The officer was both excited and anxious, his mind racing for a strategy to catch the culprit red-handed. After long deliberation, however, he could think of no good plan. Furthermore, he lacked the courage to arrest the Eighth Prince. He knew there must be secret guards hidden in the estate, though they had likely retired for the night, assuming nothing had ever gone wrong here before.
Forget it! This was a criminal beyond his reach; he would lose his head before he even knew what hit him. With this thought, he prepared to scale the wall and flee. Just then, he heard a clamor of voices outside and the sound of someone knocking at the gate.
"Who would be visiting the Eighth Prince at this hour?" the officer wondered to himself. He quickly ducked into a flowerbed, hoping to see what was happening. Before long, the gate opened, and a luxurious carriage rolled into the courtyard. A servant rushed over and whispered to the Eighth Prince, "The Chancellor has arrived!"
Chapter 365