The Luo family's team to welcome Concubine Rong was just outside Jinzhou City. Yan Liqiang was shocked when he saw the scene.
From afar, one could see flags and columns like a forest on the top of Jinzhou City. At first glance, there were at least tens of thousands of black-armored cavalrymen lined up on both sides of the road to the city gate, forming a majestic and solemn formation. Before Yan Liqiang and his team arrived at the city, a large group of people, with ceremonial guards, came towards them in a mighty manner.
Yan Liqiang was a little stunned when he saw the ceremonial guard. There were thousands of people in the ceremonial guard, with carriages and horses, people, curved yellow umbrellas of various shapes, straight yellow umbrellas, fans, golden horse looms, golden chairs, footstools, spittoons, pots, water bottles, basins, incense burners, incense boxes, bone flowers, staffs, oil beds, fly whisks, and all kinds of ceremonial instruments. It was dazzling. There were many things that even Yan Liqiang couldn't name. As part of the ceremonial guard, there were people in the team holding gongs, drums, trumpets, war drums, flutes, boards, small bronze coins, large bronze coins, cloud gongs, suonas and other musical instruments, just like a team of floats taking part in a parade.
This was the first time that Yan Liqiang had seen a ceremonial procession of such a scale in his life. Having lived two lives, he only felt curiosity and novelty when looking at these ceremonial processions. However, when Liu Xi and others in the team saw the same ceremonial procession, and the various umbrellas and fans held high in the procession, they all showed awe on their faces, and their faces became solemn.
"Sir, this is the procession to welcome Concubine Rong. We have to stop here and wait for their arrival!" Liu Xitong rode his horse to Yan Liqiang and reported.
"Oh, I didn't expect that Concubine Rong's procession would have so many people?" Yan Liqiang said in amazement. He smacked his lips and said, "This is the first time I've seen this. I guess the Luo family has been tinkering with this these days!"
"The Imperial Concubine is of noble status, so these ceremonial guards are commensurate. If it were the Empress, the number of ceremonial guards would have to be doubled. If it were Your Majesty, the number of ceremonial guards would have to be at least three thousand. The Luo family of Jinzhou is the Imperial Concubine's family, so these ceremonial guards should be there on a regular basis. When the Imperial Concubine came back to visit her parents before, there was always this kind of pomp!"
Yan Liqiang looked back at the people in the entire team. At this moment, no matter whether they were the soldiers from Luyuan or the guards from the imperial palace, when they saw the procession coming, they all straightened their backs immediately. Even the coachmen hurriedly straightened their clothes to make themselves look more energetic.
"Okay, let's stop!" Yan Liqiang said, and raised his hand. The entire team here stopped and waited for the team to come over.
After the team stopped, Yan Liqiang turned Caiyun Zhuiyue's horse around and came to the side of the carriage where Concubine Rong was riding in the middle of the team. He got off the horse, knocked on the door of Concubine Rong's carriage, coughed twice outside the door, and reported, "Your Majesty, there are guards of honor coming to greet you. Please get off the carriage."
If Yan Liqiang had come a few days ago, the windows of the carriage would have been opened long ago. But in the past two days, I don’t know if Concubine Rong was still angry and deliberately ignored Yan Liqiang. She didn’t say a few words to Yan Liqiang along the way.
After Yan Liqiang finished speaking, he heard the click of the door lock inside the carriage. Yan Liqiang opened the door of the carriage, and Concubine Rong, who was dressed in gorgeous palace clothes, raised her jade feet lightly, stretched one foot out of the door of the carriage, stepped on the brass step stool at the door of the carriage, and then stretched out a bare hand.
Yan Liqiang stretched out a hand and held Concubine Rong's hand. Concubine Rong, who was wearing a palace dress and had a head full of emeralds, stepped out of the carriage on a step stool. She glanced at Yan Liqiang calmly and said in a calm voice, "Master Yan, you have worked hard!"
Yan Liqiang said seriously, holding Concubine Rong's hand and gently squeezing it, "It's not hard, it's not hard. Is your Majesty feeling better these days?"
Concubine Rong glared at Yan Liqiang, and her cheeks were suddenly flushed with a light red. "Well, much better. Thank you Lord Yan for your concern!" As she spoke, Concubine Rong also squeezed Yan Liqiang's hand heavily before letting go of Yan Liqiang's hand.
Naturally, no one else could know or understand these details about the two of them except the two of them.
Just as Concubine Rong got off the carriage, Prince Min, who was dressed in the clothes of a prince, also jumped down from the carriage flexibly and looked into the distance, "Ah, is it my uncle who brought people to pick us up?"
"Of course!" Concubine Rong glanced into the distance and sighed, "Your uncle hasn't seen you for several years!"
"Hahaha, then my uncle must not know that I have practiced boxing. I will surprise my uncle when I go back later!" King Min said as he rubbed his hands, looking very happy. These days, King Min was immersed in the "Nine Heavens and Ten Earths Thunderbolt, Golden Light, Ghosts Crying, Wolves Howling, Swallowing and Spitting, Six Directions, I Am the Only One, Twelve Divine Beasts Thunder and Lightning Fist" taught to him by Yan Liqiang. Although he has not yet practiced it to any level, and has not even reached the first level of this boxing, his body has become much more flexible due to practicing boxing, and King Min feels as if he has tasted the sweetness, and he feels that the boxing taught by Yan Liqiang is extremely powerful.
