The official road to the east is a relatively wide and smooth road.
The area east of the Zhenlong Mountains is all hilly. The highest hill is only a few dozen feet tall. Surrounding the large and small hills, there are farmland covered in circles. The west of the Zhenlong Mountains are all fertile plains, and Xishu County is the granary of Daxia, which makes sense.
The farmland in Xishu is planted with rice, wheat, mulberry and even a small amount of camellia, which is used to extract oil. This is the season when rice is about to be harvested. Some of the rice has turned yellow. Looking from the official road to both sides, the hills are yellow and green, which is very beautiful.
Farmers are already working in the fields, and some are even preparing to go home. It's hot in summer, so farmers go to the fields to do farm work at dawn, and return home when the sun shines brightly.
Therefore, on the official road, there is an endless stream of farmers coming and going, leading cattle and horses, and it is very lively. Some farmers on the road saw these six people, wearing coir raincoats on their heads, carrying bundles on their bodies, holding long swords in their hands, and dressed in short clothes. I felt strange. But no one came forward to strike up a conversation. After all, this was an official road, and strange people could appear.
The six of them felt uncomfortable being stared at by passers-by at first. How could they have seen so many people in one day. Slowly, I got used to it.
Every time we walked forty or fifty miles, we would find an inn on the official road to eat and rest for half an hour. In the evening, we stopped at the inn. Three hundred miles, another three days and two nights.
As we walked, night fell again. The low hills on both sides of the official road gradually disappeared and were replaced by large mountains.
The six people went on a rampage for three days. They didn't go anywhere except staying in an inn at night. I originally planned to visit Doucheng County, but I heard from the waiter that this official road does not pass through Doucheng County and needs to turn north. Everyone gave up this plan.
At this time, everyone became energetic when they saw big mountains appearing one after another. After all, walking among the green mountains and green waters is much more pleasurable than the unchanged fields.
Everyone saw another inn on the official road. It was getting dark now, so they simply went in to have dinner.
After three days, the four disciples were complaining endlessly. As a senior, Qingyi Qingxuan was embarrassed to say he was tired, but he was still very tired. The six of them had a great meal and finished their food. Three guest rooms were opened, one for the two elders, one for Yuan Yu, Yuan Luo, and Yuan Zhen, and one for Qingyang Yanran. After washing, go to bed early.
Early the next morning, before dawn, everyone had breakfast and continued on their way. After asking the waiter, it turns out that Chuyue County is further east.
Soon after continuing eastward along Guan Road, Guan Road turns south. The reason is that there is another mountain in front of us that stretches from north to south. The official road cannot pass through it and can only be detoured.
This big mountain is called Kunyue Mountains, running north to south and about a hundred miles long. There are dozens of peaks scattered around, and the highest peak is more than three hundred feet tall. The peak at the end of the official road should be more than 200 feet tall.
If you go around the official road, you will definitely have to walk dozens or even hundreds of miles. The six people discussed it and decided to leap over. It's still too early and it shouldn't be seen by anyone.
He lifted up his energy and jumped up to the top of the 200-foot mountain. After a few ups and downs, he reached the top. Looking eastward, there is another large plain area under the mountain. As far as the eye can see, the plain is about twenty or thirty miles away. To the east of the plain, there is another large mountain range running from north to south that cannot be seen at a glance!
Everyone complained endlessly. If you fly over the plains in broad daylight, you will definitely be seen. But walking twenty or thirty miles away would take another half a day!
The Kunyue Mountains are not wide. From the top of the mountain, everyone can see the official road below in the distance. Flying towards the official road, after a few ups and downs, we reached the official road which continued to the east.
Twenty or thirty miles of official road took another two hours. It was almost noon when we arrived at the broader mountain range in front of us. I asked a passerby and found out that the mountain range in front of me with no edge at a glance was called the Huaying Mountains.
The Huaying Mountain Range is more than 700 miles long, which is much longer than the Zhenlong Mountain Range!
