Chapter 188: Lord with Bow, General Qin with Halberd—who in the world can stand against them!

Jia Jing never lets his rice leave his mouth; he is indeed a bit hungry, having been on the march these days, eating wind and sleeping in the dew, never having a hot meal.

Moreover, the recent bout of fighting drained a lot of his strength, so he needs to replenish properly.

After hearing Zhu Que, Jia Jing's expression remained calm, and he said in a deep voice:

"If you offend, then offend! There's no way to get anything done without offending someone!"

"The more people you offend, the better; that way His Majesty might feel more at ease."

"Hmm, I'll deal with this after I finish this battle and return from the steppe! I also need to first send a message to His Majesty."

"Be careful on your side; don't stir the grass and scare the snakes, lest they hear the wind and flee!"

Jia Jing's initial plan is to wait until the army returns from the steppe, then swiftly surround Datong with his trusted troops.

This would prevent leaks, capture the Jin merchants in one net, and uproot them completely.

"Yes! Understood!" Zhu Que kept adding rice and side dishes for Jia Jing.

Jia Jing's expression grew a few degrees more solemn, and he continued:

"Third, didn't we bring a few homing pigeons from the Imperial City Office this time?"

"We will immediately send a victory report to His Majesty via carrier pigeon; this time His Majesty is fully committed to war, so the pressure in Shenjing must have been great these days."

"In the dispatch, say the soldiers gave their lives and do not overstate this lord's merits. Use respectful wording and inquire after His Majesty's health."

The Da Han Empire does have carrier pigeon messaging, but it is rare and strictly limited:

First, pigeons can only transmit one‑way; they only know the way home and will not shuttle between two locations.

If one wants to send a message from Yulin to Shenjing, one must bring Shenjing's pigeons to Yulin.

Then release them at Yulin, so the pigeons will fly back to Shenjing, completing a single one‑way communication.

Secondly, pigeon messaging is highly unreliable; pigeons may be preyed upon by raptors, shot by people, or even get lost en route.

Finally, training pigeons is costly and requires expertise; excellent carrier pigeons are very few and precious.

Therefore, important intelligence is usually conveyed by swift horses, rarely by carrier pigeons.

The Da Han Empire's excellent carrier pigeons are also scarce; considering the great distance from the northwest to Shenjing, Jia Jing brought a few this time.

Zhu Que nodded, hesitated, and stopped short of speaking.

Seeing this, Jia Jing asked:

"What's wrong? Stammering—were you infected by You Shiyong?"

Zhu Que added a bowl of rice for Jia Jing and said softly, puzzled:

"Lord, with your current martial strength, is it still necessary to be so… cautious?"

Zhu Que didn't quite understand Jia Jing's attitude toward Jing Sheng Di, finding his respect excessive, even bordering on extreme caution!

He thought that with Jia Jing's current command of military power and such overwhelming strength, why bother compromising so much?

Not to mention being arrogant and overbearing, at the very least there's no need to be so overly cautious.

Again dealing with the Jin merchants, offending court officials, all to appease His Majesty's heart!

Yet constantly remembering to be respectful, even after achieving a great feat and turning the unfavorable situation in the northwest around, he becomes even more timid.

Jia Jing's expression remained unchanged, and he silently sighed inwardly.

After this battle, from Niu Jizong and others to Zhu Que, everyone has become somewhat restless!

It seems they all feel that with such martial strength, they should accomplish an even greater undertaking.

Jia Jing asked calmly:

"Then what do you think I should do with my martial strength if I'm not cautious?"

Zhu Que observed Jia Jing's expression and said softly:

"I think… Lord should not be placed… beneath anyone!"

"Lord wields a bow, General Qin bears a halberd, I command the Embroidered Uniform Guard; who in this world can stand against us! Now the Da Han Empire's power is waning, why not follow Heaven and the people, and prepare early…"

By the end, Zhu Que's expression was somewhat uplifted, as if encouraging Jia Jing:

A true man lives between heaven and earth; how could he remain depressed and stay beneath others for long!

Only Zhu Que, as Jia Jing's absolute confidant, dares to utter such rebellious words before him.

Hearing this, Jia Jing's gaze grew dark; he lifted a tea cup beside him to moisten his throat, and after a moment, warned in a clear voice:

"See, you're impatient again! It's better to be calm in conduct and deeds! Impulsiveness and restlessness rarely yield good results!"

"Now the Embroidered Uniform Guard hasn't yet taken the field, Bashang Daying has only been reorganizing for a few months, and the military authority in the northwest hasn't been secured."

"Within the court, the foundation is still shallow; both military morale and popular sentiment are lacking, yet you are eager to dominate the world!"

"Claiming supremacy by force is indeed easy, but not all worldly affairs can be solved by martial might!"

"Know that conquering the world is easy, governing it is hard; don't oversimplify matters!"

Jia Jing, with a solemn expression, gave a reminder, then shifted his tone and continued:

"Moreover, I am not a schemer who indulges personal ambition!"

The thoughts of those below must be constantly controlled, occasionally unifying their minds.

Otherwise, if I'm careless one day, they might claim the cold weather as an excuse to add a garment for me.

"If driven by personal gain, lust for power, or hedonism, then becoming emperor is not a good choice."

"Look at His Majesty: to revive the Da Han Empire, he works from dawn till dusk, strives tirelessly, eats poorly, sleeps poorly, either drafting memorials or discussing state affairs with ministers; ten years pass like one day, he is utterly exhausted."

"You should know that attaining the throne doesn't mean you can rest easy and do as you please; rather, it adds a heavy burden, bearing responsibility for countless subjects and vast territories."

"Unless you become a dim‑witted ruler, being emperor is less comfortable than being a non‑involved lord."

Saying this, Jia Jing stood up, his expression calm, paced within the hall, and continued:

"Ambitious schemers only cause chaos in the world, with war smoke rising everywhere, barbarians exploiting the situation, countless civilians dead or wounded—this is certainly not what this lord desires!"

"What this lord seeks to be is a pragmatic reformer who can accomplish real deeds for all under heaven; my goal is simply, while safeguarding myself, to bring some positive change to the world."

The so-called "when poor, cultivate one's own virtue; when prosperous, benefit the world" is the life creed this marquis has always upheld.

Jia Jing's goal has actually never changed; since he first came to this world, he only wanted to survive, to avoid being implicated by the Jia Family.

Later, as his authority and strength grew step by step, he no longer had personal survival worries, and he also thought of benefiting the world, hoping to bring some change to this world.

He is not a selfless person, nor is he purely selfish!

His original intention has never changed.

Especially after experiencing several years of border garrison duty, he has seen much suffering of the common people, as trivial as grass and weeds.

He feels even greater empathy for the lower-class soldiers and civilians, intending to aid the world and revive the Da Han Empire.

As for whether to become emperor, he actually has no strong desire for it.

Because he knows well that being emperor is not a good life—it's a bitter, exhausting life!

Especially, wanting to be a good enlightened ruler is no easy task!

Perhaps the only motive that would drive him to become emperor is the desire to see what rewards the system might offer.