At the crack of dawn, civil and military officials in robes of all colors filed into the Imperial Palace. As they passed along the grand avenue, they carefully skirted the corpses of the Imperial Guard on the ground and the lingering sword might in the air.
The Imperial Palace was a wreck. Vermilion gates lay toppled on the ground, riddled with holes. Many Inner Court Qilin Guards, lightly armored, silently cleared the ruins at the entrance, dragging bodies from craters to be taken to the back mountain for cremation and burial.
The eunuchs and Palace Maids finally dared to emerge, each returning to their posts to perform their duties.
「Half an Hour later.」
「Holy Bright Palace.」
This was the main palace of the Great Yan Dynasty, its political heart and national symbol. Located in the center of the Imperial Palace and facing south, it was known as the Palace of Ten Thousand Palaces in the Central Plains World.
