"Eh?"
Hearing the voice, the driver and the young guard both turned toward it. Before their eyes stood a young nobleman who did not appear very old.
Though the young nobleman looked young, he carried an air about him that made both men's hearts tremble. Their positions might seem ordinary, but being part of the Ministry of Rites' welcoming party made them anything but.
A Ministry of Rites driver and a young guard responsible for ceremonial escort could not be judged by ordinary standards. Both had traveled far and wide and seen much; their eyes had long been trained. One look at the young nobleman's attire and bearing told them he was no one to trifle with.
The driver in particular was no longer young. Being rebuked by such a youthful nobleman, in a tone like an elder scolding an unpromising junior, how could he save face? But to earn his living in the Imperial City, one had to keep one's eyes open at all times. How could he offend people lightly? A seemingly ordinary youth might have a sky-reaching background behind him.
Only after the two recovered from their alarm did they notice that two others followed behind the young nobleman.
It was not that they had failed to pay attention. Rather, the young nobleman shone with such radiant splendor that people's gazes were unconsciously drawn to him. Like the sun, he naturally eclipsed everything around him, as though it were only right that he should stand there beneath the eyes of all. The attendant wore blue and looked like an ordinary servant, yet the driver had seen much while serving at the Ministry of Rites. What officials and generals had he not encountered? He had even seen many foreigners. He was highly sensitive to the bearing and clothing