Jinghe Year Fifteen, third month, thirteenth day, Xu Hour.
Dusk spread like ink across Taiye Lake, locking the willows along its banks in a deep, smoky haze.
Among tiered towers and palaces, the lights gradually dwindled. Deep within the palace walls, only the heavy sound of the bronze water clock remained.
Stars hung over the corners of the halls; the wind stilled, and the watches stretched long.
Inside the Eastern Warm Pavilion of the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the Imperial Desk stood brightly lit.
The clear lamplight illuminated the Son of Heaven's profile.
Emperor Jing of Zhou finished reviewing the last memorial, set down his Vermilion Brush, and was about to rise.
Then Wang Cheng hurried in from outside the hall and bowed, presenting a confidential memorial with both hands.
"Imperial Grandfather, Wei Nisheng has submitted a confidential memorial. It bypassed the Directorate of Transmission and came directly to the Directorate of Ceremonial."
"Directly to the Directorate of Ceremonial?" Emperor Jing of Zhou's eyebrows lifted slightly, and he sat back down.
"He submitted three memorials. The other two concern public affairs in Suzhou.
"Both went through the Directorate of Transmission to the Grand Secretariat, for the Grand Secretaries to deliberate upon and draft responses."
With that, Wang Cheng placed the confidential memorial on the Imperial Desk, stepped back, and stood with his hands lowered, not daring to look up.
The Son of Heaven reached for it, opened the envelope, and unfolded the memorial to read.
It was not long, its characters lean and forceful, as though carved.
[Your servant Wei Nisheng, in fear and trembling, respectfully submits to his Ruler-Father:
Dull and ignorant as I am, I departed the capital by imperial command to inspect temple property and tax grain and silver throughout the prefectures of Su-Chang.
Vigilant day