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

At Emperor Jingsheng's command, several Imperial City Envoys rushed into the Qianqing Palace's ceremonial gate and grabbed Xu Zhuo, Lu Shengnan, and Xie Jishi, pinning them to their shoulders.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Are you really going to kill a loyal minister?"

Xu Zhuo was both shocked and frightened. He never expected that he would really be taken to the imperial prison. He struggled and shouted loudly with his neck stiff.

"I'll die if I have to, I won't beg for mercy..." Xie Jishi shouted, his legs trembling, but he looked like he was ready to die.

"Your Majesty, you cannot act so arbitrarily and treat loyal ministers like this! Emperor Taizu and Emperor Chengzu, open your eyes and distinguish between loyalty and treachery..."

Lu Shengnan's eyes widened in terror, his expression changed drastically, and he cried out in anguish for the ancestors of the Han Dynasty.

Before the three could speak again, their official hats were knocked off, and their court robes were stripped off.

Her hair was disheveled, her clothes were in disarray, a strand of hair hung down her face, and she looked disheveled and terrified as her arms were chopped off and she was led out the door.

Zhang Tingyu watched this scene with a complicated expression, glancing at Jia Jing, who stood proudly opposite him, with sword-like eyebrows, bright eyes, and a calm expression.

The Emperor's rude treatment of Xie Jishi and his companions was perhaps partly due to the people before him.

Fang Congzhe narrowed his eyes slightly, a thick gloom settling over his heart.

What can be done when the emperor is so trusting and obedient to Jia Zijie, and even intolerant of others impeaching him?

Emperor Jingsheng, seated on the golden throne, swept his gaze over the people in the hall and spoke in a deep voice:

"The new policies are a grand national plan to revitalize the Han Dynasty. How can they be allowed to manipulate public opinion, force the emperor to abdicate, and falsely claim to depose him?"

"Zijie is an unparalleled national hero, and we must not allow others to wantonly slander, defame, or sow discord among us!"

"In the past, Wei Qing, Huo Qubing, Guan Zhong, Wang Meng, and Zhuge Liang all established unparalleled achievements as loyal ministers. I trust Jia Jing just as Emperor Wu trusted Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, Duke Huan trusted Guan Zhong, the Qin ruler trusted Wang Meng, and Emperor Zhaolie trusted Zhuge Liang."

"If the earth has grass and trees, but the heaven does not provide rain and dew, they will not grow... If a minister has a task, but the ruler does not trust him, it will not be accomplished."

"The success or failure of the Han Dynasty's revival rests entirely on the shoulders of such ministers who serve the state. You, my lords, should no longer doubt us!"

Emperor Jingsheng's words undoubtedly demonstrated his absolute trust in Jia Jing, and instructed his ministers not to make unfounded speculations about the relationship between the emperor and his ministers based on the idea of ​​a balance of power between civil and military officials.

Upon hearing this, the cabinet ministers were startled, and all looked at Emperor Jingsheng and Jia Jing with inexplicable expressions.

A peerless hero, no more doubts!

Such straightforward words are rarely recorded even in historical books since ancient times. What exactly is so good about Jia Zijie?

Or did they give His Majesty some kind of magic potion? How did they manage to reach such a high level of mutual trust and harmony between the ruler and his subjects?

Such repeated arguments about the emperor's wisdom and the ministers' virtue only made them appear to be treacherous, petty, and intolerant!

Jia Jing's expression suddenly sharpened, a hint of emotion and a flush appearing on his face. He looked at Emperor Jingsheng on the dragon throne, his voice trembling slightly, and bowed, saying:

"Your Majesty's kindness to me is higher than the sky and deeper than the sea, unprecedented in history! I am overwhelmed with gratitude and tears well up in my eyes, unable to express my thanks!"

Seeing the reactions of the ministers and Jia Jing below, Emperor Jingsheng's heart stirred slightly. He waved his hand and said:

"That's just my nature! I like to speak my mind openly and honestly, without hiding anything!"

"My lifelong wish is to revive the Han Dynasty. I am willing to accept anything that benefits the country and the nation!"

