The clean morning sunlight shone upon the two filthy Jingguan outside the gates of the Purple Tenuity Palace. The dried blood was black as ink in the light, yet still had a sickening, sticky look to it.
The two Jingguan stood on either side of the palace gates. Filthy faces, some ferocious, some contorted, faced the imperial avenue and the civil and military officials being escorted into the palace by great numbers of Imperial Guards, as though lining the road to welcome them.
Yet every civil and military official who passed before them hunched over, trembling, and covered his terrified face with his sleeve.
Even the few who could suppress their panic went deathly pale as they passed the two Jingguan, keeping their eyes fixed straight ahead and involuntarily quickening their steps.
Not one dared look directly at these colleagues with whom they had still been laughing and chatting yesterday morning!
They feared seeing their own reflections in those faces...
A squad of Imperial Guards saw that the important man they were escorting was shaking so badly that he limped along, seemingly on the verge of collapsing. They kindly reminded him, "Lord Qin, put a little more effort into it. You really mustn't be late today!"
Somehow, those perfectly ordinary words took on another meaning in the important man's ears. His legs went limp with fright, and he nearly demonstrated a face-first fall on the spot.
Seeing this, the Imperial Guards escorting him did not step forward to support him. They merely drew their sabers three inches from their scabbards in silence.
The scrape of steel leaving its sheath sent a violent shudder through the important man. Summoning every ounce of strength he possessed, he stumbled forward, crying loudly as he went, "I can walk! I can walk..."
His miserable,