In the early spring of the eighth year of the Taiping and Rejuvenation of the Kingdom, there was still a bit of chill in the city of Kaifeng. Early that morning, at dawn, a group of Kaifeng Mansion officers hurried through the Imperial Street and headed straight for the residence of Song Qi, the deputy envoy of the Salt and Iron Envoy. Kou Zhun, Yin of Kaifeng Prefecture, has been waiting in front of Song Mansion for a long time. He was wearing a dark blue official uniform, with a jade belt around his waist, and a solemn face. The morning breeze blew the three long strands of beard under his chin, adding a bit of majesty. Standing next to him is his personal bodyguard Tian Hu, known as "Shen Ju Zi", so named because of his agility like a galloping horse.
