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

He wanted to use the drinking party to ease tensions—that little mess wasn't instigated by me, Xiong Ke; it was all my subordinates acting on their own. I'm just a lowly soldier following orders. Can you please be lenient?

"I don't want to."

Three words, crisp and concise.

Jia Yi mounted his horse, pulled on the reins, and the warhorse galloped away, leaving only a cold and aloof silhouette.

[Ding! Host slapped his superior, making a grand entrance. Reward: One hundred Xuanjia cavalry!]

The system notification sound exploded in his mind, and Jia Yi's heart trembled violently.

What the heck? They refused the general's dinner invitation and then just mass-produced troops?

The Xuanjia cavalry were a killing machine personally created by Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin! Clad in iron armor, they were invincible, born to slay generals and capture flags!

But he didn't summon it immediately. He'd save this trump card for a crucial moment.

Although the battle was won, the cost was not small—five hundred members of the Tang Dynasty's Mo Dao (陌刀) squad were killed, and each corpse was like a knife to his heart.

But it was worth it. Five thousand border soldiers witnessed firsthand what it meant to massacre an enemy camp, and from then on, they would never hesitate to go into battle again.

They finally understood: enemies can also die.

---

Shengjing, deep within the Khan's palace.

The setting sun is like blood.

The surviving remnants of the Plain Red Banner carried a pitch-black coffin slowly into the main hall. Inside the coffin lay Daishan—only his torso remained, his head nowhere to be found.

Nurhaci staggered forward, his trembling hand stroking his son's cold body, a low, beast-like growl escaping his throat:

"Where's his head? Where's my son's head?"

The sound tore through the air, and the entire hall fell into a deathly silence.

The princes stood silently with their heads bowed, their faces grave. Normally they were vying for power and scheming against each other, but today, how dare outsiders behead their brothers?

"Kill! We must massacre Liaodong!"

"Leave no one alive in the Great Qian army!"

"Let their bones serve as stepping stones for my second brother!"

Anger burned in the hall like a wildfire.

Only Huang Taiji stood in the corner, his eyes dark and unfathomable.

He gazed at Dai Shan's corpse, a barely perceptible flicker of emotion flashing in his eyes—

There was pain, there was anger, and even more so... a deeply hidden sense of pleasure.

Daishan led 10,000 elite troops on the expedition, and now the Zhenghongqi army has been almost completely wiped out.

Heavy losses? Indeed.

From now on, among the Eight Banners, who can still surpass my Two White Banners?

None of the white-armored soldiers returned alive.

That battle was so fierce that rivers of blood flowed, and even the wind smelled of rust. The army of Daqian was even more ferocious than the elite troops of the Nine Borders—like demons crawling out of hell, their blades flashed like thunder, leaving no survivors.

"Who—killed my son?"

Nurhaci suddenly turned around, his eyes burning with crimson rage, staring intently at Daišan's personal guards who were kneeling on the ground, having miraculously survived.

"Reporting to...Master, he is a guerrilla general of the Great Qian Dynasty, named...Jia Yi."

The soldier's voice trembled, and before he could finish speaking, his head was already banging against the ground repeatedly.

"Assemble the entire army!" Nurhaci slammed his fist on the stone table beside him, shattering it. His eyes were bloodshot like a beast's. "I will raze Liaodong to the ground and offer sacrifices for my son's soul!"

He flicked his finger, pointing at the remaining soldiers: "Drag them out and execute them! Their families will be reduced to slavery, and their descendants will never be freed from this status for three generations!"

The men on the ground were deathly pale, their bodies limp. Had they known this would happen, they would have preferred to die on the battlefield—at least then they wouldn't have implicated their wives, children, and elderly parents, condemning them to generations of slavery!

Bugles sounded suddenly, and war drums boomed.

The sleeping behemoth that was the Later Jin Dynasty has finally opened its bloodthirsty eyes. Liaodong is still fast asleep, unaware that a monstrous storm is rolling in from Shengjing.

At that moment, Jia Yi was kneeling on one knee, listening to the eunuch's high-pitched voice reading the imperial edict.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Jia Yi, a third-class baron of the Rongguo Mansion, is commendable for his loyalty and bravery. He is hereby promoted to first-class Earl of Loyalty and Bravery, granted the establishment of the Loyalty and Bravery Camp, and permitted to recruit 20,000 elite soldiers. This is the imperial decree."

