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

This time, Zhou, the postmaster, looked more closely than the two postmen, but the more he looked, the more his brows furrowed.

After reading it, he didn't let them pass immediately, but slowly said:

"The documents exist."

"But the number of cars and people you've counted is incorrect."

Cui Shen felt a chill run down his spine.

They arrived as expected.

He lowered his head and said:

"Please, Zhou Yicheng, point out where this is incorrect?"

Zhou Yicheng pointed to the passage with his finger.

"It is clearly written here that the number of officials and their families traveling to their posts shall be limited to a certain number of attendants and carriages. But now, you have an extra carriage and two extra servants. According to the regulations of the post station, this is called exceeding the limit."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone behind him held their breath.

Exceeding regulations.

These two characters can be large or small on the post road.

On a small scale, it was simply a matter of temporarily adding manpower and borrowing vehicles; on a larger scale, it could be attributed to "disregarding orders and failing to take up one's post within the stipulated time."

Once you're involved in something that's "violation of restrictions," there are always loopholes.

Yang Xuan finally opened his eyes.

Yanhe sat up slightly, but his expression remained steady.

Cui Shen held the documents, neither humble nor arrogant.

"The auxiliary vehicle was not an additional addition."

"If the medicine, valuables, and cooking utensils were all loaded onto the main vehicle, the bumpy ride would actually hinder the patients. As for the two extra people, one is to replace the medicine stove and the other to replace the wounded horse; they are all temporary replacements along the way."

Zhou Yicheng said calmly:

"I won't listen to explanations, I'll only look at the documents."

"If the documents are incomplete, the journey cannot proceed to the post station."

Cui Shen's eyes darkened slightly.

He had already figured it out.

What the other party wanted was not an explanation at all.

Instead, the goal is to stop them at the "incomplete documentation" stage.

If you simply leave someone waiting outside today, delay them for another half day tomorrow, and then find another excuse, you can easily make a fuss about "mistakes in taking office".

This was no ordinary post station official who treated people differently based on their status.

Someone had already set out the dishes in advance, just waiting for them to walk in.

Just as Cui Shen was about to speak again, the carriage curtain was gently lifted from the inside.

Yang Xuan, holding onto the side of the carriage, slowly got out.

He moved very slowly.

So slow it was as if every step was pulling at the wound.

But the moment his feet touched the ground, Zhou Yicheng's expression changed, even though he had been somewhat nonchalant.

Because it was obvious to everyone that this person was seriously injured.

His face was almost transparently white, and his lips were bloodless. Although he stood there with his back straight, his right hand was always pressed against his ribs, as if he would collapse if he relaxed even slightly.

A newly appointed county magistrate who was still recovering from serious injuries.

Yang's eldest son, who had clearly been severely punished but somehow didn't quite die.

Now, the meaning of the matter is different from before.

Yang Xuan looked at Zhou Yicheng, but his first words were not to introduce himself.

"Your surname is Zhou?"

Zhou Yicheng subconsciously cupped his hands in a gesture of respect.

"Yes."

"How long have you been working at Yongxing Post Station?"

"Seven years."

"Seven years."

Yang Xuan nodded slightly.

"Then you should know what is checked first when there is a checkpoint on the post road."

Zhou Yicheng's eyes flashed.

"It is a priori writing."

"What happens after the documents?"

"Check the number of people, vehicles, and time limits..."

"And then?"

Zhou Yicheng was momentarily stunned.

Yang Xuan looked at him and said calmly:

"After that, we look at the person's identity, what job they are doing, whether they have a sudden illness, whether they have family members, and whether they have an imperial edict."

"Having served as the postmaster for seven years, surely you can distinguish between what's important and what's not?"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the people in front of the door all changed.

Zhou Yicheng's face gradually darkened.

"Is the young master trying to use his status to pressure his guests at the post station?"

"No."

Yang Xuan shook his head.

"I'm using the rules of the imperial court to ask you if you're deliberately pretending to be confused."

He didn't speak loudly.

But that kind of slow and steady pressure is more unbearable than a shout.

"I am acting on imperial orders to assume my post, not as a commoner going on a journey."

