"It's raining!"
The Fox went out. It seemed to be raining; late spring meant the rain was no longer cold. Blowing in through the casement, it felt cool. Su Ziji watched thoughtfully, and Wen Xunpeng came in again. Seeing the sky darken and the cabin grow even darker, he lit a candle.
"My Lord, Zhang Dai has sent a message."
"Oh, after waiting a few days, has a message finally come?" Su Ziji smiled, turned his face, and sat down. Letting out a breath, he said, "What reason does he give?"
For this case-investigation, he himself was originally the primary imperial envoy, with Zhang Dai as the secondary. Whether considering official duties or the Imperial Grandson, Zhang Dai logically should have come to pay his respects. To his surprise, after waiting several days until they were already on the waterways, a message finally arrived.
"The memorial says Zhang Dai was ordered to hurry back from Fanyuan Commandery, but halfway there he received an imperial decree. So as not to delay his duties, he is waiting for orders in Jielu Prefecture, awaiting the Grandson's august arrival."
Wen Xunpeng handed the document to Su Ziji and gave a dry chuckle, then burst into a laugh. "He's been in the Capital City for seven days, yet instead of paying respects to you, My Lord, he resorts to this excuse to stall."
"Is he truly being so perverse, casting aside even etiquette?"
"Where is Jielu Prefecture?" Su Ziji looked at the map and realized it was their next stop, prompting him to laugh as well. "Perhaps he's simply set his mind on handling official business alone and acting no longer like a human being."
"To pull off a feat like that is quite remarkable indeed."
"My Lord, I hear Zhang Dai has also fallen