Dream of the Red Chamber: Start by gaining Zhao Yun's martial prowess, and be ennobled in a sin

Dai Quan smiled and said softly:

"What else could happen! They smashed a few more bottles and jars. I heard they were originally going to issue an order to execute him, but then nothing came of it!"

"During tomorrow's court assembly, several censors and officials from the Jingnan Military Commission will plead on his behalf. Duke Cao should be out of danger, but he will inevitably be stripped of his rank and title!"

The retired emperor did not speak upon hearing this, but continued to paint quietly and unhurriedly.

Only after the last stroke was completed, inscribed "Presented to my elder brother Aisin Gioro Xuanye," and his personal seal was affixed, did he stop writing and say:

"Being demoted is a minor matter; we can reinstate him next time. No one doubts the reason for this defeat, right?"

Dai Quan considered for a moment, then first handed the Emperor Emeritus a warm handkerchief to wipe his hands before saying:

"Your Majesty, rest assured, this operation was entirely handled by the secret guards, and those who were supposed to disappear have all disappeared afterward."

Everyone just thought that Duke Cao was ambitious but lacked talent, and no one thought of anything else.

"This defeat of the court has greatly affected the prestige of the Qianqing Palace. Everyone says that the one who ascended the throne in the Qianqing Palace is illegitimate and is not qualified to rule the world! There are already rumors that Your Majesty should be reinstated to the throne and govern the country to bring peace to the world."

The retired emperor remained calm, took the handkerchief, wiped his hands, and said:

"The secret guards must remain silent lately! The more they do, the more mistakes they'll make, and it'll give them ammunition against us!"

"In the Northwest, just maintain the trade of grain and ironware between the Shanxi merchants and the Manchus. Money is essential for getting things done; there's no need to pass on intelligence anymore!"

"Alas! It's such a pity for the tens of thousands of innocent soldiers and civilians of my Great Han! My heart cannot bear it..."

Seeing the Emperor Emeritus sigh, Dai Quan comforted him:

"All the people under heaven are Your Majesty's subjects, and it is only right that they dedicate themselves to Your Majesty's cause."

"When Your Majesty regains control of the realm, abolishes the new policies, and allows the people to rest and recuperate, then you will truly bring great benefits to the world! What do a few small gains or losses matter at this time!"

The retired emperor laughed heartily and said:

"You really know how to talk! My brother only knows how to reform corrupt practices and clean up bureaucracy. He's tough on foreign powers, refusing to bow down, and engages in endless wars. He's also harsh on the gentry and officials at home, and I don't know how many people he's lost the hearts of!

"Little do they know that our Great Han Dynasty originally shared the empire with the gentry and officials. Only when the gentry, officials, and military merits benefit and support the rule of our Great Han Dynasty can our empire last for ten thousand years!"

"As for the Manchus, all they want is some land and a stipend. What difference would it make if we gave it to them? Why resort to arms, causing countless deaths and injuries, which is against the harmony of heaven and earth? It would be much better if both sides could live in peace!"

Dai Quan's expression stiffened for a moment, then he smiled and said:

"Your Majesty is truly wise! Only Your Majesty's return to the throne will bring blessings to our Great Han Dynasty and all its subjects!"

The Emperor Emeritus laughed loudly:

"Haha! No rush, no rush, the time isn't right yet..."

…………

Two years later.

Jinzhou City, Liaodong.

The air in the early autumn morning was already a bit chilly, and the cold north wind howled, blowing away the thick fog that had just risen in the morning, while the sunlight dappled across Jinzhou City.

Jia Jing, dressed in military uniform, sat on a rosewood chair inlaid with blue in the front hall of the government office, studying a map of the vicinity of Jinzhou City.

At this time, Jia Jing was twenty years old, and his face carried a sense of authority and iron-bloodedness that he had never shown before. He had been fighting on the Liaodong battlefield for two years.

In the past two years, the Qing army has mainly focused its military efforts on the Haixi Jurchen and Yeren Jurchen in the rear, and has not engaged in many large-scale battles with the Han army.

