Entering with Head Held High

After the incident with the salt smugglers hijacking the ship, the northward journey encountered no further trouble.

On the twenty-third day of the Twelfth Lunar Month, countless sails competed beyond Dongbian Gate, while pleasure boats thronged the banks of Datong Bridge.

Early that morning, Jia Manor's arrogant servants had raised the imperial banner of the hereditary Rongguo Mansion and rampaged across the river's dumpling-crowded surface, utterly overbearing.

Although Sun Shaozong and Jia Yucun both felt it was highly improper to be so ostentatious beneath the walls of the imperial city, Jia Lian had been away from the capital for nearly a year. Now that he had finally returned, how could he possibly remember how to write the words "keep a low profile"?

The two tried to advise him indirectly a few times, but seeing that he acted as though he had heard nothing and cared only about striking poses at the bow, they could not be bothered to interfere further.

Before long, the passenger ship pulled alongside the dock. Before the boatmen could even set up the gangplank, someone on shore was already jumping and shouting wildly, "Second Master, Second Master! You've finally come back!"

Jia Lian poked his head out and swept his gaze over the shore, then laughed heartily. "Bao Er, so it's you, you dog!"

As he spoke, seeing that the gangplank had been laid, he naturally took the lead.

After politely yielding to one another a few times, Sun Shaozong and Jia Yucun disembarked third. Sun Shaozong had originally been wondering whether to hitch a ride into the city in Jia Manor's carriage or simply part ways here and find another way back to Sun Mansion.

"Second Master!"

Suddenly, someone threw himself down before him, clutching his arm as tears streamed down his face. "Why didn't you answer this old servant? This old servant has waited here for over half a month, and at last I've lived to see Second Master return!"

Only then did Sun Shaozong realize that those cries of "Second Master" had included him as well.

He hurriedly looked the man over and saw that this self-proclaimed old servant was just over fifty. His hair had already gone gray, but he was powerfully built and imposing, only half a head shorter than Sun Shaozong himself.

After searching his memories, Sun Shaozong immediately recalled the man's identity—Wei Licai, the old steward of Sun Mansion.

When the Sun family had fallen on hard times, all their servants had scattered. Only Wei Licai had remained loyal, enduring seven or eight years of hardship alongside the Sun brothers. Though master and servant in name, they were truly no different from family.

"Uncle Wei!"

Remembering this, Sun Shaozong naturally did not dare slight him. He hurriedly caught Wei Licai by the arm and pretended to scold him. "In weather this cold, how could you wait here for me? Where are those little monkeys at home? Have they all rebelled or something?!"

A young servant at the side hurriedly defended himself. "Second Master, it isn't that we servants don't understand the rules. It's just that..."

"It was this old servant who wanted to be the first to see Second Master, so I insisted on taking this duty." As he spoke, the old steward looked Sun Shaozong up and down. After a long while, he clicked his tongue in admiration. "After more than a year apart, Second Master has grown even more handsome!"

Sun Shaozong was speechless. With his burly physique, no matter how one described him, surely the word "handsome" had nothing to do with him?

Jia Lian had originally intended to give Sun Shaozong a ride, but seeing that he had family waiting for him as well, he did not meddle further. He only reminded Sun Shaozong not to forget to visit Jia Manor for a chat after settling down at home.

As for Jia Yucun, there was no need to say more. He was naturally going to stay at Jia Manor for the time being.

Thus, the three exchanged farewells inside Dongbian Gate. Then, along with the women and their luggage, they boarded their carriages and went their separate ways toward Rongguo Mansion and Sun Mansion.

Since Sun Mansion had sent two carriages, Sun Shaozong assigned one to Feng Xin, having the young servant take it home first before returning the carriage and its luggage to the mansion.

No need to speak of Feng Xin.

Sun Shaozong helped Ruan Rong into the carriage and had been pondering how to introduce her to the old steward. Yet Wei Licai acted as though he had never seen Ruan Rong at all, not even asking a single question, leaving Sun Shaozong's preparations entirely wasted.

The carriage passed through Dongbian Gate and entered the Inner City by way of Chaoyang Gate, then headed northwest. Seeing that Sun Mansion was not far ahead, Sun Shaozong was racking his brain to recall the situation at home so he would not make a fool of himself later, when he suddenly felt a small, sweaty hand clutch his wrist.

Looking up, he saw Ruan Rong's face filled with unease, with none of her usual spirited confidence.

"Don't worry."

Sun Shaozong hurriedly said, "There's only one older brother in my family. We have no parents at home, so I can make most of the decisions regarding my own marriage!"

That was what he said, but in those days, people believed that the eldest brother was like a father. Sun Shaozong had especially been raised by his brother since childhood. Without Sun Shaozu's approval, how could Ruan Rong feel secure about marrying into the Sun family?

Not wanting him to worry alongside her, Ruan Rong forced a smile and said, "Of course I trust you," before falling silent again.

