The Capital's imperial palace, the Eastern Pavilion of the Hall of Qianyuan.
Night had fallen, and at least a little breeze had stirred outside, carrying a touch of coolness through the corridors and courtyards.
But within the palace, high walls enclosed every side, and no one dared open the windows wide.
The heat trapped all day could not escape, making the night even harder to endure than the daytime.
Blocks of ice stood beside the hall to dispel the heat, but now they were no more than a cup of water thrown onto a burning cart.
Before any coolness could reach the center of the hall, the stifling heat swallowed it whole.
Emperor Jing of Zhou sat behind his desk, the list of Eastern Palace Attendants drafted by the Grand Secretariat spread before him.
Though he had changed into a summer garment, a thin sheen of sweat still seeped through his back.
He had been reading for several minutes now, his gaze pausing and shifting over the names, yet he had not put brush to paper.
Wang Cheng stood beside the desk, a small patch of his robes likewise damp and clinging to his spine.
"Hahaha, when the Late Emperor chose attendants for me all those years ago..."
Emperor Jing of Zhou spoke with wistful recollection.
"It was just as lively. In fact, the list was even thicker than this one."
"The Eastern Palace Attendants." Emperor Jing of Zhou shifted the Grand Secretariat's draft.
"Every faction wants a share of that pie.
It was so in my day, and it is so for Heng'er now."
As he spoke, he lifted his cool tea and took a sip.
"He must learn to keep these people in their proper places without letting them sit too comfortably."
Wang Cheng heard the unspoken