The First Family of the Red Mansion

Chapter 45 Turmoil Among the Feudal States

"Why are you telling me all this today?"

Although Jia Jing was only in his twenties at the time, he had passed the imperial examination and had spent several years training in the Hanlin Academy. He immediately understood the situation of the Jia family and others and accepted Jia Daihua's choice.

"Ugh!"

Jia Daihua sighed deeply: "Your Uncle Daishan's fate is now unknown. If something happens to him, the Jia family will lose His Majesty's trust."

"If that time really comes, His Majesty will not allow the Beijing Garrison to continue to be controlled by the Jia family. The best solution would be for your father to also die suddenly."

"Remember this: if something unspeakable happens between me and Uncle Daishan, don't act rashly."

"At that time, you were the head of the Jia family, and your priority was to protect the Jia family."

"It would be best if you gave up your position as a Hanlin scholar. Whether you stay home to eat, drink, and have fun, or cultivate immortality and seek enlightenment, just don't stand out too much."

"Only in this way can we put the royal family at ease."

A hint of dejection appeared on Jia Daihua's face at this moment, which made Jia Jing feel extremely distressed.

Who would have thought that this seemingly reckless father actually possessed such a refined and elegant heart?

"Father, why must you do this?"

Jia Jing couldn't hold back his tears and rushed to Jia Daihua, hugging his leg.

"Alas, you foolish child!"

Jia Daihua gently patted Jia Jing's head and said sternly, "Behave yourself from now on!"

……

"Ugh!"

Emperor Anping was sitting in his study reviewing memorials when he suddenly sighed and irritably swept the memorials off the table.

"Liu Hu!"

"Your subject is here!"

Liu Hu immediately stood before Emperor Anping, bowed his head, and obeyed.

This has happened several times since news of Jia Daishan reached the imperial court.

Liu Hu understood Emperor Anping's inner turmoil at this moment. Regardless of Emperor Anping's personal feelings for Jia Daishan or Jia Daishan's importance to the Great Zhou, Emperor Anping did not want to see anything happen to Jia Daishan.

As the only commander-in-chief of the Great Zhou Dynasty capable of leading an army of over 100,000, Jia Daishan's influence over the surrounding states would be greatly diminished without him.

Although the Great Zhou had two other major battalion commanders, they were capable of managing 100,000 troops, but they lacked the ability to command 100,000 troops in battle.

Moreover, after Jia Daishan was injured by the firearms of the Rakshasa, Emperor Anping also realized the gap between the Great Zhou and the West in terms of firearms.

It should be noted that the firearms of the Great Zhou Dynasty could only penetrate heavy armor from a distance of twenty paces or less.

When Jia Daishan was wounded by a musket, he was more than fifty paces away from the enemy.

The firearms that the Rakshasa people were supplying the Dzungar tribe with have been sent back by fast horses.

After testing, it was found that the artillery was in good condition, similar to that of the Great Zhou.

However, the Rakshasa's muskets, in terms of both rate of fire and power, had already surpassed those of the Great Zhou.

Emperor Anping dared not imagine how the Great Zhou would cope with tens of thousands of Western barbarian troops armed with such muskets.

What are your thoughts on the Rakshasa people's firearms?

"Your Majesty, the firearms of the Western barbarians are mainly self-propelled firearms, and their rate of fire is significantly faster than that of our Great Zhou's arquebuses."

"Moreover, they also possess a considerable number of heavy muskets, the kind that wounded the Duke of Rong."

"With the capabilities of our Great Zhou, we should be able to catch up, so Your Majesty need not worry!"

Liu Hu has practically become Emperor Anping's military advisor; whenever there's a military matter, people consult Liu Hu.

"Catch up? Heh..." Emperor Anping chuckled softly, lowering his head to gently stroke the muskets of the Rakshasa sent back from the front lines.

After a long silence, Emperor Anping suddenly said, "Don't you have a commander under you who is skilled with firearms, named Hu Cunmeng?"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Liu Hu was not surprised at all that Emperor Anping knew about Hu Cunmeng.

"In that case, once the western expeditionary army returns victorious, you will serve as the commander of the Beijing Garrison's firearms battalion."

"Huh?" Upon hearing Emperor Anping's words, Liu Hu suddenly looked up, his mouth agape as he stared at Emperor Anping in disbelief.

"Furthermore, I will have Dai Quan convey a message to the Bureau of Armed Forces to cooperate with you."

"No matter what, we must not allow the Great Zhou to fall so far behind the Western barbarians in firearms!"

The Jingying Firearms Battalion was different from the Lantian Firearms Battalion, which only had a few thousand men.

The entire Beijing Garrison's firearms battalion not only had 15,000 combat soldiers, but also had some management authority over the Wanggongchang factory.

The position of commander of the Beijing Garrison's firearms battalion had always been held concurrently by Jia Daihua. No wonder he had looked at him strangely before; now he knew the reason!

