The interior of Jiefan Building was utterly quiet.
Smoky grey tendrils wove from the incense burner behind the screen, coiling up to the ceiling and entwining amidst the corbie beams.
Chen Ji had remained silent for a long time, painstakingly suppressing his impulses to reach this point, not daring to make a single misstep. He was unsure, once he spoke of his request, whether this Poison Minister would fulfill his wish in reward for his service or doom him to eternal perdition.
The figure behind the screen did not urge him, continuing instead to lower his head and write documents, as if Chen Ji were but a fixture in the dim room, no different from the screen, the incense burner, or anything else.
It was only when the incense burner's scent had burnt out that Chen Ji finally asked, "What does Lord Prime Minister wish for?"
