“Prince of Guangping, how dare you refuse to kneel before the imperial edict!” When the old eunuch Li Defu brought out the edict, all the guards from the Palace Command who had come to deliver it knelt down. Seeing that Zhao Jian remained standing, one of the squad leaders blurted out the words on reflex.
“Oh, are you supposed to kneel while reading it? Then please kneel while you read it, Eunuch. I don't mind either way. Whether you read it standing or kneeling, I'll only be listening. Since the rules say you have to kneel to read it, then kneel down and read it.” Zhao Jian ignored the squad leader and addressed Li Defu, the eunuch charged with proclaiming the edict.
Though Zhao Jian's voice was gentle and his tone even, the knife-sharp look in his eyes sent a chill down Li Defu's spine. It felt as if his head might decide to leave his body at any moment. The squad leader who had spoken was chilled to the bone as well. Why did he have to stick his neck out like that? He really needed to break himself of the habit.
