Dream of the Red Chamber: Madam, please have some self-respect!

The old lady seemed genuinely angry.

She slightly opened her half-closed eyes, her gaze slowly sweeping over the crowd, and said in a gentle voice, "Yun-ge'er has his own plans for his future. As elders, we should only offer our support, but not offer unsolicited advice. There is only one thing we must ensure for him first—his success in the imperial examinations!"

"Once he passes the imperial examinations and becomes a scholar, a provincial graduate, or a metropolitan graduate, regardless of whether he pursues a career in the civil or military field, whether he serves in the imperial court or a prince's household, he will have a solid foundation, and no one will dare to look down on him. Right now, the most important thing is to let him focus on preparing for the metropolitan examinations and ensure he passes them with flying colors in the spring!"

"These days, I've turned down every offer to hire him as an advisor or recommend him for military service. I just tell him he needs to stay home and study for the imperial examinations and won't see any guests."

As soon as Grandmother Jia finished speaking, the noise that had filled the room immediately quieted down.

From then on, the gatekeepers of the Jia family indeed received countless visiting cards and invitations.

Some noble sons sought his acquaintance, some military generals wanted to discuss border affairs, and even some civil officials wanted to find out about Prince Xin's movements, but all of them were turned away at the door with the words, "Second Master Yun is studying diligently behind closed doors in preparation for the imperial examinations and will not receive guests."

It's understandable that the sons of noble families associate with each other. But what about those generals and civil officials? Who doesn't know what they're up to? They're all after Prince Xin.

In the vast capital city, news can never be kept secret.

The story of Prince Xin's relationship with Jia Yun had long been distorted beyond recognition, and some despicable people even fabricated some unbearable nonsense.

With embellishment and exaggeration, some even claimed it was a homosexual relationship.

Who can you complain to about this?

In this situation, closing the door to visitors is indeed the best course of action.

However, there were three exceptions.

On this day, Jia Yun was studying in his quiet room under the west corridor when a servant came to report.

"Second Master, Master Feng Ziying has come to visit, and he has brought two friends with him. One is surnamed Cao, and the other is surnamed Lu. They don't seem to be ordinary people. They both look particularly distinguished. Especially the one surnamed Cao, his eyes are so bright they're intimidating."

Jia Yun's heart skipped a beat. Feng Ziying had made many friends among heroes, and the friends he brought along were no ordinary people.

The surnames "Cao" and "Lu" in particular reminded him of two prominent figures from the late Ming Dynasty.

He immediately stood up and said, "Please come in!"

A short while later, Feng Ziying walked into the house with a bright smile, followed by two young men.

The man was about seventeen or eighteen years old. He wasn't particularly tall, but he walked with a steady gait and exuded a fierce, battlefield aura.

The other person was a few years older, around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with a thin face and a tall, upright figure.

Although the newcomer was dressed in a scholar's robe, he could not hide the heroic, resolute, and decisive air between his brows. He was clearly a person who was both learned and skilled in martial arts.

"Yun-ge'er! You're truly a hidden talent! Now, throughout the entire capital, from princes and nobles to commoners, who doesn't know that the Rongguo Mansion has produced a 'Little Zhuge Liang' who can predict the future and decide Liaodong with a single word?" Feng Ziying patted Jia Yun's shoulder, his tone both affectionate and full of admiration.

"Brother Feng was just joking. It was just a lucky guess. Don't take it seriously," Jia Yun said modestly, but his gaze had already shifted to scrutinize the two people behind him.

Feng Ziying smiled and introduced them, "Come, come, let me introduce you to two good friends. This is Cao Bianjiao, General Cao's nephew. Although he is young, he has already fought against the Jurchens in Liaodong and seen the battle!"

The young man clasped his hands in a respectful greeting, his voice booming like a bell: "Cao Bianjiao greets Brother Jia!"

"This is Lu Xiang-sheng, also known as Lu Jian-dou. He passed the imperial examination in the second year of the Tianqi reign and is currently serving in the Ministry of Revenue. Don't let his scholarly background fool you; his horsemanship and archery skills are unmatched, even by ordinary military officers! Furthermore, he possesses a wealth of strategic brilliance!"

The lean young man smiled slightly, cupped his hands and said, "Lu Xiang-sheng, I have long admired Brother Yun's name, and I have come to bother you today."

Jia Yun was shocked—utterly shocked. It really was them!

A pillar of strength in the late Ming Dynasty, a figure as imposing as a white jade pillar, a golden beam spanning the sea!

Cao Bianjiao was a valiant general whose bravery surpassed that of the entire army; Lu Xiangshan was one of the last great commanders of the late Ming Dynasty!

He quickly returned the greeting: "So it's Brother Cao and Brother Lu! Your names are renowned throughout the land. It's an honor to meet you today! Please come inside!"

After the three guests were seated, no servants served them fragrant tea. Instead, it was Jia Yun, the host, who ran around starting a fire and boiling water.

"Please do not be offended by the simplicity of my humble abode."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the conversation naturally turned to the Liaodong war, and then to the most pressing issue at the moment, the Liaodong war, and the overall situation of the world.

Cao Bianjiao, being the most impatient, spoke first: "Brother Jia! Your assertion at the Prince of Xin's residence that Ningyuan would hold was truly inspiring! However, merely defending an isolated city will ultimately leave our Han Dynasty at a disadvantage. In my opinion, after Ningyuan defeats the Jurchen's momentum, the court should gather its elite troops and march out of the pass to fight that old scoundrel Nurhaci to the death! We must completely pacify Liaodong! What kind of heroes are we, always hiding in the city!"

