The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 302 Wang Xin, Who Has No Place

When Wang Xin finally met Zhang Jifu, it was already the fifth day after he returned to the capital.

However, this didn't arouse any further suspicion; instead, many insiders felt envious. Given Zhang Jifu's current status, who could simply meet him whenever they wanted? Countless people were lining up behind him, waiting to see him.

Unlike other high-ranking officials.

Many high-ranking officials from other parts of the country who came to the capital did not buy houses in their own names in the capital.

For example, Liu Ru, a cabinet minister, does not own a single house in the capital and still lives in a house borrowed from a "friend," which has earned him a good reputation, and even local unofficial histories praise him.

These are all businesses.

The Great Zhou, which inherited the Ming Dynasty, was still relatively good; at least it had some sense of shame and did its work secretly.

In the original timeline, the Qing Dynasty had become so shameless that they would fabricate a famous ancestor for themselves, abandoning their own ancestors altogether. Most people with a modicum of ambition would do the same.

Therefore, many famous figures from the early Qing Dynasty have inexplicably accumulated a large number of descendants in the records. This phenomenon did not exist in previous dynasties, but it seems to have appeared out of thin air in the Qing Dynasty.

Ancestors like Yue Fei and Fan Zhongyan, etc.

Compiling family genealogies is a professional activity.

So Liu Ru stayed in a friend's house in the capital. As a dignified Grand Secretary, he didn't even have his own house. This was the behavior of a pure official and a great official!
In contrast, Zhang Jifu...

Having only been in Beijing for two or three years, the Zhang family mansion has grown larger and larger, and its architecture has become increasingly unique.

This indicates he was a major corrupt official.

Wang Xin entered the Zhang residence. Compared to what he had seen before, the place was more refined, with many more objects. They looked ordinary, but with Zhang Jifu's discerning eye, who knew what kind of antiques they were? Many of them were probably worth a fortune.

"What did you see?"

Zhang Jifu put down the booklet in his hand on the desk and looked at Wang Xin with great interest.

"can't read."

Wang Xin honestly replied, "This humble general has no knowledge of calligraphy, painting, antiques, or the like."

"Haha."

Zhang Jifu couldn't help but laugh out loud. Finally, he pointed at Wang Xin and said with emotion, "It's truly remarkable that you haven't done anything all these years."

From commander to brigade commander, and with sole command of a route, holding such great power, Zhang Jifu still saw the same Wang Xin as before. Even the proud Zhang Jifu couldn't help but feel admiration.

how to say.

Wang Xin did not believe that he was more noble than anyone else.

Rather, it's due to the environment they've experienced.

In my early years, I lived in the countryside, which was the most populous place. Resources were scarce, and people were poor. To survive, we had to do many things and compete for resources.

Later, supplies became more abundant.

People can lie down and easily live a life that people never dared to imagine before.

No wonder Buddhist stories often depict wealthy young men who fall on hard times and then attain enlightenment.

Ultimately, it is the environment that influences people.

Wang Xin cared about what Zhang Jifu or others pursued, but not with the same urgency.

Just like when we were kids, adults would fight tooth and nail over the smallest things.

It's not that they're stingy.

Instead, we must fight for it.

Therefore, Wang Xin was unwilling to fight for it, which is what many people today consider more important than their own lives.

The same is true.

In Wang Xin's eyes, the concepts of Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, and Teacher were nothing but a fart, while in the eyes of many others they were the very heaven.

Of course, Wang Xin wouldn't say such treasonous words. He could only pretend to be stupid and laugh, saying, "This humble general is just a rough man, a mere warrior, and doesn't understand these refined pleasures."

Zhang Jifu stopped smiling and gave Wang Xin a deep look.

After a moment, Zhang Jifu asked, "What brings you back to the capital?"

“They are still barbarians. We have pacified them in three years. I believe it is time to take the initiative.” Wang Xin’s expression turned serious.

Zhang Jifu was not surprised.

Having already guessed Wang Xin's purpose in returning to the capital, and having not seen him these past few days, she knew he had other matters to attend to, and had also done some research and preparation. Therefore, she casually asked, "What do you plan to do?"

"Datong launched a three-pronged attack, cutting off Ou Yanhu's retreat and forcing him to cut off his own life from Sheng Hu."

Wang Xin then explained in detail.

Ou Yanhu's conquest of the various Shenghu tribes will inevitably cause dissatisfaction among many of them, but they cannot defeat him. All the resistance forces have been defeated by him. Now is the time to take advantage of the opportunity before the Shenghu have been completely pacified by him to cut off his rear.

Wang Xin confidently stated without hesitation, "This will both weaken his power and potential and indirectly support Sheng Hu, making it impossible for him to balance both ends."

Zhang Jifu understood Wang Xin's thoughts.

The idea was good, but the risk was too great. Zhang Jifu hesitated and said, "What if we lose?"

"This humble general guarantees that even if we cannot defeat Ou Yanhu, we will be able to bring the army back safely," Wang Xin assured him.

