Two days earlier.
The governor of Sibao Prefecture hosted a banquet for the Zhai brothers.
The feast was in full swing when he solemnly performed a grand bow, startling Zhai Le into leaping to his feet and waving his hands repeatedly. "You mustn't, you mustn't! Why such a grand bow, my lord? We're honored that you trust us with this important task. We'll do our utmost to escort the Tax Silver safely to its destination."
Though Zhai Huan didn't rise, he cupped his hands and lowered his stance as well, declining the governor's grand bow and promising to do all he could to cooperate.
The governor felt a little reassured by the brothers' promise.
At the banquet, he also introduced them to another figure: one of his subordinates, and one of the Captains commanding the several thousand troops stationed near Xiaocheng. For this mission, he would lead a thousand elite soldiers to assist the Zhai brothers.
The Captain was tall and powerfully built, with dark skin.
He had a square face, a full beard, thick brows, and stern black eyes. His pupils sat unusually high, giving him an arrogant air that kept people at a distance.
Whether it was his mood or simply the way he was born, stubborn and fierce, his first impression was distinctly unfriendly.
Even when the governor warmly introduced the three of them, he remained indifferent, giving a perfunctory hand salute in response. He was even stingier with words, offering only an "Mm," an "Oh," or a "I've long admired you." Even Zhai Le, a man with a serious case of social butterfly syndrome, couldn't help wanting to keep an arrow's flight away from him.
After a while, even the governor's enthusiasm cooled.
It was when—
The governor hinted that Zhai Le would be in charge,