Ferry Crossing Post Station
The snow had grown lighter, though it still fell in dancing, feathered flakes. Because of the ferry, however, the traffic consisted not only of horses but also of boats, making the post station quite large.
Luo Pei stepped off the boat and reached the dock; the post station was just a short distance away. The postmaster had long been waiting to welcome him, sending post soldiers to help carry his official luggage. Luo Pei strode inward, walking along the eastern corridor. As he stepped into the courtyard, he heard voices and saw an official walking out with a heavy aura of authority. Face-to-face in the narrow space, the two men could not help but freeze in surprise.
The official opposite him was a civil official wearing the attire of a Principal Fourth Rank, though his chin was slightly upturned with a trace of arrogance. This was truly not a pleasant sight.
"What is the matter, Year-Brother Chai? What has you so angry?"
This civil official was Chai Kejing, who had passed the imperial examinations in the same year as Luo Pei, but whose official career had been rather poor. He was still merely a prefect.
"Governor Luo, Year-Brother Luo, the weather is freezing in this New Year's season, and yet when I asked the post station for some charcoal, they actually refused," Chai Kejing said, fuming with anger.
"Lord Governor, Lord Chai, it is not that this humble official is unwilling," the postmaster said with a bitter face, carefully trying to appease him. "The imperial court has issued strict and repeated injunctions: unless on official business, no one is permitted to borrow travel credentials. The boats hired and all provisions are to be purchased independently, and the supply of firewood and charcoal has strict quotas." The