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

Inside the Qianqing Palace,

Jia Jing bowed and said in a deep voice:

"Your subject, Jia Jing (Jia Zijie), thanks Your Majesty for bestowing upon me your courtesy name!"

Emperor Jingsheng helped him up and said with a smile:

"The moment the name Zijie was uttered, he evoked the image of a high-ranking official of the state."

After speaking, Emperor Jingsheng addressed the assembled officials in the hall:

"Go and make arrangements for the deployment of troops! Minister Chen, you are in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, and the finances, provisions, and logistics for this Northwest campaign are entirely under your control. Make sure the front lines are not troubled by a lack of funds or supplies."

"Niu Qing, you will also be going to fight in the Northwest with Jia Qing this time. You can start mobilizing the troops in the Ba Shang camp."

"Everyone else may leave. I will discuss the specific military strategy for this Northwest campaign with Minister Jia."

Chen Tingjing, Niu Jizong, and the others bowed and said:

"Your Majesty, we obey!"

Meanwhile, Jia Jing continued to discuss the military deployment for the northwest campaign with Emperor Jingsheng in the Qianqing Palace.

After having lunch with Emperor Jingsheng, Jia Jing walked out of the palace, escorted by Xia Shouzhong.

"Thank you for escorting me, Your Excellency!"

Jia Jing was still very polite to Xia Shouzhong. In any case, this inner minister by Emperor Jingsheng's side was not to be underestimated.

Especially since he was about to lead troops on a campaign, he needed to deepen his relationship with Xia Shouzhong and establish mutual interests.

Throughout history, there have been countless examples of military generals leading troops and establishing merits in the field, while civil officials in the court offered slanderous advice.

He had to take precautions and add an extra layer of insurance for himself.

Xia Shouzhong was the chief eunuch by Emperor Jingsheng's side and also in charge of the Imperial City Guard. He had served Emperor Jingsheng since he was a prince, and was definitely Emperor Jingsheng's most trusted confidant.

It is said that Emperor Jingsheng once said in the palace: "Only when Shouzhong is in charge can I sleep peacefully."

Emperor Jingsheng could only sleep peacefully when Xia Shouzhong was on duty by his side.

This demonstrates the extent of his trust in Xia Shouzhong.

Xia Shouzhong's attitude towards Jia Jing was warm and affectionate, as he knew all too well how much Jia Jing meant to Emperor Jingsheng.

If Emperor Jingsheng trusted himself the most among the palace officials, then among the military generals of the court at this time, the one he trusted the most was undoubtedly Jia Jing.

Especially after what he had seen and heard at the Qianqing Palace, he had even more respect for Jia Jing.

He actually thought of donating the 300,000 taels of silver confiscated from the servants to the Emperor as a tribute, showing that he never forgot to care for His Majesty's health.

This was even more comprehensive and far-sighted than what he, as his personal eunuch, had thought of.

No wonder His Majesty trusts this son so much, and even personally bestowed upon him a courtesy name. Who wouldn't like such a capable and loyal minister!

Xia Shouzhong replied with a gentle smile:

"Lord Jingwu, you are too kind! You are about to go to war for the country, so it is only right for me to see you off."

"Your Majesty has been deeply concerned about the Northwest lately. I only hope that you can quell the border troubles this time and return in triumph!"

Jia Jing smiled and cupped his hands in greeting:

"We will do our utmost to share Your Majesty's burdens and to fight and quell rebellions for our Great Han!"

"Oh, and don't forget to send someone to collect the silver from me later, Your Excellency!"

"Your Majesty, the inner ministers should take good care of your food, clothing and daily necessities in the palace. We must not let Your Majesty suffer because we want to save money and grain for the Northwest."

"Even if our soldiers are well fed and paid, we will still feel uneasy."

"In addition, I have noticed that Your Majesty has lost a lot of weight recently. The Grand Chancellor usually helps to persuade Your Majesty to take care of your health and not overwork yourself."

Since Jia Jing had promised to offer silver, he would naturally not go back on his word.

