Dream of the Red Chamber: I can upgrade my entries!

Chapter 6 With a son like this, what more could a husband ask for!
"Father."

"I am still just a fifteen-year-old boy, and my wings are not yet fully grown."

"All I ask for is self-preservation. As for anything else, if the day comes and Heaven grants it to me, and I do not take it, wouldn't that be disregarding Heaven's will?"

Seeing that Jia Jing was upset, Jia Yan said a few words to comfort him.

"call!"

Jia Jing let out a long breath, no longer daring to look at his young son with the eyes one would use to look at a child. Instead, he said solemnly, "If you want to do it, I, as your father, will not stop you. Now that the Jia family is on the verge of collapse, how much worse can it get?"

"But how do you intend to do it?"

He was the third-generation head of the Ningguo Mansion and the former Crown Prince's strategist, so how could he lack a steely heart and thunderous methods?

Among the Jia family members, not one of them is capable enough to be considered respectable. Jia She is already incompetent, so they can only choose someone capable of taking on a major responsibility from the fourth generation. As things stand, Jia Zhen and Jia Lian have limited qualifications, and the rest are all too young. Jia Yan has already shown his talent and is also Jia Jing's youngest son and the legitimate son of the Ningguo Mansion. How could he not want to support him?

"Ping'an Prefecture".

Jia Yan mentioned a place name and slowly recounted: "At the beginning of the founding of the country, Emperor Taizu raised an army to seize Nanjing. Emperor Hongguang of the Southern Ming resisted stubbornly and was executed. The succeeding Prince Lu, Zhu Changfang, surrendered to the Daqian under the coercion of Gao Jie, Liu Zeqing, Shi Kefa and others, and was enfeoffed as Prince of Beijing."

"My great-grandfather was ordered to conquer the south. Emperor Longwu of the Southern Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yujian, Earl of Nan'an, Zheng Zhilong, and Duke of Qian, Mu Tianbo, surrendered. They were enfeoffed by the Taizu Emperor as Prince of Xining, Prince of Nan'an, and Prince of Dongping. To show their loyalty, the lineage of the Prince of Beijing took the name of the water, and the Mu family changed their surname to Mu."

"The four princes are respectively stationed in Ping'an Prefecture (Yunzhong), Xining Prefecture (Xining), Nan'an Prefecture (Fuzhou), and Kunlun Prefecture (Yongchang).

"In the twelfth year of the Shunkang reign, the Emperor Emeritus summoned the Prince of Beijing and the Prince of Dongping to the capital, and moved the lineage of the Prince of Nan'an to Kunlun Prefecture in the southwest. The lineage of the Prince of Xining remained unchanged and continued to be stationed in Xining Prefecture."

"Even today, the lineage of the Prince of Beijing still wields considerable influence in Ping'an Prefecture, which is why the royal family is wary of them."

“Ping’an Prefecture was originally Guihua City, built by Altan Khan, the leader of the Tumed Mongols, and his wife San Niangzi during the Ming Dynasty. It guarded the frontier and has always been a place for trade between various Mongol tribes and the Great Qian Dynasty. It is a pearl in the north.”

"If Borjigin Nari leads his troops to conquer Ping'an Prefecture, there will be no more obstacles to marching south to Datong, and they can obtain the necessary food, supplies and armor."

"The Mongol tribes are besieging Datong, and the northern border is in dire need of help. The Daqian government has very limited military strength. The Twelve Battalions are stationed in Shenjing, but the capital garrison is already corrupt and incompetent. Many nobles have their own servants and attendants. Father, you may petition the court that the Jia family is willing to raise funds and recruit soldiers to aid the border."

"Given His Majesty's cold-hearted nature, the Jia family's actions will surely prompt him to take action. With so many nobles in the country, they can mobilize at least tens of thousands of troops to relieve the immediate crisis, and the court only needs to issue an appointment."

"not only."

Jia Jing's cloudy old eyes had long since become clear, and he drew inferences from one instance to another, saying, "With the fall of Ping'an Prefecture, the collusion between the Western Prefecture and the military governor of Ping'an Prefecture in smuggling has been completely wiped out."

