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

"There are more than 400 garrisons and more than 2 million soldiers in the whole country. The capital region alone has more than 100 garrisons and 500,000 to 600,000 soldiers. This was indeed the case at the beginning of the founding of the country."

"But now, can these figures on the books still be taken seriously? I dare not speak for others, but just considering the garrisons in the capital region, at least 60% or 70% of the positions are vacant with names on the register but no one in the camp."

"Of those soldiers on the register, some deserted and others were privately conscripted. The number that could actually be deployed in battle was far less than half of what was on the books. To use these inaccurate figures to make an argument is rather alarmist."

Princess Bei Jing, with a calm and composed demeanor, refuted the words of the Dowager Princess Nan'an. After a pause, she continued:

"Furthermore, the Duke of Jing's recent campaign to clear out the garrisons has reclaimed land that rightfully belongs to the imperial court and distributed it to the low-ranking soldiers who have no land to cultivate and no pay. This is clearly a benevolent and virtuous policy, a way for the emperor to provide a lifeline for the millions of military households."

"If such benevolent policies are implemented, the military households will be more than grateful. If no one incites the people, who would follow suit and cause a mutiny?"

Princess Dowager of Nan'an: "..."

Good heavens, this Zhen family member, who usually looks so gentle and weak, actually dares to go against her like this today!

What "that's wrong" and "bewitching people"? They're subtly pointing fingers at her!

At this moment, Tan Chun looked at Zhen Shi with admiration and longing in her beautiful eyes, suppressing the urge to cheer.

This is the demeanor and appearance a princess should have: elegant and gentle when quiet, and composed and righteous when speaking!

Unlike the Dowager Princess of Nan'an and the Crown Prince's Consort of Dongping, who were prone to gossip, spreading rumors, and harboring treacherous intentions!

Baochai looked at Zhen Shi, her face, as delicate as a pear blossom, also showing a hint of dazedness.

She could say these things, but she wasn't qualified because of her status...

Li also glanced at Zhen, her eyes showing a hint of something different.

This Princess Consort of Bei Jing is truly not to be underestimated. I never expected her to have such insight and courage. She also timed her words perfectly. Duke Jing should be returning soon, so she quickly chose her side...

Niu, standing to the side, blinked, somewhat regretting that she hadn't seized such a good opportunity to show off, and quickly chimed in:

"Your Highness's words have struck a chord with me. To tell you the truth, my husband read those military orders last night and slammed his fist on the table, saying 'Good' three times in a row."

He said that the military affairs had been rife with problems for so many years that it was time to rectify them. However, all the officials in the court knew that the situation was corrupt, but no one dared to touch it.

"Why? Because they were afraid of offending people and taking responsibility. Now, the Duke of Jing has stepped forward and made a decisive move. What courage and responsibility that is!"

"My master also said that such a ruthless method of scraping the bone to remove poison is unmatched among all the civil and military officials. It is only because the current emperor has such discernment that he chose a loyal minister like Duke Jing who is devoted to the country."

"Such a harmonious relationship between ruler and minister is precisely the sign of the imminent revival of our great Han Dynasty."

Madam Niu paused, her gaze seemingly casually sweeping over the slightly stiff expressions of the Dowager Princess of Nan'an and the Heir Apparent's Wife of Dongping, her smile growing even more sincere and humble:

"Our Zhongjing Marquis's mansion is no less than others in terms of lineage and foundation, but my master said that it is precisely at such a critical juncture that we must be able to distinguish right from wrong."

"The clearing of the military settlements is a major policy of the imperial court, a way to provide livelihoods for millions of military households, and the proper way for the court to maintain its elite troops. If we are still thinking about our own petty calculations when such a good policy is implemented, then we would truly be letting down our ancestors and the imperial court."

"So as soon as my master received the military order yesterday, he instructed all the managers of the estates in the manor that all those involved in military settlements should compile a list and report within three days, and return them voluntarily, leaving not a single acre behind."

Niu's words were more direct and powerful than Zhen's, flattering Emperor Jingsheng and Jia Jing on one hand, and satirizing the Princess Dowager of Nan'an and the Princess Consort of Dongping on the other.

She was related to the Jia family by marriage, so she wasn't afraid of offending the two princely mansions at this time!

