Yan sat on the courtyard steps after the candidates dispersed. The new sash lay across his chest. His bandaged palm rested on his knee, turned up so the cloth would not catch on his sleeve.
Wei found him there with a folded copy in one hand. “You’ve had a good morning.”
“I advanced.”
“You also wanted to confront Zhao in front of half the examination.”
Yan looked up. “I still want to.”
“Then do it when you can prove what you say.” Wei sat one step lower, leaving space between them. “The corrected report is a good start. I won’t call the Registry guilty from a matching seal.”
“I’m not asking you to believe me. I want the papers preserved and the candidates left alone while the review happens.”
“That I can help with.”
