Two years ago, when the army set off for the campaign, the situation at the border was severe, and Emperor Yongchang was in no mood to let the commoners cause a commotion by seeing them off. Now that Prince Hui was returning in triumph with the army, Emperor Yongchang was greatly pleased and specially permitted the people of the capital to gather in an orderly manner on both sides of the main street to catch a glimpse of the heroic bearing of the returning soldiers.
To prevent anyone from shooting arrows from the shops lining the main street to assassinate the meritorious soldiers, the government had dispatched runners early on to notify all shops, big and small, that they must not open for business this morning. At dawn, when the Imperial Guards lined up on both sides of the main street to stand guard, they took the opportunity to inspect these shops to ensure no suspicious individuals were hiding inside. Once checked, the windows and doors were immediately sealed and locked.
Before the commoners could flood into the areas on both sides of the main street, they also had to undergo a quick inspection by the Imperial Guards. Most people were let through after a few scrutinizing glances. Only a small number of people carrying bundles, wielding weapons like longswords and bows, or simply looking suspicious were called aside for careful interrogation. Even if their identities were unquestionable, their weapons had to be temporarily confiscated before they could enter.
Luo Jinhua brought the siblings Yao Huang and Yao Lin relatively early, yet they still had to wait in line for nearly half an hour before passing through the heavily guarded checkpoint of the Imperial Guards.
Yao Lin patted his chest and said, rejoicing, I thought they would pull me out for a separate interrogation.
Although he was only eighteen years old, he was exceptionally burly and strong, looking as if he had the capability to carry out an assassination.
Luo Jinhua looked up at her son's handsome, honest face and clear, clean eyes, then glared at him with immense disdain, unable to understand why, despite both being born to her, her daughter was clever and quick-witted, while her son was a simpleton with all brawn and no brains.
As other commoners were still squeezing in this direction, Yao Huang linked arms with her mother and walked behind two Imperial Guard soldiers standing at the front maintaining the cordon, just able to clearly see the main street through the gap between their shoulders.
Yao Lin protected his mother and sister, looking very much like an extra Imperial Guard soldier.
Estimating that they still had to wait another half an hour, Luo Jinhua whispered to her daughter, If it were just to see your father, I really wouldn't want to join in this bustle.
Yao Huang's face grew warm, and she said, If Mother doesn't miss Father, I do. It's been two and a half years since we last saw him.
Her father had left the capital in March of the year she turned fourteen. This year she was sixteen, and it was already early August.
Her father's last letter home half a month ago mentioned that the soldiers who had made great contributions in the East and South Camps would grandly enter the city today and then proceed to the palace to receive rewards, and he was among them.
Yao Huang really missed her father; seeing Prince Hui was merely a passing thought.
Luo Jinhua did not expose her daughter's little thoughts; a young girl's longing for her father and her lover were completely different feelings.
The mother and daughter occasionally chatted to pass the time. Unable to get a word in, Yao Lin looked around and then spotted Li Tingwang standing a short distance away.
Li Tingwang's gaze was complex.
Yao Lin directly shot him a warning glance. Over the past two years, people had frequently come to their home to deliver gifts. Yao Lin found it strange and asked his sister, only to learn that they were all sent by Lord Zhao, because Lord Zhao liked his sister, and his sister liked him too. The two had agreed that Lord Zhao would formally propose marriage when he returned from the battlefield. However, his sister refused to tell him Lord Zhao's identity, fearing that he would go to the martial arts academy and show off.
Yao Lin was angered by this remark and never inquired about it again.
At the same time, Li Tingwang still wanted to seek his sister's forgiveness. His sister did not want to see Li Tingwang and only asked him to pass on a message to Li Tingwang, saying that she had long let go of the unhappiness of that day, but she did not need a friend who frequently humiliated her, so there was still no need for the two of them to meet.
As for the matter between his sister and Lord Zhao, since a formal proposal had not yet been made and it concerned his sister's reputation, Yao Lin did not tell Li Tingwang. However, he also refused to let Li Tingwang go to Changshou Alley to find him again, lest Li Tingwang continue to pester his sister and spread rumors that would ruin her good name.
