Chapter 95: The Crowning Ceremony - Welcome to the Adult World...

According to etiquette, a man's coming-of-age ceremony should be held in the ancestral temple and presided over by his father.

However, when holding Ning Huai'an's coming-of-age ceremony, Fang Qin modified the ceremony according to the actual situation.

The sound of firecrackers was deafening.

The guests covered their ears as they stepped into the temporary administrative hall, greeted Fang Qin and Ning Huai'an in their formal attire, and then took their seats under the guidance of the soldiers.

The guests were mostly from the three county administrative offices. After everyone sat down, regardless of whether they knew each other or not, they warmly greeted the people around them and started chatting.

“This is my first time participating in a coming-of-age ceremony,” a young girl said with a smile. “Our small town is too poor to hold a coming-of-age ceremony or a hairpin ceremony.”

Rong Qi gently patted the back of her hand to comfort her, "You should attend more of other people's coming-of-age ceremonies in the future."

The girl: "..." She chuckled and deliberately dragged out her words, "If we don't need to give a gift."

"I'm afraid that won't work," a young woman from the same department teased. "When your best friend's daughter comes of age and you're invited to be the honored guest, aren't you going to give her a gift?"

The girl was stunned.

"Wow, it's so lively!" someone exclaimed.

The people at the table laughed, "It's called General Ning's coming-of-age ceremony, but it's actually a team-building event for the three counties."

"Team building?"

"This is an opportunity for everyone to get together and get to know each other," Gu Lanying explained.

Someone else chimed in, "There will always be times when we need to coordinate our work. Getting to know each other will make things easier in the future."

Many of those present had never participated in a coming-of-age ceremony, after all, everyone was poor in the past: they couldn't even afford to eat, let alone hold a coming-of-age ceremony for their children.

Therefore, everyone was curious and wanted to see how the coming-of-age ceremony was held.

The auspicious time has arrived.

Fang Qin presided over the ceremony on behalf of Ning Huai'an's father. First, he offered sacrifices to Heaven and Earth, and then, facing the direction of Ning Huai'an's hometown, he offered sacrifices to his parents and ancestors.

The guests unconsciously became serious, quietly watching Ning Huai'an walk to the center of the venue and bow to the guests.

He Qinglan wore a red, curved-hem robe in accordance with the customs of the Great Wei Dynasty, and her long hair was styled into a cross-shaped bun.

She walked solemnly to Ning Huai'an.

Wearing a black cloth cap, she calmly recited: "On this auspicious day of the month, you begin your coming-of-age ceremony. Cast aside your childish ambitions, embrace your virtuous character, and may you live a long and blessed life."

With her second cap on, she continued reciting the blessing: "On this auspicious month and day, may you wear your fine clothes, be mindful of your demeanor, be virtuous and obedient, and enjoy long life and abundant blessings."

After receiving the three honorifics, she read: "In the proper time of the year, in accordance with the decree of the month, we are honored with our robes, and all our brothers are present, so that we may achieve our virtues, live to a ripe old age, and receive the blessings of Heaven." [Note 1]

He Qinglan gazed at Ning Huai'an and gave him the name she had already chosen: "Your name is Huai'an, and your courtesy name is Chengyu."

That was the blessing of the goddess, wishing that this young general would have the world in his heart and protect all living beings.

Ning Huai'an bowed respectfully, "Thank you for bestowing this name upon me, Goddess."

He Qinglan conjured a hairpin made of bone out of thin air and handed it to Ning Huai'an, saying, "This is my congratulatory gift. Welcome to the adult world."

Ning Huai'an: "..."

He raised his hands, took the bone hairpin, glanced at it briefly, and finally couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Goddess, what kind of animal's bone is this?"

He Qinglan pondered for a moment, "Zhu Yan or Qiongqi? To be honest, it's been so long that I don't remember."

Ning Huai'an: "!"

But whatever it is, it's still the bone of a ferocious beast.

A legendary ferocious beast!

Ning Huai'an suddenly became excited, his eyes gleaming, and he said with a rising tone, "Thank you, Goddess!"

He Qinglan couldn't understand the young people's fondness for ferocious beasts. She nodded and said, "If you like it, that's good."

