The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 333 Where are the trusted confidants?

spring.

The flowers in the Jia family mansion have bloomed again.

Every time Wang Xin came to the Jia family mansion, he had the urge to visit the Grand View Garden again. However, it was easy to move out, but difficult to go back. Unless something unexpected happened, it was unlikely that he would ever return to the Grand View Garden in his lifetime.

The scenery in the Grand View Garden is indeed very beautiful.

Ancient craftsmen placed great importance on their skills, especially when others hired them. To protect their reputation, they worked with great care, resulting in many fascinating details.

The layout of the mountains and flowing water is particularly captivating, offering endless visual delights and constant new discoveries.

The main concern is that I don't know how Wang Xifeng is doing lately, and also Lin Daiyu. I haven't seen this girl for a long time, and it won't be convenient to see her in the future. I can't forget Master Lin's kindness.

Wang Xin was drinking tea alone in Jia Zheng's living room.

Having met Zhu Wei and with his support, many things proceeded smoothly.

If someone has no connections, then all they can do is wait and leave it to fate. It could take a year or two, or even several years, to secure their position. Otherwise, why would anyone bother going to the capital?

These days, without airplanes or trains, traveling long distances is a real ordeal.

These are matters I can't handle myself, so Jia Zheng will help me with them. I'm not sure about the other government departments, but for the Ministry of War, Jia Zheng asked Chen Yan to take care of it.

When he first arrived in the capital as a junior official in the Ministry of War, he was of the same rank as Jia Zheng. Now, both of them have been promoted to senior officials.

It seems that Jia Zheng's fate has been changed by himself. According to the original timeline, he has been sent to Guangdong for the second time.

I didn't know many of the details before.

Looking back now, how could Wu Wenhua have gone all the way to Guangdong to take up his post without his own trusted confidants? He recommended Jia Zheng to serve as the local education commissioner, in charge of culture and education, which was similar to the role of an official in charge of military logistics.

Lu Zhongheng didn't know whose connections he would use. He had been in the Hanlin Academy for many years and was surrounded by powerful figures. Zhang Jifu wouldn't obstruct his future without good reason, otherwise he would offend many people.

A wise person wouldn't do something that harms others without benefiting themselves.

Zhang Jifu will definitely be dissatisfied with my choice to contact Zhu Wei during my return to Beijing.

However, the two are partners, and that has been the case from the beginning.

So while there may be dissatisfaction, it won't escalate into enmity.

Wang Xin frowned, wondering about the extent of the conflict between Zhang Jifu and Zhu Wei, and whether it would implicate him if it escalated too much.

Too many things were beyond my control; luckily, I was a military general.

No wonder all the civil officials are like old turtles.

Such is the environment in officialdom.

Sudden.

Jia Zheng's voice came from outside the door. Hearing the footsteps of two people, Wang Xin put down his teacup and stood up.

Not a moment.

Jia Zheng and Chen Yan entered the room.

"Master Chen."

"Master Jia."

Wang Xin offered his hands in return.

Since he was about to become Jia Zheng's son-in-law, he addressed Chen Yan first, and the two of them were addressed differently.

Chen Yan knew Wang Xin was there, and said with a smile, "It's been a long time since I've seen General Wang. General Wang is indeed remarkable. I knew you were capable back then."

"Haha, it's just luck."

Jia Zheng said bluntly.

Chen Yan nodded.

This time, Jia Zheng used every connection he could to help Wang Xin.

Several people took their seats.

Chen Yan got straight to the point, "It's actually inconvenient for me to come, but I couldn't refuse the Lord's kind invitation, so I had no choice but to accept."

Chen Yan was Zhou Daofeng's man, which meant he was on the side of the retired emperor.

There's nothing wrong with dealing with people openly.

If they were to be too intimate in private, especially given the current situation where Zhou Daofeng has retired to the capital, it could easily lead to misunderstandings, such as whether Chen Yan is considering switching allegiances.

"Brother Chen."

Jia Zheng looked very grateful.

Wang Xin didn't say much; it was enough for Jia Zheng to speak up at this point, and he would act as a junior.

