On the seventh day of December, the people in Beiyan Imperial City were still immersed in the joy of purchasing for the New Year, with smiles on their faces, blissfully unaware of the impending change.
Suddenly, the sound of drums and gongs rang out, with guards on fine horses shouting and clearing the way. Passersby exchanged puzzled glances. What was happening?
Straining their necks to look, they saw the bright yellow carriage heading towards the palace. Was that the Emperor's carriage?
Wasn't the Emperor resting in another palace? Has he recovered already?
The common folk remained in the dark, but those who had received insider information, such as Prince Jin's Mansion, quietly replaced festive items and brought out plain white ones, waiting for the bell to toll so they could hang them up.
Sure enough, in less than an hour, the entire capital was under strict control, and from the direction of the palace came the sound of the death knell.