The boy's words were full of the bloodthirstiness of a martial artist, which was not off-putting.

Lu Xiang-sheng shook his head slightly, his tone steady: "Bian Jiao's bravery is commendable. But if I may be frank, our army has just suffered a defeat, and morale has not yet recovered. In open battle, we are probably no match for the Eight Banners cavalry. If we rashly march out of the pass and suffer another setback, the overall situation will be in grave danger. The best course of action now, as Brother Jia said, is to hold the key passes, recover our strength, and reorganize our military preparations. At the same time, we need to establish fortifications in Fuguang, Liaodong, and advance step by step, constantly harassing the Jurchens' rear, preventing them from making a full-scale westward advance. This is the strategy of 'using defense as offense and trading space for time.'"

Lu Xiang-sheng's strategy was clearly more stable and mature, which was in line with the actual situation of the Ming army at that time.

Feng Ziying, like Jia Yun, was actually a novice in military affairs, but through exposure to the world, he developed his own insights.

He nodded in agreement: "Brother Jiandou is absolutely right. The situation in Liaodong has deteriorated over time; haste makes waste."

Cao Bianjiao was indeed hot-blooded, but not stupid. After listening carefully, he also found the argument reasonable, but he still showed some resentment: "How long are we supposed to hold out? Are we just going to watch the Jurchens grow stronger?"

At this moment, Jia Yun, who had been listening quietly, put down his teacup and slowly spoke: "Brother Cao wants to fight, and Brother Lu wants to defend. Both are good strategies for the country. But I think that the reason why our Great Ming is so difficult to defend in Liaodong and even in the Nine Borders, and often suffers defeats in battle, is not entirely due to the lack of courage of the soldiers or the lack of wisdom of the strategists, nor is it entirely due to whether or not we go out to fight in the open field."

Upon hearing this, all three were taken aback and looked at him in unison.

Feng Ziying asked with doubt, "Then what is the root cause?"

Jia Yun said, word by word, "It all comes down to money."

"Money?" Everyone was stunned and puzzled.

"That's right, it's all about money. Brother Lu, you've been observing the government in the Ministry of Revenue, so you must know how much silver is spent on military supplies in Liaodong every year, and how many months of back pay the border troops have been owed. If soldiers don't get paid, their wives and children will freeze and starve. How can they concentrate on defending the city and fighting bravely? If generals don't get paid, their weapons will rot, their horses will be weak, and they may even have to cut back on their own rations to survive. How can such an army have any fighting power?"

Jia Yun sighed, stood up, and walked to the window: "Why is there no money? Land taxes can't be collected, mining and salt taxes are siphoned off at every level, and commercial taxes are practically non-existent. The national treasury is empty; how can we support the army? How can we manufacture weapons? How can we compensate the wounded and boost morale in Liaodong? The situation in Liaodong appears to be a military defeat, but its root cause is a financial ruin!"

Lu Xiang-sheng was an observer of the Ministry of Revenue, and thus had a deeper understanding of the court's financial difficulties than most people.

At this moment, Jia Yun brought up the matter of money, and he couldn't help but admire him: "Brother Yun's idea is indeed correct! The officials in the court only know how to urge the suppression, but they don't know that the Ministry of Revenue is already empty. Even a clever housewife can't cook without rice! Brother Bianjiao, you are on the front line, you should know the suffering of unpaid wages."

Cao Bianjiao's face darkened, and he clenched his fists: "How could I not know? Our brothers often defend the city on empty stomachs... Damn it!"

How much bitterness was contained in that swear word from a seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy? Clearly, he was recalling something he didn't want to remember.

Feng Ziying suddenly realized: "So, it's not that we can't win, it's that we can't afford to fight?"

"Exactly! Our Han soldiers are not weak! It's just...we're short of money!" Jia Yun turned around, his eyes burning. "Therefore, to pacify Liaodong, we must first solve the problem of funding! Without a continuous flow of silver, no matter how good the financial resources, any brilliant strategy is just a castle in the air!"

Lu Xiang-sheng frowned deeply: "If what Yun-ge'er said is absolutely right, how can we solve the problem of money? Increase land taxes? That will lead to frequent peasant uprisings. Rectify the salt and iron industries? That will infringe upon the interests of the powerful and wealthy. Increase revenue and reduce expenditure? That would be like a drop in the ocean. Money is no easy issue to address."

"Therefore, we need to find a new way to make money! A way to quickly bring in a huge amount of silver without excessively exploiting our own people!" Jia Yun's voice carried an unprecedented decisiveness and...temptation, but at the same time, Jia Yun also knew how earth-shattering his next words would be.

"A new source of income?" the three asked in unison, their curiosity piqued by the question.

"Lift the maritime ban, re-establish the Maritime Trade Office, and allow private merchants to trade with the Japanese! Also, open up the tribute system!"

"What?!"

"Lift the maritime ban? Start trade with the Japanese?"

Not only Feng Ziying and Cao Bianjiao exclaimed in surprise, but even Lu Xiangsheng looked astonished at these remarks.

Seeing the astonishment of the three of them, Jia Yun sighed inwardly.

He was well aware of the shocking nature of his words. But since he had been given a second chance at life, some paths had to be walked first. He wondered how much controversy these words would attract if they got out.

Moreover, although these three men are all heroes, their visit today may well be motivated by a desire to make friends with Prince Xin.

Jia Yun, however, didn't care. His most important task right now was the imperial examination.