Early the next morning, Yang Ge led fifty fully armed brocade guards from Luting County eighteen miles out of the city to welcome the imperial envoy.
But they weren't the earliest to arrive; a large group of local soldiers and government officials had rushed to the post station last night to set up.
Once again, they adorned the place with reds and greens.
Once again, they pretended it was a season of bountiful harvest.
Over a hundred local soldiers and officials had, overnight, amidst the vast expanse of snow, created a garden landscape vibrant with bright purples and brilliant reds.
When Yang Ge saw this, he felt sorry for the local soldiers and officials who had given up sleep on a cold night to engage in such activities...
Not long after their arrival at the post station, the officials and gentry from Luting arrived.