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

Wang Ziteng and Xia Shouzhong were startled and quickly stood in front of Emperor Jingsheng to protect him.

"How dare you! This is the present..." Xia Shouzhong's face was solemn. He was about to reveal Emperor Jingsheng's identity when Emperor Jingsheng stopped him.

He came incognito to see the real situation and didn't want to reveal his identity beforehand, giving the camp time to prepare.

Emperor Jingsheng signaled to Niu Jizong to continue negotiations.

"I am Niu Jizong, the Left Commander-in-Chief of the Five Armies Commandery. This is my official seal. I have come to see your military governor today. Open the camp gates immediately!"

The leading military officer hesitated for a moment, examined Niu Jizong's seal, but still did not step aside. Instead, he asked:

"Since it is the Commander-in-Chief who is arriving, why was there no prior notice? We have not received any instructions from our superiors either. Military orders are absolute! Therefore, we cannot let them pass!"

"You young lad, how can you be so inflexible and delay my business! Can you afford to take responsibility for that?"

Niu Jizong pretended to be angry, his face stern, and he shouted the question.

"I cannot bear the responsibility for delaying your affairs, sir! But if I were to let you in without authorization today, I would surely lose my head!"

"Therefore, if Your Excellency truly wishes to enter, please allow me to go and inform them!"

The leading military officer remained expressionless and replied in a deep voice.

Niu Jizong was about to speak again when Emperor Jingsheng spoke first:

"Alright! Go and summon your military governor; he recognizes us!"

Seeing that he couldn't get in, Emperor Jingsheng had no choice but to call Jia Jing out first, so as not to give the camp time to prepare.

"Hold on!"

The leading military officer nodded and then waved to one of his soldiers to fetch Jia Jing.

A short while later, the gates of the military camp slowly opened, and Jia Jing, dressed in full armor, came out with several personal guards.

He spotted Emperor Jingsheng in the crowd from afar and quickly stepped forward to pay his respects:

"Greetings, Your Majesty! I was unaware of Your Majesty's arrival and have failed to greet you properly. Please forgive me!"

Upon seeing this, the soldiers behind Jia Jing quickly saluted.

Emperor Jingsheng chuckled and helped Jia Jing up, looking somewhat embarrassed.

He can't very well say, "I came here to make a surprise inspection of the military reorganization, but I couldn't even get through the door!"

He could only manage a few dry laughs and say:

"You command a fine army, my dear minister! It's reminiscent of Zhou Yafu's Willow Camp!"

"This camp gate is impenetrable. I wanted to give you a surprise, but I just couldn't get in... Haha!"

"Your Majesty flatters me! Since this is a military camp, there are naturally military laws!"

"The world is in turmoil now. Who knows if Tartars or bandits might come to the military camp to spy on our forces? If we allow anyone to enter at will, wouldn't that be detrimental to our army?"

"I have always taught the soldiers in the camp that our Bashang camp is the last line of defense for the capital. We must always be vigilant and careful, and never be careless!"

"Therefore, the camp gates must be guarded as strictly as in wartime. No one may enter or leave without a military order. We cannot be afraid of trouble, otherwise, a single mistake on the battlefield could cost the lives of the entire camp!"

Seeing that Emperor Jingsheng did not seem angry, Jia Jing carefully explained the situation to him.

Emperor Jingsheng was well aware of the benefits of strict military law, and having just experienced the lax and unprepared state of the Jingying camp, he felt even more deeply moved when comparing it to the Bashang camp.

"My dear minister, please come with me for a walk! Keep quiet, I'd like to first observe the training situation in the camp!"

Emperor Jingsheng said to Jia Jing.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" How could Jia Jing not know that Emperor Jingsheng had come to inspect the rectification of the Ba Shang camp? But since Emperor Jingsheng didn't say anything, he pretended not to know.

Jia Jing greeted Niu Jizong, Wang Ziteng, Xia Shouzhong, and others, and Niu Jizong and Xia Shouzhong returned the greeting with smiles.

Only Prince Teng gave a cold snort, his attitude perfunctory. Jia Jing ignored him and followed Emperor Jingsheng into the camp.

Upon entering, Emperor Jingsheng immediately noticed that the Ba Shang camp was completely different from the Jing camp.

That's the energy. The training grounds throughout the camp were filled with the enthusiastic shouts of soldiers training. It was a vibrant and thriving place, completely different from the lifeless atmosphere of the Beijing garrison.

The soldiers in the Beijing garrison were dejected, their eyes were lifeless, and their faces were pale. Their clothes were also messy and tattered, and they were covered in dirt. They looked just like starving refugees.

Many people even sit directly on the ground to sunbathe, with no proper sitting or standing posture, looking as if their spine has been removed.

Weapons were left lying around haphazardly, or simply scattered together, piled up like a junkyard, and no one bothered to tidy them up.

There were hardly any people training in the Beijing garrison; most of them were just lounging around or sleeping, creating a chaotic scene resembling a marketplace.

And what about the soldiers who stormed the camp?

Everything is in perfect order! The equipment is complete! Everyone is performing their duties!

What Emperor Jingsheng saw were people either training, patrolling, or standing guard. When Jia Jing passed by, each of them would stand straight and greet him.

As they walked along, they didn't see a single lazy or unproductive soldier.

Secondly, there's environmental hygiene.

The grounds and camps of Ba Shang were very clean and tidy. The land seemed to have been leveled, and it was all hard yellow soil without any trace of dirt or disorder.

You should know that when we entered the Beijing camp earlier, the camp area and training grounds were not only dirty and messy.

Even some of Emperor Jingsheng's guards stepped in excrement. The entire camp smelled terrible, giving him a headache.

On this point alone, Emperor Jingsheng felt that the Jingying Garrison and the Bashang Garrison were simply incomparable.

Subsequently, Jia Jing led Emperor Jingsheng to inspect the military camp's living quarters, kitchen, logistics, ordnance, and miscellaneous areas.

Throughout the journey, Emperor Jingsheng's expression grew increasingly moved and delighted.

Finally, the group arrived at the military training area of ​​the drill ground.

"One, two, three, four...!" The simple yet rhythmic chants were deafening. Tens of thousands of people running and marching together created an incredibly impressive scene.

The fact that these people could maintain a certain formation was even more surprising!

"What are you doing?"

Emperor Jingsheng watched as the soldiers on the training ground ran together with weights, rolling away like an earthen dragon, and asked Jia Jing in surprise.

"Your Majesty! This is one of the training plans I devised, called a weighted march! On the battlefield, you not only need to be able to fight, but you also need to be able to run!" Jia Jing replied solemnly.

"Governor Jia's words are interesting! Instead of thinking about how to defeat the enemy on the battlefield, he's thinking about running away. Isn't this teaching his soldiers to desert?"

Wang Ziteng frowned and asked Jia Jing in a deep voice.

Wang Ziteng's question flashed between the two like a cold glint in his eyes.