Wang Kan left the Censorate as the fine snow began to fall more heavily.
He did not open an umbrella, letting snow settle on his official hat, unaware of how long he had walked.
By the time he came to his senses, he was already standing at the entrance to the Hanlin Academy.
The old clerk at the gate recognized him. Startled by the sight of him covered in snow, he hurriedly stepped aside.
Wang Kan walked straight through the first courtyard, then the second, and pushed open the door to Wei Nisheng's Duty Room.
Wei Nisheng had been annotating a page of manuscript beneath the lamplight. At the sound, he looked up and saw Wang Kan standing there covered in snow.
"Zhanzheng, why have you come all this way bathed in snow?"
"Come in, quickly." Wei Nisheng set down his brush. "I'll fetch some charcoal."
"Zi'an," Wang Kan began, "I should not have gone to the Censorate today."
"You should have." Wei Nisheng walked over to the charcoal brazier.
He picked up the tongs and stirred the coals, making the fire burn a little brighter.
"My teacher's case is closed. They closed it."
Wang Kan abruptly raised his head, his burning gaze boring into Wei Nisheng, a challenge bordering on despair in his eyes.
"Why aren't you the least bit surprised? You foresaw this long ago, didn't you?
"You knew from the beginning that this would be the outcome, that the Three Judicial Offices would never trace the investigation back to Shen Duan.
"You knew the Ministry of Justice would make a petty clerk from the Granary Depot take the blame, that the Censor's case would end without a resolution.
"If you knew all of that, why did you still submit that memorial?!"
"Because without that memorial, we would