The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 773 Governor-General of Five Provinces
In March, the capital city was bathed in spring sunshine, with lush grass and chirping birds—the most beautiful time of the year. However, for Emperor Qiansheng, this spring was utterly terrible.

Last year, Jia Huan swept away hundreds of thousands of rebels in Shaanxi with overwhelming force, and captured or executed the rebel leaders who participated in the destruction of the imperial tombs. This greatly relieved Emperor Qiansheng and made him feel much better. He thought he could rest easy from then on, but unexpectedly, Li Zicheng, who had escaped, resurfaced in Henan Province. His momentum was even stronger than before. In just a few months, he captured dozens of prefectures and counties and his army exceeded 100,000.

Moreover, Li Zicheng was clearly more intelligent and more difficult to deal with than short-sighted peasants like Gao Yingxiang and Wang Ziyong. This can be seen from his slogan of "equal land distribution and tax exemption". In addition, he was obviously good at managing his army and had strict military discipline. His troops were no longer a rabble that only knew how to burn, kill and plunder.

Although Emperor Qiansheng is becoming increasingly corrupt and incompetent, he has not become stupid. Therefore, he is very perceptive and senses the threat posed by Li Zicheng, the threat of overthrowing the Great Jin Dynasty.

As the saying goes, misfortunes never come singly, but blessings never come in pairs. Just as war was raging across the Central Plains, bad news also came from Korea. Pyongyang, which had resisted the Qing army for months, finally could not hold out. Without the support of the Great Jin, the Korean king was completely disheartened and opened the city gates to submit to Huang Taiji.

When the news reached the capital, the entire court fell silent. Emperor Qiansheng was filled with regret. If he had known that Korea could hold out for so long, he would have taken the opportunity to send troops across the Liao River. Even if he could not capture Shenyang, he could at least have relieved Korea's siege.

Sun Chengzong shook his head and sighed. He had strongly advocated sending troops to rescue Korea, but Emperor Qiansheng had long lost his ambition and indulged in pleasure, only wanting to live a life of ease. In addition, the Donglin Party and the eunuch party opposed sending troops, so the opportunity to send troops was missed. Now Korea has submitted to the Qing Dynasty, and the Great Jin has not only lost its prestige, but has also completely lost the barrier that restrained the eastern wing of the Jurchens.

If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold too!
Now that Huang Taiji has no more worries, the Jurchen cavalry's sword may not be far off. Can the Liaoxi defense line withstand it?

Emperor Qiansheng was filled with worry and regret, but there was no going back in this world. Even as the supreme ruler, he couldn't get his hands on that thing!
At this time, many court officials advised Emperor Qiansheng to immediately send Jia Huan to Henan to suppress Li Zicheng, Luo Rucai, and Bu Zhanni, among others. The reason was simple: these bandits were all defeated by Jia Huan and had fled to Henan because they could not defeat him. The one who tied the knot must untie it; this mess must be cleaned up by Jia Huan.

Both the Donglin Party and the eunuch party were naturally extremely unwilling. Jia Huan's momentum was already strong enough. If he were to wipe out Li Zicheng and other rebel armies, it would be even more incredible. Such a great achievement, how could they possibly grant him the title of Duke?

Therefore, the Donglin Party and the eunuch party each had their own ulterior motives and recommended people from their own camp to serve as governors-general of the five provinces. However, they argued back and forth without reaching a conclusion. In the end, Emperor Qiansheng made the final decision and decided to appoint Jia Huan as governor-general of the five provinces, giving him full authority to oversee the suppression of the bandits.

It is evident that Emperor Qiansheng was not completely senile. At a critical moment, he demonstrated the courage of a quasi-great ruler. Although he disliked Jia Huan, even hated and feared him, he had to acknowledge Jia Huan's abilities. This young man had never been defeated since his debut, and having just quelled the bandits in Shaanxi, his troops were all honed to be extremely sharp. He was undoubtedly the most suitable candidate.

