Dream of the Red Chamber: I can upgrade my entries!

Chapter 25 At dawn, the battle cries resounded, and the drumbeats startled the capital!
At the fourth quarter of the hour of Yin (3:45 AM), countless stars were embedded in the night sky, and the capital was quiet as everyone was still fast asleep.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The deep, resonant drumbeats, like a stampede of ten thousand horses or rolling spring thunder, suddenly erupted with overwhelming force.

Every member of the Jia family living on Ningrong Street was awakened, and even the surrounding streets and markets were affected.

Since the Yuan Dynasty's defeat in the First Battle, the Ning and Rong prefectures have never seen such a sight again. This is the first time in more than twenty years, and who could not be shocked?

"Clap!"

In the back chamber of Ning'an Hall in Ningguo Mansion, Jia Zhen pushed away his beautiful concubines, Pei Feng and Xie Luan, and fell to the ground, his hair disheveled, looking like a demon, clearly startled by the sound of the drum.

"master."

Pei Feng and Xie Luan opened their eyes, their pretty faces pale, and looked at Jia Zhen with trepidation.

"When the drums sound, the army marches out!"

"This is my second brother summoning soldiers. Quickly, help the master get dressed and wash up."

"Someone! Someone!"

Jia Zhen, still not completely out of his daze, quickly reacted and called out loudly.

"master."

The maids waiting outside the door hurriedly went to fetch water, while Pei Feng and Xie Luan, disregarding the fact that their bodies were exposed, quickly helped Jia Zhen dress and tie his hair.

The Ningguo Mansion was the first to be awakened, as the drumbeats came from the martial arts training ground in the backyard. Jia Zhen, Jia Rong, You Shi, and Qin Keqing all called to their servants, as Jia Yan had already told them about today's departure when he returned home yesterday.

The Rongguo Mansion, separated by only a wall, was in a much worse situation. Those masters and mistresses usually slept until noon, while Jia Zheng got up early for court. After a long court session, they were all terrified, breaking out in a cold sweat and looking extremely frightened.

The servants, maids, and old women of the two mansions had never seen such a scene before. Their legs trembled, and their eyes were filled with awe as they looked at the Ningguo Mansion.

"Uh-huh!!!"

Jia She leaped from the bed, his movements as agile as a tiger or wolf, his eyes flashing with a chilling light. Twenty years had passed, and he heard the drumbeats once again.

No one knew that the eldest master of the Rongguo Mansion once possessed the martial arts cultivation level of Huajin. However, the fire that raged in the capital that night left him with hidden injuries, so much so that in recent years he could only spend his days in bed, numbing himself with wine and women.

"Father."

Dressed neatly, Jia Lian appeared at Jia She's door ahead of time.

"Ah."

Jia She nodded, expressing his satisfaction with his eldest son, and said meaningfully, "Lian'er."

"Order someone to wake your mother, daughter-in-law, and Cong'er, and lead them to the main gate."

"Today is a big day for the Jia family, and not a single person can be missing."

"Yes, father."

Jia Lian was startled and quickly arranged for his servants and maids to go to Madam Xing and Jia Cong's courtyard.

At the same time, Jia Zheng, Lady Wang, and Li Wan all came to their senses. Ignoring the fact that they had been startled awake, they hurriedly got dressed. The young Jia Lan, Jia Huan, and Jia Baoyu were all helped to get dressed, and they rushed to the main gate of Rongguo Mansion.

Today is the day Jia Yan departs. For a family of military merit, this is the most important part. All the important figures in the Jia family must see him off. This is a sign of respect for Jia Yan, and it is also the foundation for establishing a foothold in the capital. No one dares to slack off.

The only person in the two households who didn't need to show up was Grandmother Jia, who was old and the eldest in the family. Nevertheless, Grandmother Jia still woke up and instructed her most trusted maid, Yuanyang, to go to the main gate.

"Open the middle door!"

Lai Da and Lai Er simultaneously instructed the servant to open the dusty central door.

