Chapter 237 – Court Celebrations

Helan Jingjiang walked out of the secondary gate with his household guards and waited at the entrance for his subordinates to bring his horse. He was dressed in the uniform of a military officer, and despite the falling snowflakes and the biting cold, he showed no signs of shivering. His figure was imposing and solemn, his face stern, and his staff, household guards, and attendants all saw him off at the gate.

A soldier from the gatehouse ran over to present him with an envelope. “General, this was delivered this morning. They said it’s for your eyes only.”

Helan Jingjiang casually opened it and glanced at the contents, his expression slightly colder. He asked the soldier, “Did the person who brought it say where it came from?”

The soldier shook his head. “They just said to wait for the General’s visit at the place written on the envelope after the birthday ceremony.”

Helan Jingjiang furrowed his brow tightly. A close aide among his staff asked, “General?”

Helan Jingjiang handed the letter to him. The aide opened it and read it, then frowned. “General, are you going?”

Helan Jingjiang replied, “Burn it. I’m not going.”

The aide asked, “Not even to see who it’s from?”

Helan Jingjiang let out a derisive laugh. “Everyone in court knows who’s responsible for the Helan family’s blood and my humiliation. But since the sender claims they can help me avenge my grievances, they must be planning to oppose the one above. Right now, my focus is solely on the border. Whatever they’re up to has nothing to do with me.”

The aide agreed, “It’s better not to go; it might be a trick.”

Another aide added, “Miss is currently leading the fleet back and forth overseas, and there are plenty of people trying to curry favor with you. The marriage proposals have piled up at the gatehouse. It wouldn’t be strange if someone genuinely wanted to get closer to you.”

Helan Jingjiang stated, “Regardless of whether it’s real or fake, we should ignore it.”

As he watched a subordinate lead over a gray horse, Helan Jingjiang looked surprised. “Where did this horse come from?”

His household guard reported, “General, your previous horse rode all the way from the border and needs a good rest. The stable master arranged for this replacement, a horse breed from Lucia gifted by Linhai Hou. They say it’s strong, fast, and taller than other breeds. Miss liked it and named it ‘Silver Wind’. She specifically instructed that it be kept for you.”

The violent mood stirred by the letter was suddenly soothed within Helan Jingjiang. He reached out to stroke the handsome gray horse, noticing that it was indeed taller than average horses, with an elegant physique. He mounted the horse and smiled as he said, “In recent years, I’ve received quite a few good things from Linhai Hou.”

All of his aides and household guards laughed. “If you came to the capital, why didn’t you pay a visit to thank him? Linhai Hou is now deeply favored by the Emperor and serves in the Military Affairs Office. Many people are eager to please him, yet you stay away.”

Helan Jingjiang’s smile faded. “We’re both military officers; it’s better to keep our distance. In many people’s eyes, Baoshi does business under Linhai Hou’s protection, so we already have a good relationship. We should avoid causing jealousy in the future.”

An aide commented, “It might be hard to avoid. I heard that General Sheng San is very persistent. This time, he even took the assignment to escort the fleet overseas, just to follow Miss around. He’s disregarding his promising future here.”

Helan Jingjiang replied, “My sister’s temperament is different from ordinary women. If she likes him, let her be. If she doesn’t, I doubt the Sheng family would insist.”

An aide suggested, “If you’re worried about suspicions… perhaps it’s best for Miss to keep her distance from the Sheng family? Otherwise, if there’s a marriage alliance, it might be seen unfavorably by those above…”

Helan Jingjiang reassured him, “Don’t worry. The one above is wise and perceptive; they won’t harbor unfounded suspicions.”

With a flick of his hand, he urged his horse forward and galloped towards the palace gates.

The aide who had asked earlier stood there, confused. He couldn’t help but ask a colleague beside him, “Why did he first say he was afraid of causing jealousy, then say that the one above is wise and wouldn’t harbor suspicions? Is he afraid or not?”

