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

Inside the imperial palace was the General Affairs Office.

This newly established government office was located in the east side hall of the Wenhua Hall, which was originally part of the Eastern Palace and later became a key military location.

As night deepened, the full moon hung over the glazed tiles, its clear light spilling onto the stone steps in front of the palace, casting a soft glow on the newly erected vermilion pillars.

The duty room was brightly lit, and military reports were spread out on the floor. Several clerks were still copying them. When they saw Jia Jing come out, they all bowed and stepped aside.

Jia Jing strolled out onto the corridor, and the night breeze carried the faint sound of firecrackers from outside the palace walls.

He stood still, looked up at the bright moon, his expression unreadable in the moonlight, and slowly rubbed the military report he had just received in his sleeve with his hands behind his back.

Just as Jia Jing was about to finish his official duties for the day and leave the palace to return home, he saw Xia Shouzhong walking briskly from the direction of the Qianqing Palace, laughing as he approached:

"Duke Jing, His Majesty summons you!"

Jia Jing nodded, straightened his clothes, and followed him into the inner court.

Palace lanterns hung high along the way, and curtains were drawn low. The Mid-Autumn Festival moonlight illuminated the palaces as clearly as day.

Upon reaching a side hall of the Qianqing Palace, Emperor Jingsheng was already there. He was not wearing court robes, but only a dark-colored casual robe with cloud patterns.

Her hair was not adorned with a crown, but casually held up with an ebony hairpin. She stood by the window gazing at the moon, a relaxed smile on her face that was uncommon recently, clearly indicating that she was in a good mood after receiving news of the victory at the front.

Lan Yu's swift and decisive victory over the Prince of Nan'an demonstrates not only that the 180,000 elite troops of the Twelfth Battalion are now fully formed, but also that the capital city is protected by a strong army and is impregnable.

This will also greatly promote the implementation of the court's subsequent military reforms, the capital inspection, and even the new policies.

After all, winning on the battlefield is far more important than any amount of talk!

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects! Long live the Emperor!" Jia Jing stepped forward and bowed.

"Zijie has arrived! No need for formalities!" Hearing the sound, Emperor Jingsheng turned around, his face gentle, and gestured for him to rise, smiling:

"I have read the report of victory sent by Lan Yu. We captured Jizhou in one battle and took the traitors and rebels from Nan'an alive! Well done!"

"I was worried that the war would last a month or two, but I didn't expect it to end so quickly! It seems that Zijie is not only exceptionally brave and resourceful, but also has a keen eye for talent!"

Emperor Jingsheng was not worried that Lan Yu would be defeated. In terms of warfare, he had complete confidence in Jia Jing, after all, he was the virtuous minister personally bestowed by Emperor Taizu.

However, no one expected it to happen so quickly, which shows that the Prince of Nan'an and others have really become corrupt over the years!

Jia Jing cupped his hands and said:

"I learned my judgment from Your Majesty! I remember Your Majesty saying that when appointing people, one should not have any preconceived notions, but only look at whether a person is virtuous or capable."

"Lan Yu is indeed a capable general, coupled with His Majesty's divine might, the soldiers' valiant efforts, and Xie Jing's long-standing presence in the enemy camp, which allowed him to defect at a crucial moment. Only then could this battle be won swiftly!"

Lan Yu's victory was not at all unexpected to Jia Jing. Although he did not personally go to the front lines, he was closely following the military reports from the front every day.

With Lan Yu leading the elite 12th Regiment, victory was inevitable. However, the fact that they were able to achieve a victory in just one day also shows that Xie Jing played a significant role.

This person really needs to be used in the right place!

Upon hearing this, Emperor Jingsheng nodded and said:

"Lan Yu and Xie Jing are both meritorious officials in this battle. After they have thoroughly investigated the garrisons and military posts in the capital region, I will reward them handsomely!"

Most of the old merits have been lost, so of course new merits must be established!

After exchanging a few words, the two sat back down on the large chairs inside the hall, drinking tea and discussing military and political matters.

"With Jizhou pacified, there should be no further obstacles to the military agricultural settlements in the capital region! The framework of the General Military Affairs Office can also be established during this time."

