, and Man, as well as the Diwuci, indicating that the situation was far from ideal.

The situation in the Great Zhou Dynasty is too unstable, and the internal contradictions are too deep. Zhang Jifu probably has no way to reform it.

Reforms will offend people.

It's like pushing everyone towards the emperor.

The retired emperor would not agree.

The Hu people have not yet been pacified, and of course, we will not forget the threat posed by the barbarians. Now, there is also the Diwuci outside Yunnan.

If the Prince of Nanping, Diwuci, is defeated, then the Xuanwei and Xuanfu Divisions of the Great Zhou in Southeast Asia will either actively or indirectly join Diwuci. Diwuci will not only stabilize its internal situation by taking advantage of the victory, but will also become an even more powerful dynasty.

The journey there is long and the jungle is dense. Once the Diwu Thorn has grown fat, it will be much more difficult to flatten it.

She dared to target Ou Yanhu because she seized the opportunity; it was just at the crucial moment when Ou Yanhu was gaining momentum.

Otherwise, once Ou Yanhu unifies the Hetao region and conquers the various tribes of the Shenghu, I, with my few thousand men, might not even be enough to satisfy his hunger.

Wang Xin couldn't help but scratch his head.

"There are quite a few problems. I wonder what the Emperor Emeritus and the Emperor are thinking."

"What else can we think? Everyone's on guard against everyone else."

Jia Zheng looked at him with a sarcastic expression.

This is true.

Problems that pile up become difficult to solve.

Although it was a good thing for him, as the court was going through a turbulent period and would inevitably rely on military generals, it was not the kind of good thing he wanted. He had so many opportunities already, he didn't need this kind of good thing.

"I will visit Grand Secretary Zhang again tomorrow and see if I can see him."

Wang Xin made a decision.

Zhang Jifu was the top official in the cabinet, while Zhou Daofeng didn't manage much affairs. If it weren't for the retired emperor refusing to release him, Zhou Daofeng would have already retired to his hometown. Therefore, Zhang Jifu had many affairs to attend to and didn't know when he would be able to see him again.

"Will this displease Grand Secretary Zhang?"

Jia Zheng was somewhat worried.

In some aspects, he was even inferior to Wang Xin, such as in front of Grand Secretary Zhang.

Grand Secretary Zhang held great power and had no dealings with the nobles. On the contrary, Wang Xin was easier to talk to in front of Grand Secretary Zhang because Grand Secretary Zhang valued Wang Xin more, even though none of them had the same advantages as Wang Xin.

"I am doing this for the sake of the court and to share his burdens. How can I have any complaints?"

Wang Xin didn't care.

Who is on whose side is important, but ultimately it's all about interests.

Zhang Jifu faced a difficult problem, which is why he repeatedly gave him important positions. Otherwise, given his status, why would he need to change his mind about him time and time again?

I remember the first time I met Zhang Jifu, what impressed me most was that he said he was the most disciplined.

However, after arriving in Beijing, he lost much of his style.

I'm not going to pretend anymore.

Just like Xue Pan.

Before entering the capital, he was a domineering fool; after entering the capital, he became the simple-minded Xue.

The capital city is indeed the capital city.

The central hub of the world.

After Wang Xin returned, he went to see the house outside.

Ping'er and Qingwen also got busy, packing everything up. The old women from the estate came to help, chatting idly, and seemed a little reluctant to see them leave.

Ping'er laughed and said, "Now that we're gone, you can finally relax. Nobody comes to this Tubi Manor on weekdays. You can treat it as a retirement home and never have to serve anyone again. You'd be thrilled."

"To be honest with you two young ladies,"

An old woman laughed and said, "It's true that when Master Xin first came, we gossiped about him behind his back, but after spending more time with him, we found that he is kind and gentle and treats us well. In fact, this place is much more lively than before, with us old women all alone."

The other old women echoed their sentiments.

They enjoy leisure, but not loneliness.

Ping'er also smiled and said, "To be honest, I'm also reluctant to part with you all."

"If you have the chance in the future, Miss Ping and Miss Qingwen must come back to visit us," the old woman said with a smile.

"I'm glad you're not bothered by me."

Qingwen smiled.

"How could that be?" the old woman denied.

Just saying.

"The Third Sister has arrived."

Everyone hurriedly looked towards the door and saw that Tan Chun had arrived, accompanied by her maids Shi Shu, Ai Guan, Cui Mo, and Xiao Chan.

Ping'er and Qingwen quickly got up to greet them, and the old women paid their respects.

Tan Chun pulled Ping'er and Qingwen along and said with a smile, "I know you're leaving. I won't stop you this time. I'm not as thorough as my second sister-in-law in handling things. Please forgive me for any offenses I may have caused in the past."

"What are you saying, Third Miss?"

Ping'er dared not underestimate Tan Chun, and quickly said with a smile, "Even Second Mistress praised Third Miss."

Qingwen didn't understand all that; she had a completely innocent look on her face.

"Third Miss was very kind to us, and I miss her the most."

Qingwen grew up in the Jia family and was somewhat proud of it. There were two young ladies from outside the family, Lin Daiyu and Baochai, both of whom were of impeccable character and appearance.

Of the three young ladies in the manor, the fourth young lady is still too young, so only the third young lady is eligible to be betrothed to Miss Lin and Miss Bao.

Unlike Ping'er's admiration for Tan Chun, Qingwen admired her for this aspect.

Tan Chun was dressed in a bright red jacket with banana leaf print, a white cross-collar inner garment, and a white long skirt. Her oval face was lightly powdered, her eyebrows were painted with dark blue, and her lips were adorned with vermilion. When she raised her eyes, her gaze was as clear and cold as a spring.

No wonder he could keep the people in the mansion in check. Qingwen, with her strong personality, admired him even more.

Tan Chun glanced at the crowd, smiled, and pulled the two of them inside, saying affectionately, "Is there anything else you need? We're not outsiders, so please let me know if there's anything inconvenient."

"No, Master Xin gave me enough money," Qingwen replied honestly.

Tan Chun praised, "Master Xin is really good to you all."

Since Wang Xin was mentioned, Qingwen couldn't help but feel happy.

(End of this chapter)