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

Upon hearing Duke Cao's words, Duke Zhao, Xu Ding, looked quite displeased, his expression turning somewhat gloomy. He snorted coldly and said angrily:

"The founding lineage is growing ever stronger! While my Jingnan lineage is growing ever weaker, haha! What a champion marquis!"

"Not only did they seize my military power in Ba Shang and cause the deaths of the Duke of Cheng, the Marquis of Linchuan, and the Marquis of Zhongqin, but they also harmed the Marquis of Ji'an in the Northwest."

"My military achievements during the Jingnan Campaign have been nearly halved by a mere brat! It's utterly despicable!"

"Hmph... No matter how powerful he is, I will not let him get away with this!"

Duke Zhao's face was gloomy with a hint of embarrassment. Among the heroes of the Jingnan Campaign, it wasn't just Duke Cheng and his ilk who fell into Jia Jing's hands.

He himself was publicly scolded by Jia Jing in the Qianqing Palace, to the point of vomiting blood, and was subsequently dismissed from his post.

Now, seeing Jia Jing's power and fame growing day by day, he felt a mixture of anger and apprehension.

He worried that the "good things" Jia Jing had said to him back then would spread throughout the Han Dynasty along with Jia Jing's reputation.

If he even leaves a mark in history books, then he will truly be infamous for eternity!

Prince Zhu Hui of Yi listened to the two men's conversation but made no judgment; he simply stroked the folding fan in his hand.

His expression held a hint of regret as he said in a deep voice:

"Jia Zijie is indeed a great general! His military skills are unparalleled in the world. This battle in the Northwest has brought peace to the borders of our great Han Dynasty for a century."

"In terms of achievements, even the former General Huo is inferior!"

Although Huo Qubing had great military achievements back then, he was indeed somewhat inferior to Jia Jing today.

When Huo Qubing was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Champion, he led 10,000 cavalry out of Longxi, fought for six days, and crossed more than a thousand li of Yanzhi Mountain.

They killed King Zhelan, beheaded King Luhou, captured Prince Hunxie, the prime minister, and the commandant, and obtained more than 8,900 heads.

That summer, they went north, venturing more than two thousand li into the north, passing through Juyan, and reaching the Qilian Mountains, where they killed 30,000 enemies and captured more than seventy of the princes.

Later, he parted ways with Wei Qing and left Dingxiang, leading 50,000 cavalrymen more than 2,000 li into the desert, where he sealed the Wolf Mountain, performed the Zen ceremony at Guyan, and ascended the vast sea.

They annihilated over 70,000 enemy soldiers and captured over 80 people, including the Xiongnu kings Tuntou and Han.

In terms of achievements, Huo Qubing ultimately failed to capture the Xiongnu Chanyu.

Jia Jing's achievement of destroying the Northern Yuan royal court and capturing the Northern Yuan Khan Batu Mongke in one battle far surpasses that of Huo Qubing.

Duke Cao, standing to the side, took a deep breath and nodded, saying:

"Indeed! Nine battles, nine victories—what a glorious achievement!"

"I remember the first victory was reported in mid-February when we defeated more than 50,000 Northern Yuan troops outside Yulin City, killing generals, capturing flags, and annihilating more than 20,000 enemy soldiers."

"He killed the Northern Yuan commander-in-chief, Toghtoa Bukha, and captured the Northern Yuan prince, Bayar. For his merits, he was granted the title of Marquis of Champion."

"The second time was in late February. I led 6,000 elite cavalry in a night raid on Langshan, and in one battle, I annihilated the Northern Yuan royal court and killed more than 10,000 enemy soldiers."

"We captured Batu Mongke, the Great Khan of the Northern Yuan, and dozens of noble ministers and officials of the Northern Yuan, and seized countless items."

"Then, they gathered more than 50,000 cavalry from the Northwest and Bashang and successively wiped out the Helan, Ejina, Dacaotan, Qilian, Niegongchuan, Khorchin, and Chijin tribes."

"In addition, the Qinghai Left Wing Division has won nine battles in three months, successively destroying one country and eight tribes on the grassland."

