In the thirteenth year of the Tianbao era: I became Yang Guozhong's eldest son.

As dawn approached, the two pairs of eyes outside the official road retreated.

Pei Zhao saw it during the last shift of the whistle.

As dawn broke in the east, the darkness that had silently pressed down on the area behind the ditch seemed to be gently lifted by the wind.

The two silhouettes that were originally embedded in the earthen slope and the shadows of the trees disappeared very quickly, one after the other.

It didn't seem like a retreat; it was more like they'd seen enough and it was time to go back and report.

Pei Zhaoli stood by the fire, staring in that direction for a long time until he could no longer make out anything, before poking the half-burnt stick in his hand into the fire.

The sparks exploded, making his features appear even more somber.

He knew that this night was just the beginning.

Now that the other party has shown their face, they will not just look at it once and consider it done.

Sure enough, once the sky was fully bright, this invisible pressure took a different form and became visible.

The team packed up and set off, much more efficiently than the day before.

Wen Bo barely slept that night, but still rearranged the luggage, medicine stove, and heavy items in the carriage.

Cui Shen carefully packed the loose change, travel permits, transit documents, and appointment documents he had collected the day before into two layers of oilcloth and carried them close to his body.

Just as Yang Xuan had arranged yesterday, Afu ran around the carriages, horses, and people early in the morning.

He remembered almost everything: who dozed off while on guard duty at night, who glanced at the main vehicle a couple of times when getting up in the middle of the night, and who secretly moved their bedding half a foot further in.

The most useful person was actually that old servant surnamed Dong.

Yesterday he was still maintaining a respectable demeanor, refusing to share the night watch with the servants, but this morning when he saw Pei Zhao again, he obediently bowed and asked for instructions, not daring to utter a single unnecessary word.

With him taking the lead, the others dared not utter any complaints.

Yang Xuan leaned back in the car, listened to Afu's report, and simply nodded without commenting.

Setting rules isn't something that can be accomplished by just yelling a few words last night.

The true power of rules is always felt the next day.

If everyone can still follow the new rules the next day, then what was said last night will not have been just a passing breeze.

Not long after the caravan set off, signs of travel gradually appeared along the official road ahead.

The wood carriers, donkey drivers, and merchants carrying small goods, along with groups of officials heading to the county, all encountered them before the morning mist dissipated, and then went their separate ways.

Around 9 AM, a wooden sign with half its paint chipped off appeared from the shadows of the trees ahead.

There are two characters written on it.

Yongxing.

The post station is located below the sign.

Although it's called a post station, it's actually not very big.

The walls were made of rammed earth, the gatehouse was low, and there were quite a few hitching posts outside. However, the old ropes on the posts were worn shiny, as if they had been welcoming and seeing off people for many years, but they were reluctant to spend a little more money to repair the facade.

There was a well in front of the post station, and a wooden frame stood beside it, with several coarse cloth uniforms hanging out to dry.

Looking inside, there was a pile of hay in the front yard, and two rows of side rooms in the back. The door of the middle room was half-open, and it was dark inside, so you couldn't see clearly.

If it were an ordinary minor official passing through, stopping here for a rest would be sufficient.

However, Yang Xuan and his entourage brought their own carriages, men, medicine stove, and servants, making the place seem cramped.

What's worse is that it's not just a place to rest.

It is a post station.

It was the first gate through which the rules of the post road were truly implemented.

Before the carriage had even come to a complete stop, two couriers slowly emerged from the gate, one to watch the horses and the other to watch the carriage.

He seemed casual, but his gaze was very focused, especially on the main vehicle and the few tightly wrapped wooden crates behind it, where he lingered for several breaths.

Cui Shen took a light breath, got out of the carriage, straightened his clothes, and then hugged the bundle of documents to his arms.

After yesterday's argument, both he and Pei Zhao understood when they should step up to take over their respective jobs.

This first door today belongs to him.

