Dream of the Red Chamber: I can upgrade my entries!

Chapter 75 The Hall of Mental Cultivation devises a plan; the royal family's cold-heartedness is inherited from one generation!
"North of the Marquisate of Wu'an lies the Bashang Grassland, where the Three Guards of Balin were stationed."

"Adjacent to the Bashang Grassland is the eastern part of the desert, and the Khorchin tribe was also a tribe subdued by Jiajiazi."

"If the three collude and invade Gubeikou, how can Jizhou alone stop them?"

With a wary look in his eyes, Emperor Yongping put forward a hypothesis: how could he allow others to sleep soundly beside his bed? Moreover, Gubeikou was less than 300 li away from the capital, and with a day and night raid, the enemy would be at the city gates in no time.

"His Majesty."

Wu Sidao smiled and said gently, "Barbarians fear power but do not cherish virtue; they seek profit and avoid harm."

"Jia Yan is merely the Marquis of Daqian. Even if he possesses the Marquisate of Wu'an, so what?"

"Your Majesty reigns supreme over the four seas, and the three tribes of the northern desert, the Khorchin tribe, and the three guards of Balin have all received imperial rewards."

"Your Majesty may issue an edict to open border markets to benefit the Mongol tribes."

"Sir, your plan is brilliant."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Yongping's eyes lit up.

The reason why the various Mongol tribes always wanted to move south was that they knew nothing but herding cattle and sheep, and they couldn't even produce the most basic necessities of life, so they had to buy them from Daqian. This is how Ping'an Prefecture developed.

With this edict, the Mongol tribes would surely submit to him as emperor, and would have no interest in Jia Yan.
Wu Sidao continued, "The Emperor Emeritus bestowed upon Chengde a thousand miles of land, which is truly killing three birds with one stone."

"Oh?"

Raising an eyebrow, Emperor Yongping turned his gaze to Wu Sidao.

"The amount of gold and silver reported in the Battle of Datong is probably less than one-third of what was captured."

“Ping’an Prefecture is a pearl in the north, where wealth has been amassed. The Jia family has successively conquered four regions, and the confiscated items are countless, worth at least ten million taels of silver. With such a large fortune in his hands, he can raise private soldiers and build his own power. This will bring an unspeakable threat to the dynasty.”

"The Emperor Emeritus lured the Jia family with the Marquisate of Wu'an, forcing them to devote all their energy to its management and leaving them no time to attend to the state. This is one reason."

"Secondly, the double honors bestowed upon Marquis Wu and Lord Wu'an are greater than the heavens. How can the people not marvel at the imperial family's great favor?"

"Thirdly, the Wu'an Marquisate was located outside Gubeikou, with the Balin Three Guards and the Khorchin tribe to the north, and the Later Jin to the east, which was equivalent to creating a buffer zone."

"Your Majesty should strongly support the Jia family in establishing the Marquisate of Wu'an. Perhaps you could issue an edict allowing the Marquisate of Wu'an to recruit refugees from Hebei, Shanxi and other places to reclaim wasteland."

At this point, Wu Sidao, in his wheelchair, wore a meaningful expression.

"Great!"

Emperor Yongping immediately realized that only by having the Jia family devote all their efforts to building the Marquisate of Wu'an could he avoid worrying about the Jia family plotting against him.

When the blood of the Jia family is exhausted in the Marquisate of Wu'an, the dynasty can obtain a well-managed territory without lifting a finger. Why not take advantage of it?
"His Majesty."

"The Jia family members were not only the head of the founding nobles, but also deeply loved by the Yongping nobles."

"I understand."

Following Wu Sidao's suggestion, Emperor Yongping began to change his attitude and even prepared to display his imperial magnanimity at the evening banquet in order to win the respect of the founding nobles and the Yongping nobles.

At the same time, in Rongguo Mansion.

Early in the morning, Grandmother Jia instructed her maids to inform all the households, and all the women of the mansion came to Rongqing Hall. The women chatted amongst themselves, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.

"Fourth sister."

