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

Dongfu.

Jingming Hall.

This main hall was originally built during Jia Zhen's reign, and its furnishings were extremely extravagant.

A large table carved from rosewood with dragon motifs, prayer cushions woven with gold thread covering the floor, antique shelves displaying Shang and Zhou bronzes of dubious authenticity, and even the pillars covered with copper sheets engraved with gilded cloud patterns.

After Jia Jing moved in, he only left the large table and a few chairs, and removed everything else.

Now the main hall is bare, with its gold-brick floor gleaming like a mirror, exuding a somber, military atmosphere.

On the left side of the main hall, a sand table that had been transferred from the military was placed there at some point.

The sand table was enormous, taking up almost half of the hall. It was covered with the mountains, rivers, garrisons, and passes of the capital region, with every official road and every military settlement clearly marked with fine sand and wooden chips.

Jia Jing had already returned from the palace and was sitting imposingly behind a long table in the hall, calmly observing the four people standing below.

These four people were the system rewards for his promotion to the second rank, and each of them was an extraordinary individual!

The man in the lead was about forty years old, tall and slender with broad shoulders and a wide back, yet he did not appear rough or uncouth. He had a lean face and three long, neatly trimmed strands of beard under his chin.

His eyebrows and eyes were gentle, yet there was a calm and almost indifferent certainty in his gaze. He stood steadily in the hall, his armor not exuding any murderous aura, but rather appearing as natural as if he were wearing casual clothes.

Only when he holds his sword does the calluses on his hand reveal his true nature as a warrior.

The second man was eight feet tall, with a broad back and a muscular waist. He had a purplish-brown face, high cheekbones, sharp brow bones, deep-set eyes, and a short beard that revealed the flesh beneath his chin.

Even when he stands still, he is like a fully drawn bow. His voice is booming, and when he smiles, he reveals a set of white teeth that sends chills down your spine, making him appear menacing!

The third man was young and fierce, with an undisguised sharpness in his eyes. He was tall with broad shoulders, and his angular face always carried a half-smile.

His armor was polished to a gleaming shine, his cloak was bright red, and he looked like a blazing fire. His eyes, in particular, were very bright, like a newly forged knife, sharp and burning hot.

The fourth man was of medium height, with a fair complexion, a light beard, clear eyebrows and eyes, and distinct lip lines. He looked more like a well-read scholar than a military general.

There was no murderous intent in his eyes, but rather a sharpness that could see through everything, like a sword hidden in its sheath.

"We, your humble servants, greet Your Excellency!" Just as Jia Jing was sizing up the group, the four of them bowed to him in unison.

A hint of satisfaction flashed in Jia Jing's eyes, and he spoke with a touch of admiration:

"Gentlemen, no need for formalities! I am so fortunate to have the assistance of Tiande, Boren, Jingchang, and Yuanjing!"

"With you all here, many things will be much easier from now on! I can also be more flexible in organizing the army!"

Xu Da, courtesy name Tiande, was a native of Haozhou, whose family had been farmers for generations.

Chang Yuchun, courtesy name Boren, was a native of Huaiyuan. He was of extraordinary appearance, possessed unparalleled courage and strength, and was skilled in archery with long arms.

Lan Yu, courtesy name Jingchang.

Qi Jiguang, courtesy name Yuanjing.

Jia Jing never expected that the reward for being promoted to the second rank would be such a big gift, giving him four generals at once, who were the four most outstanding generals in the more than two hundred years of Ming Dynasty history!

Xu Da needs no introduction. He was the most meritorious official in the founding of the Ming Dynasty, with extremely high military skills. He was personally praised by Zhu Yuanzhang as the "Great Wall of Ten Thousand Miles".

He commanded more than 20 major battles throughout his life, conquering Jiqing, pacifying Chen Youliang, destroying Zhang Shicheng, and launching the Northern Expedition to overthrow the Yuan Dynasty. He also recovered the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, which had been lost for 400 years, and secured 90% of the territory for the Ming Dynasty.

Chang Yuchun was the most valiant general in the founding of the Ming Dynasty. He was brave, skilled in battle, and had outstanding military achievements, never suffering a defeat in his life.

