Chapter 414: You Have Completely Dishonored the Faces of Eighteen Generations of Ancestors

The drum sounds exploded inside the Twelve Regiment Camp at noon, thirty‑six large drums arranged in three rows, with the drumsticks striking simultaneously.

A continuous thunderous boom rang on, the huge drum sounds rolling endlessly over the drill field, the tents, and into every person's ears.

After the three‑drum sequence ended, the horn sounded again, low and lingering!

In the time it takes for a incense stick to burn, the flag officers in front of the Central Camp Quarters had already formed a line and stood at attention.

The command flag fluttered in the wind, its surface embroidered with a massive gold‑thread "Jia" character, glittering in the sunlight.

Near the quarters, besides the Twelve Regiment Camp commanders, all the camp officers—vice generals, assistant generals, middle generals, guerrilla leaders, colonels, and so on—stood in orderly ranks, helmets and armor clanking, a sea of black stretching from inside the quarters to outside.

As the horn gradually ceased, the tents fell silent, the crows and sparrows hushed, still as a tomb!

Jiang Zi Ning and Shi Guangzhu had given up resistance, bound by the royal guards to the side, while Jia Jing's command desk had, at some point, become piled with unknown scrolls and ledgers.

At this moment, Jia Jing, seated behind the command desk, wore a solemn expression, gazed at the hundreds present, and spoke in a deep voice:

"This is my first time coming to the camp; some of you may not know me yet, so allow me to introduce myself."

"I am Jia Jing, holding the rank of Champion Grand General, serving as Minister of the War Department, and also Military Governor of the Twelve Regiment Camp. By imperial decree I oversee all military affairs of the Twelve Regiment Camp and regulate all martial administration around the capital region—of course, including you."

Boom!!

The words fell, and the hall erupted in uproar.

The Duke of Jing, undefeated in battle, who sealed the wolf and destroyed the Northern Yuan, may be unseen by some, but no one has never heard of him!

Among the crowd, some mid‑ and low‑rank officers have long admired his name, secretly holding him up as a life model!

"Present yourself before the Grand General!"

All officers bowed in unison, their rugged voices echoing through the Central Camp Quarters.

Jia Jing's face was like dark water, his voice calm, revealing no joy or anger, and he said:

"All generals, rise!"

As the gratitude rang out, the generals rose, standing silently; the vast quarters fell quiet again, a pin could be heard dropping.

Jia Jing paced to his left and right, then spoke in a low voice:

"The reason we convene today, besides meeting everyone, is primarily to straighten camp affairs, reaffirm military discipline, and enforce strict military law."

"The Twelve Regiment Camp is the Son of Heaven's elite force, guarding the capital; its responsibilities are great, serving as the backbone of all armies!"

"His Majesty has entrusted the eighteen‑hundred‑thousand troops defending the capital to me, that is, he has placed the nation's safety in my hands!"

"I bear the weight of the state; my task is to train the Twelve Regiment Camp into the strongest, most victorious army in the world, and I will not tolerate any negligence or laxity!"

"To forge a strong army, the foremost step is to enforce strict military law."

"All generals should know that any powerful army in the world is characterized by clear commands, ample provisions, and trustworthy rewards and punishments."

"Since I first set foot on the battlefield, I have fought dozens of battles and won repeatedly; this is due to soldiers risking their lives, rigorous training, and also because I never withhold pay and always select the worthy for positions."

"But I must tell you, the most crucial point is strict military law."

"For an army, military law is iron rule, it is heavenly principle!"

"Only when military law stands firm can commands be unified on the battlefield, the formation hold steady among thousands of troops, morale arise, and victories be won!"

"Otherwise, no matter how many, they are just a pile of scattered sand, a disordered mob!"

"Serving under me, I hope each of you can firmly remember that military law and discipline must never be discarded or forgotten at any time!"

"My consistent stance on military law is: enforce total strictness, and see it through to the end!"

As these words were spoken, a murmur rose among the crowd!

The officers from Bashang Daying, familiar with Jia Jing's command style, were relatively at ease.

But most officers from Jingying, many meeting Jia Jing for the first time, showed on their faces immediate unease, terror, and apprehension upon hearing his words.

Jia Jing and the others fell silent, then ordered the nearby royal guards:

"Bring Jiang Zi Ning and Shi Guangzhu forward!"

"Yes!" the royal guards shouted in response!

In a short while, the bound Shi Guangzhu and Jiang Zi Ning were, under everyone's gaze, escorted before Jia Jing's command desk.

The two appeared disheveled, their hands cut, hair tangled, faces pallid, expressions frantic.

"Kneel!" As the guards kicked their legs, the two former camp commanders instantly fell to their knees.

Jia Jing's expression was indifferent; he glanced at the two, his face as hard as iron, and said coldly:

"You two have been running amok in the camp, unilaterally stopping the training regimen I established, holding gambling gatherings, corrupting morals, and beating the camp's law enforcers—and that's all."

"Facing the accountability of Deputy Military Governor Zhang, whom I have authorized, you still dared to insult superiors, openly defy orders, with audacious cowardice—do you now understand your crime?"

Jiang Zi Ning and Shi Guangzhu's faces grew even paler, cold sweat pouring down their brows, they looked up at the unflinching, imposing youth behind the desk, their bodies trembling, at a loss for words.

Facing Zhu Que, the two still dared to rely on their family background and connections, disregarding him, but before Jia Jing they could not utter a single word of defiance.

In terms of lineage, Jia Jing hails from Rong Guo Mansion, the foremost line of founding war heroes.

In terms of rank, Jia Jing is a First‑Class Duke of the realm, the top war hero whom all officials bow to, the Feathered Forest guards lower their heads to, and the prince rides behind.

In terms of connections, Jia Jing is the Son of Heaven's most trusted confidant, and standing behind him is the current sovereign!

Not to mention, several marquises have already died by his hand...

Seeing that the two dared not answer, Jia Jing snorted coldly, rose, walked to Jiang Zi Ning and Shi Guangzhu, and said in a deep voice:

"General Shi, General Jiang, weren't you just unable to speak earlier? Didn't you say Deputy Military Governor Zhang is merely a family officer, and you look down on him?"

Jiang Zi Ning and Shi Guangzhu's faces flushed red, beads of sweat the size of beans oozed from their foreheads!

Jia Jing turned, slapped the command desk, producing a muffled "thud", and said coldly:

"I hereby tell you, Deputy Military Governor Zhang fought alongside me in Liaodong and the Northwest, braving"

"He has slain enemy generals beneath Jinzhou City, waded through fire at Tongpo, captured the Great Khan of the Northern Yuan at the foot of Wolf Mountain; every scar on his body marks a victory."

"He has risked his life for the court, shed blood; his merits were earned with his life. What right do you have to despise a court marshal who rose from a mountain of corpses and seas of blood?"

"Indeed! Your ancestors truly were founding meritorious officials who fought alongside the Great Ancestor, and they indeed earned merit and ability."

"But you? Relying on the meager legacy of your ancestors to idle away, you used to in Jingying live on empty rations, drink soldiers' blood, be greedy by nature, bully men and dominate women, break laws and regulations, and act recklessly!"

"Now that you've arrived at the Twelfth Regiment Camp, you still don't curb your behavior, you gamble, defy orders, flagrantly violate discipline, utterly lawless!"

"What right do you have to even mention ancestors? The Jiang family, the Shi family—you have already disgraced the faces of your eighteenth‑generation ancestors!"