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

As expected, the moment the Prince of Nan'an uttered these words, everyone present was filled with fear and their faces turned even more grim.

Chen Ruiwen hesitated and said:

"It shouldn't be that bad! The military garrisons have been corrupt for a long time. Every military officer and official in the capital with even a little connection has gotten involved. This matter has far too many implications!"

Ma Shang also said:

"Perhaps he's just saying it casually. I don't believe he'd actually dare to conduct a land survey. In the Han Dynasty, apart from those bandits in Sichuan and Shaanxi, no one would dare to do that!"

"Besides, Jia Jing is also a military officer. His interests align with ours. If he really acts recklessly and offends the nobles and military officers of the garrisons, no matter how capable he is in battle, he won't survive!"

Qi Jianhui nodded in agreement.

"Indeed! Last month, he was almost assassinated just for proposing a case involving factionalism. Hasn't he learned his lesson? If he dares to defy all the military officials and generals in the land, even the Emperor himself cannot protect him!"

At this moment, Xie Jing, who was sitting at the end of the table, finally spoke. His voice was hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing against wood, clearly indicating that he hadn't had a good month. He shook his head and said:

"I don't think so! You haven't seen how ruthless he can be! Last month in the 12th Regiment, he gave an order, and without batting an eye, he had more than twenty officers beheaded right there in the central barracks!"

"He stripped me of my position as the former commander of the Beijing Garrison from head to toe, and even I, who was related to him, was removed from my post. My position as the commander of the battalion was gone just like that."

"Don't underestimate his courage! Perhaps because he hasn't suffered much in recent years, he has the fearless spirit of a newborn calf!"

"Also, don't forget his martial prowess; he's universally acknowledged as... the best in the world!"

Xie Jing was already close to the Prince of Nan'an, and after being stripped of his position by Jia Jing, he sided even more closely with the Prince of Nan'an in order to seek reinstatement!

The Prince of Nan'an nodded, picked up the conversation, and said in a low voice:

"Brother Xie is right! In the past, Jia Jing killed the Marquis of Linchuan, a member of the Jingnan faction, and then carried out a large-scale massacre in the Northwest. After returning to the capital, he reorganized the Twelve Battalions, stirred up the factional case, and carried out the assassination case without any mercy."

"I heard that Fang Congzhe's entire family was slaughtered by him last night. This shows that although he is young, he is incredibly audacious and ruthless, and should not be underestimated!"

The Prince of Nan'an had thoroughly investigated Jia Jing's deeds!

Don't be fooled by his calm and composed demeanor among the crowd; in reality, the conflict of interest and deep-seated grudge between him and Jia Jing is the most profound!

As for the reason:

Firstly, Jia Jing stole his position as the top military officer in the court and the power of the capital garrison that he should have been in charge of!

Secondly, the Marquis of Pingyuan's residence was the maternal family of his principal wife, Lady Jiang.

Thirdly, his authority as the commander of the Five Armies Commandery is now about to be usurped by Jia Jing's Military Administration Office.

There was also the power struggle within the founding lineage.

All of these things make them irreconcilable!

However, he was more deep-seated and didn't show his emotions, so he didn't reveal them!

As soon as the Prince of Nan'an uttered those words, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly turned cold.

Cicadas chirped outside the window, each chirp longer than the last, like someone sawing wood with a dull knife.

Just as everyone's expressions turned solemn, a report came from outside:

"Your Highness! The Heir Apparent of the Prince of Dongping has arrived!"

The heir of the Prince of Dongping is the next generation of the Prince of Dongping's family to inherit the title, which has been registered with the Imperial Clan Court. His rank is equivalent to that of a first-rank duke.

The Prince of Nan'an put down his teacup and said loudly:

"Welcome in, Your Highness!"

Meanwhile, Qi Jianhui, Chen Ruiwen, Xie Jing, and others in the hall stood up to greet them. Although they were elders, their status and position made it difficult for them to act arrogantly.

Before long, Mu Chen, the heir apparent of the Prince of Dongping, walked in dressed in fine clothes.

He was around twenty years old, with a fair and clean face, two neatly trimmed mustaches, and a slight smile on his lips. However, his thin eyebrows and eyes gave him a somewhat effeminate air.

Mu Chen first bowed respectfully to the Prince of Nan'an, saying:

"This humble nephew greets his uncle!"

