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

On a small hillside beside the official road outside the capital city,

Surrounded by his personal guards, Jia Jing gazed intently at the two eight-ox crossbows, about fifty foot-operated crossbows, and about a hundred hand crossbows placed in a hollow on the hillside.

The faint blue light emanating from the crossbow bolt beside him brought a cold smile to his lips!

What a grand display! What a ruthless method!

To deal with him, they not only used the Eight-Ox Crossbow, but also poisoned the crossbow bolts, as if they were afraid he wouldn't die!

It should be noted that, although the "Great Han Law - Military Law - Military Administration" clearly stipulates:

The items prohibited from being privately owned by the public are "vests, badges, fire tubes, and cannons," while bows, arrows, guns, knives, crossbows, harpoons, and spears are explicitly exempt from the restrictions.

However, the Eight-Ox Crossbow, a national-level strategic weapon of mass destruction, is absolutely not among the crossbows that can be privately owned!

The Eight-Bull Crossbow, also known as the Three-Bow Bed Crossbow, is an ultra-heavy siege weapon that requires at least dozens of people to pull the bowstring. The arrows are like javelins and are used to drive into the city walls for soldiers to climb.

In other words, this was never intended to be a weapon for killing, but it has now been used against him.

It is conceivable that even with his superb martial arts skills, if he were to be accidentally hit by this crossbow bolt, he would probably not have a good end, let alone one that was coated with a deadly poison!

Looking down from the hillside, it was a turning point on the official road, where the road narrowed from wide to narrow, leaving no place to hide.

If ambushed from a high vantage point with crossbow bolts, and the person is unprepared, death is almost certain.

If it weren't for the Imperial Guards' preemptive report, this would have been truly dangerous!

A cold glint flashed in Jia Jing's eyes as he looked at the several armored corpses on the ground. Based on his years of military experience, he could tell at a glance that the armor also came from the Han army!

This suggests that the person behind this ambush must be a military officer from the imperial court!

Just as Jia Jing was deep in thought, a personal guard came to report:

"My lord! Minister Xia from the palace has arrived!"

A short while later, Xia Shouzhong, with a red and swollen mark on his forehead, led a group of Imperial City Envoys, travel-worn and sweating profusely, jogging up the hillside. From a distance, he shouted:

"Duke Jing, are you alright? I was so worried about you! Are you hurt anywhere?"

His expression was like that of a servant caring for his master, causing the Imperial City Envoys behind him to turn their heads in surprise. When had they ever seen their lord so obsequious?

Jia Jing nodded slightly. Xia Shouzhong's arrival was not unexpected, because after the attack, he immediately ordered someone to send the news to Emperor Jingsheng!

"Minister Xia, it's such a small matter, why did you come in person?"

Xia Shouzhong looked Jia Jing up and down, left and right, and only breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that he was unharmed.

"This is nothing! You don't know, His Majesty was extremely shocked and furious when he heard that the Duke had been attacked. He originally wanted to personally lead the imperial entourage out of the palace."

"If it weren't for the earnest persuasion of Grand Secretary Li and others, who said that it was already late and the capital was not safe, and that it might be vulnerable to thieves, His Majesty would have arrived by now!"

"However, although His Majesty was unable to make the trip, he is still very worried about the Duke's condition. He ordered me to bring the imperial physicians over, and to report back to the palace immediately if any problems are found!"

Jia Jing's expression softened slightly. He had already reported his safety to Emperor Jingsheng in his memorial, but he hadn't expected the emperor to still be so concerned about his well-being. He immediately cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards the capital and said:

"Your Majesty's grace is truly boundless; I am deeply grateful!"

Then he said to Xia Shouzhong:

"I'm sorry to trouble you, Minister! It was a stroke of luck that our scouts discovered the bandits' plot ahead of time."

"By turning the tables on them, not only did they avoid the ambush, but they also wiped out all those lying in wait and captured more than a dozen prisoners. They are currently interrogating them and trying to find out who was behind it all!"

In fact, it was the Embroidered Uniform Guard who discovered clues in the capital city and gave Jia Jing a heads-up, thus luring him out and saving him from disaster!

Through this incident, Jia Jing understood more deeply that in the increasingly turbulent situation, the Embroidered Uniform Guard was a trump card for survival and something that must be vigorously developed!

