Chapter 94

Yue Shi's face froze, and Yue Shi again pleaded in a mournful voice:

"Old Madam, what nonsense are you saying? You are the family's elder; everyone in the east and west mansions respects you, who would dare not listen to you; your words are surely effective!"

"Please have pity on the master; he is not young either, how could he bear this blame!"

Yue Shi was not truly feeling sorry for Jia Zhen; mainly Jia Zhen had repeatedly urged her to make sure she asked Jia Mu to come forward and help.

If she failed to handle it well, she would surely get a scolding when she went back!

So she didn't care whether Jia Mu could do it; as long as Jia Mu did it, she could report back to Jia Zhen.

Jia Mu could not withstand Yue Shi's pleading, so she could only order the mandarin duck behind her:

"Never mind! Mandarin Duck, just have someone try it! Tell them to disperse first; I will send someone tomorrow to talk to Jing'er about this, and I won't make it difficult for them."

"Yes, Old Madam, I will send someone to deliver the message right away!" Mandarin Duck responded, walked out of Rong Qing Tang, and ordered a few maidservants to go to Dong Fu to deliver the message.

Jia Mu and the others waited in Rong Qing Tang for a long while before those maidservants returned to report:

"Old Madam! Those personal soldiers say only the marquis himself can give the order! They are following the marquis's military command; if they leave their posts without permission, they will lose their heads!"

Jia Mu hummed a few times; although she had already anticipated this result, she still felt somewhat displeased that her words had no effect.

She said to Yue Shi beside her with a hint of resentment:

"Jia Zhen's wife! You heard that too! Now I am old as well; apart from Baoyu's affairs, I cannot involve myself in other outside matters!"

"I cannot make decisions for those outside gentlemen on these matters!"

"From now on, don't come to me for their outside affairs; I am nothing but an old wreck, you all have your own ideas, so let me worry less and maybe live a couple more years!"

Yue Shi asked somewhat anxiously:

"Then what should we do about this? Are we really just going to let the master keep kneeling in the ancestral hall?"

Jia Mu, already impatient to say more, waved her hand and said:

"You yourselves send someone tomorrow to apologize to Jing'er and admit fault; I think it will then be over!"

"I am also a bit tired today, and my head still hurts, so I won't keep you; you may go back! I am also preparing to take a nap!"

Seeing Jia Mu urging them to leave, Yue Shi also had no choice but to bid farewell and depart.

Jia Mu was truly tired, and she said to Feng Jie and the others:

"You all go rest as well! For these wicked matters, we have suffered half the night; let those wicked ones deal with the wicked ones, we will enjoy ourselves, and not meddle in their idle affairs!"

Lady Wang, Feng Jie, and the others responded, and then, with the service of their respective maidservants, left Jia Mu's small courtyard.

…………

Two months later.

Now it is already mid-to-late December, not far from the New Year, and the city of Shenjing also has a more festive atmosphere.

That day, at dawn, the sun rose in the east, and the breeze was gentle.

Jing Sheng Di led a group of troops to Bashang Daying for an incognito inspection.

During this period,

Jing Sheng Di had been paying attention to the troop rectification at Bashang Daying, and Jia Jing also submitted a detailed memorial every day to report the situation to Jing Sheng Di.

Jing Sheng Di attached great importance to the rectification of Bashang Daying, because it not only relates to the later reform of other armies by the court, but also is a key step in whether they can possess a truly strong army to clear obstacles for the New Policies.

During these two months, Jing Sheng Di also did his utmost to satisfy all of Jia Jing's requests.

When he asked for military pay, he got military pay; when he asked for arms, he got arms; when he asked for grain and fodder, he got grain and fodder; even when Jia Jing asked Jing Sheng Di for a band from the Ministry of Rites to play military songs, Jing Sheng Di approved it!

This can be said to have reached the pinnacle of favor and trust, so much so that rumors abounded in the court, and many ministers secretly cursed Jia Jing for bewitching the sovereign's heart.

Jing Sheng Di had endured in the palace for two months, and finally today, on a whim, he wanted to go to Bashang Daying to see the results of the troop rectification.

Early that morning he summoned Niu Jizong and Wang Ziteng, gave no prior notice, first went to Jingying to have a look, and then rushed nonstop to Bashang Daying.

After returning to the capital, Wang Ziteng was appointed by Jing Sheng Di as Vice Minister of War, a rank of senior third pin, and was greatly trusted.

He and Niu Jizong, one civil and one military, the former being the Vice Minister of War, the latter the Left Deputy Governor of the Five Military Governor's Office and also the Military Governor of Jingying, are both important figures who will participate in the court's troop rectification.

A group of several dozen people on horseback arrived at Bashang Daying.

Niu Jizong and Wang Ziteng followed behind Jing Sheng Di, their expressions showing a touch of gloom and unease, and Jing Sheng Di's own expression was not good either.

This was only because they were very dissatisfied with the results of their inspection of Jingying just earlier.

Upon entering, what they saw was a scene of utter lifelessness, lacking any vigor of a military camp.

Moreover, a group of soldiers were caught gambling early in the morning in the camp by Jing Sheng Di on the spot; his face darkened then, and without a word he rushed straight to Bashang Daying.

This time, Jing Sheng Di, in order to ensure he could see the true state of the camp, did not give any prior notice to anyone.

Even Niu Jizong and Wang Ziteng only learned of this when they were summoned to the palace that morning; then, with a detachment of the Feathered Forest Guard escorting them, they dressed in plain clothes and hurried straight to the camp.

Just as they arrived at the gate of Bashang Daying, Jing Sheng Di's eyes lit up, which was completely different from the situation when he had just inspected Jingying.

At the gate of Jingying there were essentially no defensive measures, only two soldiers lazily guarding the gate, not even holding weapons in their hands.

But at this moment Bashang Daying was different; the gate was filled with various anti-cavalry obstacles and the like, completely blocking the passage.

Moreover, the soldiers standing guard before the gate were different; the soldiers of Bashang Daying had neat clothing.

Helmets, armor, waist sabers, spears, bows and crossbows, firearms, etc., were all complete, and each person stood ramrod straight, their spirit and vigor obviously far superior to that of Jingying.

Beyond the anti-cavalry obstacles came the defensive points, and beyond those points lay the tightly closed camp gate.

Beside the gate there was also a high watchtower; on the tower soldiers were constantly patrolling and observing, and it seemed they had already detected the approach of our party.

This situation, compared to the lax and utterly unprepared state when previously inspecting Jingying, was worlds apart.

After Jing Sheng Di observed carefully, a slight smile appeared on his face.

Niu Jizong, however, gave a helpless wry smile, while Wang Ziteng furrowed his brows.

What surprised Jing Sheng Di even more was,

when he had Niu Jizong step forward to announce his identity as the Deputy Governor, intending to enter the camp, he was actually refused outright by the gate guards without hesitation!

"By order of the Military Governor, anyone without prior notice or a token is forbidden to enter or leave the camp; anyone who dares to intrude will be treated as a spy and executed!"

Among the gate guards, a person with the appearance of a military officer merely waved his hand, and immediately a dozen or so soldiers stepped forward, holding crossbows and aiming at Niu Jizong and those behind him such as Jing Sheng Di.