Ch. 22 - A Grand Entry

After the episode of the salt dealers trying to hijack the ship, there were no more twists and turns on their path leading to the north.

On December 23rd of the Lunar Year, it was the Winter Solstice Festival. People had come out to celebrate outside the Dongbian gate. On the river, many boats could be seen cruising along.

Early in the morning, the servants of the rich from the Jia family displayed the Imperial Flag of the hereditary Rongguo family and ran amuck on the river like dumplings. It was rampant.

Although Sun Shaozong and Jia Yucun both felt that it was inappropriate to be so ostentatious under the Imperial City, they were helpless because Jia Lian had been away from the capital for nearly a year. It was not easy to come back, and still knew how to be ”low-key?”

Two men insinuated a few words of persuasion. Seeing that he seemed unheard of, they were too lazy to care about him anymore and stood on the bow of the ship like statues.

Not long after, the passenger ship was berthing on the wharf. Before the boatmen could set up the plank, they heard someone jumping on the shore shouting, "Second Master, Second Master! You are back!"

Jia Lian probed his head and glanced to search for the voice that called him on the boat, and said with a laugh, "Bao Er, it's you!”

As he spoke, he saw that the plank had been set up and walked ahead.

Sun Shaozong and Jia Yucun gave each other a few courteous excuses and then got off the ship. Initially, they were thinking about whether to take Jia's carriage into the city, or simply break up with him here and find another way to go back to their house.

"Second Master!"

Suddenly, a man fell in front of him and grabbed his arm, tears ran down his face. "How can you not say a word to me? I've been waiting here for more than half a month, and finally, you’re back!"

Only then did Sun Shaozong know that the calling voice of ”Second Master” earlier on had his share as well.

He was busy looking closely and saw that the self-proclaimed ”old servant” was about 50 years old. Although his hair was gray, he was quite strong and burly. He was only half as short as himself.

Looking through his memory, Sun Shaozong immediately remembered the identity of the person who came, Wei Licai, the old housekeeper of the Sun family.

When the Sun family fell into poverty, all their servants were scattered. Only Wei Licai never left. He continued to live with the Sun family for seven to eight years of hardship. Therefore, he was called the master’s servant, which was no different from his family.

"Uncle Wei!"

After recalling this part, Sun Shaozong naturally did not dare to neglect it. He quickly held Wei Licai back up and pretended to be angry, "How can you wait for me here in the cold weather? What about those little monkeys at home? Have they rebelled one by one?"

A young man nearby hurriedly distinguished, "Second Master, it's not that the young servants don’t know the rules. It's really...

"It was me, the old servant, who wanted to be the first to see the Second Master, so I insisted on this job." As the old housekeeper said this, he looked up and down at Sun Shaozong. After a while, he said with great admiration, "I haven't seen you for more than a year. The Second Master has become more and more handsome!"

Sun Shaozong was speechless when he heard the speech. He was afraid that no matter how he described his majestic body, he would have no chance with the word ”handsome.”

Jia Lian had intended to take Sun Shaozong with him, but after being greeted by his family as well, he didn’t bother anymore. He just told Sun Shaozong not to forget to go to Jia Mansion to talk to him after he settled down at home.

As for Jia Yucun, he was naturally bound to go to Jia's residence for a temporary stay.

So the three men bid goodbye to take good care of each other at the Dongbian gate, got on their carriage with their female members and luggage, and went back to the Rongguo Mansion and the Sun Mansion, respectively.

Because the Sun family had sent two carriages, Sun Shaozong gave Feng Xin one of them and asked the servant to take him home first before taking their luggage back to the Sun Mansion.

It was said that Sun Shaozong had brought Ruan Rong with him to the carriage and was thinking about how to introduce her to the old housekeeper. Unexpectedly, Wei Licai felt as if he hadn't seen Ruan Rong and didn't even ask, which made him think that his worry was a waste of time.

The carriage went through the east side gate and the Chaoyang Gate into the inner city and then headed northwest. Seeing that it was not far from the Sun Mansion, Sun Shaozong was trying to recall the situation at home. In case he made himself a joke in front of the others, he suddenly felt a sweat-stained hand on his wrist.

Looking up, he saw Ruan Rong's face was uneasy and was not as heroic as usual.

"Don't worry."

Sun Shaozong hurriedly said, "I have only one brother in my family and no parents. I can decide on more than half of my marriage!"

Although the words were put this way, at this age, they emphasized the saying ”Big brother is like a father.” In particular, Sun Shaozong grew up with his Big Brother when he was young. How could Ruan Rong marry into the Sun family without Sun Shaozu agreeing to it?

Just because she didn't want him to be worried together with her, Ruan Rong reluctantly smiled and said, "I trust you naturally." Then she lost her words.

Exhale~

After a while, he heard Wei Licai stop the horse and shouted, "Hurry open up the gate, the Second Master has returned!"

