The Military Governor in Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 116 Deserves Death

"Linjing Hall?" Jia Chen glanced at the name on the palace plaque.

Hu Youcai gestured to Jia Chen with his eyes, and Jia Chen understood, "The emperor must be here."

The eunuch leading the way stopped at the door and gestured for the two to go in.

In fact, the eunuchs who led the way had been changed several times along the way, and each one was only responsible for a section of the road.

Jia Chen followed behind Hu Youcai, head down, not daring to look around.

Of course, he was still glancing around out of the corner of his eye.

Whatever Hu Youcai did, Jia Chen followed suit and shouted the same things.

After shouting "Long live the Emperor!" and performing the grand ceremony, Jia Chen and Hu Youcai stood aside.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jia Chen saw a eunuch in his fifties standing by the table in front of him. Anyone who could serve the emperor must be a senior eunuch trusted by the emperor.

Jia Chen also noticed Hu Youcai's expression; this eunuch was most likely Dai Quan.

On the way, Hu Youcai mentioned that Dai Quan should be next to the emperor, so he reassured himself that he didn't need to be too nervous.

Behind the table, Jia Chen's gaze swept quickly and he spotted a middle-aged man dressed in a dragon robe.

This is Emperor Chongli, thin in stature, reviewing memorials.

Jia Chen only glanced at it briefly before not daring to look any longer.

"Jia Chen!"

Upon hearing the emperor's voice, Jia Chen immediately shouted, "Your subject is here!"

"Indeed young." Emperor Chongli chuckled. "Dai Quan, such a young man with such talent and military achievements is rare indeed, isn't he?"

"Your Majesty is right, Jia Chen is only 17 this year," Dai Quan replied.

He hadn't expected the emperor to give Jia Chen such high praise.

He had not expected the emperor to summon Jia Chen.

In his view, even if the emperor valued Jia Chen, the rewards and honors he had previously bestowed upon him were already sufficient.

Looking back now, the emperor's appreciation for Jia Chen far exceeded his expectations.

Perhaps the Jia family really is different now.

However, Dai Quan had a feeling that things were not so simple.

The emperor's high regard for Jia Chen did not necessarily mean that his attitude towards the Jia family had fundamentally changed.

We'll have to wait and see how things unfold.

Understanding the emperor's will is something those who serve by his side need to ponder every day.

Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger; one must be extremely cautious.

"Jia Chen, tell me about the capture of Abunai, in detail," Emperor Chongli said gently.

"Yes!" Jia Chen didn't dare to hesitate and immediately recounted the situation.

This included the initial defense of the city, and later, upon discovering that the Northern Enemy camp was undefended, leading to a battle outside the city.

The descriptions here are naturally detailed, and Jia Chen didn't hold back much.

These aren't really secrets.

Jia Chen knew perfectly well that the emperor must know a lot, just like he directly said that he had captured Abunai. But no matter how much he knew, it was nothing compared to Jia Chen's own experience as a participant.

Since the emperor was curious, he naturally had to tell him some things the emperor didn't know.

"Your Majesty, I deserve to die a thousand deaths," Jia Chen said after finishing his statement.

"What crime have you committed?" Emperor Chongli was taken aback. Jia Chen's words about slaughtering the northern barbarians had made him feel a surge of excitement.

Dai Quan and Hu Youcai were also somewhat surprised, wondering what crime Jia Chen had committed.

"After I broke through Abuna's camp, I actually seized a lot of the loot they had plundered. I was tempted by the wealth, so I... I kept it all. I deserve to die for this crime." Jia Chen knelt on the ground and reported on the matter of keeping the loot.

Emperor Chongli's expression returned to normal, and a smile appeared on his face: "Considering your great service, I will not pursue this matter."

It's perfectly normal that these soldiers fought so hard and didn't report or hand over any spoils of war.

How could Emperor Chongli not know this?

As long as he can win the battle, why would he care about such a trivial matter?

However, he was even more satisfied that Jia Chen was able to report the truth.

Dai Quan and Hu Youcai secretly breathed a sigh of relief; Jia Chen's words had still made them somewhat uneasy.

If Jia Chen really commits any serious crime, Hu Youcai will likely be implicated as well.

Get up!

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Jia Chen then stood up and stood respectfully to the side.

Jia Chen had many thoughts about the money he had previously kept.

Although only a few people knew about this, and Jia Chen believed they wouldn't easily spread the word, his large expenditures of gold and silver would not be hidden from those who were interested.

Having captured the Northern Barbarian camp, especially one where Abunai was, it's impossible for others to believe they hadn't obtained any valuables.

If this matter is brought up in the future, it will cause me some trouble.

Now, standing before the emperor, Jia Chen had a sudden thought and revealed everything.

Just as he had expected, Emperor Chongli obviously would not pursue his crimes.

This would even leave a better impression on Emperor Chongli, making him appear as an honest military general.

In the future, no one will be able to use these things against you.

"Jia Chen, have you encountered any difficulties in the border town? You can tell me about them." Emperor Chongli found Jia Chen very pleasing to the eye and was in a great mood.

Thinking back, although he has been on the throne for four years, he still doesn't have many people in the army that he can control, especially the Beijing garrison. When he first ascended the throne, he was full of vigor and ambition, but after making a slight move, he suffered a complete defeat.

After years of careful maneuvering, Datong Town finally found an opportunity last year to take down the governor and the general, replacing them with Chen Tai, who had no real background.

In this way, he gained some influence in Datong Town.

Taking advantage of Feng Shan's desire for credit, he also facilitated the capture of Abunai and transferred him back to the capital.

At the same time, Hu Youcai was appointed to take over the position of eunuch in charge of Datong.

