Candles burned softly inside Xianyang Palace.
Amid their faint crackling, Eunuch Changshun deftly made his way along the corners, his footsteps barely louder than the burning candles.
Only after he reached Emperor Mingze and bowed with both hands raised did he speak, breaking the silence in the hall.
"Your Majesty," Eunuch Changshun said, setting the newly submitted memorial on the desk before Emperor Mingze, "just as you predicted, someone slipped Prince Jing's memorial requesting permission to enter the capital among the memorials of thanks."
Eunuch Changshun did his utmost to suppress the alarm trembling in his eyes.
Since ascending the throne, Emperor Mingze had granted several dozen civilian organizations special permission to submit memorials directly to him, demonstrating that he loved his people as his own children. His intention had been to address the hardships of their lives at the root, but ever since, most of the memorials submitted had been endlessly varied expressions of gratitude for imperial grace.
He had no choice but to assign people specifically to sort these memorials into categories. The memorials of thanks were all piled to one side for him to review at his leisure.
Such memorials routinely piled up over half a meter high, making them the ideal place for Prince Jing's people to tamper.
Although he had anticipated this, only when it actually happened did Eunuch Changshun realize that he had still overestimated how much his nerves could bear.
Jiang Yanchuan's emotionless gaze swept over the topmost memorial. "Who was it?"
Eunuch Changshun lowered his head further and replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, it was... it was Lord Yu Kaiji, the newly appointed palace attendant."
While setting up their surveillance, they had happened to catch Yu Kaiji slipping the memorial among the memorials of thanks, confirming his identity as a spy.
Jiang Yanchuan