Chapter 268: Jing Sheng Di: Capturing Jia Zhen and Wang Ziteng, Sentencing According to the Law

Many Jingying officers, forced by desperation, gave him all their silver, and Zhou Jiwei was one of them.

But Jia Zhen is muddle‑headed; he took the money yet didn't fulfill the tasks.

Zhou Jiwei and several guerrillas and staff officers sent him silver, but he still ended up on the cull list.

The few went to Jia Zhen for an explanation; instead of returning the money, Jia Zhen replied with many insults.

Thus Zhou Jiwei and the others, full of resentment, incited the dismissed soldiers, raised the banner of "purging the treacherous court," and rallied a rebellion!

The Imperial City Office official apparently already knew the causes and consequences of the Jingying upheaval before arriving.

Now the explanation is clear and the reasons are laid out plainly.

The civil and military ministers in the hall, hearing this inside story, were startled and began debating.

To say the Jingying incident stemmed from Wang Ziteng's diligent actions does not surprise them.

What they did not expect is that the spark of the upheaval was Jia Zhen's taking money without delivering, which is both absurd and laughable!

"Boom!"

The seal paper on the imperial desk was slammed heavily to the floor by Jing Sheng Di, the sound dull and grating.

"Traitorous rebels, treating the court's laws as nothing, dare to act so lawlessly!"

Jing Sheng Di roared, his face clouded with darkness, cold light flashing in his eyes.

Publicly buying and selling official titles, exchanging them privately, and now causing such a huge trouble, they have disgraced the court.

This Ningguo noble, acting so absurdly, is utterly lawless!

Recall how heroic the former two dukes of Rongning were, and how ambitious Zi Jie was.

How could the Jia Family still have such a law‑defying dog!

No wonder; Zi Jie once scolded him for dereliction in the Jia Jia Zong Ci and sent Marquis Wei Ning to make him kneel there.

Such a money‑greedy, unrestrained, shameless scoundrel deserves death without hesitation.

Jing Sheng Di's face turned ashen; his fury toward Jia Zhen even exceeds that toward Wang Ziteng!

Although Wang Ziteng is incompetent, his actions are diligent, and he still serves the court, contributing significantly to the army's reorganization.

Jia Zhen, on the other hand, merely leans on his ancestors' lingering prestige, achieving little and causing much failure—a rotten parasite!

However,

Wang Ziteng also bears some blame, for it was Jia Zhen whom he insisted on recommending to join Jingying to assist the reorganization!

While Jing Sheng Di's anger simmered, Zhang Tingyu's expression hardened, jade tablet in hand, and he stepped forward to speak:

"Your Majesty! The most urgent matter is to first quell the rebellion of Zhou Jiwei and his men."

"They are heading toward Shenjing, presumably to besiege the imperial city, threaten the court, and seek a sliver of survival."

Now Zhou Jiwei's rebel troops do not scatter; instead they advance toward Shenjing under the banner of "purging the treacherous court," their purpose obvious.

It is a move to lead troops into the city, pressure the court, and demand pacification and pardon.

They also understand that relying on ten thousand rebels to revolt is almost impossible.

The only chance is to seize the moment quickly, besiege the imperial city, and force Jing Sheng Di to issue a decree of clemency.

Jing Sheng Di's expression hardened, and he said coldly:

"The minister's words are entirely correct! Yet their attempt to coerce the court is a foolish delusion, a daytime dream!"

"Reorganizing the army is a grand state strategy; though their actions have causes, rebellion is still rebellion."

"If we do not strike them head‑on, what authority will the court have!"

"If other regions follow suit, beginning to rebel for amnesty, the world will resemble the chaotic Song era, with constant war‑smoke and no peace!"

The ministers, hearing Jing Sheng Di's decisive stance, each harbored different thoughts.

The Prince of Nan'an's expression shifted, and he stepped forward, clasping his hands:

"Your Majesty! I serve as Right Deputy of the Five Military Governor's Office; my return to the capital will not be far, and I shall share the court's worries for you."

"I am willing to lead my personal troops into Jingying to muster forces, quell the chaos, and soothe the people."

The Prince of Nan'an keenly seized the opportunity in this matter.

If he can mobilize Jingying to restore order this time, he will earn merit.

It is possible he may later become Military Governor of Jingying, controlling its military power.

After all, Wang Ziteng caused such a huge trouble; at the very least he will be stripped of office, barred from service, and cannot possibly be tasked with Jingying again!