Please inform them.

Cui Shenli stood outside the post station, his voice not loud, but very clear.

"My eldest son was ordered to take up his post in Yanjing County, Yaozhou, Jiannan. He passed through this place, where he checked his documents, changed the water, and borrowed a stove to rest his horse."

Upon hearing this, the two couriers exchanged a glance but did not immediately let anyone in.

One of the older men scratched his neck and said slowly:

"Are you going to take office under the imperial edict?"

"What official rank?"

"Magistrate of Yanjing County"

"The county magistrate?"

The man glanced back at the car again, a half-smile on his face.

"The magistrate's departure is quite a grand affair."

Cui Shen remained expressionless.

"With family members accompanying them, as well as patients and medicine, it was naturally more complicated than for ordinary traveling officials."

The courier gave an "Oh," the last syllable of which was drawn out.

"What about the documents?"

Cui Shen opened the bundle, first taking out the travel permit, then handing it over to the post, and then copying the imperial edict for taking office, handing it over one by one.

The courier took it, but didn't look at it closely. He only flipped through two pages before saying:

"Just wait and see."

"The postmaster hasn't gotten up yet."

Cui Shen frowned almost imperceptibly.

It's almost 9 AM, and the postmaster still hasn't gotten up?

No one would believe that.

But the other party just said it so blatantly.

This is not laxity.

This was intentional.

Cui Shen did not react, but only asked:

"Then please give me some hot water and a place to cook. My husband is seriously injured and needs his medicine."

This time, the courier didn't even bother to smile.

There's no other way.

"According to the rules of the post station, you can't draw water from the well or borrow fire from the stove without the postmaster's permission."

Upon hearing this, even the expressions of the servants behind him changed.

No water, no stove.

This isn't a check; it's clearly an attempt to leave people hanging outside.

Yang Xuan listened to these words outside from inside the car without even lifting his eyelids.

He didn't move, not because he could endure it.

Instead, they are waiting.

Let Cui Shen first figure out the other party's tactics.

Sure enough, Cui Shen took another step forward, his tone still steady.

"If this rule truly exists in the post station, please tell me the details."

"So I can keep a record of it and not make a mistake when I report back to the prefecture or county."

The courier paused for a moment.

He had thought that the scholar in the blue robe was just a messenger, but he didn't expect that the other party would not ask for anything or be angry, but would directly ask him to remember the rules and leave something to say.

This is where things get tricky.

Because if he clearly states the rules, there will be documents to refer to them later; if he hesitates or is vague, it is as if he admits that what he just said was just to bluff people.

The courier's face darkened slightly.

Why are you asking this?

"Of course, we'll follow the rules."

Cui Shen answered calmly.

"Since my eldest son has been ordered to take up his post, how should he verify, borrow, and record information at each post station along the way? If it does not conform to the regulations set by the court, and the local government asks about it later, I cannot say that I passed through the gate in a muddle."

The other party didn't respond immediately.

Just then, the sound of slippers slid in finally came from the duty room.

The curtain was lifted, and a middle-aged man in his forties came out. He was tall and thin, with yellowish whites in his eyes and hair. His beard was neatly trimmed, but the worn official robe he wore gave off an indescribable slickness.

He glanced at the line outside the door, then at the documents in Cui Shen's hand, and yawned.

"What's all the noise about so early in the morning?"

The courier immediately lowered his head.

"Reporting to Zhou, the postmaster, there is a magistrate here who is going to take up his post and needs to have his documents checked before entering the post station."

Zhou Yicheng.

Cui Shen memorized the surname and bowed, saying:

"My name is Cui Shen. I am accompanying my eldest son on an imperial mission to Yanjing County, Yaozhou, Jiannan. We have all our belongings and medicines from the journey, and I have come here to verify our documents and borrow water."

Zhou Yicheng extended his hand.

"Bring the documents."

Cui Shen presented it with both hands.