Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 240 Wang Ziteng

"Retreat, there is no chance." After a helpless order was issued, a team of people disappeared into the night taking advantage of the night.

Jia Lian's caution cannot be said to save his life, it is just the dumbest way.

This is just basic operation, after all, he is in the open.

From a military perspective, the existence of the Yanshan Mountains in the section from the capital to Zhangjiakou makes it easy to be ambushed.

At any time, Jia Lian would not intend to give anyone in the dark a chance, even if it was just a figment of his imagination, and he would be overly cautious.

I may not understand military affairs, but I am careful enough.

Old Man Liu was the last military trump card in the hands of the retired emperor, and he dared not take any risks without being sure. With the two cautious men together, naturally nothing happened that night.

Although nothing happened, the struggle between the two generations of emperors had reached the most critical moment.

Jia Lian didn't know that someone had been waiting for him in the forest, but he had enough elite soldiers under his command. The next day, before Jia Lian set out again, Zhang San brought a message that there were traces of people and horses in the forest ahead. Although the other party had concealed the traces, careful observation still revealed many clues. Zhang San estimated that there were about 500 people and a large number of horses.

After hearing this, Jia Lian's heart sank to the bottom. Peace during the power transition period was impossible.

The struggle for imperial power is like this. One will not admit defeat until the last bit of capital is lost.

Jia Lian, who was already deeply involved in the situation, became more and more cautious, and for the first time he ordered his men to travel in the hot sun.

The last journey was very smooth. After entering Zhangjiakou, we received news from local officials that Wang Ziteng had not arrived yet.

Jia Lian immediately sent out a team of his guards to go forward and report to Wang Ziteng what they had discovered on the way.

The soldiers who had to travel in the scorching heat complained bitterly, but they were comforted by Jia Lian at dinner, where they were served meat and a bowl of wine.

There wasn't much wine, but it was enough to dissipate most of the soldiers' resentment.

Staying in the city that night, Jia Lian still did not dare to let his guard down. He set up all the sentries. Although it was not to the point of desperate measures, Jia Lian still did not dare to gamble. What if?
Jia Lian also refused the banquet invited by local officials, saying that he was not feeling well and had heatstroke.

Another peaceful night passed. At around eight or nine in the morning, the general who had gone out came back with the news that he had met Wang Ziteng and would arrive at noon. Jia Lian immediately called the local officials and went out to meet him fifteen miles away.

Seeing Jia Lian's high-profile and prepared appearance, the local officials found it funny and privately mocked Jia Lian for his posturing. They said, "You have already made it into the civil service team, why are you still showing off your family skills?"
Fortunately, no one ridiculed them in person, otherwise Jia Lian would have let them know what traditional skills are.

According to the family commander, Wang Ziteng was also very cautious after leaving Yanmen Pass. No wonder he walked so slowly.

In a roadside pavilion, local officials were drinking tea and waiting, but Jia Lian did not stay in the pavilion. The excuse was simple: it was the tradition of the Jia family that when leading troops out, one must stay with the soldiers.

Fortunately, these were all musketeers, and they were wearing leather armor. If they changed to iron armor, they wouldn't have to fight, or they would all have fallen down due to heatstroke.

In fact, in Jia Lian's opinion, leather armor was unnecessary, after all, it was a rifle, but he did not intervene.

When Jia Lian, who was basking in the sun with the soldiers, saw the smoke from afar, he stood up and went to greet it.

The first to appear were the mounted scouts, more than thirty of them.

The leader dismounted and saluted Jia Lian: "Greetings, young master. The commander-in-chief is five miles away."

"Thank you for your hard work along the way!" Jia Lian said to comfort them and asked someone to prepare tea. After drinking the tea, the scouts immediately returned.

Watching them go away, Jia Lian turned around and asked Zhang San: "What do you think of this person?"

Zhang San narrowed his eyes and looked into the distance and said, "They are Ye Bushou. They are about the same in strength. The same 30 cavalrymen cannot fight them. It's not that they can't fight, but they are not equipped with hand guns. Today's rifled guns have a long range, and the role of cavalry is not as good as before. Even the most elite cavalry can only wait for the opponent's position on the battlefield to loosen before launching an attack. In most cases, they wait for opportunities on the flanks. The role of Ye Bushou is to block the opponent's channels for obtaining battlefield information. Therefore, if a real fight breaks out, the outposts are likely to suffer the most."

Jia Lian had no idea what Zhang San's original name was, but he always seized every opportunity to impart military knowledge to Jia Lian.

But Jia Lian was very clear that he had no talent in military affairs and could only act in a conventional manner, without giving blind orders or micro-managing.

Besides, commanding a few hundred people is completely different from commanding thousands or tens of thousands of people.

The key point is that there are no regular armies capable of large-scale combat around the Zhou Dynasty.

