Yan Shuangfei sat at his desk in the Northern Command Office, flipping through the piled-up case files, his thick brows tightly furrowed. Sima Ling, with her curvaceous figure and exquisitely applied makeup, sat beside him and helped sort them out.
She had volunteered to become Yan Shuangfei's assistant, claiming it was to help him quickly familiarize himself with the work procedures of the Imperial Guards' Northern Command Office. In truth, she wanted to get closer to him.
For the past few days, Yan Shuangfei's image had filled her mind. She had even dreamed of him at night, and those intimate scenes always left her flushed to the ears.
At that moment, she secretly glanced at his handsome profile, then hurriedly lowered her head. A faint blush rose on her face, while her heart thumped like a little rabbit darting wildly about, unable to stop jumping.
Suddenly, a burst of hurried footsteps sounded outside, followed by a shrill proclamation that cut through the solemnity of the office. "An imperial decree has arrived—Yan Shuangfei, receive the decree—"
Yan Shuangfei's heart tightened. He abruptly rose to his feet, the hem of his robe sweeping up the brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone on the desk and splashing several drops of ink.
Sima Ling quickly composed herself as well and hurried out with him. The two of them knelt together in the center of the main hall, their backs straight as pines.
The eunuch bearing the decree held the bright yellow imperial edict in both hands as he slowly strode in. Two young eunuchs followed behind him, their expressions arrogant.
He cleared his throat. His shrill voice echoed through the hall, every word like a hammer blow that tightened the listeners' hearts.
"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: The three kingdoms of Wu,