Governor He paused for a moment, unable to suppress his curiosity, "Which route did Imperial Doctor Zhou take to get here?"

As far as he knew, from Suzhou to their Shazhou, there was a section already occupied by a gang of bandits. Although they wouldn’t kill all passersby, passing through would require a hefty toll.

And recently, there hadn’t been any news of large-scale bandit suppression in Suzhou. Weren’t they supposed to coordinate a joint effort after some time?

Manbao seemed to understand what he was asking and said, "We didn’t come through Suzhou but crossed over from the desert."

But traveling through the desert wasn’t exactly safe either. Governor He wanted to speak, but after thinking it over, he swallowed his words. They had already arrived safely, and mentioning it now was pointless; perhaps they were just lucky?

However, Mr. Zhuang, seeing He seemed about to say something but stopped, couldn’t help but interject. In his view, when traveling, there are no small matters, especially when carrying a large amount of luggage. Such a caravan was very tempting, and it was essential to gather as much information as possible along the route. Otherwise, who knows what might happen?

After asking, they realized how chaotic the area beyond Xiazhou was.

According to Governor He’s account, from north of Xiazhou, people were somewhat unsettled, and the further west and north one went, the more such people and forces there were.

This was because these lands had gradually been conquered by the Great Jin over the past decade, and they were sparsely populated.

Truly sparsely populated; while you might barely encounter a village after traveling two or three days on the official road, once off it, there was nothing but vast, uninhabited wilderness.

After leaving Xiazhou, although there was arable land, there were more grasslands and mountains. Many herders lived nomadically, following the water and grass, so the local administration had little control over them.

Before Gaochang’s downfall, the people here were already restless, and after Gaochang fell, many were further intimidated and thus forced into submission.

The governors and commanders in regions like Liangzhou, Suzhou, and Shazhou took advantage of this to suppress numerous bandits, with Governor He’s accomplishments being the most notable. Because Shazhou had the Yumen Pass garrison, he collaborated with General Meng to have not only halved the horse thieves and mountain bandits in the Suzhou area but also chased the horse thieves far beyond the pass. Previously, their whereabouts were unknown.

Originally, in just over two years his term would end, and he should have been able to transfer back, but then smallpox broke out.

The rumors were rampant: first, the destruction of the city in Xiazhou, then the influx of patients into the Central Plains, followed by a smallpox outbreak in the capital, and the emperor’s sudden death...

The tales were detailed, and it wasn’t just ordinary people who were skeptical. Even officials like them, being so far from the capital, had a moment of doubt.

Later, they began to calm the rumors, but refuting them was too challenging. Moreover, because it was the official word, what they said was inherently questioned, no matter how they said it. The believers were always fewer than the skeptics.

Thus, the already unsteady people became even more unruly.

Besides the diligent and honest ordinary citizens, others were spreading the word, while some with prior bandit experiences picked up their swords again, either leaving their families behind or dragging them along to become bandits anew.

"Because of smallpox, the number of traveling merchants had already halved, and with these bandits resurfacing, that half was reduced by another half. Now, there are very few traders willing to enter or exit the pass."

Manbao pondered for a moment, expressing concern, "What about Old Master You? Is it too dangerous for him to return?"

It was only then that Governor He learned they had a merchant traveling with them.

His spirits lifted, and he suggested with a smile, "If Old Master You isn’t in a hurry, perhaps he should wait another two months?"

He explained, "That period happens to be when Yumen Pass is the busiest, and the number of merchants coming here will be the highest, giving him a chance to trade and return."

However, if one cannot keep what one has traded, it would still be futile. Clearly, Governor He was implying a better external security condition.

Manbao and the others naturally understood, so they nodded knowingly in agreement.

After some casual conversation, Governor He, seeing the time was ripe, led them to a restaurant to wait for General Meng.

General Meng, appearing to be in his forties, was tall and robust, exuding an aura of fierceness. As soon as he entered the private room, Manbao and the others felt quite oppressed, though it wasn’t his aura; they had met many imposing figures before, like the emperor.

It was the sheer size that was imposing.

He was the tallest person Manbao had ever seen, so her curious eyes scanned his figure, lingering on his knees, pondering how such height and build must place considerable strain on them.

General Meng paused when he saw Yin Huo standing inside, looking at him doubtfully. He frowned and asked, "What’s this young gentleman’s name?" 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Yin Huo stepped forward to salute, "I am Yin Huo, greetings, Uncle Meng."

General Meng widened his eyes, "So you are indeed a scion of the Yin Family?"

He scrutinized Yin Huo up and down, noting that although his stature seemed somewhat lacking, his complexion no longer appeared as pale as before.

"Are you recovered from your illness?"

Yin Huo smiled slightly, "Much improved, thank you for your concern, Uncle Meng."

General Meng’s gaze then fell upon Zhou Man, "Was it Imperial Doctor Zhou who treated him?"

Manbao paused before replying, "Not completely cured yet."

Though outsiders might think Yin Huo appeared to be well, they among them knew that his illness was very difficult to cure. Yin Huo was aware of this too, but he had made significant psychological recovery, and with Zhou Man’s medicine, he now appeared almost like a normal person.

Those unaware might simply assume he was slightly frail, nothing more.

However, General Meng had seen Yin Huo in his previous state. Although he hadn’t returned to the capital for years, the last time he went back, he witnessed Yin Huo in a fit, where the Yin Family had even prepared a new coffin and set up a funeral hall, considering marrying off Yin Li to bring favorable fortune.

Before they could select anyone, however, Imperial Doctor Tan once again pulled him back from the brink.

At that time, he saw a small child wrapped in a blanket, pale-faced, utterly devoid of color, speaking in a whisper, and he feared that another word from him might cause the boy to stop breathing.

Over the years, General Meng learned about Yin Huo’s condition from the household staff sent to deliver holiday gifts, but the same two replies persisted: either his health was not great, meaning his condition hadn’t worsened, or his health was not great, meaning he was failing again.

General Meng looked at Yin Huo again and then at Zhou Man, his attitude improved greatly.

At first glance, seeing such a young Imperial Doctor, he had his doubts, but if he could treat Yin Huo to this extent, then he must be quite skilled.

General Meng paused momentarily before genuinely advising Zhou Man, "If you wish to leave the pass, it’s best to wait another two months."