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

In his memory, there was truly no other minister whom Emperor Jingsheng trusted to this extent!

It should be noted that although the Imperial Sword and the Golden Token are both symbols of imperial power, their functions are different.

The core functions of the Shangfang Sword are "specialized killing" and "acting expediently".

Under the Han Dynasty system, those who wielded the Shangfang sword had the privilege of "execution first, reporting later," but the sword's power was also accompanied by clear limitations:

First, there is a rank restriction. The Shangfang Sword is mainly effective against officials below the third rank. Its deterrent effect will be greatly reduced when facing higher-ranking officials or nobles.

Secondly, there are limitations on the scope of the sword. The Shangfang sword is more of a military-related authorization, mainly used for "special killing" rather than for daily political affairs or inter-departmental deployment.

The core of the imperial gold plaque is "as if the emperor were personally present," which is a symbol of Emperor Jingsheng himself. Its main function is to "authorize" rather than "kill".

The gold medal represented the emperor himself, meaning that the holder had the power to control all parties and demand that all officials in the court cooperate with his actions.

The effects of a gold medal are not limited to the military; they can also cover almost all fields, including politics, law, and personnel.

The combination of the Imperial Sword and the Gold Medal constitutes the extremely rare "Power Sword and Gold Medal" of the Han Dynasty, which can not only mobilize all resources of the Han Dynasty, including the army, but also order any official to cooperate with the investigation!

It is no exaggeration to say that Jia Jing, who possessed the Power Sword Gold Token, now had the legitimate power to deal with any official and interfere in any matter in the capital city.

Jia Jing's expression hardened slightly. He took the gold medal, examined it carefully, and pondered the implications. He then asked meaningfully:

"In our dynasty, it seems this gold medal is not often bestowed upon officials!"

Xia Shouzhong smiled wryly:

"This is not a rare bestowal. In the ten years since His Majesty ascended the throne, you, the Duke, are the only one to have been granted both a gold medal and an imperial sword at the same time!"

As far as he knew, the Golden Sword Token had only been bestowed upon princes during the reign of Emperor Taizu, and had not appeared again for a century.

Because the power they represented was so great, emperors who lacked prestige would worry that bestowing them upon their subjects would undermine their imperial authority, and thus would never bestow both upon their subjects at the same time!

Alas! I wonder what kind of magic this person possesses... how could His Majesty trust him to such an extent!

It's truly baffling!

Jia Jing frowned slightly and remained silent for a moment.

Having the Power Sword Gold Token has both advantages and disadvantages for him. The advantage is that his power will be greatly increased. In the future, he can act on behalf of the emperor in whatever he does, with a righteous and noble attitude, and he can advance and retreat at will.

The downside is that he is becoming more and more like a powerful minister, wielding military power and authority, and is hardly someone who has long been subordinate to others. It is likely that the criticism and vigilance against him from the court and the public will reach its peak in the future!

As for why Emperor Jingsheng would give him the gold medal at this time, it was probably because he was too worried about his safety and became confused due to his concern.

Or perhaps his assassination attempt truly touched Emperor Jingsheng's sore spot, making it unacceptable for the emperor to believe that such a thing could happen a second time, and thus he was inclined to give him more power to protect himself!

After a moment's thought, Jia Jing concluded that the benefits outweighed the drawbacks. After all, the things he was about to do would only distance him from the court officials, so he wasn't afraid of their more intense attacks!

Therefore, it would be better to stand firmly with Emperor Jingsheng, to be a powerful minister, and also a lone minister!

Jia Jing accepted the gold medal and exclaimed:

"Your Majesty's trust is so great, I truly don't know what to do!"

"The Duke is His Majesty's most trusted advisor and a pillar of our Han Dynasty, having rendered great service to the nation. It is most fitting that you, the one wielding the sword and gold token, are appointed!" Xia Shouzhong complimented with a smile, then after a moment of silence, asked:

"I wonder where the Duke intends to begin his thorough investigation into this assassination? The thieves seem to number quite a few, and they also possess powerful crossbows from the army. Should we transfer troops from the military camp to seal off the capital city, just in case?"

Jia Jing shook his head and said:

"With the manpower of the Imperial City Guard and the Five City Garrison, plus my personal guards, we are more than capable of wiping out all the villains. It is already evening, and it is not advisable to launch a major attack!"

If Emperor Jingsheng hadn't given him this gold medal, he would have considered directly sending troops to suppress the entire city!

After all, if you're attacked and killed, how can you not retaliate fiercely!

However, now that he had the power to command the Imperial City Guard and the Five City Garrison, it would be inappropriate to mobilize troops again!

Because a large army is gathering at night and heading towards the capital, it is easy to cause panic and be mistaken for a mutiny!

Just as the two were talking, Zhuque hurriedly came over with a case file.

"My lord! All those we captured have confessed! Most of the people who attacked you and Grand Secretary Zhang came from Jiangnan, specifically from the Ren, Chen, Zeng, and Huang families, the nine great families of Jiangnan."

"The Chen and Huang families were raided by Grand Secretary Gong, and the Ren and Zeng families were also severely punished by him. These people, led by the Ren family, had already arrived in Shenjing City more than a month ago to cultivate relationships."

Zhuque unfolded the case file, lowering her voice, but every word was clear:

"According to their confessions, the Ren family's background in the capital and the previous incident of officials forcing the emperor to abdicate are all connected."

"The last time the officials forced the emperor to abdicate, it was ostensibly led by Xu Zhuo and others, but in reality, the money, information, and pretexts for the alliance were all handed over from Jiangnan."