Raw Hu (a type of cavalry) can indeed increase Ou Yanhu's strength, but their equipment and weapons cannot change. Raw Hu are even poorer than cooked Hu, while cooked Hu can obtain a lot of armor and the like through border smuggling and trade. Therefore, raw Hu are essentially light cavalry.

The bows they used were also light bows.

With a militia mainly armed with arquebuses and cannons, supplemented by wagon battalions, and four thousand elite soldiers, Wang Xin dared not say he could defeat Ou Yanhu, provided he was well prepared. After all, Ou Yanhu had legs and was no slower than him. However, Wang Xin was confident that he could overcome any setbacks.

Zhang Jifu shook his head.

"The one who's worried isn't you, but the other two groups."

Wang Xin was now at a loss for words.

He felt a mix of emotions. He hadn't expected Zhang Jifu to trust him so much, and he was touched. After all, the man in front of him was the de facto leader of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and many people wanted to be his lackeys but didn't have the chance.

We still need to say something.

Wang Xin still chose to tell the truth: "The purpose of this expedition is to force Ou Yanhu back. If we can do that, our Great Zhou will win. No matter what the cost, it will be worth it."

Having chosen to join the army, Wang Xin learned from history, studied many battles, and combined this with his understanding of Qi Jiguang's military strategies and the changes in the situation.

In this era of information explosion, no matter what the issue is, even if one is not an expert, one can still offer some explanation.

This is a terrifying talent.

It was worthless in later generations, but in ancient times, when information was scarce and circulation was extremely slow, it was priceless.

Let's just talk about a few war games that became popular in later generations.

After playing the game several times, one's understanding of war surpasses that of ordinary people in ancient times.

Like Mao Wenlong at the end of the Ming Dynasty.

After the Battle of Sarhu, the Later Jin dynasty captured Shenyang and Liaodong, swallowing up the entire Liaodong region.

While the Ming court was busy shirking responsibility and vying for power, Mao Wenlong, an ordinary military officer, led two hundred men to sea and achieved astonishing results, forcing the Later Jin to shrink its defenses.

This is strategic initiative.

As long as Zhou Jun cuts off Ou Yanhu's rear and forces him to return, even if Zhou Jun retreats to Datong without achieving anything, Ou Yanhu, who has not obtained any spoils of war or has not yet consumed them, will have failed.

Like Germany.

Even if Germany had been given six months to digest the fruits of victory, the outcome might have been very different.

in short.

If we don't give Ou Yanhu time to digest the spoils of war, then we'll only make him more vulnerable. In those years, when the Later Jin withdrew their defenses, the Ming court poured its resources into Liaoxi, claiming it stabilized the situation. But that was just civil officials trying to glorify themselves; in reality, it gave the Later Jin time to consolidate their power in Liaozuo.

We should have strongly supported Mao Wenlong, who is from Dongjiang Town, back then.

Unfortunately, Dongjiang Town received too few resources, and Mao Wenlong's backing was too weak, so it was unable to support the righteous people of Liaozuo, allowing the Later Jin to digest the huge fruits of victory.

Never leave its origins.

The principles behind many things are the same.

Zhang Jifu was a smart man and not entirely ignorant about military affairs. He was in charge of supplying provisions for the anti-Japanese pirates in the southeast, so he quickly understood Wang Xin's idea.

No wonder Wang Xin dared to propose a three-pronged attack.

Zhang Jifu suddenly realized, glanced at Wang Xin again, and commented, "I never would have guessed you could be so shameless."

To put it bluntly...

How does Wang Xin's approach differ from that of Feng Yong or the Prince of Dongping?
They transferred all the non-Party members out to be wiped out by the enemy. If Zhang Jifu agreed with Wang Xin's strategy, he felt that what he should worry about was the Yongxing Army.

Hu Liyong of Tiancheng Army is a cunning old fox. He has survived for so many years in the hands of Fatty Feng. There is no doubt that he is good at saving his life, and he will most likely come back unscathed.

Although Yongxing Army is the culmination of Feng Pangzi's years of hard work, can Zhang Wenjin lead it well?

"The troubles in the former Tao region have been largely resolved. I dare to guarantee that there will be no major problems for at least twenty years. If we can force Ou Yanhu to turn back this time, then, being caught in the crossfire between the north and south and having lost Dabansheng's stronghold, I also dare to guarantee that within two years, Ou Yanhu's forces will fall apart."

Wang Xin didn't say the rest, but Zhang Jifu could definitely guess.

That means it would be worth it even at the cost of the Yongxing Army.

Soldiers are there to fight wars.

Both elite troops and militia have their value.

Wang Xin said with a determined look, "My men number only ten thousand or so. I'm afraid that's not enough to force Ou Yanhu's troops back. Moreover, the Datong Western Army has also taken risks. Given the hatred for the Datong Western Army, I'm afraid that after hearing the news about the Datong Western Army, Ou Yanhu is more likely to bring a large army to annihilate the Datong Western Army first."

Zhang Jifu nodded.

This is also why he did not reject Wang Xin, because unlike Feng Yong and the others, Wang Xin also took risks, no less than his allies.

