bullyxtreme Chapter 44 Jia Daihua: A Man of Great Wisdom Appearing as Foolishness
Chapter 44 Jia Daihua: A Man of Great Wisdom Appearing as Foolishness
"Report..."
Although a great fire caused turmoil in the court of the Great Zhou Dynasty, with the arrival of the New Year's Day Grand Court, both the "culprit" Jianzhou Jurchen who set the fire and the Dutch Red Hairy Barbarians who were burned to death in the fire put aside their resentment in the face of the Great Zhou Dynasty, which had just won a great victory in the western expedition, and sent envoys again to pay tribute to the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Just as the ceremony of presenting prisoners of war had ended and the New Year's Day celebrations were concluded, a battle report from the Western Regions arrived in the capital.
"Your Majesty, the Prince of Xining has sent a battle report."
"A month ago, the Duke of Rong led 5,000 men through heavy snow, bypassing the Tianshan defense line of the Dzungar Khanate, and marched straight into Ili City, capturing the Dzungar leader and some of his chieftains in one battle."
"Then they went straight to the rear of the Dzungar defense line and attacked from both sides with the main force in front, defeating the Dzungar army in one fell swoop."
"Whoosh..."
As soon as the messenger finished speaking, the entire court and the envoys from various countries were in an uproar, their faces showing shock.
It should be noted that the Dzungar Khanate had occupied the northern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains for decades, and even the Rakshasa and the Tatars of the northern deserts were unwilling to provoke them easily.
But this powerful Oirat tribe was defeated by the Great Zhou, and its leader and chieftain were captured alive.
Although the Great Zhou had previously defeated over 100,000 elite Oirat troops, that was because the Oirat tribes were not on their own territory and their supply lines had been cut off by the Great Zhou.
But this time, with the Dzungars having the advantage of timing and terrain, the main force of the Great Zhou army confronted them head-on while small elite units made surprise attacks. With this whole set of tactics, the once-famous Oirat tribe was wiped out. How could the envoys from various countries not be calm?
After regaining their composure, the envoys from various countries all looked at the Jianzhou Jurchen and the Dutch Red Haired Barbarians with puzzled expressions.
To everyone's disappointment, both the Jianzhou Jurchens and the Dutch envoys remained calm and composed as they offered their congratulations to Emperor Anping, without the slightest sign of panic.
"Excellent! Dai Shanqian's work is brilliant; he's practically the Li Jing of our Great Zhou!"
"This raid through the snow is remarkably similar to Li Jing's raid on Jieli back then!"
Emperor Anping waved his hand, his face beaming with joy.
"Congratulations on Your Majesty's flourishing literary and military achievements!"
"Congratulations to His Majesty the Emperor of Great Zhou on his great victory!"
Seeing that the Jianzhou Jurchens and the Dutch envoys had already paid their respects, everyone else, regardless of their own thoughts, knelt down and paid their respects to Emperor Anping!
"Hahaha……"
"All of you, rise!"
After reading the battle report, Emperor Anping laughed heartily.
However, Liu Hu, who was following behind Emperor Anping, noticed that the emperor's hand, which was hidden in his sleeve, was trembling slightly.
Later, during a break in the ceremony, Emperor Anping said something to Dai Quan, and Dai Quan was never seen at the subsequent banquet.
After the banquet, Emperor Anping left behind the cabinet ministers, Liu Yuan, son of the Duke of Liguo and Grand General of the Central Army, and Jia Daihua, Commander of the Capital Garrison.
At this moment, Emperor Anping had lost his earlier high spirits. He sat on the dragon throne with a complicated expression, looking at the battle report in his hand without saying a word.
"Your Majesty...?" Finally, Jia Daihua couldn't hold back any longer and couldn't help but ask.
Overjoyed to hear that Jia Daishan had once again rendered great service, he felt extremely uneasy upon seeing Emperor Anping's expression.
"Look, this is the battle report sent back by the Prince of Xining."
Emperor Anping looked up at his ministers and handed the battle report in his hand to Jia Daihua, who had stood up to ask a question.
Jia Daihua took the battle report and hurriedly began to read it. Soon after, his expression changed drastically.
"Your Majesty, is it the front lines...?" Grand Secretary Li asked cautiously, looking at the two of them.
"Your Majesty, I humbly request that Your Majesty order the complete extermination of the Dzungars!"
Before Emperor Anping could answer, Jia Daihua suddenly knelt down and wept.
"Why is General Jia acting this way?" Minister Liu, the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, asked in confusion.
If it weren't for the strange expressions on Emperor Anping's and Jia Daihua's faces, he would have impeached Jia Daihua long ago.
"Gentlemen, although our western expeditionary force has thoroughly defeated the Dzungars, our commander-in-chief, Duke Rongguo Jia Daishan, was wounded by a Dzungar musket and remains unconscious!"
Emperor Anping said with sorrow.
"ah……?"
