Inside the Imperial Study of the Imperial Palace, even the crisp, cooling fragrance of the agarwood could not suppress the suffocating, heavy tension in the air.
Atop the giant coiled-dragon candleholder, the candlelight flickered uneasily, stretching the shadow of Emperor Xia Hong cast across the bright yellow brocade screen into distorted shapes.
He stood with his back to the door, hands clasped behind him. In the dim light, his bright yellow dragon robe lost its former majesty, exuding an indescribable, sinister gloom.
Chapter 211