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

Emperor Jingsheng's expression shifted, and he cast a gentle gaze upon Jia Jing, saying in a deep voice:

"I trust you! In just a few months, you tirelessly trained 100,000 strong troops at Ba Shang, day and night, without ever leaving the camp. This demonstrates your loyalty to the country and your virtue and talent! You are a loyal and capable general bestowed upon me by Heaven!"

After finishing their conversation, the group then inspected the armory and barracks of the Ba Shang camp.

It wasn't until noon that they managed to get a rough overview of the entire Ba Shang camp.

Jia Jing originally suggested that Emperor Jingsheng address the soldiers in the camp so that they could see the emperor's face.

However, Emperor Jingsheng politely declined, saying that he would personally celebrate and reward the generals and soldiers after they returned victorious from Ba Shang.

Emperor Jingsheng was busy with court affairs and did not stay long. Before leaving, Jia Jing escorted him to the camp gate.

Avoiding the crowd, the two strolled together along the desolate road back to the city.

After walking only a few hundred meters south, there was only a desolate wilderness with no sign of human life.

The road was no longer a road, but rather deep and shallow scars left by cart tracks and hoofprints on the frozen ground.

The fields, which should have been covered with winter wheat seedlings, were now only a desolate expanse of saline-alkali yellow earth.

On the edge of a vast field, Jia Jing led his horse, while Emperor Jingsheng, with his hands behind his back, gazed into the distance and slowly strolled forward.

"Where in the palace can you see such a desolate scene in the countryside? I deliberately did not ride in my carriage today, so that I could see for myself the true plight of the people around the capital. It is shocking!"

"As I travel along the road, I have already seen several poor people who have frozen and starved to death."

"At first I thought it was a tattered bundle that had been discarded, until I saw the bluish-purple feet and withered hair sticking out from the tattered straw mat, and then I realized that it was a dead person."

"If the capital is like this, what about other parts of the Han Dynasty!"

Emperor Jingsheng looked solemn, a hint of sorrow on his face, and sighed in a low voice.

At that moment, a cold wind swept across the open field, sounding like a mournful cry!

"Your Majesty's worries are well known to me!"

"When I first came to the camp at Baling, I saw the people eating mud and snow water, and I felt just as distressed."

"However, governing the country is not something that can be accomplished in a day; it must be done step by step."

"Once the troops of the Ba Shang camp and the Jing camp are well trained, the new policies can be implemented throughout the land, so that the people of the land can enjoy the grace of Your Majesty."

"Even if some officials and gentry secretly collude to obstruct us, we can use the might of thunder to sweep away all corrupt officials and restore the people's livelihood!"

Jia Jing said in a deep voice.

Emperor Jingsheng gave a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, his expression remaining somewhat silent.

He stopped under a tree, touched the bare, withered trunk, his gaze deep and thoughtful, and slowly said:

"The affairs of the state are fraught with difficulties! Time waits for no one! I have already discovered several capable ministers who can implement new policies."

"One is Tian Wenjing, the governor of Henan; another is Li Wei, the provincial treasurer of Zhejiang; and the governor of Guangxi, Li Fu, is also quite good."

"And Lin Ruhai, the salt commissioner of Jiangnan, who is also the son-in-law of your Jia family, has considerable insight and methods for salt administration reform."

"However, the Imperial City Guard reported a few days ago that he had been assassinated and poisoned multiple times recently, and had almost lost his life."

"These salt merchants from Jiangnan are incredibly audacious and reckless! I will have these treacherous officials executed sooner or later!"

"Fortunately, your training of troops has been successful! Seeing the formidable military might of the Ba Shang camp today, I am much more relieved!"

As Jia Jing listened to the string of names Emperor Jingsheng recited, he felt a sense of temporal disorientation.

Unexpectedly, these capable ministers from the Kangxi and Yongzheng periods also shone brightly in the Han Dynasty.

Indeed, gold shines wherever it is.

He already understood that the background of this world was a mixture of Dream of the Red Chamber and the early Qing Dynasty, just like the appearance of Zhang Tingyu, Li Guangdi, Nian Gengyao and others.

There may be minor deviations, but many people and things are generally consistent in the general direction.

History has a corrective force; dynasties may change, but the trajectories of many people remain largely the same.

They should have been Han officials after the Manchus entered the Central Plains, but since the Manchus have not yet entered the Central Plains, they have naturally become true Han officials.

However, these political matters are not of much concern to him for the time being. What he needs to do now is to be a good military commander, train the army well, control the military, quell the bandits inside the country, and eliminate the barbarians outside the country!

However, the fact that Lin Ruhai was poisoned and assassinated weighed heavily on his mind. Could it be that Lin Ruhai's death in the original story was not so simple?

Jia Jing kept this matter in mind and said to Emperor Jingsheng:

"Those who can win His Majesty's favor must be capable ministers and officials!"

"As for Lord Lin, he is indeed my uncle-in-law. His only daughter is still being raised in the Rongguo Mansion. Father and daughter have not seen each other for many years. I suppose it is because Uncle Lin is thinking of serving the court and is afraid of implicating his family..."

Seeing the worry in Jia Jing's expression, Emperor Jingsheng comforted him, saying:

"In recent years, Minister Lin has worked tirelessly to reform the salt administration in Jiangnan, delivering one million taels of salt tax to the court every year. I remember all his hard work."

"I have already instructed the Imperial City Guard to arrange for his safety. Rest assured! I will not allow anyone to harm him!"

Hearing Emperor Jingsheng's assurance, Jia Jing appeared relaxed, but his heart was not optimistic.

After all, Lin Ruhai did die in office not long after in the original novel, so the Imperial City Guard is probably not that reliable.

I still need to make some arrangements. Lin Ruhai is not only Lin Daiyu's father, but also a capable minister in the court. I must protect him no matter what.

Emperor Jingsheng glanced at Jia Jing again and said in a deep voice:

"The Imperial City Guard recently reported that things are not peaceful in the northwest, in Yulin and the Ningxia border area, with the Qing dynasty sending envoys to frequently contact the Northern Yuan royal court and the Hunye Khanate."

"They seem to have reached a cooperation agreement. The Mongols have the intention to invade the south, and even the Western Karakhanid Khanate in the Western Regions seems unable to resist the temptation and wants to take a bite out of our great Han."

"I fell ill because I was anxious and upset after reading these reports."

"Although the Qing Dynasty suffered a major defeat this year, losing many soldiers and generals, it hasn't been crippled yet. Now these Mongols want to get involved again; it's truly a turbulent time!"

"When you returned to the capital, I set out a ten-year strategic plan with you to pacify Liaodong and destroy the Qing dynasty. I thought we would strengthen the army, implement new policies, and enhance the country's power before fighting the puppet Qing dynasty."

"But now it seems that the puppet Qing regime will not give us any time for peaceful development and to deal with internal troubles."

Emperor Jingsheng's words startled Jia Jing slightly. No wonder Emperor Jingsheng seemed a bit more agitated today; it turned out that the unrest at the border was causing him anxiety.

As Jia Jing rose in rank, he gained a deeper understanding of the situation in the Han Dynasty.

During his time back in the capital, besides organizing troops and training martial arts, his main tasks were studying history, practicing martial arts, and collecting intelligence on the Han Dynasty's foreign enemies.

The Han Dynasty had two main enemies on its borders: the puppet Qing Dynasty in Liaodong and the Mongols in the northwest. As for the southwest, although there were constant minor disturbances, it was not considered a major threat.