Seeing that Prince Min was happy, and that his complexion had become much rosier due to practicing boxing in the past two days, and his appetite had increased greatly, Concubine Rong glanced at Yan Liqiang who was helping Princess Anping get out of the car, and felt both love and hate for him. She could only curse him secretly in her heart, "What a heartless man!"
Concubine Rui, Concubine Duan, and Concubine Yi, with the help of their maids, got off the carriage and walked over to pay their respects to Concubine Rong. The three of them knew that they would be arriving in Jinzhou City today and there would be a ceremony, so they all wore palace costumes, looking very formal and grand.
A group of people surrounded Concubine Rong and Prince Min and walked to the front of the team.
The ceremonial guard had already approached by this time. A group of civil and military officials from Jinzhou also dismounted from their horses and surrounded a man wearing a dragon robe of the first-rank duke of the current dynasty and a jade belt around his waist, who strode towards Concubine Rong.
The man looked to be in his fifties, tall, with thick eyebrows and long eyes. He walked with the gait of a dragon and a tiger, with a powerful aura. A group of civil and military officials from Jinzhou surrounded him like stars surrounding the moon.
As soon as Yan Liqiang saw the man, he knew that he was Concubine Rong's biological brother, Luo Yutian, a first-rank duke, the governor of Jinzhou, and the commander of the Black Mountain Army of the Jinzhou camp of the Han Empire. This man is also the current head of the Luo family in Jinzhou, and one of the few powerful local princes in the entire Han Empire who can be ranked among the top few. He is a great man on the same level as Long Feicheng, the commander of the Fengyun Army and the head of the Long family. However, this man's life is much better than Long Feicheng's. The Fengyun Army is large in number and powerful. Although they have made great achievements, they are feared by His Majesty the Emperor, who wants to weaken and restrain them. However, because the Luo family is a royal relative and Concubine Rong gave birth to a son for the emperor, the Luo family is relied upon by the Emperor and taken care of everywhere. Yan Liqiang heard a saying when he was in Guzhou that when the governor of Jinzhou stomped his feet, several surrounding states would tremble.
"Jinzhou Governor Luo Yutian greets the Imperial Concubine, His Royal Highness Prince Min, Princess Anping..." Luo Yutian stopped in front of them and saluted to Imperial Concubine Rong, Prince Min and others. A large circle of civil officials and military officers behind him all bowed down in a rush, "Greetings to the Imperial Concubine, His Royal Highness Prince Min, Princess Anping..."
"Greetings, Duke Xin!" Prince Min, Princess Anping, as well as Concubine Rui, Concubine Duan, and Concubine Yi beside Concubine Rong all saluted Luo Yutian.
"Yurong thought she would hardly see her brother this time..." Thinking of the hardships and dangers along the way, Concubine Rong couldn't help but her eyes turned red when she saw her brother.
"Don't worry, sister. Now that we are in Jinzhou City, no one in the world can hurt you and Min'er!" Xin Guogong Luo Yutian said domineeringly. After saying this, Luo Yutian looked at Yan Liqiang standing beside him, his eyes flashing, and exclaimed loudly, "This must be Lord Yan Liqiang. The country is in crisis now. I have heard about what Lord Yan did all the way from Dijing City to Jinzhou. He is indeed a pillar of the country and a heroic young man. He is really admirable. Lord Yan has not only made contributions to the country along the way, but also been a great benefactor to our Luo family. The Luo family will remember it!"
Yan Liqiang clasped his fists towards Luo Yutian, Duke of Xin, and said, "Thank you for the compliment, Your Excellency the Duke. I am just doing my duty, and I do not deserve such praise from you, Your Excellency the Duke!"
The group met and exchanged a few words, then Concubine Rong and the others moved to the carriage of the accompanying ceremonial guard. Then the entire ceremonial guard beat drums and rang out music, and headed towards Jinzhou City.
When the honor guard passed by the tens of thousands of black-armored cavalrymen, tens of thousands of black-armored cavalrymen drew their swords and weapons and shouted at the honor guard, "The Black Mountain Army swears to defend the Queen and His Royal Highness Prince Min to the death..."
Tens of thousands of Black Mountain cavalrymen roared several times at the gate of Jinzhou City. The sound spread for miles and was even heard in Jinzhou City.
Listening to the roar of the Black Mountain cavalry, and looking at Duke Xin riding a tall horse beside him, Yan Liqiang sensitively smelled something called ambition in Duke Xin...
"I heard that Lord Yan also fought against the cavalry of the seven Shatu tribes in the northwest. Lord Yan, what do you think of my Black Mountain cavalry? Can they fight against the Shatu cavalry on the battlefield?" Amid the roar of the Black Mountain cavalry, Duke Xin seemed to feel Yan Liqiang's gaze on him. He turned his head, pointed at the cavalry phalanxes on both sides, and asked Yan Liqiang.
Yan Liqiang smiled and said, "The Black Mountain Cavalry is well-equipped and has high morale. Just looking at the tens of thousands of cavalrymen in formation, you can tell that they are the elite cavalry of the Han Empire. They should have been trained by the Duke. There are only two or three people in the world who can be compared with them. The seven tribes of Shatu are just clowns. Why should the Duke compare these good men of the Han Empire with those clowns?"
After hearing what Yan Liqiang said, Duke Xin burst into laughter...
(End of this chapter)