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

"So, according to Father, Duke Jing is bound to win this battle?" Zhang Ruo'ai asked, somewhat skeptical.

"Victory is certain!" Zhang Tingyu said confidently.

"Since Jia Zijie dared to appoint Lan Yu as commander-in-chief, he must have his own plans!"

"However... it's hard to say how much they will win and how long it will take. If I were to estimate, as long as the Prince of Nan'an gathers his troops and defends the city, even if Lan Yu has more troops, it will not be easy for him to take Nan'an in one fell swoop."

"...We'll have to fight a few battles first, clear out the outer garrisons, and then force him into a decisive battle. This back-and-forth will take at least a month or two, so for now, we should just observe and wait!"

He also needed to take advantage of this time to implement the matter of the capital inspection as soon as possible.

We can't have the military reforms in the capital region almost fully completed while our own inspections in the capital region haven't yielded any results yet; that would make us seem rather incompetent!

Just as Zhang Ruo'ai was about to continue speaking, she suddenly heard a loud "boom" in the distance, as if some shop had set off firecrackers in advance, followed by another one, and then another.

From the east and south, the intermittent sounds of firecrackers seemed to stretch on and on.

Faint human voices could be heard coming from afar, initially as faint as mosquitoes, but gradually, like a rising tide, they swept across the night sky outside the window.

Zhang Ruo'ai stood up abruptly, walked a few steps to the window, and pushed it wide open.

The wind outside carried in the moonlight and bursts of indistinct yet clear cheers:

"Great victory! Great victory! Great victory at Jizhou!"

"Father! It's the great victory at Jizhou? It's so late, could it be that there's news from the front?" Zhang Ruo'ai turned around abruptly, her face full of disbelief.

Zhang Tingyu also stood up, his expression slightly changing. He walked to the window, listened intently for a moment, then turned and called out to the outer room:

"Someone, go outside and find out what's going on."

Before long, the steward of the manor returned from outside the gate:

"My lord, the Twelfth Battalion has decisively defeated the Prince of Nan'an in Jizhou City! They say the victory was won this evening, the Prince of Nan'an was captured on the battlefield, and the Heir Apparent of Dongping, who was trying to escape, was also caught. Victory news is being spread in front of the Office of Transmission, and the people are flocking to the streets."

Zhang Tingyu leaned against the window frame, remaining silent for a long time.

Outside the window, the moonlight was as clear as silver, but it couldn't outshine the growing clamor in the city.

Along the long street, people lit lanterns one after another, shouting "Great Victory at Jizhou!" The sound traveled from the east city to the west city, rising higher and higher with each wave.

Zhang Ruo'ai's expression changed, then she exclaimed excitedly, "Father, you were right!"

Zhang Tingyu, however, did not smile.

He slowly turned around, sat back down in his chair, and gently traced the rim of his teacup with his fingertips. Suddenly, he sighed softly, as if mocking himself, and said:

"I meant the beginning was right, but I didn't expect the ending."

"One day! They achieved victory in just one day!"

He looked up at the ever-growing moon outside the window, his expression lost in thought, and murmured to himself:

"I wonder if it's because Jia Zijie is so good at recognizing and appointing talent..."

"It seems the Prince of Nan'an's past battle reports were inflated; he's an amateur when it comes to warfare..."

The study of the Prince of Beijing's residence.

The Mid-Autumn Moon outside the window had risen above the eaves, its clear light like frost, casting sparse shadows of a few slender bamboo stalks on the window paper.

Shui Rong sat in the round-backed chair behind the desk, one hand supporting her chin, the other unconsciously stroking the jade paperweight on the desk.

Several military reports and street gossips copied down by his disciples that day were piled on his desk. He flipped through a couple of pages, then pushed them aside, sighed deeply, and muttered:

"Zijie has overestimated himself this time! I know that the 12th Regiment is an elite force that he trained himself, but even the best soldiers depend on who leads them."

"I'd never heard of Lan Yu before, and suddenly he's been given a high-ranking official position. Although the Prince of Nan'an hasn't had any particularly outstanding achievements in recent years, he has, after all, been a proper military commander."

"If we lose this battle, the gates of the capital will be wide open, and there will be no more defenses outside the capital. How will our family survive then?"

Mrs. Zhen sat opposite him, peeling a pomelo by candlelight.

With slender, pale fingers, she carefully peeled away the white pith and placed the segments of fruit into a small celadon dish.

She smiled upon hearing this and said softly:

"My lord, you are just worried and confused. In my opinion, Duke Jing is a man of great strategy. He thinks three steps ahead for every step he takes and never fights a battle he is not sure he can win."

"The fact that he dared to employ Lan Yu proves that Lan Yu must possess extraordinary abilities. Don't you believe me, my husband? Since the Duke of Jing rose to power, has he ever done anything that went wrong? Has he ever suffered a defeat?"

Zhen Shi usually enjoyed reading newspapers and books at home. She had also learned about Jia Jing's deeds repeatedly because her sisters in Jinling often inquired about them!

