In the Imperial Family's separate residence.
After a day of hubbub, the night brought about an even more profound silence, erasing all traces of the bustling scenes from the daylight. The courtyard was vast, to the point of seeming a bit desolate, and the attending officials and martial artists each rested in their own quarters.
Armored Imperial Guards of the Great Qin, bearing weapons, stood guard at various positions, their expressions stern, as if carved from green stone, void of any hint of change in their faces, much less conversations with each other.
Occasionally, a pretty maid carrying a lantern would tip-toe briskly past, her dress rustling, making a soft, fragmented sound.
All was calm and ordinary.
Yet in an even quieter courtyard, there was a lantern that remained lit without flickering.
