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

"Many officers and soldiers of the Beijing Garrison had no choice but to give him money, even at the cost of their entire fortunes. Zhou Jiwei was one of them."

"But Jia Zhen is a muddle-headed person; he takes money but doesn't always do the job."

"Zhou Jiwei and several guerrillas and brigade commanders gave him money, but he was still put on the layoff list."

"Several people went to Jia Zhen to demand an explanation, but Jia Zhen not only refused to return the money, but also insulted them in his words."

"Therefore, Zhou Jiwei and others, filled with resentment, incited the dismissed soldiers to rebel under the pretext of 'purging the court of corrupt officials'!"

The Imperial City Commander had clearly learned about the cause and effect of the mutiny in the capital before he arrived.

At this point, the explanation is clear and logical, and the reasons behind it have been explained very well.

Upon hearing this revelation, the civil and military officials in the hall were immediately in an uproar and began to discuss it amongst themselves.

It was not surprising to them that the trouble caused by Wang Ziteng's rash actions was due to the Beijing garrison's actions.

However, what was unexpected was that the trigger for the uproar was Jia Zhen taking money but not doing the job, which is quite ridiculous!

"Bang!"

Emperor Jingsheng slammed the paperweight on his desk to the ground with a heavy, jarring sound.

"These treacherous officials and rebels disregard the laws and regulations of the court, daring to act so recklessly!"

Emperor Jingsheng roared, his face darkening with anger, his eyes flashing with cold light.

Openly offering and selling official positions in the court, engaging in private transactions, and causing such a huge mess have made the court lose all face.

This man who inherited the title of Ningguo has acted so outrageously and lawlessly!

Think of how heroic and outstanding the two Dukes Rong and Ning were in the past, and how ambitious and capable Zijie was.

How could the Jia family have such a lawless scoundrel!

No wonder, Zijie once reprimanded him for his dereliction of duty in the Jia family ancestral hall, and then sent Marquis Weining to make him kneel in the ancestral hall.

Such a greedy and shameless person deserves to be beaten to death!

Emperor Jingsheng's face was ashen; his anger toward Jia Zhen was even greater than his anger toward Prince Teng!

Although Wang Ziteng was incompetent and acted rashly, he still served the court and made significant contributions to the reorganization of the army.

Unlike Jia Zhen, who was a complete scoundrel and parasite who relied on his ancestors' legacy and was good for nothing but causing trouble!

but,

Wang Ziteng is also to blame, because it was he who insisted on recommending Jia Zhen to the Beijing Garrison to assist in the reorganization of the army!

Just as Emperor Jingsheng was feeling annoyed, Zhang Tingyu, with a solemn expression and holding a jade tablet, stepped forward and reported:

"Your Majesty! The most urgent task is to quell the rebellion of Zhou Jiwei and his men."

"They have come to the capital, presumably to besiege the imperial city, threaten the court, and seek a glimmer of hope."

Instead of scattering and fleeing, Zhou Jiwei and his rebel army marched towards the capital under the pretext of "purging the court of corrupt officials," their purpose obvious.

This was a tactic of leading troops into the city to intimidate the imperial court and seek appeasement and acquittal.

They also understood that it was almost impossible to rely on a rebellion of ten thousand rabble troops.

The only way out was to seize the opportunity quickly, surround the imperial city, and force Emperor Jingsheng to issue a decree of pardon.

Emperor Jingsheng's expression was stern, and he said in a cold voice:

"Hengchen is absolutely right! However, their attempt to coerce the court is nothing but wishful thinking and daydreaming!"

"Strengthening the army and improving military capabilities is a major plan of the imperial court. Although their actions may have had reasons, rebellion is still rebellion."

"If we don't deliver a crushing blow, what prestige will the imperial court retain?"

"If other places follow suit and start killing officials, rebelling, and seeking amnesty, the world will only be like the former Song Dynasty, with constant warfare and little peace!"

The courtiers had different thoughts upon hearing Emperor Jingsheng's strong and decisive statement.

The Prince of Nan'an's expression shifted, and he stepped forward, cupping his hands in greeting:

"Your Majesty! I have served as the Right Commander-in-Chief of the Five Armies Commandery and have been back in the capital for quite some time now. I should share Your Majesty's burdens and those of the court."

"Your subject is willing to lead his personal guards into the capital to mobilize troops, quell the chaos, and appease the people."

The Prince of Nan'an keenly seized the opportunity in this matter.

If we can mobilize the Beijing garrison to quell the rebellion this time, we will have rendered meritorious service.

He might later become the military governor of the Beijing garrison, thus gaining control of the Beijing garrison's military power.

