Wrapped like a mummy, Shen Fa limped into the imperial study on crutches.
His miserable appearance startled Emperor Xiping behind the imperial desk. Dumbfounded, he set down his memorial and waved for the senior eunuch attending him to bring Shen Fa a chair. "What... happened this time?"
He was not asking who had beaten Shen Fa.
He was asking what Shen Fa had gotten beaten for this time.
He wondered... they had not offended that fellow Yang Erlang lately, had they?
Shen Fa thanked him for his grace and, supported by a junior eunuch, shakily lowered himself into the chair. He heaved a mournful sigh. "It is a long story!"
Emperor Xiping straightened in his seat and waved for the junior eunuch to bring tea. "Then take your time telling it. There is no rush."
Shen Fa said weakly, "Your Majesty, this matter is of grave importance and has far-reaching implications. Perhaps we should summon Eunuch Wei and Eunuch Liu first, so we can discuss it together."
Emperor Xiping nodded. "Very well... summon Wei Heng and Liu Xian."
The junior eunuch accepted the order and hurried off to relay it.
Emperor Xiping lifted his teacup and, unable to contain his curiosity, said, "You should still tell me what exactly happened."
Shen Fa dared not disobey. He could only make a short story long, beginning with how Yang Ge had made enemies of the Five Poisons Cult...
Emperor Xiping already knew all of this, but he did not interrupt Shen Fa, allowing him to unfold the account as though telling a story.
Before long, Wei Heng and Liu Xian, the Eastern Factory's newly appointed director, entered the imperial study together. Emperor Xiping waved away their formal bows and continued listening to Shen Fa.
With his two fellow victims now in place