At 1 a.m., the hour when the residents of the Capital City are still deep in slumber.
The representatives of scholars from Sheng Country, preparing to go out of the city to welcome the Beiman Envoy, have already gathered under the Beiding Gate.
There is still half an hour until the official rehearsal, and each team is checking whether all their members have arrived.
For the convenience of rehearsal, over twenty fire pits have been lit in the small square under the Beiding Gate, illuminating the space as bright as daylight, making every movement of the delegation members clearly visible.
Sikong Jian stands atop the inner city wall, watching every movement in the square below. His gaze rests on that purple troop, his sharp eyes scanning over those ordinary faces.
Eighteen, nineteen...still missing one person.
"Where is Liu Ji?" Sikong Jian asks the person beside him.