The retired emperor seemed to have great power, but since he showed no signs of deposing the emperor, no one dared to ignore the emperor.

This is the general trend.

Either the east wind prevails over the west wind, or the west wind overpowers the east wind.

The retired emperor may be getting old, or he may be thinking about the future of the Great Zhou Dynasty, so he chose to hold back and remain inactive. However, he could not stop the unpredictable hearts of the people below.

Everyone will find a way out for themselves.

Therefore, Lin Ruhai and Jia Zheng, despite their low official positions, were actually quite adept at navigating social situations and were respected by all factions.

The retired emperor was not blind.

The ones who were truly suffering were Liu Ru and others who were close to the emperor. These true confidants were kept under close surveillance and dared not act rashly, let alone be approached by anyone.

This is also why Lin Ruhai was able to serve as the Salt Commissioner for so many years.

Everyone knows how to exchange favors and gifts.

The key to the position of the Salt Commissioner was in the Imperial Palace.

You could say Jia Zheng wasn't smart, but he wasn't stupid either.

It wasn't that Jia Zheng wasn't greedy, but rather that he disdained to do so.

Therefore, Jia Zheng and Chen Yan had probed each other enough in a few words to confirm that the other party accepted their meaning. Both of them were very satisfied. Chen Yan finally brought up the matter of Wang Xin: "First of all, congratulations to General Wang on his promotion to Right Route Commander."

Jia Zheng glanced at Wang Xin subconsciously, then was overjoyed.

Wang Xin understood as well.

The Ministry of War has already finalized the position of General, but it has not yet been officially announced.

"However, the higher-ups intend for those men from the Hexi Camp who can remain in Datong to stay, and to avoid transferring them back as much as possible. So General Wang may have to endure a period of hardship and stay in the Beijing Camp for several years."

Chen Yan pointed out the key point.

Without your own people, you're just a commander without troops.

Even Wu Wenhua brought his own people with him when he went to take up his post in Guangdong, let alone the army.

The hierarchical structure of the military is more clearly defined.

Whose idea is this?

Wang Xin asked.

Others might not know, but Chen Yan was a senior official in the Ministry of War, and many things required his direct involvement. He was also someone promoted by Zhou Daofeng, so it was impossible for him not to know who it was.

Chen Yan didn't tell him directly, but asked, "General Wang, would you like to guess?"

"Grand Secretary Zhang."

Wang Xin was certain it was this person.

Chen Yan was surprised for a moment, but not too surprised; this was not hard to guess.

Seeing that Chen Yan remained silent, Jia Zheng and Wang Xin made up their minds.

Jia Zheng's throat tightened, and he said heavily, "Grand Secretary Zhang has a lot of opinions about Wang Xin. Is there any way to put in a good word for him?"

"Don't worry, Lord Zheng. Grand Secretary Zhang's move is not entirely aimed at Wang Xin. Based on my understanding of the Grand Secretary, it's at most a warning. That's why I told General Wang to hold out in the Beijing garrison for a while."

After speaking to Jia Zheng, Chen Yan looked at Wang Xin and said with a smile, "General Wang is still young, a general who is not yet thirty, and he is still unmarried. I think he should take advantage of this free time to settle down and start a family as soon as possible."

Wang Xin nodded.

Getting married and starting a career gives others leverage against you.

Many officials prefer to live separately from their wives and pursue their own lives rather than divorce, precisely because of these considerations.

Divorce can really affect your future.

Even an ordinary bachelor is considered a destabilizing factor, let alone a military general who has no family.

"You really don't need it?"

Jia Zheng was still somewhat uneasy.

"No need. If we were to try to use connections to mediate, it would be counterproductive," Chen Yan said earnestly.

Jia Zheng was finally relieved.

According to Chen Yan's suggestion, Wang Xin went back to the capital camp alone, keeping a low profile, wanting to accumulate strength. In less than three to five years, how could he cultivate new confidants? And that's assuming everything goes smoothly.

If you encounter an opponent, or some unexpected event occurs, it could take up to ten years.

Fortunately, Wang Xin was young.