"From now on, you should all work diligently and not pay attention to idle gossip, nor engage in factional strife and political chaos!"

Emperor Jingsheng boasted that he could distinguish between the loyal and the treacherous!

It is true that Jia Jing defeated the puppet Qing dynasty, pacified the Northwest, and had outstanding military achievements and held military power!

Even when he commanded hundreds of thousands of troops in the Northwest, he never acted arrogantly or disrespectfully. He treated his sovereign and father with the same sincerity and respect, and never harbored any disloyalty!

Back then, when the three northwestern kingdoms joined forces to invade, the country was on the verge of collapse, and the entire court was filled with calls for peace and surrender.

Zijie bravely shouldered heavy responsibilities, turned the tide, and saved the country from crisis. It is no exaggeration to say that he had the merit of supporting the emperor and protecting the nation!

Moreover, he handed over the military power in the Northwest without hesitation, showing no reluctance to relinquish his position or any desire to cling to power.

Even now, Zijie still submits memorials every day to explain his thoughts, observations, and experiences, without fail, diligently fulfilling his duties as a subject and treating his ruler as a father!

You call this kind of person a treacherous minister with ulterior motives? How utterly foolish must he be to believe such inflammatory words?

As for the claim that military men bring disaster to the country and have ulterior motives, these are even more vicious accusations!

If Jia Jing's actions are disguised as winning people's hearts, forming cliques, cultivating followers, and enduring hardship, then he might still have some doubts!

But now Jia Jing has taken the initiative to launch a major purge and promised to go to Jiangnan, which can be said to have completely offended the civil official group.

Furthermore, he will soon be presiding over military reforms and purging military officers, at which point he will likely have little good reputation among the military generals.

You would say that a man who is so devoted to the country, even at the cost of offending the entire court of civil and military officials, is a military man with power and ulterior motives?

Not to mention, this was a wise minister who appeared in a dream to him by the founding emperor...

In contrast, civil officials, gentry and bureaucrats, are mostly corrupt and lawless, constantly sucking the blood out of the country!

But the country has no money, and I only made a few reforms, but they secretly obstructed me, and they also forced me to resign and petitioned, causing endless trouble!

The nation's discipline is weak, the people's livelihood is impoverished, disasters are frequent, and rebellions are rampant, but they turn a blind eye to all this, only caring that their own interests cannot be harmed!

Whenever the border war went badly, all they knew was to surrender, negotiate peace, and move south; each one was more cowardly and incompetent than the last.

Now that the country is showing some signs of improvement, they are forming cliques, impeaching loyal officials, and sowing discord!

They can't see any benefit to the country or the people, they can't see any practical work done, yet they're full of talk about sages, ancestral rules, benevolence, and morality.

Even worse, they secretly colluded with the Dragon Head Palace and the puppet Qing regime. Did they think they didn't know?

With loyalty and treachery, good and evil so clearly distinguished, how could he, not Emperor Gaozong of Song, be so foolish as to listen to slander and destroy his own defenses and arm?

That old crooked tree in the north of the city is still watching him!

Inside the hall, facing Emperor Jingsheng's frank words, Jia Jing paused slightly, then bowed first and said:

"Your Majesty's aspiration is also my lifelong aspiration!"

"In order not to tarnish Your Majesty's virtuous character, I am willing to take on this case of investigating factionalism and work with the Imperial City Guard to thoroughly rectify the administration of the capital."

"Since this matter was raised by me, I should bear the blame."

"As long as it benefits the court, the stability of our Han Dynasty, and Your Majesty, I'm willing to remain a loyal subject even if it means being alone!"

Jia Jing's words were an attempt to take the blame for the Xingda prison incident!

He proposed this, and if he is also given the responsibility of organizing it, he will naturally bear most of the bad reputation!

This approach not only helps Emperor Jingsheng clean up official corruption but also maintains his image as a benevolent ruler. It is truly a virtuous and benevolent act, reflecting a heart devoted to the emperor!

The phrase "a loyal subject" further demonstrated to those present that he had no intention of forming cliques or plotting to usurp the throne!