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

Inside the Qianqing Hall, Xia Shouzhong pondered the issue of bestowing honors upon Jia Jing, believing that leaving room for maneuver might be better.

Logically speaking, Emperor Jingsheng, who had reigned for many years, should have understood such a simple principle.

However, what Xia Shouzhong couldn't understand was...

Since Emperor Jingsheng bestowed upon Jia Jing the titles of Marquis of Champion and General Who Conquers the West (a third-rank official) more than two months ago, his attitude towards Jia Jing seems to have completely changed!

They became more trusting, more attentive, and free from doubt.

Or how should I put it?

Xia Shouzhong sensed that Emperor Jingsheng no longer regarded Jia Jing as an ordinary subject, but as a true ruler and subject united.

It's no exaggeration to say that he trusted him even more than the personal eunuch who had followed him since he was a prince.

Xia Shouzhong had served Emperor Jingsheng for many years and knew his temperament well. He knew his intuition was absolutely correct.

Although Emperor Sheng had previously valued Jia Jing highly, it was mainly due to his trust in Jia Jing's abilities and loyalty.

Emperor Jingsheng was overjoyed and delighted by Jia Jing's annihilation of more than 100,000 troops of the puppet Qing dynasty in the Liaodong campaign, and regarded it as a lifeline to save the declining Han dynasty.

Although he entrusted the army to him, Emperor Jingsheng may not have been without the intention of checking and guarding against it.

After all, the more brilliant and ambitious an emperor is throughout history, the more suspicious and treacherous he is.

Even if they outwardly appear trustworthy, they inevitably harbor other thoughts in their hearts; this is the nature of a lonely emperor.

However, after bestowing upon Jia Jing the titles of Marquis of Champion and General Who Conquers the West (a third-rank official), Emperor Jingsheng's trust in Jia Jing was no longer solely based on his abilities and loyalty.

Instead, they genuinely regarded him as one of their own, just like... the feeling one would have for a prince of the current dynasty.

Emperor Jingsheng even dismissed the secret agents of the Imperial City Guard stationed in the Jia family!

Xia Shouzhong couldn't understand why Emperor Jingsheng had undergone such a startling change!

What exactly happened that even he, the close inner guard, didn't know about, was truly perplexing to him.

Just as Xia Shouzhong was frowning and his mind was racing with thoughts,

Emperor Jingsheng had already tossed the memorial in his hand aside and picked up the teacup on the table to take a sip.

A thoughtful expression appeared on his face, and he continued in a deep voice:

"More than ten days ago, Zijie sent news of the victory in annihilating five thousand cavalrymen of the Crimson Gold Tribe. It's been so long since any memorials from the Northwest have arrived!"

"Last time, Zijie said in his military report that he would perform the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven on my behalf at Langjuxu Mountain. Judging by the time, he should have sent a memorial by now."

"I haven't seen Zijie for several months, and I've been quite worried about him. I wonder how he's doing in the Northwest!"

When the matter of Jia Jing was mentioned, Emperor Jingsheng's expression softened considerably, and his words carried a hint of pleasure.

Xia Shouzhong's expression hardened upon hearing this.

He had lost count of how many times Emperor Jingsheng had said he missed Jia Jing these past few days; he had never seen anyone else so deeply attached to him.

It should be noted that Emperor Jingsheng was usually a very reserved person, and even if he missed someone, he would rarely say it out loud.

But as for Jia Jing, he not only inquired about his whereabouts every day, but also expressed his concern for him on several occasions!

Xia Shouzhong steadied himself, stepped forward to refill Emperor Jingsheng's teacup, and said softly with a smile:

"I reckon the memorial from the Marquis of Champion should arrive soon. I've already sent someone to the Ministry of Justice to wait; it will be delivered immediately upon receiving the Marquis of Champion's memorial!"

Emperor Jingsheng said while sipping his tea:

"In the past few days, many people in the court have submitted memorials advocating that Zijie be allowed to return to the capital in triumph."

