Chapter 78: Colluding with the Enemy and Selling Out the Country

After about another quarter hour, Zhu Que hurried over with a thick stack of case files to Jia Jing's side.

"Marquis! The trusted household retainers of the Marquis of Linchuan and the Marquis of Zhongqin have all confessed! Not only do we have their confessions and ledgers about embezzling pay, withholding military provisions, and selling arms and grain, but also evidence of their collusion with foreign powers."

"According to their confessions, the Marquis of Linchuan and the Marquis of Zhongqin repeatedly sent our frontline intelligence secretly to the False Qing, causing repeated defeats on the Liaodong front!"

Zhu Que could barely conceal excitement.

This is a lead the Embroidered Uniform Guard discovered back when they were in Liaodong, but they never had enough solid evidence, so they never acted rashly.

The Retired Emperor might have reached some secret agreement with the False Qing.

After returning from the Northern Hunt to the Han Dynasty, not only did they privately correspond with the Manchu Qing, they also had the Jin merchants sell large quantities of military grain, ironware, firearms, and other controlled military supplies to the Manchu Qing.

They even had the Marquis of Linchuan and others sell important military secrets of the Da Han Empire, causing the newly enthroned Jing Sheng Di to suffer repeated defeats on the Liaodong front at the start of his reign.

These matters were extremely covert; only a handful of people knew the details.

If it weren't for the Embroidered Uniform Guard obtaining some clues by chance in Liaodong and tracing them to the Jingnan Wuxun, no one would know they had also secretly committed the treasonous act of colluding with the enemy and selling out the country!

Only the Marquis of Linchuan, the Marquis of Zhongqin, and a handful of their trusted household retainers in the Bashang Daying knew of this; many matters had to go through them, and afterward all other related personnel were silenced.

These matters were concealed so well that even the Imperial City Guard under Jing Sheng Di heard nothing of them.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard also had earlier obtained definite clues, and after returning to the capital they secretly investigated for several more days.

Only this time were they able to conduct a targeted interrogation, thereby obtaining important confessions and evidence in one fell swoop.

Jia Jing flipped through a few pages of the case file at random, then asked in surprise:

"How did they confess so quickly? This is a crime punishable by extermination of nine generations!"

"Zhu Que smiled slightly and said:"

"Mainly because they didn't expect us to already have some clues, and besides, they've been indulging in decadence and pleasure for years, unable to withstand the Embroidered Uniform Guard's punishments."

"I still have many tricks I haven't used yet! They just confessed everything in detail."

Jia Jing also had some knowledge of the Embroidered Uniform Guard's tortures, and indeed they are not something ordinary people can endure.

Not to mention things like playing the pipa, flaying, or lingchi; even ordinary tortures such as finger squeezing, the rack, tongue pulling, breaking the spine, crushing the fingers, piercing the heart, and standing under a heavy cangue are unbearable for ordinary people.

After Jia Jing finished reading all the confession documents, there was no concrete evidence involving the Retired Emperor.

On the other hand, the evidence of the Marquis of Linchuan and the Marquis of Zhongqin colluding with the barbarians is complete, with both personal and material proof.

Jia Jing returned the case files, then personally wrote a memorial and handed it to Zhu Que, after which they said coldly:

"Kill them all! We must not let them reveal the existence of the Embroidered Uniform Guard; you must tie up loose ends on this matter."

"Take these confessions and have the Marquis of Zhongqin sign and affix his seal! Then quickly send people to gather all personal and material evidence, and immediately escort it to the palace for presentation to His Majesty!"

"With such a commotion from our side, surely some personnel from the camp have already slipped out to spread word! Outside, there's bound to be an uproar!"

"Also, erase any mention of the Retired Emperor from the confessions! Since there's no concrete evidence, for now it's best not to startle the snake."

"The Retired Emperor is actually quite careful; each time he has Dai Quan personally relay messages, leaving no trace!"

"Hmm! That'll do! I still need to hold down the camp here, lest they cause trouble; from now on, you'll handle the rest."