These days, the main entrance was usually for display. People only enter and leave through the corner gate of the mansion on both sides. Only when they encountered major events or welcomed distinguished guests did they deliberately open the main entrance. For example, when Lin Daiyu first entered the Rongguo Mansion, she went through the corner gate.

Seeing the squeaky sound of the vermilion gate opening left and right widely, a witty idea flashes through Sun Shaozong's mind. Giving no chance to explain, he pulled Ruan Rong out of the carriage. Before the people inside came out to welcome him, he went straight in.

But this time, Wei Licai didn't dare ignore it. He hurriedly stopped Sun Shaozong in front of him and smiled at Ruan Rong. "Miss, please go back to the carriage first. Kindly wait for me to call two female servants out, and they will send you to the backyard for rest, so as not to be bumped by the ”little monkeys” in the house."

Every word he said seemed to be for Ruan Rong's sake.

But the real reason was that, except for marriage, women were generally not allowed in and out of the main gate. Concubines could only be carried in through the corner gate or the back door.

If Sun Shaozong and Ruan Rong crossed the threshold together, it would refer to his declaration of her hostess' identity in disguise.

Ruan Rong didn't understand what was going on at first, but when Steward Wei stopped them, she suddenly realized the meaning of it. Looking at Steward Wei, who would not let go, and Sun Shaozong, who was scowling, Ruan Rong bit her silver teeth and said categorically, "Brother Sun, I'd better go back to the carriage first..."

"What about going back to the carriage?!"

Sun Shaozong yelled, looked at the old servant, and said, "Uncle Wei, if Rong'er hadn't helped me, I would have died in the Kingdom of Qian Xiang. Not to mention the underlying friendship along the way, we have already made a lifelong commitment. Since she will be the hostess of this family sooner or later, what is the big deal to pass through the main gate in advance?"

With these words, he took half a step forward, and with only a gentle lift from his shoulder, he carried the housekeeper Wei to the side and then pulled Ruan Rong to go in.

"Second Master!"

Seeing that the two were about to cross the threshold, Wei Licai was too busy to care about it. He shouted, "In the first founder of a Dynasty, rules were made that military generals should not take women from other countries as their wives. Those who violated the order would have their official titles stripped off and be demoted as citizens!"

Is there such a rule in the Great Zhou Dynasty?

It made sense to think about it. At the beginning of the founding of the state, the founders of the Great Zhou Dynasty had just expelled the ”Yuan Dynasty” and restored the rule of the Han people. It was at that time, when national sentiment was high, that it was not too much to set such rules.

When Sun Shaozong heard his words, he was shocked. Ruan Rong’s complexion changed upon hearing those words. Even though she struggled desperately, her eyes were full of tears, and she said, "Brother Sun, as long as I can be with you, I will be satisfied. You must not..."

If she hadn't said anything, Sun Shaozong might still have hesitated a little. But hearing Ruan Rong’s words evoked Sun Shaozong's temper, so he immediately put his hand away from the old housekeeper and pulled Ruan Rong into the mansion!

After crossing the threshold, Sun Shaozong stopped again and looked at Ruan Rong, who was already in tears. He said with a laugh, "Why are you crying? If a military general can't marry, I'll just be a civil servant. When I see the Emperor, I'll ask to be a civil servant first, and then I'll marry you!"

He didn't just speak randomly to deceive Ruan Rong.

At the beginning of the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty, to avoid repeating the disaster of the imbalance between civil and military affairs in the two Song Dynasties, a special rule was formulated. After the civil imperial examination, a group of scholars would be selected to take up military posts in the army. The military officer would then choose a group of martial scholars who were proficient in reading and writing to act as amiable officials.

Unfortunately, this rule has not been able to reverse the inertia of history.

Decades after the world was peaceful, the group of civil officials gradually suppressed the dignitaries' families, and the bad habit of valuing literature over martial arts became common again.

Up until now, although this rule was still effective on the surface, it has long been changed beyond recognition.

On the side of being civil scholars, only the unlucky fellow scholars would be kicked out of being civil servants and sent to the army for training. In addition, they would all be promoted six grades above their actual posts.

Among the military scholars, only the first class No. 1 to 3 scholars and the second class honor of the top 12 scholars were qualified to become civil servants. When they were transferred to the civil department, they often had to be demoted two to four ranks and then wait for an opening to fill the vacancy as a fellow scholar. Moreover, they couldn’t be county magistrates or other local officials at all levels. They could only be assistants to first-class scholars.

Not only that, but after taking up the official post, the military scholars would have to endure being outcasts among civil officials. If they were careless, they would be impeached.

But even so, military scholars still have a strong desire to be transferred to civilian work.

Sun Shaozong was the fifth-best martial scholar in the eighth year of Guangde. Otherwise, with his young age and not having won any title of nobility, how could he have an actual post as a sixth-grade Lieutenant?

It was because of this level of identity that Jia Yucun began to persuade him to wait for an opportunity to become a civil servant that day.

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