Chapter 161

Jia Jing also did not argue with him, merely asking:

"If after the peace talks, Bei Yuan and Hun Xie make excessive demands, what then?"

"If after the peace talks, Bei Yuan and Hun Xie are again incited by the False Qing to send troops to invade, what then?"

"The barbarians have always been cunning and fickle; can their words be trusted?"

"Wanting to obtain at the negotiating table what cannot be won on the battlefield? That is naive and childish!"

Da Han is not without treaties with Bei Yuan and other states, many of which have been unilaterally torn apart; without strength, anything said is empty.

Xu Qianxue wore a solemn expression, speaking righteously:

"If Bei Yuan and Hun Xie are fickle, they will surely be despised by all under heaven; as the ancients said, 'Those who follow the Way gain much support, those who lose the Way gain little.' If they act this way, they will surely meet no good end."

Jia Jing, hearing this, was so angry he laughed bitterly, and spoke mockingly:

"This reminds me of when Cao Guogong invited Daoist priests to set up formations to resist the Qing army! Equally absurd and laughable!"

"Sheer nonsense! To utter such ignorant words, and you're still a high official—I see you as either stupid or wicked!"

"Why don't you pray to Heaven to strike down with lightning those barbarians who lack faith!"

"Is this the first time Bei Yuan has gone back on its word? Was the False Qing the first to send troops to invade our territory and slaughter our people?"

"This time they launched troops without cause, already having lost the Way and virtue; why don't we see the world despising them? Why don't we see them meeting a bad end?"

"Sir Xu, you're so good at preaching grand principles; why not go to the frontier and rely on your silver tongue to argue with the barbarians' swords and spears, and see if they'll go easy on killing?"

"It is truly shameful to serve in the same court as you, an ignorant and incapable lot!"

Xu Qianxue's face changed as he was scolded again by Jia Jing; his complexion turned ashen as he pointed at Jia Jing and said:

"You… you…"

Jia Jing felt no fondness for Xu Qianxue and his ilk of corrupt scholars.

At this critical juncture when Da Han's fortunes are dire, you still think to win over the barbarians with morality, spouting hollow platitudes like 'those who follow the Way gain much support; those who lose the Way gain little'—nothing but sheer stupidity and wickedness!

In the contest between states, where can one rely on reasoning?

Only strength can be relied upon.

Think of the later Manchu Qing entering the pass—Yangzhou's ten days of slaughter, Jiading's three massacres, the Central Plains plunged into darkness, with tens of millions dead; why did we not see these Confucian disciples step forward to condemn them?

On the contrary, every time someone defects to the enemy fastest, it's this very group.

Kneeling as slaves while claiming the water is too cold—shameless without limit.

The barbarians all know: once I enter the pass, there will surely be great Confucian scholars to argue the classics for me!

Just thinking about it feels ironic!

At this moment, Wang Ziteng at the side could no longer bear it; seeing Xu Qianxue clearly losing to Jia Jing, he stood up and shouted a question:

"Jia Jing, given the enemy's great strength, what is wrong with seeking temporary peace as a stopgap measure?"

"As long as we wait for Bei Yuan and Hun Xie to withdraw their troops, then I will reorganize the Jingying forces, and the court will reorganize the border armies; even if next year Bei Yuan tears up the treaty and invades again, Da Han will have a better chance."

"If we rashly go to war now, your Bashang Daying has only been training for a little over four months—do you really have confidence you can surely defeat the enemy?"

"If one misstep leads to a great defeat, that would be a disaster endangering the state!"

"A child only knows how to be stubborn and fierce; he does not understand the affairs of state."

"Even if peace harms national prestige and entails a considerable cost, at least it will not jeopardize the safety of the state."

"But once the battlefield is lost, that is a major upheaval shaking the foundations of the state."

Jia Jing looked at Wang Ziteng and spoke coldly:

"I cannot say whether my Bashang Daying can win."

"But I know that if Lord Wang only seeks peace and surrender, it would be better not to reorganize the Jingying troops, lest you end up shaping them into a unit of weaklings."

