On the sixth day of the fifth lunar month, the gilded bell of the morning court had just struck nine when Lu Jingyuan galloped his horse to the residence of Grand Secretary Xu. Before the blue-brick spirit wall, he swung out of the saddle. His armor and spurs clattered against the ground, the sharp sound startling the swallows from under the eaves.
"Is Grand Secretary Xu in?" he asked, removing his helmet and handing it to the young servant at the gate. "I have an urgent matter to discuss."
Grand Secretary Xu came out to meet him, leaning on a cane, his white beard still glistening with morning dew. "I knew you would come. I have already had people investigate the rumors on the streets. The pamphlets originated from the Wensheng Bookstore in West City."
Chapter 172