On the march with the Nanhai Commandery Soldiers, Xing Yan did not ride Flying Snow, the white horse the Prefect had so generously given him. Though he longed to try the imposing feeling of sitting astride such a magnificent mount, one look at Commandant Bao's and Lin Xu's expressions made him force that thought back down.
Of course, there was no sense wasting the horse's strength. After some consideration, Xing Yan hoisted the "small and frail" Qiong Rong onto its back, then took the reins himself and walked beside Lin Xu and the others, serving as her groom.
Most of the Nanhai Commandery Soldiers were infantry. Only their commander, Bao Chuxiong, a handful of officers, and the messengers rode horses; nearly everyone else marched with weapons in hand. Thus, amid the long, snake-like column, the little girl in red atop that splendid white horse stood out all the more.
Riding a horse for the first time, the little girl kept turning her head and looking around at every new sight, as though she were out on a springtime excursion. Behind her horse walked a standard-bearer holding the water-blue banner with its black bird and fluttering gold. The brightly colored flag snapped in the wind sweeping across the countryside, its golden plumes streaming and curling, gold and blue gleaming against each other-a lovely sight indeed.
Judging by that great banner alone, the procession certainly looked imposing.
Their destination, Firecloud Mountain, lay within Jieyang, but the county covered a vast area, and the mountain stood near its border with a neighboring county. It was therefore almost two hundred li from the county seat.
When they first left Jieyang County's seat, the marching column was still fairly orderly, winding along the official road like one long snake. After more than two hours, however,