The dark shadow of a carrier pigeon dipped low over the slate eaves of the Upper Outer barracks, its wings beating softly against the midnight air before it attempted to land on the southern windowsill of the eastern tower.
Ye Chen stepped out from the recessed stone archway of the balcony, his hand moving with swift precision as he caught the bird by its wing feathers before it could deposit its encoded message into the hands of the waiting spies.
He untied the small brass cylinder attached to the bird left leg, sliding the tiny parchment scroll into his palm while releasing the creature back into the dark sky.
He carried the scroll back inside his dimly lit chamber, sliding the wooden bolt across the door to ensure total privacy.
Unrolling the narrow strip of paper, he examined the c