"We annihilated tens of thousands of enemy soldiers, captured hundreds of thousands, pacified the grasslands, and our might shook the world!"

"Let alone Huo Qubing, he could even rival Wei Qing and the Ten Sages of the Martial Temple!"

"What's even more terrifying is that this person not only had outstanding military achievements, but was also incredibly brave."

"Now everyone says that no king surpasses Ba, no general surpasses Li, and no warrior surpasses Jia, calling him the greatest warrior of all time..."

"Such brave and renowned generals, what a pity..."

The Duke of Cao's words carried a hint of regret.

With each piece of good news that came from Jia Jing these days, his regret grew stronger.

If it weren't for that damned White Lotus Sect, he would have already won over Jia She.

As long as Jia She sides with the Emperor Emeritus, Jia Jing will eventually become one of their own!

With the support of someone like Jia Jing, it would be much easier for the retired emperor to regain the throne.

He himself had already been restored to the title of Duke of Cao and held an important position, so how could he have ended up in such a miserable state!

I wonder if Jia She will ever wake up. If he does, that would be wonderful.

According to news from the Jia family, Jia Jing is a filial son.

If his father, Jia She, had intervened, Jia Jing would likely have become somewhat closer to the retired emperor, and it's not impossible that he could have won him over in the future.

At this moment, Duke Xu Ding of Zhao had both hands on the table, his fingers tapping the surface unconsciously.

His expression was sinister, his lips were turned down, and he looked at the lively scene outside the window, as if something was blocking his heart.

Hearing the Duke of Cao recount Jia Jing's battle achievements, his expression grew increasingly grim, and he said indignantly:

"You remember his record perfectly!"

"However, the brave are punished by Heaven. Whether it was Huo Qubing, Xiang Yu, or Li Cunxiao, none of them lived long."

"Especially Huo Qubing, who died of illness at the young age of twenty-four! I wonder how many more years this brat Jia Jing will live!"

After saying this, the Duke of Zhao poured himself a cup of Jade Liquor, gulped it down, and continued:

"I've heard that in the past few days, censors from the Censorate have been impeaching Jia Jing for possessing too much military power, raising concerns about potential dangers!"

Upon hearing this from the Duke of Zhao, Prince Zhu Hui of Yi replied with a light laugh:

"This was the work of those civil officials. Jia Zijie rose too fast, winning battle after battle, and now he commands more than 200,000 troops in the Northwest."

"He is also deeply favored by the emperor, and I heard that the palace intends to promote him to First-Class Duke and General of the Cavalry, a second-rank official."

"How could those civil officials feel at ease with Jia Zijie, who is so young and has reached such a high position? Even the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet probably wouldn't want the court to have another military officer who is so favored by the Emperor."

"The conflict between civil and military officials has never ceased since ancient times, which is why the Grand Secretaries have been tacitly allowing some censors to impeach certain individuals these days."

"It was not only to obstruct Jia Zijie's bestowal of the titles of First-Class Duke and General of the Cavalry, but also to plant a thorn in the side of the current ruler."

Prince Yi, Zhu Hui, was keenly aware of the intricacies of the situation and clearly had a good understanding of the political landscape.

Moreover, his expression revealed that he was quite pleased and approving of the civil officials' impeachment of Jia Jing.

Upon hearing this, Duke Cao's eyes lit up, and he said in a deep, resonant voice:

"That's a good thing! If we can sow discord between Jia Jing and that person in the Qianqing Palace, he might just become useful to the Emperor Emeritus. This is a divisive tactic!"

"Your Highness, do you think we should secretly send people to impeach him as well, and join forces with those civil officials to put pressure on Jia Jing?"

Prince Yi, Zhu Hui, frowned, glanced at Duke Cao, and thought to himself that he was indeed not a capable strategist.

He immediately spoke decisively:

"Absolutely not! At this time, Jia Zijie is enjoying great military achievements and is favored by the emperor."

"If too many people are impeached, it will only arouse suspicion in the emperor. Furthermore, if he discovers that we are pulling the strings behind the scenes, it will only backfire and make him trust Jia Zijie even more."

"but……"

The Prince of Yi paused here, straightened his expression, and his expression became somewhat profound.