Aoyama

Chapter 486 Give it a try

early morning.

Before the roosters in the backyard of Changping Post Station crowed, the area outside the station was already bustling with activity.

Officials from the Court of State Ceremonial were bustling about. One official in a blue robe shouted, "Bring all the carriages and horses to the road. Don't waste time!"

"Where are the Magistrate of Wuxiang County and the Imperial Guards? Why haven't they come out yet? Go and urge them. Tell them that the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices will be here soon, and we have many important matters to discuss with him, so as not to keep him waiting for them..."

A minor official from the Court of State Ceremonial rushed upstairs and knocked loudly on the door of room number C: "Lord Chen, you'd better hurry, Lord Li is urging you."

Inside the room, Chen Ji calmly replied, "I'll be right there."

He stood inside the room.

On the wooden shelf in front of him was a basin of water that the clerk had just brought. Steam was rising from the basin. Next to it was a set of brand-new, neatly folded official robes. On the bright red robes was a black turban with upturned corners and a black leather belt.

Chen Ji used a handkerchief dipped in the boiling water from the basin to carefully wipe away the dust, avoiding his unhealed wounds.

Then they put on their official uniforms one by one.

The innermost garment was a white gauze undershirt with a blue-edged collar. Over this was a crimson gauze robe with a round collar and right-fastening front, adorned with plain gold square patches on the front and back, each patch embroidered with a qilin (Chinese unicorn) design. On the head was a black lacquered gauze turban with two straight, outstretched corners, each measuring one foot and two inches on the left and right.

This was Chen Ji's first official robe, and it was a red robe.

At this moment, Lord Li of the Court of State Ceremonial seemed impatient and rushed upstairs. Through the door, he instructed Chen Ji, "Lord Chen, you must ride in the lead later. We will enter the city through Deshengmen and then go to Bei'anmen via Deshengmen Street..."

Chen Ji frowned, straightening his collar as he asked in confusion, "Go through the inner city's Desheng Gate? Why not the outer city's Guangning Gate? I remember that envoys always enter the capital through Guangning Gate."

Lord Li patiently explained through the door, "There has been some turmoil in the capital recently, and the people are indignant. If you take Princess Liyang through Guangning Gate, I'm afraid it will cause trouble."

Chen Ji said in a deep voice, "The Jing Dynasty has sent envoys to our dynasty this time to surrender the city and seek peace. This is a good opportunity to show the power of our dynasty. No matter how the people in the city are making a fuss, we should set the record straight."

Lord Li was getting impatient: "This was decided by the Lord Tangzun, and it's no use you telling me. If we go through Guangning Gate, we have to go through Guangning Gate Street, Caishikou Street, and Luomashi Street. Those places are a mixed bag, and if someone incites the people to cause trouble, it will be a problem. If the people rush up and kill Princess Liyang, neither of us can bear the consequences, and we'll both lose our heads."

Chen Ji then said in a deep voice, "Then why not go through Anding Gate? Desheng Gate is the gate for going out to war, while Anding Gate is the gate for soldiers to return in triumph. My Imperial Guards defeated the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry and the Mo Dao Battalion outside the pass, so why can't we even go through Anding Gate?"

Lord Li said helplessly, "Lord Chen, please don't make things difficult for me. The Imperial Guards lost 67 men in battle after leaving the pass without authorization. How can that be considered a great victory? How can that be considered a triumphant return? Besides, the coffin has always been carried through Desheng Gate. If you are taking the coffin back to the capital, wouldn't it be better to just use Desheng Gate?"

Chen Ji remained silent. Although the Imperial Guards had left the pass without authorization, they were indeed there to meet him.

Although it was his duty, it wouldn't be wrong for some to say that these 67 people died because of him.

Lord Li of the Court of State Ceremonial stood outside the door and softened his tone: "Lord Chen, we should follow the rules as they are set, there can't be any mistakes. You have made great contributions this time, it should be a good day to go to the capital for your reward, but we should follow the rules and not ruin your future... Why don't you reconsider? But we need to hurry, the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial will be here shortly."

After saying this, Lord Li turned and went downstairs, leaving Chen Ji alone in the room.

Chen Ji smoothed his official robes. This was his second time at Fengtai Post Station. The last time was when he returned from Guyuan. He had no official position or robes and followed the last in the procession to the capital under the repeated instructions of the officials of the Court of State Ceremonial.

This time he was a man from Wuxiang County, wearing official robes, and entered the capital at the very front of the procession.

But it doesn't seem to make much difference.

……

……

At that moment, the sound of a horse-drawn carriage rolling over the rammed earth road came from downstairs, growing louder as it approached.

Lord Li called out loudly in front of the carriage, "Minister of the Court, you've arrived."

The temple official, dressed in a red robe, was helped down from the carriage. He glanced at the carts parked outside the post station and asked, "Why are all the coffins parked on the road?"

Lord Li explained, "These are the coffins of fallen soldiers of the Imperial Guard. The Magistrate of Wuxiang County will take them with him to the capital."

The temple official frowned and said, "It's probably not appropriate to bring coffins into the city. Besides, these coffins are in such a broken state. If people see them in the capital, they'll think the court is mistreating its soldiers. Let's leave them in Changping County and let their parents come and collect them."

