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

"Enough of this bullshit! I have my own plans for how to report my achievements to the court!"

"I am leading this campaign in the Northwest to achieve great deeds with you and our soldiers, not for you to boast of yourselves!"

"Furthermore, although we won this battle, it only crippled the Northern Yuan royal court and fell far short of my expectations."

Jia Jing's expression turned serious, and he said in a deep voice.

As the commander-in-chief of this battle, he deserves credit for his efforts and has no need to compete with his soldiers for credit.

"I wonder what your expected goals are, Lord Marquis?"

You Shiyong cupped his hands and asked, feeling somewhat excited. Under the command of such a valiant general as Jia Jing, how could they not be overjoyed at the prospect of battle!

This military achievement is like a gift from heaven; I've never fought a battle with such a smooth sailing in my entire life!

Jia Jing looked around and saw that all the generals had happy expressions on their faces, knowing that the army's morale was high. He paused for a moment, then said seriously:

"For more than a hundred years since the reigns of Emperor Taizu and Emperor Chengzu, the troubles on the northwestern border of our great Han Dynasty have never been completely resolved."

"The Northern Yuan has repeatedly invaded, treating our Han lands as their backyard. They have breached our border cities and slaughtered our people with utter impunity, which is extremely hateful!"

"Throughout my journey, I have discovered numerous instances of the people in border fortresses being massacred and humiliated—the scenes are truly horrific!"

"They regard us Han people as inferiors, slaves, or even two-legged sheep. They are utterly devoid of conscience and have committed countless evil deeds."

"Now that I am here, this situation must be completely reversed from now on."

"This battle is not over after I have defeated these 80,000 men. I will fight them with blood for blood and teeth for teeth, and put an end to the century-old blood feud between my Han Dynasty and the grasslands."

"With this battle, I will clearly tell the world and the steppe barbarians that from now on, offense and defense will be reversed!"

"The grasslands are no longer their private domain, and superb horsemanship is no longer their means of survival. They may go there, and so may we!"

As Jia Jing finished speaking, he looked around at everyone with a dignified gaze and a sharp expression.

The generals were moved by his words, their faces changed, and boundless pride rose in their hearts.

Ma Guocheng even stood up and cheered:

"Lord Marquis, you are mighty!"

Jia Jing waved his hand, gesturing for him to sit down, and continued solemnly:

"In battle, I never employ a passive, defensive tactic, because the best defense is offense."

"Therefore, this time I will not only annihilate all the invading enemies, but also take advantage of the momentum to march into the grasslands."

"If the Northern Yuan dares to invade our border city without cause, I will march on their capital! I will follow the example of the late Marquis of Champion, raze their sacred Wolf Mountain to the ground, sweep across the southern and northern deserts, and restore the majesty of our Han people!"

"Therefore, my expected goal is very simple: to destroy the Northern Yuan royal court, completely quell the border troubles of the grasslands, and lay a century of peace for the northwest of my Great Han!"

Upon hearing Jia Jing's words, Niu Jizong, Feng Tang, and the others were all flushed with excitement, their expressions incredibly roused.

If Jia Jing had said this before the battle, they would have questioned his boastfulness and exaggerated claims, and worried that his actions were too aggressive and would result in heavy casualties on their side.

However, after the previous battle, they already regarded Jia Jing as a god, and only regretted that Jia Jing could not have a bigger ambition!

With Jia Jing as their commander, they would dare to risk their lives to follow him, not only to conquer the grasslands, but also to conquer the Western Regions and pacify Liaodong.

If we could truly wipe out the Northern Yuan royal court and the various tribes of the grasslands in one fell swoop, it would be a great achievement recorded in history and an unparalleled glory to be remembered in the annals of time.

Although the eight characters "封狼居胥" and "勒石燕然" are simple, no military general would not yearn to achieve such a feat.

The generals immediately stood up, cupped their hands, and shouted loudly:

"We swear to follow you to the death, Lord Marquis! Please give your order!"

Jia Jing unfolded the map inside the hall and looked at it. The safest route from Yulin Weicheng to Langshan was along Hongshixia, Baotouwu, and Latqianqi.

Then, crossing the Yinshan Mountains, they reached Langshan Mountain, a journey of about 600 li (approximately 300 kilometers). Along the way, the Yellow River and its tributaries provided water, preventing them from directly crossing the desert.

Jia Jing looked at everyone, his expression solemn and dignified, slammed his fist on the command table, and decisively declared:

"Speed ​​is of the essence in war! We have captured the Crown Prince of Northern Yuan. He is all bark and no bite, a coward who is afraid of death. We can have him lead the way for us."

"After a short rest today, we'll head straight for Wolf Mountain. Before they receive news of the defeat at the front, we'll use Bayar to trick them into opening their camp gates."

"Directly destroy the Northern Yuan royal court and capture the Northern Yuan Khan alive. Then mobilize the entire Northwest Army and the reinforcements from the Ba Shang Camp in Shenjing to sweep away the other grassland tribes."

As he spoke, Jia Jing looked at Zhou Yingyuan and said:

"How many cavalrymen are left in the city? How many cavalrymen can be assembled at the nearby border fortresses within seven hours?"

"Reporting to the Marquis! There are only a thousand men left in the south city, and five hundred men in each of the other three gates, about half of whom can ride horses."

"Within seven hours, approximately 2,800 cavalrymen can be mobilized from seven nearby fortresses, including Changle Fort, Shuangshan Fort, and Baoning Fort."

Zhou Yingyuan was clearly very familiar with the surrounding situation and gave Jia Jing an accurate number without hesitation.

Jia Jing pondered for a moment and said:

"Adding the two thousand people from Shenjing, that makes about six thousand people, which should be enough!"

It would take at least three days for the 20,000 cavalry from Shenjing to reach Yulin. Jia Jing had no intention of waiting for them, as that would undoubtedly mean missing a crucial opportunity.

Jia Jing glanced around at the generals on his left and right, and said in a deep voice:

"There's no time to lose! First, send people to block the news, and let the soldiers rest for a while. We'll set out in seven hours."

"This battle is to raze Wolf Mountain to the ground and annihilate the Northern Yuan royal court!"

"All generals, listen to my command!"

As soon as Jia Jing uttered the words "obey the order," the several people gathered in the hall immediately bowed and said:

"Your subordinate is here!"

Their eyes sparkled with excitement and fervor.

Even the more composed Feng Tang, Han Wu, Zhou Yingyuan, and others couldn't suppress their inner turmoil.

Because they all knew that if they could truly raze Wolf Mountain and wipe out the Northern Yuan in this battle, it would be an enormous military achievement.

The Northern Yuan, an old enemy that existed since the founding of the Han Dynasty, has always been a major threat to the northwest of the Han Dynasty.

Back then, neither the Taizu nor the Chengzu emperors were able to completely destroy the royal court because they were constrained by the puppet Qing regime in Liaodong.

If they succeed in this, then being granted titles and honors, having their wives and children granted official positions, and having their family genealogy established separately will all be within their grasp!

This is not only an incredible military achievement, but also an unparalleled honor that they can boast about for a lifetime!

"Zhou Yingyuan, immediately send men to mobilize the cavalry from each fortress. At the same time, strictly order the remaining troops to hold their positions firmly and not to launch any attacks without authorization. Anyone who disobeys will be executed without mercy!"

"You Shiyong, immediately send men to Hongshanbao and Zhenbeitai. Hongshanbao is the only way for the defeated Northern Yuan troops to escape beyond the Great Wall."

"Order the gates to be closed, allowing only entry but no exit, and not a single defeated Northern Yuan soldier to be let out."