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

The carriage curtain was half-rolled up.

With a dignified face, gentle eyes, and simple yet elegant attire that exuded the refinement of a noble family, Princess Bei Jing was sipping tea at a leisurely pace, occasionally glancing westward with a composed air.

She didn't come here with any particular purpose; she simply wanted to witness this rare and grand event in the Han Dynasty!

Since the reign of Emperor Chengzu, the imperial court has never held such a grand and unprecedented celebration at Lugou Bridge to welcome the victory!

Even though she had witnessed the grand scene of the Emperor's southern tour when she was in Jiangnan, she was not as amazed as the sight of the entire court welcoming her!

Among these carriages, several blue-curtained carriages bearing the bronze plaques of the Rongguo Mansion were positioned prominently at the front, with their curtains hanging low and the drapes tightly closed.

Several maids and servants sat on the carriage shaft, all craning their necks excitedly to look westward.

While observing, he reported the situation to his master inside the carriage, which was also guarded by a dozen or so armed guards.

Three carriages arrived from Rongguo Mansion this time, with the curtain of the first carriage made of fine blue silk.

You can't see anything from the outside, but you can see roughly what's outside through the seams from the inside.

Inside the car sat Yuan Chun, Ying Chun, Tan Chun, and Xi Chun.

Yuan Chun sat at the innermost part of the carriage, leaning against the wall. Today she was wearing a light blue gauze dress, with only a white magnolia hairpin in her hair, and her expression was calm.

She wrapped one arm around Xiao Xichun and used the other hand to lift the corner of the carriage curtain, creating a very thin slit.

Sunlight streamed through the cracks, falling on her face and illuminating her features with exceptional clarity.

She wore light makeup today, with delicately drawn eyebrows and a thin layer of rouge on her lips, unlike her usual plain appearance at home.

Xi Chun stood next to Yuan Chun, holding a pen and a small sketchbook. She had finally managed to get out of the city and wanted to paint the scenery outside the capital.

Tan Chun and Ying Chun sat upright, their hands folded on their knees, their eyes looking into the distance through the fine silk, full of anticipation!

The second carriage carried Madam Xing, Xing Xiuyan, and Sister Feng.

Madam Xing requested to come on her own initiative, and she even brought her niece Xing Xiuyan along, while Grandmother Jia and Madam Wang did not come.

Madam Xing looked at her nominal "son" making such a big scene upon returning to the capital, and her expression showed a mixture of barely suppressed excitement and agitation.

She sat upright, her body tense, trying her best to project the demeanor of a matriarch of a large family.

Xing Xiuyan sat next to Madam Xing, wearing a slightly worn moon-white shirt and only a silver hairpin in her hair. There was nothing particularly outstanding about her attire.

Yet she remained composed, radiating a comfortable aura, quiet, serene, and at ease.

Sister Feng sat near the car door, her body slightly turned to the side, with one arm resting on the car window.

She wore a bright red silk brocade jacket with a gold trim at the collar, and a red gold filigree phoenix hairpin with several strings of rubies dangling from the end, swaying back and forth.

Sister Feng had applied rouge to her face, making her lips red and her cheeks pink. Her phoenix eyes were upturned, and her gaze carried an indescribable charm.

She looked much more at ease than Madam Xing at this moment. She lifted the curtain halfway and saw that Madam Xing, who was sitting opposite her, was sweating.

Unable to contain her giggles, she said:

"Madam, please don't be so nervous. Our third brother's triumphant return to the capital is a joyous occasion for our family. Relax and enjoy yourself!"

Since Sister Feng and Madam Wang had a falling out, Sister Feng and Madam Xing, who were mother and daughter-in-law, have become closer, since they now have a common enemy!

Upon hearing this, Madam Xing took out a silk handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her forehead and explained:

"I'm not nervous. It's just that the weather is a bit muggy, so I wore an extra layer today. Jing-ge should be arriving soon, right?"

Sister Feng smiled, her phoenix eyes slightly narrowed, and she looked westward, saying:

"It should be soon! We can't keep the emperor waiting any longer!"

The third carriage carried Lin Daiyu, Xue Baochai, and Shi Xiangyun.

Daiyu and Baochai sat facing each other, while Xiangyun quietly lifted the carriage curtain and peered outside.

Baochai wore a honey-colored gauze shirt today, covered with a light blue half-sleeved garment, and had two small pearl flowers in her hair.

