The days trickled by, and the new year drew ever closer.
The common folk were busy preparing for the new year festivities, and the markets were much livelier than usual.
As was tradition, court officials were also given a holiday for the new year, a chance to have a proper reunion with their families.
This year's holiday, however, was destined to be anything but peaceful.
One after another, officials were found to have been privately discussing the Emperor's illness, arousing suspicions of undermining public morale. The Night Owl Guard reported these matters to the Emperor, resulting in demotions for minor offenses and exile for serious ones.
Without anyone noticing, the Night Owl Guard's spies had already spread throughout the entire imperial court and its administration.
They were like an invisible net, cast tightly over everyone's hearts, suffocating them until they could barely breathe.
