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

"No need to panic." Nurhaci squinted and looked into the distance. "The troops on the nine borders have not been mobilized. The people must have fled at the first sign of trouble."

He didn't believe that anyone in the Great Qian Dynasty could have predicted his attack.

Little did they know that a thousand miles away, a cavalry force as black as night had quietly disappeared into the mountains and forests.

The armored cavalry, acting on Jia Yi's orders, galloped through the night to spread the news far and wide.

"The Later Jin are coming! Hide! Hide deep into the mountains! Those who can escape, hurry and get out of the pass!"

This is the only thing Jia Yi can do for the people of Liaodong.

I don't seek titles or honors, I only seek peace of mind.

Although Liaodong is now empty, its spirit remains.

"Liaodong now is nothing but a bunch of good-for-nothings putting on a show."

Nurhaci stood atop the hill, the cold wind whipping at the hem of his cloak, his voice low yet filled with barely suppressed madness. What should have been a day's journey, he had deliberately delayed for three days—all to wait for scouts to bring back intelligence on the nine border regions.

Now that the news has arrived, the Great Qian Dynasty remains unmoved, and the troops on the nine borders remain stationary.

He smirked, his eyes flashing with murderous intent.

"Taking Liaodong is nothing more than stepping on withered grass," he sneered. "If the elite forces of the Great Qian Dynasty don't move, then we'll tear this gap open ourselves!"

Upon hearing this, the generals' spirits lifted, and their fighting spirit exploded. That night, torches formed a long, winding dragon, and the Eight Banners cavalry charged straight towards Jin County—the heart of Liaodong, a strategically vital location.

Meanwhile, Jia Yi had already led 20,000 new troops to Shanhaiguan.

Looking up, the 14-meter-high pass resembles a giant beast perched among the mountains, its blue bricks stacked high, exuding an imposing aura. Without reinforced concrete or the roar of machinery, this "most formidable pass under heaven" was built solely by human labor, carrying loads on their shoulders and backs.

Jia Yi looked up for a long time, then murmured softly, "The skill of the ancients is truly divine."

"Lord Jia! We've been waiting for you!" A loud shout came from inside the city gate.

Sun Hai, the General of Shanhaiguan, still in full armor, strode out to greet them. His face was all smiles, but his eyes revealed utmost respect.

"General Sun personally came to greet me; I am truly honored," Jia Yi said with a smile and a cupped-hands gesture.

"You are the direct grandson of the Duke of Rongguo, and your military achievements are the result of real battles. Who wouldn't respect you?" Sun Hai patted his chest. "These next few days, just relax and rest well. Eat well and sleep well. I've prepared plenty of beef, mutton, pork, and chicken for your brothers to nourish themselves!"

As he spoke, he waved his hand, and the square behind him suddenly unfolded—three rows of meat racks stretched out before him, glistening pork hanging from the beams, whole skewers of roasted lamb dripping oil and smoking on iron poles, and wine jars piled up like small mountains.

Jia Yi's pupils contracted slightly.

This isn't a military garrison; it's a banquet!

"Thank you for your kind treatment, General Sun." He said solemnly.

"Hahaha, if you really want to thank me," Sun Hai grinned, a ruthless glint in his eyes, "then chop off a few more heads of the Later Jin dogs for me!"

He turned and hurried away, saying, "We're almost at the Beijing garrison. I need to prepare supplies, so I'm off! Brothers, eat and drink to your heart's content!"

Watching his retreating figure disappear into the distance, Jia Yi squinted his eyes.

This person... is not simple.

"Wu Sheng," he turned and ordered, "tell the cooks that they will have an extra meal today: two portions of meat and three bowls of wine for each person."

He paused, then lowered his voice: "Eat and drink your fill, then training will begin tomorrow."

For the next three days, the sound of battle echoed across the drill ground outside Shanhaiguan.

The entire Tang Dynasty Mo Dao team was deployed, wielding seven-foot-long heavy blades, forcing the new recruits to charge, parry, and slash like wolves herding sheep. The sun and rain weren't the worst of it; the most dreaded thing was those "living Yama" figures wielding wooden sticks and whipping the lazy ones one by one.

"You! Get down! Five hundred push-ups! Don't eat until you finish them!"

