Chapter 3: Returning Home, The Grand Ceremony
Chapter 3: Returning Home, The Grand Ceremony
Shen Gong’ao, the lord of Zhenhai City, had reached the peak of his life.
He stood nearly unmatched as the strongest warrior for a thousand miles around, not suffering a single defeat in over ten years.
All of Zhenhai City, along with its dozens of subsidiary islands, was his territory.
Guarding the Empire’s borders, fighting the armies of the Kingdom of Dali, he had won battle after battle and seized over ten cities.
Whether in personal duels or on the battlefield, he had remained undefeated for a decade.
Now, his family’s lands spanned thirteen thousand square kilometers, most of which he had personally seized from the Kingdom of Dali.
Over a decade ago, his fief had been barely one-tenth of its current size.
He commanded a powerful navy and a formidable mountain corps.
His achievements in ten years surpassed what his ancestors had accumulated over centuries.
He had killed countless people. For a thousand miles around, his name was used to quiet crying children; he was called the Bloody-handed Butcher.
For the past ten years, he had been a rising military star of the Empire.
He had territory, armies, and industries.
But…
His son, Shen Wuque, had been missing for eight whole years.
This matter had become a taboo subject within the Shen Clan.
…
Zhenhai City!
This was one of the southernmost cities of the Great Xia Empire, and also one of the important military strongholds of the Empire’s south.
This city had once belonged to the Ying Clan.
Southern Zhenhai and northern Yingzhou were once the two most important cities of the Ying Clan, with Yingzhou as the primary and Zhenhai as the secondary.
For centuries, Zhenhai City had been a major hub of maritime trade, flowing with mountains of gold and seas of silver.
And now, Zhenhai City belonged to Shen Gong’ao, along with over ten thousand square kilometers of territory, all now part of the Shen Clan.
When Yingque once again stood before the gates of Zhenhai City, he felt both familiarity and strangeness.
His own memories and Shen Wuque’s memories clashed together, creating a very peculiar sensation.
As a child, Yingque had preferred Zhenhai over Yingzhou.
Because Yingzhou was too serious, while Zhenhai was prosperous and lively, where he could see all sorts of foreigners. He remembered that the lord of Zhenhai City back then was his uncle, Ying Qu, a very interesting man who doted on Yingque immensely. It seemed he had an endless supply of gifts hidden behind him, always bringing a surprise for Yingque each time.
Immediately after, Shen Wuque’s memories surfaced.
This city held unpleasant memories for him, even very unpleasant ones.
His father Shen Gong’ao’s disappointed gaze, and the resolute turning away of the girl he dreamed of, occasionally floated into his mind.
He shook his head, discarding the memories belonging to himself, Yingque, letting Shen Wuque’s memories take over his mind.
From now on, I am Shen Wuque!
Only when I have killed all my enemies, reclaimed my family’s lands, and restored the glory of the Ying Clan will I have the right to take back the name Yingque.
…
This is a bit strange!
Zhenhai City was always very bustling, so why did it seem so quiet now? Why were the soldiers on the city walls so meticulous?
“Either come in or leave, don’t delay the ceremony.” Suddenly, a sharp shout came from the city wall.
Ceremony?
What grand occasion was today?
Wuque hurried through the city gate and immediately saw a grand spectacle.
The entire Zhenhai City was spotlessly clean. Crowds of people stood densely packed and neatly arranged on both sides of the streets.
The houses along the streets were covered with lanterns and pasted with red paper.
Inside the gate, countless official sedan chairs were lined up in perfect order.
There were also several hundred civil and military officials standing behind the sedan chairs. Were they waiting to welcome someone?
“Hurry, get into the crowd.” Several warriors came over, casually dragging Wuque into the crowd.
“Watch the ceremony quietly. Kneel when told to kneel, shout when told to shout, be silent when told to be silent.” After giving the order, the officer left.
A moment later!
The sound of hoofbeats rang out. A rider, bearing a banner with a large “Shen” character written on it.
“Grand Governor of Southern Conquest, Lord Shen Gong’ao, is already within ten miles!”
Immediately, a high-ranking official in purple robes stepped out of a sedan chair and said, “Everyone, follow me out of the city to welcome the Grand Governor.”
Over a dozen high-ranking officials descended from their sedan chairs, leading several hundred civil and military officials in a grand procession out of the city gate.
They waited a full two more hours.
The entire ground began to tremble, growing louder and stronger.
This was the sound of countless warhorses pounding the earth; it was a powerful cavalry, too many to count.
“Grand Governor of Southern Conquest, Count of Zhenhai, Shen Gong’ao has arrived!”
“The Triumph Ceremony officially begins!”
“Play the music!”
