Chapter 223: Dream‑Fulfilling Worthy Minister

I still recall that when the second victory report from the Northwest arrived, Emperor Jing Sheng only glanced at the dispatch and was so moved that he burst into tears on the spot.

The scene frightened Xia Shouzhong and the other internal supervisors serving nearby, who even thought something earth‑shattering had happened in the Northwest!

At that time, Emperor Jing Sheng's hands trembled as he held the victory dispatch, and he even thought he was dreaming.

It wasn't until Xia Shouzhong read the dispatch to him repeatedly ten times that he calmed down a little.

Later that day, Emperor Jing Sheng went to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to offer sacrifices to the Great Ancestor and the Cheng Emperor, knelt before the Great Ancestor's spirit tablet, muttered to himself all day, and ignored everything else.

When he thinks back on that day's frantic actions, Emperor Jing Sheng's face still reddens a little.

Until the third and fourth victory reports arrived…

Even up to the ninth victory report today, Emperor Jing Sheng's emotions have shifted step by step from ecstatic to erratic, then to shock, numbness, and finally calm.

What used to be a rare border victory report has now become a commonplace affair for Emperor Jing Sheng.

Even feats like the Fang Lang Ju Xu campaign and the Drinking Horse in the Vast Sea, which could be recorded in the annals, no longer have the same shocking impact on Emperor Jing Sheng.

After all, Jia Jing has become, in his mind, a war‑god figure, a "dream‑fulfilling worthy minister" unlike ordinary officials.

Yes! Dream‑fulfilling worthy minister!

That is why Xia Shouzhong sensed that Emperor Jing Sheng's attitude toward Jia Jing had changed.

Since Emperor Jing Sheng granted Jia Jing the titles of Champion Marquis and Third‑rank General of the Western Campaign, for nearly two months he has been having the same dream every night.

In the dream, he saw another picture of the Da Han Empire.

It was a world without Jia Jing, where the Da Han Empire would be utterly defeated by the False Qing in last year's Liaodong battle.

Subsequently, amid internal troubles and external threats, war fires flared everywhere, the divine lands sank, the False Qing seized the Central Plains, cutting hair and changing attire, and the land reeked with blood and stench.

The billions of Da Han subjects suffered unspeakable misery, and he himself would die together with Xia Shouzhong beneath the crooked‑neck tree on Coal Mountain!

In the dream, he also saw the Great Ancestor Emperor of the Da Han.

The Great Ancestor Emperor personally handed him a large jade tablet and left a straightforward prophecy:

Heaven bestows Zi Jie to pacify the four quarters; doubt it and perish, trust it and prosper!

Emperor Jing Sheng originally thought it was merely a matter of thinking by day and dreaming by night, and because the dream was bizarre and chaotic, he paid it no mind.

After all, he had once dreamed that he summoned a meteor from the heavens and annihilated the absurd False Qing!

A dream is just a dream, with no real‑world significance.

It wasn't until he had the same dream every day for two months, and the Great Ancestor's admonition grew increasingly severe.

Later, when he went to Coal Mountain, he discovered a crooked‑neck tree there that was exactly the same as in his dream.

Until Jia Jing kept sending victory reports from the Northwest, crushing the Northern Yuan and pacifying a century‑long border trouble there.

He finally had to believe that the dream was perhaps the Great Ancestor's spirit in heaven sending him a reviving minister for the Da Han.

It is like how King Wen of Zhou dreamed of a flying bear and received Jiang Ziya, Emperor Wen dreamed of Deng Tong, the Shang king dreamed of the wise minister Fu Shuo, and Emperor Taizong of Tang dreamed of Xue Rengui.

This is an age‑old image of an emperor obtaining a worthy minister through a dream!

It is also a sign of the Da Han's Mandate of Heaven.

And ever since Emperor Jing Sheng sincerely believed it, the dream mysteriously vanished!

Thus, Emperor Jing Sheng is absolutely convinced that Jia Jing is the dream‑fulfilling worthy minister bestowed by the Great Ancestor.

Precisely for this reason, he wishes to elevate Jia Jing to First‑rank Duke, Second‑rank Cavalry Grand General, and Senior Pillar of the State.

