The splendor of the Red Chamber, the power that reigns supreme.

Chapter 213 The powerful official can turn the world upside down, and Jinlian'er cries and acts coquettishly.
Seeing that Magistrate Xia had left in a hurry, the official sneered inwardly but remained outwardly calm. He called out in a deep voice to the outside, "Someone come here!"

A clerk entered in response and stood at attention with his hands at his sides: "What are your orders, sir?"

The official said in a deep voice, "Bring me all the important case files that have been submitted in the past few days, regardless of their size, so that I may review them."

"Yes, sir!" The clerk dared not delay and quickly brought over a stack of files, placing them respectfully on the official's desk.

Ximen Qing's eyes flashed like lightning. He swept through the pile of documents and precisely pulled out the scroll that read "Liu Mian Case".

The official unfolded the case file; his subordinates had already completed the investigation.

He read it word by word, sentence by sentence:

------

Report:

The investigation into the case of Liu Mian (also known as Liu Baihu), the steward of the imperial estate, for illegally felling ancient cypress trees at the imperial mausoleum revealed the following:
On the fifteenth of this month, we, your humble servants, were ordered by Imperial Commissioner and Censor He to investigate the case of Liu Mian (also known as Liu Baihu), the steward of the Imperial Estate.

Upon investigation:
I. The perpetrator, Liu Mian, as the steward of the imperial estate, was obligated to perform his duties diligently and protect the estate. However, he was audacious and repeatedly trespassed into the forbidden area of ​​the imperial mausoleum.

Second, the perpetrator openly felled dozens of royal mausoleum trees on the hill behind the Imperial Mausoleum Palace and appropriated them for himself. He was caught red-handed, and the evidence is conclusive.

Thirdly, according to the law: anyone whose carriage or horse passes by a mausoleum or temple shall be punished with one hundred strokes of the cane. Anyone who steals trees from a mausoleum shall be beheaded. Liu Mian's actions constitute the heinous crime of "great disrespect." The perpetrator is currently detained in prison, and the felled trees have been sealed off. This case is of great importance, egregious in its circumstances, and has offended the wrath of Heaven.

We, your humble servants, dare not act arbitrarily and humbly beg Lord Xia and Lord Ximen for your guidance!

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Ximen Qing looked at the words "execution," "great disrespect," and "touching the majesty of Heaven," raised an eyebrow, and pondered for a moment.

He picked up the vermilion brush, laden with thick ink, and with lightning speed, began his "magical" alterations to the deadly document:

--------

Report:

The investigation into the case of Liu Mian (also known as Liu Baihu), the steward of the imperial estate, for illegally felling ancient cypress trees at the imperial mausoleum revealed the following:
On the fifteenth of this month, we, your humble servants, were ordered by Imperial Commissioner and Censor He to investigate the case of Liu Mian (also known as Liu Baihu), the steward of the Imperial Estate.

Upon investigation:
After careful review and verification:
First, the perpetrator, Liu Mian, was a local rogue and not a commander of the Imperial Guard. In order to intimidate his neighbors and seize the forest farm, he acted recklessly, forging official seals, impersonating a commander of the Imperial Guard, and claiming that the forest farm was within the imperial mausoleum area.

Second, the offender felled ten miscellaneous trees on the outer perimeter of the Imperial Mausoleum's Shrine (about ten steps from the boundary marker of the mausoleum). Upon investigation, the felled trees were found to be ordinary miscellaneous trees, not those belonging to the Imperial Garden Mausoleum.

3. Anyone who impersonates an official and intimidates innocent people shall be punished with one hundred strokes of the cane and exiled three thousand li. Anyone who cuts down miscellaneous trees on official mountains without authorization shall be treated as a thief and punished according to the amount of stolen goods.

The miscellaneous timber that Liu Mian felled was worth less than one string of cash, and according to the law, he should be punished with eighty strokes of the cane.

According to the suspect's confession and the evidence seized, the timber he felled was needed because the eunuch Liu Yuan, the director of the Imperial Household Department, was ordered to build '______' in the Western Garden.

Liu Mian was Liu Yuan's nephew. He wanted to offer the wood to curry favor, so he did this.

