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

That roar was like a demon from hell bursting free. Jia Yi was covered in blood, his armor stained crimson, his eyes bloodshot, and his killing intent overwhelming.

The two Jin cavalrymen at the forefront were instantly terrified, their horses lost control of their bowels, and they fainted and fell to the ground!

"Jia Yi is courting death!" Huang Taiji laughed upon seeing this.

He commands two banners, the strongest fighting force of the Later Jin, with over a thousand elite white-armored soldiers, each capable of taking on ten men. How dare your mere exhausted troops charge into their ranks head-on?

joke!

But the next moment—

"Pfft pfft pfft!"

Where the blade flashed, a cloud of blood exploded! Dozens of elite soldiers fell like straws, their bodies severed from their heads, utterly powerless to resist!

The Plain Yellow and Bordered Yellow Banners were actually torn open!

Morale wavered and the troops collapsed.

"We can't hold on any longer! Run—!"

At a single shout, a hundred responded and a thousand followed. The Later Jin army instantly erupted into chaos, everyone fleeing for their lives, wishing they had two more legs, and ran like madmen towards Shengjing.

"Dorgon!" Huang Taiji roared, "What are you still standing there for?!"

But when he looked back—the Plain White Banner had vanished without a trace. Dorgon had slipped away faster than anyone else!

"What a heartless bastard!" Huang Taiji gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with sorrow.

lost.

Utter defeat.

With his personal guards protecting him at all costs, he turned his horse around and headed straight for Jin County.

As long as the city can be held, with its strong walls and powerful cannons, Jia Yi's forces are insufficient and will find it difficult to sustain a prolonged siege. He can then catch his breath and regroup!

But he forgot—Jia Yi never gives anyone a chance to breathe!

"Follow them!" Jia Yi ordered sternly.

He immediately noticed something amiss: although the Plain Yellow and Bordered Yellow Banners had retreated, they remained orderly and gathered in one place.

—There will surely be a lord!

It is highly likely that it was Huang Taiji himself!

"We've won!" Niu Jizong stood on the high slope, looking at the fleeing Later Jin soldiers all over the mountains and fields. His blood was boiling and his eyes were shining!

To defeat 300,000 with 80,000 is a feat unmatched by any general of antiquity!

Even though he entered the game later, this achievement was enough to make him leap from a first-class earl to a third-class marquis!

He looked around and suddenly paused, startled:

"Where is Yi-ge'er?"

Niu Jizong looked around and saw that all the cavalry of the Loyal and Brave Camp had disappeared, leaving only an empty battlefield and broken flags and spears.

"Lord, Marquis...it seems they've gone to pursue the Khan of the Later Jin."

The guard reported in a low voice, his tone still carrying a hint of shock.

"That kid!"

Niu Jizong was taken aback, then grinned, his eyes flashing with a sharp light.

"If he dares to chase the Great Khan, I'll slaughter all these drowning dogs!"

He suddenly mounted his horse, drew his long sword, and its cold light pierced through the morning mist.

"My lads—kill!"

A roar erupted, like a thunderclap.

The army surged out like a tidal wave, its iron hooves crushing the remaining snow, and wherever its blades pointed, the defeated Jin soldiers scattered and fled.

Where is the former might of their iron cavalry now?

They only regretted that their parents hadn't given them two more legs; who would dare to turn back and fight? Their lives were hanging by a thread, how could they possibly fight back? They wouldn't even dare to think about it!

"Quickly! Prepare paper and ink; I need to send a memorial to the capital immediately!"

Sun Hai's hands trembled, but his face was filled with ecstasy, and he almost jumped up as he wrote with flowing strokes.

An urgent message, delivered by courier, flew swiftly to the capital.

"A great victory at Shanhaiguan! The Marquis of Zhongyong, with 80,000 troops, defeated 300,000, the Later Jin army was completely routed, and the Great Khan fled north in panic!"

Within a few days, the fast horse had already rushed into the gates of the capital.

"Shanhaiguan has won!"

The order was given to the cavalry to gallop through the long street, their roar shaking the heavens.

The people in the market all turned their heads and focused their attention on the messenger in blood-stained armor.

"The Loyal and Brave Marquis decisively defeated an enemy army of 300,000!"

"The Later Jin Khan fled for his life overnight; the Northern Barbarians are finished!"

Before the words were even finished, the crowd erupted in chaos!

"I knew it! Lord Jia is a war god sent from heaven!"