"Right! Tell His Majesty! With me in charge of the Bashang Daying, there will be not a trace of worry about unrest; let him rest easy and just move against the Jingnan Wuxun!"

"This opportunity is rare; with the military authority of Bashang stripped away, the Jingnan Wuxun in Shenjing city can't stir up any major waves!"

After hearing the order, Zhu Que's expression turned solemn; they hurriedly took the case files and memorial from Jia Jing's hands, then clasped their fists and said:

"Marquis, rest assured; I will go at once! I will make no mistakes!"

Jia Jing glanced at them, nodded, and said:

"Go! I, as the commanding general, also need to beat the drum to muster the troops!"

Zhu Que immediately strode out of the camp gate, taking several dozen men, and rode swiftly toward Shenjing.

Jia Jing withdrew their gaze, seeing heads stirring within the Bashang Daying, the clamor unceasing.

Obviously, morale was unsettled at this moment; the soldiers in the camp were probably secretly worrying about their fate, and they ordered the nearby personal soldiers:

"Go! Beat the drum, summon the soldiers and gather the commanders!"

After receiving the order, the personal soldiers came to the huge mustering drum at the drill ground and picked up a large drumstick.

They struck the drumhead heavily, blow after blow.

"Boom! Boom! Boom……"

Instantly, the mighty drumming echoed throughout the Bashang Daying.

As soon as the drum sounded, the entire Bashang Daying erupted like a boiling pot, with countless soldiers quickly donning their armor and rushing out from the barracks.

Most of the soldiers had already received the related news, knowing that the newly arrived Military Governor had killed the Marquis of Linchuan; they did not dare delay, and their speed in charging out of the barracks was still swift!

"Form ranks, quick! Everyone take your positions!"

"Hurry up and fall in line! What are you staring at?"

Among them, Ma Guocheng's loud voice kept booming over the drill ground.

They had seen Jia Jing behead the Marquis of Linchuan, knowing this was a strong and imposing commander, and dared not take them lightly.

Under Ma Guocheng's urging, after about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the soldiers of the Bashang Daying finally managed to muster in a scattered fashion on the drill ground.

"Military Governor, aside from a few who are out, the entire force of the Bashang Daying has basically mustered!"

Ma Guocheng, as the sole remaining Colonel of the Bashang Daying, came forward to the drill ground and loudly reported to Jia Jing:

Jia Jing looked at the thinly spaced ranks, numbering roughly less than forty thousand, and couldn't help but frown.

Not to mention the numbers being less than half, just look at how the ranks can't even stay straight—how could anyone believe they have any combat effectiveness?

With these troops, they might not even be able to defeat some bandits and rebels.

Jia Jing asked Ma Guocheng:

"What is your name? Just now you ordered the soldiers to return to camp, without getting involved in the conflict between me and the Marquis of Zhongqin, and I remember you!"

Upon hearing Jia Jing's question, Ma Guocheng's heart leapt with joy, and they hurriedly performed a salute:

"I am the junior officer Ma Guocheng, in charge of the artillery battalion in the camp!"

Jia Jing blinked slightly. Deputy Commander Ma Guocheng of Jinling? The one who let Tian Wenjing be careless and lose his mother?

Although this person is crude and impulsive, after his lord lost power he still managed to ask someone to deliver things; he is actually quite grateful!

Jia Jing asked:

"Are you a person from Jinling? Your speech sounds like the accent from there!"

Ma Guocheng laughed and replied:

"Military Governor, you have good hearing; I was originally a deputy commander of one battalion in Jinling, later transferred under the command of the Southwest Yingguo Duke, fortunately earned military merit, and was promoted to commander of one battalion in Bashang Daying."

Jia Jing nodded and said:

"I am Commander Jia Jing, my ancestral home is also in Jinling! We do have some fate! Quickly send people to recall the soldiers not in the camp back to the camp."

"Tell them, those who do not return today will all be struck from the rolls!"