Xu Yanli shook his head. "When one person kneels to another, it's never out of reverence. It's fear. Fear of his authority, fear of his strength, fear that a single word from him could decide whether they live or die."
He paused, his gaze falling on the people outside the window as they rose to their feet. "I don't want people to fear me. I want them to trust me. There's a world of difference between the two."
Huo Yuhao nodded, seeming to understand but not quite, and firmly committed those words to memory.
The convoy left Ming Capital through the southern gate. After meeting Kong Deming, who had been waiting there, they continued south.
The soldiers naturally didn't dare stop a convoy belonging to Prince Xiaoyao.
New City wasn't far from Ming Capital. At a fast gallop, they could reach it in a day.
But the convoy was laden with supplies and moved slowly. By dusk, they had covered less than half the distance.
Xu Yanli wasn't in a hurry. He ordered the convoy to spend the night at a roadside relay station and set out again early the next morning.
The relay station wasn't large, but it was kept spotlessly clean. The postmaster was a man in his fifties, with graying hair but a ramrod-straight back. One look at him told you he'd once been a soldier.
"Your Highness, what brings you here in person!" The postmaster was so excited his hands trembled. "For someone of your stature to stay here is a blessing this humble servant couldn't earn in eight lifetimes!"
Xu Yanli smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "Old sir, don't be nervous. Just prepare us a hot meal."
The postmaster agreed repeatedly, then hurried to the kitchen himself to oversee the preparations.
After dinner,