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

It can be said that all the military heroes of the Jingnan Campaign held high positions and wielded military power, which is why Emperor Jingsheng still needed to be wary of them even after nearly ten years on the throne.

Suzaku continued:

"Among the four marquises in the capital, the Marquis of Nanxiong and the Marquis of Yongjia were the Emperor Emeritus’s absolute confidants, each commanding three thousand Imperial Guards, mainly to defend the Dragon Head Palace."

"The Marquis of Linchuan and the Marquis of Zhongqin hold real power in the Ba Shang camp and have many confidants. Since the reign of Emperor Chengzu, the Ba Shang camp has been under the control of Wu Xun of the Jingnan Camp, and most of the generals and colonels in it are from Wu Xun of the Jingnan Camp."

Upon hearing this, Jia Jing's expression darkened. He already knew that most of the officers and soldiers in the Ba Shang camp, from the military governor and deputy military governor to the lieutenant generals and captains, were from the Jingnan side.

If it weren't for this, Emperor Jingsheng wouldn't have needed to transfer him to reorganize the Ba Shang camp, and would have given him the imperial sword and 200,000 taels of military pay.

Emperor Jingsheng probably knew that without a major reshuffle, it would be difficult to control the military power of the 100,000-strong army in the Ba Shang camp in a short period of time.

"The Marquis of Linchuan and the Marquis of Zhongqin must be discussing how to deal with me, the military governor, right? Baling has always been the territory of the Jingnan Military Merit Clan. How can they allow an outsider like me to meddle in it!"

Jia Jing asked Zhuque with a half-smile.

Zhuque laughed:

"Your Excellency is right. The day before yesterday, the Marquis of Linchuan, the Marquis of Zhongqin, and the Marquis of Nanxiong gathered at the Duke of Cheng's residence to discuss how to deal with you, Your Excellency."

"They are quite hostile towards you, Lord Marquis, and they not only say they will outwardly comply but also inwardly defy you and sideline you."

"They even plan to instigate a mutiny among the soldiers, drive you out of the camp, and have the imperial censors impeach you for poor management and dereliction of duty, hoping to elevate the Marquis of Linchuan to the position of military governor of Ba Shang!"

Jia Jing sneered disdainfully:

"Of course I'm not willing to relinquish the military power I hold! But to think you can use these childish tricks to sideline and drive me away is simply overestimating yourselves!"

What evidence of illegal and disorderly conduct did the Embroidered Uniform Guard collect against the Marquis of Linchuan and the Marquis of Zhongqin?

Zhuque replied with a somewhat strange expression:

"There are too many to collect. There's no need to go out of your way to collect them. Marquis Linchuan, Marquis Zhongqin, and others have been corrupted long ago by staying in the capital city."

"There are countless illegal and disorderly acts, but they generally don't involve powerful and influential people whom no one can afford to offend, so nobody cares!"

"Leaving aside their disregard for human life and their unbridled killing of slaves, their crimes at the Ba Shang camp alone were quite serious."

"Of the 100,000 troops in the Ba Shang camp, they embezzled the salaries of more than 40,000 men, and the salaries of the remaining 60,000 men were also mostly embezzled by them in collusion with the supervising eunuch."

"The military equipment and rations were secretly transported out and resold to Shanxi merchants. The soldiers were not trained on a regular basis. Instead, they were sent to work as craftsmen and bricklayers for the powerful and wealthy families in the capital to gain favors."

"Since the Duke of Cheng was dismissed, military discipline has deteriorated further. These days, the Marquis of Linchuan has even openly brought prostitutes into the military camp to patronize prostitutes."

"To be honest, after reading the intelligence, I found it hard to believe that the Ba Shang camp, which guards the imperial city, has become so corrupt."

"If the general hadn't defeated the Qing army's attack, they might have actually occupied Shenjing City."

Upon hearing this, Jia Jing was furious but laughed instead:

"After all, they finally got granted a marquisate; shouldn't they be allowed to enjoy themselves a bit?"

Jia Jing never expected that the troops in Shenjing had degenerated to this extent. There were also cases of soldiers being paid without working and exploited in Liaodong, but it was far less serious than in Shenjing.