"The servant had previously informed us that His Majesty was hosting a banquet for meritorious officials in the palace, and Second Brother Yan would not be able to return home for some time."

Seeing that Xiao Xichun was absent-minded, Yingchun comforted her. "Yes, Second Brother Yan has returned to the capital victorious this time, and his rewards are generous. Everyone in both mansions is happy for him."

Tan Chun's eyes revealed a hint of envy and admiration. She was the most astute among the young ladies in the mansion, so she naturally knew that these days, news about Jia Yan had gone crazy outside the capital, and he had even been mythologized, which showed the great merit he had made.

"I'm waiting for my brother to come back."

Xiao Xichun didn't understand what a great achievement was; she only knew that she hadn't seen Jia Yan for a long time, and her longing for him was indescribable, so she could only speak earnestly.

"Shall I wait with my fourth sister?"

Lin Daiyu, who was standing next to her, said affectionately.

"Sister Lin, let's wait for brother together."

A naive smile appeared on Xiao Xichun's little face.

"it is good."

Lin Daiyu responded happily.

'Thump!'

Upon seeing this scene, Yingchun and Tanchun's expressions changed. They weren't jealous of Xichun's closeness with Lin Daiyu, but rather shocked by Lin Daiyu's words. These were no ordinary words.

Everyone in the Rongguo Mansion knew what Grandmother Jia was thinking. From the moment Lin Daiyu entered the mansion, this old matriarch of the Jia family wanted to tie her phoenix egg (her daughter) to her granddaughter.

If it weren't for Lady Wang's interference, Lin Daiyu and Jia Baoyu would probably be living under the same roof by now, spending every day together, and their feelings for each other would have already blossomed.

Lin Daiyu, however, had always been indifferent to Jia Baoyu, even to the point of disliking him. Everyone thought she was naturally cold and bound by the complicated etiquette of Jiangnan, and disliked being with men. Who would have thought that she would take the initiative to accompany Xiao Xichun to wait for Jia Yan to return to the mansion? The reason for this is unclear, but it is enough to show that her attitude towards Jia Yan was unusual. This was no small matter.

"old lady."

“An imperial edict has been issued to Ningguo Prefecture.”

Yuanyang, who was serving outside the door, rushed into Rongqing Hall, panting as she reported.

Immediately, all the beautiful women in the hall became restless, and Grandmother Jia hurriedly ordered, "Arrange a sedan chair; we're going to the East Mansion."

"Yes."

Yuanyang quickly helped Grandmother Jia off the bed and out of Rongqing Hall. Several maids carried sedan chairs, and Madam Xing, Madam Wang, Li Wan, Wang Xifeng, the three sisters, and Lin Daiyu each got into the sedan chairs. The group headed towards Ningguo Mansion in a grand procession.

All the male members of the Rongguo Mansion, such as Jia Lian, Jia Baoyu, Jia Huan, Jia Cong, and Jia Lan, were summoned.

As soon as Jia She and Jia Zheng finished their court session, without even changing out of their official robes, they accompanied Jia Zhen to the Ningguo Mansion. The main gate was wide open, and the incense table was already prepared. You Shi, Jia Rong, and Qin Keqing all stood solemnly to the side.

"Mother!"

"old lady!"

Upon seeing Grandmother Jia and the others enter the mansion, Jia She and the others quickly stepped forward to greet them. The two mansions were closely connected, and this imperial edict should rightfully be received by the person of the highest status. Since Jia Jing was not present, the most qualified person here was none other than Grandmother Jia, the wife of the Duke of Rongguo and a first-rank noblewoman.

"Is it the imperial edict bestowing honors upon Yan-ge'er?"

With Yuanyang's help, Grandmother Jia entered Ning'an Hall and asked directly.

"Yes."

Jia She and the other two nodded and gave the main seat to Grandmother Jia. They stood behind Grandmother Jia in turn, and all the men and women of the Jia family lined up neatly, holding their breath and waiting for the eunuch from the palace to arrive.

(End of this chapter)