There is a handwritten receipt from Eunuch Liu Yuan requesting timber, and the seal of the Imperial Household Department as evidence. [Attached: A copy of the receipt made by Eunuch Liu Yuan].

The case has now been investigated and confirmed. It is true that Liu Mian impersonated an official and illegally felled official trees. However, the trees he felled were not for the imperial mausoleum, and there were reasons given by the Imperial Household Department for the needs of the imperial family.

Although his crimes are obvious, his circumstances are also pitiable.

We, your humble servants, dare not act on our own authority. We humbly beseech Lord Xia and Lord Ximen to consider our case and make a judgment in accordance with the law.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The official put down his vermilion brush, blew on the still-wet ink, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

These few changes are like moving mountains and filling seas.

The capital offense of heinous treason has been reduced to a life sentence:
What was originally a capital offense of "knowingly breaking the law" and "cutting down dozens of trees around the imperial mausoleum" for "great disrespect" was transformed into a crime punishable by caning and exile for "impersonating an official" and "cutting down ten miscellaneous trees around the official mountain".

The crime scene has also changed:

The key phrase, "more than ten steps away from the cemetery boundary marker," creates a vague buffer zone out of thin air, shifting the action from "inside the cemetery" to "outside the cemetery."

Quantity and type substitution:

The sensational "royal mausoleum tree" has been reduced to a flimsy "ordinary miscellaneous tree".

The motive has also been "whitewashed":

This is the most important point: to directly attribute Liu Mian's actions to the "royal duties" of his uncle, Liu Yuan!

The phrase "the written receipt from Eunuch Liu requesting timber and the seal of the Imperial Household Department serve as proof" is also mentioned.

This prevented Imperial Censor He from investigating further, lest he anger the high-ranking eunuchs and even the Emperor.

They also tied Liu Yuan, the eunuch, tightly to the fake carriage!
They firmly grasped this leverage in their own hands.

After all, upon closer examination, all the evidence in the trial ultimately came down to Liu Gonggong's handwritten testimony.

Whether the "evidence" is true or false is irrelevant; it merely provides Imperial Censor He with a way out, as he cannot continue investigating this trivial matter.

The official slowly picked up the file that he had "fairly reviewed and carefully corrected".

The thin few pages of official documents, in his hands at this moment, felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, containing the power to overturn lives.

This was no ordinary case file; it was an invisible net that encompassed Liu Mianzhi's life and Liu Yuan's future and fortune.

If Eunuch Liu is willing to provide a handwritten certificate, he can not only use it to make Eunuch Liu owe him a huge favor.

After that, he completely transformed this eunuch Liu into a chess piece on his chessboard, whose every move was under his control.

Even if Eunuch Liu has extraordinary abilities, as long as he has the case files, he will have to rely on the lord's whims every day!

Now, I'm actually hoping that Eunuch Liu will rise higher in the future.
now.

The Ximen residence was bustling with activity today, with banquets set up in both the front hall and the back courtyard.

Apart from two tables occupied by legitimate relatives, the rest were neighbors and prominent families from Qinghe County who were congratulating Lord Ximen on his promotion.

Chickens, ducks, geese, and fish were piled up like small mountains, and the aroma of wine and meat wafted straight to the brain.

Today is a family banquet, which can also be considered a reunion of the female relatives of the Ximen family. Pan Jinlian, Li Guijie, Meng Yulou and the others don't need to stand guard, they all have to sit at the table!
Li Jiao'er, as a relative of Li Guijie, was invited over again today.

There was no need to perform, but I felt quite happy. I specially sought out Sister Li Gui and held her hand as we talked under the eaves.

“Gui’er,” Li Jiao’er said with a smile, but her eyes were a little moist. “Look at your complexion now, it’s a hundred times better than when you were in the courtyard! Your clothes are also very presentable, which shows that the master treats you very well…”

She lowered her voice, with a hint of flattery: "The master's anger towards the brothel has subsided a bit, which must be because of your sister Gui! You must be extra careful and serve the master well, so that we...we can have someone to rely on, right?"

Gui Jie'er understood perfectly well that the madam and her aunt wanted to climb the social ladder by associating with her.

