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

Chapter 101 The Bloody Truth: The Pinnacle Battle at Xuanzhen Temple!

"Master."

"Can he do it?"

Watching Jia She and the other two leave, Xiao Xue asked with some doubt.

"Don't underestimate him; he was the top military general under the Crown Prince back then."

"That night, he blocked not only Prince Yizhong, but also Prince Zhongshun."

Do you really think that person in the Qianqing Palace won without lifting a finger?

Under the moonlight, Jia Yan's figure cast a long shadow.

"This"

Xiaoxue hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.

"Others only say that the current emperor inherited the political legacy of the former crown prince, including his accession to the throne."

“Prince Yizhong inherited everything from the Eighth Prince’s party, especially the support from Jiangnan.”

"In reality, no one knows the truth about that night."

"The son is strong while the father is still young; this has happened more than once in history. Even now, the retired emperor still clings to power and refuses to relinquish it."

"hiss!!!"

Xiaoxue's beautiful eyes widened, and she gasped.

“My father sat in the Xuanzhen Temple for more than ten years, and he did gain something from it.”

"The infighting between the princelings and the Eighth Princes left the founding nobles and the Donglin Party in Jiangnan in a predicament where they could neither advance nor retreat."

"The former was the strongest team that built the dynasty, while the latter brought the former Ming imperial family into the dynasty. The two sides were evenly matched."

"But other princes were also involved that night; the Chu faction, the Zhe faction, and the Jin faction were all inexplicably dragged into it."

"As a result, among the sons of the retired emperor, only the current emperor, the most powerful Prince Zhongshun, and Prince Yizhong survived. The founding line and the Donglin Party suffered heavy losses, while the Chu Party, the Zhe Party, and the Jin Party were all wiped out."

"After that night, the retired emperor confiscated the property of the eight major Shanxi merchants, thus replenishing the imperial treasury and completely filling the deficit caused by the Yuan Cong war."

"Of the three remaining princes, the current emperor is deep-thinking, mean-spirited, and ungrateful. Prince Zhongshun and Prince Yizhong are both injured and look sickly. They simply don't have the energy to do anything."

With her arms crossed, Jia Yan laid bare the truth of that night, the bloody details of which sent chills down one's spine.

Xiaoxue stood there, stunned. The biggest beneficiary was not Emperor Yongping, but the retired emperor. The mastermind behind all this was revealed.

The downfall of the former crown prince was not without Emperor Yongping's scheming. Prince Zhongshun could have stopped Prince Yizhong by himself, but he did not. Jia She stopped not only Prince Yizhong, but also Prince Zhongshun, who was a staunch supporter of the current emperor.

The reason why the Jia family did not take sides was not only because they understood everything, but more importantly, because Jia Jing and Jia She were no longer willing to be used as pawns.

As long as Jia She takes control of the Beijing Garrison and Jia Jing remotely controls the Black Cloud Capital, the two, one civil and one military, will recreate the old scene. This is the force that the court fears the most, while the young Jia Yan goes unnoticed.

"Master."

"Can Second Master Lian manage the Jiangnan business?"

Xiaoxue then asked again.

"I do not know."

Jia Yan gave her an answer that surprised her.

"what?"

Xiaoxue was dumbfounded again.

"Jia Lian is just a side pawn; I don't expect him to achieve anything significant."

“Jiangnan is the stronghold of the Donglin Party, where its influence is deeply entrenched and its social relationships are intricate, so that a single move can have far-reaching consequences.”

"Lin Ruhai is a very important piece. Yangzhou, as the core of the Jianghuai region, has always been the outpost of Jiangnan."

“Relying solely on soldiers is insufficient; we need to infiltrate Jiangnan from multiple angles, and the Xue family is a suitable entry point.”

"At the same time, we will cultivate our own power, let the Jia family take the lead, and mobilize the local bigwigs of the Twelve Houses of Jinling. We will take a three-pronged approach."

