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

Gao Shiqi, who was standing to the side, couldn't bear to watch any longer. The Crown Prince was so frightened by the Emperor that how could he possibly succeed to the throne?

He stepped in to defuse the situation:

"Your Majesty, the First Prince is now trapped in an isolated city, his life hanging by a thread. We should rush to his aid. If he is captured or... well, that would be an irreversible defeat for our Great Qing!"

Gao Shiqi's words startled the momentarily angry Kangxi.

If the eldest prince were captured or killed by the Han Dynasty, it would be a great disgrace!

After all, it is understandable to lose a battle; famous emperors in history have all suffered defeats!

But if his sons all die on the battlefield, how can he have the face to call himself a sage ruler!

Besides, even if the eldest prince was guilty of a crime, Kangxi never intended to kill him.

Emperor Kangxi actually liked his eldest son very much; otherwise, he wouldn't have let him lead the troops into battle this time.

The eldest prince, Yinqi, also held the highest rank among all the princes. He was granted the title of "Prince Zhi" by Emperor Kangxi and was highly regarded by him.

If the defeat hadn't been so devastating and swift, and if the military intelligence hadn't been concealed and the decision hadn't been made on its own, Kangxi wouldn't have been so furious.

At this moment, remembering that his son was still besieged by the Han army and his fate was unknown, Kangxi felt a pang of heartache.

He disregarded the matter of reprimanding the crown prince, gritted his teeth, and said:

"Yes, Gao Shiqi is right! We can investigate the responsibility later. Right now, the most important thing is to rescue the First Prince and the 20,000 trapped Qing soldiers."

"Tong Guowei, Ma Qi, what do you both think is the most appropriate course of action for the imperial court now?"

The ministers of the Southern Study exchanged glances, and Ma Qi spoke first:

"Your Majesty, I believe we should select other elite troops and capable generals to go to the rescue!"

Kangxi thought for a moment, then shook his head and said:

"I'm afraid it's too late! It's already been two days since the First Prince was besieged. By the time troops are dispatched and reach the walls of Jizhou, more than ten days will have passed!"

Tong Guowei began by saying:

"Your Majesty, we can simply select a general and have the Mongols send troops, as they are closer to Jizhou City."

"At the same time, we can send envoys to the Han Dynasty to negotiate peace, as a delaying tactic!"

"Furthermore, we've dispatched troops to launch a fierce attack on Liaodong, putting pressure on the Han court! The Han court is currently beset by internal and external troubles, and many ministers in the court actually do not want to be enemies with our Great Qing!"

Kangxi nodded in approval of Tong Guowei's words, and after a moment's thought, he said:

"As Tong Guowei suggested! Send the Fourteenth Prince Yinzhen to lead the troops in Mongolia! Send another 100,000 troops to Liaodong, with Longkodo as the main general."

"Also, send someone to the Han court to persuade those Han officials as a delaying tactic!"

"Hurry! The decree must be sent out and disseminated today!"

After Kangxi finished speaking, he glanced at Li Dequan kneeling on the ground and said coldly:

"You must also thoroughly investigate the course of this Liaodong campaign for me, down to the smallest detail. I need to know everything!"

"Where did those Han heavy cavalrymen come from? And what's the deal with that Han general Jia Jing?"

Li Dequan and the others hurriedly and fearfully accepted the order, while only Yinreng remained kneeling on the spot.

"Yinreng!"

"Father!" Yinreng suddenly realized that Kangxi was about to scold him again, so he immediately lowered his head even further.

Emperor Kangxi was already disappointed in this crown prince, but thinking of the deceased empress, he softened his expression and gave the following instructions:

"Such a serious incident has happened to Yinqi outside! His household must be filled with fear and unease upon hearing the news!"

"When you have time, go see your sister-in-law and your nephews and nieces. You are the crown prince, and also a brother; you must keep these things in mind!"

"Alright, you may leave!"

…………

Outside Jizhou City.

Jia Jing had led 40,000 cavalry and infantry to besiege the city for three days, but no matter how the Han army challenged them, the Qing army held firm and did not come out.

The sun rises in the east, and the sky is filled with rosy clouds.

The weather in September gets colder day by day.

The cold wind howled, and the chill seemed to foreshadow the tragic end of the Qing army in Jizhou City.

On the horizon outside Jizhou City, a massive Han army once again surged out of their camp and arrayed themselves outside the city.

Under the great banner of the Han army,

Jia Jing gazed calmly at the towering city of Jizhou, where the Qing troops were already on guard, staring intently at the outside of the city as if facing a formidable enemy.

The 20,000 Qing troops were more than enough to defend Jizhou City. After all, even with the 25,000 infantrymen sent by Nian Gengyao as reinforcements, their own side only had about 40,000 Han troops.

No matter how capable the Xuanjia Army was, they were still cavalry. The advantage of cavalry lies in mobility and surprise attacks. There has never been a reason to use cavalry to besiege cities since ancient times.

As a major military stronghold of the Han Dynasty, Jizhou City, although its defensive facilities could not compare with those of powerful cities such as Shenjing, Jinling, and Chang'an, should not be underestimated in its various military constructions.

The city wall, including the parapet, was 35 feet high, which is about 11 meters in modern units.

Not to mention, it also has a moat, two watchtowers, and four corner towers for observation and shooting. There are barbicans on the east, south, and west sides, and it is backed by the Yanshan Mountains to the north, controlling the valleys and highlands. It is a city that is easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Jia Jing was accompanied by Qin Qiong, Zhu Que, Feng Ziying, and Han Qi, as well as Liu Fang, the first-class viscount of the Duke of Liguo's mansion and Hou Xiaokang, the current first-class viscount of the Duke of Xiuguo's mansion, who had just arrived to provide support.

Liu Fang and Hou Xiaokang were sent by Nian Gengyao to support Jia Jing. They were also rare outstanding individuals among the founding line of military officers, serving as fifth-rank military officers in the Han army.

This opportunity to come to their aid was something they had worked very hard to secure from among the generals and soldiers of Liaodong.

After all, everyone knows that capturing or killing the Qing army commander-in-chief, Yinqi, would be a great achievement.

As for whether they could defeat the Qing army, no one had any doubts, after all, Jia Jing was really too good at fighting!

He has never been defeated since the start of the campaign and has become a legendary figure in the hearts of the soldiers in Liaodong.

"My lord, the city has been besieged for three days now. When will we launch our attack?"

Feng Ziying stared intently at Jizhou City ahead, like a hunter eyeing a plump prey.

He had already risen two ranks from the position of fifth-rank military officer and was granted the title of second-class baron.

However, because he missed Jia Jing's attack on Ji Du when he returned to Shenjing to report his achievements last time, his military merits were less than Han Qi's, and his rank was also one level lower. Therefore, he was extremely eager to make a name for himself in this battle.

As for why he addressed Jia Jing as "Lord Earl," it was naturally because the imperial edict from the capital had reached the army, and Jia Jing had been promoted to the rank of Fourth-Rank General and First-Class Earl for his meritorious service.

Since the rank of First-Class Earl is equivalent to the rank of Third-Rank Official, which is higher than the rank of Fourth-Rank General,

Therefore, the generals in the army began to address Jia Jing as "Lord Earl".

"Yes, my lord! The siege equipment is all ready, awaiting only your command! I guarantee that within five days we will capture Jizhou City and take the treacherous Qing prince, Yinqi, prisoner alive..."

Han Qi, standing to the side, also volunteered with a confident expression.

Since he followed Jia Jing in battle, he has been invincible and has accumulated merits to rise to the rank of Fifth-Rank Colonel, and was granted the title of First-Class Baron.