Chapter 1, The Triumphant Return
Unexpectedly, that night, the Emperor discussed something with the Empress Dowager in the inner palace.
After a moment, there was a splash of water.
The Wei'an Wangfu received this tragic news, and the entire residence was engulfed in deep sorrow
The third aspect is his appearance; a dignified man, yet possessing an indescribable beauty that could captivate a nation. Notably, he once ventured to the most famous brothel in the capital, Chufeng Pavilion, to indulge in leisure. The extravagant sea merchant, unaware of his identity, was astonished by his beauty and, in a fit of admiration, spent lavishly, insisting on redeeming him with ten dou of pearls. Overwhelmed by the experience, he swore to the heavens that he would forever detest the Rabbit Lord and vowed never to set foot in a brothel again.
Xia Yujin is also a well-known figure in the capital, with three anecdotes in his life that people often talk about
Xia Yuque continued: "The Empress Dowager's decree is such that how can one not marry? Although it is said that she kills without blinking, and that she resorts to slaughter at the slightest disagreement, with thousands of captives being directly executed, flayed alive, and their blood drunk, after all, my second brother is her husband. Once she enters the family, she will surely temper her violent nature, adhere to the virtues of a woman, and diligently learn how to be a good wife, so there is no need for concern"
The Empress Dowager issued a decree, conferring the title of Prince of Nanping upon Xia Yujin, the second son of Prince An, and arranging for him to marry Lady Ye Zhao, the legitimate wife of Marquis Xuanwu
Xia Yujin's complexion was as dark as the bottom of a pot
The old man had long been somewhat senile, and he danced fiercely with his cane, roaring: "The Ye family has no daughters! Only sons who are not worth anything!"
In fact, everyone has heard various terrifying rumors about Ye Zhao, which are sometimes used in folk tales to scare children. The concubine, Yang, remained calm, her lips pale. The two secondary wives had long been frightened enough to abandon their aspirations for climbing the social ladder, clinging to his thigh, crying and pleading for their lives
First, there is his physical condition. Xia Yujin lost his father at a young age and has always been frail, nearly failing to survive on several occasions. The national master said that he lacked noble benefactors in his fate, so his mother took a concubine for him, a seventh-rank official's daughter with a noble aura, to bring him good fortune, but it was of no use. Later, an itinerant Taoist priest appeared from somewhere, providing him with a method for cultivating energy and a miraculous elixir, which astonishingly improved his condition.
There are various opinions
The Ye family can be considered a legend; since the founding of the nation, generations have served in the military, with a total of thirteen sacrificing their lives for the country, truly embodying loyalty and valor throughout the family, thus being granted the title of Duke of the State
He wrote to the ninety-eight-year-old elder of the Duke of Zhen Guo's family to inquire
Xia Yujin forcefully shook off their hands and rushed out of the room
Secondly, regarding his character, the Dowager Empress An lost her husband early in life and doted on her youngest son. Out of pity for his frail health, she indulged him excessively, which fostered a reckless and wild disposition. He spent his days associating with disreputable individuals, engaging in idleness, cockfighting, dog fighting, and cricket fighting, playing with cats and horses, and gambling with dice. He was a frequent visitor to brothels and stood out among the young rakes, being utterly incapable of anything other than play, and involved in every matter except for serious affairs.
Xia Yuque lowered her head in agreement, but in her heart, she felt that her second brother's reputation was too poor, with no one to assist him. The Empress Dowager had a penchant for matchmaking and was being used by the useless, filling the current void in front of her was also deserved. She also thought of her mother's longstanding favoritism, which brought her a sense of satisfaction. She then sighed and said: "Ye Zhao has been in the military for many years, and no one has discovered that he is a man. He must be tall and strong, with broad shoulders and a sturdy waist, sharp eyebrows and fierce eyes, right?"
Lady An, of the Zhang family, donned a long gown with a lotus green fish pattern, her head adorned with delicate silver ornaments that trembled slightly. She embraced the bewildered Xia Yujin and lamented, "My child, how unfortunate is your fate, to be entangled in such a troublesome matter? How can one possibly coexist with such a daughter-in-law?"
The Emperor has lost heart, and the civil and military officials have also lost heart
The Son of Heaven, in anger, issued a decree to reprimand.
The son of the Duke of the State, Ye Zhao, at merely sixteen years of age, volunteered to be the vanguard, leading five thousand iron cavalry to cleverly defeat the two hundred thousand troops of the Manjin, capturing the Manjin general Hu Hu Tie Er. Upon returning to the capital with the victory report, there was great joy, and Ye Zhao was appointed as the Zhenwei Cavalry Commander, but Ye Zhong declined the reward
Xuan'er is in a state of panic: "I... I am just a vixen. Shameless! You dragged me away to sell me after giving me a beating. It doesn't matter where I am sold, just spare my life... If I anger the young mistress, she said she would skin me alive, and she would do it herself!"
The Emperor splashed his most favored concubine, Song Guifei, with a mouthful of ginseng tea.
The joyous news arrived, causing great excitement in the capital. All the civil and military officials sang praises, eager to extol the Northern General as the greatest hero in the world.
