Those who stayed at the base of Mount Zhige felt a pang of regret, little knowing that those in the carriages were actually the ones in extreme discomfort at that very moment.
Though they were spared the walk, sitting in the carriages was truly rough. Now, in the depths of winter, knife-sharp winds slashed at their faces, making the experience quite unbearable.
Due to the uneven and rugged roads, and the fact that they were traveling at night, their speed was not very fast, averaging only about fifty li per hour. Nevertheless, persisting in this way of travel, stopping every few hours to stretch their legs, was ultimately more efficient than journeying on foot.
Traveling alongside the carriages was a cavalry troop of twenty men, with over sixty horses in tow.
After six hours, they reached the vicinity of the Yangshan Gu Family, with those in the carriages nearly frozen to death and the horse riders nearly exhausted to death.
