Chapter 337 Arrival in Dinghai County
The group hurried along, finally arriving at the north gate of Dinghai County just as the leaden clouds began to drizzle.
Perhaps due to the weather, there were many people queuing outside the North Gate waiting to enter the city.
The soldiers guarding Dinghai County were very responsible. Even in bad weather, they did not slack off but continued to inspect carefully.
As the newly appointed commander of Dinghaiwei, Jiang Yuan could have exercised some privileges, but since he was new to the area and knew nothing about the situation, after some deliberation, he did not choose to exercise his right to enter the city first, but instead led his entourage to queue up obediently.
As they waited in line, the rain gradually intensified, with large raindrops pelting down and quickly soaking the trousers and shoes of those who hadn't yet entered the city and had no carriages to shelter from the rain.
At this time, the weather in Dinghai County had become chilly. Although it was not as cold as Baoding Prefecture, the icy rain still made people shiver involuntarily when it hit their faces.
Xie Wanniang peered through the narrow gap in the carriage door at the outline of the city gate, blurred by the rain, where the guards were still meticulously conducting their inspections.
Those ahead of them were now crammed together at the city gate, the mud and rainwater kicked up by the carriages flowing freely down the muddy official road.
Jiang Yuan, who had been sitting next to her, had already left the carriage. He instructed Lao Qian, "Lao Qian, take your men to the post station first. If there are no empty courtyards at the post station, have someone find an inn nearby."
"Yes, sir." Old Qian accepted the order and turned to stand at the front of the line with two guards.
After they waited in the rain for about fifteen minutes, the city gate finally became empty.
Old Qian, who had received the mission, and the two guards were the first to be inspected. Because they did not have any belongings with them, the guards quickly let them through the city gate.
After asking around for directions, they immediately set off on horseback towards the post station, while the others patiently waited for the inspection.
It is worth mentioning that because the travel permits of Lao Qian and his two companions had markings indicating their master's family and the reason for their journey, the city guards responsible for the inspection immediately informed their superiors of Jiang Yuan and Xie Wanniang's identities and purpose.
Although their superiors were not responsible for the specific inspections, they were usually stationed near the city gates to prevent any troublesome situations from arising.
Upon hearing from his subordinates that their new commander had arrived, the man immediately jogged over to Jiang Yuan.
"Your humble servant Liu Tao greets Commander."
Jiang Yuan nodded slightly to him, "No need for formalities."
Liu Tao straightened up, his tone respectful yet with just the right amount of enthusiasm, "My lord has come from afar and must be exhausted. Why don't I lead the way and escort you and your family into the city to rest?"
Jiang Yuan shook his head. "No need to trouble yourself. Just follow the rules."
"Then we will do as you say, sir." Liu Tao smiled, but couldn't help but have some doubts in his heart.
The officials of Dinghaiwei and Dinghai County were not so arrogant as to be overbearing, but they still put on airs of being officials to some extent.
Even their families are accustomed to enjoying privileges.
Unexpectedly, the newly arrived commander of the guards, even in the face of heavy rain, insisted on following the established procedures and lining up with his family and followers.
This behavior is hard to tell whether it's due to the caution of someone new here, or simply an overly strict self-discipline.
If it's just the cautiousness of newcomers, that's fine. But if this has always been the case, then the atmosphere in Dinghaiwei will probably need to be changed.
While Liu Tao was pondering this for a brief moment, the soldiers guarding the city swiftly completed the inspection of the carriage carrying Jiang Yuan and Xie Wanniang as they entered the city.
After putting away all the documents, Xie Wanniang, along with her two children, Haitang, and Xiaoyang, got back into the carriage.
Jiang Yuan waved his hand, and the coachman immediately steered the carriage slowly into Dinghai County.
The streets in the city are paved with bluestone slabs, and the clatter of horses' hooves and the rolling of wheels can be clearly heard as carriages travel on them.
Rainwater trickled down the cracks in the stone slabs, and most of the shops along the street were already closed. Jiang Yuan rode his horse on the left side of the carriage, his clothes mostly soaked by the rain, but his eyes remained sharp as he kept a watchful eye on his surroundings.
Following the directions Liu Tao had given them when they parted, the group slowly made their way towards the post station.
Halfway there, Lao Qian turned back on horseback and bowed to Jiang Yuan, saying, "Sir, we have already reserved two adjacent independent courtyards at the post station."
Jiang Yuan nodded. "Lead the way."
Old Qian responded with a "Yes," turned his horse around, and led everyone to the post station.
The postmaster of the post station had already heard the news and was waiting at the door with several postmen. When he saw Jiang Yuan and his party coming, he hurriedly stepped forward with an oil-paper umbrella and bowed: "This humble official, Zhou Ming, postmaster of Dinghai Post Station, greets Lord Jiang and Princess Huian. The rain is very heavy, so this humble official will lead you and the princess inside to rest."
Xie Wanniang nodded to the people at the post station through the carriage window, "Thank you all for your trouble."
Jiang Yuan then gestured to the postmaster, "No need for formalities, please take us to our lodgings first."
"Yes, yes, sir, this way please." Zhou Yicheng replied as he hurriedly led the group inside.
Soon, they arrived at the two small courtyards that were to be allocated to Xie Wanniang and her group.
Although the courtyard was not large, it was quite tidy. Xie Wanniang got out of the car with an oil-paper umbrella in her arms, holding her daughter An'an, who looked very curious.
Haitang followed closely behind, carrying the tiny, now-sleeping Linlin in her arms. Xiaoyang followed behind her, holding an oil-paper umbrella for her and the child.
Because it was still raining, Xie Wanniang and the others did not linger in the courtyard, but instead carried the child directly into the main room.
There was a brazier in the main room, but perhaps because it had only been lit recently, the room did not feel warm at all. Instead, Xie Wanniang felt that the smell was somewhat strange.
She called to Haitang, "Take the child to the inner room."
Haitang nodded and followed her into the main room of the house.
The smell in the east room was normal, but Xie Wanniang did not let her guard down. Her two children were still young and had been traveling with her for a long time. To prevent them from getting sick, she had to be vigilant about every little detail.
After thoroughly inspecting the entire house, Xie Wanniang felt relieved enough to help Xiao Yang.
While she was checking the room, the little girl had already run out to get two things. Now she was busy making the bed like a diligent little bee.
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