Chapter 415: Could it be that you think my blade is dull?

As soon as these words were spoken, it was as if a fierce wind swept through the entire central command barracks, making all the officers present feel a chill in their hearts.

Jiang Zining and Shi Guangzhu turned deathly pale, as if a storm was clearly brewing.

After returning to the commander's desk, Jia Jing picked up the evidence of Jiang and Shi's violations of law and discipline seized by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and flipped through it again.

Recalling what he had seen at the Liangxiang Camp, he immediately turned to Zhu Que beside him and asked in a cold voice:

"According to military law, these two scoundrels have violated our military regulations, disrupted military order, and openly defied orders—what punishment do they deserve?"

Zhu Que clasped his hands and replied loudly:

"Reporting to the Grand General, according to your seven prohibitions, these two deserve death!"

Hearing this, the officers below all straightened their bodies, their faces becoming even more solemn.

Jiang Zining and Shi Guangzhu were greatly shocked, their faces completely changing.

Seeing that Jia Jing seemed not to be joking, Jiang Zining's legs gave way and he collapsed to the ground, pleading anxiously:

"Jing... Grand General, the subordinate knows his fault, the subordinate truly knows his fault—we are all of the founding lineage; since the time of Grand Ancestor, the Jia and Jiang families have been in the same boat."

"A hundred years of affection, a hundred years of face! You cannot kill me!"

"If you really behead us today, the hearts of the founding lineage's martial heroes will scatter; when you return home and meet your elders and friends, how will you explain yourself?"

"Grand General, for the sake of our ancestors, for the sake of past feelings, spare me this once!"

"I am willing to accept punishment, willing to be dismissed, willing to leave the camp—only beg for my life!"

Shi Guangzhu's face turned as white as paper, his lips trembling as he spoke urgently:

"Grand General, back then our ancestors fought side by side on the battlefield— that was a bond forged in life and death."

"I and your father, the Pardoned Duke, once got along as well as brothers; when your family's precious jade celebrated its first month and first birthday, I personally went to offer congratulations. Moreover, your grandmother's sixtieth and seventieth birthdays..."

Shi Guangzhu recounted the old affairs between the two families, grasping at past ties, but seeing Jia Jing's face grow even colder, he only saw him slam the commander's desk heavily and say in a stern voice:

"Enough! This is the central command barracks of the Twelfth Regiment, the place where the eighteen‑strong army drills and fights—not a children's playhouse where broken toys can be simply remade."

"Military orders are like mountains; military law is merciless. If I today show leniency toward you, I will never be able to restrain these eighteen thousand soldiers, and military law and discipline will become empty talk, useless paper! Come!"

Jia Jing shouted loudly, and four personal guards stepped forward at once, seizing Jiang and Shi and pressing them down.

"Young Jia Jing, now that you have become a duke you no longer recognize people, using us to establish your prestige— the founding lineage's martial heroes will never trust your Jia family again!"

"You may be glorious now, but you too will have a time of downfall..."

"My sister is the Virtuous Consort in the palace; if you treat me this way, she will not spare you!"

"I am a baron enfeoffed by the court, my family holds the death‑waiving gold medal granted by Grand Ancestor— you have no authority to kill me!"

"Indeed, you have no right to kill me—I am the maternal uncle of the Emperor!"

At this moment Shi Guangzhu and Jiang Zining were utterly panicked; seeing Jia Jing disregard old affection, they babbled threats and struggles, shouting wildly.

Jia Jing remained expressionless and shouted sternly:

"I have no power to kill you?! My word is power! Take them out and behead them!"

Only saw Jia Jing wave his hand; the guards immediately gagged the two and dragged them away.

For a moment, the barracks were filled with a killing aura, deathly silence.

All the officers felt uneasy, bowing their heads low, as if they could already smell blood between their nostrils.

Though it was a bright summer day, everyone felt a chill run through their bodies.