Immediately, majestic music sounded, performed by a large orchestra of over a hundred people.
A majestic and imposing carriage, pulled by six magnificent warhorses, slowly approached.
Shen Gong’ao pushed open the carriage door and slowly stepped out.
The carriage was enormous; he stood upon it like a towering pillar of jade.
Several hundred officials bowed and said, “We congratulate the Grand Governor on his triumph.”
Next, a eunuch stepped forward, followed by dozens of junior eunuchs.
“By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor Proclaims!”
Immediately, all officials present, tens of thousands of soldiers, and tens of thousands of commoners knelt uniformly.
“Grand Governor Shen Gong’ao is in full armor; he need not kneel to receive it,” the Grand Eunuch proclaimed loudly.
Shen Gong’ao descended from the carriage and knelt like a toppling jade pillar.
Several eunuchs rushed forward to prevent him from kneeling but could not stop him at all.
Shen Gong’ao kneeled on one knee.
All officials present knelt fully, including the Governor, yet Shen Gong’ao remained only half-kneeling.
“By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor Proclaims: Grand Governor of Southern Conquest Shen Gong’ao, for this southern expedition against the Kingdom of Dali, has achieved remarkable merit, seizing over ten cities and expanding the territory by hundreds of li. He is a model for the Empire’s generals. He is hereby enfeoffed as Marquis of Zhenhai, with the title hereditary in perpetuity. So ordered!”
“Thank you, His Majesty! Long live the Emperor, ten thousand, ten thousand years!”
Instantly, countless gazes filled with envy.
Shen Gong’ao was directly enfeoffed as a Marquis!
One must know that aside from the founding of the Empire, over the following centuries, becoming a Marquis was the pinnacle. Unless one performed immortal feats, it was nearly impossible to be enfeoffed as a Marquis.
Several eunuchs stepped forward and immediately helped Shen Gong’ao change into the Marquis’s python robe.
They also presented the new seal of the Marquis of Zhenhai.
After completing all this, the Governor of Tianshui Province stepped forward, bowed, and said, “Brother Shen Gong, you have had a hard journey. This battle is truly a rare great victory for our dynasty in decades.”
Shen Gong’ao: “Thank you.”
Governor Fu Jianzhi said: “Marquis of Zhenhai, please mount the carriage. I will hold the reins for you.”
Shen Gong’ao: “I dare not.”
Governor Fu Jianzhi said: “You dare, you dare, you dare!”
Shen Gong’ao did not decline further. He directly boarded the carriage. Governor Fu Jianzhi actually mounted the driver’s seat of the carriage, took up the reins, and drove the carriage carrying Shen Gong’ao into the city!
Immediately, the music changed to “The Vast and Gracious Favor of Heaven.”
Several hundred civil and military officials ran behind the carriage, following it.
Over a thousand cavalrymen controlled their horses, marching in precise steps, escorting Shen Gong’ao into the city.
Such majesty, such splendor, such glory!
Truly the peak of life.
A true man should be like this.
Wherever Shen Gong’ao’s chariot passed, the people on both sides of the road knelt down.
“Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!”
“Victory to the Marquis of Zhenhai! Victory to the Marquis of Zhenhai!”
The sound thundered to the heavens!
Half of this was organized, but the other half came from genuine awe and reverence.
In recent years, Shen Gong’ao’s name was absolutely thunderous, even striking fear into people’s hearts.
Countless people knelt on both sides, looking up at Shen Gong’ao, majestic, bathed in sunlight, like a god of war.
Everyone knelt. Only one person did not kneel!
That was Shen Wuque!
His refusal to kneel made him stand out all the more, especially since he was exceptionally handsome and stood elegantly like jade.
Several officers, seeing this, became angry. They moved forward on their knees, intending to force Shen Wuque to bend his knees.
Shen Gong’ao turned his head and saw Shen Wuque. He couldn’t help but be startled; the muscles at the corner of his mouth even twitched slightly.
This… this is Wuque.
Was this his son Shen Wuque, who had been missing for eight whole years?
He… he had returned?
Not only Shen Gong’ao, but even Governor Fu Jianzhi, who was driving the carriage, noticed. He narrowed his eyes slightly but quickly returned to normal.
The magnificent war chariot soon passed right before Shen Wuque’s eyes.
And Shen Gong’ao’s gaze remained fixed on Wuque’s face for about five seconds before he turned his head away, no longer looking at him.
But Shen Gong’ao’s gaze was enough to make all the officers dare not touch Wuque.
Shen Gong’ao’s war chariot would pass through the entire Zhenhai City and enter Sea Cliff Fort, which was the new residence of the Marquis of Zhenhai.
The real Triumph Ceremony was only just beginning.
This was the moment of glory for the entire Shen Clan.