In order to welcome the soldiers returning from the expedition, the emperor not only went to Yanziji to wait in person, but also for the first time, the Zhengyang Gate in Nanjing was not closed on time. After nightfall, it was still open for the soldiers returning from the expedition.
The reception was so high that the soldiers who had just returned from the expedition had never dreamed of it. Wang Guichen, Li Sangui, Mo Liang and others, wearing red flowers and riding tall horses, followed Qin Mu's imperial carriage into the city.
Nanjing is a city that never sleeps, and the lights on the streets are as bright as the Milky Way. After dinner, Nanjing citizens flocked to Zhengyang Gate to welcome the arrival of the emperor, and the streets were completely empty.
Wang Guichen and others, who were used to the desolation of Nanhua Island, felt like they were dreaming when they suddenly faced this extremely prosperous scene and the huge crowds welcoming them.
Wang Guichen and his men did not have time to change into their new uniforms, so they did not look that impressive, but this did not affect the impression of the people in the capital.
The people in the capital were knowledgeable and knew that most of those armies that looked good in appearance were good for show but useless. This kind of army was the real tiger-like army that had survived hundreds of battles, and therefore it won more cheers and praise.
"Look! Look! The one in front is General Wang who destroyed Sulu and Brunei!"
"How majestic!"
"A good man should be like this!"
"Look at his pair of inverted brows, see? This is the appearance of a natural general!"
"Your Majesty personally welcomes me. What an honor!"
"General Wang is mighty!"
"General Wang, if I had a daughter, I would marry her to you."
"Go away! Why don't you take a look in the mirror? Look at yourself like this. Even if you have a daughter, General Wang will not look down on you."
"Yeah! That's hard to say. As the saying goes, good shoots come out of bad bamboos. If Liu Laoliu really has a daughter, she might be as beautiful as a fairy."
"Hahaha"
The streets were brightly lit. There were huge crowds of people on both sides of the road, and the cheers were like waves, making the whole city of Nanjing boil. Qin Mu sat in the imperial chariot and did not show up. He deliberately reserved all the applause for the soldiers who had worked hard and made great contributions.
Wang Guichen rode a large horse, about ten steps behind the imperial chariot. Bunches of flowers and fresh fruits flew over from the street, overwhelming him.
After years of fighting the wind and waves at sea, experiencing so many hardships and dangers, and hovering on the edge of life and death, and pioneering in a remote and desolate foreign land for so many years, I have tasted so much hardship. At this moment, in this wave of cheers, it is all worth it.
Many women can be seen in the bustling crowd. Now the Qin Dynasty has extensive communications, and many women are working in textile factories, embroidery workshops, and hospitals. The imperial concubine Xiang, who was doted on by the emperor, is a role model in the palace, and the social atmosphere is no longer so conservative. It is common for women in the countryside to go out to the streets, drink tea in teahouses, or watch operas and listen to music.
When they were almost at the Qianbukou section of Imperial Street, there were several graceful women on the street, some of whom pointed at Wang Guichen from afar and were playing around.
"Don't push it!"
When Wang Guichen rode closer, a girl wearing a silver heart-shaped phoenix hairpin, a light yellow flowered blouse, and a pink daffodil flowered green leaf skirt suddenly let out a crisp cry. She was pushed and stumbled over, bumping into Wang Guichen's horse.
"Girl, are you okay? "Wang Guichen quickly bent down to support her. The girl raised her head, she had a pair of almond-shaped eyes, curved eyebrows, skin as white as cream, and beautiful features, but her pretty face was as red as if she was drunk. Wang Guichen was stunned for a moment.
"Thank you, General Wang!" The girl was ashamed, but she did not run away immediately. She even dared to bow in public. Without waiting for Wang Guichen's reply, she turned around and ran back, fighting with her sisters.
The beauty had gone, but the fragrance was still lingering, and Wang Guichen felt a little lost. At this moment, one of the girls who were playing suddenly called out, "General Wang, our sister's surname is Chang, and she lives in Dinghuai Gate."
"Don't say it, don't say it, or I'll twist you, little girl!"
Wang Guichen pricked up his ears but didn't hear what was said next. Qin Mu saw this scene on the imperial carriage and couldn't help laughing.
Back in the palace, Qin Mu officially conferred the title of Duke of Hua on Wang Guichen. He deserved it for his two great achievements in destroying nations and developing Nanhuazhou. Li Sangui and Mo Liang were also rewarded, and everyone was very happy. There was another person who was conferred the title with them, Su Jin.
