At that moment, the leader and dozens of soldiers finally noticed the carriages stopped not far away. The leader felt unsure and, looking at Hua Yan, asked skeptically, "Is the young lady's grandmother truly close friends with the wife of the Minister of War?"
Smiling faintly, Hua Yan replied, "Naturally, the wife of the Minister hails from the prestigious Yaojiang family. Her childhood name is Yaoyao, and after marrying the Minister, she gave birth to two sons and a daughter, all dearly loved by him."
The man believed her immediately. He was a trusted aide of the County Magistrate of Zhaoyuan, and he had heard his master calling his sister by her childhood name—a name only close relatives would know. With a beaming smile, he asked, "May I know the young lady's surname and given name, if you please?"
Hua Yan replied with a light smile, "You don't need to know my name. When you see your lord, he will know."
The implication was clear: he was not worthy of knowing her name.
