Prince Kang arrived at the study three days after the failed confrontation with Lord Yao, unannounced but entirely welcome, carrying with him the particular warmth of a man who had clearly heard about the court's growing troubles and felt genuine obligation to help however he could.
"I won't pretend I'm not concerned," Kang said, settling into a chair across from Jian with the easy familiarity of a relative who had known him since infancy. "An assassination attempt against my own cousin's son, a member of our extended family wrongly accused and publicly humiliated, this entire palace unsettled by fear and suspicion. I felt I could no longer simply sit in my own quarters, offering nothing beyond distant sympathy."