"They said the Northwest was pacified, and both the puppet Qing and the Hunnic Empire had sent envoys to negotiate peace, so there was no need to continue the war in the Northwest!"

"Furthermore, the court is currently beset by internal troubles and lacks the funds to continue supporting the war in the Northwest and reorganizing the army! I believe the cabinet also shares this view!"

"Daban, do you think we should let Zijie return to the capital in triumph?"

Xia Shouzhong smiled slightly and said softly:

"This servant knows nothing of these matters of state! However, since His Majesty is concerned about the Marquis of Champion, recalling him might not be a bad idea!"

Xia Shouzhong did not express his opinion on matters of the court lightly, but only considered the issues from the perspective of Emperor Jingsheng's concerns.

Emperor Jingsheng smiled upon hearing this, then shook his head and said:

"How can matters of state be decided based on my personal feelings, especially military affairs, which directly concern the lives and fortunes of countless people?"

"Although the troubles on the grasslands in the northwest have been quelled, the 200,000 troops in the three border regions and four towns in the northwest still need to be reorganized by Zijie."

"And what about the two countries, the pseudo-Qing and the Hunxie? How can we allow them to fight whenever they want and negotiate peace whenever they want?"

"If they cannot offer me satisfactory terms this time, I am not prepared to let them off easily."

"Especially the Hunxie Kingdom, which has violated our borders without cause. If we don't teach them a lesson, they might not learn their lesson."

Emperor Jingsheng spoke with confidence, showing none of the worry he had felt when facing the allied forces of the three kingdoms.

The attitude towards the Hunxie and the pseudo-Qing states was somewhat like that of a father disciplining his son, as if teaching them a lesson was an easy task.

"However, I have indeed been a bit too harsh on Zijie."

"In addition, various tribes from the grasslands have come to pay homage one after another, and I also want to hold the ceremony of presenting captives at the Imperial Ancestral Temple after Zijie's triumphant return."

"Therefore, it would not be unreasonable to let Niu Jizong, Feng Tang and others take charge of the military affairs in the Northwest after he has stayed in the Northwest for a while and everything is on track."

Emperor Jingsheng's voice was gentle, clearly indicating that he still hoped Jia Jing would return to court.

Xia Shouzhong thought for a moment, just about to say something.

Just then, an eunuch from outside the hall hurried into the hall, knelt down and bowed, saying:

"Your Majesty! The Marquis of Champion has just sent a memorial by express courier, at a speed of 600 li."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Jingsheng's expression brightened. He put down his teacup and hurriedly said:

"Where is the memorial? Bring it to me at once!"

Xia Shouzhong, who was standing to the side, saw this scene and a hint of jealousy flashed in his eyes. He was really envious of the emperor's favor!

In no time, the memorial reached Emperor Jingsheng's hands. In addition to the victory report with chicken feathers stuck in it, there was also a secret memorial in a sealed box.

Emperor Jingsheng first glanced at the first report of victory, then, after reading it carefully, let out a long sigh of relief and smiled, saying:

"Zijie decisively defeated the left wing of the Qinghai forces, beheading tens of thousands and capturing Mailigan Huang Taiji! He built an altar at Langjuxu Mountain to worship Heaven and set up an altar at Guyan Mountain to worship Earth!"

"The seal of the Wolf-Dwelling Mountain was erected, the inscription on Yanran Mountain was carved, and the army's advance reached the shores of the vast desert! The century-old border troubles of the grasslands were completely quelled, and from then on, the Tartars fled far away, and there was no royal court in the south or north of the desert!"

"With this, the battle in the Northwest can truly be considered over!"

Although Emperor Jingsheng's tone was pleased, he did not show much excitement.

The emotions that needed to be released were already released when Emperor Jingsheng received the second report of victory from the Northwest, learning that the Northern Yuan court had been destroyed and Batu Mongke had been captured!