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

Inside the hall,

As Jia Jing's report of victory was read aloud by Xia Shouzhong, all the civil and military officials showed expressions of surprise.

Then, it was like something exploded... a buzzing sound, gasps of surprise, and gasps of astonishment mingled together, like a pot of boiling porridge.

The Northwest has won another battle so quickly?

Is it really a one-way race from victory to victory? Without even a moment's rest?

Is he really this invincible in every battle? Unstoppable?

"These... these two... these two arrows quelled the Tianshan Mountains?? One less arrow than recorded in history?"

Sun Jiacheng's expression changed drastically, and he stammered to himself, his tone full of surprise and doubt!

He was clearly thinking of the old story of Xue Rengui pacifying the Tianshan Mountains with three arrows.

"That counts as three arrows! Didn't they say they also sent an arrow to Khan Hunxie?"

A censor standing next to Sun Jiacheng replied instinctively.

Upon hearing this, Sun Jiacheng couldn't help but glare at him. Was this a matter of two arrows or three arrows?

I mean, how can a person be this amazing!

Even the Right Commander-in-Chief of the Five Armies Commandery, Prince of Nan'an, couldn't help but change his expression, his face filled with disbelief.

He once fought against the Hunxie Kingdom, whose commander was Galdarma.

He led 50,000 troops from the northwest frontier against Galdarma's 30,000 elite cavalry, but ended up suffering a minor defeat.

At that time, Galdarma was incredibly brave and had exceptional military skills, enjoying great fame on the grasslands and in the northwestern border towns of the Han Dynasty.

After the defeat of the Prince of Nan'an, he regarded Galdarma as a formidable enemy for a long time!

He originally thought that Galdarma was a rare general of his time, but he never expected that he would be killed so easily by Jia Jing with a single arrow.

It's absolutely unbelievable!

Is Jia Zijie really the biological son of Jia She, that deserter from the battlefield? How can he be so good at fighting?

The battles against the Qing dynasty, the Northern Yuan, and the Hunxie were more astonishing and swift than the last, as if they were just playing around!

Then, he couldn't help but recall what his in-law, Duke Cao, had told him a few days ago about the military power of the capital garrison. Given Jia Jing's current prestige and achievements in the army, it seemed that he should think twice before acting on this matter!

Behind the Prince of Nan'an, Prince Shui Rong of Beijing had a flushed face and stared in disbelief, his handsome face showing a mixture of shock and excitement.

Jia Zijie is truly an outstanding individual; in a short period of time, he has once again achieved a resounding victory!

After these several great victories in the Northwest, Jia Zijie has truly secured his place as the foremost military hero of the Han Dynasty!

Given the Emperor's trust and Jia Zijie's achievements, once he returns to the capital, who in the court can rival him?

I really need to cultivate a good relationship with such a powerful figure!

I wonder if the Jia family has sent any letters to the Northwest and Jia Zijie during this time to express their gratitude and favors!

I spoke to him during the last discussion of bestowing titles and rewards at the Qianqing Palace. We are all from the same founding lineage, so we can't afford to become estranged!

Prince Bei Jing secretly pondered that he not only needed to deepen his friendship with Jia Jing, but also needed to become closer to the Rongguo Mansion!

Hmm! After court, I'll have my princess go and reconnect with the old lady of the Jia family.

Meanwhile, Wu Xun, the commander of the Jingnan Campaign behind Prince Bei Jing, looked as if he had been struck by lightning.

With Jia Jing's new achievements and his imminent return to the capital, given his current status and prestige, there will likely be no place for the Jingnan Military Merits in the court in the future!

The civil official opposite Wu Xun also looked surprised.

Grand Secretary Chen Tingjing's first thought was, how much had been seized this time? And how much could be turned over to the Ministry of Revenue?

In fact, if it weren't for the difference in stance between civil and military officials, he would have been eager for Jia Jing to stay in the northwestern border town for a longer period of time.