Inside Rongqing Hall, after the Princess of Beijing and Madam Niu spoke up to refute the Princess Dowager of Nan'an, the hall fell silent for a moment!

The Princess Consort of Nan'an's face changed color, turning pale and then flushed. She was furious. For so many years, no one had dared to speak to her like that.

What does it mean to have your own selfish motives and be ashamed of your ancestors and the imperial court?

So you think you're so high and mighty? So you think you're so great?

The Dowager Princess of Nan'an's face darkened, but a cold smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she slowly said:

"The noble character and profound sense of righteousness of the Prince of Beijing's residence and the Marquis of Zhongjing's residence are truly admirable!"

"But not everyone in this world is as lucky as you, with other sources of income at home and the powerful backing of the Duke of Jing, so you don't feel bad about giving up the military farms."

"Those families whose livelihoods have been cut off, it's hard to say where they'll vent their resentment. Duke Jing now commands a large army, so naturally he has nothing to fear."

"But I also want to remind you that nothing lasts forever. If you go too far today, don't blame others for not giving you any leeway when it comes to your own turn in the future."

This is playing your cards right, putting pressure on them, and blatantly threatening them!

Princess Zhen of Bei Jing, her arched eyebrows revealing a cold expression, her clear gaze falling on the face of the Dowager Princess of Nan An, yet her voice remained gentle as she spoke:

"I cannot agree with what Your Highness has said. The Prince of Beijing's Mansion and the Marquis of Zhongjing's Mansion voluntarily returned the land not because they had other sources of income, nor because they were trying to curry favor with the government, but because those lands originally belonged to the imperial court, not to us."

"Returning things to their rightful owner is a matter of course, so how can it be considered 'going to extremes'? As for the Dowager's earlier mention of 'leaving room for maneuver,' I think that precisely because we will meet again in the future, we should make things clear and reasonable now."

"If you return it voluntarily today, you'll still be old friends and relatives when you meet again tomorrow; if you hide it today and disobey orders, you'll regret it when a knife is at your throat—that's truly leaving no room for maneuver!"

Is it a joke that the 12th Regiment, with its 180,000 fierce soldiers, is stationed in the capital?

Moreover, the Niu family, representing the Northwest Army, and the Nian family, representing the Liaodong Army, are sitting here now, and there is even the support of the Emperor in the palace. I really don't know where the two prefectures of Nan'an and Dongping get their confidence to defy the overwhelming power of the imperial court!

All I can say is that when this person gets carried away with their own death, they are completely out of their mind and act with perfect precision!

Inside Rongqing Hall, the people listened to this series of exchanges with cold eyes, and most of them felt dislike towards the Princess Consort of Nan'an!

On such a joyous occasion, to come to our door with such rudeness is truly disgusting!

However, apart from Grandmother Jia and Lady Zhen, no one else present was really qualified to compete with the Princess of Nan'an!

Because the Dowager Princess of Nan'an was the widow of the late Prince of Nan'an, she held a high-ranking position and was of advanced age, making her a truly noble person.

No one in the Jia family had a higher rank than her, not even Grandmother Jia!

Moreover, since Grandmother Jia is old and today is her auspicious day, she should not argue with others. Therefore, only Lady Zhen, who is also a princess of the highest rank, can refute her words without being impolite!

All I can say is that the Zhen family really went all out today!

Just as Rongqing Hall fell silent and the Dowager Princess of Nan'an was about to speak again, a voice suddenly came from outside the door, announcing:

"Grandma, the Duke has returned and is coming to wish you a happy birthday!"

The Jia family members inside the hall perked up. "Good! They're finally back!" they exclaimed. "Given that young man's strong and unyielding nature, this is going to be quite a show!"

Grandmother Jia's expression brightened, and she quickly gave the instructions:

"Yuanyang, go and greet them quickly!"

This was to have someone inform Jia Jing in advance, so that he would be aware of the situation.

Yuanyang responded and then left Rongqing Hall to greet Jia Jing!

Immediately afterward, Grandmother Jia, still seething with anger, spoke softly and gently to the Dowager Princess of Nan'an and the Princess Consort of Dongping:

"Jing-ge'er is back; he's the one who calls the shots. You should have a good talk with him, don't rush off!"