With the siblings acting like this, Li Tingwang had no opportunity to approach Yao Huang, but he had not given up. He had it all planned out: as soon as his father returned, he would ask his father to formally propose marriage to the Yao family, letting Yao Huang know his true feelings. Yao Huang would then understand that on that day, he had only spoken out of turn and hurt her because he was jealous of Lord Zhao.
The crowd was packed. They waited and waited until late morning, when the rousing and stirring sound of drums finally came from the city gates. This was the imperial court welcoming the soldiers into the city.
The position where the three members of the Yao family stood was a full two or three miles from the city gates, but Yao Huang's heartbeat still became erratic along with the drumbeats.
She missed her father, and she also missed that handsome young man who had drawn pictures for her and wiped her embroidered shoes.
Her father must be missing her too, and would only be happy to see her. But what about Prince Hui? Although he had arranged for Nanny Liu to frequently deliver gifts before leaving the capital, he had, after all, stayed at the border for over two years. After such a long time, did Prince Hui still clearly remember what she looked like? Would he forget his initial fondness for her appearance due to not seeing her for so long, and then regret his initial rashness after rationally analyzing the difference in their family backgrounds?
Yao Huang thought of Prince Hui because Prince Hui was gentle and considerate to her. Those three paintings, that box of silver notes, and that waist tag were all proofs of Prince Hui's affection for her. But Yao Huang had never given him anything. The only thing Prince Hui had ever received from her was an ordinary handkerchief made of fine cloth. Why should Prince Hui always keep a girl from a humble family, whom he had only met four times, in his heart?
The more nervous she was, the faster time seemed to pass. It felt like no time had passed before the figures of the first wave of soldiers appeared at the other end of the long street.
Yao Huang's heart beat even faster. According to the rules, the closer to the front a soldier was positioned, the higher their status and official rank. Prince Hui...
Taking advantage of the fact that the soldiers riding horses were still far away, Yao Huang turned her head to look south. Her gaze swept past her mother's highly raised head, over more heads craning to look, and finally saw a figure walking at the very front of the procession of soldiers. The man was riding a black steed, wearing a battle helmet and silver armor...
Before she could even see his face clearly, Yao Huang nervously withdrew her gaze, feeling as if she were about to lose her balance.
When the general in silver armor got close enough, and the handsome face beneath the battle helmet—looking like a male immortal—became clear, Luo Jinhua's eyes widened. She grabbed her daughter's wrist, You...
Why didn't you tell Mother that Prince Hui was actually this handsome?
However, Yao Lin's shocked voice interrupted their mother. He pressed down on his sister's shoulder with one hand and pointed to the position at the front of the soldiers that should belong to Prince Hui with the other, That, isn't that Zhao...
Yao Huang anxiously pulled down her brother's hand and hid behind him. She wanted to look at Prince Hui but was also afraid of being seen by him. She was afraid that Prince Hui had already regretted it, afraid that Prince Hui wouldn't recognize her at all, and even more afraid that although Prince Hui recognized her, he would only show a troubled look about how to break their agreement.
Zhao Sui sat upright on horseback. From the moment he entered the city gates and saw the first two rows of commoners, Zhao Sui had been secretly searching for that familiar yet not entirely familiar figure.
When he left the capital, the situation at the border was perilous. Zhao Sui had no time, nor should he have focused his mind on romantic feelings. Therefore, he did not take any of her portraits with him, nor did he distract himself by drawing her when he arrived at the border. The only thing he carried with him was a handkerchief he had taken from her in disregard of propriety.
Zhao Sui had a good memory, but he wasn't sure if the Miss Yao firmly etched in his mind looked exactly like the Miss Yao he had actually met. Moreover, when he left the capital, Miss Yao was only fourteen, an age where she would continue to grow taller and her features would mature. Now she was sixteen...
Had she changed much?
Did she still remember him?
