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

In the Qianqing Palace, Emperor Jingsheng, while allocating half of the meal sent by Empress Zhou, muttered to himself:

"Zijie must be hungry after attending court for so long. Why don't you come and have something to eat with me!"

"He was busy all night last night and didn't sleep. I'm a little worried about whether his health can handle it!"

It must be said that not only was Jia Jing worried about Emperor Jingsheng's health, but Emperor Jingsheng was also very concerned about Jia Jing's health.

Throughout history, there has never been a shortage of ministers who made outstanding contributions but died young. Although they shone brightly in their limited lives, they were as fleeting as shooting stars!

Emperor Jingsheng had always harbored this worry, and yesterday's attack only amplified it!

The capital city is currently rife with undercurrents and constant open and covert attacks. If one were to carelessly lose one of their own loyal ministers, they would have no face to face the founding emperor even after death!

Therefore, Fang Congzhe and others' assassination attempt truly stepped on Emperor Jingsheng's sore spot, which is why he insisted on skinning them alive during the morning court session, despite the advice of his court officials, to vent his hatred!

Empress Zhou, who was standing to the side, saw Emperor Jingsheng personally preparing food for Jia Jing, and her beautiful eyes, beneath her dark eyebrows, flashed with surprise once again.

Even his own son, Biao'er, had never received such treatment, right?

If she hadn't known that Jia Jing had a clean background, she would have even suspected that Jia Jing was Emperor Jingsheng's illegitimate son!

The concern has reached such a level...

Empress Zhou composed herself, sat down, and said with a smile:

"I've only ever seen such concern for a subject from Grand Secretary Zhang before, Your Majesty!"

Zhang Tingyu had dined with Emperor Jingsheng before, and Empress Zhou had witnessed it!

Of course, his treatment couldn't compare to Jia Jing's!

Putting everything else aside, the meals prepared by the Empress herself have never been enjoyed by any official in the outer court!

"Although Zhang Tingyu is also one of my trusted advisors and a pillar of the court, compared to Zijie..."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Jingsheng smiled and shook his head. Although he didn't finish his sentence, the meaning was clear.

Zhang Tingyu was far less important to him than Jia Jing!

His words were not meant to belittle Zhang Tingyu, nor did they imply that Zhang Tingyu lacked ability.

On the contrary, Zhang Tingyu held a very high place in his heart, and his abilities were genuine.

Among the tens of thousands of civil officials in the court, Zhang Tingyu would certainly be among the top three.

He was the kind of person who could straighten out a chaotic court and clarify all the complex affairs of state, and he was also the most loyal and virtuous minister who could understand the thoughts of the emperor!

Emperor Jingsheng was well aware that no matter how capable Zhang Tingyu was, he was ultimately a civil official, a capable minister for governing the country.

He can assist the monarch in governing the country, meticulously repair and fix a machine that is still running, and gradually eliminate long-standing problems.

But if this machine is already teetering on the brink of collapse, if a corner of the sky has already crumbled, if the Han dynasty is already in a precarious state, on the verge of collapse at any moment, Zhang Tingyu will not be able to hold up that pillar.

A capable minister in times of peace can only make a good country even better.

However, they could not save the crumbling edifice, nor could they create a new era of prosperity from decay.

This can be clearly seen from the fact that during the nine years before Jia Jing appeared, the court's situation deteriorated step by step, the new policies struggled to progress, the pseudo-Qing forces were difficult to control, and external and internal troubles continued to erupt.

Even the most capable minister cannot cook without rice!

Because... ultimately, to rebuild from chaos, to find a way out of a desperate situation, to accomplish the near-impossible task of reviving the nation...

What we need is not poetry, literature, or the ability to govern a country, but weapons, iron and fire, unparalleled courage, and indomitable ability!

Such people are extremely rare, few and far between, and each one was an unparalleled meritorious official who helped establish and solidify the dynasty throughout history!

Originally, our dynasty did not have such a capable person, but the founding emperor appeared in spirit, unwilling to see the country and its people trampled by the iron hooves of foreign tribes, and personally sent him one!

Therefore, in Emperor Jingsheng's mind, ten Zhang Tingyus were not as important as one Jia Jing!

Anyone who dares to cause trouble for Jia Jing should not blame him for drawing his knife!

Thinking of this, Emperor Jingsheng seemed to remember something else and suddenly asked:

"How is Mr. Shi doing lately? Is he still spouting nonsense?"

Lady Shi was one of the two consorts in Emperor Jingsheng's harem, the Virtuous Consort.

Empress Zhou suppressed the growing surprise in her heart and carefully chose her words before replying:

"She wasn't talking nonsense, but the Empress Dowager sent someone to see her a few days ago, and I don't know what they said!"

The Empress Dowager was the mother of the retired emperor and was considered the oldest and most respected woman in the palace!

