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

In addition to being divided into factions based on region, such as the Zhejiang Party, the Qi Party, and the Chu Party, civil officials were also divided into the New Party, the Old Party, and the Emperor Party based on their political views.

Those who supported the new policies, such as Zhang Tingyu and Li Guangdi, naturally belonged to the New Party.

Cabinet ministers like Fang Congzhe and Xu Qianxue, who were elected with the support of the gentry in Jiangnan, naturally belonged to the old party.

Gong Dingzi, a cabinet minister promoted by Emperor Jingsheng when he was still a prince, belonged to the emperor's faction, meaning that he only took the emperor's will as the sole criterion for his actions.

of course,

Regardless of which party they belong to, once a cabinet minister reaches that position, they will not openly oppose Emperor Jingsheng!

After all, becoming a cabinet minister is not easy, and they do not need to gain a good reputation by speaking frankly and outspokenly like censors.

Emperor Jingsheng paused for a moment, not in a hurry to pay attention to the cabinet ministers. There might be someone behind today's coup.

Emperor Jingsheng turned his gaze to Jia Jing, his expression somewhat grave, and said:

"Zijie! Since the implementation of the new policies, the people of Jiangnan have been surveying land and investigating taxes, and have long been dissatisfied with the court."

"Gong Qing is constrained in Jiangnan and has been assassinated many times. Now, he has only made some efforts to rectify the administration, but he has attracted countless impeachments."

"The officials in the capital have even formed cliques to force the emperor to abdicate, committing treason and deceit—it's utterly rebellious, shameless, and utterly depraved!"

"Now that things have come to this, I only ask you one question: if chaos truly breaks out in the south, are you willing to lead a large army south to punish the disloyal and eliminate the treacherous?"

Jia Jing's expression hardened, and as he looked up, he saw that Emperor Jingsheng's eyes were filled with suppressed anger and sinister intent!

It seems the emperor harbors deep resentment towards the gentry and officials of Jiangnan!

In particular, today's coup by the court officials, who demanded that Emperor Jingsheng abolish the new policies, has touched a raw nerve with Emperor Jingsheng.

Or rather, Emperor Jingsheng originally thought that the great victory in the Northwest War was the perfect opportunity to implement new policies and revitalize the Han Dynasty.

Who would have thought that he would be met with such a slap in the face? How could he possibly swallow this insult!

So much so that he had already considered sending Jia Jing to lead troops to suppress the rebellion in Jiangnan!

It's important to understand that internal affairs are not the same as external affairs. If one were to raise the sword internally, one would truly be remembered in history as a "tyrannical ruler"!

Jia Jing's expression was solemn. Suddenly, he lifted his python robe, knelt down, bowed deeply, and said earnestly:

"Your Majesty! I reiterate my word: I am the sword in Your Majesty's hand, ready to vanquish all who dare to rebel!"

"Your Majesty, please do not worry. You must not let such treacherous officials upset you and harm your health."

"Though I am a foolish and straightforward man, I may utter one arrogant statement."

"Even if it's just a rebellion in Jiangnan, or if all the officials and gentry in the country rebel and war breaks out everywhere, I am confident that I can suppress it calmly."

"My only concern is Your Majesty's health. Seeing Your Majesty so enraged today, exhausting your energy, I am utterly heartbroken and powerless!"

"Your Majesty has bestowed upon me the title of First-Class Duke, placing me at the pinnacle of officialdom. It is entirely my fault that such treacherous rebels have dared to offend Your Majesty!"

"I hope Your Majesty need not worry about the situation in Jiangnan. Such petty scoundrels are not worth Your Majesty's anger!"

Upon hearing Jia Jing's words, the officials in the hall were visibly shaken and their expressions changed drastically.

Is the Emperor in good health again?

And he even admitted his own mistakes?

No, this civil official is forcing the emperor to abdicate and petition; what wrong have you, a military officer, done?

If you have done all of these things, then shouldn't those cabinet ministers who are in charge of the court's affairs be put to death?

Even a Confucian official like Zhang Tingyu, who was unmoved by anything, couldn't help but feel a sense of unease at this moment!

Jia Jing was not exaggerating; his primary concern was indeed Emperor Jingsheng's health.

Emperor Jingsheng was always a man of strong emotions, and this time he was so angry that his eyes and ears turned red and his face turned crimson. He was probably furious.

If someone gets so angry that they fall ill or something serious happens, that would be a real problem!