But thinking about it carefully, it makes sense. After all, the border troops also face pressure from enemy forces outside the pass and fight frequently, so they always have some fighting strength.

The troops of Shenjing rarely fought battles, and even their efforts to suppress bandits were minimal, so why would they have any reservations?

I imagine the situation is similar in the Beijing garrison.

These problems are remarkably similar at the end of every dynasty.

"Alright, compile the evidence of the illegal and disorderly conduct of Marquis Linchuan and Marquis Zhongqin over the years, and also compile the intelligence from the Ba Shang camp. Make sure it's thorough. We'll go to the Ba Shang camp tomorrow."

Jia Jing gave the instructions.

"Yes, my lord, rest assured. Putting aside everything else, they won't escape the crime of treason in Liaodong—their property will be confiscated and they will be executed!"

Zhuque bowed and accepted the order.

The next morning.

Jia Jing left the Rongguo Mansion in full armor, where three hundred personal guards and Zhuque were already waiting outside.

"My lord!" A personal guard led the Red Hare horse over.

Given Jia Jing's current strength and the weight of his Silver Dragon Spear, ordinary horses are no longer suitable for him to ride. Fortunately, he obtained Red Hare and Black Steed from the system, which he alternates between riding on weekdays.

Jia Jing mounted his horse and addressed Zhuque:

"Have someone bring all the provisions and pay allocated by His Majesty, let's go."

At Jia Jing's command, several hundred riders spurred their horses and headed towards the Ba Shang camp.

The Ba Shang camp was located due northwest of Shenjing City. Emperor Chengzu initially considered factors such as security, mobility, and supplies.

Located at the intersection of the Yanshan Mountains and the plains, with Juyong Pass as the gateway to Mongolia, and backed by mountains and facing the city, it was a major strategic hub that shielded the capital and defended against northern threats, truly a geographical choke point.

This place is about 50 li away from the capital city. It takes only an hour to reach it by horseback after leaving the city gate. It can not only defend against foreign enemies, but also effectively deter the capital city.

Jia Jing led his personal guards slowly, observing the situation along the way as they headed towards the Ba Shang camp.

Xue Baochai said that many people in Jinling were starving, freezing, and displaced, and Jia Jing observed that the villages around the capital were not much better off.

All around was a vast expanse of white. Jia Jing initially thought it was just snow from the day before that hadn't completely melted.

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that the bark of the trees along the road had been completely stripped off, making them appear glaringly bright in the sunlight.

Occasionally, from a distance, one might encounter a few emaciated, poorly clothed refugees or commoners who were outside, filling their mouths with mud mixed with snow water. When they saw Jia Jing and his group passing by, they would all avoid them from a great distance.

Most of the nearby fields were barren, and the villages and towns they passed through were sparsely populated. They even encountered several corpses that had frozen and starved to death, left naked in the wilderness with their clothes stripped off.

Fortunately, it hasn't been eaten by its own kind yet.

Many babies, especially girls, were abandoned and died. Poor families couldn't afford to raise them in the winter, so they had no choice but to leave them in the wilderness.

"White bones lie exposed in the wilderness, and not a rooster crows for a thousand miles. Of the living, only one in a hundred remains; the thought of it breaks one's heart." Jia Jing felt a pang of sorrow in his heart.

This is the fate of ordinary people in chaotic times; there is no limit to how miserable they can get.

Did I come into this world just to survive for myself?

Now that I have the ability, I should make a tiny bit of a difference in this world because of myself.

Jia Jing made up his mind in secret.

An hour later,

When Jia Jing and his men arrived outside the camp of Ba Shang, they saw corner towers and crenellations standing tall, and several deep trenches dug outside the camp.

The camp gate was not closed at the time, and there was only a soldier leaning against the wall, lazily warming himself by the fire, without even taking his weapon.

"Who goes there?" The guards shouted in a panic as they saw Jia Jing and his cavalry rushing towards them.

"The new military governor has arrived, make way!" Zhuque rode forward and coldly ordered.