Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 241 People’s hearts are fickle
Bang, bang, bang, the crisp sound of gunfire and the pungent smell of gunpowder left everyone watching dumbfounded.

The scene was dead silent and the atmosphere was solemn.

Just starting to shoot from a hundred steps away made Wang Ziteng become serious.

The soldiers from the Shenji Battalion were all veterans, and you could tell from their reloading speed. Since they were veterans and still in the state of training, there was no chance of panicking and firing prematurely. In other words, the armor tied to the wooden stakes a hundred steps away would definitely be penetrated.

The veteran soldier Wang Ziteng was of course well aware that the emergence and large-scale deployment of bird guns was a disaster for traditional heavy armor. If a hundred steps could not penetrate heavy armor, how about fifty steps? This was the classic tactic of using infantry to defeat cavalry that swept across the country during the reign of Emperor Taizu.

In fact, very few soldiers wear heavy armor nowadays. At most, they wear leather armor, or soft armor with lining and silk. Even if they are shot and the armor is penetrated, the toughness of the silk can wrap the lead bullet and prevent it from fragmenting, making the wound difficult to treat.

Now it has been extended to one hundred steps. The sidecar can slow down the cavalry, and the light Francois cannon can create a restricted area within fifty steps.

Normal musketeers are equipped with medicine gourds, but the one brought by Jia Lian is in a leather bag. The musketeer skillfully takes out the fixed medicine from the leather bag, and the firing rate is increased by 30%. Don't underestimate this 30%, plus the distance of 100 steps, compared with the traditional musketeer, he can fire three more rounds. This killing is too terrible. Even if you encounter the elite of the enemy, it is difficult to bear this level of casualties.

In the fierce confrontation between the two armies on the battlefield, the casualties were actually not great. The real cause of heavy casualties was the pursuit after the rout.

After one side was defeated, the cavalry's pursuit was like mowing the grass, easily slaughtering them.

"Take the armor from the target." Wang Ziteng spoke, breaking the silence that was only filled with breathing sounds.

Jia Lian signaled Captain Yang, and the gongs sounded crisp and piercing. The soldiers who were practicing stopped shooting, lined up, turned, put their guns on their shoulders, and marched in unison! Their well-trained side was exposed again.

Wang Ziteng whispered to Jia Lian, "The enemy should have been awake that night and did not attack your troops."

Jia Lian was not modest and nodded: "It depends on the number of people. With breastworks, side carriages, rapid-fire cannons, and good vigilance and reconnaissance, an enemy ten times as strong may not be able to capture the village."

Wang Ziteng felt his scalp tingle and his hair stood on end. The more experienced you are, the more you know the threat this weapon poses.

"New technology gives rise to new equipment, and new equipment brings new tactics. Rifled guns were already available during the reign of Emperor Taizu, so why weren't they widely used later? The reason is simple: they felt they were good enough and the surrounding areas were invincible. Once Emperor Taizu left, people later were unwilling to spend more money to improve them. Wouldn't it be better to put the money in their own pockets? I looked at the account books of the Ministry of Revenue, and the price of a bird gun for the Western Expedition Army was ten taels of silver. The quartermaster under the Taiwei was not too greedy, so he just doubled the price."

Wang Ziteng's face turned red when he heard this. He was embarrassed and angry for a moment. The truth was too hurtful. But he quickly adjusted his mentality and said, "There are too many people who share the money, and the people below can't do anything. If you don't share a little, the musket you get will explode after a few shots. In the final analysis, it's because the people in the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs have too big an appetite."

The conversation between the two people was a bit unscrupulous. The officials from Zhangjiakou nearby wanted to plug their ears when listening to it. Is it possible to listen to this without paying?

Jia Lian looked at Wang Ziteng in surprise and said, "Uncle, I am not being sarcastic, I am telling the truth. If you were to fight this war, the cost would be doubled if you were to fight with anyone else. Wu Yuhui was in Shaanxi and Gansu, and all the relief grain was sold. The victims didn't even have a single morsel of rice soup to drink, and tens of thousands of people starved to death. The people who couldn't survive had to turn to banditry, and there were no less than a thousand gangs of bandits in the two provinces. Fortunately, there was no large-scale civil uprising, otherwise you wouldn't have fought the war in the Western Regions."

Wang Ziteng understood what Jia Lian meant. If he were to take over as commander-in-chief, he might be able to cooperate with Wu Yuhui and everyone would make a fortune.

Once this happens, the cost will rise rapidly. It is because Wang Ziteng has a high prestige in the army that he can deter the people below from going too far. Even so, Wang Ziteng knows very well that this battle cost 50 million taels of silver, and he personally earned 3 million taels. Not to mention that his family members made a fortune from military supplies.

The conversation was interrupted by the armor that was brought in. There were three sets of armor in total, including chain mail, iron mail, and scale mail, all of which were pierced.

That’s a hundred steps!
After Wang Ziteng fell silent, Jia Lian added: "It's just that this new type of fire gun has been in service for less than a year and it has already spread to the people. It's a national treasure, and the courage is really extraordinary. Xia Shouzhong took the Dragon Guard to Liangjiang and wanted to kill another batch."

