Jinghe Year Sixteen, March 10, Taiyuan.
The Fen River had thawed, its waters rushing noisily.
Apricot blossoms bloomed throughout the city, tree after tree, pink tinging white, stretching from outside the high walls of Prince Jin's Residence all the way to the city gates.
Jiang Xuan, Prince Jin, sat upright in his chair, in no mood to admire the flowers, much less to eat.
There was only a letter on his desk.
It had arrived just yesterday. The envelope read, [To be opened personally by His Highness Prince Jin], and was signed [Qin Yan].
"Teacher, oh, Teacher..." Jiang Xuan murmured, staring at Qin Yan's letter before opening it.
[Your Highness, reading these words is as though we meet face-to-face.
Three more years have passed since we parted in Taiyuan.
Here in the Capital, this old man often tells old friends:
Of all the princes in those days, you alone applied yourself most diligently to your studies-and to your eating. Whenever I recall it, I cannot help clapping my hands and laughing...]
At this, the corners of Jiang Xuan's eyes first crinkled, and he read on:
[There is now a matter in which I must trouble you in my capacity as your teacher.
I recently heard that Taiyuan Prefecture arrested a party of merchants traveling from the Capital to Jin, charging them with "illicit salt trading."
I have investigated their family background thoroughly. The Li Family is a charitable household in the Capital and has held salt licenses for generations, as the Ministry of Revenue's records can verify.
These merchants carried tea, silk, and similar goods. Their manifests and customs documents are all present, but they had not so much as half a grain of salt.
This old man does not concern himself with politics, nor do I know what complications