She felt a pang of guilt towards Li Jiao'er, but pretended not to notice. She smiled and warmly took Li Jiao'er's hand in return.
“Look at what Auntie is saying. We are blood relatives and should visit each other often. Auntie, just come and talk to me. Let’s hang out together and relieve our boredom. Isn’t that good?”

Just then, they heard footsteps coming from the east.

Pan Jinlian has appeared!

Today, Jinlian'er is determined to outdo everyone else.

She wore a bright red brocade jacket with wide sleeves and a yellow gauze skirt with gold thread. Her hair was adorned with pearls and jade, and a phoenix hairpin with red gold and kingfisher feathers was inserted diagonally into her temple. Her face was evenly rouged. She was already the most beautiful woman, but today she was even more like a porcelain doll.

She had something on her mind. She longed to see her long-lost mother, Granny Pan, but she also hated the old woman for her cruelty in selling her own daughter for a few taels of silver, causing her to suffer all kinds of filth.

This mix of longing and resentment made her heart flutter, but she forced herself to maintain a strong spirit, twisting her willow-like waist like a lotus leaf swaying in the wind.

With his chin held high and his eyes fixed straight ahead, he walked past Li Jiao'er and Li Guijie without even glancing at them. His arrogant demeanor was just like that of a peacock spreading its tail feathers.

Li Guijie glanced coldly at her affected manner and inwardly spat.

Although I only spit in my heart.

Jin Lian'er's small ears perked up instantly, as if she had really heard that disdainful "Pah!"

Instead of leaving, she swayed her slender waist, a smile sweeter than honey on her face, and gracefully walked back, stopping right in front of Li Jiao'er and Li Guijie.

"Oh! Aunt Gui," Jinlian'er's voice was crisp and bright, deliberately raising her pitch to attract the attention of several women and maids who had been eavesdropping nearby.
"Look at my memory! I just heard those prostitutes singing outside, they had no backbone at all, it was so disgusting!"

Her eyes sparkled with genuine sincerity as she stared intently at Li Jiao'er: "Auntie, you are a top courtesan from the brothel, a true professional! On this auspicious day, why not invite your auntie to go up and show off your golden voice, so that those ignorant sycophants can see what real talent is and put their arrogance to the test!"

Li Jiao'er's timid face turned deathly pale in an instant!
She was clearly a relative invited by her niece, Li Guijie, to be a guest of honor at the Ximen family's banquet today!

Jin Lian'er publicly called on her to sing on stage. Wasn't this like pointing at a monk and cursing a bald monk, blatantly treating her and her niece as prostitutes and actresses to be humiliated?

Li Jiao'er understood the implication and, fearing she might cause her niece even greater trouble, quickly said:
"Oh...oh dear, Miss Jinlian, you flatter me, you flatter me...Since the manor wishes to hear it, I'll go right now..." With that, she lifted her foot and started to move towards the stage!
"Auntie, stop right there!" Li Guijie shouted sharply, her voice like a thunderclap!

"You are a distinguished guest. No one but the master and mistress can order you around!" Her originally pretty face turned pale with anger. Her eyebrows stood up, her almond eyes widened, and her small hands gripped Li Jiao'er's wrist tightly, preventing her from leaving.

The relatives you invited are singing songs on stage to amuse everyone. Isn't that a slap in your own face?
Li Guijie raised her voice, with a hint of amusement and a touch of coldness, and called out crisply, "Oh! Jinlian'er, don't be impatient, it's not that your sister is stopping you from listening to the music."

"I just ran into your mother, Granny Pan. She refused to give the sedan chair bearers any spare change, and even sent that servant Ping'an to go and beg the master for it!" She paused deliberately, her eyes darting around, and when she noticed Jinlian's face change instantly, she continued slowly, "Tsk tsk, Jinlian, tell me, what a mess this has made... Now everyone in the manor knows that when your mother comes to offer congratulations, she has to ask the master for even a few copper coins for the sedan chair?"

"Are you here to congratulate Master on his promotion, or to beg for food? The old lady is busy entertaining guests right now, so she doesn't know whether to give or not! I'm just being kind, so I'll let you know first!"

These words were like poisoned needles, piercing Pan Jinlian's heart and lungs!
She felt a rush of blood to her head, and she was so ashamed that she wanted to smash her head against the wall and die.

