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

Although it is already autumn,

However, several flowers are still in full bloom in the back garden, their vibrant colors and enchanting fragrance filling the air.

The retired emperor was at this moment drinking and making merry with his newly acquired concubine, Consort Yang, with Duke Cao accompanying him and Dai Quan serving him.

The retired emperor has had a difficult two years. Successive victories in Liaodong have greatly increased Emperor Jingsheng's prestige.

In addition, Emperor Jingsheng had been on the throne for a long time, and the court gradually came to accept this monarch.

in addition,

In the past two years, Emperor Jingsheng has been cracking down hard on officials from the retired emperor's faction, no longer showing the same leniency as before. This has led to a decrease in the number of forces available to the retired emperor.

After all, Emperor Jingsheng is the rightful ruler of the country and has the right to rule.

If Emperor Jingsheng's new policies hadn't harmed the interests of many officials and gentry, causing them to gather around the retired emperor and form a united resistance,

At this point, the retired emperor had completely lost the ability to turn the tide and restore the monarchy!

Even though the retired emperor still has many civil officials, gentry and relatives around him, he has kept a low profile for the past two years and has not openly confronted Emperor Jingsheng.

Every day he either composed poems and painted, or drank and made merry, taking concubines and having children.

Consort Yang was the Emperor Emeritus's most recently acquired concubine. She was the daughter of the Duke of Cheng and was greatly favored by the Emperor Emeritus.

After several rounds of drinks, the wise Consort Yang, seeing that the Emperor Emeritus wanted to discuss serious matters with the Duke of Cao, took her maids to the garden to admire the flowers.

"How is the Duke of Cheng doing lately?" The Emperor Emeritus asked Li Long, the Duke of Cao, after instructing Dai Quan to lead his men to defend the area.

The Duke of Cheng he mentioned was naturally Yang Wei, the former military governor of Ba Shang.

Yang Wei has now been dismissed from his post by Emperor Jingsheng, and his son Yang Rong has also been executed by the court, putting him in a precarious situation.

That is why the retired emperor took a woman from the Yang family as a concubine, to comfort the Duke of Cheng.

"Your Majesty, rest assured! Although the Duke of Cheng lost his son in middle age and was deeply grieved, he has now rallied."

He told his ministers that he was extremely grateful to the Emperor Emeritus for taking Consort Yang as his concubine, and that the Yang family was willing to follow the Emperor Emeritus forever!

"The generals at the Ba Shang camp were all promoted by the Duke of Cheng, so they won't be out of control."

Cao Guogong Li Long understood the Emperor Emeritus's meaning.

The Emperor Emeritus mainly wanted to know whether the Duke of Cheng could still control the Ba Shang camp.

The two major military forces in the capital city were the Jingying (capital city) and the Bashang (bashang) military camp.

The Jingying garrison has always been loyal to Emperor Jingsheng. If the Bashang camp is also taken over by Emperor Jingsheng, then the retired emperor will have no troops to use in the capital!

"Hmm! Tell Duke Cheng not to be anxious! I will find an opportunity to let him take command of the Ba Shang camp again."

"Although he is currently unemployed and unable to go out, he cannot slack off; he must firmly grasp military power in the Bashang camp!"

Duke Cao felt a pang of envy upon hearing this.

It should be noted that he was dismissed from his post by Emperor Jingsheng due to military defeat, and two years have passed since then, during which time he has not been able to be reinstated.

Although the retired emperor frequently summoned him to the palace for drinks and discussions, he never mentioned restoring him to his original position.

Of course, he also knew that he was different from the Duke of Cheng.

Firstly, he was dismissed from his post because of the defeat in battle, which resulted in the deaths and injuries of many soldiers and civilians. His crime was too great, unlike the Duke of Cheng, who was implicated by his son and had no real crime.

Secondly, the Duke of Cheng was one of the few generals in the Jingnan lineage who led troops. He was quite capable and, along with the Duke of Zhao and several others, had always been core figures in the Jingnan military campaign. Their status and position were much higher than his.

Therefore, although he felt a pang of jealousy, he understood why the Emperor Emeritus took such good care of the Duke of Cheng.

"Yes! Your subject will convey the imperial edict to Duke Cheng!" Duke Cao nodded somewhat awkwardly.

"Hmm! Don't rush your matter, there will be opportunities!" The Emperor Emeritus seemed to understand Duke Cao's thoughts and made a calm promise.

Duke Cao's face lit up with joy, and he laughed:

"I am already very content to serve the Emperor Emeritus every day!"