"They originally intended to use the power of the officials to force His Majesty to abolish the new policies and dismiss Grand Secretary Gong."

"But they did not expect that His Majesty would not back down, but instead used the opportunity to launch a major case against factions, uprooting all the officials in the court who spoke on their behalf."

Zhuque turned a page of the case file and continued:

"When the situation got out of control, the Ren family changed their tactics."

"Their objective this time was very clear: to assassinate Grand Secretary Zhang and the Duke."

Zhuque, her face contorted with anger, said:

"With the death of Grand Secretary Zhang, the case of the faction will be left unattended, and the testimonies of the officials involved and the clues that lead to their deaths will be cut off halfway. This will give them time to destroy evidence, appease the public, and reorganize their plans."

"With the Duke's death, His Majesty's military power has lost its backbone. The Twelve Battalions are left without a commander, and the people of the capital will immediately be in turmoil. His Majesty has lost two of his most important ministers and will no longer dare to use ruthless methods against Jiangnan."

"If the two of you die at the same time, the case of factionalism will be solved, the new policies will lose their leader, and the morale of the army will be unstable. When all three things explode at once, the capital city will inevitably be in chaos. And once the capital city is in chaos, they will have the upper hand. At that time, they will be able to easily and effortlessly decide who to protect, who to oust, and who to depose."

Upon hearing this, Xia Shouzhong's gaze suddenly darkened, and he asked urgently:

"Where did their crossbows and armor come from? Why haven't the Imperial City Guards detected their movements or activities these past few days?"

Zhuque glanced at Jia Jing, and seeing him nod slightly, she spoke:

"The crossbows and armor came from the residences of the Duke of Shan and the Marquis of Pingyuan. Shi Guangzhu and Jiang Zining were beheaded by the Duke, and their families harbored resentment. Incited by people from Jiangnan, they took out the weapons they had secretly stored in their private treasury and handed them over to them."

"Moreover, these crossbows and armor are old items that have flowed out of Liaodong and Southeast China. The crossbows and armor plates are still marked with the marks of Liaodong Town and Southeast Military Town. Even if someone investigates, they will only follow this direction."

"At that time, the bows and crossbows are from Liaodong, and the armor is from the southeast. The two sides are intertwined, and no one can explain it clearly. If the court really investigates in Liaodong and the southeast, it will only affect the border and cause the emperor and the border generals to become suspicious of each other."

"They're doing this not only to frame us, but also to muddy the waters. If the capital falls into chaos, the new policies in Jiangnan will inevitably fail to be implemented!"

"As for why the Imperial City Guard didn't notice their presence, it's because someone has been covering for them! Ren Bo'an's younger brother, Liu Banu, is the mastermind behind these thieves from Jiangnan in the capital. He's been staying at the home of Grand Secretary Fang Congzhe all this time!"

Xia Shouzhong was utterly shocked and subconsciously asked:

"Is Grand Secretary Fang also colluding with the traitors?"

Zhuque nodded and said:

"That's right. The one who led the assassination attempt on the Duke was Liu Ba Nu's confidant. According to his confession, the Ren family had a book called 'Records of Officials', which recorded the corrupt and illegal activities of officials in the court. They used this book to blackmail officials into doing things for them."

"Fang, the Grand Secretary, was greedy and lustful. When he was an official in Jiangnan, he forcibly took another man's wife, and this was recorded in the annals of officials."

"From then on, Ren Bo'an used this matter to remotely control Grand Secretary Fang and take control of the court. According to their confessions, Grand Secretary Fang's entry into the cabinet this year was also due to Ren Bo'an's manipulation behind the scenes using the power of officials and gentry in Jiangnan, so that he could have someone in the cabinet who would speak for the Jiangnan gentry."

After listening, Xia Shouzhong fell silent, his expression becoming solemn.

He was an inner minister by Emperor Jingsheng's side and had seen too many storms, but hearing such secrets today still made him feel a chill in his heart.

This assassination involved cabinet ministers, officials and gentry from Jiangnan, court officials, border generals, and even a record of official conduct that could cause a stir in the court and among the public. This matter was far too complex and far-reaching.

He didn't speak again, but simply looked at Jia Jing, waiting for him to make a decision.

Jia Jing remained expressionless for a moment before asking:

"Is Liu Ba Nu still at the Fang residence at this time? And where is the Record of Officials' Conduct?"

Zhuque cupped his hands in reply:

"Liu Banu is still at the Fang residence! As for the whereabouts of the Hundred Officials' Records, only Ren Bo'an and Liu Banu know; no one else knows!"

Jia Jing's expression hardened, and he decisively said:

"Since that's the case, what else is there to say! Let's not delay, let's go and arrest them now. These people lying in ambush haven't returned yet, we can't let them realize something's wrong, escape or destroy the evidence, otherwise it will be difficult to catch them again!"

As he spoke, he turned to look at Xia Shouzhong and said in a deep voice:

"Minister, take your men and ransack the residences of the Marquis of Pingyuan and the Duke of Shan. Be sure to gather evidence and don't let anyone slip through!"

"Your humble servant obeys!" Xia Shouzhong said, bowing.

Jia Jing then said to Zhuque:

"Send the case files to the palace immediately, and assemble the personal guards. We'll head to the Fang residence now."

Without further ado, the group descended the small hill and led their troops swiftly toward the capital city!

"drive!"

In the distance, the sky was gloomy, with layers of dark clouds pressing down, forming a leaden-gray barrier that heavily covered the capital city.

Dark red embers rolled along the edges of the clouds, as if an invisible wildfire was burning in the sky, or like stagnant blood hanging low!