That old bastard! I came here with good intentions to invite her, and on such a respectable day, in front of all the servants in the household, he did something so shameless and disgraceful!

And of all things, Li Guijie happened to see it and shouted it out in front of everyone!
Pan Jinlian wished she could disappear into a crack in the ground, yet she also wished she could rush over and tear her mother's mouth apart.

How am I supposed to face people now? How am I supposed to face everyone in the Ximen household?

She stood frozen in place, her carefully crafted haughty demeanor instantly shattered into dust, leaving her looking utterly disheveled, as if her face and clothes had been stripped off in public.

Pan Jinlian was so ashamed by Li Guijie's words that her face burned like fire, as if she had been skinned alive in public!

She felt as if everyone in the courtyard was talking behind her back, laughing at her mother who was not presentable! This anger, mixed with years of resentment towards her mother, shot straight to the top of her head!

She no longer cared about arguing with Li Guijie or maintaining any semblance of decorum. Lifting her skirt, she rushed towards the inner courtyard gate in a flurry of steps!
Sure enough, from afar, one could see the servant Ping An coming out with loose change in his hand.

"Ping An!" Pan Jinlian shouted, startling Ping An!

She rushed forward and grabbed Ping An's arm: "Go and give it back to the old lady!!"

Ping An was terrified by her murderous look and didn't dare to utter a sound. He shrank back and slipped away.

Pan Jinlian turned and ran to the side gate. Her mother, Granny Pan, was standing awkwardly next to a slightly worn blue cloth sedan chair, shrugging her neck and rubbing her hands. She was peering inside with longing eyes.

Jin Lian'er felt a surge of blood rush to her head, and all thoughts of mother-daughter affection, propriety, and rules were thrown to the winds!

She burst out of the side gate like a raging lioness, rushing towards Grandma Pan, her spittle almost spraying Grandma Pan's face:
"Do you want me to live or die?"

Pan Jinlian's voice was shrill and sharp, tinged with sobs and filled with overwhelming resentment.

"You old lady, do you not want to pay those few coins for the sedan chair? Is the sky falling? If you had just sent someone to inform me, I, Pan Jinlian, would have settled your payment for the carriage immediately! Why did you have to yell for the servant and go around shouting to the old lady to ask for it?"

"Are you afraid that everyone in Qinghe County won't know that your Granny Pan came to the Ximen Mansion to beg for money, but she wouldn't even pay for her sedan chair, and you'd only feel satisfied if the host paid for it for you? Do you think your daughter's skin is too thick, and you have to poke a few holes in it before you can vent your anger?"

The more she spoke, the more resentful and sorrowful she became. The grievances, resentment, and shame that had been building up for over a decade burst forth like a floodgate opening.

"I'm only nine years old! Just nine years old! And you, for a few taels of silver, steeled your heart, closed your eyes, and sold me to Wang Zhaoxuan's mansion!"

Recalling those unbearable and sordid events, Jinlian'er trembled all over, tears streaming down her face: "Now I've finally managed to crawl out of that hellhole, finally gained some of the master's favor, and finally have this little bit of dignity today!"

“I thought you were my own mother, so I brought you here to see, to let you see that your daughter is now dressed in gold and silver, and has become a respectable person! To let you... to make me happy! But what have you done?! What kind of thing have you done?! You deliberately came to undermine me! Deliberately to embarrass me! Deliberately to make me a laughing stock in this mansion, in this Qinghe County!”

Pan Jinlian pointed at the small blue sedan chair, her fingers trembling like withered leaves in the wind, her voice hoarse with deep-seated hatred: "You! Now! Immediately! Get back to your doghouse! The Ximen mansion won't give you a single copper coin for this sedan chair! You brought it yourself, so you'd better find a way to get rid of it yourself!"

"From this day forward, you shall never set foot in the Ximen mansion again! I, Pan Jinlian... will pretend I have no mother!"

After Jinlian finished speaking, she suddenly flicked her sleeve, as if shaking off something extremely filthy. Without even glancing at Granny Pan's old face, which had instantly turned ashen and desperate, she turned and rushed back to the side gate.

Pan Jinlian's words came crashing down on Granny Pan, leaving her completely stunned!

