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

Amidst the resounding drumbeats of "Kai Le," tens of thousands of cavalrymen returning triumphantly from the Northwest marched forward slowly, heads held high and chests puffed out.

Even though many of these elite soldiers remained calm during the grand welcoming ceremony, a slight upturn of their lips was still visible.

More than 20,000 cavalrymen were arranged according to their unit flags, without any disorder, and the troops marched towards the imperial tent in time with the drumbeats.

Meanwhile, countless citizens and scholars from the capital city lined both sides of the official road, cheering for the triumphant army.

Many ordinary people even carried or piled up supplies just to catch a glimpse of the mighty Han army!

of course,

Many of them were more interested in seeing Jia Jing, the "Champion Marquis," "Duke of Jing," and "General," who had stirred up such a storm in the capital city these past few days.

Let's see what he looks like, whether he has three heads and six arms, or whether he has extraordinary features and is unlike an ordinary person!

Experiencing such a grand occasion firsthand will become a topic of conversation for them for a long time to come!

It must be said that the people of Shenjing City have not experienced such a grand national event for a long time!

Since the reign of Emperor Chengzu, the Han Dynasty had suffered more defeats than victories against the puppet Qing Dynasty and the Northern Yuan Dynasty in the northwest, leaving the people with a pent-up sense of resentment.

Now that the Han Dynasty has finally produced such an amazing hero as Jia Jing, how can they not feel proud and vie to praise him!

At this moment, the carriages around the willow grove lifted their curtains one after another, and countless young ladies and girls looked on with their eyes wide open!

They didn't care about etiquette; they all just wanted to see the unparalleled elegance of the current Duke of Jing!

As Jia Jing led his army closer to the imperial tent, the cheers and shouts of the people resounded through the sky!

"Well done, Champion Marquis!"

"The Duke of Jing is mighty!"

"Slay all the Tartars! The Han army is invincible!"

"May the Great Han Dynasty be victorious!"

……

Of course, there were also occasional whispers of exclamations like "A real man should be like this," "I will take his place," and "How handsome!"

The enthusiasm of the Han people was fully unleashed, and the cheers were earth-shattering, making the area inside and outside Lugou Bridge a scene of deafening noise!

Countless people cheered, jumped for joy, and vented their emotions...

The Imperial Guards and soldiers of the Imperial City Guards fought valiantly on both sides of the official road to hold back the surging crowds and prevent them from crossing the line and interfering with the army's advance.

As Jia Jing rode on Red Hare, watching the enthusiastic jubilation of the people on both sides and listening to the endless cheers, his expression was inscrutable!

He could tell that the cheers from the people were not the kind of polite, courteous praise.

It was a cry from the depths of the soul, something that had been held back for a long time and waited for a long time!

The people of the Han Dynasty have long awaited this victory!

So much so that wherever the army went, the people welcomed it with all their might! They truly won the hearts of the people!

This vibrant scene of life and flourishing life was truly unfolding before Jia Jing's eyes!

This filled him with even greater ambition and a desire to help the world! It also gave him a clearer plan for his actions after returning to the capital!

Perhaps... in this lifetime he can make the glory of the Han Dynasty shine even brighter! Let the name "Han" spread throughout Central Asia! Let the people of the world be even more proud of their Han identity!

Of course, all of this cannot be rushed; we must remain calm and proceed slowly!

And so, amidst cheers and applause, the triumphant army slowly approached the imperial tent!

The grand musical performance by the Ministry of Rites and the Court of State Ceremonial was slowly coming to an end!

Countless musicians sang the final line of "Kaile" amidst the sound of drums and music:

"Alas!

Inscribed on the summit of Langxu Mountain

His meritorious service is rare in this world.

I wish to dedicate my life to serving my country.

He Xusheng has returned from Yumen Pass!

As soon as the drums and music stopped, Jia Jing, about a hundred paces away from the imperial tent, dismounted at the red pillar.

The army behind them dismounted in unison and lined up in neat rows.

Jia Jing straightened his armor, handed the gleaming silver spear to the guards behind him, and walked step by step on the yellow earth of the official road toward Emperor Jingsheng.

His face was solemn, and his armor rustled softly in the sunlight. His red robe swept across the yellow earth, raising a fine cloud of dust.

The hundred-step path from Jia Jing to the imperial tent was lined with civil and military officials.

From low-ranking officials to high-ranking officials, a dense, dark mass of people, all staring at Jia Jing in utter silence.

Only the birds and beasts on the official robes swayed slightly in the sunlight; the qilin, golden pheasant, white heron, and egret seemed almost alive.

As Jia Jing dismounted and took his first step, Xia Shouzhong's shrill voice rang out, "All officials, pay your respects!"

The civil and military officials on both sides bowed deeply, their backs straight and their heads lowered.

Like bamboo bent by the wind, each leaf bends, yet without making a sound.

From cabinet ministers and princes to low-ranking officials, everyone wore solemn expressions and bowed respectfully in greeting!

Jia Jing walked calmly through them, his red cloak fluttering in the wind.

He knew without a doubt that this was Emperor Jingsheng's intention. The officials bowing to welcome him was already the highest level of courtesy in the Han Dynasty!

Although later TV dramas depict scenes of officials kneeling to welcome Nian Gengyao upon his return from the Northwest campaign,

But that's mostly a figment of artistic imagination and doesn't conform to historical facts!

The scene of the emperor leading his civil and military officials to personally go out of the city to welcome the triumphant army was a very grand "suburban celebration ceremony" in the Han Dynasty's ritual system.

It falls under the category of national military gifts, and is intended to demonstrate imperial favor, reward meritorious officials, and unite the army.

The emperor might personally lead the horse or drive the carriage for meritorious officials as a sign of honor, but it was almost impossible for officials to kneel and greet them!

Therefore, Emperor Jingsheng's ability to have all the officials bow in welcome was already the highest level of welcoming etiquette for Jia Jing!

Even if he merely bowed to greet him, Jia Jing could imagine that many civil and military officials were secretly cursing him as a "treacherous official"!

Jia Jing felt inwardly cold, but his face showed a hint of emotion, and he walked with steady, heavy steps.

The red figure walked through the sea of ​​people who were bowing, bending over, and silent.

His gaze fell upon the bright yellow imperial tent in front of him, and upon Emperor Jingsheng, who was dressed in a black robe and surrounded by a crowd of admirers.

The Imperial Guards stood guard around the imperial tent, their hands on their swords. As Jia Jing approached, they all lowered their heads simultaneously.

His chin almost touched his breastplate, and the red tassel on his hat brim hung down like a drooping flag.

Yu Lin bows his head!

When Jia Jing returned to the capital from Liaodong last time, Emperor Jingsheng descended the steps to greet him!

When Jia Jing returned to the capital in triumph from the Northwest, Emperor Jingsheng ordered all officials to bow and the Imperial Guards to lower their heads in welcome!

Such an unparalleled honor for a subject should be unique in the Han Dynasty. Even the founding heroes of the Han Dynasty did not experience such favor!

This also shows that Emperor Jingsheng truly regarded him as a minister of state and a pillar of the nation! He bestowed upon him almost every honor he could!

Meanwhile, on the carriage by the willow grove, countless eyes were fixed on the proud red figure standing tall, receiving salutes from the officials and the Imperial Guards, and their hearts were stirred!

If rouge, face powder, and gold and jade headdresses are the finest adornments for women everywhere...

That unparalleled power is undoubtedly the greatest charm of men in the world!

They have witnessed firsthand what it means to have achievements surpassing Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, and power over the world!