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

I still remember when the second victory report from the Northwest arrived, Emperor Jingsheng only glanced at the report and burst into tears on the spot.

The scene terrified Xia Shouzhong and the other eunuchs serving them, who thought something earth-shattering had happened in the Northwest!

Emperor Jingsheng's hands trembled as he held the victory report, and he even thought he was dreaming.

He only calmed down a little after Xia Shouzhong read the victory report to him ten times.

Then, on the same day, Emperor Jingsheng went to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to offer sacrifices to Emperor Taizu and Emperor Chengzu. He knelt before Emperor Taizu's memorial tablet, talking to himself all day long, ignoring everything else.

Emperor Jingsheng still blushes slightly when he thinks about his crazy actions that day.

Until the third, fourth, and subsequent reports of victory...

Up until now, with the ninth report of victory, Emperor Jingsheng's mood has gradually shifted from ecstasy to loss of composure, then to shock, numbness, and finally calm.

Victories at the border, once a rare occurrence, were now commonplace for Emperor Jingsheng.

Even military achievements like sealing the wolf's lair and drinking from the vast sea, which are recorded in history, no longer had the same impact on Emperor Jingsheng as before.

After all, Jia Jing was now a god of war in his heart, a "dream-fulfilling virtuous minister" unlike ordinary ministers.

Yes! A wise minister appeared in my dream!

This is why Xia Shouzhong sensed that Emperor Jingsheng's attitude towards Jia Jing was different from before.

Ever since Emperor Jingsheng bestowed upon Jia Jing the titles of Marquis of Champion and General Who Conquers the West (a third-rank official), he has had the same dream every day for nearly two months.

In his dream, he saw a different side of the Han Dynasty.

That was a world without Jia Jing; the Han Dynasty would have suffered a crushing defeat against the puppet Qing Dynasty in the Liaodong campaign last year.

Subsequently, beset by internal and external troubles, war broke out everywhere, the land was plunged into chaos, the puppet Qing dynasty took over the Central Plains, forced people to shave their heads and change their clothes, and the land was filled with bloodshed.

The suffering of hundreds of millions of Han subjects was unbearable, and he himself would hang himself and Xia Shouzhong under that crooked tree on Coal Hill!

In his dream, he also saw Emperor Taizu of Han.

The founding emperor personally handed him a large jade tablet, leaving behind a straightforward prophecy:

Heaven bestowed upon Zijie to pacify the four directions; doubt leads to ruin, while trust leads to prosperity!

Emperor Jingsheng initially thought it was just a matter of daytime thoughts manifesting in dreams, and given the bizarre and incoherent nature of his dream, he didn't take it seriously.

After all, he once dreamed of summoning a meteorite from outer space to destroy the absurd Qing dynasty!

Dreams are just dreams and have no real-world relevance.

Until he had the same dream every day for two months in a row, and the admonitions of the founding emperor in the dream became more and more severe.

Later, when he went to Coal Hill, he found that there really was a crooked-necked tree there that looked exactly like the one in his dream.

It wasn't until Jia Jing achieved a series of victories in the Northwest, destroying the Northern Yuan and quelling a century-long border crisis in the Northwest, that things changed.

He finally had to believe that this dream might be the spirit of Emperor Taizu in heaven, sending him a minister who would restore the Han Dynasty.

This is similar to how King Wen of Zhou dreamed of Jiang Ziya after a flying bear appeared in his dream, Emperor Wen dreamed of Deng Tong, King Shang dreamed of the wise minister Fu Yue, and Emperor Taizong of Tang dreamed of Xue Rengui.

This is an image of emperors dreaming of having virtuous ministers, an image that has existed since ancient times!

This is also a sign that the Mandate of Heaven has been bestowed upon the Han Dynasty.

And ever since Emperor Jingsheng came to believe in this matter from the bottom of his heart, the dream has miraculously disappeared!

Therefore, Emperor Jingsheng firmly believed that Jia Jing was the virtuous minister who had appeared in his dream and been bestowed upon him by Emperor Taizu.

That is why he wanted to bestow upon Jia Jing the titles of First-Class Duke, General of the Cavalry (Second Rank), and Pillar of State.

If it weren't for the resistance from court officials, he would have even considered granting Jia Jing the title of king directly.

