Morning.
News that the Eldest Prince, Lu Changfeng, was imprisoned on death row for attempting a palace coup had completely swept through the Imperial Capital. It seemed deliberately spread, as everyone from the streets and alleys—commoners and nobles, the wealthy and powerful—had heard and were talking about it.
Some rejoiced while others worried. With the dismissal of several Elders from the Cabinet, the number of top officials in the Imperial Court was suddenly cut by more than half, leaving a vast number of vacancies.
Squads of stern-faced men in brocade robes and silver boots moved like phantoms, sweeping out from the Imperial Palace. Imperial City Bureau Guards rushed out with drawn swords, surrounding several opulent mansions in the Imperial City. Everyone within, from the elderly to women and children, was taken into custody and escorted to prison.
Large seals were slapped onto the vast mansions, declaring the fall of a noble house.
