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The next day, Wen Qiliang went to the palace early, waiting for the Emperor to end the morning court session so he could bid his farewell.
The Emperor held morning court half an hour later than usual today. The reason was that Shen Yian, the junior minister of the Central Judicial Office, had submitted a petition regarding the confessions obtained from two captured Green Forest bandits detained in the Heavenly Prison, which implicated possible ties between Green Forest and Ling Mountain. Dealing with Green Forest alone wouldn't have been a significant issue, troublesome as it was. After all, the court still wielded authority, and if push came to shove, they had powerful armies to deploy. But involvement with Ling Mountain was a different matter altogether, one Shen Yian didn't dare presume to handle on his own.