However, this was exactly what Liu Hu wanted to do, as he had previously planned to study and improve firearms on his own.

Although Wang Gongchang is involved with many different factions, if I were to become the commander of the Beijing Garrison's firearms battalion and set aside a separate group of craftsmen to research firearms, it shouldn't be a big problem.

Moreover, although Wanggongchang was under the joint management of the Ministry of Works and the Bureau of Arms, it was actually controlled by the eunuch in charge of the Bureau of Arms.

As long as the Bureau of Armaments cooperates, Liu Hu is confident that he can develop firearms that are more advanced than those of the West.

At this time, the smelting technology of the Great Zhou was more advanced than that of the West, but the lack of competition slowed down the development of firearms technology.

Liu Hu only needs to bring out some concepts of firearms from later generations. Even if the Great Zhou Dynasty cannot produce the Hanyang rifle now, it will still be better than the current Western firearms in a one-on-one fight!

As for propellants, nitric acid already existed in the Tang Dynasty, right?

With nitric acid, mercuric nitrate is produced, and mercury fulminate is no longer a problem.

"Your subject obeys the decree!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Liu Hu immediately knelt down to receive the imperial decree.

"Ugh!"

Looking at Liu Hu, whose face still showed some immaturity, Emperor Anping felt a pang of pity.

There was no other way for Liu Hu to shoulder such a heavy responsibility.

Almost all the civil and military officials in the court were of Confucian origin.

Those people regard technology as a gimmick and don't take it seriously at all.

After much deliberation, Liu Hu, who had sufficient prestige in the army and had not received much Confucian education, was the most suitable candidate.

"Don't be in such a hurry. You're still young, and the Great Zhou can afford to wait."

"I will not give you a time limit. If one year is not enough, then two years; if two years is not enough, then ten years."

"Your Majesty, I thank you!"

Liu Hu could sense Emperor Anping's concern for him, and he knelt down sincerely to say this.

Although the Great Zhou court appeared calm on the surface, discerning people could clearly sense the storm brewing beneath.

Just after Jia Daishan's message came back, the Beijing garrison secretly began to impose martial law, and the military power of the Nine Gates returned to the hands of the eunuchs trusted by Emperor Anping. The Imperial Guards were in full armor all day, ready to deal with any possible situation.

"What is Your Majesty planning to do? Could it be that you haven't killed enough people in Jiangnan and are now going to target the powerful and influential in the capital?"

"Alas! Who can say for sure? After the Yong'an granary was burned down, all the officials, big and small, from the Ministry of Revenue were replaced with officials from the north. His Majesty is clearly not at ease with the capital."

"What should we do?"

"Everyone be careful these days. Nothing serious should happen. His Majesty, you wouldn't possibly kill all the officials in the capital, would he?"

"A storm is brewing!"

Just as the officials, unaware of the situation, were filled with anxiety, the western expeditionary army finally returned to Hexi. A piece of news that followed instantly made them understand why Emperor Anping had made such arrangements.

"Is the Duke of Rong seriously injured and still not fully recovered?"

This news not only made the hearts of all the officials in the court anxious, but also made ordinary people discuss it.

Who is the Duke of Rongguo?

The leader of the military forces, the commander-in-chief of the western expeditionary army, and the pillar of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

His safety was a concern not only for the entire Zhou Dynasty, but also for the surrounding vassal states, who were all trying to ascertain the veracity of the news.

As the western expeditionary army continued its eastward return, the details of the Duke of Rong's serious injury spread throughout the court and the country.

Although he survived after being shot in the lungs, he will probably never be able to lead troops into battle again!

"Quickly, send this message back home and let the King decide!"

"Haha, Heaven has eyes! With Jia Daishan injured, the Great Zhou is no longer a threat in the short term. Order all banner leaders to prepare for war. We must seize this opportunity to unify all the Jurchen tribes in one fell swoop."

.........

Unlike the excitement of the vassal states, in the Rongguo Mansion, Lady Jia lay on her side on the couch, her face pale as she looked at Jia Daihua sitting beside her, her lips trembling slightly.

"Brother, is the news outside true? How is Daishan doing now?"

Jia Shi, who had previously thought that Jia Daishan's great achievement would allow the Jia family to enjoy wealth for several more generations, fainted upon hearing the news of her husband's serious injury.

Upon waking up, he disregarded everything else and hurriedly had Jia Daihua brought over for questioning.

"Ugh!"

When Jia Daihua learned that Jia Daishan had been rescued, he breathed a sigh of relief: he was no longer going to die.

But seeing Jia Shi's haggard face, the little bit of relief that had just risen vanished.

Jia Daishan was saved, but he was no different from a cripple.

He was not even forty years old, yet he was already unable to lead troops, so it would be difficult for him to keep his position as the head of the Jia family's military merits.

