Chapter 9: Raising Their Heads to Meet Each Other

  Everything seems unchanged, but everything seems different now.

  Yao Fengge was still ill, and the imperial physician said that Third Madame's illness might be able to drag on until next year. The people in the Dingguo estate had a few smiles, but they weren't very happy either - dragging it out until next year was also a death sentence, and whether you died early or late didn't make much of a difference for these few months.

  Yao Yanyu still had to give Yao Feng acupuncture every day, but it was no longer just adjusting the spleen meridian and kidney meridian. Instead, she had to operate on the heart and lung meridians. At first, Yao Yanyu was also nervous. Although in her previous life she had performed many cardiothoracic surgeries and was familiar with the internal structure of the chest, it was still unfamiliar territory for her to diagnose in this way. One slight mistake could be fatal.

  Su Yuxiang comes over every day at an irregular time, either early or late, which makes Yao Yanyu puzzled, so she can only change the acupuncture appointment to nighttime.

  It is said that today is the day when General Han Wei, the Crown Prince of Cheng and the Crown Prince of Ding, return in triumph to meet with His Majesty the Emperor. The eldest son will represent the Son of Heaven to welcome them with a ten-mile brocade carpet, and the capital city is in an uproar.

  Yao Fengge said to Yao Yanyu one day, "It's been so many days since we arrived. We've been cooped up in the mansion all this time, and I'm afraid we'll get bored to death if we don't go out. Why not go with Third Sister (Su Yuexiang) to clear our minds?" Yao Yanyu was thinking that she should familiarize herself with the situation in Beijing, so when they left Dingguo Mansion in the future, they wouldn't be completely clueless. So she agreed.

  Early in the morning, after having breakfast with Yao Fengge, Li Niang brought Yao Yanyu to Cui's room. Cui had already made arrangements with Su Yuhe while visiting the Empress Dowager that day, allowing her to accompany Yao Yanyu.

  Su Yuheng was a lively and cheerful child. Upon hearing that she had playmates, she naturally became excited. Early in the morning, she got dressed and came to the Grand Princess's mansion from her own home. When she saw Yao Yanyu for the first time, she smiled and called out "sister" while pulling on her hand.

  Yao Yanyu saw that this fourteen-year-old girl had a pure and clear gaze that was not quite in line with her age, with an innocent and kind heart. Yao Yanyu guessed that she must have been well taken care of by her family, knowing very little about the intrigues and struggles of the world, with simple thoughts, liking what she liked and disliking what she disliked, clearly written on her face, without hiding or pretending.

  Of course, Yao Yan knew that these couldn't be said to prove that the third girl was a fool who didn't understand human emotions. On the contrary, in front of such a clever and transparent person, it's better not to play those fake tricks, otherwise you would only be despised at a glance.

  But being with clever people is good, Yao Yanyu knew that as long as she spoke less and did well as a guest, quietly staying by Su Yuexuan's side was fine. Today, she was just taken out to see the excitement of Ding Houfu's relatives.

  This time, the Marquis of Dingguo was awarded the title of Pingxi General and led the army. The son of the Duke of Ding and the son of the King of Cheng were appointed as generals, which can be described as a grand lineup. If they win in one battle and return to the court, it will also be an extreme honor.

  The main street leading to the imperial palace in the western part of the capital was packed with people, and the tea houses and wine shops on both sides were fully booked. People from all walks of life crowded the streets and every window railing, waiting to catch a glimpse of the handsome and majestic young general.

  Su Yuheng followed Da Zhang Gongzhu, and the news she got was almost the earliest. As early as seven days ago, she had someone take silver to book a small elegant room on the street at Fengxiang Building. After the carriage stopped in the inner courtyard of Fengxiang Building, she pulled Yao Yanyu's hand all the way upstairs and directly into the house.

  The attendant naturally took care of everything for the two, and Yao Yanyu sat quietly in the room drinking tea, feeling that since ancient times it has been like this, as long as you have power and influence, just move your lips, and there will be people who will bring what you like and want to your face.

  Outside was noisy like a tide, and the little girl Xiangzi who was looking out of the window laughed and replied: "Young lady, young lady, they've arrived! The Duke and the Crown Prince have come!"