Upon asking, the Huaying Mountain Range is not wide, only three or four miles wide. Further east from the Huaying Mountains, there is another plain, more than 20 miles wide. To the east of the plain are two branches of the Huaying Mountains, each about three or four miles wide. There are plains separated by twenty or thirty miles. Moreover, these mountains are not tall near here, and the official road directly winds through the remaining branches and leads directly to the county seat of Chuyue County. From here to the county town, there is about eighty miles of official road.
After being introduced by passers-by, he walked away. The six people were stunned on the spot. How can we go this way? Didn’t you say there are hundreds of islands and thousands of lakes in Chuyue County? Why, along the way, there are either hills or plains. There are occasional mountains, which also run north-south, so there is no way to fly through them.
After being frustrated, you have to move forward. After all, it took seven days to travel more than 900 miles from the sect. At this time, we can only bite the bullet and continue moving forward.
But if this continues, the East China Sea is thousands of miles away. Even if we don’t stop on the way, it will take a hundred days to reach it? After all, it took Elder Qingxuan three months to travel from Qingshan Sect to Yanmen County, a distance of more than 2,000 miles.
"Uncle Masters, can we buy some horses?"
Yanran pouted and whispered. She walked for seven days and more than 900 miles. Her figure, which was already like a wicker, had lost a lot of weight, which made people even more pitiful.
"Horses can be bought, but I'm afraid riding them will take more detours." Qing Yi replied with a wry smile.
"Let's go through these eighty miles and make a decision when we get to Chuyue County. If there are more official roads later, then we will buy horses and hit the road." Qingxuan continued his senior brother.
"Okay then." Yanran looked aggrieved.
Another day. Except for a meal in between, the six of them worked together to complete the remaining eighty miles. At nightfall, standing on the peak of the last branch, the six of them looked at a brightly lit mountain city appearing at the foot of the mountain. This must be the Chuyue County City. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. After traveling for a few days, we could have fun again!
Everyone flew down from the mountain peak, walked to the official road, and headed towards the south gate of Chuyue County City. Unlike Xishu County, Chuyue County is a mountain city. From the south gate, the entire Chuyue County City looks like a huge pavilion. If you look closely, you will find that there are layers of peaks of different sizes in the city. Pavilions of different shapes are located on these peaks. Above the south gate, a towering tower hangs high, with three Chinese characters written on it: "Chu Yue County".
It was now dimly lit. Before entering the south gate of the county city, it was already bustling with people, with all kinds of people coming in and out.
Entering the city along the south gate, you will first see a road that slopes upward. On both sides of the road are steps of varying widths. Beyond the steps are vertical stone walls. The south gate of Chuyue County is actually located on a ridge. The middle of the road is paved with flat stones diagonally upwards, and an endless stream of tourists are walking up and down this road.
The six people climbed up the steps. After about a few hundred steps, they saw a fork in the road ahead. Branch roads lead to the left and right sides respectively. The road on the left is relatively gentle, about one foot wide, so continue forward along the left road.
After walking a few dozen steps, the front suddenly became clear. I saw that the road was a little wider, and on both sides of the road were various houses as far as the eye could see, and the houses were brightly lit. There were so many tourists on the road that it was difficult to move. Stalls of various sizes were crowded along both sides of the narrow stone road. Men, women, old and young, lingered over the various delicacies.
When the six of them saw so much dazzling food, they couldn't move any further. Grilled fish, roasted spinach, five-cooked pot... There are actually vendors who cook the blood of unknown animals into blocks and eat them with chopped green onions and spicy powder. The aroma is so fragrant that it melts in your mouth.
After an hour, the six of them were unable to move again. I was greedy just now, but this time I am full of it!
The six of them turned into an alley with fewer tourists and found an inn with several floors. The lower floors were already occupied, so we had to open three rooms on the fifth floor. Entering the room and opening the window, the six of them were fascinated by the scenery outside the window.
