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

Inside the hall, Emperor Jingsheng delivered a lengthy and dramatic admonition.

Not only did Xu Zhuo collapse to the ground, but Kong Ying's face also turned pale.

He was a descendant of the Duke Yansheng and was highly respected among the literati. His ancestors gave him the confidence to face anyone without fear.

But at this moment, it was as if most of his confidence had been sucked away from his feet. He stood there, like a bamboo pole bent by the wind, teetering on the verge of collapse.

Even Fang Congzhe, a cabinet minister, whose name was not mentioned by Emperor Jingsheng, was red and white-faced at this moment.

He lowered his head, not daring to look at Emperor Jingsheng on the throne, much less at his colleagues and officials, his expression filled with shame.

Emperor Jingsheng did not give them another glance, allowing the eunuchs to help Xu Zhuo, who had collapsed to the ground, back to his rank.

His gaze swept over the officials in the hall, and after a moment's thought, his voice returned to its previous low and unsettling tone.

"In another ten days or so, Duke Jing will be returning to the capital. The capital should make preparations to welcome him."

"This time, Zijie will bring back 20,000 light cavalry from the Bashang camp, along with some meritorious officers and generals from the Northwest."

"Having fought for several months and rendered meritorious service to the country, the Cabinet and the Ministry of Rites have agreed to elevate the level of welcome for them!"

"I will personally lead the Imperial Guards out of Yongding Gate to Lugou Bridge to welcome the triumphant army!"

"From princes and dukes to officials, all those residing in the capital must attend! The common people may set up colorful banners along the route to celebrate the victorious troops!"

Upon hearing Emperor Jingsheng's words, all the officials in the hall looked surprised!

Given Emperor Jingsheng's high regard for Jia Zijie and his meritorious service in this battle, it was only natural that he would raise the standards of the welcome; they were not surprised by it.

To the surprise of the court officials, Emperor Jingsheng actually went to Lugou Bridge to greet them!

It should be known that when even the most meritorious officials returned to the capital, the emperor would usually greet them at the Meridian Gate, Zhengyang Gate, or Yongding Gate to show his respect and courtesy!

But where is the Lugou Bridge?

With Yongdingmen as the southern end of the central axis of the capital city, leaving this gate meant "the emperor leaving the palace and going to the suburbs in person," while Lugou Bridge was dozens of miles away from Yongdingmen.

In other words, Emperor Jingsheng had to travel dozens of miles outside the city to welcome Jia Jing, a practice of treating his subject with such courtesy that it was extremely rare even in history.

Of course, rare does not mean nonexistent.

There was even a time when the emperor personally went to Liangxiang to welcome the victorious soldiers, and ordered all officials to kneel in welcome, with the courtesy bordering on flattery.

Therefore, although the courtiers were surprised, no one in the hall spoke up to stop them!

Ultimately, Jia Jing's achievements in this battle were truly remarkable. He annihilated the grasslands and defeated three kingdoms in one battle, which was no less than the founding military exploits of the dynasty!

Grand Secretary of the Cabinet and Minister of Rites Xiong Cili, with a somber expression, stepped forward and bowed, saying:

"I obey your decree!"

After Emperor Jingsheng finished explaining the welcoming arrangements, he thought for a moment and then continued:

"The Duke of Jing's great victory over the Hunye at Tianshan deserves a reward; the cabinet should draft another decree!"

The cabinet ministers were stunned, wondering if Emperor Jingsheng was going to promote Jia Jing to the rank of General of the Cavalry, a second-rank official.

But faced with Emperor Jingsheng's sharp gaze, Chen Tingjing had no choice but to stand up from the ranks and bow, saying:

"Your subject is here!"

"Issue the decree! General Jia Jing, Duke of Jing, is hereby granted the additional title of Minister of War, to assist in important military and national affairs!"

"In addition, the Duke of Jing's Mansion was built for him near Ningrong Street in the capital city, with a scale slightly smaller than that of a Prince's Mansion."

"But it may have three gates, erect halberds, and build flagpoles, using green glazed tiles and gilded bronze door nails."