"I think your memorial the other day regarding the establishment of one hall and eight departments is quite appropriate. Let's proceed according to your wishes!" Emperor Jingsheng said, taking a sip of his tea.

The so-called "one hall and eight departments" refers to Jia Jing's division of internal functions within the Zongli Yamen (Office for Military Affairs) during this period.

According to Jia Jing's plan, the main hall of the Zongli Yamen (Office for Military Affairs) was called "Rongzheng Hall," which was the place where the Zongli Minister of Military Affairs conducted his affairs.

It has one main hall and eight departments, which are responsible for all military affairs in the country and have overall military power, including troop deployment, troop command, military administration, and military supplies!

The first hall is the counselor's hall.

Two to four military advisors were appointed by the emperor to participate in confidential matters, assist in military affairs, review troops in different provinces, and act as military advisors when traveling abroad.

Several advisors were appointed to the left and right to assist in drafting confidential documents and military orders.

The position of Military Advisor was essentially equivalent to having left and right deputies for the Prime Minister of Military Affairs. This was Jia Jing's initiative to request a division of power and supervision.

The eight departments were the Military Affairs Department, the Military Law Department, the Military Administration Department, the Military Supplies Department, the Military Training Department, the Military Intelligence Department, the Horse Administration Department, and the Construction Department.

Each department was responsible for its own duties, with each level of the system subordinate to the others, and the Minister in charge of military affairs overseeing the entire process.

The Military Affairs Division was responsible for summarizing military intelligence across the country, strategic planning, combat strategies, troop deployment orders, and combat orders.

This was equivalent to the "General Staff Headquarters" of later times, and was personally led by Jia Jing.

Its main responsibilities are to relay orders and coordinate operations during wartime, and to organize national military intelligence and formulate military reorganization and defense strategies during peacetime.

The Military Law Division was in charge of military discipline, military law, rewards and punishments, investigation and impeachment of military officers, and was equivalent to the "General Headquarters of Military Law".

Its main duties are to investigate and punish acts of disobeying military orders, embezzling military pay, misappropriating military farms, and privately employing military households. Any military officer registered with the court who violates the law shall be arrested and questioned by the Military Law Department and handed over to the Minister in charge of military affairs for review.

The Military Intelligence Division was in charge of military intelligence, intelligence on foreign troops, maps, city defenses, passes, and border reconnaissance.

Its main responsibilities were to cooperate with the Imperial City Guard to detect the movements of the puppet Qing dynasty, the Western Regions, Annam, and Japanese pirates; and to monitor the movements of various garrisons, military officers, and border garrison officers.

It is proposed that Zhuque be put in charge of the Military Law Department and the Military Intelligence Department.

The Military Affairs Department was in charge of the selection, evaluation, promotion, demotion, hereditary succession, and management of military personnel, and was equivalent to the "Personnel Department of the Central Military Commission".

Its main responsibility was to break the old system of hereditary succession and recommendation, and to implement a "military merit assessment system." All hereditary military officers had to pass the military administration department's assessment before they could inherit the position; those who made military achievements would be promoted and rewarded by the military administration department.

The Quartermaster Department was in charge of military pay, provisions, uniforms, ordnance, military farms, and military granaries, and was equivalent to the "Logistics and Equipment Department".

Its main responsibility was to centralize the distribution of military pay, provisions, and weapons under the Military Administration Office, so that they would no longer be handled by the Ministry of War and the Five Military Commissions.

Military settlements were also managed by the Military Supplies Department, which dispatched special personnel to various garrisons to conduct surveys, register, distribute wages, and supervise the settlement.

The Military Training Division is in charge of all military training, inspection, instruction, formations, and weaponry across the country; it is equivalent to the "General Training Department".

Its main responsibilities were to formulate standardized training manuals, promote Qi Jiguang's military training methods, and regularly send personnel to the nine border regions, the capital area, and garrisons to conduct inspections. Generals who failed to train troops effectively could be directly reported to the Military Law Department for disciplinary action.

The Horse Administration Office was responsible for the purchase, breeding, and distribution of warhorses.

