In the three-entry courtyard of the Eagle House Office, more than a dozen old locust trees were filled with pigeons, pecking at corn kernels on the ground.
Xuan Snake, clad in a long black cloak, hurried through the shadows of the trees, startling the pigeons to take flight beside him.
He arrived at the main hall of the backyard and saw Wu Xiu sitting behind the desk, reviewing documents with a vermillion pen. A tall stack was already piled up on his left side.
Changxiu stood to the side, hands gathered in his sleeves, eyelids drooping as if dozing off.
Upon hearing footsteps, he lazily opened his eyes, saluted Xuan Snake with a slight hand gesture, not even extracting his hands from his sleeves, merely extending his arms forward as a greeting, then squinted his eyes shut again.
Xuan Snake stepped into the main hall, saluting Wu Xiu: "Lord, I have something to report."
Wu Xiu did not reply, merely gazing at the documents in front of him.
