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

"His Majesty allocated all the silver from the Imperial Treasury to the Northwest and also ordered a reduction in personnel and expenses within the palace."

"We don't have the money to prepare this blood-nourishing and qi-tonifying diet according to the imperial physician's request. Even if it's just for Zijie's sake, Your Majesty should still enjoy the meal properly."

To comfort Emperor Jingsheng, Empress Zhou made a rare joke.

No matter how difficult things were in the palace, she and Emperor Jingsheng still had enough to eat, wear, and use.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Jingsheng's expression softened. He had great confidence in Jia Jing and accepted the porcelain bowl handed to him by Empress Zhou.

He said in a deep voice:

"Zitong is right! Zijie is my champion, loyal and capable. I believe he can win, and I will fully support him in this battle."

"Judging by the days, he should be arriving in Yulin soon. I wonder how the battle is going at the front!"

"A few days ago, an urgent report came from Yulin Garrison City, saying that 80,000 troops from the Northern Yuan Dynasty had besieged the city and the situation was critical."

"But there's been a sudden drop in news these past few days; I wonder if Yulin held out!"

"If Yulin falls, and the Northern Yuan army marches straight into the Central Plains, then the situation in the Northwest war will be dire!"

Emperor Jingsheng's words carried a hint of worry.

Although he trusted Jia Jing to win, he really didn't trust the Yulin garrison commander, Marquis Ji'an, whose group of Wu Xun had caused him a great loss that he would never forget.

According to his and his cabinet ministers' analysis, Yulin City had high walls and thick walls, and sufficient grain reserves, so it could hold out for several months without any problem.

However, Emperor Jingsheng knew that Wu Xun, who had fought in the Jingnan Rebellion, could not be viewed in the usual way.

Cao Guogong Li Longneng staged a farce by opening the city gates wide and using Taoist priests to defend the city, which led to Yongning Fort being captured by the puppet Qing and the loss of tens of thousands of troops.

If Wu Xun of the Jingnan Campaign could do something so absurd, ridiculous, and unbelievable, who knows what new tricks this Marquis of Ji'an will come up with next!

If Yulin City falls before Jia Jing arrives, then this war in the Northwest will be much more difficult!

While serving Emperor Jingsheng his meal, Empress Zhou gently comforted him:

"Your Majesty, rest assured. There are countless capable ministers and generals on the Northwest front. We will surely defeat the enemy. Perhaps the news of victory is already on its way."

Emperor Jingsheng was taken aback by Empress Zhou's words, then smiled and joked:

"You just told me not to be impatient, how come you're the one who's impatient now!"

"Zijie has probably only just arrived in Yulin; how could he possibly report victory so quickly!"

"War is a matter of life and death, a path to survival or destruction; it is a very serious national affair, how can it be so easy!"

"The Imperial City Guard has reported that the commander-in-chief of the Northern Yuan forces this time is their Privy Councilor and Commander of Ten Thousand Households, Toghtoa Bukha."

"This is no easy opponent. He has caused our Han Dynasty to suffer losses and setbacks many times in the Northwest War. He should not be underestimated."

"Even with Zijie's martial prowess and strategic acumen, defeating him would be no easy task!"

Emperor Jingsheng had been having the Imperial City Guard closely monitor the war in the Northwest and issue a daily report, so they were very clear about the inside story.

He trusted Jia Jing's abilities and martial prowess, but to say that good news was already on its way was wishful thinking and nonsense!

He thought he was already quite impatient, but he didn't expect Empress Zhou to be even more eager than him.

However, it is understandable that those in the harem, unaware of the hardships of war, would make such frivolous remarks.

Before Emperor Jingsheng could finish speaking and before Empress Zhou could reply, a eunuch rushed in from outside the hall, shouting:

"Northwest Pigeon Urgent Report!"

Upon hearing this, Xia Shouzhong hurriedly went out to take the note from the eunuch's hand, turned back, and said:

"Your Majesty, a message from Marquis Jingwu has arrived from the Imperial City Guard."

