Chapter 290: Emperor Jing Sheng: Zi Jie, have you had any dreams?

This is actually no longer just a simple matter of importance!

You must know that in Shenjing City there are only the Jingying, Bashang Daying, the Feather Forest Army, the Five City Military Command, and the Imperial City Office—just a few forces!

Needless to say, the Five City Military Command is responsible for Shenjing's public order; it's basically not even a military unit, and its combat strength is very low!

The Imperial City Office is an agency in charge of intelligence, spread across the realm; its numbers in Shenjing are few, and its combat strength is not high either.

The Feather Forest Army, as the palace's garrison troops, may have a prestigious name, but it numbers only about twenty thousand, has seen little real combat, and lacks fighting strength.

Only the Jingying and Bashang Daying, each with a hundred thousand troops, are the main field forces garrisoning Shenjing City.

Originally, Taizu and Chengzu set up the two armies precisely to create mutual checks and balances, so that military power would not fall into one person's hands.

Now, Emperor Jing Sheng actually wants to merge the two armies into twelve regiments and put Jia Jing in charge of all 180,000 troops!

This is no longer simple trust; saying that he entrusts his life and fortune to Jia Jing is no exaggeration!

With these 180,000 troops in hand, if Jia Jing harbored disloyal intentions, he could easily overthrow the dynasty and seize the realm!

Of course, given Jia Jing's martial prowess, if he truly wanted to rebel, even just his eight hundred personal guards would be enough to succeed!

But Emperor Jing Sheng's unreserved trust still deeply moved him.

"There's nothing improper about it! If I can't even trust you, Zi Jie, then who in the world can I trust?"

A resolute, unquestionable gleam flashed beneath Emperor Jing Sheng's thin brows, and he waved his hand without hesitation.

Jia Jing heard this, his face slightly stiffened, and he spoke in a low voice:

"I am merely a junior son of the Jia Mansion; if not for Your Majesty's great promotion, I would still be an obscure, frustrated nobody."

"My present status is entirely due to Your Majesty's personal cultivation; without Your Majesty, where would my current honor and favor come from?"

"Your Majesty places such trust in this humble servant; I have no way to repay it, but I will be Your Majesty's sword, sweeping away the disloyal and eradicating treacherous villains."

Emperor Jing Sheng patted Jia Jing's hand and said warmly:

"You've done plenty for me; between ruler and minister we don't need pleasantries."

"Zi Jie, first put the Twelve Regiment Camp in order, select the commanders of each regiment, then rotate troops to train the various frontier garrisons."

"Do as the Bashang Daying does: eliminate the old and weak, audit vacant posts, intensify training, enforce discipline, boost combat power—so that our Da Han Empire's soldiers become elite and commanders strong, with a completely renewed appearance."

"Having strong troops is a prerequisite for the new policies to spread across the realm; after this, we will discuss further, and I will have the Ministry of War and the Five Military Governor's Office fully cooperate with you in reorganizing and training the army."

"From now on, I will handle civil affairs in the court; you, Zi Jie, take charge of military matters—let us each do our utmost."

Emperor Jing Sheng actually wanted to create a dedicated office to oversee military affairs, merging the authority of the Ministry of War and the Five Military Governor's Office, to be placed under Jia Jing's charge—he just hadn't settled on a specific name yet.

Jia Jing's heart jumped: "……"

"The emperor handles civil affairs, and I worry about military matters?"

"Isn't that just separating civil and military authority, each managing their own domain? How could that be acceptable?"

"Such authority is astonishing—it could even be called the Da Han Empire's chief deputy emperor!"

"If one truly grasped command of the Da Han Empire's million troops, perhaps… Emperor Jing Sheng would be the deputy!"

"What on earth does His Majesty mean? This surely isn't a test!"

"Is it because of the virtuous minister who fulfilled the dream? Or because of his own extraordinary martial prowess?"

"Or perhaps both together?"

"But no matter how you say it, this level of trust is excessive; he momentarily couldn't figure it out."

Emperor Jing Sheng stared at Jia Jing, seeing him silent, and asked:

"What's wrong? Too many affairs, feeling overwhelmed?"

Jia Jing shook his head: "Is this even a question of whether it's doable or not?"

"It simply can't be done!"

"To speak frankly, Emperor Jing Sheng's open-hearted sincerity left him momentarily unsure what to do."

He had originally planned to return to the capital, gradually gain more military authority, earn promotions and rewards, while also benefiting the world and bringing a small change to the Da Han Empire.

Even so, because his rise was too swift and his power too great, he had prepared to hide his talents and bide his time for a while.

Who would have thought that this heavenly sovereign would not only put him in charge of the Twelve Regiment Camp but also have him worry over court military affairs, clearly intending that they each manage their own domain!

This left him somewhat at a loss!

Jia Jing decided to play it safe, clasped his hands, and spoke solemnly:

"Your Majesty! This is absolutely out of the question! I am young and inexperienced; I still need seasoning."

Emperor Jing Sheng waved his hand to interrupt:

"What do you mean by 'seasoning'? Is it just smoothing off one's edges and becoming mature?"

"Those civil and military officials in the court may be mature, but their maturity benefits neither the state nor the people."

"What I want is the tiger spirit in you—daring to speak and act, to laugh and rage—just as you dealt with Prince Linchuan and Duke Zhao!"

"……That kind of resolute decisiveness, swift and forceful!"

"Now the court's ills pile up like mountains; corruption is rampant, every official is greedy, officials form factions and collude for wrongdoing—without a harsh crackdown, it won't do."

"Reform concerns the people's livelihood; it can proceed gradually and steadily, but purging officialdom certainly requires thunderous measures."

"I am ready to make a decisive effort to root out corruption and renew the realm, starting with military merit—purging the corrupt and incompetent with severity."

"Zi Jie! Don't hesitate, don't decline! As long as you serve the state loyally and wholeheartedly, even if you pierce the heavens, I will back you up!"

Hearing this, Jia Jing somewhat understood!

This isn't just about making him worry over military affairs; it's also about letting him strike at military merit and commanders!

Although this is a sign of trust, the stakes are not small!

Wang Ziteng's rectification of a single Jingying caused such a huge uproar that countless founding military merit holders vied to impeach him!

And he intends to rectify military merit and commanders across the realm—the risk involved goes without saying!

Although Emperor Jing Sheng explicitly said he would back him, swords are easy to dodge but hidden arrows hard to guard against; truly pressing those who hold military power would not be pleasant for them!

However, risks always come with opportunities!

Isn't there a saying? The greater the risk, the more valuable the fish!

As long as one can truly accomplish this, then all the troops of the world will be under his control!

How exactly to carry this out still requires careful long-term planning!

Jia Jing immediately clasped his hands and spoke solemnly:

"My life and my person are yours to command, Your Majesty!"

Jing Sheng Di, with a relieved expression, patted Jia Jing's shoulder, then leisurely examined him, as if casually asking an unrelated question:

"Zi Jie! Have you been sleeping well in the northwest lately? Have you… been having any strange dreams?"

Jing Sheng Di's gaze fell on the curtain outside, his mouth corners slightly lifted, bearing an ineffable half‑smile, while his peripheral vision furtively flicked to Jia Jing's face.

Jia Jing feigned surprise and spoke slowly:

"Dreams? I rarely dream, but…"

Jing Sheng Di's expression tightened slightly, and he spoke in a hoarse voice:

"But what?"