That night, Wang Ziteng called Jia Lian again and talked with him for a long time.

People are like this, especially heroes like Wang Ziteng, who accept reality very smoothly.

It's okay if it happens once or twice, Jia Lian always does a great job, which forces Wang Ziteng to put aside the age gap and discuss it seriously. During the discussion, Lin Ruhai was also mentioned, and Jia Lian was quite helpless about it.

"The emperor wants to divide the nobles. My uncle and I have no military power, so we can naturally take sides in advance. My uncle holds a large number of troops, so he can continue to rise in the capital, but everything that rises must fall. Once the rumor that someone is more powerful than his master gets out, it will be hard to reverse it. The imperial power is unreasonable. My uncle is on the outside, and my uncle and I are on the inside. Only by coordinating the inside and outside can we protect our lives and property."

In the capital, when Wang Ziteng appeared ten miles away, a group of bigwigs appeared at the pavilion in the distance. The cabinet chief ministers, various princes and nobles, all who could come came, even the Nan'an King, who needed someone to support him when walking, came to the scene. King Zhongshun was also there, but his face was not so good.

Jia Lian's focus is on the princes, and no prince has reached that level, not even the second prince who has received much praise recently.

Speaking of the Second Prince, Jia Lian felt that he must have been misunderstood. But, this was the reality.

Many times, two people who have never met each other will form preconceived ideas about each other because of what others say.

So, people's words are scary. If people who speak out will not be punished, they will dare to speak nonsense.

The most troublesome thing about this kind of thing is that the investigation cost is too high!

Not only did the prince not show up, but even the eunuchs didn't show up. It was very strange!

Jia Lian, who had become a supporting role, actually wanted to run away, but he couldn't leave, so he had to stand aside quietly, watching Wang Ziteng chatting and laughing with the big guys. Facing all kinds of indirect attacks, Wang Ziteng just smiled and said nothing. No matter what the relationship was, Wang Ziteng did not neglect any big guy and seemed very decent.

Jia Lian finally saw Wang Ziteng's ease and control. It must be a great job for someone to be a Grand Marshal.

When I was eighteen, I stood like a lackey... Jia Lian hummed a tuneless song in a low voice, which was actually quite nice.

Most of the bigwigs here just dislike Jia Lian and want to embarrass him. Jia Lian is very clear about this.

The Prince of Nan'an was quite interesting. He quietly stood beside Jia Lian and said, "Young man, I want to thank you for disciplining that little beast at home for me." Jia Lian, who was in a daze, was startled. He looked at the person who was speaking and immediately bowed respectfully, "Hello, Your Majesty!"

"You are so polite. Actually, Daishan and I have been friends for many years. You should just call me grandpa."

Jia Lian subconsciously looked around, but there were too many people and he couldn't see anything, so he could only smile and say, "It's not appropriate in front of others."

Sensing Jia Lian's resistance, the King of Nan'an could not help but sigh: "I regret not being able to get you as my grandson's son-in-law. It's all because the women in my family are shallow-minded and soft-hearted, and let that bastard Wang Zisheng get the upper hand."

It is rare for a person to live to be seventy, so the Prince of Nan'an can naturally say whatever he wants, since no one will bother him anyway.

Jia Lian thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, I have a very good relationship with my wife and I am very satisfied with her."

The Prince of Nan'an smiled slightly and said, "Everyone says that you are a reckless young man, but I have to say that you are a gentleman who observes etiquette. People's words are scary, young man." As he spoke, the Prince of Nan'an patted Jia Lian on the shoulder and said nothing more. He was helped back to the carriage by his entourage and left without saying hello to anyone.

This old man is interesting. Go back and ask Jia She what is going on. There is no doubt that the old man is trying to be nice. However, Jia Lian can only decline the offer. None of the four kings and eight dukes are easy to deal with!
What about not being the grandson-in-law? Just listen to it. When he talks about the women in the family, he may not be talking about women alone.

The bustle at the Ten-Li Pavilion lasted for an hour before it ended and we continued on our way to the capital.

"Why didn't Wang Ren and Wang Yi come?" Jia Lian asked curiously. Wang Ziteng said calmly, "I don't allow these two little bastards to show off. They are staying at home and studying."

Entering the palace to report was the last step. Wang Ziteng handed in the general's seal and the imperial sword and completed the last step.

Emperor Chenghui said that he had worked hard and should go home to rest first. Three days later, a banquet would be held to welcome him and congratulate him.

Wang Ziteng left first, leaving Jia Lian. Jia Lian also had a task to complete, but his report was much simpler. He reported the conversation, but of course he didn't tell the truth. He just said that Wang Ziteng didn't express his opinion immediately, and seemed to have other plans. After hinting at it, Wang Ziteng seemed to have the idea of ​​retreating, saying something like he was tired.

These were all pre-coordinated statements. Emperor Chenghui turned around a few times before asking Jia Lian, "What do you think?"

Jia Lian thought for a moment and said, "Wang Ziteng is very scheming and I find it hard to figure him out. I just think he doesn't want to get involved."

Emperor Chenghui hummed but did not draw any conclusions. Jia Lian changed the subject: "Why didn't the two princes come out to greet us?"