Hyaaah~

Before long, Wei Licai reined in the tired horses and shouted in a booming voice, "Open the main gate at once! Second Master has returned!"

In those days, the main gate was generally just for show. People normally entered and exited through the side gates, while the main gate was specially opened only for major occasions or to welcome honored guests—for example, when Lin Daiyu had first entered Rongguo Mansion, she had used the side gate.

As the vermillion gates creaked open to either side, Sun Shaozong's heart stirred. Without another word, he pulled Ruan Rong from the carriage and, without waiting for the servants to come out and greet them, headed straight inside.

This time, however, Wei Licai could not pretend not to see her. He hurried several steps ahead and blocked Sun Shaozong's path. Smiling at Ruan Rong, he said, "Please return to the carriage first, Miss. This old servant will call out two matrons to escort you to the rear quarters to rest, lest the little monkeys in the manor disturb you."

Everything he said made it sound as though it were for Ruan Rong's sake.

But the real reason was that, aside from a bride entering her husband's household, women were generally forbidden from entering through the main gate—concubines and secondary wives could only be carried in through a side gate or rear gate for their weddings.

By taking Ruan Rong across this threshold with him, Sun Shaozong would effectively be declaring her the mistress of the household.

At first, Ruan Rong did not understand what was happening. But when Steward Wei blocked them, she immediately realized. Looking at the unyielding Steward Wei, then at Sun Shaozong's darkening face, she bit her lip lightly and said decisively, "Brother Sun, I should return to the carriage first..."

"Return to what carriage!"

Sun Shaozong barked, staring at the old steward. "Uncle Wei, if Rong'er had not helped me back then, I would likely have perished in Qian Xiang Country. Not to mention how she never left my side throughout this journey—we had long since pledged ourselves to one another for life. Since she will sooner or later be the mistress of this household, what does it matter if she walks through the main gate once in advance?"

With that, he stepped half a pace forward and lightly rammed Steward Wei aside with his shoulder, then pulled Ruan Rong inward.

"Second Master!"

Seeing that the two were about to cross the threshold, Wei Licai could no longer worry about anything else. He hurriedly shouted, "The rules were set in the reign of the Grand Ancestor! Military officers are forbidden from taking foreign women as wives. Those who defy the order will be stripped of office and reduced to commoners!"

Great Zhou actually had such a rule?

Thinking about it, it did make sense. When the Grand Ancestor of Zhou had first founded the dynasty, he had only just driven out the Mongol Yuan and restored Han rule. National sentiment had been running high, so establishing such a rule was hardly surprising.

Sun Shaozong halted at once upon hearing this. Ruan Rong's face changed dramatically, and she immediately began struggling desperately, tears filling her eyes as she tried to persuade him instead. "Brother Sun, as long as I can be with you, Rong'er will be content. You mustn't..."

If she had not tried to dissuade him, Sun Shaozong might have hesitated a little. Instead, her words stirred his temper. Without another word, he pushed the old steward aside and pulled Ruan Rong inside with his head held high!

Only after crossing the threshold did Sun Shaozong stop again. Looking at Ruan Rong, who was already crying, he laughed loudly. "What are you crying for? If military officers cannot marry, then I'll just become a civil official—when I have an audience with His Majesty, I'll first request a civil post, then marry you into the family!"

He was not merely making empty promises to placate Ruan Rong.

When Great Zhou had first been founded, to avoid repeating the imbalance between civil and military authority that had plagued the Two Song dynasties, a rule had been established: after every major imperial examination, a group of scholars from among the civil presented scholars would be selected to hold military posts, while a group of literate martial men from among the Military Graduates would be chosen to serve as officials governing the people.

Unfortunately, this rule had failed to alter the inertia of history.

After several decades of peace, the civil official faction gradually suppressed the noble families, and the bad custom of valuing civil pursuits over military ones once again became widespread.

Thus, by this time, though the rule remained nominally in effect, it had long since been distorted beyond recognition.

Among the civil presented scholars, only the unlucky Associate Presented Scholars would be kicked into the military for training, and they would invariably receive exceptional promotion to substantive sixth-rank posts.

Among the Military Graduates, only the top three first-class graduates—the Champion, Second Scholar, and Third Scholar—as well as the top twelve second-class graduates, were qualified to transfer into civil service. Even then, they were often demoted two to four ranks during the transfer, then had to wait for a vacancy as Associate Presented Scholars—and they could not serve as chief magistrates or other principal officials, only assist the civil presented scholars.

Even after taking office, the Military Graduates had to endure exclusion by proper civil officials, and the slightest misstep could result in impeachment.

Even so, Military Graduates still flocked eagerly toward the opportunity to transfer into civil posts.

Sun Shaozong himself had been the fifth-ranked second-class Military Graduate in Guangde 8th Year—otherwise, at his young age and without inheriting any noble title, how could he possibly have become a substantive sixth-rank Commandant?

It was precisely because of this status that Jia Yucun had advised him that day to seek an opportunity to transfer into civil service.