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

On the dragon carriage,

Faced with Emperor Jingsheng's slightly nervous question, Jia Jing was perfectly aware of what he was thinking.

It was simply a way of subtly inquiring about the dream of a wise minister, to see if I had ever had a similar dream!

But how could Jia Jing possibly reveal or even touch upon such a dream, which possessed a special prophetic quality!

I've only ever heard of King Wen of Zhou dreaming of Jiang Ziya and Emperor Taizong of Tang dreaming of Xue Rengui, but I've never heard of Jiang Ziya and Xue Rengui dreaming of King Wen and Emperor Taizong in reverse.

Then it wouldn't be a dream of a wise minister, but a dream of a wise ruler!

Furthermore, if a subject like you were to have a similar dream to the emperor, it would only arouse suspicion, which would be entirely beneficial!

Jia Jing smiled calmly:

"However... I did have a dream yesterday. Because it was short and the dream was unique, I remember it clearly."

"It was as if I were dreaming... I was standing on a beautiful island, the outline of which was shaped like a spindle or a small boat, long and narrow from north to south and narrower from east to west."

"The overall shape is long and narrow, slightly curved, resembling a sweet potato or a leaf. I dreamt that I planted the flag of the Great Han on the island, with the words 'Recovery' written on it."

"I also dreamed that I was standing on an island nation, an arc-shaped island nation that extends from northeast to southwest."

"Shaped like a coiled snake or a curved seahorse, it is long and narrow from north to south and narrow from east to west. Your Majesty, I have planted the banner of the Great Han on this island nation, and the banner bears the words 'Conquest.'"

"This dream felt so real, and it remains vivid in my memory. I wonder if Your Majesty could interpret it for me?"

Jia Jing looked at Emperor Jingsheng with a questioning look, revealing to him in advance what he was destined to do in the future as a dream, which was also a prelude to the subsequent military campaign.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Jingsheng secretly breathed a sigh of relief, relieved that he hadn't dreamt of the founding emperor.

The matter of the virtuous minister appearing in his dream was too miraculous to be his greatest secret, and he did not intend to share it with anyone for the time being.

After all, the Emperor Taizu himself appeared to us in a dream, which is of great importance and cannot be taken lightly!

Emperor Jingsheng, after a moment's thought upon seeing Jia Jing's probing gaze, smiled and said:

"Could the island that Zijie dreamed of be Taiwan, the island of our great Han Dynasty? Its shape is remarkably similar to the outline of the island in Zijie's dream!"

"Taiwan Island is currently occupied by the Red Barbarians; if there's an opportunity in the future, we can send our navy to reclaim it!"

"As for the island nation shaped like a seahorse, I can't think of any one of them right now!"

The "Red Barbarians" mentioned by Emperor Jingsheng are the Dutch of later generations!

"Hongyi" is an abbreviation of "Hongmaoyi" and is also found in official documents, such as the record in the "Han Dynasty Encyclopedia" that "Helan, also known as Hongmaofan".

This designation also evolved into the name "Hongyi Cannon," a heavy cannon of the Han Dynasty, due to military technology exchanges.

The name Taiwan already existed in the Han Dynasty at this time!

Its name evolved from "Island Barbarians", "Yizhou", and "Ryukyu" in ancient times to "Dayuan" and "Taiyuan", and was finally officially named "Taiwan" during the reign of Emperor Chengzu of the Han Dynasty.

In other words, in this world, Taiwan is also an inseparable part of China's territory!

However, the Han Dynasty had been preoccupied with internal and external troubles and had no time to look eastward, thus it did not pay enough strategic attention to Taiwan.

During the reign of the retired emperor, the Dutch initially attempted to occupy Penghu, but were driven out by the Han army and retreated to Taiwan.

They established bases under the guise of trade, and then gradually occupied southern Taiwan, and later the entire territory of Taiwan.

However, since the Netherlands had not made a big show of aggression, the Han Dynasty court turned a blind eye and did not organize a large-scale military counterattack.