Emperor Chenghui still didn't say anything, but just looked at him calmly. Jia Lian smiled awkwardly and asked to leave.

Emperor Chenghui waved his hand, signaling him to get out.

After leaving the palace, Jia Lian rushed home like an arrow. There was no place as comfortable as home.

On the way back, Jia Rong and Xue Pan suddenly appeared from the side, and the two of them smiled and wanted to go back with him.

Jia Lian knew they had something to say, so he asked, "If you have something to say, just say it. If you have something to say, just fart."

Xue Pan said: "Today, Qiu Shian and Dai Quan went to the Wang family one after another to convey the imperial decree and show favor to my uncle."

Jia Lian looked at Xue Pan in surprise: "Why did you think of talking about this?"

Xue Pan said: "I just felt that I should tell someone, I didn't think much about it."

Jia Lian didn't say anything, but he was thinking in his heart that this was the understanding brought about by his background. Although he didn't understand it, he was very sensitive to it.

Jia Lian changed the subject and asked Jia Rong, "How are the wedding preparations going?"

Jia Rong said with a look of melancholy: "How would I know? I don't want to care about this. The money is spent like water. That one at home..."

Jia Rong shut up in time, and the two of them accompanied Jia Lian back to the Jia Mansion. After meeting Lady Jia, they dispersed.

Jia She seemed to have returned to his usual state. He would drink with his concubine at home when he had nothing to do. He would always go through the main gate to Rongxi Hall, which was equivalent to taking a detour after leaving the main gate. He never went through the back door. Jia Lian said he couldn't understand this, but he couldn't do anything about it.

After the excitement, Jia Lian walked. Wang Xifeng wanted to ask for a sedan chair, but Jia Lian stopped her and said, "Walking is good for having a baby." Rongguo Mansion was too big. It was almost 200 steps from Jia's mother's house to the courtyard at home. After she became pregnant, Wang Xifeng was particularly pretentious. She would never walk if she could take a sedan chair.

It was Jia Lian who, under the pretext of saying it would be good for having children, made Wang Xifeng willing to obey.

Jia Lian didn't think there was anything wrong with Wang Xifeng's behavior. She was born with this kind of things that ordinary people would never have, let alone have, in their entire lives. Since Wang Xifeng became pregnant, the number of her maids and servants doubled to eight.

Jia Lian chatted as he walked: "It is said in medical books that the most important thing for childbirth is strength. If you don't like to move, you will have no strength, and it will be painful to give birth. Walking for half an hour every day can greatly avoid difficult labor."

Wang Xifeng looked around and said, "Second Master, you are an old man, why do you want to read these books? Aren't you afraid of being laughed at?"

Jia Lian said calmly: "Compared to your safety, being laughed at a few times is nothing. Besides, am I afraid of being laughed at?"

Jia Lian, who had three days of vacation, really took it at home and did not even attend the welcoming banquet held by the emperor for Wang Ziteng.

To put it nicely, it's called laziness, but in fact, Jia Lian just doesn't want to show off too much at this critical juncture.

After three days of rest, Wang Ziteng formally submitted a memorial, saying that he wanted to resign from all his positions. He had been busy all these years and was really tired. He hoped that His Majesty would let him rest for a while.

Emperor Chenghui kept the memorial to him and did not send it out. He sent someone to issue an imperial decree, granting him three months of vacation to have a good rest.

Next, it was Wang Ziteng's performance time. He was really taking a break, closing the door to visitors. He would not see anyone unless there was an imperial decree or they were family members. Mrs. Wang, Jia Zheng, and Wang Xifeng went back specially, but Jia Lian did not follow them.

Jia Lian did not go to see Wang Ziteng, but came to Jia She's east wing. The father and son sat opposite each other for a rare time, drinking a pot of wine and eating some dishes.

When Jia Lian asked about the Prince of Nan'an, Jia She was quite surprised and said, "You old man are talking nonsense. He and your grandfather were enemies. Now he knows how to show his friendship, but it's not surprising. In the past, the Prince of Dongping and your grandfather were close friends. People's hearts are changeable, people's hearts are changeable."

Jia Lian accompanied Jia She to drink for an entire afternoon. Although he didn't drink much, he talked a lot.

First of all, Jia She is a bastard. If he is not a bastard, he would not do such a thing as stealing someone's treasure. Secondly, Jia She has a deep understanding of the past. Especially for the four kings and eight dukes, Jia She commented on them one by one.

"The Shi family is almost ruined. Of the four great families, the Jia and Wang families still have to rely on each other. The Wang family only has one Wang Ziteng, who is mediocre and in poor health. Although the Jia family has you, the one in the Xuanzhen Temple, Dongfu, who is the patriarch, is not a law-abiding person. He is used to making trouble and hides immediately once he loses control."

Jia Lian thought for a moment and asked, "What is father's attitude?"

Jia She put down his wine glass and asked coldly, "Does my attitude matter?"

Jia Lian smiled and raised his glass: "Drink, drink!"

Jia She cursed angrily: "Little beast!" After cursing, he laughed! A very relaxed laugh.

(End of this chapter)