Dream of the Red Chamber: I can see the hidden labels of the beauties.

When the sons of the noble families learned that Jia Can had petitioned for their release and that Emperor Jing'an had not been too forceful, retaining their official positions but prohibiting them from serving in the Longfu Guard, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

In fact, they were also worried that Emperor Jing'an would suppress them forcefully. Faced with imperial power, they did not dare to confront it head-on, but could only gradually erode the emperor's authority and wait for an opportunity to act.

Now that Emperor Jing'an is willing to make concessions, not only dismissing Yi Xian from his post but also retaining his position as a member of the Xun Gui family, it is already a victory for them, so they naturally know when to stop.

As for making up for the unpaid wages, these noble families regarded it as paying tribute to the emperor and buying peace with their money. Naturally, they had no resentment and obediently paid up the money.

That same day, the recovery team dispatched by Jia Can recovered a large portion of the silver.

With money in hand, Jia Can generously distributed all the severance pay that had been owed to the veterans.

The veterans who received the cash were overjoyed, some even shedding tears of joy.

They originally thought they would be satisfied with receiving half of the severance pay promised by Jia Can, since in today's officialdom, which official doesn't put some in their own pocket first?

Previously, Yi Xian had even refused to pay, which made them somewhat desperate, thinking that the money was probably just a pipe dream and they would never get it.

Unexpectedly, Jia Can really gave them a lot.

At this moment, I sincerely thank Jia Can:

"Commander, you truly keep your word and are a man of your word. You have indeed given us such a generous severance package. We will never forget your great kindness!"

Jia Can looked at them and waved his hand, saying:

"Gentlemen, there's no need for this. These are what you deserve. I'm simply distributing them as they are. Take them and enjoy your retirement!"

Upon hearing this, the veterans felt even more a sense of Jia Can's kindness and benevolence. Among them, the doorman Yang happy wiped away tears and said:

"If I weren't so old and unable to serve the Commander and the court any longer, I would have stayed to serve Lord Jia!"

These words resonated with many veterans, who all nodded in agreement. It was a rare opportunity to encounter a benevolent superior like Jia Can, but unfortunately, they were all too old to risk their lives for him any longer.

The few young soldiers who remained had even more respect and loyalty towards Jia Can.

Jia Can did not forget these young soldiers. He took out some silver as a reward for them. Although it was not much, it was enough to make these soldiers laugh heartily. They felt that following Jia Can would definitely be good.

In an instant, the respect and loyalty of all the guards towards Jia Can reached an unprecedented level.

Jia Can then issued new decrees, the first of which was to recruit soldiers. After all, the veterans had been dismissed and the nominal noble sons had been purged. Now, the Dragon Guard was in short supply of soldiers, so it was natural to bring in fresh blood to strengthen the ranks.

According to the regulations of this dynasty, a guard must have at least five thousand men. Jia Can's current financial resources are clearly insufficient to raise such a large force, so he can only supplement the force with one thousand men first.

Next came the regulations concerning various matters, such as roll call, training, military discipline, etc. Jia Can revised them all in great detail, as if they had been prepared long ago.

As for some key subordinates, Jia Can personally assessed and selected them. For example, the people in charge of documents, money and provisions, and military equipment were all personally selected by him and were considered his own people.

From this point on, the initial reorganization of the Dragon Guard was considered a great success. No one in the Dragon Guard dared to oppose Jia Can anymore, and Jia Can could be said to have absolute control over the Dragon Guard.

……

outside the city.

Jia Can, dressed in casual clothes, rode alongside Yu Hui on horseback, stopping in place and gazing into the distance.

Yu Hui, still wearing a black straw hat that obscured his face, glanced at the makeshift recruitment post not far away and asked, puzzled:

"Young master, I don't understand why you're recruiting soldiers in the countryside instead of selecting elite troops from the capital's garrison?"

"Most of these able-bodied men from the countryside are illiterate. It will take a long time for you, young master, to train them into qualified spies."

Jia Can turned to look at him and calmly replied:

"The Beijing Garrison is rotten to the core. It has long lost its elite troops and is more like a bunch of thugs in armor. They are not even as good as these honest country bumpkins. At least they don't have any crooked thoughts and just follow orders from their superiors."

"As for training them to become qualified spies, I don't expect them to be effective in a short time. All I want is for them to have guards by their side when they go south, so that they don't have to fight alone."

After hearing this, Yu Hui felt that Jia Can was extremely pragmatic, without a trace of unrealistic ambition, and couldn't help but nod with a smile:

"Young master's plan is very thorough. I was originally thinking of transferring some elite spies from the Dragon Guard to serve you, but now it seems that I was overthinking it."

Jia Can then bowed and thanked him.

"Thank you for your kindness, Lord Yu. But frankly, we are not related, so there seems to be no need for you to help me like this."

Upon hearing this, Yu Hui immediately turned his head and mumbled:

"I just think what you did is admirable... But let's not talk about that. This time, you not only cleaned up the nominal noble sons, but also solved the problem of money and food. You even used the Emperor's hand to get rid of the Emperor's spies and even won the favor of those nobles."

"More importantly, Young Master has completely taken control of the Dragon Guard. Now that he has established new rules and recruited more soldiers, the Dragon Guard is on the verge of regaining its former glory. I have witnessed this firsthand and am truly in awe!"

Seeing that he still wouldn't explain the real reason, Jia Can frowned slightly but didn't press further, responding humbly:

"Lord Yu, you flatter me. I am truly grateful for the potion you gave me, which made my official seal disappear from that memorial. Otherwise, I would not have been able to do it. In truth, I should thank Lord Yu handsomely."

"It's still early, and I'd like to invite you to a drink, sir. Would you do me the honor?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Hui smiled and bowed to Jia Can.

"Since you have invited me, young master, how could I refuse? Please, young master!"

Jia Can politely bowed in response, saying, "Please, Lord Yu!"

After saying that, the two of them raised the reins and galloped away.

They hadn't gone far when they saw a small town beside the official road, and Jia Can suggested:

"Lord Yu, please eat here. The food and wine may be slightly inferior to those in the city, but it is quiet and the scenery outside is beautiful."

Yu Hui agreed without the slightest hesitation:

"I also prefer a quiet and elegant atmosphere. Young master and I are on the same page... haha."

With that, he smiled, and Jia Can smiled back before heading into the town.

Arriving at an inn, he nimbly dismounted.

A waiter stepped forward to lead their horses and politely said:

"Please come in, esteemed guests!"

Perhaps it's because this is a necessary route to the capital. Although it's a small town, this inn is doing quite well. There are many travelers in the lobby, from all walks of life.

After Jia Can entered, he said to the shopkeeper:

"Shopkeeper, we'd like a superior room, along with a table full of fine wine and food. We'll leave as soon as we finish eating."

The shopkeeper immediately replied politely, "Alright, this way please."

He then invited the two of them to go upstairs.

Jia Can didn't think much of it and followed the shopkeeper upstairs. Yu Hui, on the other hand, felt several pairs of eyes watching him in the lobby. He quickly scanned the room warily to make sure everything was alright before following Jia Can.