The destiny of all heavens begins in the Red Chamber

In the past, such connections would have been extremely valuable and would have been considered a significant investment!

But now, the mighty 100,000-strong Southwest Army has been utterly defeated, with only a little over 10,000 surviving. Among them, the generals suffered heavy losses. It is unknown how many of the connections provided by the Dowager Empress are still alive, and how much influence they can exert.

It can only be said that the resources relinquished by the Dowager Consort were essentially useless.

It's tasteless to eat, but a pity to throw it away!

At least, that's what those nobles who took the initiative to visit thought.

Therefore, after personally handing the list provided by the Dowager Princess to Jia Huan, they left quickly with faces full of shame, as if they were too ashamed to face Jia Huan.

"These guys..."

Jia Huan found it amusing, a relaxed smile appearing on his face as he shook his head, looking completely at ease.

That's why you say that your own strength is the most important thing!

Power, wealth, status, and titles are merely decorative ornaments that add luster.

What those people considered a useless connection were actually valuable resources in Jia Huan's eyes.

No joke, as long as a few of them are still alive and he finds them, Jia Huan is confident that he can make the most of these guys!

Especially now that the southwest is in chaos, with no leader and people in a state of panic, there is even more room for maneuver, which is not an exaggeration at all!

With the list of contacts provided by the Dowager Princess, Jia Huan's confidence naturally increased.

Before setting off, he made a special trip to the palace to bid farewell to the current emperor.

"Three thousand light cavalry, isn't that a bit too few?"

He is currently paying close attention to the situation in the southwest. Seeing that Jia Huan is so knowledgeable and sensible, he naturally wants to take good care of him. Winning people's hearts has almost become an instinct.

"Your Majesty, three thousand light cavalry is sufficient!"

Jia Huan said confidently, "I have thoroughly studied the situation in the South. The South is mostly mountainous and has many rivers, so it is better to have a high-quality army than a large one. If it weren't for the need for sufficient marching speed, I wouldn't even want cavalry!"

Seeing that the emperor still looked worried, he smiled and comforted him, "Your Majesty, I am not going alone!"

"Not only can my cousins ​​help, but the government troops stationed in the southwest and surrounding areas can also be considered a boost!"

"As long as there is no major epidemic in the army, I am confident that I can resolve the troubles in the southwest!"

"So good!"

Whether he was truly relieved or just being perfunctory, he chuckled and said, "When General Jia returns to the capital in triumph, I will hold a celebratory banquet for him!"

Jia Huan thanked him, exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then took his leave.

The next morning, the cavalry camp of the capital was bustling with activity, with shouts of men and neighing of horses. When the auspicious hour arrived, the camp gates were opened wide, and Jia Huan led the way, with three thousand light cavalrymen leaving in clouds of dust.

It's a new journey, and the soldiers are all in high spirits and full of enthusiasm!

Following a victorious general like Jia Huan, they were naturally full of confidence for this expedition!

Chapter 352 The Big Tree (Please Subscribe)

Jia Huan led three thousand light cavalry on a swift journey along the Grand Canal, traveling from the howling north winds to the warm, spring-like southwest region, a journey that took a full twenty days.

They traveled almost without stopping, with logistical support provided by local officials along the way.

Even so, when they arrived at their destination, they were exhausted and fell asleep as soon as they lay down, looking quite disheveled.

Of course, Jia Huan was in good condition as always and was not affected by the long journey.

At this point, his physical abilities had become incredibly formidable.

He can compete with martial arts masters who have mastered the art of cultivating true qi simply by relying on his physical strength, which shows how strong his physical abilities are!

Once you arrive at your destination, you'll naturally need to understand the specific circumstances of your surroundings!

Fortunately, this area is the border between the imperial court's controlled territory and the southwestern region, so order has not completely collapsed.

Although local officials tried to cover it up by stammering, Jia Huan wasn't blind!

Just take a stroll down the street and you'll see arrogant thugs harassing civilians, and soldiers who, despite their fierce appearance, exude a dejected air and freeload off others.

The streets were deserted, and the pedestrians looked distressed, as if they were overwhelmed by the burden of life!

"Why didn't the government intervene to deter these scoundrels?"

Jia Huan glanced indifferently at the local magistrate, his tone quite displeased.

In this environment, how could his soldiers possibly rest and recuperate in peace?

Although the forces of Qianxiang Kingdom have entered the southwestern territory, they are still quite a distance away from this place.

"This, General, is not aware of!"

Seeing Jia Huan's unfriendly attitude, the local magistrate chuckled bitterly and whispered to Jia Huan, "There are quite a few deserters here, and they are all very unruly. It's not easy for the magistrate to manage them forcefully!"

