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

After Jia Jing took over Ningguo Mansion, his personal guards began moving things into the mansion from the morning.

Because the work had been completed yesterday afternoon and there were enough people, the move was done very quickly, and by the end of Chenshi (7-9 AM), everything was ready.

The main hall of Ningguo Mansion had also changed its plaque, and the old plaque that read "Ning'an Hall" had been removed.

The newly made three characters "Jingmingtang" hang above the door, black lacquer with gold lettering, the strokes vigorous and powerful. Emperor Jingsheng had them written and sent over by a eunuch that morning.

The two characters "景明" have a profound meaning.

Jia Jing guessed that it might be derived from the phrase "spring is warm and the scenery is bright," which describes a clear and open atmosphere and implies that the Han Dynasty was politically enlightened and that Jia Jing, as the Duke of Jing, had a bright future.

The sunlight at the end of Chen Shi (7-9 AM) slanted into Jingming Hall through the east-facing window, casting a bright glow on the blue brick floor.

The room was spotless, with the rosewood tables and chairs polished to a shine and the armrests gleaming with a dull, oily sheen.

Incense burned in the Boshan incense burner, and wisps of blue smoke rose up, condensing into a thin layer of mist in the air before being gently dispersed by the breeze.

A map hangs on the north wall, a complete map of the Han Dynasty's territory, with several areas circled in vermilion ink. Bows and swords hang on either side of the map, gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

Jia Jing sat in the main seat in the hall. He was wearing a black casual robe with a silk sash around his waist and his hair was tied up with a white jade hairpin, looking neat and tidy.

Xuanwu stood in the hall, a hint of blue in his eyes.

He barely slept last night. He had to prepare everything in advance, including the moving, settling his personal guards, and the intelligence that Jia Jing needed to see today. He had to keep an eye on everything and couldn't afford to be careless.

Now that Zhuque is a marquis with an important position in the court, it is impossible for him to always be by Jia Jing's side to obey orders.

Considering that Zhuque was busy with affairs, Jia Jing put him in charge of the military affairs of the Twelve Battalions, while Xuanwu was responsible for most of the intelligence matters of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the affairs of the mansion.

Xuanwu was at this moment respectfully reporting to Jia Jing:

"My lord! Most of the old staff of Ningguo Mansion have been dismissed, and the entire mansion is now under the strict control of personal guards and Imperial Guards to ensure safety."

"Jia Zhen's concubines, second wives, and some maids who had been made to have their faces opened, totaling about twenty people, were all sent away."

"Those sold by the government were sent back to their place of origin, while the women from respectable families were given money and allowed to return to their maternal homes."

"In addition, some dishonest old women and maids were sold off or dismissed."

"The remaining few are all carefully selected individuals; they are absolutely clean and reliable!"

Now that Jia Jing has taken over the Ningguo Mansion, some of the old staff members are naturally no longer suitable for use!

Unlike the Rongguo Mansion, which had been thoroughly reorganized from top to bottom by Jia Zhen, the Ningguo Mansion had a master like Jia Zhen, so one can imagine the quality of the servants in the mansion.

To put it mildly, the place is a mixed bag and a den of iniquity; there might even be spies or informants hiding among the servants!

Liu Xianglian once said: Only the two stone lions outside the gate of Ningguo Mansion are clean!

Jia Jing remained silent for a moment, then nodded and said:

"Yes! The personnel in the manor must be rigorously screened to ensure absolute loyalty and reliability!"

"Those who are laid off should be given some silver as usual, so that they don't go out and have no way to make a living."

"In addition, purchase some maids and servants from outside who have respectable backgrounds."

A large mansion like this would definitely not be able to function without maids and servants who could do laundry, cook, sweep, and stand guard. The guards could be responsible for defense, but other chores still needed to be done by servants!

Xuanwu cupped his hands and said:

"Rest assured, Your Excellency! Everyone entering the manor is rigorously vetted by the Imperial Guards; no one with ulterior motives will be allowed to infiltrate!"

"I have also selected a few skilled and capable old women from the Embroidered Uniform Guard to manage the servants in your household properly."

Jia Jing nodded slightly upon hearing this.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard has grown and expanded, with its original five hundred men occupying core positions.

The majority of those recruited were young adults, but there were also a small number of other people with various skills, including some women.

Of course, regardless of who it is, the most important thing is that their background is clean and verifiable, and they must withstand a long-term test of loyalty.

As for why women are recruited, it is naturally to better monitor places like the inner quarters that are inconvenient for men to enter.

"Yes! Arrange things well in the manor! Zhuque will be in charge of the Twelve Battalions; those 180,000 troops there are of paramount importance and cannot be lost!"

"You should take on more of the responsibilities of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the two mansions," Jia Jing said after thinking for a moment.

His most trusted confidants were still the Vermilion Bird, the Black Tortoise, and Qin Qiong—absolutely reliable confidants. The Black Tortoise, having undergone much training, was now almost capable of handling matters independently!

Upon hearing this, Xuanwu's face flushed slightly, and he said with a sigh:

"Rest assured, Your Excellency! I will certainly take good care of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and safeguard both residences!"

Jia Jing said:

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard bears a heavy responsibility; let them strive diligently!"

After speaking, Jia Jing paused, pondered for a moment, then turned his gaze to the map on the north wall and asked in a deep voice:

"How much intelligence have been gathered on the military achievements in the capital city?"

Xuanwu composed himself, cupped his hands, and said:

"I have only roughly compiled a list of the intelligence on the founding lineage of the nation that I have collected in the past; the rest is still being compiled."

"However, we have already arranged for our brothers to intensify their investigation of their situation!"

The military merits of Shenjing City can be roughly divided into three camps: one is the lineage of the founding military merits conferred during the founding period, mainly the descendants of the four kings, eight dukes, and twelve marquises.

The second lineage consists of those who were granted military merits during the Jingnan Rebellion by Emperor Chengzu, mainly consisting of four dukes and eight marquises.

Thirdly, there were the newly appointed military officers who were granted titles after the Jingnan Rebellion, such as Nian Gengyao and Yue Zhongqi.

As Xuanwu spoke, he took out a document from his robes and handed it to Jia Jing, simultaneously reporting:

"Among the four princes of the founding line, the Prince of Beijing and the Prince of Nan'an are still involved in court affairs, while the Prince of Dongping and the Prince of Xining are no longer involved in court affairs."

"Even with your several promotions, Your Excellency, the Prince of Dongping has not sent anyone to congratulate you!"

"Furthermore, the Prince of Nan'an has recently been getting closer to the Duke of Cao, a member of the Jingnan faction, and seems to harbor some hostility towards you, My Lordship!"

"Among the eight dukes, excluding the two dukes of Ning and Rong."

"The other six families—the Niu family of the Duke of Zhenguo, the Liu family of the Duke of Liguo, and the Hou family of the Duke of Xiuguo—still retain their military titles, and they are also the three families with the closest relationship to you, Your Excellency."

"In addition, the Chen family of Qi State Duke, the Ma family of Zhi State Duke, and the Shi family of Shan State Duke have all lost their military titles and are basically rotten, similar to the situation of the Rong and Ning Mansions before."