Yun Province Prefectural City, Prefectural Commandant's residence.
Within Huaihai Hall.
Maidservants stood against the walls, holding platter after platter of dishes ready to be served at any moment.
The hall's walls were covered in cloud-pattern carvings and images of rare beasts, with specially made metal weapons and armor hanging on all four sides.
Prefectural Commandant Sun He came from a prominent local clan in Yun Province and enjoyed collecting ancient weapons and armor.
Ordinarily, the displays around him always put him in a good mood during meals.
But now, Sun He set down his white jade vine-blossom chopsticks and sighed.
"What time is it now?"
"Reporting to Master, it is the first quarter of the Hour of the Goat." The black-clad steward answered softly from the side.
"The Hour of the Goat already." Sun He raised his head and glanced out the window. The sunlight outside was bright, and summer had come again.
The temperature was gradually beginning to rise as well.
Yet ever since the provincial governor had been assassinated, the newly appointed governor had proven incompetent. Under the crushing pressure of the Wu Army, he spent every day drinking and making merry, neglecting all affairs.
All the matters of Yun Province Prefectural City and several other cities had now fallen onto Sun He's shoulders.
Sun He was exhausted at heart, yet he had no choice but to hold himself up.
He knew that if he collapsed as well, the remaining territory of Yun Province would not even need pressure from the Wu Army before it quickly fell apart on its own.
The people were anxious, with shortages of money and grain. Frequent battles with the Wu Army had produced countless wounded, and medicine was in enormous demand—far beyond what they had.
On top of that, they had previously