"Knock, knock, knock..."
Di'an, the inner courtyard of the Prime Minister's Mansion.
A gentle knock at the door drifted away with the wind.
After a long silence, a steady middle-aged man's voice finally came from within, devoid of any emotion:
"Enter."
Clutching the urgent news from the Western Desert, Xu Changge pushed the door open the moment he heard the voice.
The study was quiet, sunlight streaming through revealed faint motes of dust. In the corner, incense burned in curling wisps. A middle-aged man in a black robe sat behind the desk with his eyes lowered, reviewing memorials. His voice was calm as he asked:
"What is it?"
Xu Changge walked up to the desk, placing the tightly gripped confidential letter in his hand onto it, speaking softly:
"There's news from the Western Desert."
"...."
On hearing this, Xu Yinhè's brush hesitated mid-stroke, the ink instantly smearing like a blot on the paper. Yet, he neither looked up nor reached for the letter.
