Chapter 248 - Backing
Early the next morning, before the break of dawn, sealed missives stamped with wax were already placed on the Emperor's desk in the Imperial Study. Although they were labeled as secret reports, the information within was hardly hidden from those in the know.
Various officials throughout the court also received word that Qi Zongbi had arrived in Liangzhou Prefecture at the same time.
Su Yi rose early, nursing a slight headache from the previous night’s drinking. He massaged his temples and washed up with the help of a maidservant. Morning routine out of the way, he ate some porridge. After sitting quietly for a while, his steward came over and softly informed him that the carriage was ready and waiting just outside the main gate.
Before getting into the carriage, Su Yi glanced at the vermilion-painted gate of his residence. The plaque inscribed with the words Grand Tutor's Residence were faintly visible in the morning mist.
He couldn't help but feel momentarily dazed—how had he come from being a penniless country scholar to becoming the First Grade Grand Tutor, basking in the emperor's favor? It all felt like a dream.
Perhaps he had simply been lucky, or maybe he hadn't gotten used to it because it had all happened too quickly. Su Yi shook his head, dismissing the thought, and climbed into the carriage. From behind the curtain, he called out, "Let's go."
The morning court session began at the fifth watch, and officials intending to attend would often leave their homes by the third watch to head for the imperial palace.
Su Yi's carriage stopped when it reached a road near the palace gate. Su Yi disembarked and turned to the driver, giving him quiet instructions. The driver then left to find a place to wait.
At the foot of the imperial city, officials of all ranks had already begun to gather. Su Yi adjusted his robes and moved to an empty corner to wait for the palace gates to open. Before long, notable figures like Zhang Zhenxuan, the Minister of Revenue, Gu Yanwen, the Minister of Rites, and Lin Kebiao, the newly appointed Commander of the Imperial Guardians, arrived one after another.