So neither of us should complain about the other's fate.

"What do you think about splitting up the Eastern Army?" Zhang Jifu asked an unrelated question.

"The Eastern Army can be split up."

Wang Xin said without hesitation, "Half of the elite troops of the Eastern Army were brought out by Admiral Zhu, but the other half were transferred from the other three armies. Although it has been two years, it is not difficult to win them over with the Grand Secretary's methods."

It was no secret that Zhang Jifu wanted to seize military power; he had been doing so since he first arrived in the capital.

However, my ideals have not been very high over the years.

Everyone here is under the Emperor Emeritus's control, so no one can use the Emperor Emeritus's title to pressure others. Even if Zhang Jifu is the designated Grand Secretary, he is still just a Grand Secretary.

Zhang Jifu looked surprised.

Wang Xin knew what Zhang Jifu was surprised about, and explained seriously: "Although my surname is Wang, outsiders say that I am from one of the four major families, but in fact I am not. Moreover, I am like an enemy to the clan chief, Wang Ziteng, although I do not know why Wang Ziteng hates me so much."

Zhang Jifu stared at Wang Xin.

Sometimes, it's necessary to express your opinion.

Wang Xin knew that he needed to make his stance clear on certain matters before entering the capital, otherwise he would not be able to gain more support from Zhang Jifu.

Wang Xin didn't mince words; he knew what Zhang Jifu cared about and spoke frankly.

"Compared to the Ningguo Mansion, Rongguo Mansion, or Prince Teng, I am just a lowly military officer. I'm afraid my reputation is not as great as that of these founding heroes. The Emperor needs their support more."

What Wang Xin said was true.

The four kings and eight dukes were founding heroes, and their interests were aligned on many issues.

For example, Prince Shui Rong of Beijing.

A prince who lost his fiefdom due to defeat in war was able to maintain a transcendent status in the capital for many years, which was better than the vast majority of the imperial family members.

Because of what?
It wasn't because the other three kings were favoring him.

With the support of the three princes, the lintel of the Prince of Beijing was preserved.

Although it is an extremely loose alliance, and even riddled with internal conflicts, if this political alliance supports someone, it will still be a force to be reckoned with, and it is the political force that the emperor cares about most and is most likely to win over.

Zhou Daofeng reigned for decades, and how many officials in the court were not his students or former associates?

Now it's been replaced by Zhou Daofeng's disciple.

Therefore, among all the civil and military officials in the court, there were very few whom the emperor could win over, especially after the retired emperor had suppressed a group of people a couple of years ago.

Those who could voice their opinions under the Emperor Emeritus's nose were limited to members of the imperial family and founding heroes.

The royal family cared about the Great Zhou Dynasty and were unwilling to change the ruler again.

Founding heroes are waiting to be sold.

Otherwise, the emperor would have made Jia Yuanchun a Noble Consort for no reason, and promoted her to the position of Minister of the Phoenix Palace, which meant that Yuanchun would have control over the inner palace. This was a bargaining chip that the emperor offered on his own initiative.

As long as the founding heroes support him, Jia Yuanchun's next step will be to move from being the de facto empress to the nominal empress, a title she truly deserves.

Unfortunately, the emperor overestimated Jia Zheng's power in the Jia family. Although Jia Zheng lived in Rongxi Hall and was nominally the head of the Rongguo Mansion, Jia She was always dissatisfied, and the Rongguo Mansion was always divided.

This also reflects the situation of the four major families, where long-standing conflicts and internal strife have become serious.

Looking at it on a larger scale.

Isn't this also a contradiction of the entire Great Zhou Dynasty?

The problems have been accumulating for a long time.

Furthermore, the emperor underestimated the appetite of the founding heroes.

What they need more is real power.

The Great Zhou Dynasty was riddled with internal and external conflicts.

Jia Zheng could not meet the emperor's needs. What the emperor needed was the entire group of founding heroes. At the very least, Jia Zheng should bring the power of the four great families to the emperor, not just the second branch of the Rongguo Mansion.

The emperor offered what he considered his greatest bargaining chip, but what he received failed to satisfy his needs; how could he not harbor resentment?

However, Jia Zheng's attitude was still acceptable.

However, given his limited abilities and the harsh reality, the emperor was helpless; after all, he had misjudged the person in the first place.

Not right either.

Lin Ruhai died at that time.

Before this, Jia Zheng had always listened to Lin Ruhai, including in the search for talent. Those who passed his inspection would soon be given important positions. Jia Zheng was not short of people, but most of them were not given important positions.

Lin Ruhai is not dead, but he is now under strict control by Zhang Jifu, who forbids him from returning to the capital and keeps a close watch on him.

There are many, many things to do.

Wang Xin knew he had no standing with the emperor and would not be permitted to serve him.

He was still a military officer in the Beijing garrison, and the one actually commanding the troops.

We can only take one step at a time.

Dispose of tricks at a glance.

In short, winning battles is never a mistake.

By training one elite force after another, one can ensure one's invincibility.

(End of this chapter)