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

Emperor Jingsheng hurriedly summoned his ministers to prepare to finalize the rewards and honors.

Although the matter has been discussed several times in recent days, nothing has been finalized yet.

The first thing to do, of course, is to reward Jia Jing, since his previous merits have already been recognized.

This discussion will mainly focus on how to reward military merits in the Battle of Jizhou.

Emperor Jingsheng's complexion has improved considerably these days, and according to rumors in the palace, he has even started eating more.

He swept his gaze over everyone in the hall one by one.

Zhang Tingyu, Grand Secretary of the Wenhua Hall; Li Guangdi, Grand Secretary of the Wuying Hall; Chen Tingjing, Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion; Gong Dingzi, Grand Secretary of the Baohe Hall; Niu Jizong, Left Vice-General; and Xu Ding, Right Vice-General and Duke of Zhao, were all among those listed.

Emperor Jingsheng got straight to the point:

"The war in Liaodong has come to an end! With the harsh winter, it is unlikely that the Qing regime will launch another attack at this time."

"As discussed last time, Nian Gengyao is a skilled military leader and should be promoted to the rank of First-Class Marquis to continue guarding Liaodong and preventing the Qing dynasty from taking over."

"Now that Minister Jia has returned to the capital in triumph, he is already outside the city walls and will be able to enter the palace later today. It is time to finalize his rewards and honors!"

The officials below had anticipated this, each with their own thoughts, and understood that Emperor Jingsheng valued Jia Jing highly, so none of them raised any objections.

To be honest, Jia Jing's ability to capture and kill the Manchu prince so quickly was beyond their expectations.

This young man is indeed quite capable; he's truly formidable in battle.

His individual martial prowess, in particular, was simply astonishing.

It was indeed a bit too much killing...

Emperor Jingsheng continued in a deep voice:

"Jia Qing's contribution to this great victory over the Qing army is undeniable! His command strategies and personal martial prowess are beyond reproach!"

"Moreover, a swift victory would prevent the Qing army from slaughtering our Han territory, and I would not be driven to the gates of the capital, losing all national prestige!"

"He should be rewarded and honored, and this should be made public to show the court that rewards and punishments are fair and that meritorious officials are not treated poorly!"

Emperor Jingsheng's words left the cabinet ministers below looking at each other in bewilderment.

Winning a battle certainly deserves a reward, but the question now is how to reward them.

What do you all think?

Emperor Jingsheng asked the assembled officials in the hall, observing their reactions with a stern gaze.

Zhang Tingyu, a Grand Secretary of the Wenhua Hall, remained expressionless. He always believed that silence was better than a thousand words and rarely spoke.

Li Guangdi, a Grand Secretary of the Wuying Hall, had a calm gaze and no expression.

Gong Dingzi, the Grand Secretary of the Hall of Preserving Harmony, looked respectful, and it was assumed that he would not have any objections.

Grand Secretary Chen Tingjing of the Wenyuan Pavilion looked relieved, as if he had breathed a sigh of relief. The war in Liaodong had finally come to an end, and the court's finances could finally catch their breath!

Left Commander-in-Chief Niu Jizong, his face beaming with joy, spoke first:

"Your Majesty is absolutely right! The success of this battle is entirely due to Jia Jing's fearlessness in the face of difficulties and his swift pacification of the Tartars."

"Otherwise, I fear the area around the capital will be engulfed in war, devastated, and countless people will die. I believe that Jia Jing has rendered great service to the nation."

Niu Jizong's statement that Jia Jing had made great contributions to the country solidified Jia Jing's merits and set the tone for subsequent rewards.

Zhang Tingyu, Li Guangdi, Chen Tingjing, and others did not object; granting Jia Jing a marquisate after the battle was something that everyone had already tacitly agreed upon.

Only Xu Ding, the Right Vice-General and Duke of Zhao, frowned deeply and stepped forward to say:

"Your Majesty! I believe that although Jia Jing has rendered some merit, his killing of countless prisoners on the battlefield is far too cruel!"

"This would likely lead the world to believe that our Han Dynasty is a patricide, which would severely damage the image of our Han Dynasty as a nation of propriety!"

