As the morning bell in the Golden Throne Hall broke through the thin mist, Lu Jingyuan’s knuckles turned white as he gripped a sandalwood box. Inside lay the evidence Jiang Wan had spent the entire night organizing—crumpled secret letters, wax seals with hidden patterns, and testimonies from merchants marked with bloody thumbprints. Every piece was like a poison-tipped dagger, aimed directly at the official in purple robes standing below the steps.
"I have a report to submit!" Lu Jingyuan stepped forward, the sound of his official boots striking the stone tiles startling the hall into silence. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Li Yanzhang, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Punishments, twirling a jade thumb ring in the corner. The gold-threaded cloud patterns embroidered on his robes seemed to twist grotesquely in the morning light.
The Emperor, seated on the Dragon Throne, set aside a memorial and the tassels of his crown swayed gently. "Speak your mind, Lord Lu."
Chapter 240