Marquis of Huifeng's Residence
It stood amid bustling streets, where people thronged in abundance. Whenever the sun rose, it came with scorching heat, bleaching the earth white. Heat rushed into one's face, steaming people until they could barely breathe.
The main gates remained shut. Two stone lions crouched before them, seemingly impatient with the cruel summer, their mouths open as they watched the passersby.
Only the east and west side gates saw people coming and going. At this moment, an ox cart came racing over and finally stopped before the gates of Marquis of Huifeng's Residence. Several riders escorting it dismounted, and one of them headed straight for the gates.
Their attire made it clear that they were residence guards. In the Capital City, only dukes, marquises, or even imperial princes and descendants could keep such guards. The gatekeeper of Marquis of Huifeng's Residence took one look and immediately forced a smile onto his face, hurrying out to bow and ask ingratiatingly, "This is Marquis of Huifeng's Residence. May I ask which noble residence you come from?"
"Our prince has come to visit Lord Fang Zhen!" Several residence guards stood by with hands on their sword hilts as they escorted a man down from the cart. The guard who had stepped forward had already explained their purpose.
Prince Dai?
The gatekeeper merely glanced over, then hurriedly dropped to his knees and kowtowed. "This lowly one truly has eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai! I shall open the gates at once and go in to report... report..."
After pausing, he finally managed to finish, "...report to my marquis, so that he may open the central gates and welcome Your Highness!"
"No need. Get up!" A guard from Prince Dai's Residence nodded and said, "His Highness says he dislikes such empty