The following day, Lin Jingyue accompanied Emperor Taifeng to the city gate tower at dawn, gazing down at the scene below.
Tens of thousands of soldiers and horses were marching out of the Capital in a grand, sweeping procession. At the very front, the Crown Prince had been helped onto his horse. Flanked by Zheng Yue and Xiao Ranqing, who provided a protective escort on either side, he moved slowly into the distance.
Zheng Yue was the daughter of the Marquis of Loyalty and Valor, and Xiao Ranqing was the current top scholar of the Military Examination. The two rode their horses half a step behind the Crown Prince, shielding his flanks—a sign of the Emperor’s high regard and validation of their capabilities.
Chapter 211