Since many people were on the road, the carriage couldn't go too fast due to the heavy traffic. But at least it was still moving. Yan Liqiang sat beside the coachman with his eyes slightly squinched, pretending to observe the scenery of Hui Provincial City and the pedestrians on the streets in curiosity. In reality, he was trying to sniff out any threats among the crowds.
The coachman knew his manners very well too. He just drove the carriage in silence the entire time. He didn't ask any questions either, so Yan Liqiang had some peace and quiet to himself.
The carriage didn't enter Hui Provincial City. After leaving the wharf, they took a little detour on the public road outside the city and arrived at the entrance of a rather secluded manor in the eastern part of Hui Provincial City by sunset.
[1] Yan Liqiang was probably amused because Lord Fu’s title as the Crown Prince’s attendant was ‘Taizi Xianma’, but the Chinese characters (太子洗马) literally translates to ‘Crown Prince washing the horse’.
[2] Filial mourning refers to a bureaucratic norm, a practice since the Han dynasty, whereby officials of the imperial government of China were obliged to resign from their posts and return to their homes upon the death of a parent or grandparent. The mourning period typically lasts three years.