"Follow Me into the palace!"
The Emperor gripped Zhao Keluo’s arm, acting as if nothing had happened, and took a step into the soaring, gold-lacquered palace gates. The Imperial Guards stood with their halberds on either side, while the officials surged behind the Emperor like a tributary stream.
Weimo stood with her head bowed against the palace wall, watching the stream of black boots pass before her eyes, when she was suddenly grabbed by a large hand and pulled into the throng. The moment she drew near the man, the faint, metallic scent of animal blood wafted into her nose. She pulled out a silk handkerchief and quietly pressed it into his palm; the blood he had hidden between his fingertips had not yet been wiped clean.
Chapter 61