Jingren Palace, Imperial Study.
About ten feet from the imperial desk, two Embroidered Stools stood to the left and right in a staggered arrangement.
The man seated on the left stool was hunched and visibly aged; he was none other than the current Chief Grand Secretary, He Tiren. By comparison, Xu Furen, seated on the right stool, also had a head full of silver hair, yet his entire bearing exuded vigor.
Both men held several copied memorials in their hands, studying them with utmost concentration.
The Imperial Study was utterly silent. Only the lid in Emperor Guangde's hand lightly tapped against his teacup again and again, producing clear, tinkling sounds.
Smack!
No one knew how much time had passed when the lid suddenly dropped. It first struck heavily against the rim of the teacup, then slid into place and sealed away the rising steam.
At the same time, Emperor Guangde opened his half-closed eyes and looked at the two elderly ministers before the imperial desk. "All right. Discuss it."
Hearing the order, He Tiren hastily removed his spectacles and looked up at Xu Furen across from him. Just as he was about to signal for the other man to speak first, hurried footsteps sounded outside, followed by the shrill voice of the eunuch in charge:
"Your Majesty, Hu Xianzhong of the Northern Garrison Office claims to have urgent official business and requests an immediate audience—he is currently awaiting Your Majesty's decree outside Jingren Palace."
"Summon him!"
There was no discernible change in Emperor Guangde's voice, but that very calmness was the prelude to a coming storm.
Clearly, if Hu Xianzhong was merely making a mountain out of a molehill, or if his report fell outside the Emperor's concerns, he would surely face the Emperor's wrath.
The eunuch in charge departed