In the early morning, carriages bearing the plaques of various households passed along the blue-brick streets from time to time, entering the Imperial Academy's white stone archway under the protection of their attendants.
As Northern Liang's highest institution of learning, Yanjing's Imperial Academy educated students from all over Northern Liang, and even hosted students from the Western Sea Tribes and the Southern Dynasty. Its scale was naturally considerable.
Feeding and entertaining several thousand people meant business, so many merchants had gathered nearby. Early in the morning, a small street nearby could be seen filled entirely with young men dressed as scholars.
At one wonton stall, students gathered in twos and threes, discussing the latest curiosities in the Capital City:
"...They got pretty wild. Apparently, the Marquis on Bell Tower Street hosted it and invited the Eight Great Flower Leaders of Suijin Street to entertain them. After three rounds of drinks, they started playing the Drinking-Chip Game. Whoever they drew got favored, and there were even three routes: upper, front, and rear..."
"Whoa! That must've cost a fortune..."
"Don't listen to his nonsense. What I heard was that they were drinking together when Grand Preceptor Hua's son noticed something off about the Marquis of Jingyang's retainer and casually killed him with a palm strike. The Marquis of Jingyang was furious at first, but after investigating, he discovered that the retainer was actually a Southern Dynasty barbarian who raped, plundered, and committed every evil imaginable. He was immediately awestruck..."
"Wasn't it the Azure Dragon Society that killed him?"
"Oh, the Hua Family hardly needs something like this to bolster its reputation. Grand Preceptor Hua's son must not have wanted the fame, so he deliberately credited the Azure Dragon Society. The high officials and nobles all know perfectly well what really happened..."