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

In the Qianqing Palace,

After Empress Zhou left, Emperor Jingsheng looked at the young man opposite him and said;

"Zijie! Now that the General Office for Military Affairs has been established, you'll have to take care of military matters from now on!"

"I'll say it again: I won't hinder you. I will fully trust you. Just go for it! If any problems arise, I'll be there to back you up!"

This wasn't the first time Emperor Jingsheng had said this, and he always kept his word, so it came out quite naturally and with great confidence!

Jia Jing raised his head, looked directly at Emperor Jingsheng, and with a resolute gaze, said in a clear voice:

"I am but an unworthy subject, yet Your Majesty has chosen me and promoted me, disregarding my dullness and treating me like a son or nephew, patiently instructing me. Your kindness is as heavy as a mountain, and I would never dare not repay it with my life!"

"I reiterate my stance: I am willing to be Your Majesty's sword, to quell all disloyalty and eradicate all long-standing abuses. This will remain unchanged throughout my life!"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Jingsheng felt a surge of warmth in his heart. Looking at the young man's sincere and adoring eyes, he nodded.

After a moment of silence, he asked:

"Military reform involves the interests of countless veterans and distinguished officers. This matter is far more difficult than the new policies. Where does Zijie plan to begin?"

During this period, Emperor Jingsheng had repeatedly discussed the process of reorganizing and strengthening the army with Jia Jing.

The process was roughly as follows: first, to reorganize the military merits of Shenjing; then, to reform the garrison system; and finally, to strengthen the border generals. It was a progressive process, starting with the easier tasks and gradually moving to the more difficult ones.

Jia Jing straightened his expression and said:

"This matter concerning the Duke of Shan's mansion and the Marquis of Pingyuan's mansion, though perilous, also presents a rare opportunity. I intend to use this matter as a pretext to deliver a swift and decisive blow!"

Since Emperor Jingsheng entrusted him with the presidency of military reform at this time and gave him such great power, he naturally saw an opportunity and hoped that he would take some big actions and use an iron fist to eradicate the deep-seated problems of the army and its troops!

"Oh?" Upon hearing this, Emperor Jingsheng looked intently at Jia Jing and asked in a clear voice:

"How to use swift and decisive measures?"

As expected, Zijie understood his meaning. The young man in front of him swiftly killed or dismissed the corrupt old troops in the Beijing garrison within the Twelfth Regiment.

The ruthless punishment involving over a hundred officers and soldiers, with its extremely harsh methods, caused not a shred of unrest or turmoil! Not even a ripple was made!

Compared to how Prince Teng reorganized the Beijing garrison in the past, it's like heaven and earth!

It is evident how high the prestige of the young man who returned from the great victory in the Northwest was in the army, and how great his influence on the morale of the troops was!

Now that the 12th Regiment is under our control, and the 180,000-strong new army with considerable combat power is ready for battle, what are we waiting for if we don't take this opportunity to vigorously strengthen the army and implement military reforms?

In the past, Emperor Jingsheng always felt that he should not be too hasty, but now he felt that he was too cautious and did not have a good enough understanding of the young man's martial arts, strength and prestige!

Jia Jing remained calm and said:

"In my humble opinion, the first step should be to use the already convicted Duke of Shan and Marquis of Pingyuan as a starting point, and follow the clues to swiftly and thoroughly eradicate the illegal encroachment of military officers on military fields and households in the capital region, and to purge the illegal nobles in Shenjing, thus establishing an ironclad rule of 'inviolability' for military reform throughout the world!"

"Today, the General Military Affairs Office was officially established. Upon assuming office, I am prepared to immediately issue three orders for military reorganization."

"The first military order: requires all garrisons, the Ministry of War, and the Five Military Commands in the capital region to submit reports on all registered personnel, landholdings, and weaponry within a specified period for verification."

"At the same time, the Imperial City Guard is conducting a thorough investigation of the military officers involved in the case, including the Duke of Shanguo's mansion and the Marquis of Pingyuan's mansion, and is recovering all the illegally occupied farmland and collecting the land rent from previous years."

"Using the cases of Shi Guangzhu and Jiang Zining as a breakthrough, a second 'order to reorganize the army and return land within a specified period' was issued to other military officers in Beijing."

"Within half a month, all military households who have illegally occupied military farmland or engaged in private labor shall voluntarily report and return such land. Those who voluntarily report will be exempt from prosecution; those who conceal or fail to report will have their property confiscated and their titles and ranks stripped upon verification!"

Finally, the "Order for the Reorganization of the Garrisons in the Capital Region" was issued, requiring all garrisons in Shuntian, Baoding, Hejian and other prefectures to submit reports on the actual situation of troop numbers, land reclamation and armaments within one month.

"According to the distribution system established by the imperial court, officers of all ranks shall receive their due share, and any excess or embezzled funds shall be confiscated!"

"At the same time, it was clearly stipulated that: any general who voluntarily reports vacancies and returns farmland will be exempt from prosecution; any general who conceals or fails to return farmland will be dismissed and imprisoned if the vacancies exceed 30% or the farmland is occupied by more than 1,000 mu, and will have their property confiscated and be executed if the vacancies exceed 50% or the farmland is occupied by more than 3,000 mu."

Jia Jing's plan was to purge both the Shenjing Wuxun and Jingji Weisuo systems, and to conduct a comprehensive investigation and rectification of both.

This action was taken to accumulate experience for future nationwide promotion and to initially establish the authority of the Prime Minister's Office.

Secondly, it was also to use the heads and blood of these people to intimidate officers and soldiers across the country and demonstrate the imperial court's determination to reform the military.

Thirdly, the recovered farmland and confiscated embezzled funds were used as "sweeteners" to demonstrate the benefits of military reform to ordinary soldiers.

At the same time, the guard posts around the capital were reorganized, more new soldiers were recruited and land was allocated, and the direct military force controlled by the imperial court in the capital region was further enhanced.