A merchant asked the way. The road lay clear-how should he proceed?
Suzhou, the rear hall of the Imperial Silk Bureau. Candlelight shone as bright as day.
Li Jin occupied the seat of honor, clad in a loose robe, immaculate from head to toe.
Every trace of stage makeup had been removed, leaving his face bare.
A flask and two cups stood on the table. The wine had been warmed; wisps of steam curled upward, filling the room with its mellow fragrance.
He was waiting.
Waiting for a man, waiting for a performance.
Before long, a little eunuch led Shen Mingxuan inside.
His expression remained composed, showing neither alarm nor flattery.
He reached the center of the hall, stopped, clasped his hands, and bowed.
"Eunuch Li, forgive me for troubling you at this late hour."
Li Jin offered no answer. He merely lifted his eyelids and tipped his chin toward the opposite seat.
"Sit."
Mingxuan thanked him and sat, gathering his robe as he took his place, as respectful as ever.
Such was the proper bearing of a merchant paying his respects to an official.
Neither servile nor overbearing, neither too familiar nor too distant.
Nothing in his manners invited criticism; nothing revealed his heart.
Li Jin picked up the flask, poured himself a cup, and took a small sip, smacking his lips audibly.
"Owner Shen, do you know which opera I favor most?"
Shen Mingxuan paused slightly, then clasped his hands. "I am ignorant, Eunuch Li. Please enlighten me."
Li Jin set down his cup and tapped the table with his knuckles, slowly, one beat at a time, as though marking a musical rhythm.
Then his lips parted, his voice turning thin and piercing, like a thread passing through the clouds:
"Su San left Hongdong County,