The Great Dream God

The human empire is like a painting, woven together by thousands of prosperous city-states, like a shining pearl between heaven and earth. Each city-state is an indispensable part of this huge body. Some are located between towering mountains, like eagles spreading their wings; some lie quietly by the rippling lake, like pearls inlaid. Together, they constitute the limbs of the empire, each performing its own duties and relying on each other, giving this territory endless vitality.

Post stations, like meridians that maintain blood vessels, closely connect these star-like city-states. Post roads, like blood vessels, stretch through forests, cross rivers, and extend from bustling cities to remote villages. They are the transmitters of information and the arteries of materials, allowing every inch of the empire to feel the pulse of other places. Whenever night falls, the post stations are brightly lit, and the sound of horse hooves conveys government orders, merchants' goods, and greetings from afar, making every corner of the empire bathed in a common rhythm.

These post stations and post roads, like the rhythm of life, enable the empire's limbs to function flexibly and full of vitality.

Today, across the borders of the human empire, from south to north, there is an ancient post road winding its way, like a ribbon, tightly connecting the vast Bibo Ziyang City with the majestic imperial capital. Although this road is not a frontier with wars raging everywhere, it carries the pulse and vitality of the empire, is a golden channel for knowledge and news, and a bridge for delicacies and flavors.

Ziyang City stands on the edge of the blue sea, like a purple gem inlaid at the junction of water and sky. Whenever the sun sets, the city is bathed in the afterglow of Ziyang, like a dreamy mirage. And the gift from the ocean, all kinds of delicious seafood, gallops on this post road, crossing mountains and rivers, spanning four seasons, and delivering the fresh fragrance of the sea to the heart of the empire.

The capital of the empire was prosperous, with majestic palaces and bustling markets, all of which demonstrated the splendor of human civilization. This post road, like a life artery, transported official documents and letters day and night, conveyed government orders and military intelligence, and made every corner of the empire feel the majesty and wisdom of the center. At the same time, the seafood shipped from the seaside added a bit of the taste of the sea to the dining table of the imperial capital, allowing the emperor and the people to share the gift of the sea and taste the richness of life.

On the winding ancient post road, two majestic horses galloped past like lightning, their hoof sounds like thunder, stirring up dust all the way. They were covered in the sunset glow, their manes fluttering, like two balls of blazing flames burning in the afterglow of the sunset, reflecting a magnificent picture. On horseback, two postmen were wearing exquisite leather armor, which gleamed with a cold and hard metallic luster in the sunset, revealing a fearless bravery. Their backs were straight, their hands tightly grasped sharp weapons, and their backs looked tough and resolute in the wind.

These two postmen, like lonely travelers between heaven and earth, carry a heavy mission, cross mountains and rivers, and transcend time and space. Their eyes are determined, looking towards the vast land in the north, which may be a war-torn frontier, or the destination of the news that needs to be delivered urgently. In this endless run, they are not only messengers, but also messengers of hope, using their lives to deliver life-and-death messages.

The south wind, with a faint scent of grass and trees, blew across their cheeks, but it could not shake their determination to move forward. This was a race against time, and they galloped in the wind, like two sharp arrows piercing the sky, pointing directly to the northern sky.

The two post station postmen galloped side by side, their figures cast a long shadow in the sunset, like a vivid painting. Meng Jin, the veteran on horseback, had a bored and tired look in his eyes, as if the vastness of the world and the baptism of the dust could no longer arouse his interest. There was a faint smile on the corner of his mouth, which was a kind of helplessness after experiencing vicissitudes of life. The repetitive labor of transporting goods had long worn away his initial enthusiasm, and now only mechanical execution remained.

In contrast, Wei Yanren is a rising star with a face full of vitality. His face is full of the light of a newborn calf who is not afraid of tigers, and his eyes are shining with the ardent expectation of the unknown world. His smile is bright and innocent, like the spring sunshine, illuminating the hardships of the journey. His fearless drive and his curiosity about every journey make him seem a little naive, but it is this naivety that injects a breath of fresh vitality into his boring life at the post station.

Meng Jin sat upright on the saddle. The horse's pace was like the beat of an exciting drum, hitting his chest again and again, making him feel restless and dizzy.

The horses' hooves trampled the dust, raising a cloud of smoke, as if painting a turbulent picture between heaven and earth.

His vision swayed in the turbulence, trying to find a stable place, but he only saw Wei Yanren's consistent calmness.

Wei Yanren sat on the horse's back as steady as a rock. No matter how wildly the horse galloped, his body remained as stable as a mountain, and his eyes were bright and determined.

Meng Jin cast a glance silently, with silent surprise and doubt flashing in his eyes, and then he retracted his gaze silently.

He shook his head, trying to dispel the dizziness, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly: "How come you are so energetic every day, as if no matter how bumpy the world is, it can't shake your calmness."

Wei Yanren seemed to feel Meng Jin's gaze, and a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. That smile was like a spring breeze blowing across the lake, calm and deep.

Wei Yanren smiled deeply when he heard this. He shook his head slightly, as if regretting Meng Jin's short-sightedness. "Why are you so depressed? I really can't understand your melancholy. Isn't what we are doing now a mission full of fun? Look at the mountains and rivers along the way. Although they are repetitive, they have their own charm. Every peak and every stream are telling the story of nature. Isn't it a kind of enjoyment?" His words were full of poetry.

Meng Jin glanced at the two heavy boxes on the horse's back. That was the purpose of their trip. Carrying the deliciousness of the south, they were about to cross thousands of mountains and rivers to be presented to the ruler of the empire. He frowned and asked in confusion: "We are heading north all the way to the imperial capital, just to present the fish in the boxes to the emperor, expecting his praise and reward. Isn't such a journey monotonous and boring? Shouldn't such a task make people feel depressed?" His voice was full of confusion.

Wei Yanren smiled calmly, straightened his back, and looked at the mountains and rivers in front of him. "You should look further, my friend. This is our unique way of serving the empire. Although it is small, it is of great significance. Our actions are no different from those of the cabinet ministers who are high up in the temple. We are all contributing to the prosperity of the empire. The size of the pattern determines how you view the world. What we do is to use fresh fish to paint a picture of the prosperity of the empire."