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

Upon hearing Li Guangdi's report, Emperor Jingsheng did not rush to make a decision.

Instead, he glanced at Zhu Zu, the Marquis of Yongjia and the Marquis of Nanxiong, who were in the hall. He saw that the men had their heads down and their faces were gloomy, but they did not stand up to plead for the Marquis of Ji'an.

Emperor Jingsheng sneered inwardly. He knew that Wu Xun of the Jingnan Campaign had been working tirelessly to plead for the Marquis of Ji'an these past few days.

Rumors also circulated from the Dragon Head Palace: high-ranking military officers of the court should be treated leniently and with preferential treatment. Except for heinous crimes such as plotting against the emperor, they should be allowed to offset their crimes with imperial edicts and be given leniency.

However, things are different now. Emperor Jingsheng has military power and his throne is secure. How can he allow the Dragon Head Palace to interfere with his decisions?

Looking at Prince Li Guangdi, Emperor Jingsheng's expression darkened, and he asked:

"Does Lu Heng have anything to say?"

Li Guangdi:

"Your Majesty! Lu Heng confesses his guilt! But he begs the court to consider the merits of his ancestors and allow him to use the imperial edict granted by his family to atone for his crime, thus sparing his life!"

Emperor Jingsheng remained silent for a moment, and the hall fell silent.

"Lu Heng's ancestor was the Marquis of Ji'an, who followed Emperor Chengzu in the Jingnan Campaign and indeed made contributions."

"But his crime is too great. If it were merely a matter of failing to hold back the retreat and lacking the ability, I might spare his life."

"But he not only resold military rations at the front, but also abandoned the city and deserted at a critical moment, disregarding the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians under his command."

"If it weren't for Zijie's foresight in recognizing the crisis and arriving with his troops in time, Yulin City would probably already be a ghost town, and even the outcome of the war in the Northwest would have been affected."

"If I were to pardon such a grave crime, how could I enforce military orders and restrain my officials in the future?"

"If everyone followed his example and deserted in the face of battle, there would be no need to defend that pass!"

As Emperor Jingsheng spoke, his tone grew increasingly stern, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, and he said sharply:

"Take him to Caishikou and execute him on a later date, as a warning to others!"

Upon hearing Emperor Jingsheng's words, the expressions of the civil and military officials in the court all changed.

Many people lamented that Emperor Jingsheng's temperament was becoming increasingly cold-blooded, mean, and ungrateful! It seemed that being an official in the Jingsheng Dynasty would be difficult!

Li Guangdi, however, remained calm. He had already anticipated the fate of the Marquis of Ji'an, and immediately bowed, saying, "Your subject obeys the decree!"

Afterwards, the Minister of Works, the Minister of Rites, and others stepped forward to present their reports. Emperor Jingsheng made seven important decisions on state affairs in succession, and this regular court session was drawing to a close.

According to the rules set by Emperor Jingsheng, only eight matters were to be discussed at each court assembly!

Emperor Jingsheng picked up the teacup on the imperial desk, took a small sip, glanced at the assembled officials, and slowly said:

"We'll discuss another matter today. Do you have anything else to report?"

As soon as he finished speaking, several lower-ranking censors in the hall began to stir with unease.

It wasn't easy for them to report to Emperor Jingsheng in person on ordinary days; the only opportunity was the regular court session held every five days, so none of them wanted to miss the chance to make a name for themselves!

In the end, it was Imperial Censor Sun Jiacheng who took the lead. Holding a jade tablet, he quickly stepped out from the ranks of civil officials.

Sun Jiacheng was in his early forties, with a dark complexion, thin build, and eyes like nails that made anyone who looked at him feel uneasy.

He was the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, a third-rank official. He was known for his outspokenness, and his presence was always felt during court sessions when he impeached officials.

Sun Jiacheng stood in the hall, bowed, and then spoke in a firm and direct voice:

"Your subject, Sun Jiacheng, has a petition to impeach me."