The two regiment commanders, who commanded over ten thousand troops each,

One was a first‑rank general from the Duke's mansion, his sister still the Virtuous Consort in the palace, a royal relative and a third‑rank court official;

The other was a baron from the Marquisate, a marital relative of the Prince of Nan'an, a fourth‑rank martial official of the court;

Moreover, they had shared over a hundred years of friendship with the Grand General's family, yet they were shown no mercy at all— a single sentence sent them out to be beheaded!

This is simply terrifying!

Beside him, Xie Jing shrank back, lowered his eyes and brows, trembling!

In an instant, the awe of military law surged wildly in everyone's hearts!

Jia Jing's cold gaze swept over the officers in the barracks, his face showing no change.

Now the capital is windswept and cloudy, chaos looms near, and the matters of Jiangnan, Chuan Shan, and the New Policies are pressing.

The troops of the Twelfth Regiment must be thoroughly purged and firmly controlled, drilled into an elite among elites to face all potential crises.

This is not only his intention, but also that of Emperor Jing Sheng.

As for Jiang Zining and Shi Guangzhu, their past crimes are piled high; they have long deserved ten thousand deaths— killing them is no loss.

Regarding the possible alienation of the founding lineage, Jia Jing can only say... this is merely a small beginning!

Eliminate the coarse, retain the refined; eliminate the false, preserve the true— he needs only a handful of loyal, uncorrupted officers from the founding lineage.

The Four Kings, Eight Dukes, and Twelve Marquises are truly too many, and utterly corrupt!

At that moment, two short, miserable cries came from outside the room, making the barracks fall even more silent.

After Jia Jing returned to the commander's desk, he picked up the documents there and continued speaking coldly:

"Deputy Commander of the Yangwei Camp— where are you?"

"Deputy Commander of the Zhenwei Camp— where are you?"

"Cavalry Commander of the Shenwei Camp— where are you?"

"Military Advisor of the Firearms Unit in the Yingong Camp— where are you?"

"Skirmisher of the Infantry Unit in the Gǔnyǒng Camp— where are you?"

"Logistics Officer of the Fènwǔ Camp— where are you?"

……

As Jia Jing's voice echoed in the hall, the crowd stirred!

Afterward, more than twenty people walked out in succession, all clad in armor, faces filled with fear.

"Behold the Grand General!"

Over twenty people bowed in unison!

"Good, very good!"

"Deputy General Qian Ye of the Yangwei Camp, when the Military Judge came to inspect military discipline, refused to cooperate and even led the assault on the Military Judge."

"Cavalry Colonel Chen Dong of the Shenwei Camp withheld soldiers' pay within the camp and abused the troops."

"Guyong Camp infantry guerrilla Xie Tong repeatedly evaded orders and refused to execute them."

"Logistics Officer Qi Qin of the Fenwu Camp secretly stole weapons, provisions, clothing and other supplies from the camp."

……

"When you were in Jingying, you ate empty rations, drank soldiers' blood, let weapons fall into ruin, falsified reports, claimed unearned merits, gambled, drank to excess, consorted with prostitutes, bullied men and oppressed women, harassed and harmed the people; repeatedly breaking military law is one thing!"

"In the short time you've been in the 12th Regiment Camp, you have not repented or reformed, yet still dare to act recklessly; do you think my blade is ineffective?"

"Step forward!"

In an instant.

Jia Jing let out another loud shout.

More than fifty bodyguards responded at once, stepped forward together, and with one hand pinned over twenty people, forcing them to kneel on the ground.

"Grand General! Grand General, what is this…"

"Grand General, I admit my mistake…"

"Grand General, spare me…"

……

Qi Qin and the others panicked instantly, their hearts racing, shouting wildly; some even tried to resist, but they were immediately overrun by more bodyguards who surged forward and suppressed them.

"Repeatedly taught yet unchanged, you bring disaster to the nation and harm the people, disturb our troops' morale, disrupt our discipline; you will be executed on the spot as a warning to all generals!"

Jia Jing drew a command arrow from the command desk and hurled it down heavily!

"Swish!" One bodyguard held him down, another drew a sword!

Cold light instantly illuminated the entire barracks, and dozens of people swung their swords at once!

"Pfft!"