The night before
The night seemed exceptionally deep and the rain was falling, and the Imperial Palace was mostly very quiet, with guards occasionally standing like nails in the dark corners or night-watch eunuchs patrolling and beating the clappers.
Except for the patter of the rain and the swaying of the yellow gauze palace lanterns, there was almost no other sound at all.
Or perhaps, if there were sounds, they were all masked beneath the sound of the rain.
"Hurry, hurry!" The sound of hooves shattered the tranquility, and the Imperial Guard Corps at the palace gates immediately grew vigilant, gripping their hilt-sheaths in the firelight: "Who is there?"
"It is me..." The man below turned over and dismounted, panting heavily.
A Hundred-Household Officer leaned out from above the gate and, taking a careful look by this firelight, spoke: "So it is Eunuch Zhou. Did you not go out on official business with Eunuch Ma? Why are you returning at this hour..."
"Of course this old slave has an urgent matter..."
"This, Eunuch Zhou, at this hour now..."
"Scoundrel, does this old slave not understand the rules? I will jam it through the door crack..."
"Then, please wait a moment..."
At three quarters past the You hour (6:30 PM), the palace gates closed, an action known as locking the gates. Unless bearing an imperial decree, no one was permitted to enter or exit under any circumstances. Even in the event of special emergencies, memorials could only be passed inward through the crack in the palace gates.
The Hundred-Household Officer ran down and took just one glance at the memorial slipped through the gap. Upon seeing the words "Prince Qi privately hoarding armor and soldiers," his expression instantly changed. With a "clack" he slammed it shut, whirled around, and sprinted away.