Capital City.
Minister Yan returned by carriage after the morning court session had ended.
Usually, he would go back to work at his residence after court, but today he first changed into casual clothes in the waiting room of the palace, then instructed the coachman to take him to the nearby Yuelai Tea House.
This time, he drank tea for an hour.
Not until noon did Minister Yan leave the tea house. Once the carriage reached an alleyway up ahead, he spotted a man walking towards him where he ordered the coachman to stop.
Surprised at first when he saw the carriage, the man knew that the carriages used by ministers in the Capital City were patterned, unless the minister chose to remain low-profile, using ordinary people's carriages that required right-of-way from commoners on the street.