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

If it weren't for his seniority, they would have verbally slapped him so hard he'd be crawling on the ground!

"Second son, don't say such things again," Grandmother Jia said coldly, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Yi-ge'er is your own nephew, and a rising star whom the court relies on. You are now a commoner, so don't be so ungrateful."

One sentence hits you right in the heart—Who do you think you are, daring to instruct the future Duke?

Jia Zheng's face flushed red and then paled, and he bowed his head and stammered, "Yes... Mother is right."

On the other side, in the secret chamber of the Zhao residence.

"Your Excellency! This is a golden opportunity!" Zhao Lu's face lit up with joy, almost bursting into laughter. "Jia Yi is now deserted by everyone; we can seize this chance to launch an attack and take care of that old dog Wu Ci'en while we're at it!"

He secretly rejoiced: he could establish his authority by stepping on Jia Yi and seize power by eliminating the Wu faction—killing two birds with one stone!

Mark Chao stroked his beard and sat upright, his eyes flashing slightly as he quietly looked at the self-proclaimed clever fool in front of him.

—Can't you really see how much the retired emperor and the emperor protect Jia Yi?

They just keep crashing into it, they're really courting death.

But... that's fine too.

Three months have passed since Lu Qing's incident, and Wu Ci'en has made no move. Zhao Youting mistakenly believes that the behind-the-scenes turmoil has been quietly smoothed over by the retired emperor.

Since that's the case, why not give it a push?

Let Zhao Lu cause trouble, the bigger the better.

When the storm comes, he can easily extricate himself and push this pawn out to take the hit.

Thinking of this, he nodded slightly, his voice low and meaningful:

"it is good."

"You are in full charge of this matter."

Mark Chao chuckled softly, raising his eyebrows slightly.

"Don't worry, Your Excellency, leave this to me. I guarantee I'll handle it cleanly and efficiently, without a single flaw."

Zhao Lu's eyes suddenly lit up, and his heart skipped a beat.

Your Excellency... is this a way of promoting me?!

Could it be that he intends to groom me as his successor?

The moment the thought arose, it felt as if the blood in my body was instantly burning, even my fingertips were hot.

"Tsk, before Zhao Lu went to Liaodong, he was quite smart."

"Why do you look like your brain's been trampled by a horse's hoof?"

Mark Chao shook his head and sighed softly.

Liaodong... truly a place that devours people!

-

The grasslands stretched endlessly, with sandstorms swirling around them.

Dorgon led the remnants of the Plain White Banner, trekking across the wilderness for three whole months. The old, weak, women and children dragged broken carts, and the livestock were so thin that they were just skeletons. The procession resembled a dying snake, slowly crawling across the vast land.

Finally, at the edge of a withered meadow, the banners of the Mongol Yuan court came into view in the distance.

"The Plain White Banner of the Later Jin? How dare they trespass into the heart of our Mongol Yuan territory!"

Khan Agudamu squinted, his hand on the hilt of his sword, and his personal guards surged out like a tide.

The group before them was a large one, with messy baggage and tattered armor, and many civilians mixed in with them—they didn't seem to be there to fight, but rather... to flee?

"Dorgon!" Agudamu shouted sternly, "What is your purpose in bringing so many men and horses here?!"

Dorgon took a deep breath, knelt down, and touched his forehead to the sand.

Behind him, over a thousand soldiers of the Plain White Banner fell to the ground, raising clouds of dust.

"Great Khan," his voice was deep yet clear, "the Later Jin has fallen to the iron cavalry of the Great Qian. I, Dorgon, have nowhere else to turn but to lead my people to seek refuge. I humbly beg the Great Khan to take us in!"

silence.

The wind swept across the flagpole, making a mournful sound.

Agudamu paused for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"Good! Good! Good!"

He strode forward and personally helped Dorgon to his feet: "Today, with these mighty soldiers and strong people, I am like a tiger with wings! Welcome to the Mongol Yuan Dynasty!"