"Furthermore, after Jia Jing captured the Manchu Crown Prince Yinti, he beheaded him without seeking imperial permission. This is an overreach! It also leaves no room for peace talks between our Han and Qing dynasties!"

"His actions have both merits and demerits. I believe that his merits and demerits should be offset against each other, and he should not be given any reward."

The hall fell silent after Xu Ding's speech, and everyone stared at Duke Zhao, Xu Ding, in astonishment.

Merits and demerits cancel each other out?

Even if you, the Jingnan Wuxun, and the Kaiguo Wuxun, don't go against each other, you can't speak like this against your conscience!

Emperor Jingsheng's face darkened instantly, and he was very unhappy.

But Niu Jizong didn't care about that. His leopard-like eyes stared directly at Duke Zhao and he cursed:

"Bullshit! You only mention Jia Jing killing prisoners, but have you seen the reports from the front lines detailing how many Qing soldiers and civilians they killed? Zunhua was completely massacred, practically reduced to a ghost town. Can't you see that?"

"You show no sympathy for the people of my Great Han, but instead speak up for the Tartars. Are you an official of my Great Han or an official of their pseudo-Qing?"

Niu Jizong, his temper flaring up, pointed directly at Duke Zhao, Xu Ding, and began to curse.

As a general who had served on the Liaodong border, Niu Jizong knew all too well the brutality of the Tartars.

Once the Tartars breached a border city, burning, killing, and looting were the least of their offenses; they would often massacre entire cities, showing absolutely no humanity.

The soldiers on the border defended their country, and countless lives were lost in the process to achieve this victory. He would never allow Duke Xu Ding of Zhao to deny Jia Jing's contributions in this way.

Emperor Jingsheng's expression was equally grim. He raised his eyes to look at Duke Zhao, Xu Ding, and said in a cold voice:

"Duke of Zhao, you seem to have forgotten Emperor Chengzu's dying words!"

After Emperor Chengzu of Han launched the Jingnan Campaign, he was almost constantly fighting against the puppet Qing dynasty in Liaodong. He personally led four expeditions to Liaodong, killing countless enemies, and even directly destroyed Nurhaci and Huang Taiji, the founding emperors of the Manchu Qing dynasty.

On his deathbed, he left a final message: "The Qing Dynasty is a major threat to our Han Dynasty, and it must be destroyed!"

His will also stated: "Whoever destroys the Qing dynasty can be the ancestor of the Han dynasty's revival, and his subjects can be hereditary kings."

Emperor Jingsheng's words left Duke Zhao, Xu Ding, utterly humiliated and filled him with apprehension.

This is practically equivalent to accusing the Duke of Zhao of forgetting his ancestors!

After all, you, Duke of Zhao, were a military hero who fought in the Jingnan Rebellion, and it was only by following Emperor Chengzu that you rose to prominence and were granted your title.

They've actually forgotten Emperor Chengzu's dying words and are spouting nonsense about the Han Dynasty wanting to negotiate peace with the Qing Dynasty. Isn't that ridiculous?

Emperor Jingsheng frowned, looked at the assembled officials in the hall, and said in a firm tone:

"I may speak frankly! There is absolutely no possibility of peace talks between our Great Han and the pseudo-Qing! This is not only the will of Emperor Taizu and Emperor Chengzu, but also my will!"

"The puppet Qing dynasty has invaded our territory and slaughtered our people year after year. They are extremely vicious and their crimes are heinous! They are truly a major threat to our great Han dynasty!"

"When the Qing army of 150,000 attacked, many in the court advised me to negotiate peace, but I did not compromise! Now that my Han soldiers are brave, I am even less likely to compromise!"

"The emperor guards the nation's gates! The monarch dies for the state! Only one of the Great Han and the pseudo-Qing can exist! Either our Great Han perishes! Or the pseudo-Qing dies! There is absolutely no third possibility!"

Emperor Jingsheng stood up, slammed his hand on the table in front of him, and shouted angrily in a fierce voice!

The assembled officials were immediately filled with awe, sensing Emperor Jingsheng's unwavering will. They all knelt down and shouted:

"Your Majesty is wise! We, your subjects, will obey your decree!"