"The one in Daming Palace is using me as a pawn, and the one in Qianqing Palace thinks they have me cornered. Little do they know that it's not certain who will have the last laugh."

With a deep, enigmatic gaze, Jia Yan's words carried a different meaning.

The Jiangnan region accounts for one-third of the nation's tax revenue. Whoever controls Jiangnan possesses the power to threaten the nation's economic lifeline.

The retired emperor made him a lone minister by appointing him as the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. His purpose was to make him the vanguard of the king and clean up the long-standing problems in Jiangnan, thus giving Emperor Yongping the foundation to make great strides. Emperor Yongping may have known this, which is why he used the guise of cooperation to take advantage of him.

"Master."

"Fengtai reports that the Ministry of Personnel has approved the edict issued by the Daming Palace."

“Dai Duo, the Sichuan Provincial Treasurer, was promoted to Governor of Sichuan.”

Just then, Xiaoxue mentioned something.

"Oh?"

Raising an eyebrow, Jia Yan became interested.

The Provincial Governor was the chief administrator of civil affairs and finance in a province, in charge of all matters related to money, grain, cloth, and salt administration. The Provincial Governor was the highest military and political official in a province, overseeing all military and civil affairs, and could be called a regional governor. Dai Duo's promotion had reached its peak in the local area.

This fellow was a minister who served Emperor Yongping when he was still a prince. He and Wu Sidao worked together, one inside and one outside the palace, to help Emperor Yongping ascend the throne.

"It seems that the retired emperor is unwilling to give up too much of the current emperor's power at this time."

"Otherwise, he wouldn't have repeatedly stopped the Emperor from summoning Dai Duo to the capital."

"However, Dai Duo is currently the Governor of Sichuan, a second-rank official. The only way for him to advance further is to serve as an official in the capital. This should be a prelude."

"This means that the Emperor Emeritus's body can't hold on much longer, so we need to speed things up."

"A new emperor brings a new court. If the retired emperor were to hand over power to the current emperor, the political landscape and local power structures would undergo a major transformation."

"Immediately send someone to inform Liu Tongxun and Li Wei that I will meet with them at my residence tomorrow."

"Yes."

Xiaoxue immediately turned around and went downstairs to make the arrangements.

That night, an uninvited guest arrived at Xuanzhen Temple.

"You came."

Beneath the statue of the Three Pure Ones, Jia Jing sat cross-legged on a futon, exuding an air of otherworldly grace. His eyes were not even open; he only spoke upon hearing footsteps.

"You knew I was coming?"

Zhen Yingyan looked at this unfamiliar old friend, or rather, rival, with some surprise.

"Do you need to figure out what's on your mind?"

"Decades have passed, and they are still as restless as ever, habitually resorting to underhanded tricks."

“I can smell your nauseating odor even from a distance.”

Jia Jing opened his eyes, stood up, and faced Zhen Yingyan directly.

"Since when did you start enjoying being verbally agile?"

Zhen Yingyan said calmly.

People always change.

"Unlike you, I am all alone, and in another ten years or so, I will turn into a pile of dust."

"During holidays and festivals, there isn't even anyone to pay respects at the graves."

“I have a son and a daughter. My eldest son has a grandson, and perhaps I will be able to see my great-grandson grow up before I die.”

"There's no need to go into details about my youngest son. If you didn't know him, you probably wouldn't have come looking for me in such a hurry."

"you"

Zhen Yingyan was so angry by Jia Jing's words that he felt choked up; every word felt like it was stabbing him in the heart.

"What does Prince Yizhong want to do?"

"Or rather, what is the purpose of your visit today?"

Jia Jing maintained control of the conversation throughout.

"Should I address you as Lord Wu'an?"

With a smile, Zhen Yingyan said familiarly, "I haven't congratulated Brother Jia yet. Back then, in order to restore the glory of the Jia family, you devoted yourself to the imperial examination and passed with flying colors. Now, thanks to your son's merits, you have been granted the title of the third Wu'an Jun in history."