-

Several months later, Jia Yi and the Loyal and Brave Camp returned in triumph.

The former territory of the Later Jin dynasty has long been reduced to scorched earth.

Fields were reduced to ruins, wells were filled with corpses, and villages were reduced to broken walls and rubble. Crows circled in the sky, wild dogs gnawed at the bones, and the entire land was devoid of any sign of life.

Standing atop the high slope, Jia Yi gazed at the "dead zone" he had created with his own hands, a cold, arrogant smile curving his lips.

"Want to rebuild?" he chuckled coldly. "Unless they starve themselves for fifty or forty years, it's unlikely."

The army broke camp, their armor rumbling, and retreated like a receding tide.

Deep in the mountains and forests, the surviving Later Jin scouts emerged from the dense forest, shivering, and rushed the news to Abatai.

"He's gone! That devil Jia Yi is finally gone!"

Abtai suddenly leaped up from the cave where he was hiding, his eyes bloodshot, and he was so excited that he almost choked up.

"Come on! We're out!"

"As long as the bloodline remains, the Later Jin dynasty can rise again!"

He opened his arms as if he could already see the day he would ascend to the throne and regroup.

But when he actually stepped out of the mountains, his steps suddenly froze.

There was nothing left in front of me...

There were no granaries, no cattle or sheep, no tents, and even a well with drinkable water was destroyed and filled in.

Only decaying grass, insects, and the mournful sobs of the wind blowing through the ruins.

"This...this is an attempt to wipe them all out..."

Abatai's legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground, his face ashen and deathly pale.

Three months of hiding had already exhausted people's morale.

Now that it has seen the light of day again, what it sees is utter devastation.

The crowd began to stir.

Some people silently turned around, took their wives and children's hands, and walked into the depths of the mountains without looking back.

More people followed suit.

They were originally hunters and herders who came from the mountains. Now that everything has vanished, they might as well return to their primitive ways and eke out a living in the wilderness.

Abatai watched helplessly as his "followers" disappeared one by one into the dense forest, like snow melting into sand.

His personal guards also quietly left without saying a word.

"Seventh Brother...where...where do we go next?"

The voices of the few remaining brothers trembled.

Abatai smiled bitterly, drew his broadsword from his waist, a flash of cold light, and blood sprayed out.

The blade sliced ​​cleanly and swiftly across the neck.

"The Later Jin dynasty no longer exists in this world."

As he fell, a hint of relief appeared on his lips.

"Seventh Brother—!!!"

The remaining troops rushed forward, their cries echoing across the fields.

The wind swept away the tattered flags, and the world fell silent.

Only three words were squeezed out from between his teeth, laced with blood and hatred:

"Jia Yi...that damned Jia Yi!"

"If it weren't for him, our Later Jin dynasty wouldn't have fallen to this state today!"

The princes gritted their teeth, their eyes practically spitting fire.

The sudden emergence of Jia Yi utterly crushed the Later Jin's decades-long schemes, like shredding a thin sheet of paper. Their prized iron cavalry, secret plots, and elaborate plans all vanished in his hands. Not to mention, the imperial clan is now torn apart, brothers have turned against each other, relatives are alienated, and their wealth is nearly depleted.

The group exchanged glances, their eyes like knives, filled with extreme grief and indignation. Unanimously, they drew their broadswords and slashed their necks, blood splattering everywhere.

In the end, it was the guards who hadn't gone far who couldn't bear to watch any longer. Unable to bear seeing Abatai and the others' corpses exposed in the wilderness, they hastily dug a pit, dragged the bodies in, and buried them all.

These figures, who once had the potential to be ennobled and granted titles, faded into obscurity, without even a monument to them.

The army marched south, banners billowing in the dust, and finally arrived at Shanhaiguan.

"My lord! Something has happened in the capital!" Sun Hai rushed to Jia Yi's horse, panting heavily, his face tense.