Ancient Wen Heng and his party had certainly endured their share of suffering. At last, their next stop was Lu City.
The journey had grown increasingly desolate. Toward the end, they sometimes couldn't even find lodging and had no choice but to make do on the roadside for the night.
As they watched the dilapidated city walls come into view, their hearts filled with apprehension. It was as if they could hear their own inner cries of despair.
The soldiers stationed there saw the party arrive and quickly ran back inside the city walls. A moment later, a group of Government Officials rushed out.
"Might you be the newly appointed Lord Prefect?" Chief Magistrate Wang Ping, accompanied by Chief Constable Fan Changxi, had been waiting there for a long time.
He had thought the heavy snows had blocked the roads and that the Lord Prefect would be stranded. He hadn't expected them to arrive today after all.
