Dream of the Red Chamber: I can upgrade my entries!

Chapter 61: A Living Buddha for Ten Thousand Families, Jia Yan's Name Spreads Across the Nine Borders!

The Rongguo Mansion, backyard.

"Fourth sister."

"I just heard from the servants that Second Brother Yan has won a battle and should be coming back soon."

Lin Daiyu hurried into Xichun Courtyard, panting as she spoke.

"what?"

Little Xichun, who was engrossed in her painting, looked up, her large eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"What Miss Lin said is true."

Xiao Xue, who was serving nearby, added with a smile: "The master has indeed made a great contribution and will soon return to the capital to receive his title and reward."

"I've also prepared a gift for you, young lady. I'm sure you'll like it."

"elder brother."

Little Xichun climbed down from the soft stool, a happy smile blooming on her chubby little face.

Although Jia Yan wasn't always by her side, for the young girl, that care was deeply ingrained and unforgettable.

"Sister Xiaoxue".

"Now that Second Brother Yan is back, is Fourth Sister about to leave?"

At the age of 10, Lin Daiyu already showed a glimpse of her future, her every smile and frown revealing unparalleled beauty.

"The backyard of the East Mansion is planted with many flowers and fruit trees, and has running water, making it quiet and secluded most of the time."

“Knowing that the young lady enjoys painting and playing chess, the master specially invited several female teachers from Jiangnan.”

Xiaoxue did not answer Lin Daiyu's question directly, but instead looked at Xiao Xichun and said.

"really?"

Xiao Xichun's face showed an innocent and carefree expression.

"The master has given instructions."

"The West Mansion is not a place for young ladies; the East Mansion is."

“After he returns, the girl will naturally go back to live in her own home.”

Xiaoxue continued.

"Sister Lin."

"Come home with me."

Although young Xichun was not old, she had lived in the Rongguo Mansion since childhood and was used to being looked down upon by others. She was precocious and naturally guessed Lin Daiyu's thoughts.

Lin Daiyu was not well received in the Rongguo Mansion to begin with, and Yingchun and Tanchun dared not come often because of Lady Wang's power. If she left, Lin Daiyu would probably have an even harder time in the mansion.

"I"

Lin Daiyu really didn't want to stay in the Rongguo Mansion, but what status would she have to go to the Ningguo Mansion? After all, the Ningguo Mansion wasn't like the Rongguo Mansion, which was her maternal home.

"Sister Lin."

Little Xichun held Lin Daiyu's hand and acted coquettishly.

"Master instructed that if Miss Lin feels uncomfortable staying in the West Mansion, she may also go to the East Mansion to stay and keep the young lady company."

"Huh? Did he say that?"

Lin Daiyu hadn't expected Jia Yan to have considered her. A blush crept across her pale face, and she nodded slightly in agreement.

Seeing this, Xiaoxue's mind wandered. This Miss Lin came from the Lin family of Suzhou. She was well-educated and polite. If it weren't for her poor health, she would be suitable to be the mistress of the house.

Military camp outside Datong City, central command tent.

"Why have you uncles come?"

Jia Yan, dressed in a black outfit, was somewhat surprised to see Niu Jizong and his two companions.

"Nephew, you've accomplished a great deal these past few days." "Tens of thousands of wounded soldiers in the army owe their lives to you; otherwise, it would be questionable how many of them would have survived."

Niu Jizong sighed.

"Yes, so many orphans, widows, and refugees have been able to eat a hot meal."

"The people of Datong and the surrounding prefectures and counties all praised my nephew."

Hou Hsiao-kang and Liu Fang held the young man in the highest esteem.

Treating wounded soldiers was only one aspect of their work. They also purchased cloth and medicine to support the people of Datong and the surrounding prefectures and counties, adopted orphans, and hired refugees to do laundry and cook for the army. Each and every one of these acts was a great blessing to countless families.

"It was nothing, not worth mentioning!"

Jia Yan disagreed.

On the surface, he has invested a lot, spending tens of thousands of taels of silver these days, but in reality, it's just a drop in the ocean. He received 50,000 taels of gold from the spoils of the battle of Datong alone, equivalent to 500,000 taels of silver. He also confiscated the assets of the Balin tribe and the three northern tribes. Furthermore, one-third of the treasury of Ping'an Prefecture had already been transferred by Hei Yun before the city fell, which is equivalent to at least 5 million taels of silver.

But what he gained could not be described in monetary terms: tens of thousands of wounded soldiers and hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians were willing to give their lives for him; the loyalty of 90,000 Northern Expeditionary Army soldiers and Beijing Garrison soldiers; and a reputation that had already spread throughout the Nine Border Regions.

Moreover, he trained a battlefield first aid team unlike any other in the world and produced alcohol and white medicine, all of which are potential assets.

"Nephew."

Seeing that Jia Yan didn't seem to care, Niu Jizong and the other two simply got straight to the point: "We have already reorganized the 9 soldiers and 3 Mongol cavalry into three major camps as you suggested, with Feng Tang, Wei Jingyuan, and Li Chuan in command respectively, and Qi Zhengze, Qin Xiuyuan, Li Xiao, Qi Jianhui, Jiang Zining, and Xie Jing assisting in the training. But how should we arrange the armor, weapons, and warhorses?"

"After this battle, we captured a large number of weapons and armor, which were piled up like mountains."

Hou Xiaokang added that as the rearguard general, he was in charge of the rearguard and logistics of the entire army. Some of the jewelry, jade and precious items had already been distributed. Every general who participated in the battle brought more than a dozen boxes with him. No one would even want the remaining things if they were just scrap.

"Oh right, there are also those 6 Mongol cavalry and 30 Mongols. It's not feasible to support them every day."

Liu Fang also raised an urgent question.

"I see."

Nodding slightly, Jia Yan said, "The training of the three major camps in the capital will continue as it is for now."

"According to the system of the dynasty, each of the nine border regions has its own workshops that can manufacture some weapons and armor. Ping'an Prefecture also has one."

"However, we cannot build it on our own; that would be a taboo."

"Logically speaking, the Ministry of War is in charge of military equipment. After the establishment of the three major battalions, the Ministry of War should allocate the equipment for 120,000 soldiers."

"However, the stuff that the Ministry of War delivered is already outdated, and besides, they don't know how long it will take to deliver the stuff for the three major battalions."

"Here's what we'll do, Uncle Niu. You should recruit all the artisans from Ping'an Prefecture and bring them to the capital. Then, we can get the emperor's approval to have the Imperial Household Department oversee the production of armor and firearms in a separate facility within the Beijing Garrison."

"it is good!"

Niu Jizong slapped his thigh and grinned from ear to ear.

In this way, they would no longer have to act according to the whims of those officials in the Ministry of War.

“30 Mongolians, that’s a real problem.”

"Didn't the Shanxi Town capture the garrisons of the Ordos and Jarud tribes? Didn't they take any Mongols prisoner?"

How did they handle it?

Jia Yan asked a question.

"The border troops have always treated the Mongols with contempt. Mongol women have a strong odor, and only ordinary soldiers would look down on them."

"The Ordos and Zhalute tribes together number about 7 to 8 people."

"I heard they captured 2 to 3 people, most of whom were sold to merchants, and some were used as slaves."

Hou Xiaokang was very familiar with this matter and explained, "We can't just sell all 30 Mongolians, can we?"

"That won't work."

Upon hearing this, Jia Yan shook his head immediately. If all these hundreds of thousands of Mongolians, along with their families, were sold off, his reputation in the country would be ruined.

　Lin Daiyu
　　
　
(End of this chapter)