After hearing Xie Lin's words, He Yanming fell silent for a long while.
Then he lifted his cup to drink, only to discover at its touch that the tea had gone completely cold. He frowned and set it down again.
"Dao'an, though this plan is sound, still..." He hesitated briefly, then spoke in a low voice.
"His Majesty's sacred intentions permit no idle conjecture..."
"You need not worry over His Majesty, my lord." Xie Lin cut him off, his eyes as still as water.
"His Majesty's vermilion endorsement was merely a warning.
"As long as you are still carrying out His Majesty's business, still raising silver for the court from Suzhou Prefecture, His Majesty will not move against us."
"As for Wei Zi..." Xie Lin raised his cup, gently brushed aside the floating foam, and took a small sip.
"Rest easy, my lord. This man cannot overturn the heavens."
Seeing Xie Lin's unchanged expression and unruffled composure, He Yanming suddenly felt reassured.
From the very first day this young man had been transferred out of the Hanlin Academy to Suzhou, he had made He Yanming see him in a new light.
Neither hurried nor slow, neither servile nor arrogant, every step seized the moment, every word struck the vital point.
"The winds at court have shifted drastically of late..."
He Yanming hesitated a moment before finally voicing the question that had weighed on his heart for so long.
"Has there been any word from Chancellor Shen?"
Xie Lin set down his cup, drew a private letter from his sleeve, and handed it over without hesitation.
"Chancellor Shen's own hand. It arrived this morning."
He Yanming seemed accustomed to this as well. He promptly took it, unfolded the paper, and read it closely.
There were only a few lines in