Although Emperor Jingsheng did not give a clear answer just now, he wanted to put his intentions into practice as soon as possible.

Many things require not only to be said nicely, but also to be done well.

Xia Shouzhong's expression shifted upon hearing this, and he sighed:

"If all the officials in the court were as devoted to His Majesty as Marquis Jingwu, how could our Great Han not become strong and prosperous soon!"

"Lord Jingwu, please rest assured, taking good care of His Majesty's health is my duty, and I will certainly ensure nothing goes wrong!"

Jia Jing nodded, and the two walked along the imperial road, one after the other.

After leaving the inner city, we arrived at a secluded corner of a palace.

Jia Jing paused, turned around, lowered his voice, and suddenly spoke;

"Minister, may I speak with you in private?"

Xia Shouzhong paused for a moment, then noticed Jia Jing's serious expression, as if he had something else to say.

With a sudden thought, he gestured to the eunuchs who were following closely behind him to step aside.

The two walked to a secluded place.

Jia Jing didn't rush to reveal his purpose, but instead said with a smile;

"Last time, I was greatly helped by the Minister of the Interior in dealing with Lai Shangrong, who helped me get rid of this treacherous and wicked grandson."

As Jia Jing spoke, he slipped a stack of exchanged silver notes into Xia Shouzhong's sleeve.

Lai Shangrong was arrested by the Imperial City Guard and imprisoned a few days ago; his body is probably cold by now.

Xia Shouzhong's expression shifted, and he discreetly touched the thickness and texture of the silver note.

With the familiar feel of it, I don't even need to look at it.

He could then determine that the banknotes from Hengyuan Money Shop, with a face value of one hundred taels each, were worth no less than five thousand taels of silver.

Xia Shouzhong's face immediately lit up with a smile, even more enthusiastic than before, and he said with a laugh:

"His Majesty handled the Lai Shangrong matter himself; I merely offered a few kind words. How could I possibly deserve such a great debt of gratitude from Marquis Jingwu!"

He did indeed put in a good word for him; if he hadn't mentioned that Lai Shangrong had taken the route through the Longshou Palace, Emperor Jingsheng wouldn't have been so angry as to investigate and punish him severely.

"Of course! Besides the Lai Shangrong matter, I also want to thank the Inner Minister for taking care of my eldest sister in the palace over the years."

Jia Jing said with a hint of deeper meaning.

"The elder sister of the Marquis of Jingwu? Lady Jia?" Xia Shouzhong thought for a moment before realizing that Jia Jing was referring to Jia Yuanchun, and he was somewhat puzzled.

Jia Yuanchun was a lady-in-waiting in the Empress's palace; how could he have ever taken care of her?

The Jia family didn't use his connections to send Jia Yuanchun to the palace before!

All he could say was that after Jia Jingjian gained the emperor's favor, he never allowed his subordinates to bully Jia Yuanchun.

There's really no question of taking care of her. If there were, Jia Yuanchun wouldn't have remained a lowly lady-in-waiting in the palace for so many years.

Marquis Jingwu, does this mean you want me to take good care of Jia Yuanchun in the future?

Xia Shouzhong pondered inwardly, but smiled calmly on the surface and tentatively asked:

"Does the Marquis intend for Lady Jia to be promoted?"

Xia Shouzhong seemed to have decent morals; after receiving the money, he thought about doing something for Jia Jing.

Of course, this ethical standard is subjective.

If it were someone else, he wouldn't easily accept money even if you offered him, let alone do anything for them.

Jia Jing shook his head and said:

"The affairs of the palace are decided by the Emperor; how dare I interfere at will?"

Jia Jing's mention of Yuan Chun was certainly not to help her gain favor and promotion in the palace, or even to make her a concubine.

More than two years ago, when Yuan Chun was still a commoner, there were rumors in the palace that she was to be promoted.

But as he continued to rise in rank and gain titles over the years, news from Yuan Chun gradually disappeared.

Jia Jing naturally knew the inside story.