Did she continue to go to the martial arts academy to watch the students play polo? Had she met a young man who made her heart flutter and caused her to forget about him?
No one knew what the silver-armored prince on horseback was thinking, but the commoners near Prince Hui felt his gaze sweep across their faces, leaving faster than the lightest spring breeze, so fast that it seemed as if Prince Hui hadn't actually looked their way at all.
Yao Lin had a robust figure that stood out from the crowd, as well as a pair of round eyes that Zhao Sui remembered deeply.
Therefore, the moment he recognized Yao Lin, Zhao Sui immediately looked to his side and saw a girl in a white top and green skirt quickly hide behind Yao Lin.
Zhao Sui slightly tightened his grip on the reins.
He wanted to dismount, but this would be inappropriate and would also damage the military prestige of the soldiers.
Prince Hui, born into the royal family, ought to consider these things and maintain the dignity of the royal family and the military at all times. However, Yao Zhenhu, who had been promoted to the rank of a fourth-grade Guard Commander on the battlefield and was riding in the fourth row behind Prince Hui due to his outstanding military merits, didn't care about any of that. Recognizing his wife and son blocked behind the imperial guards, Yao Zhenhu happily urged his horse out of the formation, swung a leg over, and jumped off his warhorse, exclaiming excitedly, Jinhua!
Luo Jinhua instinctively looked toward Prince Hui at the very front. Seeing Prince Hui stop his horse and look back, Luo Jinhua felt embarrassed for herself and also for her daughter having such a rough father. Anxiously, she urged her husband to quickly go back and not delay the soldiers from entering the palace to have an audience with the Emperor.
Yao Zhenhu listened to his wife, but he had seen his wife and son; where was his daughter?
Yaoyao, come out quickly. Dad will just take one look at you and get back on the horse.
Knowing nothing of the situation, Yao Zhenhu pulled his son aside, revealing his daughter who was inexplicably shy about seeing her father.
Yao Huang's mind was completely occupied by Prince Hui. Suddenly exposed, her first reaction was to look at Prince Hui. Turning her head and raising her eyes, she met a pair of narrow, phoenix-like eyes that appeared even more majestic and cold under the battle helmet. Before Yao Huang could explore his pleasure or displeasure, Prince Hui actually smiled at her. His phoenix eyes softened, and his slightly tanned handsome face was no less charming than in her memory.
When he smiled, Yao Huang turned her face away in embarrassment.
Yao Zhenhu suddenly felt that the daughter in front of him had become unfamiliar. She didn't even look at him; who was she blushing at?
Yao Zhenhu followed his daughter's previous line of sight and looked forward. Before he could find a suspicious target, he first met Prince Hui's solemn gaze: Entering the palace is urgent. Lord Yao, please mount your horse first.
Yao Zhenhu quickly got back on his horse, glared at his wife a few times, and returned to the ranks to continue moving forward.
Having seen his fiancee as he wished, Prince Hui had no intention of inspecting the commoners anymore, but he still noticed another somewhat familiar young face.
Li Tingwang looked up in disbelief at Prince Hui passing in front of him, who was also the Lord Zhao in his memory.
Zhao Sui nodded slightly to the young man, acknowledging their few encounters from the past.
The great army returned in triumph. Emperor Yongchang hosted a banquet in the palace and simultaneously rewarded the meritorious soldiers according to their deeds.
When military officers fought on the battlefield, if a high-ranking general sacrificed his life, a low-ranking general who had made contributions would immediately fill the position. For example, Yao Zhenhu and Li Tingwang's father had already been promoted in advance to the fourth-grade rank of Guard Commander.
This time, the rewarding of merits was mainly to distribute rewards such as silver and silk to the soldiers, and then to confer noble titles upon generals whose military merits were significant enough.
For instance, Marquis Weiyuan Cen Lianshan, who had merit in commanding troops, was elevated to the rank of Duke, and Jiang Qu, who deployed troops with divine skill and won with fewer numbers, was made a Marquis.