After the coming-of-age ceremony, Fang Qin ordered the banquet to begin.

Dishes and fruits were served one after another.

"All ceremonies eventually turn into a banquet." Qiu Tang picked up a piece of cold-dressed houttuynia cordata with her chopsticks.

The middle-aged woman at the table smiled gently, "We can't let our guests go home hungry after the ceremony."

That's true. Qiu Tang put the houttuynia cordata into her mouth.

At another table, a boy rested his chin in his hands, gazing intently at his parents. "Father, Mother, could you please invite the goddess to my coming-of-age ceremony?"

His mother rolled her eyes at him, "You haven't had your coming-of-age ceremony yet."

The boy quickly pleaded, "Oh, Mom, you're the best! I love you the most! Please do it for me! Please do it for me!"

Before his mother could answer, his eldest sister chuckled and said, "If you also want the goddess to bestow a gift upon you, why not study hard to pass the entrance exam for the Ministry of Public Administration, achieve outstanding results in the future, and then ask the goddess for it yourself?"

His father nodded, "That's right. Although your parents are also from the administrative department, they don't have the audacity to invite a goddess to the coming-of-age ceremony of a good-for-nothing son."

His mother said, "That's true. Who is General Ning? How can you compare to him?"

The boy: "..." There's no need to insult me ​​like that, even though I really am useless.

"Traditional ceremonies still have meaning," a middle-aged man said. "Inviting all relatives and friends to hold a coming-of-age ceremony for a child is a huge encouragement for the child!"

Tell him/her that from today onwards, everyone will witness: you have grown up and are no longer a child.

The young woman at the next table took a sip of sorghum liquor from her small glass and unconsciously repeated, "Child."

Everyone remembered that today's protagonist was General Ning Huai'an, and associated him with the word "child"...

The middle-aged man's lips twitched.

A middle-aged woman in her forties smiled and said, "In short, that's the idea. When my granddaughter grows up, I will also hold a coming-of-age ceremony for her to celebrate her coming of age."

The young man from the Ministry of Justice raised his left index finger and gently shook it. "Let me remind you all, according to the Anling Code, the legal age for marriage is eighteen, so eighteen is considered adulthood." Sixteen doesn't count; sixteen-year-old girls are not allowed to get married!

"Hey, why do you have to be eighteen to get married?" someone asked, puzzled.

The female doctor from the Ministry of Health immediately put down her wine glass and replied with dramatic intonation, "Of course, it's because a sixteen-year-old girl's body is not yet fully developed. Giving birth not only harms her own body but is also detrimental to the healthy growth of the baby!"

Amidst the laughter and chatter, Fang Qin and Ning Huai'an raised their wine glasses to toast the guests.

First and foremost, of course, is He Qinglan at the head table.

Fang Qin was overjoyed, thanking the goddess for taking in the people of their mountain stronghold, for giving them the opportunity to make a name for themselves, and for personally attending Ning Huai'an's coming-of-age ceremony.

He Qinglan politely drank a glass of wine.

Then came table after table of colleagues.

As glasses clinked, everyone offered their sincere blessings.

"Wishing General Ning a bright future!"

"I hope you can capture Jinzhou soon!"

"I hope we can spend the Spring Festival in the capital next year! You have to keep it up!"

The scene was filled with laughter and joy.

In Maozhou, Sun Yannan first received a letter from Zhao Lin.

Zhao Lin couldn't stand by and watch He Qinglan's power grow stronger. She already controlled three prefectures—Anling, Sifang, and Yuanxi—and had also conquered Xinyuan Prefecture! If he didn't stop her advance, he would have to watch her army besiege the city!

Sun Yannan used Chaozhou as a bargaining chip to ensure that Lu Hong would not send troops, while he prepared to attack Anling.

Then, at that moment, two things happened.

One of their intercepted documents was a letter from Ye Hui to Lu Hong. In the letter, Ye Hui sincerely expressed her desire to form an alliance with Lu Hong and repeatedly advised him not to let Sun Yannan attack Jinzhou.

"...There is a strange woman in Anling County. If Sun Yannan gets her, he will have an endless supply of provisions, and you will no longer be his match!"

Sun Yannan crumpled the letter: Ye Hui, that woman!

