Chapter 284

Amid the blaring of the Kai Le music, the tens of thousands of iron cavalry returning victorious from the northwest marched forward, heads high and chests out, in a slow, steady pace.

These elite soldiers, in such a grand welcoming ceremony, even though many still wore calm expressions, could be seen with the corners of their mouths slightly upturned.

More than twenty thousand cavalry lined up according to their banners, without the slightest disorder, the troops advanced toward the imperial tent in step with the drumbeats.

Meanwhile, on both sides of the official road, countless citizens and scholars of Shenjing vied to cheer for the victorious army.

Even many commoners stood on tiptoe or piled up just to catch a glimpse of the mighty bearing of the Da Han army!

Of course,

Many of them even more wanted to see the 'Champion Marquis', 'Prince Jingguo', 'Grand General' Jia Jing, who had stirred up a tremendous storm in Shenjing these past days.

To see what he really looked like, whether he had three heads and six arms, or whether his bearing was outstanding, not like an ordinary person!

Having personally witnessed such a spectacle, it would become a topic of their after‑tea conversations for a long time to come!

One cannot deny that the citizens of Shenjing had not experienced such a grand national event for a long time!

Since the founding emperor, the Da Han court has always suffered more defeats than victories against the False Qing and the northwestern Northern Yuan, and the common people have long held a stifled resentment in their hearts.

Now, after great difficulty, the Da Han has produced such an astonishing hero as Jia Jing; how could they not raise their brows and breathe freely, vying to flock to him?

At this moment, the carriages beside the willow grove also flung open their curtains one after another, and countless young ladies from the inner chambers stared wide‑eyed!

They no longer cared about propriety; each one only wanted to behold the peerless elegance of the current Prince Jingguo!

As Jia Jing led his troops ever closer to the imperial tent, the people's cheers and applause already rang through the heavens!

"Champion Marquis, splendid!"

"Prince Jingguo, mighty!"

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

"May the Da Han win ten thousand victories!"

……

Of course, interspersed among them were occasional low murmurs such as 'A true man ought to be thus', 'I shall take his place', 'How handsome', and the like.

The enthusiasm of the Da Han populace burst forth completely; the cheers shook heaven and earth, making the area inside and outside Lugou Bridge ring with a clamor of sound for a moment!

Countless people cheered joyously, leapt excitedly, and gave vent to their feelings……

The Feathered Forest Guard and the Imperial City Office soldiers exerted themselves to block the surging crowds on both sides of the official road, preventing them from crossing the line and interfering with the army's advance.

Jia Jing rode on the Red Hare Horse, watching the enthusiastic scene of the populace on both sides, hearing the endless cheers, his expression inscrutable!

He could tell that this cheer from the populace was not a polite, perfunctory praise,

but a soul‑shouting cry that had been pent up for a long time, waited for a long time, and sprang from the depths of their hearts!

The Da Han populace has long awaited this victory!

Thus, wherever the army went, the people welcomed it with all their hearts; it could be said to have won over the people's hearts completely!

This scene of vigorous vitality and myriad things flourishing truly unfolded before Jia Jing's eyes!

It filled his heart with an even greater ambition to bring peace to the world, and gave him a clearer plan for his actions after returning to the capital!

Perhaps… in this lifetime he could make the glory of the Da Han shine even brighter! Let the name 'Han' spread throughout Central Asia! Let all under heaven feel prouder of their Han identity!

Of course, this must not be rushed; we must hold steady and proceed slowly!

Thus, accompanied by cheers all along the way, the victorious army slowly drew near to where the imperial tent stood!

And the grand movement performed by the Ministry of Rites and the Honglu Temple also slowly came to its end!

Countless musicians, amid the drum and music, sang aloud the final line of the Kai Le:

"Alas!

On Mount Langxu the inscription is carved back,

the merit of sweat‑soaked steeds is rare in the world.

May I, in this life, long serve the state,

why must I return alive through the Jade Gate!"

