Main Hall
With his face tilted up toward the leaden sky, Ma Shunde felt ill at ease. He paced beneath the corridor for a while before finally sighing after a long time. "When fortune departs, even heroes lose their freedom!"
Back then, though his claws and fangs had still been tender, he had clawed his way through the palace step by step. After thirty years, he had risen to become the chief palace minister and taken control of the Imperial City Office. Yet now, hardship hemmed him in on every side, and things only worsened by the day.
"Fate was not something one could help but fear. Was that Zhao bastard feeling the same way?"
"No, I will not resign myself to fate. The art of feng shui may yet change one's destiny."
Ma Shunde had never believed in feng shui. Emperor Shizu of Great Wei had once said that destiny lay in people, not in the land, much less in feng shui. But when human effort had run its course, who would not seek another sliver of hope?
Just as he was mulling it over, someone hurried over from the archives. Having gone the entire night without sleep, his eyes were bloodshot. He dropped to his knees and reported, "Chief Eunuch, among the current officials of Fifth Rank and above, there is no one named 'Huo Lianqi'!"
There was none?
How could there be none?!
Ma Shunde froze, narrowed his eyes, and asked darkly, "Did you check both civil and military officials?"
The agent kowtowed. "Reporting to Chief Eunuch, we checked them all. Among every civil and military official of Fifth Rank and above, there is no such name. They are now checking those below Fifth Rank."
Although the search had not yet been completed, it was obvious enough