If not for the resistance of court officials, he would even consider granting Jia Jing a princely title directly.

It is also because of this that he repeatedly says he wants to see Jia Jing.

After all, this is the Great Ancestor's dream‑fulfilling worthy minister, a key figure who assists him in reviving the Da Han and whose role in the nation's survival cannot afford any mistake.

Doubt it and perish; trust it and prosper.

Whether the Da Han can be restored hinges on this; the Great Ancestor has already made it crystal clear!

In Emperor Jing Sheng's mind, Jia Jing has become as important as the fate of the Da Han itself.

And while Emperor Jing Sheng was deep in thought, Xia Shouzhong, beside him, smiled and used practiced rhetoric to say to the emperor:

"Your servant congratulates Your Majesty! You appoint the worthy and capable, work diligently, have swept the prairie border troubles in one stroke, and fulfilled the unfinished great deeds of the Great Ancestor and the Cheng Emperor—truly a cause for celebration!"

Emperor Jing Sheng smiled faintly; his trust in Xia Shouzhong had indeed grown.

His ability aside, his loyalty is guaranteed!

She is the loyal maid who hung with him under the crooked‑neck tree in the dream!

Emperor Jing Sheng thought for a moment, handed the memorial in his hand to Xia Shouzhong, and said in a deep voice:

"Grand Companion! Deliver this memorial to the Cabinet and circulate it throughout."

"Also summon several Grand Scholars, the Prince of Nan'an, and the Prince of Bejing to the Qian Qing Gong for discussion; the prairie is now fully pacified, and the awarding of honors must be settled!"

"Have Wang Ziteng come as well; I wish to inquire about the specific situation of troop organization at Jingying!"

Emperor Jing Sheng's expression straightened, his tone carrying a hint of decisiveness.

These days he has already weighed the matter of awarding honors, and he knows Jia Jing's and the Northwest officers' merits; it is time to make a decision!

Xia Shouzhong bowed, took the command, grabbed the memorial, and walked out.

At that moment, Emperor Jing Sheng also opened the second secret memorial and read it attentively.

The secret memorial outlined four matters.

First, it began with the customary inquiry about Emperor Jing Sheng's health, the concern evident on the paper.

It then described, in a relatively emotive style, what Jia Jing has seen and heard these days—battles and the conditions of the Northwestern people.

Second, the matter of troop consolidation in the Northwest.

The Northwest's three borders, four towns, two hundred thousand border troops, plus the tens of thousands of soldiers transferred from Ba Shang, are training through combat on the prairie.

With measures such as weeding out the old and weak, replenishing rations, and enforcing strict discipline, the initial consolidation is already taking shape.

Especially after acquiring prairie warhorses, the border cavalry has been greatly strengthened; the remaining task is simply to continue training.

Jing Sheng Di, after seeing this, couldn't help but sigh to themselves:

"We still have to rely on Zi Jie to organize and lead the troops!"

"The northwest has three borders and four towns with two hundred thousand border troops; forts and mountain passes are everywhere, and practices like taking empty rations and drinking soldiers' blood have become commonplace. The court has sent people to straighten things out several times, yet to no avail."

"Zi Jie was only there for three months, and without demanding any extra rations from the court, already achieved preliminary organization of the troops—how rare that is!"

"Unlike Wang Ziteng, who, during the reorganization of Jingying, stirred up many troublemakers; the attitude is commendable, but the ability is somewhat lacking!"

Jing Sheng Di, recalling the recent situation in Jingying, couldn't help but let out a sigh.

After Jia Jing swiftly and successfully reorganized Bashang Daying and the northwest border troops, the reorganization of Jingying, by contrast, seemed sluggish and muddled, its prospects worrisome.

Of course, Jing Sheng Di also understood that the smooth reorganization in the northwest was due to Jia Jing winning battle after battle there.

Being able to lead the border troops to victory naturally boosts prestige; being decisive also naturally eases the conflicts between the reorganization and the existing interest groups.

After all, victories not only signify military merit, but also countless spoils and new gains.

But, to put it another way, winning battles is also Jia Jing's skill. That is no excuse for Wang Ziteng's incompetence!