Xia Shouzhong's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he immediately said fiercely:

"They even captured them alive! Good! These lawless, audacious scoundrels dared to openly attack Grand Secretary Zhang and you in the capital city."

"They even killed more than twenty Imperial City Envoys from my Imperial City Guard! Their crimes are utterly heinous, bordering on treason!"

"If this humble servant finds out who did it, I will surely confiscate their property, exterminate their entire clan, cut them into a thousand pieces, and grind their bones to dust..."

Xia Shouzhong's fair face was contorted with rage and contorted with rage.

It has to be said that these two attacks today have made him lose face in front of Emperor Jingsheng!

Within the capital city, right under the emperor's nose, two horrifying incidents occurred in succession, in which high-ranking officials of the court were assassinated.

The Imperial City Guard, as the emperor's eyes and ears, was kept in the dark and failed to uncover any useful information. This is... a serious dereliction of duty!

Originally, after Zhang Tingyu was attacked, Emperor Jingsheng was already furious and slammed his fist on the table, giving him a severe reprimand.

When news of Jia Jing's attack reached the palace, Xia Shouzhong was directly hit with a paperweight by Emperor Jingsheng!

God knows!

This was the first time in ten years since Xia Shouzhong became the Grand Chancellor and the Imperial City Guard that he had been beaten by the Emperor!

He still remembers the Emperor Jingsheng's outburst of anger and fear in the Qianqing Palace, followed by his furious roar.

To be honest, he even suspected that if Jia Jing really got into trouble, the emperor might be furious and have him dragged out and beheaded!

"Is Grand Secretary Zhang alright?" Jia Jing asked softly after Xia Shouzhong had calmed down a bit.

Emperor Jingsheng summoned him, but the messenger only mentioned that Zhang Tingyu had been attacked, without explaining the details.

Such a diligent and virtuous person should not be harmed by others!

Xia Shouzhong said in a low voice:

"It's alright! Fortunately, my subordinate, Deputy Envoy Gu, was quick-witted and noticed something amiss beforehand. He took precautions and has been using a cover-up for the past few days, sending Grand Secretary Zhang's old servant in a sedan chair ahead. Otherwise, Grand Secretary Zhang would likely have been in grave danger!"

"Alas... I never expected the villains to use such a complex scheme. Now it seems that Grand Secretary Zhang might just be bait; their true target is you, Duke!"

Jia Jing's heart stirred slightly, but his expression remained unchanged as he coldly sneered:

"They're not afraid of breaking their teeth if they want to mess with me!"

He paused, then continued:

"However, there are too many monsters and scoundrels in the capital city; it's time to cleanse it up!"

Xia Shouzhong hurriedly said:

"What the Duke says is true, and His Majesty means the same thing! When I left the palace, His Majesty had already issued decrees to the Five City Garrison and the Imperial City Garrison, ordering us to cooperate with you in thoroughly investigating this matter and purging the capital!"

"His Majesty said that this matter shakes the very foundation of the state and is extremely heinous. You don't need to follow the usual procedures for investigation and evidence collection. If you suspect anyone, arrest and interrogate them directly. Better to arrest the wrong person than let one go. Cut the Gordian knot!"

"If there is any obstruction, regardless of rank or request for permission, you may act first and report later! Oh, and His Majesty also asked me to bring this to the Duke..."

As Xia Shouzhong spoke, he solemnly took out a rectangular gold medal from his bosom, which was one foot high and three inches wide, with an arc-shaped top.

The gold medal is cast in pure copper, with a gilded surface and strong, powerful lines.

The top of the plaque is carved with two banana leaves, with a round hole in the center through which a bright yellow silk ribbon is threaded.

The upper part of its front is engraved with two dragons, which are coiled among cloud patterns, baring their teeth and claws. The lower part is engraved with two tigers, and in the middle are the four large characters "As if the Emperor were personally present".

The back features a cloud pattern, with intertwined cloud patterns that give it a dignified and imposing appearance.

"His Majesty says, Duke, you already possess the Imperial Sword. With this golden token added, the sword commands execution, and the token commands orders. One is for internal affairs, the other for external matters; one for civil affairs, the other for military affairs. From now on, there will be no more obstacles within the capital!"

Xia Shouzhong's face showed a hint of emotion and envy, and his expression changed, becoming even more respectful!