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

Qianqing Palace

As soon as Gong Dingzi finished speaking, all the other officials, regardless of their true thoughts, bowed and congratulated Emperor Jingsheng.

"We, your humble servants, offer our congratulations to the Great Han Dynasty! We offer our congratulations to Your Majesty!"

Putting everything else aside, this victory is indeed worth celebrating, as it is the first major victory the Han Dynasty has achieved against the Northern Yuan in decades.

Upon seeing the scene of congratulations from his ministers, Emperor Jingsheng subconsciously straightened his posture.

His usually composed face softened considerably, and his steady breathing gradually became heavy, as an indescribable feeling welled up inside him.

A ruler who revitalizes China!

This was the first time that these senior officials had so solemnly praised him as a restorer of the dynasty on such a formal occasion!

He then thought of Jia Jing, who was far away in the Northwest. Both of these great victories against foreign powers were achieved under Jia Jing's leadership!

If I become a ruler who restores the Han Dynasty, Zijie will surely be a minister who restores the Han Dynasty!

Emperor Jingsheng let out a long breath, calming himself slightly. His gaze swept across the faces of everyone in the hall, and then he said loudly:

"I have never thought of myself as a restorer of the dynasty! I have no interest in it! I have never even considered comparing myself to Emperor Taizu or Emperor Chengzu!"

"Although I have made some achievements in military affairs in the past two years, they are still far from the founding and establishment of the dynasty by Emperor Taizu and the pacification of the borders by Emperor Chengzu! Our Han Dynasty is still a long way from a true revival."

"What I seek now is not these empty titles, but to be worthy of my ancestors and the common people."

Emperor Jingsheng paused here, then cast a stern gaze at Xu Qianxue and said coldly:

"I only hope that no one in the court will submit another memorial accusing me of being a tyrannical and incompetent ruler who is obsessed with war and engages in endless militarism. I would be grateful if that were the last time!"

"In recent times, the memorials I have received concerning peace negotiations would be as tall as a person if they were put together, especially the constant remonstrances and questions from the censors and officials of the Censorate."

"I am now fortunate that I have once again withstood the pressure. All the officials doubted me, but I did not; all the officials slandered me, but I did not."

"If I were to say what merit I have made in this Northwest campaign, it would be my complete trust in Minister Jia and in my Han soldiers, without ever having any doubts."

"If I were to waver in my resolve to fight and instead be coerced by the advice of some officials in the court to negotiate peace, then I estimate that the Northern Yuan would have already captured Yulin City by now."

"And I'm afraid I've already lost all face, and am now preparing to grovel before the Northern Yuan and other countries, ceding territory and paying reparations!"

"I can't even imagine how the officials would talk about me then, or how the world would view me! Minister Xu, don't you agree?"

Emperor Jingsheng asked Xu Qianxue with a blank expression, but felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

I felt as if the heavy stone that had been weighing on my chest had suddenly been lifted, and I felt light as a feather even while sitting on the dragon throne.

Today, the victory in the Northwest proves his decision to be wise.

No matter how much debate there is in the early stages, the final outcome will depend on how the situation develops.

The fact that Xu Qianxue and his group of peace negotiators played the negative role further proves his wisdom and the rare quality of his ability to withstand pressure.

Xu Qianxue was already in a daze and dared not say another word.

Being questioned like this in public by Emperor Jingsheng almost made him faint.

This is not just the consequence of losing his official position; it will likely leave him with a bad reputation in history books.

Xu Qianxue's face flushed red and then turned pale. Overwhelmed with disappointment and resentment, he could only kneel down and kowtow, saying:

"Your Majesty, I am old and senile, my energy is waning, and I am dull-witted and unaware of the overall situation. I have almost delayed state affairs and harmed Your Majesty's wisdom. I beg to retire!"

Xu Qianxue knew he had lost the Emperor's favor. The Emperor had just hinted that he should retire and go home to live out his days. Now, he could only go with the flow and take the initiative to resign.

Emperor Jingsheng remained silent upon hearing this.

According to the imperial system, when a cabinet minister like Xu Qianxue resigned, Emperor Jingsheng should have symbolically tried to retain him twice as a sign of favor.

However, Emperor Jingsheng did not want to go through such procedures with Xu Qianxue.

