The enormous convoy rolled majestically toward the outskirts of the city.
The outer city of the Capital City had seven gates in all.
Qinghe Prefecture lay toward the southwest of the Great Jing Kingdom, so Chen Ye and his party ultimately chose to leave through the nearest gate, Xizhi Gate.
When Chen Ye and his party arrived outside the gate, they discovered that dozens of people had gathered on the official road at some point.
These people were either wealthy or influential, dressed in splendid clothes, with luxurious carriages and fine horses filling the road.
Chen Ye recognized the man at their head: the Cui Family's steward.
Behind the steward stood several court officials from the Capital City, including a Compiler of the Secretariat whom he had met a few times, and Gentlemen of the Palace who had heard his name and come expressly to make his acquaintance.
They had been chatting in small groups, but the moment they saw Chen Ye, they all gathered around him.
Chen Ye immediately understood that they had waited here specifically to see him off.
Truly, when poor, no one asked after you even in a bustling market; when rich, distant relatives found you even deep in the mountains.
Once a man rose to prominence, every face around him wore a smile.
Chen Ye greatly disliked such occasions, but he still dismounted and politely exchanged pleasantries.
"General Pacifying the North, the mountains are high and the road ahead is long. Take care. If anything comes up, send someone with a message. We may not have any great abilities, but we can still run errands and pass along messages."
"You are all most thoughtful. If I need your help someday, I hope you won't turn me away. Haha..."
The Cui Family's steward stepped forward as