The wind made my robes billow upwards, but I kept my body forward, legs gripping the sides of the steed.
Zheng was on my right, eyes looking straight, slightly ahead of me. We had long left Ping He behind, heading towards the next prefecture.
Down the route, we needed to pass by Yi Wan Prefecture, under the 9th Prince's command, and Bei Shui Prefecture, that was under the Emperor's brother's command. Lan Qin Wang, a peace-loving Grand Prince who had great prestige amongst the civilians.
Zheng had written letters and sent them gifts beforehand, so that we wouldn't experience too much trouble while crossing the borders and gates.
The woods were filled with sounds of our horses galloping and crunching twigs. It had been a day since we began the journey, and we needed to move faster if we wanted to get to Yi Wan by nightfall.
The late afternoon sunlight cut through the leaves of the canopy of trees, but the air was growing humid. It was going to rain.
