Anlin Town, under the jurisdiction of Wuhe County, was bordered by forest on one side and the Anqu River on the other, from which it derived its name.
Changping Prefecture lay in the Wanling Jiangnan region. The Chang River passed through it, joined by four tributaries as it reached Wuhe County—the very origin of the county's name, "Five Rivers."
The Anqu River was one of these four tributaries, and Anlin Town was the largest town on its banks.
By the time the carriage arrived in Anlin Town, it was well past dinnertime, and the sky had begun to dim. Just as Gu Zhao was about to ask a passerby for an inn, he noticed the town ahead was already ablaze with lanterns and torches, illuminating nearly every street.
That made finding an inn easy.
After parking the carriage in front of an inn, Gu Zhao led the Silk Embroideress and Zhuo Qingyan out. He saw that all the guests in the inn's main hall wore expressions of sorrow and distress, their movements tinged with panic and haste.
