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

Because he had been captured by the Qing army along with the retired emperor, the Duke of Zhao had been spreading rumors in the court about the Qing army's strength and how they were invincible.

They were the peace faction, or rather, the surrender faction, within Wu Xun's faction.

Throughout history, there has never been a shortage of people who surrender. It is said that the Duke of Zhao even had some private dealings with the puppet Qing regime.

He couldn't stand Jia Jing's repeated victories; it was practically a slap in his face.

Therefore, he always doubted Jia Jing's good news and tried every means to obstruct Jia Jing's reward.

In addition, the founding heroes and the Jingnan heroes had inherently different stances.

It's easy to imagine that his attitude towards Jia Jing would not be friendly.

Niu Jizong, who was standing to the side, introduced Jia Jing to him:

"This is the Duke of Zhao! He is quite displeased with your killing of prisoners and your unauthorized execution of Yinti. Today, when we discuss your merits, he does not agree to reward you!"

"His Majesty is truly wise; he believed you did the right thing, which is why you were ultimately granted a marquisate!"

Niu Jizong told Jia Jing directly about the matter of discussing merits today.

No one present felt anything was wrong. Firstly, the Jingnan Wuxun and the Kaiguo Wuxun had always been at odds, which was a situation they were happy to see.

Secondly, Jia Jing would find out about this sooner or later; it wasn't a secret.

Jia Jing remained calm and first bowed to Emperor Jingsheng.

Then, in a serious tone, he said:

"Thank you for your protection, Your Majesty! My actions in killing the prisoners were driven by a moment of passion. The Qing dynasty has committed countless crimes, including the massacre of the entire city of Zunhua, an act of utter inhumanity!"

"When I led my troops there, I was struck by the horrific scene. I was filled with grief and indignation! I only regretted that I arrived a moment too late!"

"I swore to my soldiers then and there that I would make these barbarians, who have stained their skin with the blood of my people, pay for their crimes in blood!"

"Leave their heads beneath the walls of Zunhua City to wash away the shame of our Han Dynasty, to mourn the wronged souls of our Han people, and to let all foreign tribes that dare to invade us see the consequences of provoking our Han Dynasty."

"Our great Han Dynasty is indeed a land of propriety! But those who offend the majesty of our Han Dynasty, no matter how far away, shall be punished!"

Jia Jing's words, filled with iron will, resonated deeply, causing the expressions of everyone present to change.

Some people praised, some frowned, and some remained silent.

Duke Zhao frowned, looked at Jia Jing, and said disdainfully again:

"Youthful impetuosity is likely to do more harm than good to the country and the family!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Jing's face darkened. This old scoundrel, Duke Zhao, had been disrespectful several times. Did he really think he was an easy target?

Although Jia Jing planned to keep a low profile for a while after returning to the capital, and then make further plans after understanding the situation.

However, his so-called low-key approach was mainly directed at Emperor Jingsheng, not at any other Tom, Dick, or Harry who dared to provoke him.

To put it bluntly, with his current military strength, which is comparable to that of a nation, he can disregard anyone's feelings.

The reason he treated Emperor Jingsheng with such respect was that he would continue to be promoted and receive rewards in the future, which was his most important task at the moment.

Secondly, Emperor Jingsheng had promoted and given him important responsibilities, and he always distinguished between gratitude and resentment, so he naturally repaid him.

But Jia Jing also knew where this Duke of Zhao's title came from. How dare a spineless dog who was captured by the Manchus and escaped back to his country bark like that!

Jia Jing looked coldly at the Duke of Zhao and sneered:

"You old scoundrel! I have always been ashamed of your behavior! Do you mean that all Han Chinese must be like you, groveling and begging for mercy after being captured by the Tartars, shameless and clinging to life, in order to be considered wise? In order to be considered to be of good benefit to the country and the family?"

Jia Jing's words were incredibly sharp! They struck right at the Duke of Zhao's weak spot!