The Prince of Nan'an smiled, raised his hand, and said gently:

"Nephew, you may dispense with the formalities!"

At this moment, Chen Ruiwen and the others also clasped their hands in greeting to Mu Chen, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness!"

Mu Chen returned the greeting, and after everyone was seated again, the Prince of Nan'an asked:

"Nephew, what brings you to my residence at this hour?"

Mu Chen currently holds the position of Assistant Secretary in the Five Armies Commandery, a position with real power. Today is his turn to take office, so he shouldn't have time to come over at this time!

Upon hearing this, Mu Chen's expression turned solemn. He took out a document stamped with the seal of the Ministry of Military Affairs from his robes and solemnly handed it to the Prince of Nan'an, saying:

"Uncle, take a look at this!"

The Prince of Nan'an took the teacup with some doubt and glanced at it. His face turned ashen, and in a fit of rage, he slammed the teacup to the ground!

"Snapped!"

Living conditions influence one's temperament and physical constitution. Since the Prince of Nan'an inherited his title, became a Grand General, and rose to become one of the top military heroes in the Han Dynasty, he has rarely been so enraged!

Seeing this, the others in the hall, not knowing what had happened, all looked at the Prince of Nan'an. Chen Ruiwen smiled and said:

"What happened at the Governor's Mansion that made the Prince so angry?"

The Prince of Nan'an took a deep breath and did not speak, but simply pointed at Mu Chen.

Mu Chen composed himself and said:

"I received an order from the newly established Military Affairs Office at the Governor's Mansion. It was three military orders just issued by the Duke of Jing, instructing the Governor's Mansion to relay them to all military officers in the capital and all garrisons in the surrounding area. The first military order is..."

According to the military system of the Han Dynasty, although the Zongli Rongzheng Yamen (Office of Military Affairs) was the highest military agency, it was newly established and its organizational structure, personnel, and other aspects were not yet complete.

Therefore, after Jia Jing signed the military order and affixed the official seal, it still needed to be relayed by the Ministry of War and the Five Military Commissions!

In other words, the General Office of Military Affairs would send a document to the Five Military Commissions, which would then send documents to the corresponding military officers and soldiers according to the powers and responsibilities of their subordinate Central, Left, Right, Front, and Rear Military Commissions.

Of course, he could have directly convened a meeting of the military officers and soldiers in the capital and issued military orders, but Jia Jing clearly did not choose to do so!

Upon learning the contents of Jia Jing's three military orders, Chen Ruiwen, Qi Jianhui, and the others were all shocked, with Ma Shang exclaiming in disbelief:

"You little brat, you have some nerve! Are you trying to fight us to the death?"

They issued an order to reorganize the army and return the land so quickly, requiring the Ministry of War, the Five Military Commissions, and all garrisons in the capital region to report their troop numbers, land holdings, and military equipment, and to return them within a specified period, or face confiscation of their property and stripping of their titles!

They're leaving them absolutely no way out!

It should be understood that these military families have been operating for generations, and the military farmland they have seized is no longer just simple "land".

After seizing the land, they would repeatedly mortgage it, borrow money from banks, and then use the borrowed money to lend at high interest rates, purchase shops, and cultivate relationships with the central government.

To put it bluntly, their entire family fortune, from daily expenses to official operations, is largely built on these illegally seized military farms, all interconnected and not easily touched.

Once the money is returned, it's equivalent to the entire family's balance sheet collapsing instantly. It's not just "losing a source of income," it's "immediate bankruptcy."

Furthermore, voluntarily returning the land is tantamount to admitting in black and white that they have been illegally occupying land and receiving salaries without working for decades, which is a clear violation of the law.

At that time, the imperial court could use the records of land return to investigate their crimes of "occupying military land, privately employing military households, and evading taxes over the years."

In other words, even if the land is returned, it may not be the end, but rather the beginning of confiscation of property and extermination of the entire clan.

Qi Jianhui's face flushed red, and he said sternly:

"Is this brat so arrogant, treating us like fish on a chopping board to be slaughtered?"

Chen Ruiwen, equally angry, said:

"How ruthless they are! Do they really think we're all made of clay? More than half of the hundred-odd guards surrounding the capital are our men. What are we afraid of? We'll raise an army immediately to purge the court of corrupt officials and fight them to the death!"

"Retreating from the field is absolutely out of the question! Let's fight him! I refuse to believe he'd dare kill us all!" Xie Jing exclaimed.