Dream of the Red Chamber: Start by gaining Zhao Yun's martial prowess, and be ennobled in a sin

The cicadas chirped incessantly, and the locust tree leaves at the bridgehead hung quietly, occasionally turning over to reveal their silvery-white undersides.

Today is a rare good day in June, neither stuffy nor dry.

Even the summer heat was mostly washed away by last night's light rain, leaving only a thin layer of just the right amount of warmth.

At this time, the official road from Yongdingmen to Lugou Bridge was already crowded with people, with countless people jostling shoulder to shoulder like a tide.

There were wealthy men in sedan chairs dressed in silk, scholars and students from the Imperial Academy riding donkeys in blue robes, and old soldiers and ordinary people walking in coarse cloth and short tunics.

Men, women, and children, a huge crowd, a noisy scene, with a long line stretching for more than ten miles from Lugou Bridge along the official road.

Many people knew that today was the day when the current Duke of Jing, General Jia Jing, would return in triumph, and they were all eagerly anticipating it.

They also wanted to see what kind of demeanor Jia Jing, the new generation of military genius of the Han Dynasty, who had won ten battles in the past few months, and whose fame had spread far and wide, was like!

The official road was already filled with Imperial Guards in iron armor and Imperial City Guards in black robes.

Divided into east and west sections by a road about ten zhang wide in the middle, the defenses were densely arranged.

On the east side of Lugou Bridge, there is a bright yellow imperial tent.

A throne was set up in front of the tent, and an incense table was placed in front of the throne. The incense table was covered with yellow silk and set with sacrificial animals, wine cups, incense burners, and candlesticks.

Beneath the imperial tent, Emperor Jingsheng stood with his hands behind his back, the jade beads of his crown hanging before his eyes, motionless.

The twelve-tassel crown pressed down on his brows, shrouding half his face in the shadow of pearls and jade, revealing only a section of his thin chin and tightly pursed lips.

Emperor Jingsheng looked quite well today, with a strange sense of pride in his eyes.

This was not only because Jia Jing was about to return, but also because there had been a series of joyous events in the court these past few days.

First, the rebellion of the capital garrison a few days ago was completely quelled by the Marquis of Weining's army. The surrounding areas of the capital were not disturbed by the rebels, which made him very happy!

Later, Qin Qiong led his army to a great victory over tens of thousands of troops of the puppet Qing dynasty under Erdan in Liaodong. The puppet Qing dynasty had already sent envoys to express their willingness to accept the peace terms of the Han dynasty, which further encouraged Emperor Jingsheng.

When the good news arrived, Emperor Jingsheng couldn't help but sigh inwardly: Marquis Weining and Qin Qiong are indeed the capable generals Zijie spoke of. They can lead troops alone and win victories. Their military prowess far surpasses that of some civil officials who have never been on the battlefield.

Behind Emperor Jingsheng, two eunuchs held up a yellow silk parasol, with a circle of golden tassels hanging from the edge of the parasol, casting a circular shade over his head.

Beside the eunuchs stood the Imperial City Guards, their hands on their swords, their armor gleaming coldly in the sunlight. They stood ramrod straight, silent, stretching from the yellow tent all the way to the bridgehead.

Emperor Jingsheng kept his eyes fixed on the west, his gaze filled with obvious anticipation and eagerness.

The official road, stretching for dozens of miles, was bathed in the morning light, its end disappearing at the line where heaven and earth meet.

Standing next to Emperor Jingsheng was the eldest prince, Zhu Yunbiao.

Zhu Yunbiao is the eldest son of Emperor Jingsheng. He is fifteen years old this year. He wears a blue python robe and a jade belt. His face is as handsome as jade.

His face was tense, but a faint smile played on his lips, and his eyes revealed a hint of excitement and anticipation.

Behind Zhu Yunbiao were the sons of the retired emperor, Prince Yi and Prince Zhongshun, and other members of the imperial clan, arranged in order.

The civil and military officials stood on both sides of the imperial tent, divided into left and right sides and according to their rank.

Civil officials were on the left, with officials from the cabinet ministers to the six ministries and nine ministers, the Court of Judicial Review, the Censorate, and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices lined up to wait.

Although the civil officials stood ramrod straight, their expressions revealed a sense of apprehension and solemnity.

Censors like Sun Jiacheng would frequently glance at the musicians from the Ministry of Rites and the Court of State Ceremonial, looking as if they wanted to say something but hesitated.

Meanwhile, the military officers stood on the right, from the Prince of Nan'an and the Prince of Beijing to the Five Armies Commandery and the founding lineage and the Jingnan lineage, all eagerly awaiting their arrival.

With Emperor Jingsheng's decree, almost all of the thousands of officials in the capital who could come did so!

Not far away, near a willow grove on the bank of the Yongding River, numerous carriages bearing bronze plaques from various prefectures of the capital city were parked.

The carriages were filled with the wives and children of civil and military officials from the capital city. Many of them came to watch the spectacle, while quite a few young ladies naturally came for Jia Jing.

On one of the carriages bearing the bronze plaque of the Nian Prefecture.

Nian Shilan and her sister-in-law Li were sitting in the carriage. Nian Shilan was wearing a pomegranate-patterned jacket, and her bright face was full of burning hope. She was clutching the handkerchief in her hand again and again!

Seeing her acting like a spoiled child, Li couldn't help but smile and said:

"With the Duke of Jing returning to the capital victorious, there will be no fighting on the border for a while. He should stay in the capital to deter the villains."

"He's reached that age now, it's time to settle down on marriage!"

"In a few days, my mother and I will take you to the Rongguo Mansion. Whether it works out or not depends on whether you are destined to be together!"

Upon hearing this, Nian Shilan couldn't help but show a hint of unease on her beautiful face.

She gently placed her hands on her lap and said shyly:

"His power and influence are growing ever stronger; everyone says he should marry a princess or a noblewoman!"

Normally, when it comes to marriage, young women should remain reserved and not say too much.

But since it concerned her happiness for the rest of her life, how could Nian Shilan remain indifferent and calm?

Upon hearing this, Li pondered for a moment and said:

"When it comes to marriage, it's natural that the couple should be well-matched in terms of social standing. This gives both sides confidence and allows them to treat each other with respect!"

"Given Duke Jing's current status and position, marrying a princess or a county princess would indeed be more appropriate."

"However, according to our dynasty's system, neither the son-in-law of the emperor nor the son-in-law of the emperor can wield real power. Even if the emperor favors them, breaking with tradition would not be a good choice for the Duke of Jing!"

"As for my family, although there is some gap between us and the Duke of Jing's family, our family is a top-tier official family."

"Furthermore, given the prevailing social customs in our dynasty, women are expected to aspire to higher positions. Therefore, in terms of social standing, you are not marrying above your station!"

"However, a figure like Duke Jing, who achieved fame at such a young age, is unique even in the entire world. No one can predict the final outcome!"

As Nian Xiyao's first wife, and also from a wealthy family, Li naturally had her own insights.

The more knowledgeable one becomes, the more one understands how rare it is for someone like Jia Jing to be granted the title of Duke at such a young age!

If Nian Shilan were to become Jia Jing's principal wife, the Nian family would truly have secured its place among the top families of the Han Dynasty!

It must be said that Nian Gengyao's impeachment by the censor also made the Nian family feel a bit of a crisis, and they wanted to seek a marriage alliance with Jia Jing even more!

Not far from the carriage of the Prince of Beijing was the carriage of the Prince of Beijing.

Princess Zhen of Bei Jing was already married, so naturally she didn't need to hide herself away like a young lady in her boudoir.