Dream of the Red Chamber: Start by gaining Zhao Yun's martial prowess, and be ennobled in a sin

Xia Shouzhong strode into the hall, his fair face beaming with barely concealed excitement. Holding a piece of paper in his hand, he bowed and said:

"Your Majesty, a message from the Duke of Jing via carrier pigeon has arrived! Please read it!"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Jingsheng quickly put down his spoon, his gaze fixed on the note in Xia Shouzhong's hand. His originally cold and solemn face now showed an irrepressible anticipation.

Judging by the days, Zijie should be arriving in Jinling by now.

The fact that a report was sent at this time, and that it was delivered by carrier pigeon, must mean it was good news, right?

Zijie doesn't seem to have ever given him any bad news.

"Quick! Quick! Bring it to me to see!"

Emperor Jingsheng's voice was a few degrees louder than before, and he sat up straight from the pillow, his back ramrod straight.

Those eyes, sunken from days of worry, suddenly lit up as if a spark had been thrown into them.

Empress Zhou, standing to the side, also cast her bright gaze upon the thin piece of paper in Xia Shouzhong's hand, and a thought stirred within her:

Could it be that what I just said has come true again? Is this another piece of good news?

Xia Shouzhong bowed and quickly stepped forward, handing the note to Emperor Jingsheng, while explaining:

"This was sent through the Imperial City Guard's communication channels. It has already been translated and compiled. The detailed memorial that follows should still be on its way."

The advantage of carrier pigeons is their speed, but the weight a pigeon can carry is limited, and therefore the amount of information that can be conveyed on paper is also limited.

Therefore, it is generally inconvenient to record in detail, but there will be a detailed memorial later.

Emperor Jingsheng quickly took the paper, unfolded it, and looked at it.

He reads countless documents every day, and with just a quick glance, he accurately finds the key words in the paper.

Immediately, his face flushed with excitement, his breathing became heavier, and he abruptly raised his head, his voice filled with a long-suppressed exhilaration, as he shouted:

"The Twelve Battalions of the army decisively defeated the White Lotus Rebellion under the walls of Nanjing! Zijie used a clever ruse to catch the White Lotus Rebellion completely off guard."

"With the valiant fighting of the officers and soldiers, nearly 200,000 White Lotus rebels were routed in one battle! Our Great Han... has achieved a great victory!"

Upon hearing this, Empress Zhou's delicate eyebrows relaxed, and the weight that had been pressing on her heart for many days finally lifted.

She reached up and patted her chest, letting out a long breath, and said happily:

"I told you, with Zijie here, Your Majesty has nothing to worry about! He has never been defeated in battle!"

As she spoke, she laughed first.

A smile spread from his eyes, carrying a sense of certainty and relief that "just as I expected."

Emperor Jingsheng placed the paper on the table, his gaze still lingering greedily on the words on it. His voice, still trembling with excitement, chuckled softly:

"Zijie's bravery and strategy are indeed unmatched in this era! However, it must be said that the White Lotus Sect bandits are insatiable!"

"They secretly ordered men to scout the route of Zijie's army, intending to capture Jinling City before Zijie arrived, and then occupy the fortified city and strategic passes of Jinling to block the imperial army's reinforcements."

"Unexpectedly, Zijie saw through his plan and used it against him. He used a small number of troops to create a false impression while leading 20,000 elite cavalry to cross the sea undetected, traveling day and night to rush to the city of Jinling."

"Just as the White Lotus Sect was about to capture Jinling City and their defenses were relaxed, Zijie suddenly led his troops to attack from behind."

"Taking them by surprise, they not only inflicted a crushing defeat on the White Lotus Rebellion, killing tens of thousands of enemies and capturing countless prisoners."

"Zijie also directly captured Xu Hongru, the leader of the White Lotus Sect, along with his strategist and other high-ranking members! After this battle, the White Lotus Sect suffered heavy losses, with all its core members killed or wounded, and is beyond saving!"

As Emperor Jingsheng spoke, he picked up the paper again and read it once more.

But when the words "we are about to capture Nanjing" were mentioned, a chill ran down my spine...

If Zijie hadn't arrived in time, the secondary capital would have already fallen.

If such a situation were to truly occur, not only would the world be thrown into turmoil and the imperial court lose all prestige, but bandits in other provinces would likely also rise up in rebellion, threatening the very existence of the nation!

Zijie once again turned the tide and saved the nation from collapse!

"They even captured the White Lotus Sect leader and strategist? How could they do it so quickly?"

Empress Zhou could not hide her surprise. Her voice was gentle and melodious, and her beautiful face revealed undisguised astonishment.

Didn't they say before that the White Lotus Sect was so powerful and difficult to deal with, conquering cities and strongholds all the way, and even threatening to shake the foundations of the country?

How come Jia Jing managed to capture their leader in such a short time after going to Jiangnan?

Was Zijie too brave, or was the White Lotus Sect unworthy of its name?

Or perhaps a combination of both?

Emperor Jingsheng put down the paper and said:

"Yes! Not only the leader and strategist, but almost all of the White Lotus Sect's high-ranking members have been either killed or captured!"

"This is also because Zijie had foresight and was a master strategist. He had already laid an ambush before the battle, giving them no chance to escape."

After a pause, Emperor Jingsheng couldn't help but sigh:

"He arrives and fights immediately, wins every battle, anticipates the enemy's moves, and captures them all in one fell swoop. Zijie truly deserves to be called the God of War of our great Han Dynasty."

"With such flawless strategies and invincible victories, what are the great generals and military strategists of the past worth mentioning!"

As he spoke, Emperor Jingsheng's gaze fell on the bowl of lotus seed soup on his desk, which had already gone cold, and his heart was churning with emotion.

It must be said that Jia Jing's swift victory this time has once again caused quite a stir in Emperor Jingsheng's mind.

This reminded Emperor Jingsheng of that dream again, and of the earnest admonitions given to him by Emperor Taizu in the dream when he handed him the jade tablet:

Heaven bestowed upon Zijie to pacify the four directions; doubt leads to ruin, while trust leads to prosperity.

"Those who have faith will prosper, those who doubt will perish..." These eight words are absolutely true.

Upon hearing Emperor Jingsheng's explanation, the eunuchs in the hall all wore expressions of joy, and even their breathing became lighter.

Xia Shouzhong also secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Because of the Jiangnan incident, the Imperial City Guard's intelligence transmission was not timely, and he had been living in fear in the palace during this period, and had been severely reprimanded by Emperor Jingsheng many times.

Now that Duke Jing has won, things will be much better, and the atmosphere in the palace will finally be more relaxed.

For His Majesty, the Duke of Jing is now more effective than any magic pill!

When his report arrived, the emperor's face relaxed; when his news stopped, the emperor lost his appetite.

This is no longer a relationship between ruler and subject; it's practically the very heart and soul of the emperor.

Throughout the entire court, no one else could sway the Emperor's heart to this extent!