Chapter 458 Governor of Sichuan and Shaanxi
"Jia Cong, obey your orders!"
"I am here!"
"Appoint Jia Cong as the Governor-General of Sichuan and Shaanxi, grant him the Emperor's Sword, and command all military, civilians, and officials in Gansu, Shaanxi, and Sichuan! He will be fully responsible for the war in the southwest!"
"I grant you the authority to act at your own discretion. All officials, soldiers, and civilians below the third rank in your jurisdiction may be executed first and reported to the emperor later!"
“Wow!”
Everyone present was in an uproar. He controlled three provinces, executed first and reported later, and was a third-rank official or below. It was no exaggeration to say that from the founding of the Daqian Dynasty to the present, no official had ever possessed such great power.
What does this mean? The lives and deaths of everyone in the three southwestern provinces are now at the mercy of Jia Cong! Aside from a few provincial governors, even prefects in these three provinces are only of the fourth rank. Previously, the "execution first, report later" policy was limited to those below the fifth rank. While powerful, it had its limits. Now, the entire southwestern provinces are at Jia Cong's mercy.
Even if Jia Cong wanted to, it would be easy for him to become the King of Southwest, who is more powerful than the Prince of Nan'an.
"Your Majesty, this may be inappropriate!" said Minister of Rites Guan Jie.
This is not to say that Guan Jie has any opinion about Jia Cong. On the contrary, he still admires this young marquis very much. However, letting Jia Cong have such great power is not a good thing for Daqian. It is even a huge hidden danger.
Emperor Longxing simply waved his hand to interrupt Guan Jie. "I have already discussed this matter with the Supreme Emperor. No one else needs to question me. I am not discussing it with you, but issuing an edict. Do you understand?"
Jia Cong immediately stepped forward and bowed, "I will pacify the southwest and relieve your majesty's worries!"
"Jia Cong, I leave all matters concerning the southwest to you," the Longxing Emperor said slowly. "Order that the Western Camp, under the command of Xiangyang Marquis Qi Jianhui, follow the advance and be under Jia Cong's command! Order that the Capital Camp, under Jia Cong's command , follow the advance. Order that the Northern and Eastern Camps select 30,000 elite cavalry and temporarily transfer them to the Capital Camp, under Jia Cong's command."
"Jia Cong, I hand over these 120,000 soldiers and horses to you, and I also hand over the foundation of Daqian to you! If you return victorious, I will lead all the civil and military officials out of the city ten miles to welcome you and crown you king!"
Jia Cong bowed again, "Your Majesty, I will never let you down!"
"Minister of War Wang Ziteng, I order you to prepare all the necessary weapons and equipment for the army's march within ten days. If you delay the march, I will hold you accountable!"
"Your Majesty, Wang Ziteng, obeys your orders!"
"Minister of Revenue Shu Yuze orders you to prepare three months' worth of military pay and rations for the army within ten days. Even if it means emptying the national treasury and my own private funds, not a single cent should be spared."
"Your Majesty, I obey your orders!"
"Issue an order to all prefectures, counties, and districts along the way to prepare able-bodied men and food supplies. However, if anyone neglects to do so, Jia Cong will execute him first and report to the emperor later!"
All the ministers shouted in unison, "Your Majesty, obey your command!"
Anyone could see the importance Emperor Longxing attached to this battle. He was devoting all his national strength to it, mobilizing as much as 70% of the elite troops in Shenjing. His determination was unprecedented. Therefore, at this moment, no one dared to say a word.
"Jia Cong, in half a month, I will send you off to war!"
By the time Jia Cong returned to the Jia Mansion, it had already darkened.
As soon as he entered the mansion, he heard Jia Zhong say, "Master, the old Lord of the West Mansion, the Second Master, the First Mistress, the Second Master Bao, the Third Master Huan, the First Mistress, and the Second Mistress are all in Ningzheng Hall."
"A group of young ladies are here too. The two ladies, the eldest wife, and the eldest grandmother are accompanying them."
Jia Cong nodded slightly. Something had happened in the southwest and war was about to break out. Naturally, the people in the mansion were worried, so they were waiting for him to return and ask about the outcome.
After sitting alone in the front hall for a while and sorting out his thoughts, Jia Cong headed towards Ningzheng Hall.
Jia Cong was somewhat confident about this battle. The southwestern barbarians were indeed difficult to provoke, but this time, with the full support of Emperor Longxing, the capital had dispatched hundreds of thousands of troops, and with the gathering of troops from the southwest, there were at least 200,000 to 300,000 people, which was enough to deal with them in terms of numbers.
Moreover, not to mention other armies, at least Jia Cong of the Beijing Camp still has some confidence.
Since taking over the Beijing camp, all soldiers have been training every three days, making them somewhat confident in being called the strongest army in the world. Furthermore, his own thinking and strategies were far superior to those he had during his last time guarding the border in Lanzhou. Planning for the southwest was an opportunity, a chance.
As long as this battle is victorious, the Jia family will enjoy another hundred years of prosperity! Therefore, it is indeed worthwhile for him to lead the troops there.
When they arrived at Ningzheng Hall, they saw all the masters of the East and West Palaces were there! Seeing Jia Cong return, all eyes were focused on him . Jia Zheng couldn't wait to say, "Brother Cong, what happened in the court? Is there something wrong in the southwest?"
Jia Cong smiled and nodded. "Indeed, something happened in the southwest. The barbarians are making unusual movements. The Prince of Nan'an was defeated and captured. What Old Lady Cheng said may not be true. No one knows what is happening in Shu now."
"What was the reason for the incident with the scout girl?" asked Lady Jia.
"Hmph!" Jia Cong sneered. "How dare their palace plot against ours! Zhao Guang was defeated and captured, and the Barbarian King proposed marriage with the Daqian Princess and the County Lord. The old lady couldn't bear to part with her own daughter, so she adopted the third sister as her godparent. Perhaps she was planning to have the third sister marry to appease the barbarians and exchange Zhao Guang for her?"
"spit!"
The old lady was so angry that she was shaking all over. "I thought she was my sister, but I never thought she would plot against our family. This wicked and wicked person is so blind..."
Jia Cong waved his hand, "Old lady, he is just a godparent. No matter what he does to the Nan'an Palace, how dare he break into our house and snatch people away? Third sister, just stay at home peacefully. If anyone dares to attack, I will help you fight back! My sisters are all smart and beautiful girls. Unless all the men in the mansion are dead, it will not be your turn to marry!"
Tanchun nodded with tears in her eyes. How could she not know that this marriage was not as simple as it sounded?
If a girl like her were to be stranded in the wilderness of the barbarians, who knows what kind of torture and suffering she would endure? Even wanting to die would be a luxury!
"Grandson, how did the court decide? Should it send troops to the southwest?" The old lady still asked the key question.
Jia Cong smiled and said, "Indeed, the situation in the southwest is devastating and it concerns the foundation of Daqian. How can we just sit back and let it go? Therefore, the court is preparing to send a large army to pacify the southwest!"
"Which one was chosen as the commander?" the old lady asked anxiously.
Jia Cong hesitated for a moment before slowly saying, "Your Majesty has appointed my grandson as Governor-General of Sichuan and Shaanxi, and has dispatched 120,000 troops from the various camps in the capital to Shu to take full responsibility for suppressing the rebellion. Furthermore, the court has already decided to dispatch troops within fifteen days!"