After all, Wang Ziteng caused such a huge mess that he should at least be dismissed from his post and placed under house arrest for investigation. It would be impossible for him to take charge of the Beijing Garrison again!

Emperor Jingsheng's gaze fell on the Prince of Nan'an. After a moment's thought, he said:

"The Beijing garrison has only been reorganized for a short time, and most of its soldiers are new recruits with insufficient combat strength. In addition, the officers and generals are unpredictable, so it is not advisable to make any rash moves at this time."

"If we fail to quell the rebellion and instead are misled by the rebels to turn against us, then we will have suffered a greater loss than we gain!"

Although the Prince of Nan'an was quite skilled in military strategy, he had never commanded the capital garrison and was therefore ignorant of military matters.

Rushing to lead troops into battle could lead to a defeat if one is not careful, and the situation would become complicated!

Emperor Jingsheng did not want to take this risk!

After all, the Prince of Nan'an was not a military genius like Zijie who had won every battle.

He was able to become a second-rank general mainly through seniority!

During his decades of military service, he won some battles and lost many!

In addition, Emperor Jingsheng did not actually trust the Prince of Nan'an very much.

According to a report from the Imperial City Guard, he had a private banquet with the Duke of Cao a few days ago, and they had a very pleasant conversation!

The Duke of Cao is from the Dragon Head Palace, and the Prince of Nan'an is entangled with him, which should make Emperor Jingsheng wary!

The military power surrounding Shenjing should not be allowed to be controlled by people with unclear stances.

I'll wait for Zijie to return. Then I can have him jointly control the Jingying and Bashang camps, and then I can rest easy!

Upon hearing Emperor Jingsheng's words, the Prince of Nan'an was somewhat disappointed, but he could only bow and obey the decree.

Emperor Jingsheng glanced at the assembled officials in the hall and remained silent for a moment.

Then, gazing intently at Marquis Weining Zhuque and the others in the hall, he resolutely said:

"The Imperial Guards shall immediately guard the palace gates, allowing entry but not exit. The Five City Garrison Commands shall cooperate with the Imperial City Guard to close all nine gates, and martial law shall be declared in the capital."

"The Cabinet has drafted an edict appointing the Prince of Nan'an, the Prince of Beijing, and the Marquis of Zhongjing as imperial envoys to go out of the city to pacify the capital garrison and prevent others from taking the opportunity to cause trouble!"

"The Marquis of Weining is in charge of the troops in the Ba Shang camp and is fully responsible for suppressing the rebellion of Zhou Jiwei and others."

"You must quickly bring the situation under control and prevent them from causing harm to the surrounding areas of the capital!"

"The Imperial City Guard is to arrest and interrogate Wang Ziteng, Jia Zhen, and other involved parties, with the Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Inspectors conducting a joint trial."

"We must thoroughly investigate the entire incident of the Beijing garrison mutiny, determine the perpetrators according to the law, and uphold the principles of national law and discipline!"

Upon receiving Emperor Jingsheng's decree, Xia Shouzhong, Zhuque, Prince Beijing, and others immediately stepped forward, cupped their hands, and said:

"Your Majesty, we obey!"

Emperor Jingsheng looked at Zhuque and, out of affection for Zhuque, gave it a special instruction, saying:

"Minister Zhang, Zijie said in his memorial to me that you are of virtuous character, knowledgeable in military affairs, and have followed him in battle for a long time. You can be described as 'capable'."

"If I have any difficult military matters to resolve in the capital, I can entrust them to you. I am certain you will achieve a resounding victory!"

"I trust Zijie. This time, let me see your abilities!"

Upon hearing this, Zhuque's expression hardened, and he said resolutely:

"Your Majesty, please rest assured! I will do my utmost to quell this rebellion swiftly!"

To be honest, suppressing this rebellion was a piece of cake for Suzaku.

Not to mention that the soldiers of the Ba Shang camp had been trained for a long time, were well-trained and well-fed, and their combat strength was incomparable to that of the Jing garrison.

The intelligence regarding the recent rebellion of the Beijing garrison was completely under the control of the Zhuque Guard, and even the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard) personnel were now serving as strategists within the rebel army.

This situation, where both sides are in a favorable position, means they have all the advantages of timing, location, and popular support, making it virtually impossible for them to lose.

All Suzaku needs to do is keep this battle within a small scope and avoid affecting innocent people!

After Zhuque, Prince Beijing, and others left the hall, the regular court session ended, and Emperor Jingsheng ordered the Imperial Guards to escort the civil and military officials back to their respective offices.

News of the victory reports from the Northwest and the mutiny in the Beijing garrison quickly spread throughout the capital.

…………

Rongguo Mansion.

Rongqing Hall.