He was highly skilled in martial arts, had long arms and was good at shooting. He always led the vanguard in every battle and claimed that he could "lead 100,000 men to conquer the world". In the army, he was known as "Chang Shiwan".

In the Battle of Caishiji, he leaped ashore and won the battle in one fell swoop; in the Battle of Longwan, he decisively defeated Chen Youliang's army of hundreds of thousands; and in the Battle of Poyang Lake, he bravely led the charge, helping the Ming army to annihilate Chen's forces.

Lan Yu may be slightly inferior to the previous two, but he was undoubtedly a top general in the early Ming Dynasty.

His military talent was compared to that of Wei Qing and Li Jing by Zhu Yuanzhang. He was especially skilled in long-distance raids and large-scale troop operations. In the Battle of Buyur Lake, he directly defeated the main force of the Northern Yuan.

As for Qi Jiguang, he was the most outstanding military strategist in the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty. He had a distinguished military career, pacifying Japanese pirates in the south and defending against the Mongols in the north. He won nine victories in battles along the southeast coast and completely wiped out the Japanese pirate threat.

He guarded Jizhou for sixteen years, preventing the Mongol cavalry from advancing south, truly embodying the spirit of "I do not desire to be ennobled, but only wish for peace on the seas."

According to later historical records, he fought hundreds of battles, large and small, on land and sea, and never suffered a defeat, earning him the title of "Great Ming Military God".

What's even more remarkable is that he not only fought brilliantly, but also left behind a valuable legacy in military training and theory.

He created the "Mandarin Duck Formation," which combines long and short weapons in a flexible and versatile manner, and is specifically designed to counter Japanese pirates and their swords. He also recruited farmers and miners from Yiwu to form the "Qi Family Army," which was disciplined and equipped with improved weapons such as wolf-tooth rakes.

He also authored "New Book of Military Efficiency" and "Records of Military Training," which systematically summarized training methods and tactics, and were regarded as the guiding principles by countless generals of later generations.

It is no exaggeration to say that each of these four men was a general capable of leading hundreds of thousands of troops.

At the same time, each of them is virtually unmatched in the current Han Dynasty.

Even the mighty generals of the Han Dynasty, such as Nian Gengyao and Yue Zhongqi, inevitably pale in comparison to them!

With the sudden possession of four great generals, Jia Jing now truly possessed the power to dominate the world and suppress all sides.

It must be said that although Jia Jing was outstanding in personal martial arts and military skills, he actually didn't have many people under his command who were useful and trustworthy!

Aside from Zhuque, only Qin Qiong from Liaodong could earn his complete trust!

As for Niu Jizong, Feng Tang, Ma Guocheng, Shi Ding, You Shiyong, Feng Ziying and others, they were either mediocre in ability or had many entanglements, so we dared not easily entrust them with important matters. We had more or less reservations about using them!

But now that Xu, Chang, Lan, and Qi are here, the situation is completely different.

If these four men were to command the generals and control the million-strong army of the Han Dynasty, his power base would instantly be truly and completely secure!

He no longer had any worries, and could now freely reorganize military affairs and even reform the Han Dynasty at will!

"We will obey your orders, Your Excellency, even unto death!" The four men bowed respectfully and said in unison.

Without a doubt, the loyalty of characters created by the system is maxed out!

Jia Jing waved his hand, his eyes filled with admiration, and said:

"Please, everyone, have a seat!"

Shortly after the four were seated, Zhuque strode into the hall, her face grave, and handed Jia Jing a note, saying:

"My lord, this is intelligence just sent from the Marquis of Dingcheng's residence! I've already had the Embroidered Uniform Guard investigate, and the information is confirmed!"

Jia Jing paused, stopping his conversation with the four men. He took the note, glanced at it, narrowed his eyes, and couldn't help but sneer:

"What a convenient way to deal with the situation! The emperor leaves Jinzhou City, making the capital region the battlefield. They're useless at doing anything productive, but they're quite adept at these underhanded schemes!"

The note clearly recorded the scene that had just taken place in the council hall of the Prince of Nan'an's mansion, including who said what and what their expressions were, as if they had witnessed it with their own eyes.