Inside the Forbidden Palace, ornate lamps flickered on one by one, shimmering like a sky full of stars and illuminating the interior with brilliant clarity.
In the Imperial Study, the Great Xia Emperor was practicing his calligraphy, a ritual he followed every evening after his meal. Tonight, however, his mind was in turmoil; the brush strokes lacked all spirit. Suddenly, he slammed his brush down, the jade hitting the Shoushan stone inkstone with a sharp, metallic ring.
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger!" The head eunuch and all the attendants scrambled to their knees.
Chapter 64