Large, straight, and leafy banyan trees shadowed the sizable area in which Feng Zhiwei casually rested. Her green porcelain cup was misted with the fragrance of tea, and she smiled happily as she sipped and admired the white pigs in her courtyard.
Young Master Gu sat beside her eating walnuts while Helian Zheng sat crosslegged under the trees playing finger-guessing games with the other students.
Behind the tree, a group of Imperial Court officers and bailiffs were stripped naked, shivering in their circle squat as the early autumn wind cheerfully swept by.
This was how Ning Yi was greeted as he stepped down from his large palanquin.
"Your Highness…" Voices whispered, and the Chief Officer of the Ministry of Punishment and the Vice Commander of the Nine Yamen had a sudden change in expression as they saw Ning Yi step down from his Golden Topped Palanquin wearing his golden crown and Formal Courtly Dress. Ning Yi had come directly from the Imperial Court.