At this moment, no one cared about the etiquette between the emperor and his subjects. Grand Secretary Li stepped forward, took the battle report from Jia Daihua's hand, and looked worried after reading it.
As a member of the Jiangnan gentry, he usually did not get along with military men like Jia Daishan.
But he still has a sense of the big picture to have reached his current position.
As the head of the military officers, Jia Daishan was the pillar of stability for the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Although the Great Zhou has won this western expedition, the burning of the capital has caused undercurrents to stir on the surrounding borders.
If Jia Daishan were no longer a threat at this time, the border would inevitably be engulfed in flames of war.
At that point, it won't just be a question of whether they can control the court; if things go wrong, it could lead to the downfall of the entire empire!
"Your Majesty, according to the Prince of Xining, the Duke of Rong is on the verge of death. I implore Your Majesty to dispatch imperial physicians immediately to ensure the Duke's safety!" Grand Secretary Li knelt down and said.
"We second that proposal!"
Having figured out what had happened, regardless of their previous relationship with Jia Daishan, all these high-ranking officials knelt down and spoke.
"I have already sent Dai Quan with the imperial physicians to the Western Regions."
Emperor Anping waved his hand impatiently, telling them to get up.
Jia Daishan was more anxious than anyone else about what had happened to him.
Regardless of his relationship with Jia Daishan, he did not want anything to happen to Jia Daishan, considering the safety of the nation.
"Your Majesty is merciful; we were overthinking it!"
"Your Majesty, I humbly request that you issue an edict to exterminate the entire Dzungar Khanate!"
Even after the other ministers stood up, Jia Daihua remained kneeling on the ground.
His eyes were red and tears streamed down his face: "Your Majesty, Dai Shan is not only the Duke of Rong of the Great Zhou, but also my cousin."
"How can we let the culprit who caused this disaster get away with it?"
"My dear minister, get up quickly. Daishan is not only your cousin, but also my brother. How can I let them off so easily?"
"Your Majesty, I thank you!"
Looking at Jia Daihua, who was crying with snot and tears streaming down his face, Liu Hu, who was standing behind Emperor Anping, curled his lip.
With such a patriarch, the Ningguo Mansion is truly blessed!
On the surface, it seems that Jia Daihua wants to avenge Jia Daishan, but in reality, he is putting Emperor Anping in a difficult position.
How could Emperor Anping personally order such a massacre of an entire clan?
Even if you secretly used the Jia family's influence in the army to have the western expeditionary force slaughter the entire Dzungar Khanate in private, it would still be better than forcing Emperor Anping to personally issue the order now.
Did they really think that Emperor Anping didn't care about his reputation after he turned against his own people?
"Liu Hu, tell me, what should we do with the Dzungar Khanate?"
Just as Liu Hu was looking down on Jia Daihua, Emperor Anping suddenly asked him a question.
Emperor Anping was already in a precarious position thanks to Jia Daihua, and he desperately needed a scapegoat; he also didn't want to be remembered as a tyrant.
But he also knew that none of the ministers present were without their cunning, and it wouldn't be easy to pin the blame on any of them, so he turned his attention to Liu Hu.
"Your Majesty, before the western expedition, Your Majesty had already decreed that anyone who crossed the chariot would be executed!" Liu Hu said solemnly.
"Guard Liu, don't forget who promoted you when you were still nobody."
"Now that the Duke of Rong's fate is unknown, you don't even think about avenging him, and you even dare to plead for the person who harmed him so badly?"
Upon hearing Liu Hu's answer, Emperor Anping showed a hint of disappointment, while Jia Daihua had already started cursing.
"Commander Jia, please be careful with your words. Although I come from humble origins, I am not an ungrateful person."
"Then why are you still...?"
Jia Daihua looked at Liu Hu with a displeased expression.
"Fang Ping's wheels are still wheels!"
Historically, the name "Dzungar" originated from the carnage caused by the overturned wheels of a vehicle.
Liu Hu didn't mind taking the blame for Emperor Anping. Although he didn't understand court intrigues very well, he knew that taking the blame for one's leader wasn't really taking the blame.
Even if I am called a butcher because of this incident, does Emperor Anping really think he would kill me for it?
Even in the original novel, despite the Jia family's dire state, they didn't seem to kill many members in the end.
Emperor Anping suddenly realized what was happening and looked at Liu Hu with satisfaction.
"The safety of the Duke of Rong is a matter of life and death for the nation. Before the victorious return of the western expeditionary force, no one is to be allowed to divulge what happened here today."
"The Cabinet shall immediately draft an edict ordering the western expeditionary force to return."
"Your Majesty, we obey!"
.........
"I heard that the last Dzungar Khanate of the Oirat Mongols was also defeated by the Duke of Rongguo?"
"Indeed, and it was only because the Duke of Rong personally led several thousand soldiers across the Tianshan Mountains to Yili City that they captured their leader alive, which is how they were defeated."
"Doesn't that mean that all the leaders of the five Oirat tribes, including Gushi Khan, are now gone?"
"That's certainly true..."