While I was daydreaming, Wang Ziteng appeared, wearing a red cloak, riding a horse in the middle, surrounded by people, looking very majestic.

Jia Lian frowned slightly after seeing this. Is it necessary to wear a cloak in such weather?
Well, the weather has turned cooler recently.

There is not much etiquette when we meet on the road, and not much opportunity for conversation.

After a brief greeting, the group headed towards the city.

Wang Ziteng signaled Jia Lian to ride side by side, and as the two of them rode their horses slowly, the others were left ten steps away.

"On my way home, I received no less than fifty letters. The emperor is going to celebrate his sixty-eighth birthday. What do you think?"

Wang Ziteng was very direct. The two families were in-laws, and as the head of the Jia family, there was no point in beating around the bush in communication.

"It seems that the current emperor has the upper hand, and this is true. As for how many cards the retired emperor still has? I think everyone saw the night when the old loyal prince did something bad, so there is no need for me to say more. Legally, the retired emperor's abdication should be recorded in history books and become a story for all ages. The root cause of the current situation is that the retired emperor is unwilling to be lonely. Maybe the retired emperor feels guilty about the old loyal prince. If you are not involved, you have no way of knowing."

Jia Lian did not directly persuade Wang Ziteng to take sides, but instead discussed the matter at hand.

"You represent the Jia family! And some people in the Jia family are not at peace." Wang Ziteng turned the conversation around to this angle. Jia, Wang, Shi, and Xue are one. I am represented by you. Understand? Also, you should unify the internal thoughts first.

"How can the Grand Marshal be represented by a mere Jia Lian?" Jia Lian replied self-deprecatingly, and his meaning was very clear. The four families were one, and at the critical moment, Wang Ziteng would not sell out the Wang family and his own interests for the sake of the Jia family.

"Your reputation among the nobles is not very good!" Wang Ziteng frowned as he spoke. From the first time we met until now, you haven't even called me uncle. It's been a completely official interaction.

"They are a bunch of insects. They can't even be guard dogs. The legacy of our ancestors is being squandered bit by bit. If we make friends with them, I'm afraid the Jia family won't have a good end. I'm ashamed to associate with them. These are the true words. I came here with the emperor's order to bring a message. Lord Taiwei, listen to it?" Wang Ziteng understood instantly that Jia Lian was speaking as the special envoy of Emperor Chenghui, so he didn't mention relatives.

"Go ahead!" Wang Ziteng's tone became more serious. After repeating Jia Lian's original words, he added: "If I were your uncle, I would immediately return the military power after returning to the capital, and request to be sent out to the outside world, leaving the central government and reorganizing the Beijing camp. Whoever wants to do it can do it."

Wang Ziteng was not surprised, as Jia Lian's letter to him also expressed the same idea. His attitude has not changed.

"You won't persuade me to take sides?" Wang Ziteng asked curiously. Jia Lian shook his head and said, "No, I can take sides, but my uncle can't. Your identity is too sensitive. It's safer for you to stay outside."

"Oh, where do you think I should go?" Wang Ziteng's tone became much more casual when he heard this. The two of them were just chatting.

"Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, Governor-General of Fujian and Zhejiang, both are good positions. In short, it is always a good idea to stay away from the capital."

"Has the situation reached this point?" Wang Ziteng was surprised this time. He really didn't expect it.

Jia Lian raised his hand and pointed at himself: "If I die on the road, what will my uncle think? What will others think?"

Wang Ziteng was an old warrior and knew the effect of a night attack by 500 cavalrymen. If Jia Lian thought he was in the capital and became careless and unprepared, he would be dead.

Who would have thought that this guy brought five hundred musketeers and artillery.

"I never thought that someone so young would be so cautious."

Jia Lian did not accept this assessment, but shook his head: "It's not that I am cautious, but the current emperor knows the emperor better. He hinted that I should bring along the old soldiers from the Shenji Camp who followed me to Yunyang. He didn't even let me go to the Xiaoyong Camp to mobilize troops to accompany me. Uncle, guess what the current emperor is thinking? What is his intention?"

Only then did Wang Ziteng completely understand why Jia Lian did not persuade him to take side, since this was clearly the divine instruction he had received.

It is true that the four parties form a community of interests, but we cannot be defenseless. The emperor is a tiger, and tigers eat people.

Wang Ziteng, who does not take sides and does not cling to the military power of the Beijing Camp, is indeed more in line with the interests of the two families at the moment. As for the 68th birthday of the retired emperor, whether Wang Ziteng attends or not is of little significance. As long as he returns to Beijing, returns the military power, and asks to be transferred to another place, his attitude is very clear: I will not get involved, I will not get involved in anything.

At the same time, Wang Ziteng's identity and status determined that neither the emperor emeritus nor the current emperor would force him to take sides.

