Chapter 13: Rising from Fifth‑Rank Tiger Guard Colonel

Dai Quan smiled and said softly:

"What else could we do! We just smashed a few jars and bottles; I heard there was originally an edict to execute, but it later fell through!"

"When tomorrow's court session comes, a few Censors and Jingnan Wuxun will plead for leniency; Duke Cao should have his life safe, but losing his post and being demoted is inevitable!"

The Retired Emperor heard this without replying, and continued to paint calmly and unhurriedly,

until the final stroke was laid down, inscribing "Gift to my brother Aisin Gioro Xuan Ye", stamping his private seal, then he set down the brush and said:

"Losing a post is a minor matter; we can restore it next time if the chance arises. No one doubts the cause of this defeat, right?"

Dai Quan considered for a moment, then handed the Retired Emperor a warm silk handkerchief, and said:

"Your Majesty, rest assured, this operation was handled entirely by the secret guards; everyone who was supposed to disappear has already vanished."

"Everyone only thought Duke Cao was overambitious and incompetent, never considering anything else."

"This court defeat has greatly damaged the prestige of Qian Qing Gong; people say the one there attained the position improperly and cannot rule the world! There are already rumors that Your Majesty should retake the throne, govern the state and bring peace to the realm."

The Retired Emperor's expression remained calm as he took the handkerchief, wiped his hands, and said:

"The secret guards must not cause any stir lately! The more they act, the more mistakes, and it becomes easy for others to find a foothold!"

"In the northwest, just ensure the Jin merchants' grain and ironware trade with the Manchurian side runs smoothly; with money they can act, and there's no need to pass on any more intelligence!"

"Alas! It's just a pity for the tens of thousands of innocent soldiers and civilians of the Da Han Empire! My heart cannot bear it…"

Seeing the Retired Emperor sigh, Dai Quan comforted:

"All the people of the world are your subjects; dedicating themselves to your cause is only proper."

"When Your Majesty once again takes the reins of the realm, abolishes the New Policies, and rests with the people, then true great blessings for the world will come! At this moment, a small gain or loss counts for nothing!"

The Retired Emperor laughed heartily and said:

"You still know how to speak! My younger brother only knows how to reform corrupt policies, overhaul the bureaucracy, is hard‑line abroad and refuses to bow, wages war recklessly, and is severe toward the gentry officials; he has no idea how many hearts he has lost!"

"Little does he know that the Da Han Empire has always shared the world with the gentry officials; only when the gentry's martial merits receive benefits and support Da Han's rule can our empire endure for ten thousand years!"

"As for the Qing, they only seek a bit of land and annual stipends; what does giving them achieve? Why must we meet on the battlefield, with countless deaths and injuries, harming heaven's harmony? It would be far better for both sides to be amicable!"

Dai Quan's expression stiffened, then he smiled:

"You truly understand reason, Your Majesty! Thus only your re‑ascending the throne can be the blessing of the Da Han and of all its subjects!"

The Retired Emperor laughed loudly:

"Ha ha! No rush, no rush; the time has not yet come…"

……

Two years later.

Liaodong Jinzhou City.

The early‑autumn morning air already carried a hint of chill; the icy north wind howled, lifting the fresh morning mist, and dappled sunlight scattered over Jinzhou City.

Jia Jing, clad in military attire, sat on a rose‑wood chair inlaid with turquoise in the front hall of the magistrate's office, studying a map of the area around Jinzhou City.

At this moment Jia Jing was twenty years old, his visage bearing a solemn authority and iron resolve he had not possessed before; he had already fought on the Liaodong battlefield for two years.

In these two years, the Qing Army's main deployments were against the Haixi Jurchen and the Wild Jurchen in the rear, with few large‑scale clashes with the Han Army.

Of course, small‑scale cavalry skirmishes never ceased,

Jia Jing repeatedly volunteered to lead scout cavalry against the Qing, fighting dozens of battles, slaying hundreds of Qing soldiers without a single defeat, earning a modest reputation on the Liaodong front.

This year, Emperor Kangxi dealt a crushing defeat to the Haixi Jurchen and the steppe Khorchin tribes, largely unifying the rear tribes and most of the grasslands.

He then hastily dispatched 150,000 troops, proclaiming a 200,000‑strong Manchu‑Mongol allied army, marching straight at the Da Han, attempting to seize the Central Plains.

Jing Sheng Di appointed Nian Gengyao as General of Pingliao, commanding the Liaodong forces to confront the Qing Army.

Nian Gengyao placed Tiger Guard Colonel Jia Jing at the vanguard, stationed at Jinzhou City on the Liaodong front, where they have now been battling the Qing for over a dozen days.

"General, General Qin reports that the Xuanjia Army has arrived at the designated position, awaiting your orders."

A commander clad in black armor entered the hall, quietly reporting to Jia Jing, his gaze toward Jia Jing carrying a hint of respect.

"Great! After playing this drama with them for so many days, it can finally end. Fei Yanggu truly lives up to his reputation as a Manchu general; these days defending the city have been a mess…"

Jia Jing's voice was slightly hoarse; the recent fierce clashes with the Qing had left him sleepless for several days.

Yet his spirit appeared vigorous, his eyes even sharper.

"Fei Yanggu merely relies on numerical superiority; had the General not executed a double‑sided encirclement and dealt a massive blow to the enemy, he would have no room for arrogance. In these two years, who in Liaodong does not know the General's fame…"

The black‑armored commander, somewhat indignant, said gravely.

"Ha ha… it can't be said that way; after all, Fei Yanggu is a First‑rank Imperial Guard Minister of the Qing."

"Over the years he has cleared the Haixi Jurchen for the Qing, defeated the Mongol tribal coalition, his battle merits are illustrious; he is no ordinary man!"

"These recent siege battles have been impressive; they nearly breached our defenses several times, even scaling the walls a few times. The Qing troops are also valiant; the Qing truly are a formidable foe of the Da Han!"

"Strategically we may disdain them, but tactically we must take them seriously."

Jia Jing gave a faint smile, his gaze turning to Zhu Que below the hall, and said with a hint of sentiment.

Zhu Que was the absolute loyal he extracted from the system.

Since arriving in Liaodong, he has been promoted many times and is now a Fifth‑rank Tiger Guard Colonel.

The system has also repeatedly granted promotion rewards.

A promotion to the proper eighth rank awarded five hundred Embroidered Uniform Guards, led by Zhu Que.

A promotion to the proper seventh rank awarded fifteen hundred Xuanjia Army, whose leader was the General Qin just mentioned: Qin Qiong.

A promotion to the proper sixth rank granted several unique later‑era formulas such as 'Glass‑making', 'Salt‑making', 'Sugar‑making', 'Wine‑making', and 'Soap‑perfume' recipes.

Now, Jia Jing has roughly figured out the system's rules.

First, advancing two grades yields one reward opportunity, i. e., from proper ninth to proper eighth, and from proper eighth to proper seventh; there are none when moving from seventh or from eighth.

Second, currently only civil officials receive rewards; merit officials do not.

Now his merit rank has risen to Light‑carriage Commandant, which under Da Han standards is regarded as proper fifth rank, yet the system provides no reward.

I don't know whether there will be any rewards for future ennoblement.

Jia Jing thought there probably weren't any, as the system seemed to recognize only a single official promotion track; the details would have to be seen later.

Third, the characters rewarded by the system are absolutely loyal, with traceable origins, not appearing out of nowhere, so there will be no cause for concern.