Chapter 3 First-Class Earl of Loyalty and Bravery, Vice Minister of War, Presents Captives at the Meridian Gate...

Mu Chuan entered the city.

Andingmen is located in the northeast corner of the Imperial City. They need to go south, then west to Zhengyangmen, all the way to the center of the Imperial City, and then north to Damingmen.

Continuing north, passing through Chengtianmen and Duanmen, you finally arrive at Wumen. The presentation of captives takes place in the large square in front of Wumen.

Mu Chuan was at the head of the convoy, with officials from the Ministry of Rites leading the way on both sides. Behind him was a prison cart specially used for display, in which the chieftain Hua Azan was imprisoned. Behind that were oxcarts carrying spoils of war specially presented to the emperor.

Next came several horse-drawn carriages, and General Li sat inside one of them.

Behind them were fully armed soldiers, as well as prisoners whose status was not as high as that of Chief Ajarn.

Mu Chuan looked back.

On the way back to Beijing, Chief Hua Ajarn was the most comfortable, accompanied by two military doctors who ensured he would live to see the prisoners presented at the Meridian Gate.

What if I die?

Mu Chuan also asked General Li, and the answer was simple: "Find another prisoner to impersonate him."

However, once inside the city, the chieftain's situation became less comfortable. He was forced to kneel in the prison cart, while the prisoners behind him could at least sit.

Mu Chuan had a serious expression, and he would nod slightly when he made eye contact with the people.

The streets were bustling with activity, with many vendors setting up stalls. There were three vendors selling candied hawthorns on just one short street. As for throwing rotten vegetable leaves or rotten eggs, I didn't see any of that.

After all, eggs aren't cheap, so who would let them go bad?

Moreover, the courtyards in the inner city are not large. They are very stingy when planting ornamental trees, and the flowers are all grown in pots. There is no place to grow vegetables at all. The vegetables are all delivered from the outer city, which is also a considerable expense.

The caravan continued on its way, and soon disappeared from sight. Jia Baoyu sighed, "I've never seen such tall horses before; they're probably even taller than me."

No matter how much of a good-for-nothing Xue Pan was, he had seen more than Jia Baoyu. He thought for a moment and pondered, “It should be Nalima. It’s produced in a place called Napali, about half a month’s journey west from the coast of the Western Sea. They are not easy to raise. My father had considered raising them when he was alive, but they all died before the ship even reached the shore.”

Xue Pan invited Jia Baoyu to watch the spectacle, and naturally there were several guests accompanying him. At that moment, someone laughed and said, "Who cares if he's easy to raise or not? Since this person can be raised, eventually a few will emerge. If Second Master likes them, we'll find them for you."

With such a compliment, Jia Baoyu was no longer so dejected. Xue Pan poured him some tea and pointed to the still bustling street below: "It's quite crowded down there. Let's have lunch first."

Jia Baoyu nodded in agreement, but he still couldn't stop thinking about the horse he had just seen: "Its legs are much thicker than other horses. I wonder how fast it can run. What a pity! They won't let me ride a fast horse."

"Even if you don't ride it, it looks impressive enough just sitting at home. And that general, he looks half a head taller than Brother Liu."

Xue Pan was short and stocky. Although he was already an adult, he was about the same height as Jia Baoyu, who was only seventeen years old, but much stronger.

Among the people they both knew, Liu Xianglian was half a head taller than them. Perhaps it was because he had studied opera diligently, but he also had an excellent figure, which always made people remember him fondly.

"Speaking of which... have you searched for him?"

Xue Pan shook his head in disappointment, and Jia Baoyu also sighed, picked up the wine pot, poured himself a drink, and drank it down in one gulp.

Just as the bell tolled at the hour of Wei (1-3 PM), the presentation of prisoners at the Meridian Gate began.

The large square in front of the Meridian Gate was packed with officials, and court musicians were playing music. In particular, the set of chime bells, which were two people tall, produced a melodious and clear sound that suited Mu Chuan's taste perfectly.

Skipping over the necessary procedures, all Mu Chuan had to do was "bring the prisoners forward." In reality, "bringing forward" meant escorting the prisoners, but the official documents all referred to it as "bringing forward." The problem was that the official who was explaining the process of presenting prisoners at the Meridian Gate was driven away by General Li, who had also said several times that "the emperor is easy to fool." So Mu Chuan actually brought the prisoners forward.

The guide next to him gasped and was about to step forward, but stopped after taking only a couple of steps.