Ultimately, Taiwan was nominally part of the Han Dynasty at that time, but in reality, it had been occupied by the Dutch for many years!

That's why Emperor Jingsheng said he would send the navy to take it back!

Judging from Emperor Jingsheng's attitude, he did not regard this matter as an urgent matter!

At that time, people generally regarded coastal islands as "barren lands" on the frontier, and their strategic importance was not fully recognized!

After hearing Emperor Jingsheng's words, Jia Jing did not say anything more.

Instead, he switched to a few lighter topics with Emperor Jingsheng, chatting about interesting stories from the war and the local customs and culture of the Northwest.

The imperial carriage traveled along the imperial road of the capital, with the eldest prince, Zhu Yunbiao, holding the reins and sitting on the carriage shaft.

His back was still as straight as ever, but his ears were red...

He couldn't hear the conversation inside the imperial carriage, but he heard his father's laughter. He had never seen his father laugh so heartily and loudly before.

…………

As lunchtime approached,

Several carriages with blue curtains filed into Ningrong Street and stopped at the west corner gate of Rongguo Mansion.

The sun was directly overhead, shining brightly and making the bluestone pavement slightly hot.

The maids and servants were already waiting. When the carriage came to a stop, they rushed forward to lift the curtain and lower the footrest.

Sister Feng was the first to jump off the bus.

The bright red silk gown shone so brightly in the sunlight that it made one dizzy. The rouge on her face had faded a little from the sweat, but her phoenix eyes were still dazzlingly bright.

Before she could even steady herself, the words were already out of her mouth:

"The old lady must be getting impatient. I'll go and let her know!"

As she spoke, she lifted her skirt and walked inside, her steps quick and hurried.

Of course, she not only wanted to inform Grandmother Jia, but also to show off what she had just seen and heard in front of Lady Wang, and let her see how powerful her third brother was!

With Xing Xiuyan's help, Madam Xing slowly got out of the car.

Her legs were a little numb; she had been sitting in the car for far too long today.

Not only was the journey long, but the large number of carriages and horses also blocked the official road, making the return trip take longer than the morning journey.

She stood by the car, craning her neck to look in the direction Sister Feng had gone, muttering something under her breath, but no one could hear her.

Xing Xiuyan lowered her eyes and quietly supported her arm, her every move still polite and respectful.

Her moon-white blouse fluttered gently in the wind, like a white magnolia that had not yet fully bloomed.

In the next car, Tan Chun and Ying Chun also got off one after another, with Xi Chun carefully holding a painting in her hands.

The painting depicts Jia Jing walking on the official road, surrounded and cheered by countless people.

The only discrepancy with the actual scene is that Jia Jing in the painting is holding the hands of two little maids, who are herself and Xiao Jiao'er.

Originally, it was just for her, but then Xiao Jiao'er discovered it and insisted that she add another person, otherwise she wouldn't be told about any good food in the future!

Yuan Chun was the last to get off the carriage, dressed in a light blue gauze gown and adorned with a white magnolia hairpin, quiet and unassuming.

Her steps were neither fast nor slow, like the gait of someone accustomed to walking in the palace. Her hands were folded in front of her, her fingertips slightly white.

In the last car, Baochai and Daiyu got off side by side.

Baochai's honey-colored shirt remained perfectly smooth, and the pearl hairpins in her hair were in perfect order.

She held a round fan in her hand, waving it slowly and deliberately, as if she had just returned from a stroll in the garden, not from Lugou Bridge, which was dozens of miles away.

Her gaze shifted from the direction where Sister Feng had disappeared to Daiyu's face, pausing for a moment.

The delicate bamboo embroidery on the collar of Daiyu's moon-white gauze shirt was exquisitely detailed, but her face was somewhat pale.

Although her illness had been cured, her body was still somewhat weak, and the bumpy carriage ride had left her feeling tired and haggard.