He himself probably won't be able to hold onto his position as commander of the Beijing garrison for much longer.

"Please calm down, sister-in-law. Although Daishan was seriously injured, he has survived."

"Although he can no longer lead troops, as long as he is alive, the entire court will not dare to underestimate the Jia family."

"But Daishan..."

Although she knew that Jia Daihua was right, Jia Shishi couldn't help but burst into tears again when she thought of the suffering her master had endured.

Beside her, Jia Daishan's concubines also wiped away tears, especially those who had not yet given birth, who cried their hearts out.

Jia She was no longer as carefree as before and appeared much more mature.

"Uncle, have you received any concrete news about my father's injury?"

"This is a message from the imperial physician; take a look for yourself!"

Thinking of Jia Daishan's injuries, Jia Daihua couldn't bear to say it directly, so he took out the message sent back by the imperial physician and handed it over.

"Thank you, Uncle!"

Jia She stood up, bowed to Jia Daihua, and was about to accept the gift.

However, it was snatched away by Jia Shi, who jumped down from the bed.

"How could this be? How could this be?"

Looking at the imperial physician's diagnosis, Lady Jia trembled and burst into tears, as if she were about to collapse at any moment.

Jia Daishan's concubines rushed over to support Jia Shishi, but after glancing at the letter in her hand, they too began to sob.

"...Severe lung damage; only bed rest can ensure recovery..."

This short passage implies that Jia Daishan was truly finished from then on.

……

"Dai Shan..."

Emperor Anping gazed at the tree branches outside, where a single green bud was sprouting, and sighed, a hint of regret in his eyes.

If it weren't for his secret edict, Jia Daishan wouldn't have ended up in such a predicament.

But as an emperor, although he grieved for his friend's current miserable state, he did not regret it.

If the Dzungars cannot be completely eliminated, then the Great Zhou will have to spend an extra million taels of silver and grain and tens of thousands of troops every year to guard against them.

Moreover, if the Dzungars and the Rakshasa Tatars of the northern desert were to unite, then the northern part of the Great Zhou would never have peace.

If he were to do it again, he would still issue this secret decree, but he would absolutely not agree to let Jia Daishan personally lead the troops.

"Liu Hu!"

"Your subject is here!"

"You don't need to come tomorrow!"

"I will issue an edict appointing you as the commander of the Beijing Garrison's Firearms Battalion. Dai Quan will also be handed over to you, so that the Bureau of Armaments will cooperate with you to produce more advanced firearms as soon as possible."

"I may have to break my promise this time. With the news of the Duke of Rong's serious injury spreading, the Jianzhou Jurchens have already begun to wage war against other Jurchen tribes a few days ago, intending to unify the Jurchens and resist the Great Zhou."

"Because of the burning of their envoy, the Dutch in the south have started to have their warships appearing near the island of Taiping. Several merchant ships have been looted in recent days."

"Several vassal states near Annam also began to stir."

"The Great Zhou doesn't have much time to wait. We must quickly organize a large army to deter those barbarians."

"I hereby authorize the expansion of the Firearms Battalion to 20,000 soldiers, and grant you a gold medal. You have the authority to execute first and report later in all matters concerning the Wanggongchang and the Firearms Battalion."

"Your Majesty, I will bow and scrape with all my might to repay Your Majesty's grace."

Liu Hu hurriedly knelt down to express his gratitude.

He was finally able to go out; he had almost gone crazy from being cooped up for so long.

Moreover, watching Emperor Anping and his court officials strategize every day made his head buzz and almost explode.

"drive……"

After the emperor took office that day, the imperial edict was issued.

From then on, Liu Hu officially became the deputy commander of the Beijing garrison and the commander of the firearms battalion.

Unlike the former Ming Dynasty's Commander of the Capital Garrison, who had been demoted to the third rank, the Commander of the Capital Garrison in the Great Zhou Dynasty commanded hundreds of thousands of troops to protect the capital and the Central Plains.

Commander Jia Daihua was a proper second-rank official, while the deputy commander was a third-rank official.

It seems that Liu Hu did not get promoted this time, but can a bodyguard compare to a commander who leads tens of thousands of troops?

In particular, as the commander of the firearms battalion, he also oversaw the Wanggong Factory.

Moreover, with the imperial gold medal bestowed by Emperor Anping, even if the benefits were great, those ghosts and monsters wouldn't dare to openly oppose him.

"A cat...?"

Seeing her son, whom she hadn't seen for over a month, suddenly return, Liu rubbed her eyes in disbelief, then immediately let go of her toddler daughter and rushed over.

"You brat, why didn't you tell me you were coming back? You gave your mother a real fright."

Although Lady Liu had already risen to the rank of First-Rank Imperial Lady, she remained as casual as ever, unchanged.

"Mother!" Liu Hu smiled as he looked at Liu Shi, who was patting him.

The frustration of nearly two months vanished the moment he saw Liu.