Chapter 339

However, the reason we could win the northwestern battle was, firstly, the Son of Heaven's holy wisdom and decisive judgment, with no thought of compromise or peace, firmly supporting the war effort.

Secondly, it was due to the soldiers' devotion, unity up and down, and a bit of luck; it is not entirely my merit.

Jia Jing calmly added a sentence, greatly downplaying his own merit in his words!

Now he has reached the pinnacle of ministerial rank, his power and influence unmatched for the time being, and he no longer needs to boast of his achievements to glorify himself!

Shi Ding's expression froze upon hearing this; seeing Jia Jing's demeanor was not feigned, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly:

The Duke of Jing, though young, already holds sway over court and countryside, yet remains this humble and cautious—truly worthy of being a hero of the age!

He has also seen many talented young heroes, such as Nian Gengyao.

But most of them, after achieving merit, become arrogant, domineering, frivolous, and conceited; those who can maintain self-restraint are exceedingly few!

Even to speak bluntly, not even the earlier Dukes of Xianrong and Ning likely possessed Jia Jing's current martial strategy and temperament.

Shi Ding's gaze tightened, and he spoke admiringly:

"With such military achievements, yet remaining neither arrogant nor impatient, it is no wonder the Emperor relies on you as his left and right arms, calling you a minister of the Da Han Empire's revival."

"After the Duke of Xianrong, there will be successors; our Jia, Shi, Wang, and Xue four great families now have a pillar to rely on!"

Shi Ding's words undoubtedly acknowledged Jia Jing as the head of the four great families, while also playing the emotional card of the families' shared breath and branch.

Jia Jing did not respond; his finger lightly tapped the armrest once, the sound soft but unusually clear in the quiet hall.

He slowly shifted his gaze from Shi Ding's face to the nine-border map on the north wall, paused a moment, pondered briefly, straightened his expression, and said:

"Lord Shi, your visit is probably not merely to congratulate me, is it?"

Shi Ding's mixed praise and regret have already let Jia Jing discern his purpose.

"This..."

Shi Ding's expression stalled, wanting to speak but holding back.

It must be said, facing Jia Jing's solemn demeanor, he actually felt a rare hint of nervousness; after composing himself, he decisively rose, clasped his fists, and carefully chose his words:

"Since the Duke asks, I will speak frankly!"

"This time I have come firstly to congratulate the Duke on his ennoblement, and secondly to seek a position under his command!"

"Today the Duke is the Da Han Empire's foremost military hero, commanding the Twelve Divisions, holding the title of Minister of War, and his subordinates are exactly in need of personnel."

"Although I am not talented, I have previously served under the Duke of Xianrong and won several battles."

"Initially, I served as a deputy commander at Xuanfu Garrison; when the Northern Yuan's three thousand cavalry invaded, I led eight hundred men in a night raid on their camp, beheading over two hundred enemies and rescuing over a thousand captured civilians, earning me the rank of second‑earl for my merit."

"Later transferred to Datong Garrison, when the Northern Yuan khan personally led thirty thousand cavalry southward, I defended the city with eight thousand troops for seven days; the outer palisades were burned to ashes, and the city walls were breached in three places."

"I personally wielded my blade to block the breach, sustaining two wounds yet refusing to retreat. In that battle I slew over ten thousand enemies, forced the enemy army to retreat, and after the battle was ennobled as a third‑earl of Loyalty and Tranquility for my service."

"I too have fought for over ten years, climbing from piles of corpses and seas of blood; I am no mediocre person who relies on ancestral influence to inherit a title and idle away his days."

"Although I am now older, I can still draw a two‑stone hard bow, ride a spirited horse, and wield a sixty‑jin iron spear."

"Last month, practicing horseback archery outside the city, within a hundred paces I hit seven or eight out of ten shots; my waist and legs are sound, my appetite good—I can eat three bowls of rice in one meal."

"If Your Excellency doubts me, you may test me at will; I seek no cushy post, only the chance to lead troops into battle."

"I never brought shame to the Duke of Xianrong before, and if I may now serve Your Excellency, I will certainly not disgrace you!"

Shi Ding loudly displayed his résumé, then after finishing patted his own arm to show his sturdy constitution.

Jia Jing nodded upon hearing this; he was fully aware of Shi Ding's affairs and knew he was not speaking nonsense.

Shi Ding's marquis title was earned by his own military merit; after over a decade on the battlefield, without any falseness, he counts among the rare brave warriors of the founding merit.

This is also why Jia Jing intends to employ him.

Rectifying the founding merit requires not only rewarding and punishing according to virtue, but also knowing people and assigning them well.

The Twelve Divisions currently indeed have many vacant posts, and we need to fill them with our own people.

Jia Jing's gaze calm, he looked at Shi Ding for a while, then spoke slowly and steadily:

"Lord Shi, if you are willing to serve the state, I naturally welcome you."

"However, the Twelve Divisions guard Shenjing; their duty is weighty, and I intend to forge them into a true elite capable of fighting hard battles."

"In the future they must be able to campaign for the Emperor in all directions and pacify the realm; there can be no room for the slightest carelessness."

"I ask you: if you were made a regiment commander, and encountered in the army the practices of drawing false pay and sucking soldiers' blood, how would you deal with them?"

"If you were tasked with rectifying a regiment's troops, where many have connections or entered through the back door, what would you do?"

This is clearly a probing examination!

Although Jia Jing intends to use Shi Ding, he cannot avoid testing him.

First, to prevent his position from being obtained too easily, and to set standards for future officer selection.

Second, to observe his principle, courage, talent, and political stance.

At the level of regiment commander, personal martial prowess is often not the key factor.

What matters are political stance, military doctrine, courage, and strategy.

Moreover, these two questions are also key issues for the Da Han Empire's future military governance.

First is the corruption problem of sucking soldiers' blood and eating empty rations, which persists despite repeated bans; if Shi Ding's answer is evasive or even lenient, Jia Jing will not employ him.

Second is the issue of back‑door entrants and those with connections, which is mainly aimed at the later rectification of the founding merit.

We must examine Shi Ding's attitude and grit; if he dares not offend anyone or cannot discern right from wrong, Jia Jing will still politely refuse him.

Upon hearing this, Shi Ding straightened his countenance; he also knew Jia Jing was testing him, thought it over, and spoke in a low voice:

"The practices of eating empty rations and sucking soldiers' blood have become a chronic ailment of the Da Han military establishment—not only among officers who command troops, but even among the martial officials of the Guard Posts, none are free of eating empty rations."

"Now the Da Han military's ills have accumulated deeply; without a ruthless crackdown, this corrupt atmosphere cannot be reversed."

"Therefore, I believe that without an iron‑fisted purge, it will not work."

"If I encounter such a situation, I will first audit the accounts, then muster the troops; if the books do not match, I will summon each person involved one by one for confrontation."