Jing Sheng Di's gaze fell on the Prince of Nan'an, he thought briefly and said:

"The reorganization of Jingying is still early; most soldiers are fresh recruits, combat power is weak, and the officers' motives are unpredictable—now is not the time for rash moves."

"If the rebellion is not quelled and we are instead swayed to defect by the rebels, the loss will be unbearable!"

Although the Prince of Nan'an knows some strategy, he has never commanded Jingying and thus does not understand its troops.

Rushing to lead troops into battle, a single misstep could bring defeat and complicate the situation!

Jing Sheng Di does not wish to take that risk!

After all, the Prince of Nan'an is not a battle‑god like Zi Jie.

His rise to a second‑rank Grand General was more due to seniority than merit!

In his decades of service he has won some battles and lost many more.

Moreover, Jing Sheng Di does not fully trust the Prince of Nan'an.

He heard from the Imperial City Office that a few days earlier he had a private banquet with Marquis Cao Guogong, and they conversed amiably!

Cao Guogong is a man from the Longshou Palace faction; the Prince of Nan'an's entanglement with him must alert Jing Sheng Di!

The military authority around Shenjing must not be placed in the hands of those with unclear loyalties.

Once Zi Jie returns, he can jointly oversee Jingying and Bashang Daying, and Jing Sheng Di can rest easy!

The Prince of Nan'an, though a bit disappointed, could only bow and obey the decree.

Jing Sheng Di let his gaze sweep over the officials in the hall, then fell silent for a moment.

Then he fixed his gaze on Marquis Weining Zhu Que and the others in the hall, and said firmly:

"The Feathered Forest Army shall immediately guard the palace gates, allowing exit but not entry. The Five City Military Command, in coordination with the Imperial City Office, will close the nine gates; Shenjing is placed under lockdown."

"The Imperial Cabinet will issue an edict appointing Prince Nan'an, Prince Bei Jing, and Marquis Zhongjing as imperial envoys to leave the city and pacify the Jingying, to prevent others from taking advantage to cause chaos!"

"Place Marquis Weining in command of the Bashang Daying troops, giving him full responsibility to suppress the rebellion led by Zhou Jiwei and others."

"You must quickly bring the situation under control; do not let them bring disaster to the areas surrounding Shenjing!"

"Furthermore, order the Imperial City Office to arrest and interrogate Wang Ziteng, Jia Zhen, and the others involved; the Ministry of Punishments, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Supervisory Officer shall conduct a joint trial."

"Investigate the full details of this Jingying mutiny, punish according to law, and uphold the nation's legal statutes!"

Upon Jing Sheng Di's order, Xia Shouzhong, Zhu Que, Prince Bei Jing, and the others immediately stepped forward, clasped their hands, and said:

"We will obey your edict!"

Jing Sheng Di looked at Zhu Que, and, out of affection for the house and its crow, specially added a sentence, saying:

"Zhang Qing, Zi Jie's memorial to me said that your conduct is upright and balanced, you understand military affairs, and having campaigned with him for a long time, you can truly be called 'capable'."

"Let me entrust you with any difficult military matters in the capital; you will surely achieve victory at the first strike."

"I trust Zi Jie; this time let me see what you are capable of!"

Zhu Que's expression tightened upon hearing this, and he solemnly said:

"Your Majesty, rest assured! I will surely exert my modest abilities to swiftly quell this rebellion for Your Majesty!"

Frankly, suppressing this rebellion is a piece of cake for Zhu Que.

Not to mention that the Bashang Daying troops have trained long, are elite and well-supplied, their combat strength is incomparable to that of the Jingying.

Just saying that the intelligence of this Jingying rebellion is entirely under Zhu Que's control, and even the Embroidered Uniform Guard's personnel are now serving as strategists within the rebel forces.

Such a situation of forces amounts to having perfect timing, advantage, and harmony; there is basically no chance of losing.

All Zhu Que needs to do is figure out how to keep this war confined to the smallest possible scale, so as not to harm the innocent!

After Zhu Que, Prince Bei Jing, and the others withdrew from the hall, this court session also dispersed, and Jing Sheng Di ordered the Feathered Forest Army to escort the civil and military officials back to their respective offices.

Moreover, the news of the northwestern victory report and the Jingying mutiny quickly spread throughout Shenjing city.

…………

Rong Guo Mansion.

Rong Qing Tang.