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

The Northern Yuan royal court.

The battle between the Han army and the Northern Yuan army on the mountainside lasted for nearly two hours.

The shouts of battle on the mountainside gradually subsided as dawn approached in the latter half of the night.

The night was long, and the fire burned all night.

The already barren camp of the Northern Yuan royal court was mercilessly ravaged by raging fire in the cold wind.

As the sky began to lighten, the morning light gradually spread from the east, illuminating Wolf Mountain.

The flames that had burned all night finally died down, leaving lingering smoke in the air.

The smell of burning and the stench of blood permeated the entire mountainside.

The Northern Yuan camp was now a scene of utter devastation, with burning and tattered tents everywhere.

Blood stained the earth, and corpses littered the ground, with countless severed limbs of Northern Yuan Tartars scattered everywhere.

The faces of the corpses still bore the marks of terror and bewilderment, and countless other bodies had been burned or killed.

Langshan, the sacred mountain in the hearts of the Northern Yuan people, was completely reduced to ruins.

Broken swords and spears, scattered arrows, and streams of blood all testify to the brutality of this battle.

The living prisoners of the Northern Yuan army and people of various statuses, including officials of the Northern Yuan, knelt on the ground. Countless Northern Yuan nobles and their families were also searched out of their camps by the Han army.

One by one, they were ordered by the Han army to squat to the side, trembling with fear.

Several thousand Han soldiers were cleaning up the battlefield, counting prisoners, gathering warhorses, and seizing spoils.

Some Han soldiers carried out boxes of gold and silver jewelry from their tents; these were the accumulated wealth of the Northern Yuan nobles over countless years.

Some Han soldiers were driving herds of cattle and sheep, while others were tying prisoners together in long strings with ropes.

Jia Jing was sitting inside the golden tent, listening to Niu Jizong and others report on their battle results.

"My lord! Our army has won a great victory in this battle. We suffered only a little over a thousand casualties, annihilated more than 15,000 men of the Northern Yuan royal court, and captured more than 8,000 prisoners."

"More than 30,000 people, including Northern Yuan tribesmen, artisans, merchants, and servants, were also captured, in addition to the important officials of the Northern Yuan Khan captured by the Marquis."

"In addition, our army also captured the Khan Khatun, his concubines, the Dowager Consorts, the princesses, the Taiji, the Grand Lama, the High Priest, and others."

"Because it was a surprise attack, the Northern Yuan royal court was completely unprepared for our arrival, and in addition, I and others had sent people to guard all the camp gates in advance."

"Therefore, almost all the important figures of the Northern Yuan royal court in the camp were captured and taken prisoner."

"Furthermore, according to rough calculations, the battle yielded more than 300,000 taels of gold, nearly 12 million taels of silver, and hundreds of boxes of jewelry and jade."

"Countless amber, beeswax, turquoise, coral and other items; 70,000 to 80,000 warhorses; more than 30,000 packhorses; 10,000 camels; and more than 400,000 cattle and sheep."

"There are also countless supplies such as armor, bows and arrows, swords and spears."

Niu Jizong was overjoyed. He had accomplished such a feat with 6,000 Han soldiers and captured so much. He could brag about this battle for the rest of his life.

Zhu Que, Feng Tang, Zhou Yingyuan, Ma Guocheng, and others standing to the side were also excited, their blood-stained faces beaming with smiles.

Although they had anticipated that Jia Jing would be involved in this battle, and that taking advantage of their unpreparedness would greatly increase their chances of victory.

But thinking about it and actually doing it are two different things.

The Northern Yuan Kingdom existed for hundreds of years and was an enemy state that the Han Dynasty had failed to completely eliminate even after more than a hundred years of rule.

This time, however, they were annihilated in one battle. What a glorious thing this is!

After Jia Jing achieved two rare and resounding victories, their gazes towards him were now filled with fervent respect and admiration.

They all knew very well that the key reason they were able to win this battle so easily was Jia Jing.

It was precisely because of Jia Jing's superhuman martial prowess and his foresight in planning ahead that...

They were able to achieve the great feat of destroying the Northern Yuan royal court and obtain unparalleled military merit without suffering too many casualties!

Such a victory was something they had never experienced in their lives.

Since the founding of the Han Dynasty, there have been few victories and brilliant achievements like this!

Under Jia Jing's leadership, they learned what it meant to kill the enemy like cutting grass and to gain military merits for free!

Jia Jing sat on Batu Mengke's tiger-skin chair, toying with the Great Khan's golden seal of the Northern Yuan in his hand.

Upon hearing Niu Jizong's report of the battle results, his expression remained calm, his gaze deep, and he slowly spoke:

"Everyone has worked hard in this battle! Such a victory is thanks to the efforts of all the Han soldiers."

"Niu Jizong, you should first arrange for the treatment of our wounded soldiers. Those with minor injuries should be bandaged on the spot and given medicine and strong liquor."

"The seriously injured have been gathered in several large tents near the Golden Tent, and are being given the best possible care. I will personally visit them later."

"The fallen should be gathered together, registered, and given double compensation; no one should be left out."

Jia Jing had developed a habit in battle: his first priority was always the casualties of his soldiers, and he would make appropriate arrangements accordingly.

Because he knew that the twelve hours following the battle were the most delicate time for morale among the troops.

The soldiers had just recovered from the life-or-death battle, and were overwhelmed by a mix of emotions, including excitement, exhaustion, pain, and greed.

At this moment, any action taken by the commander will be magnified a hundredfold.

Therefore, the commander's care and concern for the wounded and injured is extremely important and necessary at this time.

This move stems from concern for the soldiers; a general who doesn't care for his soldiers is certainly incompetent.

On the other hand, it was about winning over the morale of the troops.

As the commander-in-chief, his ability to personally inspect the wounded soldiers' camp after the battle, even if it was just a quick walk around, a glance, and a simple "take good care of yourself," was more effective than a thousand words.

Because the soldiers of the Han army will know that Jia Jing has not forgotten any of his valiant brothers.

really,

Upon hearing Jia Jing's words, the generals Zhou Yingyuan and You Shiyong, along with their personal guards, all showed expressions of emotion within the golden tent.

Marquis Jingwu not only led them to victory, but also cared for his soldiers so much. How could anyone not be willing to die for such a general?

Niu Jizong and the others straightened up and bowed, saying:

"Yes, sir!"

Jia Jing nodded and continued in a deep voice:

"All the gold and silver seized should be registered and recorded, and 20% of the silver should be returned."

"Later, I will personally distribute the gifts to the meritorious soldiers! I will also slaughter some cattle and sheep to reward them."

This was Jia Jing's second habit after each battle: to promptly distribute rewards and reward the entire army.

This move was intended to stabilize morale, as fighting on the battlefield is inherently a matter of risking one's life.

The goal is to earn merit and be rewarded; if you don't get paid in time after winning a battle, it will affect morale.

Secondly, it was to prevent the soldiers from hoarding their own supplies. If the supplies were not distributed in a timely manner, the soldiers would try to keep them for themselves.

Rather than letting them hide it secretly, it's better to divide it openly and honestly right now.

Thirdly, it boosted morale. Although Wolf Mountain had been breached, compared to Jia Jing's strategic goal of pacifying the grasslands, this battle was just the beginning.

There are still countless tough battles to fight. Let the soldiers taste the sweetness of victory so that they will be more courageous in the next battle.