She had thought that since her daughter was now wealthy, she would be treated kindly when she visited with good intentions. Who would have thought that she would be met with such a humiliating insult!

The turbid tears could no longer be held back and rolled down, washing away the dust from the furrows of his face.

She hunched over, her hands clutching the hem of her clothes tightly, and cried out hoarsely towards the side gate:

"My son...you...you're right to scold me! Your mother sold you!"

She suddenly raised her tear-streaked face: "But when your short-lived father was alive! He worked from dawn till dusk, doing odd jobs for others, and every penny he earned was for your use. He bought you new clothes made of floral fabric and sugar figurines from the street corner!"
"He's dead! He's left us, mother and daughter, in this cannibalistic world! I'm just a widow, unable to do anything but washing and mending clothes for others, what other way can I survive?"

Grandma Pan cried until she was completely limp and almost collapsed to her knees.

She suddenly remembered something and stumbled towards a half-worn bamboo basket covered with a coarse blue floral cloth in the corner.

With trembling hands, she lifted the cloth, revealing a large amount of stuff inside: several bunches of fresh but slightly wilted green vegetables from the bumpy ride, a bundle of clean scallions, and a piece of pork weighing about two pounds, carefully wrapped in oil paper!

Grandma Pan cried as she held up the basket to the half-open side gate: "Mother... Mother didn't come empty-handed to beg for alms! Mother knows that the mansion has everything, but these are vegetables grown in Mother's own garden! This meat is what Mother saved up money to buy after sewing clothes for half a month!"

The screams were shrill, but none of them reached Jinlian'er's ears.

After she finished cursing, she felt a tightness and pain in her heart. She turned and fled from the side door that separated her from her birth mother, like a frightened wild cat with nowhere to vent its anger. She just wanted to rush into her room and bolt the door shut.

To everyone's surprise, as soon as he rushed in, he bumped into Meng Yulou!
She was already standing in the shadows of the corridor, and the earth-shattering noise from before must have reached her ears without missing a single word.

Meng Yulou's face was expressionless, but his eyes, as clear as autumn water, were fixed on Pan Jinlian's disheveled makeup, red eyes, and wretched appearance.

What Pan Jinlian feared most at that moment was this all-knowing yet silent gaze!

In an instant, a surge of anger, a mixture of shame, resentment, and the urge to be discovered, rushed to his head.

She didn't say a word, but glared fiercely at Meng Yulou with her beautiful eyes still wet with tears!
That look seemed to say, "What are you looking at! Who gave me the right to pity me?!" After giving that glare, she didn't stop, leaving a trail of fragrance in her wake, and covered her face as she stomped back to her room, slamming the door shut with a "bang!"
Meng Yulou sighed softly after being glared at with such a vicious look; the sigh was light and fleeting.

She shook her head and walked gracefully out of the Ximen residence.

Granny Pan was still slumped on the muddy ground, guarding the scattered vegetables and meat, crying her heart out. The two sedan chair bearers beside her were rubbing their hands together, looking impatient.

"Old lady, get up." Meng Yulou said gently, stepping forward to help her up. Then she turned to the sedan chair bearers, took out a small string of copper coins from her sleeve, and handed them over without counting them. "This is the money for the round trip. Take it."

The sedan chair carriers took the money and immediately put on a smile.

Meng Yulou then said gently to Granny Pan, "Grandma, go home first. This... well, let's talk about it another day."

Granny Pan raised her tearful eyes, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she could only sob and whimper. With Meng Yulou's signal, the sedan bearers helped her up, and she shakily got into the sedan chair and left, looking back every few steps.

The official returned at this moment and saw Meng Yulou talking about something at the side gate in the distance. He rode his horse over there.

Meng Yulou was already waiting at the foot of the steps. When he saw the master return, he hurriedly stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and said, "Master is back."

With her eyes lowered, she recounted everything she had just seen and heard, from Granny Pan demanding money for the sedan chair to how Pan Jinlian angrily drove away her own mother, in a gentle and detailed manner, without adding or omitting anything.

Upon hearing this, the official frowned and sighed, "This... what kind of matter is this! Even an upright official can't settle family disputes! How can outsiders interfere with the old grudges between the mother and daughter? Forget it, let them tear it apart themselves!"