After all, his dream of a wise minister should only be associated with Emperor Jingsheng, and the two have always known and understood each other well. If it were a different emperor, many things would be difficult to handle!

Of course, his initiative in taking the blame was mainly to demonstrate his political responsibility as an important official of the court and his magnanimity as a duke!

In short, the emperor cannot be wrong; if the emperor is angry, it must be the fault of us, his subjects!

Emperor Jingsheng looked at the kneeling youth and remained silent for a moment. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he felt a deep sense of confidence in addition to being moved.

"Even if it's just chaos in Jiangnan, even if all the officials and gentry in the country rebelled and war broke out everywhere, Zijie boasts that he can calmly suppress it."

Yes! What does he have to worry about or be angry about?

With Zijie, this wise minister who appeared in a dream, the gentry of Jiangnan alone cannot cover up the sky of the Han Dynasty!

Emperor Jingsheng never thought this was Jia Jing's arrogant talk. With his record of winning every battle in Liaodong and the Northwest, it was almost like the ability of a ghost or a god.

He wasn't exaggerating at all; his words have been proven to be golden rules by the hundreds of thousands of enemy corpses.

Emperor Jingsheng closed his eyes slightly, his expression softening somewhat. He stepped forward and helped Jia Jing up, saying with emotion:

"Of all the officials in the court, only Zijie truly cares for me and for the Han Dynasty!"

"I am truly blessed to have a loyal, virtuous, and pillar of the state like you, Zijie!"

"It is my greatest fortune to have met such a wise and virtuous ruler as Your Majesty!" Jia Jing said solemnly, looking into Emperor Jingsheng's eyes.

At this moment, Zhang Tingyu knelt down, his face solemn, and kowtowed, saying:

"Your Majesty! I am a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, but I am unable to assist Your Majesty in implementing new policies and revitalizing the nation."

"On the contrary, it was the ministers' pressure on the emperor that disturbed His Majesty's peace and led to this current situation; I am guilty of dereliction of duty!"

Seeing this, the other cabinet ministers could not stand aside, so they all knelt down and kowtowed to beg for forgiveness.

"Traitorous minister! Powerful minister! Sycophant! Throughout history, treacherous ministers have been most adept at flattery and deceit! Jia Zijie holds military power, yet he only knows how to fawn over the emperor!"

"Knowing full well that the new policies violate ancestral rules and will plunge the empire into chaos, they still insist on going their own way, bewitching Your Majesty. Their wolfish ambitions are blatantly obvious! Your Majesty must not be deceived by them!"

Seeing Emperor Jingsheng and Jia Jing getting along so well, and even talking about launching a military campaign against Jiangnan, Xu Zhuo was somewhat frightened and hurriedly spoke up to impeach them.

This statement likely means that Jia Jing deliberately supported the new policies in order to create chaos in the country, hoping to profit from the chaos and seize power!

Upon hearing this, Lu Shengnan's expression hardened, and he also raised his voice:

"Jia Zijie harbors rebellious intentions! He supports the new policies to tarnish Your Majesty's reputation among scholars throughout the land, deliberately undermining the foundation of our Han Dynasty so he can seize power!"

This is blatant and malicious criticism!

Xie Jishi said:

"Your Majesty is wise! Although we have spoken frankly and directly, our hearts are with the Han Dynasty. Jia Zijie's words may sound nice, but he is no different from Wang Mang!"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Jingsheng gave a cold laugh, his face as calm as still water. He pointed at the three men and looked at Jia Jing with gentle eyes, saying:

"Zijie, look at this treacherous minister. Even on the verge of death, he still doesn't forget to sow discord between us, the ruler and his subjects."

"They just pressed me, asking if I wasn't afraid of making enemies of all scholars in the land? They even asked if I wasn't afraid of leaving a bad name for posterity?"

"This explanation is clearly out of fear that I might actually send you to Jiangnan to start a war, and that you wouldn't be able to resist. So you're trying to sow discord between us, so you can escape this calamity!"

"But how can they, with their treacherous hearts, possibly understand the fervent loyalty of you and me, ruler and subject, solely for the revival of the Han Dynasty!"

"If I suspected you, would I have allowed you to command the troops of twelve battalions? If I suspected you, would I have allowed you to wear a sword and shoes in the palace? If I suspected you, may the gods and spirits steal my soul!"

Emperor Jingsheng's series of parallel sentences were so powerful that they left Xu Zhuo and the others dumbfounded!

No! Your Majesty!

We're saying Jia Zijie has rebellious intentions, not you! Why are you swearing an oath to heaven?