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

The Prince of Nan'an's Mansion was located in the western part of the capital, separated from the Jia family's residence on Ningrong Street by seven or eight alleys.

The three large gates in front of the mansion, adorned with beast-head carvings, were painted with mottled vermilion, yet they did not appear dilapidated. Instead, they resembled congealed blood, exuding a silent, chilling aura.

The council chamber was located in the west corner of the mansion, consisting of three rooms: one bright and two dark. All four sides were made of polished brick walls, and the carved lattice doors were covered with green gauze.

Several old locust trees stand outside the window, their lush branches pressing down, cutting the morning light into tiny patches that fall on the blue bricks, flickering and shimmering.

The hall was already bustling with people, several of them with varying expressions gathered there.

Prince Huo Zhaoming of Nan'an sat high in the main seat, dressed in a dark-colored robe with a floral pattern. A jade belt hung at his waist, his temples were slightly frosted, and his deep eyes, beneath his straight nose, swept over the group of military officers from the founding lineage who had come to visit with him, including Chen Ruiwen, the third-rank general of the Duke of Qi's mansion, Ma Shang, the third-rank general of the Duke of Zhiguo's mansion, and Qi Jianhui, the second-rank baron of the Marquis of Xiangyang's mansion.

These are all founding members who have become close to him in recent years, unlike the faction of the Prince of Beijing's Mansion and the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion who are close to the Jia family.

That's right! The person sitting at the end of the hall is none other than Xie Jing of the Marquis of Dingcheng's mansion, who was dismissed from his post by Jia Jing last month!

After attending the morning court session, these people did not go to the government office to take their duties. Instead, they went straight to the Prince of Nan'an's residence to discuss how to deal with the many changes in the court!

At this moment, Chen Ruiwen, a third-rank general of the Qi State Duke's mansion, was reclining in a grand chair, clutching a small purple clay teapot in his hand.

He took a sip directly from the spout, then spat out a tea leaf with a "pui!" and loudly complained:

"I never imagined that the Duke of Shan's mansion and the Marquis of Pingyuan's mansion would end up like this, with their entire families executed. We, the hereditary nobles who have the privilege of immunity from death and are supposed to share the fate of the nation, have no shred of mercy in the eyes of that person in the palace!"

"And that brat Jia Jing, after winning a few battles, has become incredibly arrogant. He has no regard for the more than one hundred years of friendship between us, the founding lineage, and he's ruthless when he turns against us old friends and relatives!"

Chen Ruiwen was the grandson of the Duke of Qi. Because neither he nor his son dared to go to the battlefield, they had no military merits and, like Jia Zhen, only inherited the honorary title of a third-rank general.

Originally, a general with a nominal title like him would not have any official position. However, because he was close to the Prince of Nan'an, he had been given a sinecure in the Five Armies Commandery for many years at the Prince's recommendation, which is why he was able to attend the court assembly today.

The reason he showed obvious dissatisfaction with Jia Jing was that he had recently sent several invitations to Jia Jing to ask for favors, but all of them had failed.

Secondly, several of his former protégés and associates from the Duke of Qi's mansion were among the officers and soldiers of the former Beijing garrison, and they were either killed or dismissed by Jia Jing, suffering tragic ends!

Upon hearing Chen Ruiwen's words, the expressions of everyone in the hall turned sour!

Their experiences during this period were not much different from Chen Ruiwen's!

Qi Jianhui, the second-class baron of the Marquis of Xiangyang, looked indignant and sneered, speaking in a sarcastic tone:

"If he hadn't climbed to the top by stepping on the blood of us founding fathers and old friends, how could he have gained such trust from the Emperor, and today been appointed as the only second-rank General of the Cavalry, in the current dynasty, and given the authority to manage all military affairs!"

"The prince has served on the battlefield for decades, achieving great merit, yet now he's been outshone by this mere youth! It's utterly outrageous!"

One of Qi Jianhui's sons-in-law, who was an imperial censor, was also imprisoned by the Imperial City Guard last night. According to Emperor Jingsheng's decree today, he will most likely be skinned alive. How could he not be angry with Jia Jing!