"Are the local garrison troops all dead?"

Jia Huan said with dissatisfaction, "They're just a bunch of defeated soldiers who have lost their courage. Can't we even take them down or drive them away?"

Seeing that the local magistrate was just shaking his head, he suddenly realized what was going on.

The saying "the mountains are high and the emperor is far away" is no joke.

If this were in Zhili province, even if Jia Huan was dissatisfied with the local government, he wouldn't be able to directly reprimand them.

Do you really think it's a joke to think that the civil service can grow so powerful?

Although those civil officials were not as arrogant as they were during the Song and Ming dynasties, they did not take generals seriously, and they would not tolerate generals like Jia Huan giving orders.

But this is the southwest!

Previously, the Prince of Nan'an was an absolute local tyrant here!

The imperial court lacked authority here, and the Prince of Nan'an relied heavily on his 100,000-strong army, so the army had considerable influence in the southwest.

Besides, if you really provoke someone with a knife, once they get angry, no matter if you wear an official hat or are a court official, they can stab you to death without causing too much of a stir.

The so-called "poor mountains and bad waters" perfectly describes the southwest region!

Similarly, when Jia Huan criticized the local government official for his inaction, the official dared not show any obvious dissatisfaction and instead had to carefully explain.

This is probably one of the main reasons why those officials are unwilling to come to the southwest to serve as officials.

Lacking the prestige they had in the Central Plains, and subjected to the oppression of ordinary soldiers, coupled with the harsh environment, they naturally didn't want to come here to suffer!

"Forget it, I can help maintain order and security here!"

Waving his hand, Jia Huan said directly, "However, the yamen cannot back down on providing food and supplies, or conscripting laborers, otherwise this general will not agree!"

The local government official was taken aback at first, but then he suddenly realized what was happening and quickly nodded in agreement.

Clearly, this guy didn't expect Jia Huan to be so easy to talk to, and even willing to help personally!

If possible, he would certainly be willing to clean up the streets and let those arrogant and lawless guys experience the 'friendly greeting' from the government.

However, it had been difficult to take action before due to various obstacles.

Local tyrants, defeated military leaders, and powerful gangs of all kinds—none of them were easy to mess with; they were all extremely arrogant and domineering.

The key issue is that local governments lack sufficient military force to deter wrongdoing, and that's the most critical problem!

Of course, this is only the case in the southwestern border region. If it were in the heart of the Central Plains, no matter how powerful the local forces were, they would not dare to act so recklessly and daringly.

Jia Huan, too lazy to waste words, directly ordered his light cavalry to set out.

Fortunately, several of the guards around him were martial arts masters from various schools!

They might not be very skilled in battle formations, but dealing with street thugs and deserters who wandered over here was a piece of cake for them, since it was their specialty.

Immediately, the previously chaotic county town was filled with screams and cries of alarm.

At the temporary camp of Jia Huan's troops outside the city, a number of hooligans and some defeated soldiers from the southwest who were still in relatively good training were temporarily imprisoned.

Once these guys are in the military camp, it won't be so easy for them to get out.

Jia Huan directly subjected them to labor reform, and at the same time organized them into a criminal battalion, using them as an engineering corps accompanying the army.

They were involved in everything from setting up temporary camps and building bridges and roads for short periods to relocating and transporting logistical supplies, and even temporarily serving as combat soldiers. In short, they were involved in all kinds of hard, tiring, and dangerous jobs.

Such ruthless measures naturally provoked dissatisfaction and anger from local forces!

Soon, local bullies came to his door under the guise of rewarding the troops, hoping that Jia Huan would not be so harsh.

"The situation in the southwest is currently chaotic, and there are signs of a collapse in local order!"

Jia Huan replied casually, "Under such circumstances, it's perfectly normal to take drastic measures and use severe punishments!"

He was almost about to say "severe measures are necessary in chaotic times," but he also knew it was difficult to say those words aloud.

The current state of the Great Qian Dynasty is far from reaching that point!

But the mere excuse of gathering the defeated soldiers was enough to leave others speechless!

In the Southwest, might makes right, and this is quite evident!

Jia Huan simply expressed his dissatisfaction, which immediately frightened the local bully who had come to plead for him, and he dared not make any further rash moves.

There was no other reason than the immense pressure exerted on them by the three thousand light cavalry.

These three thousand light cavalry, in particular, had just experienced the great battle in the Northwest, fighting fiercely against tens of thousands of nomadic cavalry from beyond the Great Wall, and their bodies were filled with a strong aura of killing intent.