"Milord, an imperial messenger has arrived with an Imperial Decree, ordering you to return to Luoyi immediately to report on your duties." Gu Tieqi's somewhat anxious voice came through the Mother-Child Conch.
"Return to Luoyi to report on my duties?"
This decree had come rather suddenly. Benevolent Sovereign Ji Long had originally given Ye Zhen five years, yet only a little over three years had passed. Why was he suddenly being transferred back to Luoyi to report on his duties?
Ye Zhen had thought something had happened in North Sea Commandery. He had not expected an Imperial Decree to arrive.
"Give me the exact wording of the decree. Also, ask the eunuch delivering it whether he has any special instructions," Ye Zhen said.
Very quickly, Gu Tieqi read the original text of the Imperial Decree to Ye Zhen, who listened with great care.
An Imperial Decree was not simply something that could be made by a casual word from the Holy Son of Heaven of Great Zhou. Officially issued decrees were generally dictated in meaning by the emperor, drafted on the spot by grand scholars, then submitted to the emperor for review. Their wording was exceedingly precise.
Ye Zhen discovered that the decree ordered him to return to Luoyi immediately to report on his duties, but did not specify a precise deadline.
That was somewhat unusual. Under normal circumstances, such decrees requiring an official to report on his duties would clearly stipulate a time limit, though the deadline would not be overly tight.
Yet this Imperial Decree had set no deadline at all. That was extremely strange, which was why Ye Zhen had asked.
Very soon, Gu Tieqi's voice came from the other end of the Mother-Child Conch, carrying a peculiar undertone. "Milord, the eunuch delivering the decree said he