As the drum and music ceased, Jia Jing, about a hundred paces from the imperial tent, dismounted at the red column for dismounting.

Behind him, the great army promptly dismounted in unison, forming neat ranks.

Jia Jing adjusted his armor, handed the bright silver dragon‑glaive spear to his attendant behind him, and stepped foot by foot on the yellow earth of the official road, walking toward Emperor Jing Sheng.

At this moment his expression was solemn; the armor on his body made a faint clinking in the sunlight, his red robe swept over the yellow earth, raising fine dust.

And along the hundred‑pace stretch from Jia Jing to the imperial tent, both sides were filled with civil and military officials.

From low rank to high rank, civil on the left, military on the right, a dense black mass stared at Jia Jing, not a sound of sparrow or crow.

Only the birds and beasts embroidered on the officials' court robes trembled slightly in the sunlight—kirin, broostered fowl, egret, heron—as if they were alive.

As Jia Jing took his first step after dismounting, Xia Shouzhong's sharp, thin voice rang out: 'Officials, perform the salute!'

Only to see the civil and military officials on both sides bow in unison, bending their waists deeply, keeping their backs straight, lowering their heads.

Like bamboo bent by the wind, section after section folding, yet without a single stray sound.

From senior ministers and princes down to ninth‑rank petty officials, all wore solemn faces and bowed in welcome!

Jia Jing, with a calm expression, walked through their midst, his red cloak fluttering in the wind.

He needed no thought to know this was again the intention of Emperor Jing Sheng; officials bowing in welcome was already the highest courtesy the Da Han court could bestow!

Although later TV dramas depict a scene of officials kneeling to welcome Nian Gengyao returning from the northwestern campaign,

that is mostly artistic invention and does not conform to historical fact!

Such a scene, where the emperor personally leads civil and military officials out of the city to greet the victorious army, belongs to the Da Han ritual system as an extremely grand 'suburban greeting ceremony'.

It falls under the state military rites, intended to display imperial favor, reward meritorious officers, and cohere army morale.

There might be instances where the emperor personally leads a meritorious officer's horse or drives a carriage to show special honor, but officials kneeling in welcome is virtually impossible!

Thus, Emperor Jing Sheng being able to have officials bow in welcome is already the highest standard of reception for Jia Jing!

Even if it were merely a bowing greeting, Jia Jing could imagine that at this moment the civil and military officials were probably secretly cursing him as a 'traitorous minister' in great numbers!

Jia Jing felt cold inside, yet his expression showed a touch of emotion, his steps steady and heavy.

A red silhouette walked through the lowered, bowing, silent sea of people.

His gaze fell upon the bright yellow imperial canopy ahead, and upon Jing Sheng Di, who stood beneath it in dark robes, surrounded by stars.

Around the canopy stood the Feather Forest Army, hands on sword hilts; as Jia Jing approached, they all simultaneously lowered their heads,

Their chins nearly touched their breastplates, the red tassels on their caps drooping down like a lowered flag.

The Feather Forest bowed their heads!

Last time Jia Jing returned to the capital from Liaodong, Jing Sheng Di came down the steps to greet him!

This time, as Jia Jing returned triumphantly from the northwest, Jing Sheng Di had the officials bow and the Feather Forest lower their heads in welcome!

Such an unprecedented honor for a subject should be unique in the Da Han Empire; even the founding heroes of the Da Han's establishment never experienced such favor!

From this it is clear that Jing Sheng Di truly regards him as a minister of state and pillar of the nation; basically all the honor he could receive has been bestowed upon him!

At this moment, on the carriage by the willow grove, countless gazes fell upon that proudly standing red silhouette, honored by officials and the Feather Forest Army, stirring their hearts deeply!

If rouge and powder, gold and jade hair ornaments are the finest adornment for women under heaven,

then this peerless power is undoubtedly the greatest charm of men in the world!

What is called 'merits surpassing Huo and Wei, power that overturns the world'—they have today witnessed it!