My condition has been terrible lately. Let me adjust for a bit. Starting tomorrow, I'll aim for six thousand words a day—well, I'll try to keep it up for a few more days...
"Other than those ladders, there was nothing else worth stealing from the main hall, so the night inspections... were a little lax."
"My lord, it isn't that this subordinate wants to shirk responsibility. This assignment is truly difficult. In the bitter cold of the Twelfth Lunar Month, there aren't enough hands at night. There are only three of us on night watch for such a huge..."
"Yes, yes, this subordinate understands, this subordinate understands! The important matter, let's discuss the important matter!"
"The east and west side halls are currently under repair. The front gate is bolted from within, and no one normally enters or leaves through it. So it was only after Chen Hour, when several laborers came to move the ladders, that they discovered a headless corpse hanging there."
"They called this subordinate over, and upon seeing that a murder had occurred, this subordinate immediately had someone notify my superiors, then sent someone to report the case to Shuntian Prefecture."
"Shuntian Prefecture dragged its feet and did not arrive until nearly noon. Before they could begin investigating, they heard that the case had been transferred to Dali Temple, so they..."
"Huh? Timber? Of course there is timber! It is piled up in the rear courtyard, all first-rate material, which is why the night watchmen rest nearby."
"Has it been disturbed? Th-this would have to be asked of the men on duty last night."
—Feng Yinglong, Director of the Ministry of Works Construction Department.
"I was on duty last night."
"No, no, no. I merely have my name registered with the Ministry of Works. I...