The colleague shook his head enigmatically. “There’s no emperor who rules forever. Now that the crown prince hasn’t been decided… times change. The General’s intention is still to watch over Miss. If she truly likes someone, a marriage alliance isn’t a problem. After all, Miss will eventually marry; how could she remain alone her whole life? Both the General’s and Miss’s marriages are matters of great interest in court, and Linhai Hou is a good choice.”

“But Linhai Hou is also a prominent candidate for a marriage alliance. It’s curious why he remains unmarried.”

“It’s best not to meddle too much in court affairs. Since the General returned to the capital to celebrate his birthday and report on his duties, it might be better for him to seek more opportunities to interact with Linhai Hou.”

==

At the grand hall of Taihe Palace, high-ranking officials of the third rank and above, along with tribute envoys, had already gathered. Under the direction of the officials of the Honglu Temple, they were standing in their respective positions.

Helan Jingjiang dismounted at Donghua Gate and walked in, finding the line of military officials. As he moved forward, he returned the salutes of the military officers who bowed to him. Soon, he reached the front and saw Wuying Gong talking to Linhai Hou. Several years had passed since he last saw Xu Houye, who now seemed taller and more graceful, and stood out from the crowd. His dignity was on par with Wuying Gong and Lei Ming, who were beside him.

He was somewhat perplexed and only heard that Xu Houye had established a base in Jinhaiwei. He approached them.

Xu Chun was listening obediently to Fang Zijing, his mind wandering and wondering about the three-day holiday for the Emperor’s birthday. Where should he and Brother Jiu go to play! With the snowfall, there was nothing fun to do at the country estate. Brother Jiu wasn’t well, so they couldn’t travel far in just three days…

Suddenly, he saw Fang Zijing turn his head. “General Helan.”

He turned and indeed saw Helan Jingjiang walking over, who had a clear and handsome face and sharp eyes. A smile immediately appeared on his face, and he clasped his hands. “General Helan! When did you return to the capital? I didn’t know.”

Fang Zijing sneered. “This is a return to the capital for duty, plus the Emperor’s birthday, so naturally, the Emperor approved his memorial requesting permission to celebrate in the capital. Linhai Hou is notoriously difficult to invite; everyone in the capital knows that. The mansion of the Duke of Jingguo is filled with invitations, but they can’t even get Linhai Hou to come. Perhaps the invitation from General Helan never even reached your eyes.”

Xu Chun felt a slight unease. He lived in the palace most of the time, and Brother Jiu had been sick, so he hadn’t returned to the mansion in recent days. It was possible that General Helan had sent an invitation that he hadn’t seen.

Fortunately, Helan Jingjiang clasped his hands in greeting and kindly explained, “I just arrived in the capital and knew that Xu Houye was busy, so I didn’t send an invitation to meet.”

Xu Chun breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. “General Helan is too polite. How about having a casual dinner tonight?”

Fang Zijing laughed coldly again for some reason.

Xu Chun suddenly remembered that it was Brother Jiu’s birthday tonight and hurriedly said, “I forgot I have another engagement tonight. Let’s reschedule. If General Helan is reporting for duty, you’ll probably stay until after the New Year, right? Unfortunately, Miss Helan has already left for the seas…” He clumsily brought up the topic of Miss Helan to divert attention.

Helan Jingjiang smiled. “No need to be polite, Xu Houye. Indeed, I’ll be staying until after the New Year. I appreciate your kindness. In a few days, when it’s convenient, I’ll invite Your Highness and Houye for a simple meal.”

Fang Zijing said, “After the Emperor’s birthday, Princess and I will return to Guangzhou to spend the New Year with my father. There’s no rush. You two can gather.”

Xu Chun became distracted. “Is Duke Wuying returning to Guangzhou for the New Year? Will Commander Fang also go back?”

Fang Zijing replied, “He bears the important responsibility of protecting the palace and guarding the palace gates. Naturally, he can’t leave the capital easily. This is standard procedure; it’s the same every year during the New Year. It’s fine.”

Xu Chun said wistfully, “Guangzhou must be warm at this time of year. If there’s a chance to travel there, it would certainly be comfortable.”

Fang Zijing said seriously, “If Linhai Hou wants to go, it wouldn’t be difficult. Why not accompany me to Guangzhou for the New Year this year? Traveling by ship is fast, and the entire Prefecture of Pingshan will welcome Linhai Hou’s visit. I guarantee you won’t regret it.”

