A month later.
On the official road near Anhuai Port, Chen Ye and over forty men rode past, flying their banners.
The entire group was weathered by the wind and frost, their robes wrinkled, their expressions carrying the fatigue and bedragglement of a long journey.
Ever since the commotion at the post station, they had encountered no further trouble along the way, smoothly entering the territory of Qinghe Prefecture.
From Anhuai Port to the Gao Family, traveling purely on foot would have taken about three to four days.
With everyone in this party mounted on fine horses, their traveling speed was more than twice as fast.
At this pace, it would take only about a day and a half to arrive near the Gao Family.
At that moment, dust suddenly rose on the official road ahead as a troop of men and women galloped toward them.
The sound of hoofbeats grew from distant to near.
Chen Ye and the others instinctively drew their sabers, standing on strict alert against any unforeseen danger.
After a moment, that troop reined in their horses and stopped about twenty paces away from Chen Ye.
The man at the lead wore a white official robe and a Jinxian Crown, looking every bit the scion of an aristocratic family.
Surrounded by a dozen or so attendants, he cupped his hands and asked in a loud voice, "May I ask, is this the carriage and retinue of General Pacifying the North ahead?"
Chen Ye sized the man up, and seeing that the other party's attitude was respectful, he said, "Indeed. And who might you be?"
That aristocratic scion hurriedly cupped his hands and said, "I am Zhao Wenyuan, the Assistant Administrator of Qinghe Prefecture. Following my father's orders, I have specifically come to welcome the General! My