August 17, Dayuan Prefecture, night.
Dark clouds hung low over the city, and distant thunder rumbled across the sky, though the rain stubbornly held back. Prime Minister Fan’s carriage ground over the bluestone pavement, the rattle of the wheels jarringly loud in the empty streets. The night wind, slipping through the gaps in the carriage curtains, carried the stench of blood and made the candle flames flicker wildly.
Prime Minister Fan lifted the curtain, his brow deeply furrowed. Not a single person had come out to welcome them in front of the Prefect’s residence; only two battered lanterns swayed in the night breeze, casting a ghastly light. The four characters "Upright and Honest" on the lanterns were soaked through with blood, looking ferocious and terrifying in the firelight.
"Bring Feng Delu here!" Prime Minister Fan’s voice was as cold as ice.
Chapter 236