Prince An, Xia Yuque, limped over with his injured leg from his early years and advised, "The Empress Dowager has stated that the Duke of Xuanwu is of unparalleled nobility, not someone that just anyone can propose a marriage to. This match was arranged with the help of the Empress, and even Concubine Song did not oppose it. Now that the imperial decree has been issued, marrying Ye Zhao is as certain as a nail on a board. Mother, it is best to comply with the decree."
Ye Zhong reluctantly accepted the imperial decree
Unexpectedly, another report was swiftly presented—General Xie En of the Northern Town requested to plead guilty, candidly stating that he was of the female gender
What should I do
The Emperor of the Great Qin Kingdom urgently appointed Ye Zhao as the Grand General of the Imperial Army, commanding him to return triumphantly to the court to receive his rewards
The Emperor is very pleased, the princes, dukes, and marquises, as well as their wives, are also very satisfied, and the unmarried princes, dukes, and marquises are even more pleased
The maid shouted: "Help! The young master has jumped into the lake!"
The entire nation was shocked, and there was an uproar.
Sigh
The world is once again astonished
Xia Yujin sneered: "Meiniang, didn't you say that apart from my heart, you want nothing else, and that you would serve the young mistress well in the future?"
Xia Yujin sneered again: "Xuan'er, didn't you say that you would share both joys and sorrows with me, and that even in death we would be together?"
The Empress Dowager is very pleased with this outcome
Ye Zhao is indeed a woman
The maid trembled all over: "It is my fault for seducing the young master, I acknowledge my mistake. Young master, considering that I have served you since childhood, please show great mercy. Even if you decide to throw me out and marry me off to Huang Ermazi from the lower quarters, I would accept it."
The ballads of the Manjin are being sung widely: "The King of Hell has arrived, the desert is red, the men of the northern desert turn to white bones, the children of the northern desert cry through the night..."
How could such a fellow be a woman? The Emperor held the memorial, reading it over and over more than ten times, trying to find any clues of forgery by the barbarian Jin people, but in the end, it left him quite disheartened
Afterward, Ye Zhao led two thousand cavalry to launch a night raid on Qiongzhou, setting fire to the Manjin granary and cutting off their retreat. The capital received the good news and was overjoyed, bestowing the title of Guerrilla General upon Ye Zhao, but Ye Zhong refused the reward. Later, Ye Zhao led twenty thousand troops to the battlefield at Muye, defeating over two thousand enemies and capturing three thousand, achieving a great victory. The capital received the good news and was overjoyed, bestowing the title of Loyal and Martial General upon Ye Zhao, but Ye Zhong refused the reward and submitted a letter stating that Ye Zhao did not wish to hold an official position in this life.
"No, I will not marry," Xia Yujin's expression darkened even further.
A year later, the Manjin gathered eight tribes nearby and set an ambush. The Qin army general Wang Shanshui fell into the trap and suffered a great defeat. Duke Ye Zhong, tasked with guarding the border, was mortally wounded by an arrow, while his eldest son Ye Xiong and second son Ye Jie were killed in battle. The Manjin slaughtered the city, and the Duke's wife, unwilling to suffer humiliation, took her own life on the spot. The world fell into chaos, the border was in urgent danger, and the capital was directly threatened. Ye Zhao inherited his father's ambitions and was appointed as the General of the Northern Town in a time of crisis. He led his troops into battle, launching a surprise attack on the Manjin's hundred thousand strong army with three thousand iron cavalry. He charged alone into the enemy ranks, killing thousands and beheading the renowned Manjin general Tatan. He made three incursions and retreats, instilling fear in the enemy. The Manjin were forced to retreat a hundred miles. He then moved to Gandu City, gathered thirty thousand cavalry, reorganized his forces, and launched multiple surprise attacks, encircling and annihilating the Manjin troops, resulting in rivers of blood, earning him the title of "Living King of Hell."
General Ye Zhao of the Northern Town fought for eight years, ultimately conquering the capital of the Western Barbarians, avenging past humiliations. Not only did he reclaim the territory, but he also compelled them to bow their heads and acknowledge their submission
Eight years ago, the barbarian Jin invaded, committing arson, murder, and plunder, and broke through the Eighteen States of Heishan. At that time, the Duke of Zhen Guo, the mighty General Ye Zhong, stationed in the northern desert, was ordered to lead an army of 300,000 to battle. Before his departure, the Emperor hosted a banquet at Qionglin Pavilion, bestowed him with a red document and an iron token, and granted him a plaque for his loyalty in serving the country
The noble lady An glared at him and said: "They all feel sorry for the children of our family and are unwilling to marry this living Yama back home. However, your father has passed away, and you are a cripple... unable to attend court. We cannot speak with authority in the court, so naturally, we can only pick the ripe persimmons... Poor my Yu Jin..."
On the second day, he resolutely dismissed any dissent, decisively made a decision, personally composed a poem to praise Ye Zhao's achievements, ordered Ye Zhao to escort the captives back to the capital, conferred upon him the title of Marquis of Xuanwu, appointed him as the Grand General of the Armies of the World, stationed two hundred thousand troops to guard the capital, and granted him various rewards
The Great Qin State has recently experienced a joyous event
Xia Yujin, due to her notorious reputation, has had her marriage delayed repeatedly. Now at the age of 22, she is matched with Ye Zhao, who is 24 years old, a man who has achieved considerable success but whose reputation as a woman is also not very favorable, making them a fitting pair.