Twenty days later, they finally reached Huning City, the largest city in the northwest.
It was still early April, and spring had arrived unusually late in this highland region. The trees and flowers had just begun to bloom, and the fresh, tender greenery was exceptionally striking.
The temperature fluctuated significantly between morning and evening. In the daytime, the sky stretched out vast and azure, occasionally graced by the elegant flight of a hawk. When one gazed upward, the bird appeared as a tiny, distant speck.
Huning City boasted a substantial station, where welcoming personnel awaited their arrival to make arrangements. As Qiao Xuan and her entourage approached, local officials emerged from the city to extend their greetings and escort them to the station.
After Qiao Xuan acknowledged the officials' greetings, she proceeded to her lodgings.