"Hey you, pretending to be dead! Get up! You think this is a wedding procession? This is a battlefield! One step too late and you're dead!"

The blisters broke and scabbed over; some people cried out, some vomited, and some gritted their teeth and endured it.

All of this was observed by Sun Hai on the city wall.

He silently took a sip of tea and slowly exhaled: "This grandson of the Duke... is not the 'idiot' good-for-nothing that's rumored."

"It's more like a sword that has been dormant for many years, finally being drawn."

His eyes flashed, and he quietly made a plan in his heart: if Jia Yi makes another great contribution in this battle, he should get closer to him in the future.

As for those old fogies in the Rongguo Mansion who only knew how to fight for power and profit? He had long since left them to the winds.

-

Three days later, the Beijing garrison finally arrived.

Amidst the swirling dust, a crooked and staggering column staggered in, its flags tattered, its armor in tatters, and its soldiers pale and emaciated, their steps unsteady, resembling a group of refugees fleeing famine.

Niu Jizong, riding on horseback, had a pale face.

Upon arriving at the pass, the soldiers disregarded everything and collapsed to the ground with a "whoosh," some even lying flat and snoring.

Sun Hai and Jia Yi stood side by side under the city gate, their eyelids twitching as they watched.

This is the Jingying garrison that once swept across the grasslands and dominated the northern frontier?

Now it looks like someone fished out of a cesspool.

Niu Jizong's face flushed red, and he hurriedly cracked his whip, roaring, "Get up, all of you! What kind of behavior is this?!"

The guards rushed forward, kicking and pulling, barely managing to reshape the group into a human form.

"Uncle Niu." Jia Yi stepped forward and bowed.

"Uncle," he added, his tone respectful yet neither servile nor arrogant.

Niu Jizong looked at the young man in front of him. He was imposing and his new army stood in solemn formation behind him, with each soldier's muscles tense and his eyes sharp—a stark contrast to his own cowardly bunch.

He choked up, forcing a smile:

"Good...good boy."

The man in front of us is Niu Jizong, who can barely be considered somewhat successful among the four kings and eight kilometers.

Tsk.

Jia Yi glanced sideways, his gaze sharp as a knife, slicing through the room with undisguised contempt.

Niu Jizong froze on the spot, his face twitched, and he wished that a crack would appear under his feet so that he could burrow into the earth.

How could a descendant of a duke be looked at like that by a junior?

He felt a surge of anger, but forcibly suppressed it: "Forget it, forget it. I heard that Jia Yi is not thinking clearly. It would be beneath me to argue with him."

"Ahem!"

Sun Hai couldn't stand it any longer and coughed, abruptly breaking the awkward silence.

But then it dawned on him: No wonder people outside say this kid is a "tiger cub"—it's not just talk!

Jia Yi then lazily withdrew his gaze, as if that glance had been nothing more than a swarm of ants blocking his way.

"You must be Yi-ge'er?"

Niu Jizong quickly adjusted his expression, put on a warm smile, and looked him up and down as if he were holding a rare treasure: "Not bad, you have not disgraced the Rongguo Duke's Mansion."

Before he could finish speaking...

"Yi-ge'er, do you still recognize me?"

Wang Ziteng stepped forward, grinning like a weasel who had just stolen a chicken: "I'm your uncle! I even held you when you were little!"

His tone was as if he had performed an unparalleled military feat and was waiting to receive his reward.

Jia Yi lifted his eyelids and coldly swept his gaze over—just two words:

"I don't know him."

[Ding! The host angrily confronted Wang Ziteng and received a case of Coke!]

The system notification sounded, and Jia Yi's lips twitched violently.

Coke? That's all?

Even that good-for-nothing Xiong Ke could produce a hundred Xuanjia Cavalry, and you, Prince Teng, after all that effort, all you give me is a box of sugar water?

A complete and utter piece of trash!

Before his sneer had even subsided, a group of noble sons who had come with Prince Teng were already standing on tiptoe, peering in and whispering amongst themselves.

"Didn't we agree that Wang Ziteng and Jia Yi would protect us on the battlefield?"

"Judging by this... are they acquainted?"

"Damn, did I get scammed?"