The situation in Datong Town is now very promising.

Chen Tai and Hu Youcai are both our people, and while the governor is not considered one, he is neutral, which is a very good situation.

And all of this is related to Jia Chen.

The more Emperor Chongli looked at Jia Chen, the happier he became.

As for whether Jia Chen is a member of the Jia family?

What does it matter?

He had already ordered Dai Quan to investigate Jia Chen's background and past; he could only be considered a member of the Jia family, but the relationship was very distant.

Moreover, Jia Chen's father was a brave and skilled warrior in the Beijing garrison, and he died in battle during the suppression of the rebellion in Qingzhou. He can be considered a descendant of a loyal and virtuous official.

He now values ​​Jia Chen's abilities, and as long as he is capable and can win battles, he will reward him handsomely.

"This?" Jia Chen hesitated for a moment.

The emperor's words should not be taken entirely at face value; one must carefully consider his true intentions.

He said he could talk about any difficulties he had, and that he could really talk about anything.

"Jia Chen, just say what you want to say, don't hold back," Dai Quan said with a smile.

Since it was his first time meeting the emperor, Dai Quan was willing to offer some guidance and advice.

One reason was that he knew about the relationship between Jia Chen and Hu Youcai, and another was that he discovered the emperor valued Jia Chen highly.

The emperor was clearly going to give Jia Chen even more rewards.

As long as Jia Chen's conditions aren't too outrageous, the emperor will definitely grant them.

This is a great opportunity!

"Your Majesty, I actually want more high-quality firearms and firearms craftsmen. In this way, I can better defend the fortified position and make the northern barbarians who raid south pay a greater price," Jia Chen said.

Since the emperor has asked, I won't hold back.

Firearms were extremely important to him.

Although he visited Jia Zheng and Jia Zheng agreed to give it a try, Jia Chen felt that the chances of success were not high.

The emperor summoned him, and judging from what had just happened, the emperor had a good impression of him.

In that case, it's most important to strike while the iron is hot and seize the benefits.

All other praise and compliments are meaningless.

Upon hearing Jia Chen's words, Emperor Chongli became interested.

In his view, the most likely scenario is that Jia Chen would ask for provisions or something similar.

He was well aware of the problems with the Da Hong Army's provisions and pay.

But with the national treasury empty and the problems below, even if the full amount is distributed, how much will actually reach the soldiers at the front?

He has too many things to solve and deal with, and these cannot be solved in a short time.

If Jia Chen really raised the issue of provisions and pay, he could certainly instruct Chen Tai and Hu Youcai to handle it as a special case, and Jia Chen could be given special consideration.

Jia Chen only mentioned that it was related to firearms.

"I've heard that you are skilled in using firearms," ​​Emperor Chongli asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Jia Chen had nothing to hide. "I believe that firearms can effectively suppress the northern barbarian cavalry and make our Great Hong Army invincible."

"Great!" Emperor Chongli was very pleased.

"Jia Chen, there aren't many people in the army willing to use firearms, so why are you so insistent?" Emperor Chongli asked again.

"Your Majesty, the army is reluctant to use firearms because they are of poor quality, often exploding or misfiring, making them unreliable to the soldiers," Jia Chen replied. "Even though everyone knows that firearms are extremely powerful, they dare not use them and prefer to use swords and spears."

Emperor Chongli nodded.

Think back to when the founding emperor was conquering the country, firearms were the most important part of it; otherwise, the Beijing garrison would have had the Shenji Battalion.

But now, fewer and fewer people in the military are willing to use firearms.

This is also a persistent problem.

The imperial court was certainly aware of the quality issues with firearms and wanted to regulate them, but when it came to the local level, things were still a complete mess.

The appearance of Jia Chen, especially his use of firearms, caught the eye of Emperor Chongli.

"I heard that you made all those cannons yourself?" Emperor Chongli asked.

"Your Majesty, I can only manufacture the smallest cannons, such as the Tiger Crouching Cannon and the Three-Eyed Cannon," Jia Chen replied truthfully. "As long as I keep an eye on the craftsmen and provide enough high-quality materials, the firearms produced can still be used."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongli couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Everyone understands the situation, but this matter involves too many people and too many interests, and even he, the emperor, cannot resolve it all at once.

Being an emperor is no easy task.

"Very well, I will allocate a group of firearms craftsmen to you," Emperor Chongli said.

It was rare to find someone who was serious about their work, so Emperor Chongli didn't mind giving Jia Chen a chance and would support him if he could.

"Your Majesty, I not only need ordinary firearms craftsmen, but also craftsmen capable of forging cannons and even larger ones," Jia Chen stated his true request.

Upon hearing this, Dai Quan frowned slightly.

The manufacture of cannons and large cannons was generally controlled by the Bureau of Armory. Although there were some craftsmen outside, their numbers were still far greater than those outside the Bureau of Armory.

"Dai Quan?" Emperor Chongli looked at Dai Quan, wanting to ask for his opinion.

This matter is of great importance, and Emperor Chongli needs to understand it more. Dai Quan already has a clearer understanding of this matter.

"Your Majesty, the production process of bird-shaped cannons and large cannons is complicated and extremely difficult. There is also the need for secrecy—" Dai Quan explained some of the issues involved in the matter.

Emperor Chongli pondered for a moment.

He was certainly aware of the problems with the bird cannons and large cannons; their power was still too great, and the manufacturing process generally had to be controlled by the imperial court.

Moreover, these techniques were all handled by palace eunuchs to prevent their loss.

"Your Majesty, the quality of these bird-shaped cannons and large cannons is also worrying," Dai Quan added at the end.