Xun’s adjutant came to Wei’s table after the general had slept through the afternoon. He carried the silver sash and activation seal in a cloth bundle.
“The village attached to the pension seal is Yao Ford,” he said. “It’s north of the south road. The general’s wife and adult daughter live there. I don’t know whether the Registry ever paid them.”
Wei opened the map. The mill road could reach the village in two days if the river crossing remained open. “Can you mark the house?”
“I can mark the lane, but I won’t put their names on a public map.”
Yan agreed. “Let’s send the documents privately. Include the exact wording, not a promise that we can solve it.”
Ning’s reply from White Orchard arrived before dusk. She had a trusted runner ready to take the seal copy and written order north. She asked whether the family wanted the papers delivered publicly or privately.
“They should choose,” Yan said. “Tell them the Registry may deny the pension, and they don’t have to answer us right away.”
Wei wrote that note beside the route instructions. The general’s address stayed in a sealed envelope. The runner would not carry a weapon through the village and could leave the papers with a local courier if the family preferred.
