Lord and retainer fell silent for a long while. The Wild Daoist tilted his face toward the gray, gloomy sky and smiled. "Whatever happens, let us get you formally invested as Imperial Grandson first. My lord, you still have guests to see off!"
"The last ones are Bi Xin, Wan Qiao, Lou Yuanbai, and the others? They really have put their hearts into this."
"Come, let us see them off."
Su Ziji looked up at the sky. Fine snow fell evenly, gathering and scattering by turns. There were fewer pedestrians on the street now, and fewer ox carts outside the gate. The last guests leaving could be counted on ten fingers.
Su Ziji turned out of the room and reached the reception hall. Sure enough, sixteen or seventeen people remained there, including Bi Xin, Wan Qiao, and Lou Yuanbai. The rest were Hundred-Household Officers he had promoted himself.
The moment they saw Su Ziji, they snapped into another salute. "It is late. Please permit us to take our leave."
"It is indeed getting late. I shall not keep you any longer." Su Ziji smiled. Seeing that night had fallen and it was completely dark outside, he instructed the steward, "The roads are slippery on a snowy night. They might fall if they cannot see. Fetch some lanterns for them to take home."
Whatever else might be said, these military officers who were the last to leave counted as Su Ziji's own men in the army. His foundations at court were still shallow, and those truly worthy of his trust all held positions within Prince Dai's Residence. He and these so-called loyal followers still had their reservations about one another.
But considering how recently Su Ziji had arrived in the capital, having even these men who could just barely be considered