General Mu is tall, imposing, strong, and robust; he is about to be ennobled.

—Anyway, it's the Flower Ajarn Chief who's the one who's embarrassed.

The guide stood obediently to one side and walked alongside him.

On the city wall, the emperor exclaimed in admiration: "What a valiant general! That chieftain has been a menace for many years. I thought he was very capable, but in General Mu's hands, he's like a cat, unable to even put his feet on the ground."

At this point, no one would be so tactless as to bring up the topic of "whether or not to mention it."

Grand Secretary Meng laughed and said, "It is a blessing for His Majesty to have such a valiant general."

The emperor said "good" several times.

Mu Chuan stopped, and it was time for the Minister of War to request the Emperor to deal with the prisoners. However, General Li had retired to his hometown, and the Emperor had proposed that he hold the title of Minister of War. So this time, it was General Li who spoke.

Although he was old and had many hidden injuries, he had to be full of energy for this occasion.

General Li shouted from below the city wall, and the emperor above heard him clearly.

How to deal with the prisoners was agreed upon long ago.

All of Hua Azan Tusi's subordinates were executed, but Tusi himself was pardoned and placed in the Hui Tong Guan Zhi Ning Yuan. In addition, the emperor said, "Tusi is old, so one of his sons is allowed to come to the capital to serve him."

This was also a calculated move, and Mu Chuan also played a part in it.

When he captured the chieftain Hua Ajarn, he also killed the chieftain's most capable son. Although he had more than a dozen sons left, they were all equally incompetent. Even if one or two were outstanding, they could not withstand the combined attack of the others.

With the emperor's words, and no one in charge, the remaining sons would have to be beaten senseless before they could choose one to be a hostage.

The chieftain was taken away by the officials, while the rest of the people continued inside to attend court at the Imperial Palace. This time, it was Mu Chuan and his group's turn to receive their rewards.

The two commanders, General Li, were granted the title of Marquis of Dingnan and the honorary title of Minister of War, while Mu Chuan was granted the title of Earl of Zhongyong and the honorary title of Vice Minister of War. In addition, there were also honorary titles bestowed upon their ancestors.

Mu Chuan's father, Mu Dazhuang, who was illiterate, is now a third-rank official, while his grandfather, who starved to death because his family couldn't afford to pay his corvée labor, is a fifth-rank official.

Those who made the greatest contributions were rewarded in the main hall in front of the emperor, while the rest were outside where officials read out the imperial edicts.

After Mu Chuan and General Li finished expressing their gratitude, the emperor smiled and said, "Please come with me to the Imperial Study. The battle report is vague, and I would like to hear it more carefully."

The two continued to follow them inside.

As soon as the emperor entered the imperial study and sat down, he felt a sudden chill run down his spine.

At first, he was on the city gate tower, and Mu Chuan was below. Mu Chuan could only tell that he was tall by comparing him with the officials next to him, but he couldn't tell exactly how tall or big he was.

Next was the main hall, where the dragon throne was on the platform, and Mu Chuan was still below, though he was stronger than everyone else in the hall.

Now we've arrived at the Imperial Study...

"How did you grow so tall, my dear minister!"

Not only is it tall, but it also has broad shoulders; it can block out the sun when it stands in front of the window.

"Thanks to the general's kindness, I, Xu Chen, have a full stomach."

Mu Chuan's answer was somewhat opportunistic. He had just arrived in the capital and did not know what kind of person the emperor was, so he planned to test the waters little by little.

The emperor laughed and asked General Li, "You submit memorials every year saying that there is not enough military rations, is it all to support him?"

Although General Li had long said he wanted to scold the officials who embezzled their provisions, his words were not as sharp when addressing the emperor.

"If we had more military rations, we could support a few more General Mus."

The emperor smiled again.

Upon his return and first audience with the Emperor, General Li was certain that the Emperor had made room for him. He intended to give Mu Chuan more opportunities, and after only a few words, he apologized, saying, "I am old and wish to use my seniority to ask for leniency. I must go back and rest."

The emperor then bestowed upon him some calligraphy, paintings, jade artifacts, gold, silver, and jewels before ordering the eunuchs to escort him out.

Now only Mu Chuan was left in the Imperial Study.

With no one else around, the emperor glanced at him, then looked at him again, walked over and patted him on the shoulder, remarking with the same words of admiration: "My dear minister, you are indeed very robust."