Chuyue County City is located on a large mountain, and this inn is located on the side of a small mountain peak. Pushing open the window, there is a cliff below, and in the distance, there is a calm and wide river, about two miles wide. On the river, there are countless ships coming and going, and there are also many pleasure boats and boats. The feasting and feasting can be seen from the cruise ship. Faint singing comes with the wind. Farther outside the window, under the moonlight, are lakes dotted with stars.
"Uncle, what kind of river is this?" Yuan Zhen asked the two uncles when he saw how charming the river scenery was.
"It seems to be Lingjiang, I heard it from my senior brother. Lingjiang is the waterway of Chuyue County. It extends in all directions and connects many tributaries and lakes in the county. Finally, it leads north to Xiajiang River." Qingyi said.
"Xiajiang? Is it the river across the river from the Jin Dynasty?" Yanran said.
"That's the one. A few years ago, I went to the Southern Wei Dynasty to invite the head of Xiao Qian. It's the Xia River that I flew across the sky." Qing Yi continued to explain.
"Does Xiajiang River lead to the East China Sea?" Yanran asked again.
"I don't know if it leads to the East China Sea, I just know it's heading east." Qingxuan said.
"Then can we take a passenger ship to the East China Sea?" Yanran continued.
"A good idea, but I don't know if there are any passenger ships that can travel this far."
"Give it a try!"
…
After a full night's sleep and breakfast, the six of them followed the guidance of passers-by and arrived at Lingjiang Pier.
After asking nearby stores, it turns out that there are ships heading east to Jiangxia County. Jiangzhou County is on the east side of Chuyue County. Jiangzhou County is also a city on the water. It is about 2,000 miles away from Chuyue County along the Xiajiang River.
The six people were very excited after hearing this. Finally I no longer have to walk eastward.
After finding a large ship that was bound for Jiangzhou County, and paying a painful thirty taels of silver, everyone boarded the large ship.
This large ship turned out to be rebuilt from an official ship, and it was unknown which official or dignitary owned it. The captain is nine feet long and the width is two feet long. There are more than 40 guest houses on three floors above, and another floor with bunk beds below the deck, which can accommodate more than 100 guests in total. There are three huge masts on the hull, and the sail is more than ten feet wide and made of cotton and linen mats.
"Qi Ying!"
Following the captain's order, the fully loaded ship put away its anchor, raised its mast, pulled up its giant sail, and sailed down the Xia River.
…
The large ships go to Jiangzhou County and take two thousand miles of waterway, most of which sail along the south bank of the Xiajiang River. When the wind is favorable, it can travel more than sixty miles per hour. It is much faster than six people walking. The most important thing is that it saves a lot of effort.
Along the way, the ship will stop at Zhi County, Yunyang County, and Wushan County in Chuyue County, Yiling County, Zhi County, Rong County, and Baling County in Jiangzhou County, and finally reach Jiangzhou County. The boat sails during the day and enters the dock for repairs at night. If there are smooth winds and no severe weather such as storms, it will take seven days to arrive.
Midsummer passed quickly. At this time, the six people were leaning on the railing of the ship, looking into the distance. The gentle breeze from the river blows by itself, making it very cool.
After the six people got on the boat, they learned through conversations with other tourists that the Xia River had not always been a natural barrier between the Jin and Xia countries. From Guangnan County in Chuyue County to Wushan County, Xiajiang River and the land north of Xiajiang River belong to the territory of Daxia. This was the territory acquired hundreds of years ago during the war between the Great Xia Dynasty and the Great Jin Dynasty.
The upper reaches of the Xia River start from the Great Gobi to Guangnan County in Chuyue County; from the east of Wushan County to the East China Sea, the north of the Xia River is the territory of Da Jin, and the south of the Xia River is the territory of Da Xia.
The six of them were very excited to learn that Xia Jiang finally led to the East China Sea. It seems that we only need to change to other downstream ships in Jiangzhou County to reach the East China Sea.
…