"A general in his early twenties, holding the rank of second grade, and serving as the Minister of Military Affairs—this is the first time in the more than one hundred years since the founding of the Han Dynasty! Tsk tsk! I wonder how the Emperor could trust him to such an extent!"

Ma Shang, the hereditary third-rank Weiyuan General of the Duke of Zhiguo's mansion, had a long, thin face that was even longer than a donkey's, and his eyes were somewhat cloudy. He clicked his tongue and said...

"It was just used as a knife, what's with the attitude!" Chen Ruiwen slammed the teapot down on the rosewood table, the bottom of the pot hitting the wood with a dull thud.

"Jia Jing, that brat, is now living a life of luxury and privilege, holding multiple important positions in the military administration, the Twelve Battalions, and the Ministry of War. He seems to be second only to the emperor, but is this the conduct of a subject?"

"Throughout history, which powerful minister like him has ever met a good end! Yet he doesn't cherish his blessings, making enemies everywhere, possessing a violent temper and ruthless methods; sooner or later he will not meet a good death!"

Qi Jianhui nodded and said coldly:

"Brother Chen's words make perfect sense! The current emperor is merely using him as a tool to kill people because he is young and impetuous."

"The day his knife becomes useless or chipped will be the day he is brought to justice!"

"Indeed, in times without heroes, only petty men rise to fame!"

"It's nothing but reckless courage!"

"If only the Prince hadn't gone to the Northwest, Jia Zijie wouldn't have had a chance!"

"It's a pity that the Duke of Shan's mansion, the Marquis of Pingyuan's mansion, and those people from Jiangnan are useless; they let that brat Jia Jing escape yesterday!"

The crowd immediately began to discuss the matter.

……

"Alright!"

Prince Huo Zhaoming of Nan'an picked up his teacup, tapped the lid lightly on the rim of the bowl twice, took a slow sip, raised his eyelids, and scanned the faces of everyone before interrupting them loudly.

"Jia Zijie is indeed capable in fighting and leading troops; everyone in the world has to admit that!"

"Moreover, his position as a second-rank general of the cavalry was already sufficient due to his military achievements since the end of the Northwest campaign."

"I was present when the Emperor was discussing the bestowal of titles and honors in the Qianqing Palace. At that time, His Majesty intended to bestow titles upon him, but due to the differing opinions of the cabinet ministers and concerns that infighting between civil and military officials would disrupt the overall situation of the court, His Majesty postponed the process."

Prince Nan'an was not particularly surprised that Emperor Jingsheng promoted Jia Jing to the rank of General of the Cavalry, a second-grade official.

When the Northwest achieved nine victories in nine battles, rumors had already circulated in the palace that he was to be promoted to the rank of Second-Rank General.

He was present when the emperor discussed bestowing titles and rewards, and he was well aware that the emperor intended to grant additional titles.

However, apart from Prince Bei Jing, the other cabinet ministers at the time all wanted to suppress Jia Jing's momentum, whether openly or covertly.

Ultimately, considering the overall situation, the emperor only granted him the title of second-rank official.

The Prince of Nan'an's face was solemn. After a moment of contemplation, he continued:

"What's important right now isn't what position Jia Jing is given, but the upcoming military reorganization!"

"Didn't you hear the imperial edict saying that the military-agricultural colonies should be reopened, with Beizhili, where the capital is located, as the core?"

"His Majesty's first move in reorganizing the army clearly targets the garrison system near the capital, which necessitates a re-investigation of the garrison lands."

"Once this land is investigated, will our families be able to hide the things we've done near the capital? If Jia Zijie finds something on us, we'll probably end up like the Duke of Shan and the Marquis of Pingyuan!"

The Prince of Nan'an knew very well that none of the people present had not encroached on the farmland near the capital, ranging from several thousand acres to more than 100,000 acres. This was their most important source of income in recent years, apart from smuggling.

Moreover, this process of encroaching on farmland was accompanied by other bloody illegal and disorderly acts, which simply cannot withstand investigation!