The imperial palace of Western Chu, the Hall of Eternal Peace.
Yang Qing had been back in the capital for over ten days when, at last, an imperial decree arrived, summoning him to the palace.
Yang Qing straightened his robes, then took Bu Er with him and left.
He was staying in an exceptionally secluded courtyard in the capital, with no neighboring houses adjoining it, much less any contact with the capital's officials.
Thus, quite a few people at court whispered among themselves about an outlying Military Governor being invited to attend this Thousand Longevity Banquet.
Moreover, they had learned of the considerable entanglements between Yang Qing, Fu Bonian, and Wei Li, and were all waiting to enjoy the spectacle of Yang Qing making a fool of himself.
After all, both those men had significant ties to Chancellor Wei Sizhong.
Not a single man serving at court was anything less than shrewd.
Before even meeting Yang Qing, they had already guessed that he must have a serious grievance with Wei Sizhong.
Yang Qing made no response to the friendly or hostile looks directed his way, focusing only on his own steps.
But as he reached a corner, someone blocked his path.
Yang Qing looked up in surprise and found that the man standing before him was quite unfamiliar.
However, a glance at the style of the man's official robes and the peacock feather on his hat gave him a fair idea of who he was.
Yang Qing smiled faintly and cupped his hands toward the man. "So it is Minister Qiu of the Ministry of Revenue."
The newcomer was indeed Qiu Qifang, Minister of Revenue.
Yang Qing had little contact with the capital's officials, and Qiu Qifang had clearly waited here deliberately just to meet him alone.
As for what