Its main responsibilities were to reopen horse farms in the capital region, Xuanfu, Datong, Yulin and other places, restore the official horse system, supply horses to cavalry, and punish anyone who withheld horse feed or sold warhorses privately in accordance with military law.

The Construction Department was in charge of military equipment manufacturing, city repair, coastal defense, and river defense projects.

Its main responsibility was to unify the management of the Ordnance Bureau, Firearms Bureau, Shipyard, Border Walls and Beacon Towers, and City Defense Works, thus eliminating the previous problems of mutual buck-passing and layer-by-layer deductions between the Ministry of Works and the Five Military Commissions.

In general, it meant concentrating all military power in the country into one government office, unifying all military, financial, legal, and human rights.

In fact, Jia Jing also wanted to set up an Education Department, which was essentially a Political Department, but the timing wasn't right yet.

If the General Office of Military Affairs were established in this way, the Ministry of War and the Five Military Commissions would naturally become mere empty shells.

The Ministry of War had almost all of its original powers over military officers, military registers, vehicles, maps, weapons, and postal services, which were now taken away, leaving only administrative affairs that were not of great importance.

The Five Military Commands originally consisted of five offices: Central, Left, Right, Front, and Rear, which respectively governed the military commands and garrisons of all provinces in the Han Dynasty. All of these old offices were abolished and replaced with military commands, hereditary military commands were eliminated, and a new local military system was established.

"I am young and inexperienced, and if there is anything I have overlooked, I hope Your Majesty will forgive me..." Jia Jing said thoughtfully.

In fact, some of the plans for the "one hall and eight departments" are beyond current understanding, such as the Military Training Department and the Military Intelligence Department.

There was no precedent for setting up a separate department to oversee military training in the past. People at the time believed that training soldiers was the responsibility of the generals and commanders.

In the past, military intelligence was either gathered by scouts sent by the frontline generals themselves, or by the Imperial City Guard as a sideline; there was no precedent of setting up a dedicated department to manage it.

Although Jia Jing had his own reasons for these plans, he was prepared to explain them to Emperor Jingsheng one by one when he asked.

But to his surprise, all he got in return was Emperor Jingsheng's reply: "Very good, do as you wish!"

Emperor Jingsheng smiled upon hearing this and said:

"You're an expert in warfare, so you can make the decisions on military affairs! You may set up that Advisory Office if you want, but you can also choose the Minister in charge of military affairs yourself. I will absolutely not interfere or hinder you!"

These victories have proven everything; when it comes to military affairs, Emperor Jingsheng trusts his subordinates implicitly!

Jia Jing pondered for a moment and said:

"Since Your Majesty trusts us, then I will proceed to select capable officials from local governors, border garrisons, and prefectures, as well as draw personnel from the Ministry of War, the Five Military Commands, and the Imperial Academy, to strengthen the General Affairs Office and get it up and running as quickly as possible!"

Although the emperor allowed him to make the decisions, Jia Jing would still report back as required.

This is both a matter of a subject's duty to reciprocate kindness and a way to avoid miscommunication between the ruler and his subjects, which could lead to mutual suspicion.

Emperor Jingsheng remained silent for a moment, then his tone became serious, and he said:

"This investigation into the military farms reveals that a large portion of the officials in the Ministry of War and the Five Military Commissions are corrupt!"

"Even after my severe reprimand in the Mingzheng Hall last time, they still haven't stopped or learned their lesson. One by one, they've accepted bribes from the garrisons, colluded with each other, formed cliques, neglected their duties, and utterly lost their conscience!"

"There are probably not many capable people among them, so you must be careful in your selection, lest these people bring bad practices to the new government office!"

Emperor Jingsheng was worried that the old guard from the Five Military Commissions and the Ministry of War would ruin the reputation of the newly established and clean General Affairs Office!

Jia Jing said:

"Your Majesty, rest assured! Although these two old government offices are largely rotten, not everyone there is corrupt or lawless!"

"During this investigation, there were also those who did not participate in bribery or collusion with military officers in the garrisons. In fact, a few, such as Yao Qisheng, the secretary of the Ministry of War's Department of Civil Affairs, were commendable for their integrity, adherence to principles, and self-discipline."