Even ten years from now, he will still be less than forty.

Wang Xin vaguely saw through Zhang Jifu's thoughts, but there were still some uncertainties, so he asked, "I wonder how the Grand Secretary plans to arrange things with the Western Army in Datong?"

These are confidential matters and should not be disclosed.

But it could also be a favor.

Chen Yan said softly, "There's a military officer named Zhou Wen who has enough experience. The Grand Secretary plans to promote him to general and put him in command of the Datong Western Army." "Zhou Wen?"

Jia Zheng had never heard of this person's name.

Wang Xin found the name somewhat familiar. "Isn't that General Zhou, who was transferred to the south to fight against the Japanese pirates a few years ago?"

Chen Yan looked surprised and asked curiously, "You know him?"

"It's quite a coincidence. I met him once at the Ministry of War when I first came to the Beijing Garrison."

"That is indeed a coincidence."

Chen Yan laughed and said, "He's only been to the capital once in all these years, and you just happened to run into him."

"You've only been to the capital once in all these years, yet you've caught the Grand Secretary's eye. Or were you already one of the Grand Secretary's men before?"

Chen Yan was stunned.

Jia Zheng, puzzled, looked at Chen Yan with concern.

Chen Yan exclaimed in amazement: "General Wang not only has a good memory, but his insight into worldly affairs is also astonishing."

With just a few words, he could grasp the key points and analyze some extremely secretive matters. Chen Yan was certain that Wang Xin's success today was different from others; he was indeed capable.

Having already intended to do someone a favor, Chen Yan simply blurted out, "Zhou Wen has actually always been one of Grand Secretary Zhou's men, but he's just kept it well hidden. Grand Secretary Zhou has dominated the court for decades; he probably doesn't even remember how many people he has under his control."

This is true.

Wang Xin had no doubts.

Zhou Wen might even be a member of Zhou Daofeng's clan who secretly separated from the group.

He knew about the Beijing Garrison, the Datong Western Army, and the Yongxing Army controlled by Zhang Wenjin, but there were other things he didn't know.

So Zhang Jifu really didn't intend to retaliate against him.

He had promised Zhang Jifu long ago that he would leave the Western Army in Datong after the pacification of the Hu, so Zhang Jifu had given him a lot of support in recent years, not only in terms of materials, but also in terms of the promotion of generals at all levels in the Western Army in Datong.

Now is the time for Zhang Jifu to take it back.

If he hadn't ended up with Zhu Wei and had maintained their original relationship, Zhang Jifu might have kept some trusted confidants around for him.

For example, bring one or two guerrillas.

The Eastern Army's right flank has a quota of 9,000 men, including one general, one deputy general or brigade commander, three lieutenants or commanders-in-chief, nine assistant lieutenants or captains, and eighteen garrison commanders or captains.

As a general, with one or two guerrilla commanders among his confidants, his words would carry weight, making it easy to completely control the entire right flank of the Eastern Army.

Why did General Cheng Hong, the former commander-in-chief, not have high prestige on the right flank?
It's simply because he doesn't have many close confidants under him.

There are gains and losses.

Hearing Lin Ruhai's plan, the advantage is that one can sit back and relax. In the long run, it offers the best cost-effectiveness, equivalent to practicing an authentic profound martial arts technique. It's slow in the early stages, making it less likely to suffer from qi deviation, and its power increases significantly in the later stages.

The downside is that you have to endure the initial period of hardship.

But I am a heretical practitioner.

Wang Xin couldn't help but touch his chin.

Whether in Yangzhou, Datong, or the Beijing garrison today, people's biggest mistake is to regard their outstanding performances as those of a respectable genius.

in fact.

I am just an ordinary heretical cultivator.

Cultivate trusted confidants.

is it hard?

It will take another three to five years, or even more than ten years.

"Three days later."

Chen Yan gave a specific time, "Go directly to the Ministry of War to find me."

Wang Xin nodded.

After leaving the Jia family mansion, they returned home.

"General, how is it?"

Shi Gandang is taking a break today; he hasn't had a break for over half a month.