Mu Chuan then took the opportunity to boast a few words, such as how he had smashed open the gate of the chieftain's earthen building by carrying a log, and how he could draw a bow with a draw weight of four stones. While ordinary cavalry could shoot arrows thirty feet, his bow could shoot one hundred feet, and so on.

The language was simple, yet the boasting was quite direct. The emperor was full of praise and exclaimed repeatedly, "My dear minister, you alone are worth an entire army!"

Mu Chuan also began to exert some influence on the emperor.

It certainly fits the stereotype of those in positions of power.

Having never left the imperial city, he was somewhat naive, not to the point of being indifferent to the idea of ​​"why not eat meat porridge?", but he also had little understanding of the word "suffering".

The atmosphere was just right when the emperor suddenly asked, "Why aren't you wearing the same armor as when you entered the city?"

That was definitely intentional.

Mu Chuan hesitated for a moment and said, "I want the people to know that Your Majesty has it not easy, but I don't want Your Majesty to know that we have suffered."

The emperor was taken aback, his face showing a mixture of ecstatic joy and a forced restraint: "I know you have it tough, and I know you have worked hard."

He gently stroked Mu Chuan's brand-new, still-reflective armor and said, "Send the old one into the palace. I'll put it in my study as a reminder."

"Isn't that great? We're officially registered before the Emperor." Mu Chuan thanked him and said, "Having His Majesty is a blessing for the common people."

The emperor was very pleased and a little proud. He straightened his back and asked Mu Chuan, "How old are you, my dear minister?"

Strictly speaking, he is twenty-five, but if we say he is twenty-five, it will inevitably be mentioned that he was only fourteen years old when he served in the military, which violates the laws of the Great Wei Dynasty. Mu Chuan plans to use this age to frame people, so he does not intend to reveal it now.

"Your Majesty, it's the 27th. My birthday is at the end of May."

"Two years younger than me?" The emperor exclaimed in surprise, then laughed. "The borderlands are bitterly cold, exposed to wind and sun—Quan Furen, go and fetch some of the finest fragrant ointment. Apply it frequently, and it will heal in a year or two. Once you've recovered, I'll arrange a marriage for you!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Mu Chuan neither declined nor feigned modesty, and readily agreed: "Your Majesty, I like beautiful girls."

The emperor felt something was off. Mu Chuan was clearly talking about lust, but his expression was too serious and solemn. It should have been embarrassing for the two of them, but the emperor had to bear it all alone.

He immediately changed the subject to a more serious one: "Generals die in a hundred battles, and brave soldiers return after ten years. My dear minister, you have been at the border for more than ten years. Come back and rest well first. I will find you a suitable position."

The title of Vice Minister of War bestowed by the imperial court was merely an honorary one; the actual duties still awaited the emperor's decision.

But this was a good sign for Mu Chuan, proving that the emperor did not intend to keep him in a high-ranking position, but rather to give him a real post, which was why he needed to weigh the options. The longer the weighing took, the higher the official rank would be.

However, he couldn't be too obvious in front of the emperor, so Mu Chuan thanked him and said, "I'm taking care of things at home; it's been almost eleven years since I've been back."

"I have also prepared some things for you." The emperor handed him a wooden plaque inlaid with ivory, which Mu Chuan accepted respectfully.

"It's already October. By this time, most of the charcoal in the capital has been ordered. Buying more later will cost several times more. If you don't have enough charcoal at home, just go to the Imperial Household Department to get some. Just take this token; it's inlaid with ivory and can get you the best silver wire charcoal."

A slight smile appeared on Mu Chuan's originally dignified face, and he seemed to relax a bit, which gave the emperor a sense of satisfaction.

"I used to be at home..." Mu Chuan recalled, "I was the one who chopped the firewood. It was very heavy, and my shoulders were scraped many times." He felt that the emperor seemed to like these small things, so he raised his hand to show the emperor: "These are the scars I got from chopping firewood back then."

Both were willing, and the atmosphere became more and more harmonious. The emperor said three times, "Quan Furen, send General Mu back."

He failed to leave three times and stayed each time.

After a long pause, the emperor sighed and said, "General, you are wearing heavy armor and it is not comfortable for you to sit. I am only making things difficult for you by keeping you here. Quan Furen, escort General Mu back."

On his fourth attempt, Mu Chuan finally left the Imperial Study, but he was immediately blocked by a eunuch.

"General Mu, the Emperor Emeritus requests your presence."

The emperor's personal eunuch, Quan Furen, immediately changed his expression.

Oh no, the retired emperor is trying to steal my man again.

A note from the author:

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