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

Of course, Xia Shouzhong wouldn't show it directly. He frowned and his expression changed slightly.

Pretending to be somewhat hesitant, he slowly said after a long pause:

"This matter was originally quite difficult, as Lady Jia was highly trusted by the Empress in the palace."

"However, I greatly admire Marquis Jingwu's filial piety. Moreover, it is rare for Marquis Jingwu to speak up, so I must give him face no matter what."

"Rest assured, Marquis Jingwu, I have agreed to this matter. Your sister will definitely be on the list of those to be laid off."

Jia Jing was well aware that Xia Shouzhong was feigning difficulty, but he still smiled and cupped his hands in greeting:

"In that case, thank you very much for your help, Minister!"

After finalizing the matter of Yuan Chun, Jia Jing exchanged pleasantries with Xia Shouzhong before taking his leave.

After gathering his personal guards at the palace gate, Jia Jing rushed to the Ba Shang camp without stopping, as he still needed to personally oversee many of the preparatory tasks before the expedition.

It was already midday, the spring sun was shining brightly, and a slight chill still lingered in the air.

They seized control of the main camp.

At this moment, the troops in the camp have begun to be mobilized under the command of Niu Jizong, Zhu Que, and others.

This time, Jia Jing did not intend to transfer all 100,000 troops from the Ba Shang camp to the northwest.

On the one hand, the capital city cannot be without reliable troops stationed there; relying on the troops of the capital garrison is certainly not appropriate.

Secondly, the Northwest campaign required speed, as the capital was too far from the four western garrisons, and mobilizing infantry would take too long.

Moreover, the Northern Yuan and Hunye forces consisted mostly of cavalry, so bringing too many infantry would not be very effective.

Therefore, Jia Jing mainly dispatched 20,000 elite cavalry and a portion of the Hongyi cannons under Ma Guocheng's command to the Northwest.

Around 20,000 infantrymen will also be selected as needed, mainly to escort supplies and incidentally to see blood on the battlefield.

At this moment, Niu Jizong, Zhuque, Ma Guocheng, and others were taking stock of the various cavalry units that had set out on the expedition, as well as arranging supplies, weapons, and provisions.

Besides them, General Feng Tang and Marquis Han Wu were also in the camp.

Together with Niu Jizong, they were basically among the few remaining military officers who had fought on the battlefield and held military ranks among the founding heroes.

This time, Jia Jing has already requested permission from Emperor Jingsheng to transfer them from the capital garrison to his command to jointly lead the expedition to the northwest.

Feng Tang and Han Wu's sons, Feng Ziying and Han Qi, were originally under Jia Jing's command in Liaodong.

It can be said that Jia Jing was the one who brought them up, and now they have all been promoted to the fifth rank and first-class baron.

Feng Tang and Han Wu were very grateful to Jia Jing for this, and they had been actively trying to get closer to him, regarding him as the leader of the founding military lineage.

The reason why Prince Teng was able to finally obtain the task of organizing the Beijing Garrison was because Jia Jing secretly instructed Feng Tang and Han Wu to provide support.

Feng Tang and Han Wu were both deputy military commissioners of the Beijing Garrison. With their support, the other military officers from the founding lineage in the Beijing Garrison did not oppose the court's military reorganization too much.

It was because of their sensibility that Emperor Jingsheng agreed to let them go on this expedition to the Northwest together.

Firstly, their military strategy would increase their chances of winning the Northwest campaign.

Secondly, it was also to transfer two highly respected figures from the Beijing Garrison, making it easier for Prince Teng to reorganize the troops there.

"The Marquis has arrived!"

Zhuque, with her sharpest eyes, immediately spotted Jia Jing entering from outside the camp and greeted Niu Jizong and the others beside her.

Upon hearing this, Niu Jizong, Feng Tang, Han Wu, Ma Guocheng, and others quickly stepped forward to welcome Jia Jing into the central military camp.

