June 30th, early morning.
The city gate had just opened not long ago, and there were already carriages and horses coming in and out continuously.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, in the morning light at the edge of the plain, a slow-moving old mule approached, carrying a thin, dark-skinned man on its back.
The man looked about forty to fifty years old, with noticeably pronounced wrinkles on his forehead and at the corners of his eyes. He wore gray and white homespun clothes, appearing like a farmer, but his eyes held a gentle and profound gaze, as if meticulously crafted.
At the city gate, he dismounted from the mule, presented his travel permit, and led the mule leisurely into the city.
The city gate guard glanced at him again, thinking to himself: Is Fengzhou really this impoverished? A county officer looking like a peasant...
Just as he was about to turn his gaze away, he suddenly heard a clear and sweet young girl's voice: "Mr. Lv!"