Lord Li said in a low voice, "I'm afraid that's not appropriate. The Imperial Guards are full of纨绔 (spoiled brats), and their relatives..."

The temple official said slowly, "It's alright. I've looked at the list of the dead, and there isn't a single one of them who is above the third rank. Does the court have to change the rules for them?" Chen Ji walked to the window, opened a crack, and looked down. He saw Zhang Xia riding his horse and blocking the way for a group of officials from the Court of State Ceremonial: "These coffins are all filled with Imperial Guards who died in battle to welcome the envoy. They will be going to the capital with the Imperial Guards later!"

The temple official waved his sleeve impatiently: "I already have enough troubles today, don't dwell on this... Where is the Magistrate of Wuxiang County?"

The official whispered, "Change your clothes at Fengtai Post Station."

The temple official walked towards Fengtai Post Station: "Lead me to find him. This time, the Jing Dynasty envoy came to our court, but the chief envoy is dead, leaving only Princess Liyang. That's fine, but not only did he not have a letter of credence, but he also did not have the ceremonial entourage of the Jing Dynasty to escort him. How could he be an envoy with such entourage? It's against the rules."

However, as soon as he stepped into the threshold of Fengtai Post Station, the temple official stopped in his tracks and was shocked to see the Imperial Guards standing in the main hall of Fengtai Post Station, each of them staring coldly at him.

The next moment, footsteps echoed down the stairs.

The temple official looked up and saw Chen Ji, dressed in a red official robe, walking down the aisle expressionlessly.

The Imperial Guards also turned to look; this was the first time they had ever seen Chen Ji in a red official robe. But even in the red robe, Chen Ji didn't look like a civil official; he looked more like a powerful minister preparing to enter the palace with his sword and shoes.

Sharp and sharp.

Chen Ji walked down the stairs and said casually, "Does the Temple Attendant intend to teach me how to be a ceremonial guard?"

Pressed by the imposing manner, the temple official suddenly softened his tone and changed his words: "Envoys from two dynasties must first exchange official documents, and then be escorted by ceremonial guards for one hundred and twenty li. This has been the custom for hundreds of years. Now that the custom has been broken, we naturally have to find a way to make amends..."

Chen Ji stopped in front of the temple official and interrupted, saying, "Greetings."

Ranks were awarded for merit, and official positions were assigned based on duties.

An official position represents 'power', while a noble title represents 'nobility'.

Officials of the third rank and above shall bow to dukes, marquises, and earls, but not to barons and viscounts. Officials of the third rank and below shall bow to all nobles. This is the principle of social order and hierarchy.

The Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies was only a fourth-rank official. Even the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies had to bow when he saw Chen Ji, let alone the Assistant Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies.

The temple official's face was ashen. Looking at the Qilin insignia on Chen Ji's chest, he finally bowed and said, "Your Excellency."

Chen Ji stepped past him, saying, "Officials from the Ministry of Rites, don't forget etiquette next time."

He stepped out, mounted his horse, and said, "Let's set off, carrying the coffin, through Andingmen."

The Imperial Guardsmen were roused and shouted in unison, "Yes!"

The temple official instinctively stepped forward to stop him: "Lord of Wuxiang County, you absolutely must not! Today's passage through Desheng Gate is the ceremony set by Your Excellency. How can you change it so arbitrarily?"

Chen Ji looked ahead: "This is what you decided. When did I agree to it? The Imperial Guards died to welcome the envoys, killing dozens of Mo Dao Battalion soldiers. How can that not be considered a victory? They left through Desheng Gate. Since they have achieved a victory, they should return through Anding Gate."

The temple official's face darkened: "The magistrate of Wuxiang County is acting so recklessly, isn't he afraid of being impeached by the censor and ruining his future?"

Chen Ji tightened the reins and looked down at the temple official from his high vantage point: "Give it a try."

The temple official was speechless.

Chen Ji laughed heartily, then flicked the reins: "Giddy up!"

The ceremonial guard escorted Princess Liyang on her journey, leaving the officials of the Court of State Ceremonial in front of the post station in Changping County.

Princess Liyang changed into a dark blue pheasant robe sent by the Court of State Ceremonial, embroidered with twelve layers of pheasant patterns in gold thread, with a red gold shawl draped over her shoulders, adorned with seven-jeweled pearl pendants, a jade tablet around her waist, and a crown with nine pheasants and four phoenixes on her head.

This is the princess's grand attire for court assembly, wearing a pheasant-embroidered robe and a shawl

Princess Liyang watched Chen Ji's departing figure on horseback, gazing at the brightly colored unicorn insignia on his back, and exclaimed in admiration, "The unicorn does not bow its head, yet it moves and sits in gratitude to the mortal world. I never thought Lord Chen was so heroic before; even in my Jing Dynasty, such a man is rarely seen."

Qi Zhenzhuo scoffed, “What are you, a man from Jingchao? You didn’t see the day my master forced his way through Andingmen. Wine banners fluttered along the roadside, onlookers thronged the streets, Prince Fu led his horse, even the top scholar wrote a poem for him, and the opening of the examination hall was overshadowed. That’s what you call heroic.”

Princess Liyang said regretfully, "Now that you mention it, it's truly a pity I didn't get to see it."

(End of this chapter)