Xu Chun waved his hand and saw the mocking smile in Fang Zijing’s eyes. He knew he was deliberately teasing him and felt uneasy again. However, he heard Lei Ming say, “Since it’s not a grand celebration this year, why are there still so many envoys?”

Fang Zijing curled his lips. “Isn’t it all due to Linhai Hou? They all swarmed here to negotiate trade ports. These days, we’ve been busy with this. We’ve only signed deals with a few, while the other foreign envoys are aimlessly wandering around the capital, hoping to find Linhai Hou and secure favorable trade agreements for themselves.”

For a moment, the group discussed the negotiations regarding trade regulations.

Helan Jingjiang listened quietly to their conversation, but his gaze fell on the four characters “Fenghu Yunlong” – Wind Tiger Cloud Dragon – on the waist ornament hanging from Xu Chun’s waist, lingering on it for a while.

Lei Ming wasn’t as familiar with him and assumed that his silence was due to not being able to join the conversation. Afraid of making him feel left out, Lei Ming, after all, knew that the Helan family was the primary guardian of the border region, smiled and asked him, “General Helan, why are you staring at Linhai Hou?”

Helan Jingjiang raised his eyes and smiled. “Nothing. I was just looking at the characters on Linhai Hou’s jade pendant. ‘Fenghu Yunlong’ is indeed auspicious. Clouds follow dragons, and winds follow tigers. Our court is indeed a gathering of talents, with the momentum of ‘Fenghu Yunlong.'”

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard Fang Zijing laugh again. He saw Xu Chun suddenly flush, his eyes darting, and he awkwardly raised his arm, using the wide sleeve to cover the jade pendant. He asked Helan Jingjiang, “General Helan, you mentioned wanting more horses last time. Wasn’t the previous batch enough? We’re currently conducting a thorough investigation of military equipment and actual troop numbers. How is the inspection on your side? Are there significant gaps? If you need anything, just let me know.”

Helan Jingjiang was somewhat puzzled, wondering if he had accidentally crossed a boundary, but he couldn’t understand what it meant. He replied to Xu Chun, “After discovering the loopholes in the military equipment, we conducted a strict inventory ourselves. Later, when the imperial inspection team arrived, they thoroughly checked everything again. Things are much better now. Currently, we plan to dismiss some of the old, weak, and sick individuals who occupy positions but don’t participate in training. Horses are still insufficient. Previously, we couldn’t afford to raise more due to the high demand for food. Recently, Baoshi sent a lot of food supplies, so it would be good to raise more horses.”

He didn’t realize that Xu Chun stood there, his expression stiff, feeling as if the jade pendant on his waist was scorching hot against his skin, wishing he could quickly hide it under his sleeve and take it off, but fearing that it would draw too much attention. He clumsily changed the subject, speaking incessantly, secretly regretting his actions.

He regretted not being firm this morning. Brother Jiu had merely kissed him gently, but he had given in out of soft-heartedness.

In recent days, due to Brother Jiu’s illness, he had exercised restraint, warning himself not to neglect Brother Jiu’s health and cling to him. However, today was the Emperor’s birthday, and Brother Jiu’s health had greatly improved. Dressed up, he looked splendid and came to kiss him, causing his heart to race. In the end, he couldn’t resist and indulged in some playful antics with Brother Jiu.

As he realized the time was running out, he hastily tied on the jade pendant, mistakenly taking Brother Jiu’s jade pendant and wearing it!

Many court officials had likely seen Brother Jiu’s jade pendant. If someone noticed… He felt feverish, his ears burning red.

Fortunately, the sound of cannons rang out, and music began to play. An official from the Honglu Temple shouted loudly, “Generations enjoy virtue, a model for all nations, the auspicious time has arrived! Civil and military officials, respectfully welcome the Imperial Presence!”

Amidst the cries of “Long live the Emperor,” Xu Chun saw the dragon carriage enter the front of Taihe Palace, marking the beginning of the Longevity Festival court celebrations.