Dream of the Red Chamber: From a Border Ruffian to a Capital Tyrant

Outside Yanmen Pass, on the desolate plains, a fierce wind howled past, carrying the stench of blood.

Prince Teng sat high on his warhorse, his face grim, his eagle eyes fixed on the majestic pass that lay dormant like a prehistoric beast, seemingly plotting something.

Seeing this, a trusted confidant beside him quickly spurred his horse closer, lowered his voice, and spoke with a sinister tone full of incitement:

"General, Jia Ren, the commander of Yanmen Pass, is utterly audacious!"

"You even dare to block your royal banner?"

"Why do you need to check this damn warrant? I think he's just trying to intimidate you because he just won a battle, to deflate your ego!"

Upon hearing this, a fierce glint flashed in Wang Ziteng's eyes, and he abruptly turned his head and coldly shouted:

"Shut up!"

"This is a matter of national importance; how dare you, a mere lackey, gossip and sow discord among our troops!"

Although he reprimanded him sternly, wasn't he also burning with anger inside?

As they marched eastward, officials from all the prefectures and counties along the way were quick to respond, some even opening their gates to welcome them from ten miles away.

As the military governor of the capital, he held a high position and wielded great power. Jia Ren, on the other hand, was merely a border soldier who used to be obsequious and subservient to him, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Today, we were given a firm rebuff at Yanmen Pass. How can we swallow this insult?

But then I thought about it again. Yanmen Pass is the northern gate of the Great Qian Kingdom. The newly erected mound of Xiongnu heads outside the pass, with tens of thousands of heads piled up like a mountain, still smells of blood. The stark white bones constantly remind people of the danger and desolation of this place.

In this hellish arena where killing spirits gather, let alone a mere military governor, even the prime minister of the court would not dare to act rashly.

He could only forcefully suppress the raging anger in his heart, swallowing his pride and forcing himself to swallow his rage.

Half an hour later, accompanied by a tooth-grinding metallic scraping sound, the heavy iron gate slowly opened to both sides.

Wang Ziteng took a deep breath of the cold air, which smelled of rust and blood, and forced himself to calm down. He said expressionlessly:

"Let's go into the city. I want to see just how many heads this General Jia, who doesn't even give me any face, has!"

Having said that, he spurred his horse on, and the warhorse, with its light, quick steps, strode confidently through the pass.

.......

"This humble general, Jia Lang, greets General Wang!"

The moment the city gates opened, Jia Lang was already standing there like a javelin.

He had dark skin, a strong and resolute face, and a tall and straight posture like a pine tree. He clasped his hands in a salute to the man on horseback, neither humble nor arrogant, showing neither flattery nor arrogance, but only a dignified and upright air.

Jia Lang actually held a certain degree of contempt for Wang Ziteng, who had risen to the position of military governor of the capital through nepotism.

This person, aside from being born into the wrong family, has a good younger sister who married into the Rongguo Mansion and became the mistress of the house. Relying on the Jia family's power, she wields considerable influence in the capital, but she has no real ability whatsoever.

However, he still had to maintain appearances. After all, even when beating a dog, one must consider its owner. The reputation of the Rongguo Mansion was of paramount importance in the capital, and Jia Lang didn't need to offend the Jia family for such a petty squabble.

Moreover, when Jia Lang was down on his luck in the capital, he had met Prince Teng once. Although they were worlds apart, he was still somewhat acquainted with him.

However, Jia Lang recognized Wang Ziteng, but Wang Ziteng had long forgotten this minor character from back then.

When Wang Ziteng realized that the person greeting him at the city gate was not his old acquaintance Jia Ren, but a strange, burly man with a youthful face but a physique as strong as a tiger, a clear look of astonishment flashed in his eyes.

"What's wrong with Jia Ren?"

"Why send such a greenhorn to fob me off?"

Wang Ziteng frowned, muttering to himself, his face full of displeasure.

"General Wang, this is my deputy general of Yanmen Pass, Deputy General Jia Lang!"

Just as Wang Ziteng was having doubts, a person suddenly appeared from behind Jia Lang, with a big smile on his face, introducing him as if he were seeing his own father.

It was none other than General Wang.

At this moment, Wang Canjiang was so excited that his face was flushed, as if he had seen a long-lost relative.

When he saw the 50,000 elite soldiers covering the mountains and plains behind Wang Ziteng, his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down. He felt his back straighten instantly, and even his gaze toward Jia Lang carried a hint of provocation.

Being a mere military officer in this godforsaken border region is nowhere near as comfortable as being under the protection of the powerful Beijing garrison.

Now that they've met their own key figures, they naturally see them as saviors and are eager to kneel and fawn over them.

Wang Ziteng took a closer look and recognized Wang Canjiang. The frost on his face melted away a bit, revealing a forced, friendly smile.

This Wang Canjiang was a distant relative of the Wang family's collateral branch. According to seniority, he should be called a clan uncle. Although he was a useless nobody, seeing his own family in this unfamiliar place always gave him a sense of security and a sense of having an informant.

This was not the time for reminiscing. Wang Ziteng merely nodded slightly to Wang Canjiang before turning his gaze to Jia Lang like a sharp sword.

"So it's General Jia... I was blind and have been disrespectful."

Wang Ziteng originally wanted to address Jia Lang as "Little General" according to his age, but when his eyes fell on Jia Lang's arms, which were thicker than an average person's thighs, and the huge iron hammer at his waist, he swallowed the words back and changed his address, forcing out an awkward but polite smile on his face.

Jia Lang laughed nonchalantly, completely unconcerned about the form of address, and handed the token back with both hands, his voice booming:

"Haha, General Wang, you flatter me."

"Public matters are public matters, private matters are private matters. Military orders are absolute. The item should be returned to its rightful owner. Please do not blame this subordinate for being inflexible."

Wang Ziteng reached out and took the warrant, chuckled, and concealed the sinister glint in his eyes:

"Not at all, General Jia's strict military discipline is a blessing to the country. I admire him greatly."

Then, he abruptly changed the subject, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings, his tone carrying a hint of accusation:

"Where is General Jia Ren of Yanmen Pass?"

"Perhaps you don't want to see me?"

Jia Lang, still wearing that harmless smile, explained slowly and deliberately:

"Oh dear, it's unfortunate. My lord General fought bravely against the Xiongnu a few days ago, and his old wounds have flared up again. He is currently bedridden and unable to get up. He has specially ordered me to greet you on his behalf. I hope General Wang will forgive him."

Upon hearing that Jia Ren was genuinely out of work and not deliberately avoiding him, Wang Ziteng felt much relieved, as the thorn in his heart was pulled out. The pent-up frustration in his chest eased considerably.

As long as it's not an insult directed at him personally, then it's fine.

Wang Ziteng's face instantly showed an expression of extreme concern, and he said repeatedly:

"It's alright, it's alright. General Jia is fighting for the country, his health is of utmost importance. Am I the kind of person who wouldn't be reasonable?"

"Thank you for your understanding, General. Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, please take your leave!"

Jia Lang smiled, cupped his hands in greeting, stepped aside to make way for a wide path, and gestured for them to proceed.

"General Wang, please enter the pass!"

Prince Teng also regained his air of authority, returning the salute from horseback with clasped hands:

"General Jia, please!"

........