Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Chapter 90 Small Gains, Big Gains

The vast desert was swept by a biting wind.

More than a hundred Han cavalrymen lined up in a row, pursuing and annihilating the remaining ten or so defeated soldiers ahead.

The two sides chased each other, occasionally firing powerful bows, and finally, after stirring up a sandstorm that stretched for dozens of miles, they shot and killed the last enemy.

The cavalrymen reined in their horses, turned around, and began clearing the battlefield.

"General, there are still eight Tatars alive."

A lone rider swiftly arrived before the commander, reported the number of surviving enemy soldiers, and requested instructions on how to proceed.

"kill!"

Despite his young and gentle voice, which was somewhat pleasant to listen to, the words he uttered were filled with coldness and murderous intent.

The messenger was not surprised. Although their young general did not kill women and children, he never spared any enemy who was over four feet tall and posed a threat to the Wei army and people.

Therefore, he immediately clasped his hands in a salute, returned to the prisoner-of-war guard post, and gave an order, and blood instantly stained a patch of withered grass red.

The soldiers responsible for burying the bodies quickly dug a pit, waiting for their comrades who were collecting "braids" to mark their military achievements to leave. They then pushed all the corpses into the pit, covered them up, and thought they were done.

Accompanied by the thunderous sound of galloping hooves, the large cavalry force swiftly retreated towards the main camp, with several dozen more spare warhorses than when they arrived.

These dozens of horses were mostly Hu horses, but there were also Han horses. Their original owners were now quietly lying on their comrades' warhorses, waiting for their fallen comrades to bring their spirits back to the south.

After half a day, the large group of people finally returned to their sprawling camp.

The general went straight to the central command tent to report the battle situation to the commander-in-chief.

"Commander Jia!"

The soldiers at the entrance of the commander's tent saw him approaching, and they couldn't help but feel envy and respect for the gleaming silver-white battle robes and armor stained with blood.

It seems that Commander Jia has made new contributions, and he even personally fought against the Tatars. No wonder Commander Wang trusts him so much and made an exception to let him lead an army.

With a good background, courage, and such a young age, as long as he doesn't perish, he will surely become a commander in the future.

Jia Lian nodded casually to the guards and then walked directly into the main tent.

"Greetings, Commander."

Prince Teng, who was reviewing battle reports from various parties, looked up and saw Jia Lian. He immediately breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Why are you only coming back now?"

"Hu Ma has great stamina and chased for a long distance."

Wang Ziteng laughed: "General Chen and the others said they saw you leading half a battalion to chase after the remaining enemy, and we were quite worried. It's good that you're alright, kid."

"So, how many enemies did you wipe out this time?"

"The enemy cavalry scattered and fled, making it impossible to wipe them all out. We could only pursue and annihilate a small main force, numbering less than fifty. I brought back all the warhorses, but unfortunately, more than ten of them died."

"Haha, not bad, you've done another good deed."

"It is all thanks to the kindness and cultivation of the Commander and the generals."

Jia Lian's words weren't entirely polite.

Because of his special status, he received considerable care from both Prince Teng and his generals on the battlefield.

For example, when it's time to beat someone when they're down and reap the rewards, they generally won't fight with him; they'll let him have his way.

As for why Jia Lian didn't give way... well, he's the youngest, so shouldn't his uncles and elder brothers give way to him?

Wang Ziteng laughed for a moment, then shook his head: "However, you probably won't be involved in the battles to come."

Your father is critically ill and on the verge of death. His Majesty has issued an edict ordering you to return to the capital.

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian raised an eyebrow, his initial tension, fueled by the sight of blood, immediately receding.

Old man, you can't take it anymore?

He had thought he would have to stay at the border for at least another year, but now that the situation was so good, he was really reluctant to go back.

If he accumulates many small merits like these, he'll probably be close to achieving great things and being granted a title.

Unfortunately, the time was too short.

Given that the Tatars and other tribes had sent their cavalry south to burn, kill, and plunder, the imperial court could no longer tolerate it. After a period of passive defense, the court finally ordered Prince Teng to form several large armies to march north and eliminate their strongholds.

Although the Tatars were cavalry with high mobility, since they wanted to enter the territory of the Great Wei to plunder, they would inevitably have to build tribes near the border of the Great Wei for supplies.