The retired emperor didn't dwell on the matter, and changed the subject:

"I've heard that Jia Jing, a boy in the capital, has recently gained considerable fame. He has defeated the Qing army several times and has been granted the title of First-Class Earl and the rank of Fourth-Rank General of the Imperial Guard by the Qianqing Palace. Are you familiar with this man?"

Upon hearing this, the Duke of Cao said in surprise:

"I never imagined that boy's reputation had reached Your Majesty's ears! He is Jia Daishan's illegitimate grandson; I have never met him!"

The Emperor Emeritus clapped his hands and sighed, looking at the Duke of Cao and saying:

"That's a pity! I've heard this young man is quite valiant; it's a shame he can't be of use to me!"

Duke Cao blinked and said:

"Actually, it's not necessarily impossible to win him over! I've had drinks with this boy's father, Jia She, a few times!"

"Because Jia She deserted from the battlefield, he was always looked down upon by the founding military elites, and therefore they had always been at odds!"

"I sensed a lot of resentment and discontent in his words; it's not impossible for him to be swayed to our side!"

The retired emperor said incredulously:

"The Jia family is the core of the founding line of military merit. As the heir to the title, how could Jia She stand with the Jingnan faction?"

Duke Cao laughed and said:

"Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the king! On the shores of the earth, all people are subjects of the king! It's not about making him stand with my Jingnan faction, but with you, the Emperor Emeritus. What's wrong with him serving you?"

"Furthermore, in my observation, Jia She is greedy and lustful. If we lure him with benefits, it is quite possible to win him over!"

A glint of light flashed in the Emperor Emeritus's eyes, and he smiled:

"Excellent! If we can win over Jia She, with the father as the head of the family, how could Jia Jing not be at my service!"

"Go ahead and do it boldly. If you succeed, I will restore you to your original position!"

The Emperor Emeritus was quite pleased. If he could win over Jia She, Jia Jing would have no choice but to side with him, no matter how unwilling he was!

Even if Jia Jing was unwilling, Emperor Jingsheng would not feel comfortable using the Jia family again.

At that time, the Jia family will either have to pledge allegiance to him or face being purged.

"Your subject obeys the decree!" Duke Cao was overjoyed and accepted the order!

…………

After leaving the palace, Duke Cao went straight to Duke Cheng's residence.

Then he ordered someone to bring an invitation to Jia She to come to his residence for drinks that evening.

At this time, the Cao Guogong Mansion had been taken back by the imperial court, and Li Long was granted a new four-courtyard mansion by the retired emperor in a prime street-facing location in Dadefang, Dongcheng.

With its green walls and blue tiles, carved beams and painted rafters, it may not be as prestigious as the Duke's Mansion, but it is still incredibly luxurious.

evening,

Several pink lanterns were lit in front of the main hall of the Li residence, adding a touch of charm.

The charcoal fire in the hall was burning brightly, and even in this cold season, one could not feel the chill at all.

In the hall, Duke Cao, Li Long, and Jia She were enjoying their wine.

Jia She, dressed in a brown robe, was currently embracing a woman with almond-shaped eyes, peach-blossom cheeks, and disheveled clothes.

A pair of large hands roamed freely over the woman's body, a broad smile on his face.

A beautiful woman was sitting on the lap of Duke Cao, who was pouring wine for him from a wine pot.

Nearby, several beautiful women were playing musical instruments and singing.

These were courtesans specially invited by Duke Cao from "Fanlou," the largest brothel in the capital, to entertain Jia She, as he knew Jia She had a taste for them.

After several rounds of drinks, Duke Cao invited several courtesans out so he could have a private conversation with Jia She.

"Brother Enhou, don't worry! Cuihong and the others have already gone to your room to wait. There's still plenty of time tonight!"

Seeing Jia She staring intently at the departing figures of several courtesans, Duke Cao smiled and offered some words of comfort.

"Brother Li understands me best! Then I'll accept your offer without hesitation!"

"To be honest, this Cuihong is the lovely girl I've always longed for!"

"Last time, I offered a thousand taels of silver at Fanlou to help her get married and make her my sixteenth concubine, but I failed! I never expected that Brother Li would grant my wish today!"

Jia She squinted his cloudy eyes, stroked his beard, and a hint of urgency appeared in his sunken eye sockets.

Duke Li Long of Cao refilled Jia She's cup and said with a smile:

"Haha! Brother Enhou, you're too kind! We hit it off immediately, this little thing is nothing!"

Then, changing the subject, he said:

"The real reason I invited you here is to ask about what you've decided on what I told you last time, Brother Enhou."