Lady Zhen's arrangements came together faster than promised—three weeks rather than a month, a testament, she claimed, to the Merchant Prince's genuine curiosity about whatever drew imperial attention toward the western territories.
"He's agreed to personally facilitate the introduction," she reported, arriving at the palace with travel documents and a small, carefully sealed letter. "Which is, I should mention, considerably more direct involvement than he typically offers for matters not directly benefiting his own commercial interests."
"Why the personal interest?" Darius asked, accepting the letter she offered.
"I couldn't say with certainty," Lady Zhen admitted. "Though I suspect, given his earlier interest in maintaining favorable relations with your throne, he views this as another opportunity to demonstrate goodwill—particularly if whatever you're investigating eventually proves significant enough to matter beyond simple curiosity."
