Two burly men stood guard at the entrance. When they saw him coming, they laughed and said, “Why is William Harris back? The work at the stake isn’t easy, huh? How about letting us give it a try instead?”

William Harris raised his eyebrows and hooked his finger, “Want to try?”

The two doormen just smiled, not daring to respond.

Once inside the main gate, a large bronze mirror hung ahead, with a plaque above it bearing four big characters: “Upright Mirror Hung High.”

This was the Mirror Platform, the most mysterious institution in the Tang Dynasty.

Standing before the bronze mirror, William Harris straightened his clothes and hat, gazing at his own reflection with narcissism. “Such a handsome and dashing young man, with boundless prospects ahead—wonder which lucky lady will benefit from it.”

He walked all the way in, finally stopping outside the main hall, bowing his head and saying, “William Harris requests an audience with Peter Thompson.”

Two rows of burly men stood outside the door, each dressed in dark clothing, exuding a heavy aura.

There were several types of dark robes: those worn by emperors, those worn by nobles, but all signified the prestige of the wearer. Yet these men wore modified dark robes, a sign of their extraordinary status.

After a moment, someone came out.

“Come in.”

William Harris bowed his head slightly and followed the man inside.

The main hall was spacious. Upon entering, he saw two rows of people standing below.

At the head, facing him, knelt a pale, beardless man. An eyepatch covered his left eye, while his exposed right eye cast a deep look at William Harris.

This was the leader of the Mirror Platform, Left Gate Guard General Andrew Thompson, also known as the one-eyed dragon feared and cursed by the Chang’an elite.

“Greetings, Gate Guard.” William Harris knew well the ruthlessness of this Mirror Platform leader and dared not waste words. After saluting, he said, “I was ordered to keep watch on the Wang family. Today, Helen Thompson returned to Chang’an. I learned that he was ambushed on this trip…”

Andrew Thompson gently tapped the table before him, sitting ramrod straight, his voice especially sharp. “Helen Thompson’s trip was to inspect the Wang family’s mines. By our calculations, he should have returned ten days later. He brought many guards with him; an assassination wouldn’t have delayed his journey. Returning early… there’s only one possibility: the Wang family in Chang’an sent him a message.”

William Harris lowered his head, recalling a recent hot topic in Chang’an.

“Cutting thirty percent of hereditary privileges—that’s like slicing the flesh of the powerful officials.” A mocking look appeared in Andrew Thompson’s right eye. He reached out and gently stroked the eyepatch covering his left eye. “Those people are already unimaginably wealthy, yet they still crave the last copper coin in the world. Their greed is beyond even gluttony—truly despicable.”

William Harris agreed with these words, but he knew such things could only be said within the Mirror Platform. Otherwise, the supreme one in the palace could put Peter Thompson in mortal peril.

Andrew Thompson waved his hand, and the man who had been preparing to serve tea bowed and withdrew.

Andrew Thompson glanced at William Harris. “The Wang family knows the inside story, and Helen Thompson returned early—clearly preparing to respond. Was there anything else along the way?”

William Harris had already prepared his report on the way over, and now replied calmly, “Helen Thompson brought back a young man this time.”

Andrew Thompson said coldly, “The Mirror Platform pays you for information, and you bring me such trivial news?”

This was a sign of anger. Sweat appeared on William Harris’s forehead. “Gate Guard, Helen Thompson was very kind to that young man, and even Lily Thompson from the Wang family showed great concern for him. I found it suspicious…”

Andrew Thompson rose, flicked his sleeves, and everyone hurriedly bowed their heads in respect.

He turned and left through the back, his sharp voice trailing behind.

“Then go and keep an eye on that person.”

Chapter Ten: The Meeting Gift of Chang’an

William Harris left the main hall, walking beside a middle-aged man.

The man’s name was Frank Miller, one of the twelve stewards of the Mirror Platform.

Frank Miller smiled very amiably, but the other stewards nearby deliberately distanced themselves from him, as if he were a vengeful ghost.

“They’re all afraid of me,” Frank Miller said, still smiling kindly.

William Harris was his subordinate and shamelessly asked, “Steward, they say that back in the northern frontier, you fought against Northern Liao spies for years. Once, when you were surrounded and starving, you ate human flesh. Is that true?”

Frank Miller continued to smile gently, the fine lines on his face creasing as he looked at William Harris.

This was a huge piece of gossip, never confirmed by anyone. William Harris’s heart raced, thinking he might finally get the scoop today.

Frank Miller stared at him for a long time, then patted his shoulder. “Young people should be curious, but sometimes curiosity can kill you.”

William Harris relaxed, thinking perhaps it was better not to know. Otherwise, facing a superior who had eaten human flesh every day would be unsettling.

Frank Miller walked ahead, with William Harris at his side.

“You shouldn’t have requested an audience with Peter Thompson on your own today.” Frank Miller nodded and smiled at someone approaching from the front. That person smiled back, but then discreetly stepped aside to the right. Frank Miller acted as if he hadn’t noticed, still smiling. “Back in the army, you were a scout with quite a reputation…”

“Not just a reputation, but a great reputation!” William Harris protested. “Steward, back then I killed countless Northern Liao scouts in the north. They called me the number one scout of the Tang Dynasty. I was about to be promoted, but you tricked me into joining the Mirror Platform. If not for that, I might already be a general by now.”

Frank Miller smiled, “Now that the Tang and Northern Liao have put away their banners and drums, the scout wars were just a warm-up. I dealt with Northern Liao spies and know they were already preparing ways to kill off a few outstanding Tang scouts to make a statement. Besides…”