Border guards need to be rotated every year to prevent them from being stationed for years and becoming destitute.
The approximately 30,000 troops who returned victorious this year were to be exchanged with the 30,000 new recruits who had just been trained in the capital. The rotation would take place again when the next batch of recruits was trained.
Only those who have experienced the bloodshed of the battlefield can be forged into soldiers with unwavering integrity and courage.
Even without expert comparison, a discerning ordinary person can sense the chilling and murderous aura of the soldiers on their tall horses with just a glance.
They were serious and reserved, cautious in their words and actions, and moved with perfect straightness and uniformity.
Passersby couldn't help but stop and stare, deeply moved and filled with awe.
When Jiang Sheng and Madam Jiang arrived, they were greeted by this neat and tranquil scene.
There was no sweet chatter like when the top scholar paraded through the streets, nor the joyous atmosphere of the New Year. Everyone present had a solemn expression, and some even had tears in their eyes.
It is a chilling infection, and also... the blood-stained gauze, the one-armed or one-legged boy, the soldier with one eye missing, and the wounded so weak that they need help.
Jiang Jizu, who was in the lead, was tall and upright. His chest was wrapped in thick gauze, and his thick beard could not hide his pale lips. There were also new scars on his cheeks.
No wonder Grandmother said not to be sad. She had seen countless family members covered in wounds before, and she knew that no soldier returned unscathed.
Does winning a war mean it's no longer a war?
Where there is fighting, damage is unavoidable.
"Father," Jiang Sheng murmured softly, her large eyes filled with tears that slid down her cheeks with a gentle blink.
As if sensing something, Jiang Jizu, riding his tall horse, turned around and accurately spotted his little girl in the crowd.
He grinned, but then he saw those crystal-clear tears. He felt a pang of panic and unease, yet he couldn't bring himself to comfort them.
Fortunately, Madam Jiang reached out and patted her granddaughter's shoulder.
Looking further ahead, Jiang Chengyuan's left leg was injured, Fang Heng's right hand was wrapped in bandages, and all six pieces of ginger were wrapped in gauze to varying degrees. Fortunately, they were all neatly dressed and no limbs had been lost.
Jiang Sheng breathed a sigh of relief, buried her face in her grandmother's arms, and remained speechless for a long time.
"Alright, alright, they'll go home after they finish their duties at the palace," Old Madam Jiang coaxed softly. "Don't be sad because of the injuries. It's good that they're back, isn't it?"
Jiang Sheng did not speak.
She rushed back to the Jiang family as quickly as possible. She regretted having put her father in a slightly less important position earlier. She waited for an unknown amount of time before Jiang Jizu, dressed in full armor, finally appeared in front of the mansion gate.
"Father!" Jiang Sheng cried out and leaped over to him.
Whether the armor was dirty or not, or how much beard Father had, it no longer mattered.
She was like a small sack, clutching his armor, yet afraid to touch his wounds, her arms stiff, making it look from a distance as if someone was sandwiched between them.
"You silly child," Jiang Jizu chuckled. "Wait until your father takes a bath and shaves."
Jiang Sheng then let go of his hand and discovered that his two older brothers were standing behind him.
“I knew my sister would be here.” Jiang Chengyuan was incredibly excited. “A bet is a bet. Let me play with the blade you seized from the Tartars.”
"Here you go, here you go." Fang Heng looked disgusted. "My sister came to see the General, not you. What's there to be so happy about?"
“That’s different. It shows that my sister still puts the Jiang family first.” Jiang Chengyuan rubbed his hands together and leaned forward expectantly. “Little Jiang, I heard you calling me ‘brother’ again at the gate of the imperial city the other day. When will you call me ‘brother’ again?”
After much anticipation and longing, he finally got to see this day.
"Brother, thank you for coming back alive." Jiang Sheng's eyes were red. "I've decided not to hold it against you anymore. As long as you're alive, that's enough."
Even though it was such a moment to be proud of, Jiang Chengyuan couldn't help but have his eyes turn red.
With no other option, he turned around and punched Fang Heng.
Fang Heng, "..."
Fortunately, Old Madam Jiang sent Tan Yue over. "Young masters, please stop catching up and quickly change your clothes and wash up. Young Master Fang, don't worry, the Jiang family has prepared everything for you."
Jiang Chengyuan turned and left, determined to accompany his sister with a handsome and dashing demeanor.
Fang Heng hesitated for a moment, "I think... I still have some things to take care of."
He wanted to deal with it when he returned to Beijing last time, but had to leave due to the urgent situation of the war. Now that he has finally returned in triumph, his eagerness is understandable.
The second branch of the Fang family is still in prison awaiting execution.
"Third Brother, that's not right of you." Jiang Sheng raised her chubby index finger. "You're a general now. Fifth Brother will definitely reward you with a special title for this great victory. If you don't act like a young general now, when will you?"
Fang Heng suddenly realized what was going on, stopped hesitating, turned around, washed up, and changed into his brocade robe.
When he came out again, the young general with handsome features stood tall and strong, his body lean yet powerful. He wore a highly saturated indigo brocade robe, with a crystal-clear Fangjia jade pendant hanging at his waist.
The young master Fang from back then has finally returned.
He once praised Man Fengjing and was called the successor of his general father. Later, his family suffered a great change and he wandered aimlessly in the mountains and fields. There, he met his dearest relatives and found a bright future.
He didn't climb the ladder by stepping on the glory of his ancestors; he proved with his solid footsteps that ordinary people can also earn their own future.
Finally, he achieved great success and stood tall and proud.
He now wants to ask the truth on behalf of his mother who died unjustly, and on behalf of his naive self back then.
The scene he had dreamed of for many years was about to come true. Even the bold Fang Heng couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive. But when he opened the door and saw his siblings standing in a row outside, he shook his head and laughed.
Xu Mo, who works at the Crown Prince's residence, comes and goes freely; Wen Zhiyun, who runs his own clinic, does as he pleases; and Zheng Ruqian, who is in business, is panting heavily. These are all fine, but how come they can all sneak out to the long banquet in the Eastern Palace?
“Third Brother, we’ll go with you!” Jiang Sheng jumped out. “Second Brother is so lucky. He heard the news of the army’s triumphant return on the way to transport the gold bricks. He’s finally caught up with the army.”
"Yes, yes, I almost missed the excitement." Zheng Ruqian was still catching his breath.
Then he received disdainful looks from his siblings.
"Let's go, to the Fengtian Prefecture prison." Jiang Sheng turned around, raised her hand, and said, "Let's go!"
With the Crown Prince and his token, they had no trouble traveling.
The brother and sister stood a little further away, leaving the spotlight to Fang Heng and the disheveled second branch of the Fang family.
Fang Huai-ren, the once arrogant and powerful minister of the Fang family in the imperial palace, now lies on a straw bed, barely clinging to life.
At first, he didn't notice Fang Heng until the second son of the illegitimate family in the cell next door started begging for mercy and even knelt down. Only then did he look over.
Under the dim light of the oil lamp, the boy's shadow overlapped with that of an old friend. His eyes, which had not eaten for a long time, began to darken, and his ears roared with the sound of a thousand armies.
"Big brother..." he crawled over, "Big brother, is that you? Big brother, brother."
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