Zhong-mi shrugged then refilled all their cups before responding, "I have the extraordinary privilege of being struck off the lists of approved instructors at the Military Academy. Apparently, tracts from the Sage of the Mountain, are strictly prohibited." Zhong-mi's said with teasing lilt.

"Don't act like you did not know that when you made them required readings for the junior class." Ying-so shook his head.

"Well, technically unattributed sources are what was supposed to be banned." He looked meaningfully at Wen-Hou before continuing. "Since the cadets were all heading out for their first true field experiences, I thought they could use something more practical that usual lectures on rank and privilege. I don't know what offended the governors more, the superior content on strategy and tactics, or the fact I claimed to know the authors but refuse to divulge their true identities." Zhong-mi beamed at his friends.

"I can't imagine how anything in my pamphlets could be construed as subversive." Wen-Hou scratched his head.

"That's because you are not the kind of political animal who has their pride wrapped up in claiming superiority over all others." Ying-so nodded to himself then rearranged his robes. He did not say anything more while the server brought the sample plates for them to inspect.

San Jin watched helplessly while Ja-Kyung used the pretext of looking over the display of desserts to try to eavesdrop on the former Field Marshall's group. The boy was not obvious about his interest but San Jin had been put on his guard by earlier remarks. He was deeply embarrassed the bad manners of someone he used to admire for their easy confidence. Now he had to wonder at such brazen rudeness.

He studied the group that had drawn his classmate's attention a bit closer and realized he did, in fact, recognize one of the men. He looked directly at the man with the beard who nodded slightly. San Jin gathered up his courage and went up to their table. "Scout Jia, I didn't know you were back from your tour in the east. I'll get you that report about those students of mine you asked about. They were excited to know you were interested so just send a runner when you are settled." He said this in one breath then bowed and apologized for interrupting.

"I didn't know you knew any of those men." Ja-Kyung said accusingly when San Jin steered him back to their own corner.

"I was just confirming something for my students. Scout Jia is very good at matching up other coaches and sorting out tournament entries. I'm afraid I really do have to run now. I will go settle up so if you want to stay you will need to open your own tabs." He was not at all surprised the other boys didn't want to linger once they had to pay their own way. It just chaffed a bit that none of them offered to host the next time they got together but he also had to wonder if there would be a next time.

The group at the table overlooking the canal watched the young men getting ready to depart. Ying-so identified three of the others from the mid-ranks in the qualifying tournaments.

"Odd company for Minister Go's son, don't you think?" Zhong-mi remarked as he observed the contrast between San Jin's humble grace with the servers and the loud bluster of the others in the group.

Ying-so shrugged then he looked around the room to see if there might be other potential interruptions before quietly reporting "Things are still very tense in the countryside, especially in G'Sang province."

"It will probably stay quiet here in the south while most of the royals are in residence. I expect it might change when the bulk of the guards moves out of the winter palace." Zhong-mi kept his voice low and his expression neutral.

"You both promised no mischief." Wen-Hou said.

"And we kept our promise. It really isn't us." Ying-so tapped his chest twice.

"Some actions might have been by people we know but honestly I can not say one way or another." Zhong-mi added.

"Things might get a bit more interesting with the qualifying tournaments. The changes Minister Go made saw better exam scores for the provincial candidates but if none make through to the next round, I can't imagine any of the local lords will want to sooth things."

Wen-Hou looked concerned. Ying-so dug around in his pack and brought out a couple of what looked like clockwork toys and passed them around. "What do you think of these?" He waited momentarily before adding an explanation. "Some friends in Ilidan gave me sample mischief makers. They count a banquet of sneezes among their little victories."

"Clever device," Wen-Hou chuckled as the mechanism crawled along the table then stopped to release a small payload of petals.

"And if I told you, it and a number of equally effective pieces were designed by a pair of teenage-boys and those same boys found more than a dozen ways to move sensitive packages through their province without detection."

Zhong-mi raised an eyebrow at the term "sensitive packages," suspecting it might include escaping slaves but confined his remarks to, "Pretty capable then."

"The youngest of the pair did  well on the national exams. He was also on his schools' team for their regional finals."

"I am not sure what you are trying to say, Ying-so" Wie Hou frowned at his friend.

"The boy could use training. Your training," he stressed then added, "You are a Knight-Master after all."

"Let him go to a training yard or the Royal Engineers if he is so inclined." Wen Hou waved away the proposal.

"He deserves better, hell anyone deserves better." Zhong-mi's views on standard officer training had not been improved by his recent stint as an instructor.

"My hall is not set up for trainees." Wen Hou continued to object.

"We could make it work but the real question will be who else will be trying to recruit the boy. Even if he is coming in from the provinces, good scores will have other training yards taking notice. That is, if he is not already heading straight into his required military service." Zhong-mi thought through some of the different possibilities.

"We have a couple of advantages. I have met him already and nobody else is likely to be looking at a sixteen-year-old candidate."

"Sixteen you say?" Wen Hou picked up the clockwork to study it a bit more closely. His friends watched expectantly. After a long pause he said, "Let me think on it."