Fang Yun's single invitation not only threw Xiang Prefecture's situation into disarray, but even set the Jing Kingdom Capital trembling.
During the day, everything remained as usual. But once night fell, carriage after carriage, tightly shrouded from view, traveled through the capital.
Countless carriages stood before the gates of many places, including the Five Great Families of Jing Kingdom, the Jiang Residence of Literary Chancellor Jiang Hechuan, the Li Residence of Li Wenying, Jing Kingdom's newly appointed Grand General, the Chen Residence of Grand Marshal Chen Zhixu, and the Cao Residence of Right Prime Minister Cao Dean.
Ever since Left Prime Minister Liu Shan resigned, Jing Kingdom's position of Left Prime Minister had remained vacant.
At first, everyone believed Right Prime Minister Cao Dean would replace him, or that Fang Yun would rise directly to the post of Left Prime Minister. Yet after Fang Yun resigned, the position had remained unresolved.
Since last year, a rumor had spread throughout the capital: the Empress Dowager intended to abolish the position of Left Prime Minister and have the Jing Lord, who had already grown into a youth, take charge of the duties that had originally belonged to the Left Prime Minister.
After this rumor emerged, even some officials known as members of the Royalist Faction suddenly submitted memorials, asking the Jing Lord to swiftly appoint a new Left Prime Minister, lest it harm the nation.
Yet the position of Left Prime Minister remained undecided to this day.
Many officials suspected that the rumor had been deliberately spread by the imperial palace to prepare the hundred officials. The Jing Kingdom Imperial House was determined to abolish the position of Left Prime Minister, preventing a new Left Prime Minister from becoming like Liu Shan—his power overshadowing the court and suppressing imperial authority.
This move