Jia Jing walked into the barracks, looked at the group of generals, and asked in a deep voice:

"Are all preparations for the expedition complete? This campaign in the Northwest is of great importance. I plan to send 20,000 cavalry from the Ba Shang camp to reinforce Yulin first."

"Send some more firearms soldiers and 20,000 infantrymen to Guyuan later. The cavalry should arrange their supplies and provisions as soon as possible."

Jia Jing already had a complete plan for this battle. To achieve a swift victory against the combined forces of Hunye, Northern Yuan, and the pseudo-Qing, he needed to seize the opportunity.

First, defeat one of their routes to stabilize the situation on the Han side.

Then, he led his elite cavalry on a surprise attack on the Northern Yuan royal court at Langshan and the capital of Hunxie, striking directly at the enemy's stronghold.

Instead of engaging in a passive defensive war of attrition with the enemy forces, we are being led by the nose.

To achieve this, we must take the initiative, seize control of the battlefield, and mobilize the enemy forces according to our own strategy.

It's like the old saying, "You do your thing, I'll do mine," and we'll see who can't take it anymore.

Therefore, the mobility of cavalry is very important in this battle, and in the early stages, it is about racing against the enemy to gain time.

Zhuque cupped his hands in reply:

"Rest assured, my lord, the camp is already fully prepared for the expedition. We are just waiting for your order, and the army will set off for the Northwest tomorrow."

Under Jia Jing's command, the Ba Shang camp had been secretly preparing for the expedition to the Northwest, waiting for the imperial court to issue the official order and allocate provisions and supplies.

"Yes, the cavalry only need to prepare half a month's worth of rations. The Ministry of Revenue's grain supplies will be allocated in the next few days."

"Even if we can't catch up right away, I'll find a way to gather provisions once we reach the border."

Jia Jing never worried about the logistics and supplies for this battle, not to mention that he would not fight a protracted war of attrition.

Even if the delay is prolonged, he has ways to raise supplies on his own.

He'd been keeping an eye on those Shanxi merchants in the Northwest for a long time.

If we have the chance this time, we can take advantage of the war to seize the imperial sword and wipe them all out in one fell swoop. Then we'll have no shortage of food and supplies.

"Regarding armaments and armor, we must coordinate with the Ministry of War today and be ready to set out at any time."

"Go down and make the necessary arrangements! Go back and take care of things at home as well. If all goes well, we'll be officially deploying troops soon."

Jia Jing continued to give instructions.

Zhuque and the others bowed and agreed.

After Niu Jizong, Feng Tang, and the others left, Zhuque took out a secret report from his pocket and handed it to Jia Jing, saying:

"My lord! Take a look at this. This is an urgent intelligence report sent by the Embroidered Uniform Guard today, from Yulin in the northwest."

Jia Jing hurriedly took it, and after reading it, his expression gradually became solemn. He said in a deep voice:

"The 80,000 troops of the Northern Yuan went straight down from the Hetao region, and by bribing border generals and launching night raids, they have already captured Dabaiyoubao and Bailinbao."

"Nearly two thousand soldiers were killed in the two forts, and nearly ten thousand civilians were massacred. I'm afraid the main force of the Northern Yuan army has already arrived at Yulin City and is fighting against our Han army."

The Yulin Town defense line stretches more than 800 kilometers along the Great Wall from east to west, with the Han Dynasty setting up 42 forts to garrison in different sections.

The section from Yulin to Hengshan in the middle route is the core defense area of ​​Yulin Town, which includes nine border forts, including Dabaiyoubao and Bailinbao.

Starting from this route and heading south along the Wuding River, the shortest route is the marching route frequently chosen by the Northern Yuan.

Zhuque roared in fury:

"How did Marquis Lu Heng of Ji'an manage to defend the city? The imperial court has repeatedly issued orders to him to fortify the city walls and scorch the fields, and to be wary of the Northern Yuan."

"How come the Northern Yuan still managed to breach two core border fortresses, causing so many civilian casualties, and allowed the enemy army to reach the walls of Yulin Garrison so quickly?"

"He has failed in his duty as the garrison commander!"