Hiding in the Eastern Palace to Seek Old Affection, Dragging the Eunuch Dog Away Before the Retired Emperor!

Divine Capital, Forbidden City.

Inside a palace courtyard.

Dai Quan savored tea brewed from freshly picked Biluochun leaves, idly turning a jadeite thumb ring in his hand as he asked softly:

"Have you found anything?"

The three eunuchs lowered their heads in silence.

Clearly, they had found nothing.

Bang!

Dai Quan slammed his teacup onto the table, a nameless fury surging through him.

He had dispatched large numbers of men to Jiangnan, Tianjin, Shandong, Henan, and elsewhere, all to discover whether that beast Jia had taken bribes, slaughtered indiscriminately, or abused his authority to bully officials while investigating his cases.

Yet they had found none of those things.

Without a handle on him, how could Dai Quan unleash a storm of retaliation?

One of the eunuchs spoke softly and slowly:

"Brush-wielding Eunuch Dai, I hear that fellow Jia has a feud with Lord Wang, the Nine Gates Commander, and has also offended Grand Secretary Cui of the Grand Secretariat. Why not join forces with them and bring him down together?"

Dai Quan flew into a rage:

"Ally with the man at the helm of the Capital Camp? Befriend the Grand Secretariat? Do you think I've been sitting in this seat for too long?"

Of course he wanted to join forces with powerful allies and knock that little beast flat in one stroke!

But as a powerful eunuch of the inner court, he absolutely could not maintain close ties with anyone commanding troops. Once exposed, the Embroidered Uniform Guard's Pacification Commissioner would begin an investigation.

As they spoke, a snow-white pigeon landed on the windowsill, chirping incessantly.

Dai Quan narrowed his eyes and ordered sternly:

"Everyone, out!"

After dismissing his attendants, he walked to the window and removed the letter tied to the pigeon's leg.

He unfolded it, took a single