The days of warmth giving way to lingering cold had passed. Spring was in full bloom, just right for resting and recuperating.
During this stretch of days, not only the Imperial Court offices and public and private schools, but even the theaters saw much less business.
For some reason, the Duke of Lu, notorious for neglecting his duties, had suddenly become diligent. Though he still did no real work and merely sat in a chair drinking tea, the fact that he had gone several dozen days in a row without taking sick leave astonished both his colleagues at court and his subordinates at the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.
Only now, watching him walk out of the offices beneath the spring sun, did the officials and clerks of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices feel that everything had returned to normal.
The Duke of Lu waved away the officials seeing him off. He glanced at Jing Shang, standing inconspicuously outside the crowd, and after some thought, decided not to call him forward to speak.
Once inside his carriage, he took a Spirit Stone from a drawer and held it in his hand, using its spiritual qi to restore his energy while calming himself. Then he asked, "Are you certain it broke?"
The steward of the Duke's Residence was outside the carriage at that moment, so naturally the question was not directed at him.
The Duke of Lu was asking a blind man seated inside the carriage.
The blind man had graying hair and wore plain clothes. He was already old, but remained spirited.
The old man had been one of the Duke of Lu's personal guards when he served in the North. After he was wounded, the Duke had brought him into his residence and assigned him this tedious yet extremely important