nine in the evening
At twilight , as I rode out through the great gate of the capital , I saw the jaded horse fall and the exhausted rider stagger in on foot ; and I little dreamed that that man carried my destiny with him into Keijo . His message sprang the palace revolution . I was not due to return until midnight , and by midnight all was over . At nine in the evening the conspirators secured possession of the Emperor in his own apartments . They compelled him to order the immediate attendance of the heads of all departments , and as they presented themselves , one by one , before his eyes , they were cut down . Meantime the Tiger Hunters were up and out of hand . Yunsan and Hendrik Hamel were badly beaten with the flats of swords and made prisoners .