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"Chaos has erupted, everything is in chaos," declared an old man with white hair in a room of an inn within the Imperial City. Leaning against the window, he looked upon the disordered scene below and calmly said, "Now let's see how the Crown Prince deals with this turmoil."
"If handled properly, the Imperial City may regain some peace. If not, perhaps it's time to welcome a new master."
The boldness of the white-haired man's statements could not be understated.
If someone from the Imperial Court overheard him, they would likely have him arrested on the spot.
"Ha! Patriarch Yan, you really shouldn't say such things," interjected a middle-aged man seated nearby: "After all, the Great Zhou, at least for now, bears the surname Mu. You really should be careful—walls have ears!"