"Ah..."
"Finally, we've reached Chang'an..."
Massive city walls rose at the end of their vision. The setting sun slanted across them, bathing half the city in glittering gold while the other half lay buried in heavy twilight, casting long, weary shadows.
Shen Le stared fixedly at the golden walls beneath the sunset. What rose in his heart was not emotion, but numbness:
Finally... we're here...
The journey had been far too difficult. Mountain after mountain, endless stretches across the Gobi, braving wind and snow, all while constantly guarding against bandits and Tibetan Empire cavalry patrols...
They had spent the entire winter resting near the Uyghur Khaganate royal camp, relying on lavish gifts to earn the Uyghur Khagan's protection and his promise to send troops to escort them south...
They had departed Khotan in July, reached Kucha in August, then immediately crossed mountains and ridges for the Northern Court Protectorate;
They had set out from the Northern Court Protectorate in September, reached the Uyghur Khaganate royal camp's winter quarters in November, and rested there through the entire winter;
Then, at the end of March, they had headed south again, crossed the grasslands, and passed through the Yin Mountains. After countless hardships, they had finally reached the Ordos Loop, arrived in the Tang Dynasty-controlled region of Spirit Prefecture, and entered the protection range of the Northern Frontier Army...
They had spent a full year on this journey. Of the ten people who had first left Khotan together, only he remained;
Of the eighty who had departed Kucha, more than half had been lost;
And of the eighty who had left the Northern Court Protectorate together, fewer than fifty had survived to enter Chang'an.
Shen Le was so exhausted that he had no mood left to rejoice. He gazed at the city walls