The so-called Governor-General of Five Provinces was the governor-general of the military affairs of five provinces: Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, Huguang, and Sichuan. The armies of these five provinces were under his control, so as to coordinate the suppression of bandits across provinces.

For example, the reason Li Zicheng was able to escape last time was precisely because Henan was not under the jurisdiction of Jia Huan, the governor of Shaanxi, and his troops could not enter the Henan defense zone without authorization. Otherwise, Li Zicheng would probably have been killed long ago, and there would have been no chance for him to make a comeback!
The imperial court has clearly recognized this problem, so it decided to expand the power of the person in charge by creating the position of Governor-General of Five Provinces. This would allow him to coordinate the defense zones of each province, striving for comprehensive coverage and preventing a repeat of Li Zicheng's escape. Getting back to the main point, after Emperor Qiansheng made his decision, he immediately ordered the cabinet to draft an edict appointing Jia Huan as Governor-General of Five Provinces, granting him the title of Minister of War, and bestowing upon him an imperial sword. He was given full authority to suppress Li Zicheng and his thirteen families and seventy-two camps of rebels. At the same time, he ordered the Ministry of War to expedite the casting of the official seal for the "Governor-General of Five Provinces."

…………

In April, Shaanxi Province already has the feel of early summer. The banks of the Wei River are shaded by green trees. In about a month, the winter wheat in the Guanzhong Plain will be ready for harvest. The wheat waves are rolling and growing very well.

Wearing a straw hat, Jia Huan leisurely rode along, leading his horse. Whenever he encountered farmers working in the fields, he would stop to chat, inquiring about this year's harvest and discussing everyday matters. Dong Dao and his personal guards, dressed in plain clothes, followed at a respectful distance to avoid disturbing the governor's inspection of the people's conditions.

It is said that Jia Huan moved the governor's office from Qingyang to Chang'an last month, since Chang'an is the administrative center of Shaanxi, and it is more convenient to command military and political affairs here.

Every so often, Jia Huan would leave the city and walk along both banks of the Wei River to inspect agriculture and sericulture, and to observe the people's conditions.

Now, Shaanxi is free from war, free from the dreaded mining and tax inspectors, and even enjoys a two-year tax exemption. It has become a paradise. Whether they are farmers or gentry and merchants, everyone has hope for the future. So everyone rolls up their sleeves and works hard. After all, they don't have to pay taxes for two years. The more they work, the more they earn. Everything that grows in the fields, is produced in the workshops, and profits from business can all go into their pockets. Naturally, everyone is full of energy, and their enthusiasm for production has increased like never before!
Along his journey, Jia Huan saw the people living in peace and contentment, which naturally made him feel very happy. This is perhaps what is meant by "serving as an official and bringing benefits to the people in one's jurisdiction." Officials with real ambition and aspirations all yearn to achieve political success, not for promotion or wealth, but simply to be true to their conscience and to live up to the official hat they wear.

Well, Jia Huan was in a very good mood at this moment. In addition to the prospect of a bountiful harvest, there was another piece of good news: Baochai was indeed pregnant. A letter from the capital had been received recently, confirming the good news. In other words, our Governor-General would become a father around October this year.

Getting back to the main point, after Jia Huan finished observing the people's conditions, he saw that the sun was already setting and decided to return to the city. However, on the way, he encountered a group of Jinyiwei guards who looked travel-worn. It turned out that the imperial envoy had arrived to deliver an imperial decree.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Jia Huan is hereby appointed as the Governor-General of Five Provinces, overseeing military affairs in Shaanxi, Shanxi, Sichuan, Henan, and Huguang provinces, and in charge of suppressing bandits in all provinces. He is granted an Imperial Sword and is authorized to act at his own discretion. Civil officials below the rank of Governor and military officers below the rank of General may execute without prior approval. He is to assume office immediately without delay. This is the imperial decree!"

(End of this chapter)