"Hahaha! That was a great battle! Maybe even that damned Khan will get his head chopped off!"

"Shut up, don't jinx it, but... we really dare to think that way!"

Cheers erupted, and the entire capital seemed to awaken from the dead of winter. Lanterns were hung up, firecrackers crackled, and the streets and alleys were filled with the aroma of celebratory wine.

Deep within the palace, the retired emperor, Emperor Yuankang, and senior cabinet ministers sat in a meeting, their brows furrowed as they pondered how long the great battle would last.

Suddenly, the sound of galloping hooves could be heard outside the palace. Xia Shouzhong burst in, covered in dust, his voice trembling:

"Shanhaiguan - A Great Victory!!"

The hall was silent for a moment, then erupted in a commotion.

"Jia Yi has defeated 300,000 enemy troops! The report has been delivered!"

The cavalryman knelt down and presented a secret memorial written in blood.

"Hahaha! Good! Well done, Jia Yi!"

The retired emperor sat upright on the dragon throne, without rising, but laughed loudly, his eyes shining.

"I didn't misjudge him! This young man is indeed capable of shouldering the responsibility of the empire!"

Emperor Yuankang took the memorial and glanced at it quickly, his brow furrowing slightly: "Wait... how did the battle reach Shanhaiguan?"

Everyone was taken aback.

Right! Shouldn't the decisive battle have taken place in Liaodong? How come they only won after retreating all the way to the gates?!

All eyes turned to the cavalryman who had delivered the message, filled with suspicion.

"Your Majesty!" the cavalryman gritted his teeth, "General Lu Qing of Liaodong surrendered without a fight!"

"Not only did they surrender Jin County, but they also led 80,000 border troops to defect, drawing the Later Jin army straight to Shanhaiguan..."

"Snapped!"

Emperor Yuankang slammed his hand on the imperial desk, shattering it. His face turned ashen, and he trembled violently.

"What a shrewd man, Lu Qing! With 80,000 troops at his command, he actually opens the gates to meet the enemy?!"

He suddenly remembered the former general Xiong Ke—even if he lost the city, he fought to the death, his blood staining the city walls!

And Lu Qing, without even putting up a fight, just knelt down?!

The hall was deathly silent.

Grand Secretary Mark Chao was drenched in cold sweat, his back soaked with sweat.

This Lu Qing was personally recommended by him!

When Zhao Lu was appointed governor, Liaodong was thrown into chaos; now Lu Qing has been appointed, but he is a spineless coward who defected to the enemy with a gun!

He was cursing under his breath: "Damn it, what did I do to deserve this?"

Wu Ci'en stood in the corner, squinting, with a slight smile on her lips.

We've finally caught you red-handed, Mark Chao.

But he remained calm, only coughing lightly twice, and slowly said:

"Your Majesty, if it weren't for Jia Yi's heroic efforts in turning the tide of this battle, we would probably have to negotiate peace today."

"Such a great achievement deserves a reward...it should not be too light."

The implication is that a third-class duke? Does he deserve such a prestigious title?

Emperor Yuankang understood and said loudly:

"Rest assured, my dear minister, I will never fail my loyal subjects and generals!"

"Upon Jia Yi's triumphant return, he will be promoted to Second-Class Duke, granted an iron certificate with a red inscription, and his title will be hereditary!"

The ministers in the hall felt a chill run down their spines.

Before he was even twenty, he was already a second-class duke?

Such honor and favor, how many people in the entire Great Qian Dynasty can match it?

-

Inside the Rongguo Mansion.

The entire household was initially filled with worry and gloom over Jia Zheng's arrest.

Suddenly, a great commotion erupted outside the door, and a servant boy rushed in frantically.

"Gentlemen! Fantastic news! The Third Young Master has decisively defeated the 300,000-strong Later Jin army! A great victory at Shanhaiguan!!"

"What?!"

Before anyone could react, Xichun had already jumped up, her little feet stomping loudly on the floor.

"I knew it! With the protective charm I made for Brother Yi, how could he possibly lose!"

Yingchun laughed and shook her head: "You're just bragging. Maybe it's the ever-burning lamp I keep in front of Guanyin that's effective!"

Tan Chun smiled and said, "Stop arguing, all of you. In my opinion, it's the spirit of our Rongguo Mansion's ancestors that has appeared to us."

But who doesn't understand in their heart—

In this battle, only one person truly shouldered the responsibility.

Jia Yi.