"Oh right, there's also a vast fiefdom spanning thousands of miles. The emperor's benevolence is truly boundless."

"Wu An was renowned for his military prowess in governing the world and his prestige in securing the country. Bai Qi, the God of Slaughter, slaughtered millions and never suffered a defeat in his life, but ultimately committed suicide. Li Mu swept through the Xiongnu, but was killed by the King of Zhao because of a scheme used by Guo Kai, a minister bribed by the Qin state, to sow discord." "Su Qin instigated a five-state war against Qin, and the destruction of Qi was a real plot, but Qi discovered this and sent an assassin to kill him."

As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the Sanqing Hall suddenly froze.

'That's it? ’

Jia Jing's lips curled into a slight smile, his face full of mockery as he sized up Zhen Yingyan.

"Throughout history, none of those who received the title of Lord of Wu'an have ever enjoyed a peaceful old age."

"The gold and silver that Marquis Wu sent back from Datong were at least tens of millions, but this fiefdom of a thousand miles is full of towering mountains and steep ridges. Chengde is just a small village with a few hundred people. Let alone tens of millions, even if hundreds of millions were invested, it is still unknown whether it can be developed into a fertile land."

"At that time, the imperial court will only need to issue an edict, and the Wu'an Marquisate, which the Jia family has painstakingly built up, will be handed over to others."

"Brother Jia, is this the result you wanted?"

Zhen Yingyan asked a question in return.

"Tell me, what kind of bargaining chips has Qin Ren prepared?"

Jia Jing said dismissively.

Upon hearing this, a chilling murderous intent flashed in Zhen Yingyan's eyes. Prince Yizhong was now his lord, and Jia Jing's unbridled use of his real name was undoubtedly a trampling on Prince Yizhong's dignity. A subject should die for his lord, and he naturally could not ignore it.

But in the end, he suppressed his anger and continued, "His Majesty said that as long as the Jia family stands on his side, not only will the titles of Duke of Ning and Duke of Rong be allowed to be inherited, but you will also be made a king and granted the land of Annam."

"You may use the imperial regalia on this land, and be a brother country with the Great Qian Dynasty."

"What generous terms."

Jia Jing smiled and said calmly, "It's just a pity that I know my own limitations and can't be the king of the opposite sex."

"Brother Jia, don't be ungrateful."

Zhen Yingyan's face immediately darkened, and he warned.

"hehe."

Without even glancing at him, Jia Jing continued, "The two dukes, Ning and Rong, are just empty words; they don't have to pay anything."

"The land of Annam has been lost for nearly three hundred years since the Xuande era of the Ming Dynasty. Is it now being bestowed upon me?"

"Managing the thousand-mile dike of the Marquisate of Wu'an only cost the Jia family gold and silver. But to seize the thousand-mile land of Annam, the blood of my Jia family men would probably be shed dry. Prince Yizhong's wishful thinking has shattered my dreams."

'.'

Zhen Yingyan's eyes flickered with uncertainty; he hadn't expected Jia Jing to discover the truth so quickly.

"Let's set aside the matter of cooperation for now."

"I want one million taels back."

Jia Jing held up one finger and said sternly, "Our Jia family is very poor, unlike Prince Yizhong who has people giving him money."

"I want to see this gold and silver appear at Xuanzhen Temple within three days."

"Otherwise, I wouldn't mind handing over the details of the dealings between Prince Yizhong and the Prince of Nan'an's mansion over the years to the Blood Droplets."

"You should know that even Black Cloud has this kind of strength."

"Brother Jia, do you really intend to break ties with the Prince?"

Zhen Yingyan stared intently at Jia Jing and spoke each word clearly.

"Come, let's see you off."

However, Jia Jing didn't waste any words with him and directly ordered him to leave.

"Guest, please!"