"I believe that these people can be screened and retained. Furthermore, I will have the Military Law Department investigate all those transferred to the General Office of Military Affairs to check whether they have engaged in bribery, cover-up, leniency, or dereliction of duty."

"Only those whose cases are found to be unsubstantiated can be retained, and in principle, these individuals will not be granted real power during the first year or two!"

"The so-called 'trial before admission, transfer before appointment' system, and the military law department will also set up an 'inspection section' to handle internal corruption and disciplinary violations."

Jia Jing had considered all of these options. His plan was to draw military officers from the Twelfth Battalion to serve as the backbone of the military administration, while using newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) and students from the Imperial Academy as fresh blood.

Capable officials were transferred from local areas and border towns to fill middle-level positions, and officials from the Ministry of War and the Five Military Commissions were selected and retained based on merit.

This combination of central government officials and local officials, new and old, with checks and balances, coupled with performance evaluations and oversight, was sufficient to ensure the integrity of the military administration for a period of time.

As for lasting, absolute purity, that's impossible!

Emperor Jingsheng pondered and said:

"Zijie's plan is thorough! Kill some, dismiss others, redeem some, and promote others. Establish authority with bloodshed, lure people with positions, appease them with benefits, and train them through practical experience."

"Officials like Yao Qisheng can be retained or promoted at our discretion, but those who are corrupt and violate discipline must be severely punished!"

"From the Ministry of War to the Five Military Commissions, to the military officers of various garrisons, and even the rebels in Nan'an and other places, as long as they deserve to be killed, let no one escape."

"Let their heads be used to restore the authority of the imperial court's laws and regulations, and to serve as a warning to all civil and military officials: those who dare to obstruct the new policies and military reorganization will not have a good end. Do not harbor any illusions; the imperial court keeps its word!"

When these people were mentioned, Emperor Jingsheng's voice became noticeably more stern, and his attitude remained as tough as ever!

Jia Jing pondered for a moment and said:

"This is precisely what I was about to discuss. This recent crackdown in the capital region has implicated countless civil and military officials at all levels, including those who accepted bribes and colluded with others in wrongdoing."

"There are those who secretly harm censors and students, collude with the enemy to send messages, and incite and mislead others; there are even those who start rebellions and commit heinous crimes."

"Your Majesty, I request permission to punish them in four categories: the ringleaders will be executed by slow slicing and their property confiscated; all those who participated in the rebellion, defied the court, disobeyed military orders, or murdered officials will be severely punished and executed immediately!"

"The remaining accomplices, depending on the severity of their offenses, will be either exiled, dismissed from office, or have their property confiscated, and will never be employed again; those who remain inactive or do nothing will be demoted and transferred to observe their future performance."

"Any civil or military official in the garrison who resists stubbornly, refuses to open the gate, or secretly obstructs the process shall be punished the same as a rebel. The ringleader shall be executed by slow slicing, his family shall be exiled, and his property shall be confiscated."

"In this way, by using the Military Law Department to uphold justice and publicly announce the punishments, we can not only establish the authority of the military administration but also set a benchmark for military officers across the country who violate discipline and the law!"

With just these few simple words, at least several hundred civil and military officials lost their heads. Adding to the soldiers who died in the internal strife, the number of dead and wounded in just one reorganization of the capital's garrisons exceeded ten thousand.

Emperor Jingsheng's expression was solemn as he said in a cold voice:

"Alright! All the main culprits from Nan'an and the garrison should be escorted back to Shenjing. There is no need for further trial. They should be executed by the military court at Caishikou in the West Market on a chosen day."

"I will have all the civil and military officials of the seventh rank and above in the capital present to witness the execution and see how these treacherous officials will be brought to justice."

"In the old Xunli, anyone involved in rebellion, collusion with the enemy, or resistance to the law, regardless of rank, would have their title revoked and their property confiscated, and their family members would be dealt with according to the law."

"This time, we must make it clear to all the officials that the court's grand plan comes first, and the laws and regulations of the country follow. Anyone who dares to obstruct or resist the law will be met with absolutely no leniency!"