Leaving Shifang Village, He Xiuyuan followed the Luo River all the way to the East Sea.
The Luo River flowed eastward, passing through several prefectures, Dao, and commanderies.
He Xiuyuan only needed to follow the Luo River downstream, but along the way, due to some mountains being difficult to cross, He Xiuyuan could only take the official road and make a detour.
Fortunately, he didn't encounter any trouble along the way.
After about ten days of travel, He Xiuyuan finally arrived in Qizhou.
Once he passed Qizhou, he would be able to reach the East Sea.
Thinking this, a hint of joy appeared on He Xiuyuan's face.
He Xiuyuan had been traveling tirelessly, his clothes were now ragged, and his face was covered in dust, but the brush hanging at his waist remained spotless and pristine.
"The Yunzhong Commandery is ahead. I'll rest in this Yunzhong Commandery for a day before continuing on my journey."
He Xiuyuan took out his map and glanced at it, estimating that the Yunzhong Commandery was ahead based on the path he had traveled so far.
However, the name of the Yunzhong Commandery ahead sounded very pleasant.
He Xiuyuan's gaze fell on the place name on the map, and the corner of his mouth curved slightly.
Upon reaching this point, the flow of carriages and horses on the road suddenly increased, and even in the nearby river, the number of merchant ships coming and going had significantly increased.
On some of the boats, many passengers could also be seen.
He Xiuyuan had originally wanted to take a boat from a ferry crossing on the Luo River directly to the East Sea.
However, he was deterred after inquiring about the cost of the boat fare.
It cost a whole tael of silver to travel from that ferry crossing to the East Sea.
Given He Xiuyuan's current financial situation, he simply couldn't afford that much silver, not to mention the considerable expenses for food and lodging along the way.
Under these circumstances, He Xiuyuan naturally couldn't bear to spend so much silver to travel by boat.
Thinking of this, He Xiuyuan couldn't help but weigh the silver in his sleeve.
He currently only had one tael and twenty copper coins left.
"Money is an external possession, but this external possession is indeed quite troublesome."
"It's a pity I don't know any fortune-telling or divination techniques; otherwise, I could tell fortunes in this Yunzhong Commandery to earn some travel expenses."
He Xiuyuan sighed softly, then continued to stride towards the Yunzhong Commandery.
And when He Xiuyuan followed the official road for half an hour and saw the Yunzhong Commandery in the distance, a hint of surprise appeared on his face.
The Yunzhong Commandery was situated between two mountains, as if the mountains were guarding it.
The road leading up to the Yunzhong Commandery from the front was not particularly crowded, but if troops were to attack, it would appear somewhat congested.
This Yunzhong Commandery was truly a place that was easy to defend and difficult to attack.
Furthermore, given the height of the Yunzhong Commandery, at certain times, the commandery would be hidden within the clouds and mist, making the name Yunzhong Commandery quite fitting.
He Xiuyuan paused briefly, then continued to move with the crowd towards the Yunzhong Commandery.
As he walked up from the foot of the mountain to the Yunzhong Commandery, the road began to narrow, becoming shoulder-to-shoulder.
This Yunzhong Commandery was indeed very prosperous, with such a large number of people coming and going.
He Xiuyuan, amidst the crowd, felt the flow of pedestrians around him and sighed with emotion.
Among these crowds, the most space-consuming were the carriages.
One carriage could occupy the path of two people.
"Sister, that scholar is quite strange. His clothes are dirty, but his brush is very clean; he seems to cherish it greatly."
Just as He Xiuyuan was heading upwards, a child's voice came from not far away.
He Xiuyuan's expression shifted slightly upon hearing the voice, and he looked towards its source.
Soon, He Xiuyuan noticed a large and small head squeezed together at a latticed window of a carriage, curiously peeking out.
The woman beside him, hearing this, also cast her gaze upon He Xiuyuan.
Seeing He Xiuyuan's travel-worn appearance, yet the brush at his waist was exceptionally new, such an attire was indeed very eye-catching.
The woman beside him, upon hearing this, gently patted the boy, "That scholar's brush is so new; it's clear he doesn't study diligently and has never even used it. Don't learn from him; he'll amount to nothing."
The boy beside him immediately pulled a long face upon hearing this; studying was simply too arduous.
He didn't want to listen to those teachers' lectures at all.
The boy's gaze fell on the scholar; though the scholar looked travel-worn, he carried a sense of freedom.
Such an appearance made him feel envious.
"Sister, that scholar looks so carefree; I want to learn from him!"
The boy was a bit rebellious; the more his sister told him not to learn something, the more he wanted to try it.
Moreover, He Xiuyuan's demeanor seemed to suggest that studying could be done as he pleased, which made him even more envious.
What was so good about studying? He didn't want to learn at all!
"You truly are incorrigible!"
"Look at that scholar's appearance; what's so good about it? His clothes are ragged and he hasn't even changed into new ones. He can only carry a brush at his waist to put on airs and let people know he's a scholar."
"Which proper scholar does that?"
"If you learn to be like that, you probably won't even have enough to eat three meals a day."
The woman's scolding voice rang out at this moment, and she was already preparing to fetch the family punishment.
Seeing this, the boy quickly begged for mercy; he knew his sister was merciless when she disciplined him.
The woman relented only after seeing her younger brother beg for mercy.
And when her gaze fell upon He Xiuyuan again, she saw He Xiuyuan smilingly watching them, the siblings.
Seeing this, the woman's face immediately flushed, and she quickly lowered the curtain.
Although she was educating her younger brother, she had just spoken ill of He Xiuyuan.
Gossiping behind someone's back like this went against her family's teachings, and she felt uneasy, her ears burning red with shame.
He Xiuyuan had heard the entire conversation between the siblings just now, but he wasn't angry; instead, he found it somewhat amusing.
However, what the woman had just said made some sense.
His clothes were indeed a bit unsightly; after entering the Yunzhong Commandery later, he would see if he could buy a new set of clothes.
Thinking of this, He Xiuyuan quickened his pace.
After winding along the official road for several sections, He Xiuyuan finally arrived at the city gate of the Yunzhong Commandery.
To He Xiuyuan's surprise, there was even a moat outside the Yunzhong Commandery.
"This place is on high ground, and it can still have a moat?"
He Xiuyuan looked at the moat before him in surprise, muttering to himself.
A passerby, who looked like a person from Qizhou, smiled upon hearing this, "Your Excellency must be from out of town. This Yunzhong Commandery can be built on this high mountain, so there must be mountain springs within the commandery."
"Moreover, the water used in the commandery and the water in this moat are separate."