"The four border prefectures have always been a hidden danger for the Great Qian Dynasty. If we can pacify the Khalkha tribes this time, or at least the five tribes in southern Mongolia, then the abolition of Ping'an Prefecture will become a natural consequence. This is undoubtedly a great thing for the royal family."

"The Jia family can use these two events to restore their position in the court and even their long-lost military power."

"What a brilliant three-birds-with-one-stone strategy!"

"Ah."

With a slight nod, Jia Yan directly admitted his idea.

"All of this depends on whether you can achieve something extraordinary."

At this moment, Jia Jing's gaze was exceptionally sharp and filled with a sense of oppression, and the atmosphere in the Sanqing Hall suddenly tightened.

"Clap!"

Jia Yan lightly threw a punch, and a crisp sound of air being cut echoed throughout the main hall.

'Ming Jin!'

Upon seeing this, Jia Jing's pupils shrank sharply. A fifteen-year-old Ming Jin martial artist wouldn't normally make him show such an expression, but to break through to Ming Jin after only one month of martial arts training—what kind of talent is this? It's truly terrifying!
"I will break through to the Dark Force level within three months."

"I think this level of strength is enough to profit from this feast of blood and fire."

"I need your help, or rather, I need the Jia family's resources." Having demonstrated his own strength, Jia Yan made a further request, believing that only by relying on the Jia family as a powerful backer could he grow faster.

"can."

Jia Jing nodded and agreed.

"it is good."

Upon hearing this, Jia Yan finally smiled.

With the Jia family's resources, those family retainers and servants could become his confidants. These people were all descendants of the proud and fierce generals who had fought alongside the two families, and many of them were martial arts experts. These people could increase the success rate of his plan.

"this is for you."

Jia Jing took out a piece of black jade with the character "Jia" engraved on it in small seal script and handed it over.

"what is this?"

Jia Yan was somewhat puzzled.

“The Jia family’s decree.”

With a deep and mysterious look in his eyes, Jia Jing added two more sentences: "With this decree, one can command the eight households in the capital and the twelve households in Jinling."

"hiss!!!"

Immediately, Jia Yan gasped. The Jia family's token was a powerful weapon, yet Jia Jing had always kept it in his hands, not even giving it to Jia Zhen. Now it had been given to him, which was truly puzzling.

"That good-for-nothing Zhen'er is fine for having fun, but it's not worth it to make him shoulder the heavy responsibility of being the head of the Jia family."

Jia Jing shook his head and sighed, "This thing has some use, but it's also a scourge. I originally planned to take it underground."

"Now that the Jia family has you, there are some things I can rest assured about."

"The East and West Prefectures have done many absurd things over the years, and you can use them to set them right."

"I understand, Father."

Jia Yan solemnly accepted the clan decree and put it into his pocket.

He knew very well that Jia Jing was paving the way for him. In feudal society, there was a clear hierarchy of ruler and subject, father and son. The old lady of the West Mansion, Jia She, Jia Zheng, and Jia Zhen of the East Mansion were all his elders. In some things, he would inevitably be hindered.

With this, he wouldn't need to give face to Jia Zhen, or even to Grandmother Jia.

Immediately afterwards, Jia Yan left Xuanzhen Temple and, with several servants, rode back to Ningguo Mansion in the capital.

Jia Jing stood in the Sanqing Hall, watching his youngest son leave. A strange glint flickered in his old eyes, the hope that had been dormant for countless days and nights was beginning to revive.

"Owner."

A black figure emerged from the shadows and greeted them respectfully.

"Go and send messages to each household, and select the best young men to serve Yan'er."

"Yes."

The black figure disappeared into the Xuanzhen Temple.

PS: Yunzhong corresponds to Hohhot, Yongchang corresponds to Baoshan, Ningxia Plain is called Xitao, Bayannur Plain is called Houtao, and Tumochuan Plain is called Qiantao.

(End of this chapter)