Since Su Jin's westward expedition, he has successively destroyed the three kingdoms of Kazakhstan, Brut, and Bulat, and opened up the Transoxiana region. He has made great contributions, so Qin Mu took this opportunity to confer the title of Duke of England on Su Jin.
Just after the enthronement, a message was received from Lanzhou: Guangde Hou Gao Yigong voluntarily handed over his military power and asked to return to Beijing to await punishment.
Hearing this news, Qin Mu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and his heart was finally at ease. The situation in Qinghai-Tibet was complicated, and once chaos broke out, it would not be so easy to quell. It was a great blessing for the world to be able to resolve the situation peacefully.
Qin Mu was so happy that he held a night banquet for his ministers in Wuying Palace. Sima An, Liu Boquan, Liu Meng and other cabinet ministers, the seven ministers, and the generals-in-chief of each army were all present.
The atmosphere at the banquet was lively. After three rounds of wine, Qin Mu said, "Our Chinese nation has benefited from Confucianism. In terms of cohesion, few other nations can compare with us. Every time we are invaded by foreign races, no matter how cruel the blow is, we can always unite quickly. This is a good side.
The downside is that this kind of cohesion is generally inward-looking, and the pioneering monarch can easily be labeled as warmongering and ambitious. Over time, it will form a situation where the monarch is more capable of maintaining the status quo than of pioneering.
However, looking back at history, I find that if one cannot expand, one cannot maintain. It is like a lake. If there is running water, the lake will overflow continuously. Otherwise, the lake will slowly dry up.
The same is true for a country. Once it loses its ability to explore, it will lose its vitality and will sooner or later be unable to continue. I expand the territory not for the purpose of militarism, but to appropriately maintain the vitality of my Great Qin.
Influenced by Confucianism, China has a strong internal cohesion, but lacks the motivation to expand outward. This has always been something I am very worried about. However, my ministers have not let me down, and my generals have done a good job. I hope this vitality can continue. "
When the ministers heard this, they might not agree with Qin Mu, but no one would spoil the emperor's fun at this time, so they all stood up and shouted: "Long live our emperor, long live his wisdom, long live his wisdom!"
Everyone understood that the emperor gave Wang Guichen such high treatment this time, probably because he liked his pioneering spirit.
Qin Mu raised his cup again and said in a loud voice: "Duke Hua has expanded the territory of our Great Qin and made great contributions. Come, Duke Hua, please drink this cup with me!"
Wang Guichen stood up quickly, holding the cup and said: "Your Majesty, I dare not boast of my achievements, but it is my blessing to be able to serve the Qin Dynasty. I am honored to receive your love and grace. I will drink first today as a token of my respect!"
After Wang Guichen finished speaking, he quickly drank his wine. Qin Mu laughed and finished his wine as well. Then he said, "Duke Hua, you are not young anymore. As the saying goes, there are three types of unfilial behavior, and the worst is to have no descendants. This time when Duke Hua returns to Beijing, it's time to start a family."
"Your Majesty, this..."
"What is this? Duke Hua has a girl he likes?"
"No"
When talking about marriage, the decisive and ruthless Wang Guichen looked embarrassed, and his inverted scowl eyebrows were bent, which made the ministers present burst into laughter.
Qin Mu asked again with a smile: "Yes or no?"
"Your Majesty" Wang Guichen felt like something was stuck in his throat and couldn't help scratching his head, which made everyone burst into laughter again.
"As a real man, why hesitate? Wang Qing has taken a fancy to that girl named Chang? Our General Wang also fell in love at first sight, hahahahaha"
"No, no, no, Your Majesty, that is not what I meant."
"That girl named Chang is really pretty and charming. She lives in Dinghuai Gate." Qin Mu paused at this point and glanced at Wang Guichen. He found that Wang Guichen was pricked up with his ears. He couldn't help laughing and said, "Since Wang Qing doesn't mean that, then forget it?"
"Your Majesty, not the minister"
"Hahaha, I have asked around for you. The girl surnamed Chang is named Ruoying and lives in Qiuguifang inside Dinghuai Gate. As for her appearance, you have it in your mind, so I won't say much. However, this girl's idol is a female general like Mu Guiying. If Wang Qing marries her, whether he can control her depends on Wang Qing's ability, hahaha."
"Chang Ruoying?" Wang Guichen's mind flashed with the scene of the girl rushing to his horse. His eyebrows twitched and his eyes were bright.
(To be continued…)
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