The journey of the only child of a peasant family to take the imperial examination

After arriving in Xi'an, Zhang Ping'an ordered Zhao Renzhi and Qian Jie to deploy a team of troops to leave the city early and head towards Guazhou.

This team will wait for them in Xianyang.

After they set out, they arrived in Xianyang and stayed in the same inn as this group of people. They then let this group of people disguise themselves as a western tour team and set off ahead, while they disguised themselves as a merchant caravan and lagged behind. In this way, the substitution was successful.

Unless you are very close to the team and know them very well, you will not be able to detect them.

Moreover, Chi Bao, as his right-hand man, was also in that team. He would occasionally take off his windproof veil to show his face, which would make people less suspicious.

The original intention was to make more preparations to prevent being ambushed by people sent from the Jinwu Khanate or Guazhou.

Who knew that the pangolin incident would happen later?

Chibao mentioned in the letter that they were ambushed this time and many people were injured, but the enemy's target seemed not to be them, but to rescue the pangolin.

The people who came were all very skilled in martial arts. When they saw that the man disguised as a pangolin was not the person they were looking for, they knew they had fallen into a trap and quickly withdrew, leaving no useful person alive.

After Zhang Pingan finished reading the letter, he placed it on the candle flame and burned it. "It seems our disguise has been discovered."

"How about it? Do we need to join the team in front?" Qian Jie asked with raised eyebrows.

Zhang Pingan shook his head: "No need. Even if this group of people has been discovered, there is no guarantee that the next group can be caught. Let's see first!"

"It seems that this pangolin is not simple. We haven't even found out its real name yet. It's like a hot potato in our hands."

"It doesn't matter if it's hot or not. You've already held it in your hand. Don't overcook it. Thank you. Be patient," Zhang Pingan said casually, still thinking about other things.

After saying that, he ordered the servants outside the door to call Zhao Renzhi and Old Qiu over.

After the two came over, Zhang Pingan first told Zhao Renzhi alone about the discovery of the disguised team in front.

Then he shared his speculation: "As Brother Qian said, we may have underestimated the value of this pangolin. It's not necessarily a small player. Perhaps we've accidentally caught a big fish. To be safe, I'm planning to change my route, so I'd like to discuss it with you."

"Change the route?" Zhao Renzhi frowned and pondered, "But this official road is the safest and most stable. Taking other roads is too far. What if it snows..."

"So, I want to ask Old Qiu if there are any other suitable routes. His ancestors often traveled back and forth between the border areas. In the past, when things were not peaceful, bandits would often appear. They couldn't have only taken the official road. There must be other routes available."

"Okay, let's ask him first," Zhao Renzhi nodded in agreement.

I was also feeling excited. If I could really catch a big fish, my trip to the northwest would be the icing on the cake.

When Old Qiu was brought in and heard what the officials were asking, he didn't ask any more questions. After thinking for a moment, he said, "There is a way to go, but it's not the official road, so it will definitely be more difficult to travel. Besides, you are in a hurry, and we are afraid that we will be delayed. If it snows heavily and the road is blocked, it will be troublesome!"

"I understand, so I plan to lose weight and leave unnecessary things behind along the way. I will try my best to increase my speed while maintaining the basic necessities," Zhang Pingan nodded.

"Okay, I'll draw a route map later. We may have to go around Wuwei, walk along Jiujiaoling to Zhangye, and then go a few hundred miles west to Guazhou. Yumen Pass is right next to Guazhou."

After saying this, Old Qiu stepped back.

Zhang Ping'an and his companions also instructed their subordinates to make preparations, throw away some unnecessary things, prepare more dry food for each of them to carry with them, and travel light.

When we set out again from Lanzhou, this western tour began to really endure hardships.

The weather in the northwest in November is already very cold, with a big temperature difference between morning and evening. The cold wind feels like a knife on the face, and it is very dry, making it very uncomfortable.

Going further west, you can see the towering snow-capped mountains in the distance that never melt all year round, and the vast expanse of endless yellow grassland at the foot of the snow-capped mountains.

The population is very sparse.

In such a place, apart from the majestic scenery that will shock people, what is more is the loneliness.

There were basically no other people traveling on the road ahead or behind.

Old Qiu had a familiar expression on his face. Shortly after passing Jiutiaoling, while resting, he frowned and reported, "My Lords, we may not be able to rest today. We must hurry to Xiaomaying and find a place to rest. I think the wind and sand are blowing strangely. I think it will snow before dark!"

"Is it going to snow?" Zhang Ping'an reached out and carefully felt the cold wind blowing over. It was chilling and it really seemed like it was going to snow.

"Yes, it will probably snow, but this is the first snow of winter, so it won't be heavy. The real blizzard should come in seven or eight days. By then, if we hurry, we can reach Qilian Mountain, which will not be far from Guazhou." Old Qiu said after calculating the distance.

"Okay, got it," Zhang Ping'an nodded, and then told his subordinates to hurry on their way after eating.

They have now abandoned the camels, and their efficiency will increase significantly if they only ride on horses.

When we arrived at Xiaomaying, it was just getting dark and snowflakes were falling from the sky. They melted before they reached the ground.

Xiaomaying is a small county town. Although it is called a county, its size and population are actually not even comparable to a town in Zhang Pingan’s hometown.

There are few people and even fewer inns, so there is not much to choose from.

The shopkeeper was quite surprised that Zhang Ping'an and his group braved the snow to travel west, but he didn't say much, just a few words of warning: "It will snow heavily in a few days. Once it snows, the road will be difficult to travel. The temperature will be so low that water will turn to ice. If possible, it's best to wait until next spring to continue your journey."

"Thank you for your kindness, boss. However, we have important matters to attend to and cannot delay that long. I believe we can still get there if we hurry," Zhang Ping'an said with a smile.

He was exhausted from traveling for days, and he had trouble eating or sleeping, so he looked a little haggard.

The same is true for Qian Jie and Zhao Renzhi.

But none of the three of them cared about material things. They were all able to endure hardships without complaining about being tired.

As for the other group of people, they walked faster than them. When the carrier pigeon sent a message, it said that they had arrived at the Damai camp.

Damaying is right next to the official road, has a good location, and is much more prosperous and lively than Xiaomaying.

Since they were ambushed last time, they have had smooth travels and no one has harassed them anymore.

When Zhang Ping'an saw what was described in the letter, he was not happy at all, but felt a sinking feeling in his heart.

Because this means that the danger of their team has suddenly increased.

Among the three of them, Zhao Renzhi has the best martial arts skills. He has been tempered on the battlefield for a long time, and his five senses are sharper than ordinary people. Therefore, Zhang Pingan gave him the position of vanguard, and he always took the lead when traveling.

At night, he is usually asked to keep watch in the second half of the night, which is safer.

Although Zhao Renzhi had his own little thoughts, since it was a matter of serious concern, he was not confused and did not care about it. He agreed without saying a word.