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

Qianqing Palace, side hall.

As Emperor Jingsheng spoke, he couldn't help but pick up a piece of paper and hand it to Empress Zhou, saying with delight:

"Zitong, take a look too!"

Empress Zhou extended her slender hand, took the paper, and gazed at the words on it with bright eyes. A faint smile bloomed on her elegant and beautiful face, like snow piled on a flowering tree.

After reading it, she suddenly asked softly:

"Your Majesty, Zijie's battle report states that the remaining defeated troops of the White Lotus Sect have been driven to the Xuzhou area. What is the purpose of this arrangement?"

Emperor Jingsheng pondered for a moment, then slowly said:

"Firstly, it prevents them from wandering around and hiding in various prefectures and counties."

"Secondly, apart from the 20,000 to 30,000 core followers, most of the members of the White Lotus Sect are newly attached refugees who are struggling to survive."

"Zijie has already captured or killed the White Lotus Sect's high-ranking members and key figures. As for the remaining ordinary refugees, he probably intends to appease them rather than commit further bloodshed!"

At this point, Emperor Jingsheng felt a heaviness in his heart as he thought of the hundreds of thousands of people who had defected to the rebels.

He was a prince who came to the capital and was well aware of the people's suffering.

If ordinary people had food to eat and choices, who would be willing to risk their lives to join the rebellion?

Ultimately, it was the people of Jiangnan who could not survive and were living in misery that allowed the White Lotus Sect to seize the opportunity to rise to power.

People's livelihood issues are also an urgent and pressing problem for the Han Dynasty today!

Not only in the Jiangnan region, but also in other provinces, the implementation of new policies and the rectification of officialdom cannot be delayed.

"It seems that Zijie's decisiveness in killing is not without his love for the people and benevolence. He truly deserves to be called a good minister of the country," Empress Zhou said with a slight smile.

"Killing is for the sake of protecting life; cutting off karma is not the same as killing a person!" Emperor Jingsheng exclaimed.

"If Zijie were only a warmonger and bloodthirsty person, how could I have appointed him as the governor-general of five provinces, concurrently in charge of civil administration?"

Then Emperor Jingsheng murmured to himself, as if speaking to Empress Zhou, yet also as if speaking to himself, saying:

"Like me, he may seem ruthless and merciless, but in reality, he prioritizes the greater good over personal interests, and is forced to act this way!"

"How can we maintain peace and order without eliminating violence? How can we save the nation from peril without iron-fisted measures? How can we weed out the rotten flesh without using a sharp blade against our own people?"

"The Han Dynasty has reached this point, and it has no choice but to implement reforms to strengthen itself and to take drastic measures to clean up its bureaucracy!"

"Otherwise, the edifice will collapse, the world will be in chaos, China will sink, and countless more will die under the iron hooves of foreign invaders!"

Emperor Jingsheng paused, his gaze falling heavily on the rising wisp of ambergris incense in the hall, his voice lowering:

"Only he and I know the depth of his ruthless actions and his selfless dedication to the country!"

Upon hearing this, Empress Zhou felt a mix of emotions.

As the wife of Emperor Jingsheng during his time as a prince, she felt a rare pang of jealousy at this moment.

His Majesty's trust in Zijie seems to surpass even that of himself, let alone Biao'er!

After a moment of inner turmoil, Empress Zhou's face regained its gentle smile, and she said softly:

"In any case, Your Majesty no longer needs to worry about the affairs of Jiangnan. Now that the White Lotus has suffered a great defeat, it seems that the recapture of Zhongdu will be just around the corner."

Emperor Jingsheng leaned back on his pillow, let out a long breath, his face much more relaxed than before, and pondered:

"The White Lotus Sect is indeed no longer a cause for concern. Since they have suffered such a swift and devastating defeat, the bandits in Sichuan, Shaanxi, and the southwest will surely be terrified and dare not make any further rash moves."

After a pause, Emperor Jingsheng frowned again and said:

"However, I wonder how Zijie will arrange the subsequent pacification, reassurance, and purge of the people of Jiangnan. Those hundreds of thousands of White Lotus sect followers are not easy to deal with!"

He picked up the bowl of porridge on the table, which had already cooled down, took a sip, and put the bowl down. A hint of coldness crept into Emperor Jingsheng's voice.

"And these Jinling City garrison officials couldn't even hold out for ten days, almost losing the city. They're clearly a bunch of good-for-nothings."

"If I had been there, I would have imprisoned them all and brought them to justice!"

Empress Zhou was about to offer a few more words of comfort when she suddenly saw a figure flash by at the palace gate. A eunuch quickly entered from outside the palace, holding a note, and knelt down to pay his respects, saying:

"Your Majesty, the Duke of Jing has sent another message by carrier pigeon. I dared not delay and delivered it immediately."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall exchanged bewildered glances.

Another one?

Emperor Jingsheng was also surprised, but this time he was not as impatient as before. He simply said, "Quickly bring it here so I can see it."

Xia Shouzhong hurriedly stepped forward to take it, turned around and presented it, saying with a light laugh, "Your Majesty!"

Empress Zhou's gentle, soothing voice rang out from the side, asking:

"Your Majesty, why has Zijie sent another letter?"

"It must be because there are many complicated matters in Jiangnan. I didn't finish writing one letter just now, so I sent two letters in a row. They just didn't arrive at the same time."

Emperor Jingsheng thought for a moment, then took the paper from Xia Shouzhong's hand and explained softly with a rather pleased expression:

"I only granted him the authority to make decisions on matters large and small without needing to report to me, but I didn't expect him to still be so used to reporting everything. I really don't know what to say to him..."

Empress Zhou looked at the undisguised smile lines on Emperor Jingsheng's face and swallowed the words "insincere" that were on the tip of her tongue.

Emperor Jingsheng opened the memorial and read it in a deep voice. As his gaze moved across the paper, the smile lines on his face gradually disappeared.

First, his lips slowly tightened, then his brows furrowed into a shallow frown, and finally his whole face darkened, his gaze becoming unfathomable.

Empress Zhou had been watching his expression closely, and when she saw him like this, a look of doubt appeared in her beautiful eyes.

Why does the Emperor seem a bit off? What did Zijie write on his note?

Emperor Jingsheng finally closed the letter, his face flushed, and he roared in anger:

"The valiant officials in charge of the defense of Jinling, including the Marquis of Liu'an, the Marquis of Anyuan, the Marquis of Yongchang, the Earl of Xiangcheng, and the Earl of Daxing, are secretly colluding with the White Lotus Sect and intend to surrender the city. The evidence is irrefutable!"

"These bastards! They disregard the nation's favor, are heartless and cowardly, useless in defending the city and fighting battles, but they surrender faster than anyone else!"

Emperor Jingsheng grew increasingly furious, his voice hissing like a red-hot iron being plunged into cold water:

"If it weren't for their negligence, corruption, and incompetence, how could the White Lotus Sect have breached Zhongdu? How could they have swept through the land so easily? How could they have so readily conquered Jiangnan, causing the situation to deteriorate and shaking the entire world!"

"Having committed crimes and showing no remorse, they even want to surrender the capital! Where is their regard for the court? Where is their regard for their sovereign?"

He slammed his hand on the imperial desk, making the dishes on it jump. Emperor Jingsheng's eyes blazed with fury, and each word seemed to burst forth, his voice echoing throughout the hall:

"They are pigs, dogs, and..."