Upon hearing this, Emperor Jingsheng's face darkened instantly, and he said coldly:

"In the past, she never recognized her place, often trying to curry favor with those in Renshou Palace. She was cunning but lacked virtue, and didn't know her place. I have long been disgusted with her, Your Excellency!"

It should be noted that Empress Dowager Sun of Renshou Palace and Emperor Jingsheng were at odds!

After the retired emperor was captured, Empress Sun was actually eager to welcome him back, but she could not go against the wishes of the officials and had no choice but to choose Emperor Jingsheng as the new emperor!

At the beginning of Emperor Jingsheng's reign, his power was not yet stable, and the Sun family, who were in the harem, interfered in politics, causing Emperor Jingsheng a lot of trouble, both openly and secretly.

When the retired emperor was welcomed back, Empress Sun repeatedly mentioned that Emperor Jingsheng should return power to the emperor. The two had several cold exchanges and a very unpleasant situation.

These things have always been a thorn in Emperor Jingsheng's side!

"This servant is here!" Xia Shouzhong jogged in from outside the door.

Emperor Jingsheng's face turned ashen, and he said in a cold voice:

"By imperial decree, Consort Shi, of Virtuous Virtue, comes from a rebellious family and has never reflected on her own conduct. Her maternal family, the Duke of Shan, is a noble family and a member of the imperial family, yet she does not think of serving the country. Instead, she has been secretly distributing military weapons, colluding with rebels, and participating in the assassination of important court officials. Her crimes are the most heinous."

"As a concubine, Lady Shi has failed to fulfill her duties, making presumptuous remarks and interfering in politics, showing contempt for the emperor's authority. How can she possess even a trace of the virtues of an imperial concubine? She is utterly lacking in both virtue and morality. Therefore, she is hereby stripped of her title of Virtuous Concubine, her rank is revoked, and she is to be given a bolt of white silk to commit suicide immediately, in order to set an example for the palace."

Since the Duke of Shanguo's mansion has been raided and the entire clan exterminated, there is no reason to leave the Shi family alive!

Especially since she had already been banished to the Cold Palace, she still dared to have an ambiguous relationship with Renshou Palace; she was simply courting death!

Empress Zhou, standing to the side, slightly changed her expression and whispered her advice:

"Your Majesty! To order death...this might...undermine Your Majesty's wisdom, wouldn't it?"

Empress Zhou only then realized that yesterday's attack was related to the Duke of Shan's mansion. Logically speaking, this crime was indeed quite serious.

However, Emperor Jingsheng's harem was already very small, with only two concubines. The sudden execution of one of them was somewhat unsettling!

Furthermore, there is no formal article on "granting death" in the Great Han Law or regular imperial regulations such as the Imperial Han Ancestral Instructions.

Generally, the punishments for concubines in the imperial harem include demotion, banishment to the cold palace, and being reduced to commoners, which are the established methods.

In other words, granting death by imperial decree goes beyond the bounds of written law and could very likely affect the stability of the harem and cause controversy.

Of course, most importantly, this matter was ordered by Emperor Jingsheng after consulting Empress Zhou, which could easily lead people to mistakenly believe that Empress Zhou instigated, promoted, or even led the matter, and would also harm Empress Zhou's reputation for virtue!

Emperor Jingsheng seemed to have considered this point as well. After thinking for a moment, he said in a deep voice:

"If I don't issue an imperial edict, I'll report a death from illness in a few days! I may not care about my reputation, but I cannot let the Empress Dowager be implicated! Go!"

Xia Shouzhong bowed and said:

"This servant obeys the decree!"

Upon hearing this, Empress Zhou paused slightly, pursed her pink lips, and whispered:

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your understanding!"

Empress Zhou and Emperor Jingsheng had been husband and wife for many years, and neither of them pretended to defer to the other!

Just as the Emperor and Empress were talking, Jia Jing, led by a palace attendant, entered the side hall of the Qianqing Palace.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects!"

When Jia Jing entered the hall and saw Empress Zhou, he immediately recognized her from her bright yellow ceremonial robe and bowed in respect.

In the early Han Dynasty, the empress's ceremonial robes were dark blue. After Emperor Chengzu, they were changed to bright yellow, matching the color of the emperor's dragon robe. This was the empress's most exclusive color privilege in the harem.

Emperor Jingsheng's previously somewhat gloomy expression instantly brightened upon seeing Jia Jing, and he smiled gently, saying:

"Zijie, you've arrived! Come and sit down. The Empress has made some white fungus soup and snacks; it's perfect for us, Your Majesty and your subject, to enjoy them together!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Jing, with a respectful expression, bowed deeply and said:

"Since it was made by Her Majesty herself, how dare I presume to enjoy it!"

At this moment, Jia Jing seemed even more humble than before he was granted the title!