After casually handing the riding whip to the servant, he kept looking Meng Yulou up and down with his eyes.

"You've been keeping watch in my room these past two nights, bringing me tea and water and taking care of me. You've really worked hard." The official's voice was low, his gaze lingering on her fair neck.

When Meng Yulou heard him mention "these two nights," he immediately recalled all the things that happened that night: the snoring, the burning flesh, the feeling of being sweaty, all of which rushed to his mind at this moment.

She felt a sudden "boom," and a surge of heat rushed from the soles of her feet to the top of her head. Two red clouds instantly rose on her pink face, burning all the way to the back of her ears, and even her slender white neck was tinged with a blush.

She hurriedly lowered her head even further, almost burying it in her chest, twisting the pine-flower handkerchief in her hands, and said in a low voice, "Master, what are you saying... This servant... This servant serves you, it is... it is my duty."

Seeing her shy and delicate appearance, the official leaned close to Meng Yulou's small, exquisite ear, which was already flushed red, and whispered in a low voice:

"Is that brand-new old house inside all tidy up? When can we move in?"

Meng Yulou understood the veiled meaning in those words, and was immediately filled with shame. How could she dare to reply? Her throat was blocked, and she couldn't utter a single word, so she simply buried her head deep in her chest.

Seeing her blushing like a peach blossom in the rain in March, the official was even more moved and laughed: "Go in."

He gave the order, without even glancing at the woman who was mortified, lifted the hem of his robe, strode confidently into the deep mansion, and entered Pan Jinlian's room.

Upon entering, one sees Pan Jinlian slumped on the embroidered couch in the inner room, her back to the door, her shoulders heaving as she sobs.

Hearing the door open, she didn't turn around, but instead made her sobs even more melodious and aggrieved.

"What's wrong? Who upset you?" Ximen Qing quickly moved closer, sat down next to her, and reached out to pull her shoulder.

Pan Jinlian then turned around and buried herself in Ximen Qing's broad and sturdy arms, looking up at her master.

On her delicately sculpted face, tear tracks crisscrossed, resembling pear blossoms in the rain. Her small nose was also slightly red from crying, like a ripe cherry.

She gently bit her lower lip with her pearly teeth; the rouge on her lips had been diluted by tears, but it only made her look more naturally delicate.

A few strands of her dark hair were damp with tears, clinging to her snow-white cheeks, trembling gently with her sobs... She was truly captivating even when she cried, ten times more alluring than when she smiled!
"Father... Waaah... I... I'm so heartbroken..." Pan Jinlian buried her face in Ximen Qing's arms, swaying her serpentine waist, her voice both sweet and coquettish, with a heavy nasal tone, like a feather tickling the tip of one's heart, "My mother doesn't love me... outsiders laugh at me... I... I only have Father as my confidant... Waaah..."

The official laughed and said, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. I'm here, so what's there to cry about?" He then lowered his head and began to wipe away the tears on her beautiful face.

When Pan Jinlian saw that her crying had indeed made her husband move, a hint of triumph flashed in her eyes, and her crying immediately turned into coquettish whimpers.

She raised her tear-filled eyes, her gaze fixed on the master with a hook-like intensity: "Father... you've been so busy with important matters these past few days, you haven't had a chance to properly care for me... I... I miss you so much my heart is breaking..."

The official laughed and said, "Isn't it because I've been doting on you, you little hussy, ever since I got back!"

"Now I want to kiss you tenderly!" Pan Jinlian twisted her body, her little hands already restlessly tugging at the jade belt. "Right here... pamper me properly..." Her voice was soft and seductive, carrying an irresistible allure.

The official patted her cheek: "You little hussy, you've only just put on this official robe. There's a banquet ahead later, it'll be troublesome if you take it off..."

"No!" Jin Lian'er pouted her red lips, twisting her body even more coquettishly. She brought her lips close to the official's ear, her breath sweet as orchids, her voice trembling with an unusual excitement: "This servant...this servant loves it when Father wears this official robe and dotes on me...seeing Father looking so majestic...this servant...this servant is so happy...my body is going weak...please, Father...I want...I want this official robe..."

(End of this chapter)