Of course, small-scale cavalry skirmishes never ceased.

Jia Jing volunteered to lead scout cavalry against the Qing army on several occasions. After dozens of battles, he killed hundreds of Qing soldiers without a single defeat, and became quite famous on the Liaodong battlefield.

This year, Emperor Kangxi decisively defeated the Haixi Jurchens and the Khorchin tribes of the grasslands, essentially unifying the rear tribes and most of the grasslands.

They couldn't wait to send 150,000 troops, claiming to be a 200,000-strong Manchu-Mongol allied army, heading straight for the Han Dynasty, attempting to seize control of the Central Plains.

Emperor Jingsheng appointed Nian Gengyao as General Pingliao, commanding the troops in Liaodong to fight against the Qing army.

Meanwhile, Nian Gengyao appointed Jia Jing, a Tiger-General, as his vanguard and stationed him in Jinzhou City on the Liaodong front. They have been fighting the Qing army for more than ten days.

"General, General Qin has sent word that the Xuanjia Army has reached its designated position and is awaiting your orders."

A general in black armor entered the hall, reported to Jia Jing in a low voice, and looked at Jia Jing with a hint of admiration in his eyes.

"Good! After putting on this show for so many days, it can finally end. Fei Yanggu truly lives up to his reputation as a renowned general of the Manchu army; his defense of the city these past few days has been utterly pathetic..."

Jia Jing's voice was slightly hoarse. He hadn't slept well for several days due to the intense fighting with the Qing army.

But he appeared remarkably energetic, with sharp eyes.

"Feiyanggu is only relying on his superior numbers. If it weren't for the general's plan to launch a pincer attack and decisively defeat the enemy, he wouldn't have the audacity to be so arrogant. In the past two years, who in Liaodong doesn't know the general's formidable reputation..."

The black-armored general was somewhat indignant and said in a deep voice.

"Haha... You can't say that. After all, Fei Yanggu was a first-rank Grand Minister of the Imperial Guard in the Qing Dynasty."

"Over the years, he has pacified the Haixi Jurchens for the Manchu Qing dynasty and defeated the Mongol tribal coalition, achieving numerous military exploits. He is no ordinary man!"

"The siege battles these past few days have been particularly impressive. They nearly breached our defenses multiple times and even scaled the city walls several times. The Qing army is also incredibly brave; the Manchus truly deserve to be called a formidable foe to our great Han!"

"We can despise it strategically, but we must take it seriously tactically."

Jia Jing smiled slightly, looked at Zhuque below the hall, and said with some emotion.

Suzaku was an absolute loyal follower he extracted from the system.

Since arriving in Liaodong, he has been promoted several times and is now a fifth-rank Tiger General.

The system also issued promotion rewards multiple times.

He was promoted to the eighth rank and rewarded with five hundred Imperial Guards, whose leader was Zhuque.

He was promoted to the seventh rank and rewarded with 1,500 Xuanjia soldiers, whose leader was General Qin Qiong, whom Zhuque had just mentioned.

He was promoted to the sixth rank and was rewarded with several unique recipes for "glassmaking", "salt making", "sugar making", "wine making", and "soap and perfume making".

Now, Jia Jing has roughly figured out the rules of the system.

First, there is a reward opportunity for promotion by two ranks, that is, from the ninth rank to the eighth rank, and from the eighth rank to the seventh rank. There is no reward for the seventh rank and the eighth rank.

Secondly, currently only officers of the official rank receive rewards; no officers of the rank receive them.

His rank has now been increased to Light Cavalry Captain, which, according to the Han Dynasty system, is considered a fifth-rank official, but the system has not given him any reward.

I wonder if there will be any rewards for being granted a noble title in the future.

Jia Jing felt that there probably wasn't one; the system seemed to only recognize one promotion path for administrative officials, and they would have to see how it went later.

Third, the characters rewarded by the system are absolutely loyal, and their origins are all verifiable. They do not appear out of thin air, so there will be no worries about them.