Since Jia Jing was enfeoffed as a duke, the Ministry of Works of the imperial court had been preparing to build his mansion.

Emperor Jingsheng's decree was mainly to raise the standards of his Duke's Mansion.

According to the system of the Han Dynasty, the regulations for the residences of dukes and marquises were completely different from those for kings.

For example, only the residences of princes and dukes could use green glazed tiles and gilded copper door studs, while duke residences could only use gray cylindrical tiles and gilded animal-face tin rings.

However, the Duke of Jing's mansion clearly broke with this convention at this time, and in many aspects it was being built according to the regulations of a prince's mansion.

Strictly speaking, the residence of a duke can only be called a "house" or "residence," and not a "mansion."

However, compared to the improved regulations for the mansion, the civil officials in the palace were actually more concerned and sensitive about Emperor Jingsheng's bestowal of the title of Minister of War on Jia Jing!

With Jia Jing's current official rank and title, plus the honorary title of Minister of War,

From now on, when addressing officials in the court, their names will be: "Grand General, Grand Marshal, Duke of Jing, Jia Jing, has arrived!" What an imposing presence!

Although he was given the title of Minister of War, it was more of an honorary honor than a real appointment.

However, the title of Minister of War is ultimately a civil official position. Jia Jing's being granted this title means that he will be able to participate in discussions on matters of the Ministry of War in the future.

Even when the position of Minister of War was vacant, he could reasonably interfere with the various powers of the Ministry of War.

The Ministry of War was one of the six ministries of the imperial court, in charge of matters such as the selection and appointment of military officers, military registers, military orders, weaponry, and postal services.

It was the core institution through which the civil service group controlled military affairs and checked the military generals of the Five Military Commands.

The Minister of War was a "military official" among civil officials, usually a civil official knowledgeable in military affairs, and was a very special position in the civil official group!

However, the appointment of Minister of War as an additional title for Jia Jing, a military general, inevitably made civil officials think twice and be wary!

Furthermore, Emperor Jingsheng's comparison of Jia Jing to Guan Zhong and Xiao He carries a very strong political signal.

The civil officials even wondered if this meant the emperor intended to allow Jia Jing to intervene in their affairs, or even to use force to control them.

While the officials were lost in their own thoughts, Li Guangdi, Chen Tingjing, and other cabinet ministers felt a chill run down their spines and their expressions changed slightly.

Jia Jing's rise has actually damaged the authority of these cabinet ministers the most. Now the emperor even has the idea of ​​letting him interfere in government affairs, which makes them feel even more uneasy!

The cabinet ministers wanted to stop the bestowal of honors, but they did not know how to persuade him.

Jia Jing already held the title of Vice Minister of War, and it was only natural that he would be promoted to Minister of War for his military achievements.

There's even a hint that the reward was a bit too low, so there's really nothing to say about it.

Zhang Tingyu's gray eyebrows trembled, his eyes flashed, and he decisively abandoned the distracting thought of offering advice, choosing instead to avoid the sharp edge!

He really couldn't understand Jia Jing at all!

He couldn't understand either his literary and military talents or the emperor's extraordinary trust in him!

As for people and things that he couldn't understand, Zhang Tingyu's choice was to mind his own business, avoid getting involved, and minimize conflict.

Grand Secretary Xiong Cilu frowned, secretly marveling at how increasingly skillful Emperor Jingsheng was in handling state affairs!

At this critical juncture, with Jia Jing's victory report and the court having just been warned, who would dare to raise any objections when Jia Jing was given the title of Minister of War?

Standing up at this moment would not only mean facing Emperor Jingsheng's overwhelming power, but also placing oneself in the position of a treacherous villain attacking meritorious officials.

However, there is a solution to this problem.

Since they couldn't stop the emperor from bestowing honors upon Jia Jing, they could only promote a civil official knowledgeable in military affairs to the position of Minister of War, to challenge Jia Jing!

Wang Ziteng has enough merits and has always been at odds with Jia Jing, so he is a suitable candidate!