The sky was just beginning to lighten.
Xie Anjun was still deep in sleep when he was suddenly startled awake by a commotion outside.
He sat up in irritation and barked at the door, "What's going on? What's all this racket!"
He hadn't slept well last night to begin with, having had a series of strange, jumbled dreams. Now, being woken up again, his temper flared.
Hurried footsteps approached, and a servant burst in, a look of panic on his face.
"M-Marquis! This is bad!"
Xie Anjun's brows furrowed. Before he had a chance to get angry, he heard the servant stammer, "S-Someone from the palace... from the palace is here!"
'The palace?'
Xie Anjun froze for a moment, a strange sense of unease creeping into his heart.
He immediately asked, "Who is it? Is it Eunuch Li?"
The servant was on the verge of tears. "N-No... It's the Imperial Army!"
Xie Anjun's mind went blank for a second. He almost uncontrollably raised his voice and demanded, "Who did you say!?"
'The Imperial Army!?'
