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

Inside the central command tent, Jia Jing thought about his own marriage after receiving a letter from Nian Gengyao.

In fact, his choices were not many; they were nothing more than top-ranking civil officials, military officers, and daughters of close relatives of the imperial family.

There are advantages and disadvantages to choosing either side.

Marrying a woman from a civil official's family would have the advantage of alleviating the civil officials' hostility and vigilance towards him, and gaining the support of some of their factions.

The downside is that marriages between civil and military officials can easily solidify the image of a powerful minister, thereby arousing wider suspicion from both the court and the public.

Marrying a woman from a military family has the advantage of less political risk, and it is common practice for military generals to intermarry.

The downside is that it hinders long-term career development and limits one's potential.

He was originally the highest-ranking military officer in the imperial court, and could even be considered the head of all military officers.

Marrying into the family of other military generals would lock him into the military circle, making it difficult for him to exert influence over the civil service and the imperial family.

Marrying a woman from a close branch of the imperial family would have the advantage of dispelling suspicions about someone's high achievements and making her a true member of the royal family.

However, the downside was that the imperial sons-in-law of the Han Dynasty could not wield real power. Even if Emperor Jingsheng made an exception for him, it would undoubtedly give the court officials a pretext to attack him using the "ancestral laws".

Therefore, no matter what choice you make, there are pros and cons. It all depends on what you want and how you weigh the pros and cons!

Jia Jing's current plan is to first return to the capital to gauge Emperor Jingsheng's intentions before making any further plans.

Ideally, the marriage should be bestowed by Emperor Jingsheng, which would minimize the negative impact and leave no room for criticism!

Upon hearing Jia Jing's question, Zhuque inside the tent paused slightly, then tentatively replied:

"In terms of social standing, the Nian family is somewhat comparable to yours, sir."

"Furthermore, I have inquired and found that Miss Nian is beautiful and intelligent, well-educated and reasonable, and her character and talent make her a suitable candidate for the position of matriarch."

"However... the Nian family also has its problems, and these problems lie with Nian Gengyao."

"According to the report from the Liaodong Imperial Guard, Nian Gengyao lived a life of extravagance in Liaodong, made arbitrary decisions in personnel matters, resisted the new policies, and often acted arrogantly and rudely."

"When he held banquets in Liaodong, he was often accompanied by hundreds of people, with delicacies and fine wines served every day. His mansion was more luxurious than that of an ordinary prince, and his daily expenses for his residence alone exceeded 20,000 taels of silver."

"The appointment and removal of civil and military officials in the two towns under his jurisdiction were all decided by him alone, which was called the 'annual selection'. If the officials sent by the court did not meet his expectations, he would make things difficult for them in every way and even force them to leave."

"Your Excellency, having served in Liaodong before, should be familiar with Nian Gengyao's character!"

"I believe that his eagerness to marry into the Duke's family may be partly due to his desire to use the Duke's power to oppose the imperial court."

"It is reported that he has been resentful ever since he failed to be granted a title last year, and has made many presumptuous remarks."

"Therefore, I believe that with Nian Gengyao in the Nian family, trouble will inevitably arise sooner or later, and this is not a good choice for a marriage alliance."

Zhuque gave his opinion directly; he was loyal to Jia Jing and didn't hold back.

Upon hearing this, Jia Jing's expression hardened slightly, and he tapped his fingers on the desk in front of him without saying a word.

The points that Zhuque made were all based on objective facts, hit the nail on the head, and were not unfounded.

Considering the Nian family's social standing, they were barely a good match for him.

In addition, although he had never seen Nian Shilan in person, he knew what kind of person Consort Nian was in history!

The historical Nian Shilan, as Emperor Yongzheng's beloved, was by no means the arrogant and haughty character portrayed in "The Legend of Zhen Huan," who uttered the phrase "a slut is just pretentious."

She was not the scapegoat in the Yongzheng Dynasty who came from a slave background and was ordered by Yongzheng to "remove her armor".

On the contrary, the real Nian Shilan was dignified and talented. She was not only beautiful but also proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, and was cautious and polite in her dealings with others.

She was the only person in nearly a century since the Shunzhi Emperor of the Qing Dynasty to be granted the title of Imperial Noble Consort while the Empress was still alive.

Even when Nian Gengyao was later convicted, the Nian family should have been implicated, but Emperor Yongzheng, out of consideration for Nian Shilan, did not hold a grudge against them, which shows how much they were favored.

Therefore, considering both her status and character, Nian Shilan was actually a fairly suitable choice for a principal wife.

However, she unfortunately ended up with an arrogant and domineering older brother named Nian Gengyao.

Although Nian Gengyao in this era did not have the same power as in history, as the commander-in-chief of Liaodong, he held the military power of 100,000 troops, and his arrogant and unruly nature remained unchanged.

Perhaps because of Jia Jing's presence, Nian Gengyao did not achieve the merit of pacifying Qinghai, nor did he receive the title of First-Class Duke. His performance was somewhat more restrained than in history.

At the very least, he did not mistakenly write "morning diligence and evening vigilance" as "evening vigilance and morning diligence" in his memorials, nor did he commit any of the "ninety-two major crimes," including treason and unauthorized acts.

However, he remains unchanged in his practice of forming cliques for personal gain and indulging in extravagance and debauchery, and his political vision and wisdom are truly worrying!

Based on Jia Jing's understanding of Emperor Jingsheng, Nian Gengyao's final fate was probably no better than in history.

If he chooses to marry into the Nian family, he will have to clean up the mess left by Nian Gengyao, which is something he is unwilling to do!

Thinking of this, Jia Jing tapped on the general's desk and instructed Zhuque:

"Don't worry about Liaodong for now. I'll make arrangements after I return to the capital! Just have the Embroidered Uniform Guard keep watch."

Jia Jing's plan was to wait until he returned to the capital and then find an opportunity to transfer Nian Gengyao away from Liaodong.

Firstly, Nian Gengyao did have some regard for him, so transferring him away from Liaodong was also a way to help him and prevent him from abusing his military power and making mistakes, repeating the same errors.

Secondly, after Qin Qiong defeats the puppet Qing general Erdan, he will surely be ennobled. When that happens, transferring Nian Gengyao and appointing Qin Qiong as the main general of Liaodong will be beneficial for him to control and reorganize the Liaodong troops.

"Yes, Your Excellency!" Zhuque replied, bowing respectfully.

After arranging this matter, seeing that Zhuque seemed hesitant to speak, Jia Jing frowned and asked:

"Is there anything else? Why are you hesitating?"

Zhuque lowered his voice and said:

"My lord, intelligence has also arrived from Xuanwu in the capital city today!"

"Is there something important?" Jia Jing asked.

In Shenjing City, Xuanwu is in charge of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and news usually arrives every three to five days.

Although Jia Jing was in the Northwest, he was very clear about the movements of all parties in the capital. In particular, he knew almost everything about the court and the Jia family.

"He mainly talked about two things. One was the situation of the reorganization of the Beijing Garrison. Prince Teng is impatient for quick success and instant benefits. Ever since you, my lord, were promoted to the rank of First-Class Duke, he has become increasingly eager to reorganize the Beijing Garrison."

"In addition, Jia Zhen and others amassed huge sums of money and acted recklessly, which aroused great resentment among many officers and soldiers of the Beijing Garrison."

"Many officers and soldiers of the Beijing Garrison are now secretly colluding to incite the soldiers of the Beijing Garrison to mutini and cause trouble."

Xuanwu said, "The time has come. Should we activate our secret agents and add fuel to the fire in the capital?"