Chapter 340: Let the Connected Households Investigate the Connected Households

The evidence is solid; regardless of who he is, first seize the person, confiscate the family property, then punish according to the law, execute as a warning, and show no mercy.

In fact, back then when I served as commander in Datong Town, I did exactly that; I investigated several middle‑ranking generals in the army who were embezzling funds and smuggling.

They relied on being kin of the Eight Great Jin merchants, having backers in the court, and asked people to plead on their behalf.

I didn't even let them step through the gate; I bound them and handed them over to the authorities. Later I was reassigned to an idle post, perhaps because this matter made me offend someone.

Simply executing as a warning isn't enough; we must also tackle the system, plugging the leaks at the source.

Each month the payroll is issued; the commander must personally count the soldiers by head, no one may collect on behalf of others.

At the same time we establish a reporting and supervision system; soldiers can report secretly, and once verified, they receive half the reward in silver.

The embezzlement became rampant mainly because the court, preoccupied with internal and external troubles, has been lenient toward officers, leaving no one to supervise or investigate.

As long as the court resolves to reform, using an iron‑faced, impartial, and respected person to reorganize the army, the atmosphere will gradually improve.

Shi Ding clearly gave this issue genuine thought; his answer was thorough and showed considerable insight.

Jia Jing silently nodded; he was satisfied with Shi Ding's response.

He not only addressed military corruption and the decay of the Guard Post system, but also offered solutions from both the iron‑fist and institutional angles.

It's not empty talk on paper; he actually has ideas and can get things done!

Moreover, Jia Jing kept watching Shi Ding's expression and eyes, noticing that his gaze was steady, his voice resonant, and he seemed rather indignant.

It shows this is heartfelt, not hollow rhetoric.

Jia Jing fell silent for a moment, lifted his teacup and took a sip, gave no opinion, and continued with an expressionless tone:

In the 12th Regiment Camp there are still many hereditary noble offspring, their connections tangled like roots.

If they try to use you to pull strings, seeking favoritism, especially the Founding Lineage Martial Merit, what would you do?

Sweat beaded on Shi Ding's forehead; this question was hard to answer.

Jia Jing deliberately emphasized the founding martial merit, clearly hinting at something.

Compared with the previous rampant corruption issue, this nepotism and cronyism problem is the norm and chronic ailment among Da Han martial heroes!

After all, in life, who doesn't have a few relatives and friends, a few old comrades of the same clan? Who doesn't have a wife, children, and elders?

One could say, as long as rule by men and human relationships persist, this matter can never be completely cut off!

Even now, coming to Jia Jing to seek a post may, in a sense, still count as a connected household using a back door!

Is it expected that this very connected household should strictly investigate other connected households?

That would be rather absurd!

Shi Ding thought carefully, then hesitated before saying:

The Founding Lineage Martial Merit in Shenjing City have long lived in luxury; most have been hollowed out by wine and women, and few are still capable.

So I think, whether it's a connected household or a back‑door case, if I handle it, there is only one criterion.

It is whether one truly has skill, whether one can win battles. Those who can win stay; those who cannot, regardless of whose relative or which path they used, are all replaced.

If anyone relies on backers, disobeys orders, or breaks military discipline, don't blame me for showing no mercy.

Thus, whether one is a connected household is irrelevant; as long as one can endure hardship, has real skill, and trains on the battlefield for a few years, even a scrap of iron can be forged into fine steel!

For a commander, the key is still to uphold the bottom line, enforce strict military discipline, and appoint people wisely. If the capable ones are our own people, there's no need to deliberately distance or discard them!

Shi Ding's voice lowered at the end, clearly believing he himself is the truly capable insider!

Jia Jing fell silent for a moment and asked:

So for our own people, we may grant favors, but we cannot break the law or abandon principles? Then who counts as our own?

Shi Ding's reply was rather sincere, without a blanket claim of never showing favoritism or ignoring personal ties!

In reality, in a feudal Da Han society, achieving complete impartiality is impossible; it's not an individual issue but a problem of imperial authority.

Even the emperor must consider personal relationships, let alone his ministers!

Even in later modern societies, how many can be truly impartial?

Such matters can only be gradually avoided as civilization and technology continuously advance.

Shi Ding was startled, then immediately replied:

Lord, your summary is spot‑on! As for who our own people are, they are naturally the brave who are willing to follow you and achieve glory for Da Han by slaying enemies!

Shi Ding did not mention the Founding Lineage Martial Merit here, evidently having realized something.

Jia Jing furrowed his brows and suddenly asked:

I heard that during your idle post years, the Prince of Nan'an wanted to transfer you to the southeast to command troops; you refused?

Shi Ding's expression briefly froze, he straightened his back, and said coldly:

Huo Zhaoming, that dog… he has no good intentions! The atmosphere of the Founding Lineage Martial Merit has been corrupted by him!

If it hadn't been that the previous generation, like Xian Rongguo, of the Founding Lineage Martial Merit were sacrificed in Liaodong by the Supreme Emperor in a battle, he would never have had a chance to become Grand General!

When I was impeached as commander in Datong, I asked him, as a fellow member of the Founding Lineage, to write a petition and lend two words of support.

He not only refused to help, but secretly instructed the Qi Duke's Estate, the Zhi Duke's Estate and other old relatives and acquaintances to stand by and watch, causing me to be isolated and stripped of command.

Later he pretended to want to transfer me to the southeast as commander, but he wasn't sincere.

Instead, he aimed to win me over, subdue the Four Great Families, thereby consolidating the Founding Lineage Martial Merit, becoming the new head of that lineage and usurping the position originally belonging to the Jia Family!

In fact… if he truly had ability, I wouldn't have refused to serve him!

But his battlefield skill is mediocre, even inferior to mine; he only excels at opportunism and scheming.

The few victories he claimed in the southeast and southwest were mostly achieved by secretly sending silver or taking credit for others' deeds.

In the southwest, a tribal chiefdom, having lost power due to internal clan wars, migrated with the whole tribe and surrendered to Da Han, hoping for a peaceful life.

Huo Zhaoming even ordered the imperial army to charge the unarmed surrendering civilians, beheading more than 4,700 individuals and looting their goods.

Afterwards, he not only failed to enforce discipline, but also fabricated a cover story, reporting it to the court as a "great victory".

This caused rebellions in the Yun Gui region to flare up repeatedly over the years, and they have not yet been fully quelled.

He himself also secretly drank soldiers' blood, ate empty provisions, seized military farms, smuggled, and even repeatedly let troops plunder and humiliate the people's women.

Several martial-meritorious families of our founding lineage have followed him down the wrong path; recruiting such people, how could I possibly agree!

To say that our founding lineage has continued to the present nearly a hundred years, indeed there have been not a few wicked and unworthy scoundrels, truly disgracing the reputation of our predecessors; perhaps they should also be punished.

In Shi Ding's last words there was a hint of probing.

Jia Jing lowered his eyelids, for a moment not speaking.

In the hall, the only sound audible was the faint crackling of the agarwood incense burning in the Boshan furnace.

Sunlight fell on the golden bricks; that conspicuous band of light had already shifted to Jia Jing's feet, whitening the uppers of his boots.

Shi Ding stood in the hall, his back still straight, but his hands rested at his sides, his clenched knuckles turning white.