Chapter 166 The capital, here I come.
Several days later, the convoy arrived in the suburbs of Beijing.
Banners fluttered ahead, and a group of officials in bright clothes were already waiting at the ten-mile-long pavilion.
The head of the Imperial Secretariat, dressed in scarlet official robes and holding an imperial edict, loudly proclaimed: "His Majesty decrees: Commander Xiao Yeming of the Linhai Navy has rendered meritorious service in suppressing the pirates and enhanced the prestige of our nation. Therefore, Your Majesty has specially dispatched us to the outskirts of the city to welcome the general's triumphant return!"
Its sound was like a booming bell, echoing across the fields.
Upon hearing the sound, Lu Zhaoruo gently lifted the curtain, and Wan Wanning behind her also eagerly peeked through the curtain.
Xiao Yeming immediately dismounted and led his personal guards to salute in unison to receive the imperial decree.
The honor guard sounded bells and drums in unison, and the soldiers stood tall and proud, their armor gleaming.
The roadside was already crowded with onlookers, and cheers and exclamations of admiration filled the air.
Wan Wanning was deeply moved, her eyes burning as she looked at Xiao Yeming.
Standing amidst a crowd in full military uniform, his tall and slender figure was receiving such a grand honor from the imperial court, making him seem like a hero straight out of a storybook.
Lu Zhaoruo, however, silently watched the grand spectacle unfold before her.
According to what he knew from his previous life, after this audience with the emperor, he would be appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of the Linhai Navy, holding the rank of fourth grade.
She clearly remembered that in her previous life, he was specially promoted to this position two years later, becoming the youngest naval commander in the region at the age of twenty-three.
In this life, however, he ascended to this high position two years earlier, at the young age of twenty-one.
She also recalled that in her previous life, when he was twenty-five years old, he personally led the "Tiger Wing Navy" on an expedition to the seven seas. After ten years of fierce fighting, he finally defeated the main force of the Japanese pirates.
The Emperor was overjoyed and exceptionally bestowed upon him the title of Marquis of the Seas, appointed him Grand Admiral of the Naval Forces of the Seas, and granted him the "Sword for Pacifying the Japanese Pirates," granting him the authority to execute first and report later, and to execute rebels, spies, pirates, and rioters...
However, Xiao Yeming was unable to return to receive his title at that time.
Historical records state that during the decisive battle, the enemy ships launched a desperate counterattack, and a "fire dragon" struck the stern, causing oil mixed with wood fragments to explode and scatter, turning into a rain of fire.
He plunged into the raging waves, and his fate remains unknown.
The chief historian eventually inscribed the three characters "Xiao Yeming" on the cold stone tablet of the Martyrs' Shrine.
It wasn't until ten years later that he returned to the capital, accompanied by the fisherwoman who had saved his life.
As for whether that woman had become Madam Xiao, Lu Zhaoruo had no way of knowing at the time.
Because she had already died in the woodshed that year.
In this life, when will his destiny of conquering the seven seas and fighting the great waves begin?
Lu Zhaoruo suddenly realized.
Having been reborn, almost a year has passed in the blink of an eye.
Lu Bohong, standing to the side, also looked at Xiao Yeming with burning eyes, his admiration evident in his expression, clearly regarding him as a role model.
Once the imperial edict was received, the ceremonial procedures were completed.
The Imperial Secretary smiled and stepped aside, gesturing with his hand.
Xiao Yeming mounted his horse and led his personal guards as the vanguard, followed by the imperial entourage and the Lu family's convoy. The procession, with its banners waving, was grand yet orderly, and slowly made its way along the wide official road toward the majestic gate of the capital.
The closer you get to the city gate, the more populated it becomes.
The roadside was crowded with onlookers, who stood on tiptoe to get a glimpse of the triumphant general and the majesty of the imperial procession.
A cacophony of exclamations and praises surged forth like a tidal wave.
As the ceremonial procession arrived at the majestic city gate, the once bustling crowd had already been directed to both sides of the official road by soldiers maintaining order.
Low gasps and whispers occasionally rose from the crowd, but no one dared to cross the line or disrupt the procession.
