Dream of the Red Chamber: After being exiled, I went on a killing spree in Liaodong.

"Master is dead!!!"

"The flag lord is in trouble! Form ranks and defend against the enemy!!"

"Form ranks! Form ranks! Fight to the death with these treacherous villains!!"

Daishan died, and the Later Jin army, which had already suffered heavy casualties from the Tang Dynasty's Mo Dao formation, still quickly regrouped, erected layers of shield walls, and pointed their swords and spears forward without a single person retreating.

!

The Daqian soldiers stood frozen in place, staring in disbelief at the Later Jin army formation opposite them, which, despite losing its commander, still exuded a murderous aura.

No... Did we really kill the leader of that invincible Later Jin cavalry that swept across Liaodong? And they still haven't dispersed.

"Commander Wu, did you hear that? They're shouting that their banner commander is dead!"

"I heard it! It's absolutely true!"

Before the words were even finished, Jia Yi had already charged forward, sword in hand. The blood at his feet hadn't even touched the ground before he had plunged into the Later Jin ranks. His sword swept across the enemy lines like waves, shattering the Later Jin shield walls. Limbs and blood splattered everywhere. The Daqian soldiers joined the fray, and the previously stubbornly defended formation collapsed with a deafening roar. The remaining Later Jin soldiers were all killed in action.

"Good heavens, our General Jia is about to rise to the top! His achievements are enough to earn him a marquisate, aren't they?"

Wu Sheng stood to the side, his eyes red, staring intently at the man covered in blood, who looked like a demon descended to earth—Jia Yi.

This kid is going to defy fate this time!

In the past ten years in Liaodong, who has ever fought a battle of this magnitude? Not only did they kill thousands of enemies, but they also beheaded a banner chief of the Later Jin on the spot! Since the outbreak of the Later Jin rebellion, the first general of the Great Qian Dynasty to kill a banner chief was Jia Yi!

Jia Yi bent down and grabbed Dai Shan's head, blood still dripping from his fingertips. A slight smile played on his lips, his eyes as cold as knives.

This one head is worth a thousand troops.

Now that he has made great contributions in battle, even if the emperor were to settle scores with the Jia family's useless members in the future, or even if the family were to be exterminated, he would not be harmed in the slightest—on the contrary, the emperor would be eager to win him over!

"Mr. Wu."

"come over."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable air of authority.

"Report the victory to the General immediately, saying that Zhen'an Fort has won a great victory and the enemy chieftain has been beheaded. Also—" He weighed the head in his hand, "pickle it, air-dry it, and hang it on the city wall so that the whole of Liaodong can see that even the Later Jin banner chief is nothing more than this."

When Xiong Ke was mentioned, Jia Yi let out a cold laugh.

I have to thank that fool. If he hadn't tried to use me as a tool to kill someone else and sent me to my death, I wouldn't have this immense wealth and status I have today.

"Yes, General!"

Wu Sheng immediately took stock of the spoils, selected a trusted personal guard, and rushed to Jin County.

-

Jin County, General's Residence.

The air was filled with the clamor of string and wind instruments and the stench of alcohol.

Several generals from Liaodong were enjoying themselves immensely, embracing singing girls and exchanging toasts.

Suddenly, a general put down his wine cup, frowned, and said, "General, is Jia Yi really abandoning us? Letting him venture deep into enemy territory alone, what if something goes wrong..."

The others echoed in agreement.

Although he disliked Jia Yi, Jia Yi was still a third-class baron and a direct descendant of the Rongguo Mansion. If he died in Liaodong, the Emperor would be furious, and the Rongguo Mansion would be held accountable; no one could cover it up.

"Hey, what's the rush?"

With blurry, drunken eyes, Xiong Ke swirled his wine glass and laughed, "Do you think I'm giving orders blindly? Sending him to his death was because someone ordered me to do it."

Everyone was taken aback: "Who?"

"The Rongguo Mansion," he lowered his voice, "they wrote a letter in their own hand, demanding that I get rid of Jia Yi! Otherwise, would I dare to lay a finger on him?"

The hall fell silent instantly.

The Rongguo Mansion... wants to kill its own bloodline?

Although they were suspicious, no one dared to ask any questions. Family scandals should not be aired in public, especially not the scandals of top nobles; keeping quiet was the safest option.