Let me put it this way, once Wang Ziteng, who holds military power, takes sides, the conflict will immediately intensify.

Jia Lian, who was on horseback, suddenly pointed to a mountain in front of him and asked, "What mountain is that?"

Wang Ziteng took a look and said, "Tiewangshan, what's wrong?"

What a familiar name! Jia Lian was stunned for a moment, staring blankly for a while before saying, "What a strange name."

Wang Ziteng did not ask any more questions. His mind was completely focused on thinking at the moment. He just said casually, "You can't just run away from a mountain. Tiewang Mountain is part of the royal hunting grounds established during the reign of Emperor Taizu under the jurisdiction of Chengde."

Jia Lian seemed to be thinking about something. The two ended their formal conversation and talked about family matters.

Upon learning that Wang Xifeng was pregnant, Wang Ziteng was very pleased and said, "The Jia family is small, and the Wang family is almost the same. I hope Feng'er can give birth to a son to expand the Jia family. Speaking of determination, the next generation of the Wang family has not yet produced a male heir, and I am very worried."

Jia Lian couldn't respond to this. He couldn't just say that he was benevolent and righteous. Wouldn't it be harmful for him to sleep with a maid at the age of twelve or thirteen?

Wang Ziteng returned to Beijing and brought back 8,000 Northwest Border troops, all of whom were meritorious soldiers. That night in Zhangjiakou, Jia Lian read out the imperial edict, which did not mention Wang Ziteng's personal reward, but rewarded all the soldiers under him, and provided them with plenty of wine and meat.

That night, Wang Ziteng and Jia Lian chatted for a long time, talking about Emperor Chenghui's plan to change the cage and replace the bird. He said with melancholy: "What I am worried about is that once all the old members of the Beijing camp are gone, the Wang and Jia families will lose their voice."

If there is, Wang Ziteng didn't say it, but the meaning is very clear. The Jia family is different from the Wang family, and your family has successors.

Jia Lian also made it clear: "No one in my father's generation can take up the responsibility of supporting the family. The Wang family still has my uncle. There is no need to rush. Let's train my two brothers slowly."

As the older generation, we feel helpless when our descendants fail to live up to our expectations.

There are many similar things, the previous generation is the best of the best, and the next generation is the most outstanding of the best.

"We can only count on our grandchildren. Fortunately, you have stood up. Otherwise, no one in the four families will be able to carry the banner in the next generation. The four families don't have to fall. As long as they show their weakness, there are countless people who will rush over and tear their flesh apart."

With Wang Ziteng around, Jia Lian felt much more relaxed, and he was lazy all the way home. However, Wang Ziteng would not let him go, and would take him along every day to inspect the area, and would test him on common sense such as marching and camping.

In Wang Ziteng's opinion, Jia Lian's performance was barely acceptable and he definitely did not have the potential to become a famous general.

Therefore, Wang Ziteng asked curiously, "What exactly happened in the battle of Yunyang to capture the thief?"

I almost asked you directly, you don't deserve the title.

Jia Lian naturally told the truth and briefly described his experience in Yunyang. Finally, he emphasized: "The Yunyang Incident was more about governance than suppression. Militarily, the bandits were not even as good as the bandits. I was just a little luckier."

"With hundreds of infantrymen facing an enemy that is ten times your size, you are not being honest." Wang Ziteng revealed the truth with a smile.

Jia Lian thought for a moment and said, "If there is something untrue, it should be that the mode of battle has changed."

He strongly recommended the rifle and talked about some of his own ideas. Finally, Jia Lian said seriously: "Western military technology is changing with each passing day, and tactical thinking is also constantly changing. The world war model has changed, and we are still maintaining the old military concepts. If we don't take the initiative to change, the younger generation will suffer a great loss."

Wang Ziteng disagreed and said, "You are exaggerating. The Western Ocean is tens of thousands of miles away from the Great Zhou. The roads on land are difficult. The food route alone can kill the expeditionary army. As for the sea, the ships cannot go ashore. How many soldiers can a ship carry?"

Jia Lian knew very well that it was necessary to persuade Wang Ziteng, so he became extremely patient.

"An ordinary adult can master the new-style musket after one or two months of training. As long as the production capacity can keep up, the size of the army can be increased rapidly. Let me ask you, uncle, what if the Westerners conquered the Southeast Asian countries first, and then used Southeast Asia as a springboard and production base, produced locally, armed the local natives locally, and drove them to fight?"

Wang Ziteng still didn't take it seriously and said, "It's just a mob! No need to worry about it."

Jia Lian could see that this uncle was very conceited, so he had to use his ultimate move: "Today we are setting up camp, you can try out the power of the new musket." Wang Ziteng just smiled contemptuously at this. I'm an old fighter, and you still want to fool me?
When setting up camp that day, Jia Lian had the musketeers conduct a shooting drill.

(End of this chapter)