Yan Qi yanked the rope and pulled the Chief of Staff down, stomping on his back with one foot, sneering, "If the emperor and the Divine Capital rely on you bunch of incompetent buffoons as a facade, that would be truly disgraceful. Planning to use the emperor as a scapegoat, are you? Then listen to what his imperial decree states!"
Someone nearby cleared their throat, "The imperial edict has arrived."
The speaker appeared silently, like an invisible ghost. Duke Wu Qin An stood under an old locust tree, its shadows casting uneven shadows across his face.
Minister Ma's teeth began to chatter, and he struggled desperately to get up and salute. Qin An glanced at him and said with a smile, "No need for such formalities, just listen like this."