After all, Jia Jing not only didn't require the Ministry of Revenue to provide food and pay for his battles, but he also sent back a considerable amount of spoils to the Ministry of Revenue after each victory.

This is not about militarism at all, but about making money in a smart way!

As for Zhang Tingyu, who was standing behind Chen Tingjing, he was one of the few people in the hall whose expression remained unchanged.

To be honest, he had become somewhat numb to Jia Jing's victories!

If he wins once or twice, he'll be quite shocked.

But this was already the tenth victory report from the Northwest, and he was somewhat used to it!

He admitted that in terms of fighting prowess, all the military officers in the court combined probably couldn't match Jia Jing alone!

However, he still harbored some hidden worries.

The appearance of such a monstrous figure in the Han Dynasty is truly a blessing or a curse!

Meanwhile, Fang Congzhe, the cabinet minister who had just been impeaching Jia Jing, had already silently returned to his post!

He understood that, faced with Jia Jing's latest great victory, any further impeachment from them would be futile!

All I can say is that the victors have no right to criticize!

If he were to suppress military generals who had rendered meritorious service to the country at this point, he would be placing himself in the position of a treacherous minister like Qin Xi.

Emperor Jingsheng, seated on his throne, had already taken the note from Xia Shouzhong and read it carefully.

He lingered on the last few sentences for a long time, a hint of longing on his face.

Zijie has been away from the capital for several months, and he's finally coming back!

After reading the letter, Emperor Jingsheng placed it on his desk. Listening to the murmurs of the courtiers in the hall, he expressionlessly tapped the armrest of his throne and said in a deep voice:

"According to the message sent by Zijie via carrier pigeon, the Hunye Kingdom has agreed to our peace terms and has sent an envoy with the Hunye Khan's son to the capital to surrender."

"The battle in the Northwest lasted for more than four months, and the dust has finally settled!"

"I still remember what Zijie said to me before we set off on that expedition: 'This journey will surely require you to fight to the death to wipe out the scourges on the border for the court and bring a century of peace to the northwest for the Han Dynasty!'"

"I will not deny that at the time I had my doubts about those words!"

"However, facts speak louder than words. The outcome of the Northwest battle tells me, and the whole world, that Zijie uttered not a single falsehood!"

"The merit of this battle benefits the nation and will be remembered for generations to come! All discerning people in the world should rejoice that our great Han Dynasty has produced such a pillar of the nation!"

"My acquisition of Zijie is like King Wen of Zhou acquiring Jiang Shang, Duke Huan of Zhou acquiring Guan Zhong, or Emperor Gaozu of Xia acquiring Xiao He and Han Xin—I am overjoyed!"

When Emperor Jingsheng got to this point, his tone was clearly tinged with excitement and emotion.

Given Emperor Jingsheng's usual solemnity and dignity, he had never before displayed such near-"loss of composure" in the court.

Inside the hall were civil and military officials, except for some cabinet ministers who had long witnessed the emperor's deep trust in Jia Jing.

The other officials of the Six Ministries and Nine Ministers, as well as the censors, were all stunned when they saw Emperor Jingsheng's moved expression for the first time!

Especially when Emperor Jingsheng compared Jia Jing to Jiang Shang, Guan Zhong, Xiao He, and Han Xin, the civil and military officials present twitched their eyelids.

It should be noted that Jiang Shang and Han Xin were alright. Although they were good fighters and were among the Ten Sages of the Temple of Martial Arts, they were still military generals at heart.

But Guan Zhong and Xiao He were both exemplary civil officials.

Guan Zhong was honored as "Shangqing" and called "Zhongfu" by Duke Huan of Qi. He held supreme military and political power in Qi and was the true prime minister.

Xiao He was also a renowned prime minister. After the establishment of the Xia dynasty, he was ranked first among the meritorious officials and was listed first among the founding heroes.

Is it a bit much to compare Jia Jing to these two?

Or does this statement represent some kind of political signal released by Emperor Jingsheng?