In the thin morning mist, two Jiefan Guards on horseback led the way, while four East Garden Craftsmen escorted a hearse through the long street.
The rims were wrapped in iron sheets, and as they rolled across the cobblestone road, they made a rumbling sound, like a drum being dragged across the ground.
The carriage had just turned onto Fuyou Street when it was intercepted by four patrolling Jiefan Guards. They stepped forward to pat over the clothes of the East Garden Craftsmen, confirming they were not concealing weapons, before letting them enter Fuyou Street.
The entire Fuyou Street was hung with mourning banners. Each household had tacitly removed their red lanterns and red door gods, waiting to put them up again on New Year's Eve.
There were no passersby on the street, only the Qi family servants coming and going, and Mr. Qi's protégés and former subordinates arriving not for condolence, but to observe the Qi family's affairs.
