Dawn had only just broken, and the winter sun had yet to rise. A crowd had gathered outside the courtyard gate of Chunfeng Residence.
Their robes were red or green, their rank badges embroidered with birds and beasts.
"Our bitter days are finally over. Ah..."
"You fellows were lucky, working under Bureau Chief Song. She looked after you. Those of us assigned elsewhere were like children without a father or mother."
"Oh, please. You fellows still had it good. Those of us transferred under Leng Can and Jian Yuancang had our feet crammed into tight shoes at every turn, run ragged like lackeys every day, and never saw a scrap of reward for our achievements. Do you know how we survived all these years?"
"The last time Marquis Li came back, all I did was attend one drinking party, and Jian Yuancang scolded me for a whole hour. Damn it, that bastard really is a piece of work."
"About Jian Yuancang... what do you think? Did Sect Master Zhou injure him on a whim, or was Bureau Chief Li behind it?"
"By ordinary reasoning, that's impossible. Who is Sect Master Zhou? A dignified first-rank Grand Fate Arts Master, the head of the Mountain Fate Sect. Even Chief Minister Zhao meets him as an equal. But... Marquis Li is anything but ordinary. It's hard to say."
"These past few days, forget the Night Guard-the whole court, even officials in every province, have been buzzing about it, all guessing what happened."
"They say even the senior officials of the ministries and the Cabinet elders are discussing it. Anyway, the elders all praised Li Qingxian for being neither servile nor arrogant before the two sect masters. A rare thing indeed."
"Right. Word came from the Cabinet last night: they unanimously approved Marquis Li