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

Xiangyun was the last to jump off the carriage, her bright red gauze dress tumbling down like a fiery cloud. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she muttered loudly:

"I was so bored! I sat in the car all morning, my body was stiff!"

Daiyu turned around and glared at her. She stuck out her tongue and lowered her voice by half an octave, but still whispered:

"I'm telling the truth..."

"whee……"

The group passed through the hanging flower gate and walked along the covered corridor towards Rongqing Hall.

The parrot under the eaves flapped its wings and called out "Greetings, Old Madam!" when it saw people coming. This startled Sister Feng, who was walking ahead, and she laughed and scolded:

"That hairy beast knows how to fawn over others."

In Rongqing Hall,

Grandmother Jia had been waiting for a long time. She had also gotten up very early today, but she did not go to Lugou Bridge with Sister Feng and the others.

It's not that she doesn't want to go.

However, the affairs of the Ningguo Mansion had been causing her a lot of worry these past few days, according to information that Jia Zheng had gathered through numerous inquiries.

Jia Zhen is likely to be sentenced to death this time, and she's also rumored that he won't be able to keep his title in Ningguo Mansion. She really has no mood to participate in the lively scene of Jia Jing's triumphant return!

Secondly, I'm getting old and can't handle the back-and-forth travel and exhaustion!

Of course, the most important thing is that Jia Jing, this unfilial grandson, is ultimately not Jia Baoyu, so the emotional connection is limited.

At this moment, Grandmother Jia was reclining on the couch, wearing a dark blue silk brocade jacket and a red gold headband with a piece of jade inlaid in the center.

She held a round fan in her hand, but didn't wave it; the fan was placed face down on her lap.

Her eyes remained fixed on the doorway, her gaze complex, a mixture of expectation and worry.

That wicked grandson is coming back today, and the thought of it makes her headache seem to be flaring up again!

Yuanyang stood behind her, holding a sandalwood comb, and slowly combed her hair.

Yuanyang's face showed an undisguised look of anticipation.

She actually wanted to go to Lugou Bridge today, but since Grandmother Jia wasn't going, it was inconvenient for her, as her personal maid, to go!

Madam Wang and Aunt Xue sat in the hall with somber expressions, some clutching their Buddhist prayer beads, others drinking tea.

Their faces were filled with thoughts, and the usual laughter and cheerfulness were gone.

Footsteps sounded, first a series of hurried, crisp footsteps.

The curtain was lifted, and Fengjie slipped in. Her bright red coat swayed in the candlelight, making her look like a ball of fire rolling into Rongqing Hall.

"I'm late! Grandma! It's such a pity you didn't go today!"

Before Sister Feng even arrived, her laughter could be heard; her voice was loud and clear, unrestrained yet cheerful.

"This is terrible! This time, Third Brother, it's...it's really true..."

She couldn't find the words right away, so she gestured with both hands, making a very large shape.

"This is terrible!"

Grandmother Jia was not intimidated by her show of force; she knew that Sister Feng had always been like this.

However, he was still somewhat drawn to Sister Feng's words, leaned forward slightly, widened his eyes, and said in a hoarse voice:

"What's wrong? What are you doing here again!"

Just as Sister Feng was about to speak, the door curtain rustled again.

Tan Chun, Ying Chun, Xi Chun, and Yuan Chun filed in, followed by Madam Xing, Xing Xiuyan, Baochai, Daiyu, and Xiangyun.

A dozen or so people came in at once, and Rongqing Hall immediately became lively again.

Grandmother Jia waved her hand.

"Sit down, everyone. Yu'er doesn't look well. Come over here and have some tea to rest!"

Everyone sat down upon hearing this, except for Fengjie, who stood in the hall, took the tea from Ping'er, and held it as a prop without drinking a drop.

"Grandma, you really missed a great event today, you didn't see it..."

Fengjie's eyes widened, her slanted eyebrows were raised high, and her pupils shone like two black gems. Like a storyteller, she loudly recounted to Grandmother Jia what she had seen and heard that day:

"...My third brother dismounted when he was still about a hundred paces away from the emperor."

