Chapter 338 Welcome
Xia Zhengqi waved his hand and said, "Drive the Donghua Gate!"
"All princes, nobles and ministers, all go up to the Donghua Gate tower to welcome the triumphant return of the army!"
After saying this, Emperor Mingxi took the empress's hand and walked out slowly.
The empress also wore a solemn bright yellow dress today, and a golden crown inlaid with oriental pearls on her head.
The dress was embroidered with auspicious patterns of dragons and phoenixes with gold thread, and it looked dazzling under the sunlight.
The eunuchs had already lined up in an orderly manner and led the way in front.
The emperor and empress held hands and got on a gorgeous and wide sedan chair. Eight sedan chair bearers carried the sedan chair forward in high spirits.
Looking behind the Emperor and Empress' sedan chair, the princes also lined up and followed with their heads held high.
The younger Seventh and Eighth Princes were carried by eunuchs.
The five princes were all dressed in bright yellow formal attire that was worn on important occasions such as the New Year.
Behind the princes were more than twenty princes, dukes, and marquises living in the capital.
Further behind them were more than thirty officials with official positions above the third rank.
The princes and ministers were also dressed in brand new court robes, their official hats were straight, and their bodies were spotless. Each of them was in several times better spirits than when they usually went to court.
On both sides of the team, there were also many eunuchs and palace maids following.
The whole team had more than a hundred people, walking on the wide and flat palace road of the imperial palace, looking very grand and majestic.
Because they walked very slowly, it took nearly two quarters of an hour for the team to reach the Donghua Gate.
Everyone climbed up the tower according to their rank.
The emperor and empress sat in the middle, and the others stood on both sides with their hands hanging down.
Looking down at the tower, there were more than a hundred lower-ranking officials wearing blue and green court robes.
The space on the tower was limited and could not accommodate all the princes and ministers. The low-ranking officials were not qualified to climb the tower and had to line up and wait under the tower.
Under the wall of the tower, there were two rows of Akabane soldiers wearing armor and holding swords. They were dressed in golden armor, and each of them held a colorful flag in their hands, and the colorful flags fluttered in the wind.
Next to the Akabane soldiers, there were dozens of musicians dressed in red, standing in a neat row.
They were holding suonas and shengs in their hands, or holding copper gongs in both hands, and placing big drums in front of them.
Everyone stood in neat rows, and looking down from above, it seemed grand and magnificent.
"It's really lively today!" Seeing this scene, the fifth prince couldn't help but whispered to the sixth prince next to him.
The Sixth Prince echoed, "When the army arrives, the musicians will play music, and it will definitely be more lively."
The Fifth Prince bit his lip excitedly, but then he seemed to suddenly remember something and was stunned for a moment.
"Little Six, where is the Ninth Sister? Why can't I see her?" The Fifth Prince glanced around in confusion.
At the same time, at the Zhengyang Gate of the capital, the Crown Prince was riding on a majestic white horse with a dignified manner, looking out of the city gate with joy.
In front of him, there was a little kid with a round face and big eyes.
It was Princess Anguo Xia Miaoyuan.
In order to show his respect for the triumphant return of the army, Emperor Mingxi ordered the Crown Prince to personally greet them at the city gate.
Originally, as a princess, Xia Miaoyuan should have been waiting on the city gate tower with the princes.
However, Xia Miaoyuan missed the second prince and her grandfather very much, and she was also a person who loved to join in the fun, so she begged Emperor Mingxi the day before to allow her to go with the prince to greet him at the city gate.
Emperor Mingxi was a daughter slave, so he naturally agreed to her daughter's request.
So, early this morning, Xia Miaoyuan dressed up and went to the city gate with the prince.
Today, Nanny Li specially dressed Xia Miaoyuan in a bright red skirt.
In order to facilitate riding on the horse, Nanny Li did not put a golden crown on her, but combed her hair into a hanging bun with two pearl flowers made of gems on it.
The prince also dressed up today, wearing a bright yellow four-clawed dragon robe, a jade belt around his waist, and a purple gold crown on his head.
With this outfit, the prince's already handsome face looked even more graceful, like a dragon and a phoenix.
The handsome and noble young man, holding a delicate little baby in his arms, was simply shining wherever he went, making people want to take a few more glances.
[Oh, why haven't you come yet! My butt is numb from sitting.]
Xia Miaoyuan looked out of the city gate anxiously, impatient.
"When will the eldest brother, the second brother and grandfather arrive?"
The prince smiled slightly: "Miao'er, don't worry! We came a little early, so we have to wait a little longer."
At this time, on both sides of the city gate, people moved and gathered densely packed crowds.
The people heard that the army was going to return in triumph, and they were very excited. They came to the city gate early in the morning to wait.
Those who came early occupied the advantageous terrain at the city gate, and those who came late could only stand inside along the main street.
Xia Miaoyuan sat on a tall horse and looked into the city. The crowds on both sides of the mainland were endless.
[Oh my god! There are so many people today!]
Looking more carefully, many people in the crowd were holding things in their hands.
Bamboo baskets filled with dry grain, fresh fragrant fruits, and baskets of eggs.
There were also some young girls holding flowers in their hands.
Xia Miaoyuan was stunned.
[Wow, I didn't expect that the people of the capital would be so enthusiastic about the army returning to the court!]
The two gatekeepers next to the prince looked at the onlookers and couldn't help but exclaimed.
The tall one sighed, "Since the reign of Emperor Taizong, Daxia has never seen such a beautiful scenery again."
"I never thought that I would be able to see such a beautiful scenery in my lifetime!"
The short one echoed, "Who said it wasn't?"
[I remember reading in a book that when Emperor Taizong of Daxia was in power, the army was strong and the treasury was full, and the tribes in the northern border did not dare to invade.]
【At that time, several neighboring countries were also well behaved. 】
【Later, the power of Daxia became weaker and weaker. By the time of my father, Daxia was so weak that it rarely sent troops to fight. 】
【As a result, only small tribes like the Xiaolin tribe were willing to submit to them. The powerful tribes in the northern border would invade the northern border from time to time and plunder food and cloth. 】
【This time, Daxia took the initiative to help the Xiaolin tribe unify the northern border. This was simply a great honor! 】
【That's why the people welcomed the army so enthusiastically! 】
Xia Miaoyuan was sighing in his heart, and he heard a hurried sound of horse hooves, and a fast horse came in a hurry.
A soldier jumped off the horse.
The soldier bowed to the prince and said, "The Grand Marshal and his men will be at the city gate soon!"