"Long live the Great Zhou! Long live His Majesty!!"
On New Year's Day, as news spread that the last Dzungar tribe of the Oirat Mongols had been wiped out, the festive atmosphere in the entire capital city was even more joyful.
"Haha, sir, you've done a great service this time! Guards, bring out the reward!"
The Rongguo Mansion was also in a state of jubilation. Their master had performed a feat no less remarkable than Li Jing's annihilation of the Turks. Even the usually dignified Jia Shishi took the opportunity to be generous during the New Year's Day celebration.
Although he knew that no matter how great his master's achievements were, he would not and would not raise his family's title.
Even if he doesn't get a promotion, with the merits the master has made this time, it shouldn't be a problem to extend the family's wealth and status for several more generations.
Looking at the cheerful Jia Shi, Jia Daihua, who had just returned to the mansion, had a complicated expression on his face and finally sighed deeply.
"Father, has something else happened in the palace?"
Looking at his father's complicated expression, Jia Jing, who had just returned home, asked.
"Ugh!"
Jia Daihua sighed deeply, looked at his spirited son, and finally couldn't help but recount what had just happened in the palace.
"hiss……"
Even though Jia Jing knew his father was unreliable, he was still greatly shocked by what his father had done today.
"My father is so foolish!"
Forcing Emperor Anping to order the massacre of his entire clan—is that something a human being would do?
But Jia Daihua was, after all, his own father, and no matter how angry Jia Jing was at the moment, he dared not say anything more.
With a father like that, let alone Jia Jing being just a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), even if he had the talent of a Zhuangyuan (the top scholar in the imperial examinations), he would be dragged down by him!
Fortunately, the Jia family had the Rongguo Mansion branch; otherwise, their family would probably have been reduced to ashes long ago.
Left with no other choice, Jia Jing analyzed for Jia Daihua the inappropriate aspects of his behavior that day and what consequences it would cause.
But in response to these words, Jia Daihua coldly replied, "I am your father! The one whose fate is unknown is your uncle!"
"I didn't say no, but could you please consider the well-being of our entire household before making any decisions in the future?"
Jia Jing was almost in tears!
"Hmph!" Jia Daihua snorted coldly, then said to Jia Jing unhurriedly, "Even you think I'm stupid?"
Jia Jing didn't speak, but the look in his eyes as he looked at Jia Daihua spoke volumes.
"Alas, although I am not as good as those civil officials, nor as good as you, Uncle Daishan, in gaining His Majesty's trust, I am not a fool."
"What I did on a daily basis was out of necessity!"
"Tell me, of all the civil and military officials in the Great Zhou Dynasty, which family is most feared by His Majesty?"
"The Four Princes?" Jia Jing had never seen Jia Daihua like this before, and he asked cautiously upon hearing the question.
"Bullshit!" Jia Daihua said disdainfully, "Although the four princes are hereditary princes and have troops under their command, their troops are only slightly better than the garrison troops."
"If Your Majesty truly wishes to deal with them, you wouldn't even need to mobilize troops; a single imperial edict would suffice."
"The most elite forces in the Great Zhou Dynasty are the Lantian Camp, the Jing Camp, and the Jiangnan Camp.
"As long as the three major military camps are in His Majesty's hands, the world will not descend into chaos!"
Jia Daihua leisurely took a sip of tea, then closed his eyes and said quietly, "Of these three major camps, our Jia family controls two of them."
"The reason why our Jia family has controlled two major camps and is still safe and sound to this day is not only because our two generations of Duke Rongguo have been trusted by the royal family, but also because of me, the incompetent head of the Jia family."
"If both branches of the Jia family are filled with outstanding individuals, and they also control two large military camps, then they're truly not far from death!"
Listening to Jia Daihua's explanation, Jia Jing was dumbfounded.
Everyone knows that his father has some military talent, but he doesn't know how to conduct himself, often angers the emperor, and is unable to see the political situation in the court.
Although everyone treats him politely on the surface, very few people really take him seriously.
Even he himself often felt helpless about having such a father.
"So all that you did before was just a show for other people?"
Jia Jing swallowed hard, looking at his own father in disbelief.
Jia Daihua rolled his eyes at him: "If I had that ability, I could fool all the officials and even His Majesty. Why would I need to wear clothes?"
"At first, because of my misbehavior, I was often whipped by your grandfather."
At this point, Jia Daihua became somewhat embarrassed and quickly drank a few sips of tea to cover it up.
"When your grandfather was passing away, he held my hand and told me these things, telling me to always stay this way and never change."
"Our Jia family, with two dukes, is ultimately a target of envy and criticism; one branch will inevitably have to sacrifice itself!"
"Then why is it our eldest son's family?" Jia Jing asked, unconvinced.
"Since His Majesty ascended the throne, only our eldest branch can be sacrificed, because your Uncle Daishan is more trusted by His Majesty and is also more intelligent."
Jia Daihua said helplessly, "That's why I made you abandon martial arts and pursue literature in the first place."