Fifteen days later, outside Yan Prefecture City.
Suotu's men traveled faster, so along the way they scouted ahead and cleared away unnecessary trouble, making Yang Qing's return to Yan Prefecture smoother.
Even so, the weather was so abnormally harsh that despite Bu Er and Jiang Zhizhou doing everything they could to hasten their progress, they reached the outskirts of Yan Prefecture City five days later than the ten days originally planned.
To reach Yan Prefecture, they had to pass through Wild Boar Forest.
Seated in the carriage, Yang Qing and Jiang Zhizhou involuntarily turned their eyes toward Wild Boar Forest outside. The scene of their reunion after ten years apart rose unbidden in their minds.
"In the blink of an eye, several more years have passed. Who knows how many stretches of years we have left in this life?"
Yang Qing sighed, then heard a long-unheard voice coming from ahead.
"My lord, Dai Sheng has been waiting here for some time!"
Dai Sheng?
At the sound of that voice, a faint smile appeared on Yang Qing's face.
He motioned for Bu Er to stop the carriage, reached out to lift the curtain, then stooped and climbed down.
Sparse snowflakes drifted outside, and a white layer had already settled on Dai Sheng. Clearly, he had been standing there for some time.
"Lord Dai, it's bitterly cold. Why come out here and expose yourself to the chill?" Yang Qing asked.
"My lord, you are mistaken. When I heard you would return to Yan Prefecture today, I could scarcely contain my feelings. Besides, after your dusty, weary journey, you surely would not have prepared anything to keep warm, so I came especially to welcome you."
With that, Dai Sheng offered Yang Qing the long-haired fur cloak he had been carrying over his arm.