She wore a pair of unusual white jade earrings, which complemented her fair and delicate face, making her skin appear even whiter and more radiant, and giving her an air of elegance and nobility.

Daiyu wore a moon-white gauze shirt, and her hair was styled into a cloud-like bun, tied with a green jade hairpin.

She was as plain as ever, except for her red lips and white teeth, indicating she was wearing light makeup.

Those bright, black eyes, as clear as lacquer, were now gazing northwestward, shining like starlight.

Of course, he couldn't help but glance at Xue Baochai across from him from time to time, his expression inscrutable.

Shi Xiangyun was restless in the car, sometimes lifting the curtain, sometimes leaning out the window, chattering to herself to relieve her boredom.

Suddenly, she pointed to the Nian family's carriage road not far away:

"Sister Lin, Sister Bao, look, the Nian family's sister has arrived too!"

It turned out that she had sharp eyes and saw Nian Shilan through the gap in the curtain of the Nian family's carriage.

Baochai glanced at it indifferently, her expression, which had initially shown some joy, turning somewhat cold, and said softly:

"It would be strange if she didn't come!"

After all, he was the kind of person who dared to visit the Jia family several times, so how could he not come to this grand event!

Daiyu turned her head and smiled:

"It's not just her who came; look at all these carriages around here. It seems like all the 'interested parties' in the capital have come!"

Daiyu smiled, but her bright, dark eyes dimmed slightly, and she couldn't help but sigh softly in her heart.

When Third Brother returns to the manor, who knows how lively it will be!

The little girl was also in this carriage, but she wasn't inside; she was on the outer shaft.

She's young, so there's nothing she needs to hide.

Today, the little girl is wearing a red gauze shirt and her hair is styled in two buns, each adorned with a small velvet flower, making her look very festive.

When he smiles, his hollow front teeth are revealed, which looks somewhat comical.

At this moment, the little boy was swinging his legs, looking westward under Qingwen's watchful eye.

He muttered to himself, "Why hasn't Third Master arrived yet?"

Before the words were finished, a cloud of yellow dust suddenly rose from the distant official road.

The sounds of horses' hooves, drums, and horns rolled in from the horizon, booming like muffled thunder in summer grinding against the ground.

The cicadas' chirping was instantly drowned out, the noisy voices of people fell silent, and even the babbling of the Yongding River was suppressed.

Only the resounding drumbeats, horns, and hooves echoed across the vast expanse of land!

The little girl's eyes lit up immediately. She stood on the cart shaft, tiptoeing, shading her eyes with her hand, craning her neck to look into the distance.

He shouted excitedly:

"He's here! He's here! Third Master is back!"

The little boy's voice was sharp and clear, and it quickly spread to dozens of carriages in the vicinity.

The curtains of countless carriages were lifted or half-lifted, revealing faces filled with surprise or delight, and countless eyes were focused on the official road from which the sound of horses' hooves came.

At this moment, Daiyu and Baochai naturally stopped talking and let Shi Xiangyun lift the curtain and look in the direction of the yellow dust.

Meanwhile, the crowd that had been discussing the matter around the official road quieted down, held their breath, and waited for the triumphant army to arrive.

Beneath the imperial tent, Emperor Jingsheng also suddenly raised his head, walked down the steps, stood in front of the incense table, and looked westward with undisguised excitement.

The sound of drums and horses' hooves grew closer, and gradually the sounds of people shouting and horses neighing came from afar.

Then a large, crimson banner appeared first, embroidered with a huge character "贾" (Jia), black characters with gold edges, fluttering in the sunlight.

Following the main banner were the four divine flags: Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise, arranged at the four corners.

Behind them were various military flags—red, yellow, blue, white, and black—arranged according to the five elements and directions, forming a forest of banners that blotted out the sky.

Beneath the enormous banner, leading the procession was a chestnut horse, entirely crimson, like a raging fire, without a single stray hair.

The red horse trampled the yellow earth of the official road, appearing quite magnificent!

The man on horseback wore a purple-gold crown with three prongs, a red brocade robe with a hundred flowers from Sichuan, a lion-shaped belt with an exquisite design around his waist, and held a bright silver spear. His cloak fluttered high in the wind.

The man wasn't wearing a helmet, revealing a young face...

His eyebrows were like swords drawn to his temples, his eyes like cold stars, his face was sharply defined, and his posture was imposing.