Judging from his appearance, he probably didn't plan to rest before Shi Ping returned, so Wang Xin insisted on keeping him here today and gave him three days off.

Shi Gandang didn't go anywhere, nor did he return to Hexi Camp; he stayed at home.

Wang Xin didn't pressure him too much and let him go.

"not so good."

Wang Xin said a few words briefly.

Upon hearing that none of the people from before could return, except for his personal guards, Shi Gandang became somewhat anxious.

"That's a good thing too."

Wang Xin laughed and said, "I was worried that there wouldn't be enough people in Datong."

The Western Army of Datong numbered 12,000, more than the 9,000 on the right flank of the Eastern Army, but the high-ranking military officer positions were still filled by a single person.

The Western Army in Datong already had one adjutant general and three guerrilla commanders, so Zhou Wen could at most bring one guerrilla general with him when he took office.

So what if Zhou Wen is a general?

Zhang Wenjin would give him some face, and with the help of Zhai Wen and others, as well as wealthy families in Datong and herdsmen from outside the pass, etc.

With such a massive force, even with Zhang Jifu's support, it would take Zhou Wen seven or eight years to break the balance in Datong before he could take action against the Western Army of Datong.

If Zhang Jifu is still on stage seven or eight years later, it means something unexpected has happened.

Not only did Lin Ruhai miscalculate, but he also misjudged the situation.

If you've made a mistake, you should definitely correct it.

At worst, I can just decide to side with Zhang Jifu; I haven't offended him to death.

However, Wang Xin still did not think highly of Zhang Jifu.

As long as the retired emperor does not relinquish power, things will remain peaceful and stable in times of peace. However, with internal and external conflicts escalating, there will be more and more people opposing the retired emperor, and his prestige will continue to decline.

Reform has never been something that the higher-ups like.

Any reform is a last resort chosen when the higher-ups have no other options.

If Zhang Jifu had truly hardened his heart and implemented reforms like Zhang Juzheng, the retired emperor, as long as he wasn't the Wanli Emperor, would have had a chance.

Just like at the beginning of Zhang Juzheng's reforms, he was betrayed by everyone, not only his allies but also his disciples. Overnight, the entire capital was covered with big-character posters spreading rumors about Zhang Juzheng.

Ultimately, it all comes down to ability.

Zhang Juzheng first reformed the Beijing Garrison, promoting many generals, including famous generals like Qi Jiguang. With the support of the imperial court, the reforms continued to be implemented while Zhang Juzheng was alive, and the opposition weakened. The situation was very favorable in the later stages of the reforms.

Hesitation and timidity when it's time for reform are the real problems that arise.

Therefore, Wang Xin did not intend to give up his military power.

As Lin Ruhai said.

It is still necessary to control part of the Beijing garrison, at least to ensure self-preservation.

"Master."

Ping'er and Qingwen were embroidering handkerchiefs under the window.

The two were very happy to see Wang Xin return. There were two girls in the room, who were still a little timid in front of Wang Xin.

Wang Xin ignored the two of them; it would be fine once they got to know each other.

What are you embroidering?

Wang Xin lay down on the couch and asked a question.

"look."

Qingwen handed the handkerchief to Wang Xin.

Wang Xin had just received it.

"Ding dong."

A voice echoed in my mind.

Wang Xin was stunned.

It seems the Ministry of War has already stamped it, and it's just waiting to be sent out.

"what happened?"

Seeing Wang Xin lost in thought, Qingwen asked him with concern.

She even reached out and touched Wang Xin's forehead. Feeling the warmth of Qingwen's small hand, Wang Xin came back to his senses and smiled, "It's nothing, I was just thinking about what happened at the yamen."

"I finally have some free time, but I've been busy for many years. Although I'm young, my body is my own."

Ping'er couldn't help but advise, "Then you can't leave Master. You'll still need Master to take care of you when you go home."

"you're right."

Wang Xin did not argue and reluctantly let go of Qingwen's hand.

Qingwen rolled her eyes.

The other two girls couldn't help but smile when they saw how good-natured their general was.

(End of this chapter)