Just then—

"Report—!!!"

A roar ripped apart the feast.

A guard burst through the door, knelt on one knee, his chest heaving violently, and his eyes blazing with fury.

He heard every word spoken outside the door.

"A great victory at Zhen'an Fort! General Jia led his troops to a decisive victory against overwhelming odds, killing over three thousand enemy soldiers and beheading Daishan, the banner lord of the Later Jin Plain Red Banner!!!"

With a loud "boom," the room fell into a deathly silence.

The bear-shaped wine glass fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.

"What...did you say?"

He staggered forward, snatched the battle report, and his face turned deathly pale as he scanned the words.

Five thousand to ten thousand? You won?

They even cut off Daishan's head?

"Holy shit!!!"

Xiong Ke sobered up completely and collapsed to the ground, cold sweat streaming down his forehead.

The others, skeptical, snatched the battle report from the ground and took a look—

In an instant, everyone was dumbfounded, their eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

"Five thousand men defeated ten thousand? And even killed the flag leader?"

"Isn't Jia Yi rumored to have mental disabilities?"

"Damn, this is a true tiger cub from a military family..."

I'm so jealous my teeth ache.

The intestines are all regretful!

I should have gone with them and earned some military merit! Now look what's happened, they're about to be ennobled, and I'm still here drinking and listening to music, what kind of loyal minister and general am I?

Xiong Ke suddenly stood up, his face contorted in pain.

"No! We can't listen to the Rongguo Mansion anymore!"

His voice trembled: "Prepare the horses immediately! I'm going to Zhen'an Fort myself! From this day forward—Jia Yi is my biological father!!!"

He's at least an earl.

At only eighteen years old, Jia Yi has already accomplished such an extraordinary feat—his future is more than just being ennobled and appointed prime minister; the position of Duke may not be far off!

"Bring me pen and ink! I wish to personally submit a memorial to the emperor on behalf of General Jia, requesting commendation!"

Xiong Ke's eyes lit up as he rapidly calculated how to phrase his achievement in a way that made it sound earth-shattering. He'd use phrases like "fighting alone," "winning against overwhelming odds," "remaining calm in the face of danger," and "bravely slaying the chieftain"... he'd pile on every embellishment he could think of. As for saving face? He'd thrown that to the snowstorms of Liaodong!

The report was sent out, and the swift horse, traveling at an alarming speed, tore through the sky and headed straight for the capital.

Meanwhile, inside the capital city.

Lady Wang, the second wife of the Rongguo Mansion, was chanting sutras and counting prayer beads in the Buddhist hall when she suddenly heard a crisp "crack"—the string of sandalwood prayer beads that she had kept for many years broke in her hand and rolled all over the ground, each bead like a tear.

"Madam!" Zhou Rui's wife exclaimed in surprise, rushing forward. "Are you hurt?"

He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that her hands were unharmed.

"Has anything happened in the manor recently?" Madam Wang's voice trembled slightly, her fingertips were icy cold.

It felt like a block of ancient, cold iron was pressing on her chest, making it hard to breathe. That feeling… she knew it all too well. Years ago, when she drugged her niece Wang Xifeng and heard she had miscarried, she felt the same way—her internal organs twisted into a knot.

"Reporting to Madam, everything is fine at the manor, nothing has gone wrong." Zhou Rui's wife shook her head.

"No, something must have happened!" Madam Wang murmured, her nails digging deeply into her palms.

She never dreamed that her good-for-nothing nephew Jia Yi, whom she thought had long since frozen to death on the Liaodong border, was not only alive, but had also fought his way through a bloody path while carrying the enemy chieftain's head!

The urgent message traveled through the city, its hooves shattering the morning mist and billowing dust.

"A great victory in Liaodong!!!"

"Guerrilla General Jia Yi slayed Daishan, the banner lord of the Later Jin Plain Red Banner!!!"

People in the streets and alleys stopped and stared in astonishment.

"What? You can win in that godforsaken place of Liaodong? Haven't you been losing for years?"

"Jia Yi? That name sounds familiar..."

"Are you stupid? That 'big idiot' from the Rongguo Mansion! I heard he damaged his brain when he was a child, and he keeps bumping into walls when he walks. Now he actually killed Nurhaci's son!"