Late at night.
A convoy is slowly moving along the official road to the north of the Imperial Capital.
The convoy isn't large, with seven or eight horse-drawn carriages, piled with burlap sacks and wooden boxes, resembling an ordinary merchant convoy that has traveled far. The drivers are all silent, even the horses seem to have their mouths shut, making no sound.
Only the sound of the wheels grinding against the official road is exceptionally clear in the silent night.
A stout driver sits on the lead carriage.
The driver's physique is intimidatingly large, seated on the carriage shaft like a small mountain. The whip in his hand casually rests on his knee; he doesn't lash it, yet the horse moves steadily on its own.
Because of this driver's presence, it takes two horses to pull the carriage.
The convoy bypasses Changping County, turning west onto a side path.