Not only because Xu Qianxue repeatedly advised him to negotiate peace, but also because he opposed him.

Furthermore, Xu Qianxue was a member of the old party, and he opposed the court's implementation of new policies on several occasions.

Even when Emperor Jingsheng ordered him to tour the Jiangnan region to help the court implement new policies and rectify the officialdom in Jiangnan, he outwardly complied but inwardly resisted.

Not only did he have no achievements to speak of, he even dared to accept gifts of Yangzhou "slender horses" and various forms of filial piety from prominent families in Jiangnan.

Relying on his status as a veteran official, he repeatedly submitted memorials after returning to the capital, speaking up for officials in Jiangnan, effectively becoming a protector of the powerful families in Jiangnan.

Emperor Jingsheng boasted that he had given him many opportunities, but Xu Qianxue was ignorant of the general situation and disregarded the emperor's wishes, which was truly incredibly foolish.

Therefore, Emperor Jingsheng was extremely disappointed and disliked him.

He looked at Xu Qianxue kneeling on the ground and remained silent for a long time. The hall fell into silence, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Xu Qianxue knelt on the ground, feeling a chill in his heart. He was a leader of the Qingliu faction and an important official of the court.

At this point, when he was begging to retire, Emperor Jingsheng was unwilling to even go through the motions of trying to persuade him to stay. This was far too heartless and ungrateful of him.

Seeing Xu Qianxue kneeling on the ground, pale-faced, pleading for forgiveness, none of the officials standing by said anything to stop him; instead, they chose to watch coldly from the sidelines.

Li Guangdi and the others were all members of the New Party and were already at odds with Xu Qianxue, so it was impossible for them to stand up for him now.

Although Wang Ziteng wanted to say a few words for Xu Qianxue, he hesitated to take a step.

He had just been given a cold glance by Emperor Jingsheng, and now that he was in a precarious situation, he dared not step forward and invite trouble.

Emperor Jingsheng glanced deeply at Xu Qianxue kneeling on the ground, but ultimately suppressed his displeasure and said to Xia Shouzhong beside him:

"Master! Go and help Grand Secretary Xu up. He's quite old; help him down to rest!"

Although Emperor Jingsheng did not say it explicitly, he had already signaled the end of Xu Qianxue's official career.

Xia Shouzhong hurriedly went down to the palace, helped Xu Qianxue up, and then summoned two eunuchs to help the pale-faced Xu Qianxue out of the Qianqing Palace.

Emperor Jingsheng looked at the remaining court officials and continued:

"Now that Zijie is in the Northwest, there is no need to worry too much about this battle! The court should focus its energy on implementing new policies and strengthening the military."

Upon hearing this, all the officials in the hall nodded in agreement.

The Northern Yuan was driven back, and the Hunxie and the pseudo-Qing were left to fight alone!

Even if they don't retreat, with Jia Jing's abilities, defeating the enemy shouldn't be difficult.

Wang Ziteng was greatly encouraged, knowing that his opportunity to reorganize the Beijing garrison had finally arrived.

This time, he must do his job well and let His Majesty know that the Han Dynasty has more than just Jia Jing as a capable minister.

Emperor Jingsheng pondered for a moment, but did not rush to arrange the reorganization of the army and the new policies.

Instead, he recalled what Jia Jing had said in his letter about the Marquis of Ji'an and the Shanxi merchants. A frosty look appeared on his face, and a cold light flashed in his eyes. He ordered in a deep voice:

"Obama!"

"This servant is here!" Xia Shouzhong said, bowing deeply.

"As a military marquis of the imperial court, Marquis Ji'an has received great favors from the country, holds the heavy weight of military power, and bears the responsibility of defending the territory."

"Yet they abandoned the city and fled, disregarding the lives of the soldiers and civilians of Yulin. They should be severely punished according to the law!"

"Issue my decree! Send the Imperial City Guard to immediately place the residence of the Marquis of Ji'an under house arrest, and ensure that not a single person escapes."

"Once Zijie's detailed report arrives and the Three Departments verify the facts, the title of Marquis of Ji'an will be immediately revoked."

"The Marquis of Ji'an himself shall be sentenced to death according to the law, and his family members shall be punished according to the law, exiled three thousand li, and their property shall be confiscated by the government."