Those tribes were ones they had been planning to migrate south for years.

This time, the imperial court decided to remove them all to prevent future troubles.

"By the way, before you leave, why don't you take a detour and visit your uncle? He may seem indifferent to you on the surface, but he's actually quite pleased with your performance on the battlefield and keeps sending people to inquire about your whereabouts," Wang Ziteng said with a smile.

Jia Lian also laughed.

Although the commander of the nine northern provinces was Prince Teng, his maternal uncle Zhang Leng, as a second-rank general, also led an army of nearly 10,000 men northwards alone. Coincidentally, he was not far from the central army, thus forming the flank.

Of the four or five armies in total, two were commanded by his close relatives or elders, while the others were probably connected to the Ning and Rong families.

Jia Lian even felt that on this battlefield, he was probably like Huo Qubing. Although he was a bit less lucky and didn't manage to kill a Khan, the feeling of being the center of attention was no less.

Jia Lian even felt that on this battlefield, he was probably like Huo Qubing. Although he was a bit less lucky and didn't manage to kill a Khan, the feeling of being the center of attention was no less.

Well, since Jia She is about to die, let's go back and get the title first.

He came to the border not to enjoy the thrill of conquering the battlefield.

If you manage to work yourself to the bone here and eventually become a baron, you'll be lucky. Going back and getting a hereditary title from the Duke's mansion is much better than toiling away here.

It is obvious which is bigger or smaller, lighter or heavier.

It goes without saying that Jia Lian received the emperor's decree, handed over military affairs, and then quickly rode back to the capital.

It was only said that the emperor had agreed to Jia Zheng's request that day, and Jia Zheng went back and told him the news.

When Grandmother Jia and the others learned that Jia Lian was about to return to the capital, they were somewhat relieved. After all, the borderlands were bitterly cold, and there was fighting going on, which could be life-threatening.

The Jia family already had few male descendants, so if Jia Lian were to have any accident while traveling, it would be a huge loss for the Jia family.

Lady Wang then learned that Wang Xifeng had bypassed her to ask Jia Zheng to submit a memorial to the throne, but she didn't feel embarrassed about it. She simply told Wang Xifeng that she had been busy serving the old lady and her medicine and had forgotten about it for a while.

Wang Xifeng dared not express any objection, but simply smiled and agreed.

Meanwhile, Lady Wang found Jia Zheng and, after a long, rambling conversation, brought up what Jia She had said when he was delirious that day.

"What does the master think his eldest uncle is really thinking? Does he really intend to pass the title to Cong'er?"

Jia Zheng shook his head: "This matter cannot be decided by him alone. Not to mention that the clan elders would not agree, even if it were reported to the Imperial Clan Court, it might not be approved. This move is really against the law of succession."

"Does the master mean that the title will ultimately be passed on to Lian'er?"

"nature."

Madam Wang fell silent for a moment, then said, "You must have heard what his uncle said the other day. He probably harbors resentment towards us. What do you think about this, sir?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Zheng sighed: "According to the rules of propriety, this family property should have been inherited by my elder brother, but... alas, there's no point in dwelling on the past."

In short, he really did a few wrong things back then, which completely broke the hearts of the old lady and the Duke, so he was assigned to the side and I was asked to take care of the two of them until their death.

Ultimately, when the Duke was on his deathbed, he still considered the bond between father and son and passed the title to him, but left me to live here, which made the arrangement somewhat illegitimate. Therefore, it's understandable that my elder brother resents me.”

Upon hearing this, Madam Wang's eyes flashed with deep regret.

Back then, her father betrothed her to Jia Zheng because he saw that Jia Zheng was a studious gentleman who was deeply loved by the Duke and Duchess.

After she married into the family, that was indeed the case. After the old Duke retired, Jia Zheng was even allowed to live in the main hall, where he and his wife took care of their relatives.

In those years, she once believed that the Rongguo Mansion would break with the established tradition of succession and appoint the virtuous rather than the eldest son...

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. When the old Duke was dying, he still passed on his title to Jia She, but he managed to get Jia Zheng an official position in one of the Six Ministries.

This resulted in the awkward situation of the two masters of the Jia family, one inheriting the title and the other managing the household.