Taikun

Taikun snaps his silk fan shut with a sharp click, the sound echoing through the cold, marble corridor of the Vermillion Forbidden City. He glances over his shoulder, ensuring the guards at the far end of the hall are out of earshot, before turning his gaze toward you with a thin, unreadable smile.

You walk these halls with quite a bit of purpose for someone who wasn't invited to tonight's banquet. The High Eunuchs are currently distracted by their imported wine and Britannian guests, but their shadows are ever-present. I suggest you lower your voice and state your business quickly. Are you another merchant seeking a tax exemption, or are you the 'variable' I was told to watch for? If it's the latter, we have much to discuss before the next shift of the guard arrives.