In an instant, the entire official road fell deathly silent.
The farmers carrying shoulder poles and the merchants driving ox carts all froze where they stood.
No one knew who was the first to drop to their knees with a thud.
Then, like a row of dominoes collapsing, the common folk along the entire official road knelt in unison.
Someone's vegetable basket toppled onto the ground, fresh fruits and melons rolling everywhere.
A child was just about to start crying when their parents clamped a hand tightly over their mouth.
"His... His Highness the Crown Prince?"
"Is this for real...?"
Several disbelieving murmurs rose from the crowd.
When had these common folk, who faced the yellow earth with their backs to the sky, ever imagined—
that they would be fortunate enough to lay eyes upon a celestial noble like His Highness the Crown Prince in their lifetime?
In the thousand years since the Wenjing Dynasty had been founded, there had never been a precedent of an heir apparent leaving the imperial capital.
Much less traveling thousands of miles to this remote borderland of the Southern Border.
"Are you the Governor Lord of Jinming Prefecture?"
A cold, clear voice suddenly broke the silence.
At some point, Lu Xuan had already stepped down from the carriage and now stood with his hands behind his back.
The dragon patterns on his crimson-purple dragon robe gleamed especially brilliantly beneath the sunlight.
Lu Xuan looked down indifferently at Wei Yuanlang, who was prostrate on the ground.
Wei Yuanlang only felt a gaze as tangible as substance fall upon his back.
Cold sweat immediately poured down him. He hurriedly pressed his forehead hard against the scorching stone slabs, his voice trembling beyond recognition.
"This subordinate... this subordinate is Wei Yuanlang, Governor Lord of Jinming Prefecture. This