  Su Yu-heng immediately put down the teacup and stood up to go to the window, but saw that Yao Yan-yu was still sitting there motionless. She turned back and pulled her up: "Sister, come and see! This is a rare sight."

  Yao Yan was pulled over to the window and looked out with her head stretched out, one hand supporting herself on the windowsill.

  Outside, it's crowded with people, and the atmosphere is fervent. The stone-paved streets are lined with Jinlin troops maintaining order.

  Common people stood by the street, aunties and mothers pushing and shoving each other. The windows of wine shops and tea houses were also crowded with people, mostly young women, and occasionally some young masters. After all, it was the triumphant return of the hot-blooded men of the Great Cloud Dynasty, so it was normal for girls to run out with their hearts fluttering, while the young masters were the objects of attack, and not many people ran out to look for excitement.

  "Look, sister Yao, look - the one in purple armor is General Town! The one behind him in green armor is Big Brother! The one in white armor is General Town's son, Han Xiangyu, Little General Han. And the one in red armor is the Crown Prince of Cheng! Sister, see how refined and gentle Big Brother looks, truly a Confucian general..."

  Yao Yan's smile nodded in agreement, gazing at the cavalry coming from the west with a majestic momentum, their horseshoes clattering and armor clanking, indeed an aura of invincibility and morale that touched the sky. But in her heart, she was thinking about something else.

  Although the etiquette was strict in the Great Cloud Dynasty, and men and women were not allowed to be too close, it did not reach the point where girls had to stay at home all day. Moreover, they would not have to marry someone just because that person saw them.

  Because the Grand Cloud Empire's emperors were martial ancestors, those noble girls were relatively more open-minded. Princesses and county masters rode horses on the streets, went to the suburbs for outings, hunting, cuju, and playing polo, which was nothing out of the ordinary.

  And the daughters of those aristocratic families were relatively quiet, due to their family education. For example, in a family like Yao's, from a young age, girls were taught embroidery, needlework, piano, chess, books, and painting, but they were not very enthusiastic about hunting or cuju (an ancient Chinese sport).

  It is because the aristocratic families of the imperial clan all like to marry daughters from literary officials' families, as these girls are elegant and refined, gentle and kind, making them virtuous wives and good mothers who can educate their children.

  Those outstanding military merits or aristocratic families are the best matches for princesses and county ladies. Because these men are heroic, they can satisfy the heroic dreams of princesses and county ladies, and are also the backbone of the imperial family's defense against the border.

  "What are you thinking, Sister Yao! I'm asking you, which one do you think is more handsome, the Crown Prince of Cheng or the Crown Prince of Zhen Guo?" Su Yu-huan chattered on for half a day without seeing any reaction from Yao Yan-yu, and couldn't help but reach out to grab her shoulder. But unexpectedly, her fingers accidentally hooked onto Yao Yan-yu's earring, and the icy green jade pendant fell off its ring and dropped down.

  "Ah——" Oh no! Just as it was about to hit the crown prince's head, Yao Yanyu was so scared that her face turned white, and she didn't care what Su Yu Xuan was asking.

  Yao Yan's cry of surprise was drowned out by the thunderous applause, and no one noticed it. Even Cui Wei, who was standing beside her, excitedly waved at the Iron Knights heroes downstairs, not taking her cousin's cry seriously.

  However, a copper-armored deputy general in the iron cavalry suddenly looked up and gazed over, his eyes cold and hard as a knife, with a chilling murderous aura. In that instant, Yao Yanyu felt as if her heart had been pierced by this icy gaze, and for a moment she couldn't even breathe.

  That arm suddenly stretched out and caught the jade earring that Yao Yanyu was wearing. After seeing what was in his hand, the murderous gaze that was emanating from him suddenly retracted, although it was still cold as a knife edge, but it no longer had that oppressive killing intent.

  Yao Yan let out a soft breath, her hand holding the handkerchief unconsciously patted her chest, and she whispered: "This man is so fierce!"

  "Who?" Su Yuhuan asked puzzled: "Who's fierce?"

  Yao Yan's eyes followed the man who was now just a lone figure in the distance, and she smiled softly: "No one, I think this Iron Cavalry is really impressive, every single person has an air of iron and blood about them."

  Su Yu-heng clapped her hands and laughed, "Right! Sister Yao is absolutely right! This is the hero of our Great Yun! Grandmother said that all real men are in the army."