He dismounted, removed his silver spear, straightened his armor, and strode forward.

"Guess what?"

"The civil and military officials on both sides of the road, from Grand Secretaries and Princes to Ministers and Generals, all bowed in unison!"

"That bend... oh my, it's like wheat being blown by the wind, swish, swish, each bend lower than the last!"

"I was thinking to myself at the time, those high-ranking officials who are usually so aloof and pretentious, I never expected that they would bow and scrape before my third brother, all of them as obedient as can be..."

Before Sister Feng could finish speaking, Xiangyun, sitting to the side, couldn't help but interject:

"Sister-in-law Feng, what about the Imperial Guards from the palace? Even the Imperial Guards have bowed their heads!"

Sister Feng turned around and glanced at her, then waved her hand with a smile and said:

"Yun girl, don't speak. I haven't gotten to that point yet!"

She turned back to look at Grandmother Jia, her voice suddenly lowering. Seeing that Lady Wang and Aunt Xue were also quietly listening, she smiled inwardly and continued:

"As for the Imperial Guards... they lined up from in front of the Emperor all the way to Lugou Bridge, with one person every five steps. Their armor was polished to a shine, and their swords were at their waists, with their hands gripping the hilts."

"When the third brother walked up to them, guess what?"

She paused, glancing again at Madam Wang's increasingly gloomy face, and after whetting the appetites of those who hadn't gone yet, she said with a charming laugh:

"They also bowed their heads in salute... I don't understand what's going on inside, but I heard it's called 'Imperial Guards Bowing,' a rare and grand occasion!"

"The solemn scene made my heart pound! People were bowing their heads so low that their chins were almost touching their breastplates! They were so respectful."

"When my third brother stood in the center of ten thousand people, his imposing presence was as if his entire body was radiating golden light! Truly..."

Sister Feng kept searching her mind for words, trying to make the scene even more exciting!

The hall fell silent for a moment because of Sister Feng's words.

Shi Xiangyun couldn't sit still any longer.

She stood up from her chair, walked to the center of the hall, and picked up where Feng Jie left off. Her bright red gauze dress shone dazzlingly in the candlelight, and the thin layer of rouge on her face was flushed even redder with excitement.

"Second sister-in-law is right, but there's one thing she forgot to mention... the prince is driving!"

Her voice was higher than usual, clear and melodious.

"My third brother and the Emperor rode together in the imperial carriage. The Emperor wanted to drive for my third brother first, but my third brother refused."

"Later, it was His Highness the Eldest Prince who personally held the whip and drove the carriage for His Majesty and my third brother! What a grand gesture! I was completely stunned!"

Grandmother Jia, who had been lying down, suddenly sat up straight, her aged eyes filled with undisguised surprise, and she confirmed in a hoarse voice:

"Jing-ge'er and His Majesty are riding in the same imperial carriage? The eldest prince is driving Jing-ge'er's carriage?"

As for the courteous treatment that Sister Feng had described, where officials bowed and the imperial guards kowtowed, Grandmother Jia was surprised but could understand it to some extent.

After all, the late Duke Rongguo, Jia Daishan, was once a second-rank general of the Imperial Guard and had been personally welcomed by the emperor. Grandmother Jia was not a naive or shallow person.

However, riding in the imperial carriage together, with the eldest prince personally driving the carriage, was somewhat beyond her imagination!

Is the imperial carriage something that only a subject can ride in?

Not to mention the imperial carriage driven by the eldest prince himself!

Such imperial favor is unprecedented, not only in the two generations of the Jia family who were Dukes of Ning and Rong, but also in the entire Han Dynasty since its founding.

Grandmother Jia couldn't help but sigh softly, her face showing a mixture of joy and worry.

She always felt that Jia Jing's success was too dazzling, making her feel uneasy.

This scene of officials welcoming the prince and the prince driving his carriage was certainly impressive, but was it truly in accordance with the duties of a subject?