"The people I'm carrying in the car are members of the royal family, not ordinary women."

"The injuries on my body are from being flogged in the imperial court, not from a street brawl."

"You blocked the water, the stove, and the door just now, not because you were afraid of breaking the rules."

"You're waiting for me to panic first."

That last sentence was like a stone, striking directly into the hearts of everyone present.

Zhou Yicheng's eyes narrowed suddenly.

Cui Shenze, who was listening nearby, was shocked.

This is Yang Xuan.

He may look sickly on ordinary days, but when it comes to the moment of truth, he never focuses on trivial details, but rather on the true meaning hidden beneath the surface.

The other party is not investigating.

They're forcing me.

Prompt them to get anxious, angry, and make mistakes first.

Zhou Yicheng remained silent for a moment before sneering:

"Your words are a bit harsh, sir."

"I am merely acting in accordance with the regulations of the post station."

"Act according to the regulations of the postal service?"

Yang Xuan smiled slightly, but the smile was very faint.

"Then proceed according to the regulations for post stations."

"Cui Shen, give him a copy of the imperial edict, and also bring out the list of the princess's entourage."

Cui Shen immediately pulled out two more sheets of paper from his briefcase and handed them over with both hands.

Zhou Yicheng took it, and after just one glance, his heart sank a little.

The document in front is a copy of the appointment document forwarded by the Secretariat. Although it is not the original document with the imperial approval, it bears the seals of the Secretariat, the Secretariat, and the Ministry of Personnel, so it cannot be faked.

The second portion was even more deadly.

This is an excerpt from the list of imperial family attendants and dowry recipients.

不全。

This is enough to show that Yanhe's trip was not "unauthorized following," but rather perfectly legitimate.

Yang Xuan looked at him and continued:

"If you still want to investigate, I'll allow you to."

"But before you investigate, write down everything in the post station register: why the water was blocked, why the stove was blocked, and why I was deemed to have overstepped the regulations."

"After I pass through the post station, I will have Cui Shen make a copy, along with your name, official title, and time of birth, and send it to Jiannan Circuit and Jingzhao for record keeping."

"If anyone asks me in the future why my appointment was delayed, I will know who to thank first."

Having said all that, Zhou Yicheng finally lost his composure.

Because he understood that the other party was no longer fighting for a mere pride.

Instead, it's for leaving evidence.

Once evidence is collected, things will change.

What was originally just a vague delay at the post station could be transformed into a case of Zhou deliberately obstructing a new county magistrate who was summoned to his post by imperial decree, accompanied by members of the imperial clan, and who was severely injured by court flogging.

He cannot bear this responsibility.

At least on the surface, they can't afford it.

But he was really unwilling to just let them go.

Just as they were at an impasse, Yanhe suddenly lifted the curtain and got out of the car.

She was dressed modestly today, in a plain blue, narrow-sleeved Hu-style robe with a worn-out cloak over it.

But as soon as she got out of the car, the people in front of the door instinctively lowered their eyes by half.

The grandeur of royalty is sometimes not found in jewels and fine clothes.

And just by standing there, she naturally made people afraid to look directly at her.

Yanhe did not visit Zhou Yicheng, but only asked Wen Bo:

Did I bring my seal?

Wen Bo immediately replied:

"exist."

As he spoke, he took out a small brocade pouch from his bosom and presented it with both hands.

Yanhe took it, but didn't open it; he just held it in his hand.

Then she turned her head and calmly looked at Zhou Yicheng.

"If you still want to test, then continue testing."

"After the inspection, I will also have someone write another letter to ask the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs and the Court of Judicial Review whether it is appropriate for the imperial family members to be ordered to accompany their husbands to their posts and to spend the night at the post station without water, fire, medicine, or stove."

Zhou Yicheng's heart skipped a beat.

Zongzheng Temple.

Dali Temple.

These two places might not normally stand up for a mere princess.

But once the matter is put on paper, especially when it involves something like "family members of the imperial clan being mistreated on the way," it becomes something that a mere postmaster like him can't handle.

not to mention.

The woman in front of us is no ordinary woman.

She is Princess Yanhe.

They are genuine members of the Li Tang imperial family.