His voice is very distinctive, with a rough and slightly hoarse tone, yet his intonation is powerful and penetrating.

Emperor Jingsheng didn't even need to look up; just hearing that familiar voice made him frown and feel a headache coming on.

Sun Jiacheng's loud voice is always present at every morning court session, always demanding the impeachment of this or that person.

Emperor Jingsheng praised his upright character, but was also somewhat helpless about his inflexibility and repeated outspoken remonstrances.

Emperor Jingsheng's gaze sharpened slightly, and he asked in a deep voice:

"Minister Sun, who are you going to impeach this time?"

"Your Majesty! I impeach General Nian Gengyao, who is in charge of pacifying Liaodong."

As soon as Sun Jiacheng said this, a buzzing sound arose in the hall.

General Nian Gengyao, who pacified Liaodong, was no ordinary person. Not only did he come from a powerful family, but he was also a first-class marquis of the second rank.

He has served as a border guard for many years, achieving remarkable feats and commanding 100,000 troops in Liaodong. He is a true important minister of the imperial court.

Most importantly, he was a trusted military officer personally promoted by Emperor Jingsheng.

It could even be said that before Jia Jing rose to prominence, Nian Gengyao was the military general most trusted and relied upon by Emperor Jingsheng.

Impeaching him is no small matter.

Nian Gengyao's elder brother, Nian Xiyao, the Vice Minister of Works, was also in the hall at this time. When he heard Sun Jiacheng impeach his younger brother, his face darkened slightly.

Emperor Jingsheng's face darkened instantly. He gave Sun Jiacheng a cold look and couldn't help but doubt his intentions.

These days, the civil officials in the imperial court have been submitting a constant stream of impeachment memorials against the military generals on the frontier.

In particular, his decision to confer the title of First-Class Duke of Jing upon Jia Jing, despite strong opposition, caused a great uproar among officials and the public.

Emperor Jingsheng knew this was a conflict between civil and military officials, and he originally intended to suppress the impeachment memorials and wait for the sensitive period to pass before things calmed down!

Unexpectedly, during today's court session, in front of so many court officials, Sun Jiacheng once again jumped out to impeach Nian Gengyao.

This is rather tactless, or even malicious!

Since taking office, he has only had a few trusted military officials whom he relied on, but now they have become thorns in the side of the civil officials.

Emperor Jingsheng suppressed his displeasure and uttered a single, stiff word:

"explain."

Sun Jiacheng took out a folded document from his sleeve, unfolded it, and began to read.

His voice was like a knife splitting bamboo, crackling and popping, one sentence after another, giving no one a chance to interrupt:

"When Nian Gengyao was in Liaodong, he was arrogant, extravagant, and dissolute, squandering the national treasury. His central military headquarters alone cost more than 20,000 taels of silver every day."

"There were over a thousand cooks, servants, and purchasing agents to serve him. These people did nothing but transport fresh vegetables to his camp."

He paused, raised his head, and his gaze swept over the officials in the hall before finally settling on the throne.

"Does Your Majesty know where those vegetables came from? From Dengzhou in Shandong."

"Dengzhou is located by the sea and has fresh fish, shrimp, and seasonal vegetables. Nian Gengyao had a special purchasing point set up in Dengzhou and hired a fleet of several hundred people."

"Every day, fresh vegetables, seafood, and fruits from Dengzhou are transported by sea to Liaodong."

"If the fleet encounters storms and the vegetables are no longer fresh, they are all thrown away and transported on the next ship."

"This alone costs no less than 100,000 taels of silver per month."

Sun Jiacheng put down the folding book, his voice suddenly rising half an octave:

"Your Majesty! The soldiers on the Liaodong border eat only coarse grains and salted vegetables every day. Nian Gengyao alone spends enough silver daily to support three thousand soldiers!"

"The court is currently short of funds, and even His Majesty is tightening his belt, yet he is indulging in such extravagance. If he is not severely punished, how can we command respect? How can we govern the army?"

As soon as Sun Jiacheng finished speaking, the hall erupted in uproar.