Shui Rong shook his head with a wry smile and said:

"Of course I know Zijie is no ordinary person, otherwise I wouldn't have so openly sided with him in court!"

"But this Lan Yu... sigh, it's strange, Zijie is always meticulous in his work, since he had already dismissed the Prince of Nan'an and the Heir Apparent of Dongping from their posts that day, why didn't he send someone to keep an eye on them? Letting them escape from the city so easily, isn't that like letting a tiger return to the mountains?"

Zhen pushed the peeled pomelo towards Shui Rong, then picked up a handkerchief to wipe her fingers. Her fair, jade-like face remained calm and serene, her pink lips parted slightly, and she smiled gently:

"Does my husband really think that the Prince of Nan'an could have escaped from the impregnable capital without the Duke of Jing's tacit approval?"

"What exactly is the Imperial City Guard? How could they lose someone right under Duke Jing's nose? If word got out, would my husband even believe it himself?"

Shui Rong's expression changed slightly, and he pondered for a moment before saying:

"You mean... Zijie deliberately let them go?"

"Most likely." Madam Zhen picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and, with a thoughtful expression on her cold and beautiful face, said slowly:

"The Duke of Jing is known for his actions; he either doesn't act at all, or when he does, it's with overwhelming force. I think he's not afraid of the Prince of Nan'an leaving, but rather that the Prince of Nan'an won't leave."

"If he leaves, it will be considered a rebellion, and we can suppress it with a legitimate reason. If he stays in the city, he will become a noble prince of the court, and it will be difficult to deal with him directly."

"I figured this out after thinking about it repeatedly at home. The Duke of Jing's behavior towards the Princess of Nan'an that day was far too abnormal, as if he was deliberately putting pressure on her."

"Therefore, my husband, please rest assured. Since Duke Jing dared to release the tiger from its cage, he must have already prepared the cage to catch it."

"The Prince of Nan'an cannot win this battle."

As she spoke, her eyes flickered, and her tone carried a certainty she herself didn't realize, as she sighed:

"A man like him, courageous and resourceful, decisive in killing, would never act impulsively... and his demeanor and bearing are truly unlike anything I've ever seen before!"

It must be said that although they only met once, Jia Jing left a very deep impression on Zhen Shi.

Especially the phrase "pointing out the deficit" which contained profound meaning, made her think about it again and again!

Shui Rong listened intently. After a while, his expression gradually softened, and he was about to say, "You've only met him once, yet you believe in him more than I do."

Suddenly, hurried footsteps were heard outside the courtyard, and the butler's voice came from outside the door:

"Your Highness! Your Highness! Great news! A great victory has been achieved at Jizhou!"

Shui Rong's hand trembled, nearly knocking over the wide-mouthed teacup. He abruptly stood up and said, "Come in quickly!"

The butler pushed open the door and entered, his face brimming with barely suppressed excitement:

"Your Highness, a messenger has just arrived with news that General Lan Yu has decisively defeated the rebel army of the Prince of Nan'an west of Jizhou City. The Prince of Nan'an was captured on the battlefield, and the Heir Apparent of Dongping was also captured after fleeing the city for less than a few dozen miles. The Office of Transmission has already begun reporting the victory, and the whole city is in an uproar!"

Shui Rong was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed, slammed his hand on the table, and exclaimed excitedly:

"Excellent! Excellent! Well done! Zijie truly knows how to recognize and utilize talent; this Lan Yu... Lan Yu is indeed a capable general!"

He paced back and forth a couple of steps, then turned around, looked at Madam Zhen still sitting upright in her chair, and smiled with a touch of emotion, saying:

"Your Highness, you were absolutely right. Zijie truly never does anything without being certain. How many days did it take from the start of the campaign to the announcement of victory?"

"The Prince of Nan'an amassed over 100,000 troops in Jizhou, yet he couldn't even hold out for a day. What a joke! He made me worry for a whole day and night for nothing!"

Lady Zhen smiled, her gentle and beautiful eyes also filled with joy. She pushed the peeled pomelo towards Prince Bei Jing again and said softly:

"As I said, Duke Jing is a man of great wisdom and insight. My husband, you should trust him more in the future!"

Recalling the heroic figure I saw that day, I couldn't help but sigh, how could such a world-renowned hero be underestimated!

Although her husband holds the title of king, he is only of average talent. She should stick close to such a person!

Shui Rong picked up a segment of pomelo, smiled and agreed, but a very light and faint, indescribable feeling suddenly rose in her heart.

He looked up at Madam Zhen and saw that her eyebrows were curved and she had a special kind of radiant charm under the lamplight.

He couldn't help but think that his princess was usually so elegant and dignified that she would never praise a man outside the marriage like this.

But ever since she returned from Rongqing Hall that day, she couldn't stop talking about "Duke Jing".

Now, she speaks with even more praise and certainty, as if she trusts her husband even more than she trusts herself!

This……