That is why he repeatedly said he wanted to see Jia Jing.

After all, this was a wise minister who had appeared in his dream and was bestowed upon him by the founding emperor. He was a key figure who would help him revive the Han Dynasty and was crucial to the survival of the nation. He could not afford to make the slightest mistake.

Doubt leads to ruin, while faith leads to prosperity.

Whether the Han dynasty can be revived depends on this, and Emperor Taizu has already made it very clear!

Emperor Jingsheng already regarded Jia Jing as someone as important as the fate of the Han Dynasty.

While Emperor Jingsheng was deep in thought, Xia Shouzhong, standing beside him, smiled and said with practiced ease:

"This servant congratulates Your Majesty! Your Majesty has appointed virtuous and capable officials, worked diligently to govern the country, and swiftly quelled the border troubles on the grasslands, completing the great undertakings that Emperor Taizu and Emperor Chengzu had not finished. This is truly a cause for celebration!"

Emperor Jingsheng smiled; his trust in Xia Shouzhong had actually increased.

Aside from his abilities, his loyalty is definitely guaranteed!

This is the loyal maid who accompanied him to hang from the crooked tree in his dream!

Emperor Jingsheng thought for a moment, then handed the memorial in his hand to Xia Shouzhong and said in a deep voice:

"Otomo! Send this memorial to the cabinet and spread it throughout the court."

"And I have summoned several Grand Secretaries, the Prince of Nan'an, and the Prince of Beijing to the Qianqing Palace for a meeting. Now that the grasslands have been completely pacified, the matter of bestowing titles and rewards must be decided!"

"Summon Prince Teng as well; I want to inquire about the specifics of the reorganization of the Beijing garrison!"

Emperor Jingsheng's expression turned serious, and his tone became resolute.

He had been considering the matter of bestowing rewards and honors in his mind these past few days, and he was also aware of the merits of Jia Jing and the officers and soldiers in the Northwest. It was time to make a decision!

Xia Shouzhong bowed and accepted the order, took the memorial, and left.

Meanwhile, Emperor Jingsheng opened the second secret memorial and began to read it intently.

This secret letter contained four points.

The opening paragraph, as usual, inquired about Emperor Jingsheng's health, clearly expressing concern.

He recounted Jia Jing's experiences during these days, including the war and the local conditions in the Northwest, in a rather sentimental style.

The second issue is the reorganization of the army in the Northwest.

Two hundred thousand border troops from the three border towns and four garrisons in the northwest, along with tens of thousands of troops transferred from Ba Shang, were using fighting as training on the grasslands.

With the implementation of measures such as reducing the number of old and weak soldiers, replenishing military pay, and enforcing strict military discipline, the initial reorganization of the army had been achieved.

Especially after acquiring grassland warhorses, the border cavalry was greatly strengthened, and all that was needed was to continue to strengthen training.

After reading about this matter, Emperor Jingsheng couldn't help but sigh to himself:

"We still need Zijie to organize and lead the army!"

"The 200,000 border troops in the three border regions and four towns of the Northwest are scattered with military factions and various bad practices such as drawing salaries without working and exploiting soldiers have become rampant. The court has sent people to rectify the situation several times, but to no avail."

"Zijie only went for three months, and without asking the court for a single penny more in salary, he has already made initial progress in organizing the army. How remarkable!"

"Unlike Wang Ziteng, who caused quite a bit of trouble during the reorganization of the Beijing garrison, although his attitude is commendable, his abilities are ultimately lacking!"

Emperor Jingsheng sighed as he recalled the situation in the capital garrison these days.

Compared to Jia Jing's rapid and successful reorganization of the Ba Shang camp and the Northwest border army, the reorganization of the Beijing garrison appears somewhat sluggish and its prospects are worrying.

Of course, Emperor Jingsheng also understood that the smooth progress of the military reorganization in the Northwest was due to Jia Jing's series of victories in the Northwest.

Leading the border troops to victory naturally enhances one's prestige, making one's word lawful and able to ease conflicts with the old interest groups brought about by the reorganization.

After all, a victory not only represents military achievements, but also countless spoils and new benefits.

However, on the other hand, Jia Jing's ability to win battles is also a skill. This is not an excuse for your incompetence, Prince Teng!