Emperor Jingsheng looked at the note in Xia Shouzhong's hand, his expression dark and unreadable. He slowly put down the porcelain bowl in his hand and took it.

Emperor Jingsheng was hesitant to open it.

Just as he had just told Empress Zhou, the war in the Northwest could not have ended so quickly, so why would news come at this time?

If it were merely Jia Jing's daily reports and memorials, there would likely be no need for carrier pigeons.

The imperial court didn't have many carrier pigeons in the northwest, so they wouldn't use them to transmit unimportant messages.

Could it be that Yulin has really been captured by the Northern Yuan army? Is this news of a defeat at the front?

If that's the case, then things will really be bad!

Emperor Jingsheng composed himself and slowly opened the letter. The information inside had not been read by anyone, and the seal was still intact.

At first glance, it's densely packed with text, and there are quite a few words.

Emperor Jingsheng carefully read through the entire book from beginning to end.

His expression changed from apprehension to astonishment, then from astonishment to excitement, and finally from excitement to exhilaration.

His face then turned bright red, and the joy in his expression was simply undisguised.

Jia Jing's message via carrier pigeon only briefly mentioned four things.

First, the Marquis of Ji'an abandoned the city and fled, betraying the Emperor's grace. We request the court to punish him.

Secondly, the Northern Yuan army suffered a crushing defeat due to the valiant efforts of the Han soldiers. Toghtogbuqa was killed, and his heir, Bayar, was captured. The Northern Yuan army had completely collapsed.

The third matter concerns the Shanxi merchants' alleged collusion with the enemy and betrayal of the country. The court impeached the Shanxi merchants for numerous illegal acts and requested Emperor Jingsheng to make a decision.

Fourthly, as usual, I inquired about Emperor Jingsheng's health, his recent sleep and meals, and advised him not to overwork himself.

Emperor Jingsheng merely glanced coldly at the first and third matters, focusing his attention on the second and fourth.

After reading it, I couldn't help but read it again from beginning to end, and then I burst out laughing:

"Zijie led a light cavalry to Yulin. Yesterday morning, the south gate of Yulin was breached, and the situation was critical. After weighing the options, Zijie led two thousand light cavalry to charge into the enemy ranks, which numbered more than fifty thousand."

"In this battle, Zijie was unstoppable, beheading generals, capturing flags, shooting down the Northern Yuan commander-in-chief Toghtoa Bukha, and capturing the Northern Yuan heir, Bayar."

"Our Han soldiers fought bravely and overcame many difficulties, ultimately defeating the enemy and annihilating more than 20,000 enemy soldiers and capturing 4,000."

"Not only did we save Yulin City, but we also utterly routed the tens of thousands of troops that the Northern Yuan had invaded this time."

"After this battle, only the forces of Hunxie and the puppet Qing are left in the Northwest, greatly increasing our chances of victory."

By the end, Emperor Jingsheng's eyes had even turned somewhat red.

Thinking about how he had been constantly questioned and secretly slandered by court officials these past few days.

Then there's the thought of Jia Jing's arduous journey to the Northwest, facing over 50,000 Northern Yuan troops, where he led 2,000 light cavalry, braving arrows and spears, fighting bloody battles, and capturing enemy generals and flags.

He couldn't help but sigh:

"Zijie has lived up to my expectations; he is truly a pillar of the nation! I don't know how to cherish him enough to live up to the expectations of Heaven and the gods!"

"I wonder if Zijie was injured in this battle, and how his physical condition is?"

Emperor Jingsheng couldn't help but feel worried. Even without thinking, he knew how difficult it was to defeat more than 50,000 men with only 2,000.

While he was happy, he couldn't help but worry about Jia Jing's safety.

It's unknown how many wounds Jia Jing sustained during such a fierce battle, or whether he suffered any serious injuries!

Although Jia Jing did not mention his injury in the intelligence report, Emperor Jingsheng believed that this was reporting good news while concealing bad news.

Zijie must have been afraid that I would worry, so he sensibly didn't mention it, and instead asked about my health with respectful words.

Such a loyal subject must not be allowed to get into trouble.