She was clearly threatening him: if you dare to send troops to Jinzhou, I will immediately report it to Lu Hong.

Sun Yannan was well aware of her purpose. He Qinglan would not be Ningzhou's enemy in the short term. Ye Hui could tolerate her obtaining Jinzhou, but she could not tolerate Sun Yannan obtaining Jinzhou!

But Ye Hui… Sun Yannan sneered, “You can let He Qinglan grow stronger, but I really can’t just stand by and watch her get Jinzhou!”

If you dare to report this to Lu Hong, I will use your Ningzhou as bait...

However, news of the second matter reached Maozhou: Grand Commandant Yang Yun wanted to plot against Lu Wei, but instead fell into Xue Rang's trap. Yang Yun was so angry that he fell ill, and Lu Wei took the opportunity to seize power, suppressing the ministers who were close to Yang Yun, demoting some and imprisoning others.

Half a month later, Yang Yun died of illness, and the Yang family was forced to escort his coffin back to their hometown.

This news shocked the government and the public, and left the states in disbelief.

Xiao Yong frowned deeply, "Lu Wei is so heartless..."

Zhu Yunze laughed, "What are you talking about? When has Lu Wei ever shown any mercy to anyone?"

Xiao Yong sighed, "But that's the Grand Commandant." One of the Three Dukes, and he's only been promoted to Grand Commandant in half a month...

"Nowadays, the court is dominated by Lu Wei's absolute power."

Sun Yannan's expression darkened slightly. "Pay close attention to developments in the capital."

What people in Maozhou didn't know was that the first thing Lu Wei did after forcing Yang Yun to his death and cracking down on his political enemies was to launch a military campaign against Sun Yannan.

They intend to divert public pressure by taking back Maozhou and Liangzhou.

Coincidentally, Xue Rang's spies in Maozhou reported back that Sun Yannan was indeed preparing to attack Jinzhou.

Although it's unclear what treasure Sun Yannan actually wants in Jinzhou, this is an opportunity.

"We'll know when we capture Sun Yannan alive," Lu Wei said.

Xue Rang agreed wholeheartedly. Ultimately, no matter how precious the treasure, it couldn't compare to the two prefectures of Mao and Liang.

“But Lu Hong…” Xue Rang looked at Lu Wei, “was it bribery or…”

Lu Wei sneered dismissively, reminding him, "Lu Hong's uncle is a greedy and cowardly man."

Xue Rang understood, "I'll do it right away."

Since Lu Hong was going to just watch Sun Yannan attack Jinzhou, he might as well just watch them attack Maozhou as well.

Lu Wei said, "The situation in the court has been turbulent lately. Keep a close eye on things. Kill anyone who disobeys. Don't leave any future troubles."

Xue Rang agreed, "Yes, please rest assured."

Lu Wei nodded in satisfaction. Xue Rang had never made a mistake in his work, and he trusted him completely.

He then said, "You take care of the affairs of the court. I will lead my troops south. Once I defeat Sun Yannan, I will promote you to Grand Commandant!"

Xue Rang smiled and said, "Thank you, Father-in-law."

Outside the study.

Lu Yingfang waited under the eaves with a bowl of soup, waiting for her father and husband to finish their conversation.

Her brother, Lu Chaocong, passed by, glanced at her carrying the soup, then at the closed door of the study, and couldn't help but sneer, "My sister is really virtuous, but I wonder if your husband appreciates it."

Lu Yingfang glanced at Lu Chaocong but ignored him.

Lu Chaocong was furious. His father valued Xue Rang highly and promoted him to the position of Minister of Works. Even his own son was not as good as him!

Everyone, from the government to the public, said that although Lu Wei had a mediocre son, he was very lucky to have such a capable son-in-law.

Thinking about all this, he was both angry and regretful, "I shouldn't have..."

Lu Yingfang was quite helpless. Her brother was both incompetent and petty, so she advised, "Brother, our husband is family with us, and we are all working for Father's cause. Instead of wasting your time being jealous of our husband, you should do more for Father."

"If in the future... you are your father's only son, and your husband will only be your son-in-law after all!"

Lu Chaocong: "..." He sneered.

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Author's Note: 1. Note 1: From Baidu Encyclopedia