Duke Shenxiu Residence, The Duke's study.
A plump male Secretary stepped into the compound holding a square framed lamp in his left hand and carrying a small basket containing a puke of reports in his right hand.
The man nodded to the soldier standing guard at the door of the compound. He was one of the Dukes' close Secretaries that worked in the study. Hence he was familiar with the soldiers that guard the study.
He pulled up the basket as he got to the stairs leading up to the door of the study. The attendant paused as he placed a foot on the last stair.
His eyes narrowed ad he noticed a slight movement in the duke's study. "How strange? Isn't the duke at the banquet right now? It can't be that..."
His eyes widened as he saw a shadow, the attendant dropped the basket on the concrete ground beside the stair and holding the lamp tight turned around and shouted,
"Guards! Guards! There is someone in the duke's study!"