Above and below the city gate, the imperial guards, clad in armor and armed with weapons, stood in perfect formation, completely silent.
As Xiao Yeming's banner and the imperial procession drew near, the generals guarding the city gates were the first to clasp their hands and bow.
The soldiers behind him followed suit, not shouting in unison, but striking their armor with a resounding clang, silently giving a military salute.
Xiao Yeming sat upright on his horse, and amidst the gazes of the people and the solemn respect of his comrades, he calmly and slowly entered the city.
Ah Bao had already been clinging to the car window, his fluffy head peeking through the curtain, his bright green cat eyes darting around, curiously observing everything outside.
It made a soft gurgling sound in its throat, muttering, "Xiao Wuyun, I'm here. You wait, I won't allow you to die again in this life."
Dongrou walked alongside the carriage and couldn't help but turn her head to whisper into the carriage, "My lady, we're heading to the capital."
Lu Zhaoruo gazed calmly through the gently swaying carriage curtain at the massive city gate that was drawing ever closer, seemingly about to crush down.
The city walls, made of thick, bluish-gray bricks, were adorned with banners that fluttered in the wind. The soldiers guarding the city, fully armed and clad in armor, stood solemnly between the battlements, creating an imposing atmosphere.
She gazed at him quietly for a moment, her eyes calm as still water, but a slight ripple stirred within her heart: "Finally, we've arrived. The audience with the Emperor is imminent. I hope everything goes smoothly and I can receive an imperial decree... Only then can I truly establish myself."
Zhanfujun lowered her eyes and remained silent, her fingertips tightening subtly, creating fine wrinkles in the hem of her dress.
The closer she got to the city gate, the heavier her heart became.
Returning to the Marquis of Anguo's residence meant returning to those days of being subservient to others and walking on thin ice.
On the contrary, the few days of arduous travel and the time spent with Lu Zhaoruo, though simple, were a rare moment of ease and joy for her in recent years.
She even felt a pang of melancholy.
Why can't this road be a little longer?
Why can't this car go any slower?
Inside the carriage, Wan Wanning had already pulled the curtain wide open, leaning almost half her body out, her gaze sweeping intently over the crowd of people and carriages waiting by the soldiers who had been directed to the side of the road.
Along the roadside, various magnificent painted carriages awaited, and the pedestrians beside them were mostly dressed in silk robes, impeccably dressed, a stark contrast to the ordinary dust and grime of the roadside.
She spotted a young lady languidly extending half of her fair wrist from a nearby green-curtained carriage. On her wrist was a jade bracelet, lustrous and translucent, shimmering with a warm glow under the summer sun.
Wan Wanning's gaze was instantly drawn to it, and she quickly calculated its value in her mind...
Just then, she noticed a young man riding a fine horse standing not far away, watching.
He wore a brocade-patterned crown and a jade belt. Although his face was ordinary, his demeanor was elegant and his spirit was high. One glance revealed that he was a young man pampered by a noble family.
Perhaps her gaze was too conspicuous, for the young man turned his head and his eyes met hers. He then nodded and smiled slightly in her direction.
Wan Wanning felt her breath catch in her throat, her cheeks suddenly burning hot. She hurriedly pulled down the carriage curtain and shrank back into the shadows of the carriage.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she wondered whether the smile was meant for her or for the noble lady behind her.
"This is what the capital should be like..."
She touched her chest and sighed almost silently.
The latest rouge colors in the capital, the exquisite filigree gold hairpins in the flower crown shop, and the precious fabrics she couldn't even name—soft silk gauze, cloud-like silk… she was determined to own them all.
At this moment, she lifted the front curtain again, her gaze involuntarily drifting to the front of the procession, searching for that handsome and aloof figure.
Xiao Yeming.
If she could marry him, it would be a true ascension to heaven, stepping into the realm of clouds and rainbows.
If not... she would be willing to marry any of the noble young men in the capital as a concubine.
In any case, she would never return to Jizhou, nor did she want to live under Lu Zhaoruo's thumb as a so-called "adopted sister" who was subservient to her and treated like a maid!
She slightly raised her chin, feeling the breeze from the capital brush against her cheek, as if it also brought with it an aura of power and prosperity.
I've arrived in Beijing.
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