A young Taoist priest appeared at the Sanqing Hall at some unknown time and pointed out the direction outside Zhen Yingyan's temple.

Zhen Yingyan merely glanced coldly at Jia Jing, then turned and stepped out of Xuanzhen Temple, disappearing into the night.

"Owner."

Dressed in black, Shang Ze emerged from the shadows, his face expressionless, and said, "There's movement in the southwest. The Prince of Nan'an has cut off trade with the Kingdom of Qianxiang."

“Kunlun Prefecture has repeatedly sent people across the mountains to raid Qianxiang Kingdom and made a lot of money.”

"From the military governor down to the generals, all officials and military officers in Kunlun Prefecture are eager to move there. The Prince of Nan'an has already moved everything to Kunming."

"anything else?"

Jia Jing didn't seem surprised and then asked.

"There's also movement in Liaodong; people from the Prince of Beijing's residence have appeared in Shengjing."

Shang Ze replied without hesitation.

"Great! That's fantastic!"

"One in the southwest, one in the northeast."

"Qin Ren is getting worse and worse. In order to bring him down, they did not hesitate to collude with the Prince of Nan'an's mansion and betray the entire Kunlun Prefecture."

"The Shui family really can't forget the blood flowing in their veins. Generation after generation wants to regain the throne. Do they deserve it?"

"A twenty-year-old brat is bold enough to betray his interests to the Jurchen Tartars. If I'm not mistaken, the Prince of Beijing's mansion has already informed the Later Jin of all the news about Liaozhen, including the defense map of the Ningjin line."

"If it weren't for the people from the Prince of Beijing's mansion constantly supplying the Later Jin with goods through the Tianjin fleet, would the Later Jin have been able to recover its strength so quickly and even surpass its former glory?"

Jia Jing was so angry he laughed. In this great nation, there were so many traitors within, with two princes of different surnames and a prince of the first rank all thinking of dragging the country down.

"Master, should we pass these messages on to the young master?"

Shang Ze asked.

"No need."

Waving his hand, Jia Jing said confidently, "His men have probably seen everything long ago."

"This kid is fearless."

"The dramatic changes in Liaodong and Southwest China presented him with an opportunity to snatch chestnuts from the fire."

"Believe it or not, he's already calculating how to maximize his profits."

"Cough cough."

Shang Ze couldn't help but cough a few times; this was indeed very much like Jia Yan's mannerisms.

"The Blood Droplets may not know, but the Hidden Dragon Guards could not possibly be unaware."

"No one cares about the southwest, but Liaozhen is right under our noses."

"I understand."

Jia Jing suddenly realized the key point and everything became clear.

"Owner."

"Are you saying the Emperor Emeritus used the young master as a weapon?"

Shang Ze secretly speculated.

"Humph!"

Jia Jing snorted coldly and said sarcastically, "If it weren't for this, why would the three major military camps in the capital have been re-established?"

"The commander of the Embroidered Uniform Army, I'm afraid that kid knows it's a trap but still wants to walk into it."

"Without this title, how could they have seized the Prince of Beijing's residence in Tianjin?"

"The Emperor Emeritus is a shrewd old man, and that kid is a little fox too. The two of them have reached a tacit understanding."

"The Daming Palace used him to deal with the thorn in the side of the Prince of Beijing's mansion, thereby ensuring the safety of the northern frontier. Apart from the Hexi Corridor, the court could take over the entire north, which is something the royal family has dreamed of since the founding of the dynasty."

"What he got was everything the Prince of Beijing's mansion had in Tianjin, as well as Liaozhen, the outpost where it was easiest to gain military merit."

'I see! ’

Commander Shang Ze of the Black Clouds seemed to be deep in thought.

"From now on, Hei Yundu will focus his efforts mainly on the southwest and Liaodong."

"Report back immediately if there is any news."

"Yes."

Shang Ze responded solemnly.

(End of this chapter)