Everyone present knew that being captured by the Qing army was a taboo subject for the Duke of Zhao, and no one could mention it!

It is said that the Duke of Zhao had a very bad experience as a prisoner of war in the Qing camp, and was even forced to perform humiliating rituals such as the sheep-leading ceremony by the Qing people.

really,

The Duke of Zhao's face darkened, and he angrily rebuked, "How dare you, brat, insult me!"

Jia Jing sneered, "Those who insult others will always be insulted in return! Besides, you did it, so why can't I say anything?"

"Let me ask you this: wasn't it you who suffered defeats against the Qing army on the front lines, resulting in the deaths and injuries of hundreds of thousands of our Han soldiers and civilians!"

"Was it because you were defeated and captured, and then you groveled and begged for mercy in the Qing camp to survive?"

"Was it you who led us back home, humiliating our nation and disgracing our Han people?"

Jia Jing's words made the Duke of Zhao's face turn red, then white, then black.

For so many years, no one has dared to mention this past event in front of him!

This past event not only involved him, but also concerned the face of the retired emperor.

Who would dare to speak so frankly in the imperial court, in front of so many people!

But he couldn't answer Jia Jing's three questions, because he and the retired emperor were the only high-ranking officials of the court who returned safely from that battle.

If he doesn't take the blame, should the retired emperor take it?

It was precisely because he took the blame for the retired emperor that the retired emperor regarded him as a confidant and promoted him all the way.

Zhang Tingyu, Li Guangdi, and others in the hall were equally surprised to hear Jia Jing's words.

Jia Jing's words were ostensibly a criticism of the Duke of Zhao, but in reality, they were also a veiled accusation against the Emperor Emeritus.

After all, everyone knows that the retired emperor bore the greatest responsibility for that battle.

Everyone silently straightened their posture, and their impression of Jia Jing changed once again.

I thought he was a cautious and respectful scholar-general, but I didn't expect him to be so straightforward. In the end, he was too young and didn't know any taboos.

The hall fell silent for a moment; you could hear a pin drop.

Duke Zhao could no longer remain seated. He stood up, his eyes blazing with fury as he glared at Jia Jing.

He angrily said, "This brat has only accomplished a small feat; how dare he be so arrogant..."

Jia Jing retorted in a deep voice:

"You white-haired scoundrel! You old, bearded thief! You are nothing but a servile lackey, a wolf in sheep's clothing, how dare you bark and howl here!"

"Since you are a sycophantic minister, you should only hide your head and cower, barely managing to survive; how dare you presume to act superior because of your age and authority before His Majesty and the other ministers, and falsely claim to be acting in the interests of the nation!"

"You have no right to use the phrase 'the work of measuring'!"

"You will soon be returning to the netherworld. How will you face Emperor Taizu, Emperor Chengzu, and your Zhao family ancestors? It is truly shameful to have served as a minister alongside someone like you!"

Jia Jing's words, though few in number, were sharp as knives!

Not only was Duke Zhao, who directly confronted the attack, left speechless with shock, but even Zhang Tingyu, Chen Tingjing, and others who were observing from the sidelines broke out in a cold sweat.

He secretly resolved that he would never easily engage in verbal disputes with Jia Jing in the future.

"Pfft..." Duke Zhao was burning with anger and shock, he had never experienced such a shock before.

His vision went black, a sweet taste rose in his throat, and a mouthful of blood and foam unexpectedly gushed from his mouth as he slowly collapsed onto the chair beside him.

At this moment, his finger was still pointing stiffly in Jia Jing's direction, seemingly expressing his endless anger and frustration.

Logically speaking,

At this moment, the Qianqing Palace must have been in chaos, with people calling for the imperial physician or shouting the name of the Duke of Zhao.

Surprisingly, none of the people present spoke.

Xia Shouzhong, who had intended to call the imperial physician, silently withdrew his step.

Everyone looked at Emperor Jingsheng, whose expression remained calm, wondering how he would handle the situation.