Luo Xian sat very close to the emperor, but he no longer entertained any other ideas.
Only after drawing closer did Luo Xian discover that the young man he intended to assassinate was not nearly as frail as he had imagined.
He stood straight, almost as tall as Luo Xian himself, yet looked much more solidly built.
At that moment, Luo Xian was even wondering whether he could beat him if he suddenly attacked.
Cao Mao asked, "I am quite curious about affairs in the Shu Kingdom. I hear that the man handling government affairs there now is Chen Zhi, Director of the Secretariat. Have you met him?"
Luo Xian answered, "I have."
Cao Mao asked again, "What sort of man is he?"
Luo Xian could only answer, "His reputation among the literati is poor because he associates with Huang Hao, yet he happens to be on good terms with the Grand General... His Maj... the emperor of the Shu Kingdom likes him very much as well."
Cao Mao continued questioning him, and Luo Xian answered each question in turn.
Luo Xian held nothing back. These matters involved nothing sensitive anyway, so he told Cao Mao everything he knew about Chen Zhi.
"So that is how it is."
"If I remember correctly, this Director of the Secretariat is getting on in years?"
"He is past sixty."
Cao Mao shook his head and could not help sighing. "With little food and many cares, how can he last?"
Only then did Luo Xian understand why the emperor was so interested in Chen Zhi, and his heart trembled.
Cao Mao grew all the more certain of his conjecture: Chen Zhi probably had little time left.
Chen Zhi had never been destined for a long life; his death would come around the turn of