"Squeak! Squeak!"

The Ning and Rong mansions opened their central and front gates simultaneously after a long absence, with the doors wide open and the lights shining brightly.

"Tap tap." Accompanied by the sound of messy footsteps in the night, figures appeared before the gatekeeper and servants. Who else could they be but the masters of the Jia family? Most of them were disheveled and unkempt. Jia Baoyu, Jia Huan, Jia Lan, and Jia Cong had their eyes half-closed and were not yet awake.

Lady Wang, Wang Xifeng, Lady Xing, and Li Wan all stood up with difficulty, supported by their maids.

Among the women in the Rongguo Mansion, Xichun, Lin Daiyu, Yingchun, and Tanchun were dressed the most solemnly, each standing dignifiedly. Jia Yan had told young Xichun about this the day before, and the other women had learned the news from Xichun herself.

Contrary to their usual behavior, Jia Zhen, Jia Rong, You Shi, and Qin Keqing all had sharp eyes and were on high alert.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The third drumbeat sounded, and a cold, handsome figure appeared before everyone. His body was covered in dark cloth armor, and he rode a black horse from the Hequ region. His blood-red cloak fluttered in the wind.

"Ta-ta-ta! Ta-ta-ta!"

Eight guards, also dressed in cloth armor and wearing bronze helmets, with the red tassels on their spears fluttering slightly, as alluring as fresh blood, rode out on horseback.

An invisible pressure enveloped the Jia family members; it was the long-lost aura of military formation, and everyone except Jia She trembled.

"elder brother."

Little Xichun spotted Jia Yan at a glance, waving her little hand, her face full of reluctance and longing.

Although she spent less than ten days with Jia Yan, his care for her was meticulous. She, a young lady who was never respected by the servants, suddenly became the most prominent figure in the two mansions.

In Xiao Xichun's heart, the importance of her second brother, Jia Yan, surpassed that of everyone else, including Jia Zhen, Jia Jing, and Grandmother Jia.

A ripple appeared in Lin Daiyu's watery eyes. The intelligent and quick-witted girl knew better than anyone that without Jia Yan's righteous words that day, how could she have remained calm and composed in the Rongguo Mansion, a place teeming with wolves and tigers?

"Second brother."

Yingchun and Tanchun looked at Jia Yan on horseback. He had changed out of his usual fine clothes and the prince had transformed into a warrior on the battlefield. His fierce and cold eyes made people feel surprised. When had the Jia family ever had such a heroic person?

"Ah."

Riding on his horse, Jia Yan gave Xiao Xichun a look, then turned to Jia She, Jia Zheng, and Jia Zhen: "Uncle She, Uncle Zheng, elder brother."

"Today I am leading troops beyond the Great Wall to fight for the country, and I entrust all matters of the two offices to you."

"If I am blessed by my ancestors and Heaven takes pity on me and I return victorious, I will surely open the ancestral hall to comfort my late fathers Ning and Rong."

"If I am unfortunate enough to die on the battlefield, please choose a blessed place for me to be buried."

"Second brother/Yan-ge'er".

All three of Jia She's companions were deeply moved.

"Go take a break!"

Jia Yan pulled on the reins, turned the horse around, and galloped towards the street corner, his figure exuding an indescribable determination.

"drive!"

Eight bodyguards followed closely behind, the spring breeze blowing like a shadow, making the cloth armor flutter.

"Send it to Yan-ge'er!"

Jia She roared.

May my second brother have a safe journey and great success in his military endeavors!

The Jia family watched Jia Yan's departing figure and shouted in unison.

Regardless, Jia Yan was fighting on behalf of the Jia family in the far north, and apart from Lady Wang, everyone hoped for his victorious return.

As dawn broke, Ningrong Street returned to its usual tranquility. Jia Yan and his entourage had disappeared from everyone's sight. Jia She, Jia Zheng, and Jia Zhen turned around and went back to their respective residences to catch up on sleep, and the others also returned to their residences one after another.

(End of this chapter)