Wang Ziteng's face flushed red at Jia Jing's words, with veins bulging on his forehead.

This reorganization of the Jingying is tied to whether he can rise to Minister of War; it is a matter of great importance, yet Jia Jing publicly denied his ability—is this not obstructing his career?

Wang Ziteng's expression changed, and he tore his face apart, shouting angrily:

"Jia Jing, you have only garrisoned the frontier for two years, with a single minor victory abroad—how dare you be so arrogant, not regarding us in your sight, and vilify us at will!"

Jia Jing smirked disdainfully and retorted:

"I am merely a minor victory, having killed only several ten thousand of the False Qing; I wonder, Lord Wang, after all your years in office, have you ever achieved such a minor victory?"

Although Jia Jing did not wish to boast of his achievements before everyone, but in order to give Emperor Jing Sheng and the observing ministers some confidence,

he also had to ask Wang Ziteng and Xu Qianxue one question:

What are your military records?

Dare to flap your lips here and spout grand words.

Having said that, Jia Jing no longer paid heed to these courtiers, and bowed to Emperor Jing Sheng:

"Your Majesty! One trains troops for a thousand days to use them in a moment. I, having been singled out by Your Majesty from obscurity, think day and night of nothing but serving the sovereign and exerting myself for the state."

"Now the borders are perilous and the barbarians run rampant; I wish to wield a three-foot sword for Your Majesty, to sweep away the four barbarians, pacify the plains, quell the border troubles, and protect our rivers and mountains."

"Even if I must be shattered to pieces or have my corpse wrapped in horsehide, I will spare nothing!"

"Your servant Jia Jing, I request an edict to go forth on campaign!"

As Jia Jing's earth-shaking words were spoken, it was as if a massive stone had been thrown into water, instantly stirring up huge waves in the hall, and the ministers all at once began to discuss heatedly.

Even the half-asleep Minister of War, Chen Qiao, strained his old eyes and inadvertently glanced at Jia Jing.

Gong Dingzi and Li Guangdi, their gazes profound, looked at Emperor Jing Sheng behind the imperial case, then at Jia Jing.

Zhang Tingyu, meanwhile, furrowed his grayish brows, subtly pinching a few memorials in his sleeve and shifting one that advocated war slightly outward.

"Your servant Niu Jizong, as a martial merit of the state, bound by duty, also wishes to serve the country with my body; I beg Your Majesty's permission!"

Niu Jizong followed closely thereafter, bowing to Emperor Jing Sheng and performing the salute.

Just now, the Marquis Jingwu, in his verbal sparring with the ministers, was too inarticulate to keep up; now, when it comes to showing loyalty, he cannot afford to miss the chance.

Wang Ziteng, standing to the side, saw the two looking as if they wholeheartedly served the state, and it made his advocacy for peace appear like that of a treacherous minister!

He hurriedly advised Emperor Jing Sheng:

"Your Majesty! A ruler must not raise troops out of anger! The lesson of the Retired Emperor is not far; Your Majesty must be cautious!"

"At this time, employing troops for the court, finances are insufficient; indeed it is not a good opportunity, hard to have a chance of victory, Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

Wang Ziteng, in order to show his loyalty, even brought up the Retired Emperor as a negative example.

Jia Jing clasped his hands and said:

"Wang Ziteng confuses the sovereign's mind; I request to execute Wang Ziteng to pacify the world!"

Wang Ziteng:

……

At this moment, Wang Ziteng glared with angry eyes, truly hating Jia Jing in his heart.

Originally, although the two had internal strife among the four great families and a contest over the Jia family's political resources, they still fought without breaking.

Wang Ziteng showed distance and even hostility toward Jia Jing, partly also to put on a show for Emperor Jing Sheng.

If not for that, how could he this time receive the assignment to reorganize the Jingying troops?

He feared that Jia Jing's growing influence would affect his career, so he simply displayed aloofness.

But now, he truly hates Jia Jing in his heart for repeatedly targeting him without regard for feelings.

This insolent brat will surely come to a bad end!

Just wait; when I succeed in reorganizing the Jingying troops and attain the position of Minister of War, we'll see!