Jiang Shaoyun, a martial arts champion at the age of eighteen or nineteen, was once a rising star.
He passed the imperial martial arts exam with top honors and was appointed as a third-rank imperial bodyguard. He also returned to his hometown in great style to pay homage to his ancestors.
As you grow up and enter officialdom, many things become beyond your control.
Shao Yun's biggest regret was not being able to attend his younger sister Chu Yue's wedding, not being able to watch his sister get married, and not being able to pull Gu Zheng aside and make him call him brother.
Fortunately, after getting married, Chuyue lived a good life, traveling around with Gu Zheng.
During his time on duty at the palace, Shao Yun was careful and cautious, avoiding getting himself into trouble.
While on duty, he got to know many sons of powerful and wealthy people in the capital. Shao Yun kept in mind his parents' teachings and did not go to places he should not go.
Gambling, prostitution, and drug use are absolutely prohibited.
Shao Yun didn't take it to heart at first, but after witnessing the dissolute behavior of a scion of a prominent family, he realized that not everyone is born needing to work hard.
They are born with everything: wealth and status, leaving them with no goals to strive for.
Especially for those prestigious families, there are many children, but only the eldest son and grandson can inherit the family business; the other children have no hope.
Shao Yun also realized that his family was different from others: there were no other children born out of wedlock, and his father only had his mother.
Since my elder brother got married, he has only had his sister-in-law and no other concubines or maids.
When his colleagues dragged him to a brothel and surrounded him by a group of beautiful women, Shao Yun didn't feel happy. Instead, he felt panicked and short of breath, which led him to flee in a panic.
Although he was laughed at by his colleagues for a few days, Shao Yun was still very happy that he stuck to his own opinion and did not follow the crowd.
As for his own marriage, his mother entrusted his sister-in-law to take care of it.
Shao Yun felt that her mother was the one who least wanted to leave home.
When I was little, I lived in Jiangjia Village. In my memory, my mother took great care of me, my brother, and my sister.
Living in the same courtyard, the older brothers and sisters of the uncle's family did not live as well as the siblings.
Later, my mother started growing watermelons, and they moved to the county town, and then to the prefectural city.
Finally, they settled in the prefectural city, and my mother rarely went out except to visit the estate.
She didn't like making all sorts of friends; the only one she kept in regular contact with was her eldest aunt.
However, Mother was not lonely; she managed her life very well.
After my elder brother got married, he and his wife took care of the household in the capital, while my parents stayed in the prefectural city.
My sister-in-law is a good person. Although she doesn't spend much time with my mother, for some reason, she is very close to her.
It's genuine closeness, not the perfunctory kind.
Twenty-year-old Shao Yun didn't understand the reason, but he was happy.
Later, by chance, he met Han Mingyue, the only daughter of General Han.
General Han is a third-rank general in the imperial court, a military general favored by the emperor.
Han Mingyue, the only daughter of the Han family, learned martial arts from her father from a young age, and was also forced by her mother to practice needlework and cooking. She was truly a remarkable woman who was skilled in both literature and martial arts.
Thinking back to the day they met, it was quite magical.
After finishing their shifts, several colleagues made plans to go horseback riding in the suburbs the next day.
In April, the willow branches in Beijing sprout new buds, and the weather is neither too hot nor too cold—perfect for horse racing.
The next day, Shao Yun, along with Li Qiang, the master and servant, led their horses out of the city gate to meet up with their colleagues.
At the agreed-upon location, other people were also out enjoying the spring scenery.
Shao Yun knew quite a few people, and they greeted each other, laughing and joking, which startled the birds in the tree away.
Once everyone had arrived and they were discussing the competition, Shao Yun learned that the woman in riding attire was General Han's daughter.
"Martial Arts Champion, shall we have a match?"
Is this a serious operation or just a casual stroll?
Shao Yun was taught from a young age not to look down on women.
"Of course we're serious. What, you look down on me?"
"No, I just don't know how good Miss Han's riding skills are, and I'm afraid I might accidentally hurt you."
"Don't worry, it's not certain who will get hurt yet."
Han Mingyue was full of confidence; her riding skills had been personally instructed by her father.
Both of them took it seriously, and the competition officially began.
Shao Yun's horsemanship was taught by a master from the Northwest Army's cavalry battalion, and it was quite good.
The two were evenly matched, making the onlookers tense.
Since returning to the capital, Han Mingyue hadn't had such a enjoyable horse race in a long time.
Shao Yun also felt exhilarated. As expected of the eldest daughter of a military general, the Han family's young lady's horsemanship was truly excellent.
The two ran to the finish line one after the other, and it was almost impossible to tell which was faster.
"Miss Han is amazing, I admire you!"
"You flatter me, Scholar Jiang. Your horsemanship is also excellent. We'll have another match sometime in the future."
Both felt that the trip was worthwhile, and they didn't interact much during the rest of the activities.
Later, General Han heard his daughter praising Scholar Jiang's excellent horsemanship and his respect for women, and he even thought that he would like to have a chance to test his martial arts skills with him.
What was said without malice may have been taken to heart by the listener.
General Han only has one daughter, and now that she's reached marriageable age, it's time to start planning her marriage.
He and his wife looked around, but couldn't find a suitable candidate.
Mingyue had followed them to the border region since she was a child, and she was rather free-spirited. Families in the capital with some standing would not genuinely accept such a daughter-in-law, nor would they want Mingyue to be ostracized in her husband's family.
Having formed an idea, General Han began to inquire about Jiang Shaoyun's situation in private.
The reply he received further appealed to him. The Jiang family was small, and most importantly, the mother-in-law was not around. The eldest brother and sister-in-law also had a good reputation.
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