The eunuch delivering the imperial edict rolled up the bright yellow decree, his face beaming with smiles: "My lord, please rise! Congratulations! Your rise to prominence is just around the corner!"

He narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze fixed on Jia Yi's hand, waiting for the word "reward".

Jia Yi simply said, "Thanks."

He turned and left without even flicking the hem of his robe.

The eunuch was left standing there, stunned, his smile almost fading.

A group of Liaodong generals behind him stared in disbelief.

My God, that's a eunuch from the palace! His face was practically touching yours, and you were pretending to be blind?

"Please calm down, sir!"

Xiong Ke immediately stepped forward, forcing a smile: "Jia Yi is always arrogant and rude, and doesn't know his place. Please don't take it to heart..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a sharp shout from the eunuch:

"Shut up! Get the hell away from me!"

The eunuch delivering the imperial decree had a grim face: "Emperor Yuankang himself praised him as 'the nation's sharpest weapon,' his future is limitless! Aren't you afraid of losing your head by gossiping like this?"

He gave Xiong Ke a cold glance: "You have a handsome face, but I never expected your heart to be so black! I'll go back and report to His Majesty, requesting him to thoroughly investigate such a troublemaker as you!"

Xiong Ke was stunned: What does this have to do with me! He's the one who won't pay, why are you taking it out on me?

Seeing that the eunuch was about to leave, he was so anxious that he stamped his feet and hurriedly chased after him, stuffing silver into his mouth and apologizing, and escorting him to the gate in a humble voice.

"I'm afraid my position as general is not secure."

Someone muttered under their breath.

"That's right. Lord Jia is currently enjoying the Emperor's favor. How can the General possibly try to outdo him? He'd be asking for trouble."

"Shouldn't we... find someone else to back us up?"

The group exchanged glances, understanding each other without saying a word.

Could they seek refuge with Jia Yi? Easier said than done.

That kid is lawless and can turn on you faster than flipping through a book. He can be a high-ranking official one minute and a knife the next. Who would dare to come near him?

Just as I was pondering this, I suddenly heard a loud shout—

"Wu Sheng! Where is he?"

With a loud bang, the door was kicked open, sending splinters flying.

Jia Yi strode in, his gaze sweeping across the room like lightning.

"General Jia... no, Lord Jia? What brings you here?" Wu Sheng nearly jumped down from the roof beam in surprise, his eyelids twitching wildly and his heart pounding.

"His Majesty has entrusted me with the task of forming the Loyal and Brave Battalion. I'm leaving the recruitment to you." Jia Yi casually tossed out a military tally and a ration order. "The money and provisions have already been deposited into the account."

He paused, then a smirk played on his lips: "From today onwards, you'll be my deputy. Work hard, and becoming a marquis won't be a dream."

As he spoke, he drew a huge pie in the sky and casually tossed it over.

Wu Sheng caught the token, his hands trembling.

Before he could even react, Jia Yi had already turned and left, his back view as free and easy as a gust of wind.

Meanwhile, in Shengjing, a thousand miles away—

Banners obscured the sun, and iron cavalry stood in formation.

Huang Taiji stood on the city tower, watching his father's back as he donned his armor and mounted his horse, and felt a tightness in his heart.

"Father! Do not underestimate the enemy in this battle. Although Liaodong is weak, with Jia Yi now in command, it will not be easy to defeat them!"

Nurhaci reined in his horse, turned around, and sneered:

"What's there to be afraid of? Liaodong? It's just meat in my bowl."

It's not that he's arrogant, it's that his opponent is really too weak.

But this time, he was wrong.

He was about to face not an easy target, but a fierce tiger disguised as a fool.

In Nurhaci's eyes, taking Liaodong was nothing more than a matter of sweeping away fallen leaves in autumn.

Huang Taiji remained silent, standing to the side with his hands at his sides, even his breathing became soft.

He knew his father's temper—if he tried to persuade him again, he would get a beating for more than just his words.

"Set off!"