Yao Zhenhu was quite satisfied with his promotion and the rewards of gold and silver. While drinking, he watched other great generals being enfeoffed as dukes and marquises. Just as he was happily hoping for the palace banquet to end early so he could go home and embrace his wife, Emperor Yongchang suddenly called his name.
Yao Zhenhu quickly put down his wine bowl, wiped his mouth, and, imitating the other generals, respectfully came before the Emperor.
Emperor Yongchang said, Yao Zhenhu, a man true to his name, brave and fierce as a tiger on the battlefield. Over the past two years, you have slain five enemy chief generals, twelve deputy generals, and thousands of foot soldiers, and you have merit in risking your life to save the prince. Today, I enfeoff you as the Count of Zhongyong. I hope you will continue to be loyal and brave to me and the imperial court, serving as a good example for all the soldiers in the army.
Yao Zhenhu, who wouldn't have dared to dream of something so beautiful, excitedly knelt on the ground and heavily kowtowed three times to Emperor Yongchang. Rest assured, Your Majesty. I, Yao Zhenhu, have no other skills, but my loyal heart to Your Majesty can be witnessed by heaven and earth. The descendants of the Yao family will also remember Your Majesty's profound grace and will do their utmost to be loyal to Your Majesty for generations to come!
Emperor Yongchang glanced at his second son, who was sitting to the side with lowered eyes, and smilingly toasted Yao Zhenhu with a bowl of wine.
After the banquet dispersed, Yao Zhenhu accepted several invitations to banquets in succession, and then impatiently returned home with a cart full of rewards.
He picked up his wife and daughter and spun them around twice, then gave his son's shoulder a hard squeeze. Yao Zhenhu began to announce the good news to his family one by one.
He had been made a Count, and there was also a Count's estate. The whole family could move into a big mansion!
He had received three thousand taels of silver for his military merits. Moving into a big mansion, they wouldn't have to worry about not being able to afford servants or wear silk!
Luo Jinhua was happy, but at this moment she was more concerned about another matter: Is there anything else?
Yao Zhenhu said, Ah, you think this isn't enough?
Luo Jinhua glared at him. What she was hoping for was the Emperor's decree of marriage. Obviously, they wouldn't be waiting for a marriage decree today, or perhaps...
Luo Jinhua told herself not to rush. She comforted her daughter, saying that today the Emperor's main focus was rewarding the soldiers, so it wasn't the best time to grant a marriage.
Yao Huang wasn't worried about this at all. Prince Hui had smiled at her so handsomely; could it mean anything else?
What she worried about was when to return Prince Hui's large stack of silver notes and waist token. Returning them today might seem like a reminder for Prince Hui to quickly request the marriage decree, but if she delayed, it might seem like she was reluctant to part with the silver notes.
Yao Lin wanted to ask his father if he knew anything about Prince Hui or Lord Zhao. Unfortunately, Yao Zhenhu was completely focused on embracing his wife. He stuffed a five-tael gold ingot into each of the siblings' hands and told Yao Lin to take his sister to the streets to buy whatever they liked. He then gave Aunt Wu a sum of silver, telling her to take her two daughters and son-in-law Gui to buy chicken, duck, fish, and meat. Tonight, the family was going to have a grand feast!
With everyone sent away, the Yao family's front door was shut tight. It remained closed for more than an hour, and it was Luo Jinhua who finally urged her husband to hurry up and open it.
Yao Huang took her brother shopping until nearly dusk before returning. She couldn't spend the silver notes Prince Hui had given her, nor did she feel comfortable wearing the silk he had gifted. However, there was no need to be polite with her own father. In one breath, Yao Huang spent all ten taels of gold belonging to her and her brother. She picked out three pieces of jewelry each for herself and her mother, selected two bolts of silk for each of the four family members, and bought some snacks for Aji's family.
The siblings each rode a mule, returning fully loaded.
Just as they turned into Changshou Alley, they saw a carriage parked in front of their house, with two guards standing watch beside it.
Yao Lin exclaimed in surprise, I recognize him! He is Lord... Lord Zhao's guard!
Yao Huang immediately felt flustered again.
