Li Zheng stood under His Majesty Dan outside the palace. The hem of his black official robe was slightly blown by the damp wind and stained with some mud - it was accidentally splashed by the muddy water kicked up by the carriage when he just rushed back from the Cuju training ground outside the city. He lowered his head slightly, and his eyes fell on the gap between the gold bricks under his feet, where a small pool of rainwater accumulated, reflecting his young but calm face.
"Jingyuan Marquis, Your Majesty invites you to enter the palace." The high-pitched voice of the chamberlain came from behind, with a bit of deliberate respect. Li Zheng straightened up and when he turned around, his face had returned to its usual cold expression, but there was still a bit of training ground warmth deep in his eyes.
He followed the chamberlain into the Chengtian Hall. The hall was warm and dry, and the smell of sandalwood hit his face, in stark contrast to the cold and damp outside. The emperor sat high on the dragon chair, his face seemed better than the last time he saw him, but there was still a trace of unnoticeable worry lingering between his brows. Jamel Xiao stood beside the emperor, wearing a purple python robe, and his posture was as tall as a pine tree. When he saw Li Zheng coming in, his deep eyes glanced at him lightly, as if he was weighing something.
