"Open the door, now!" The soldier's sharp command shattered her reverie, jolting her attention.
Mayumi stood firm, her gaze steady but cautious. "Who are you?" she asked.
"Don't feign ignorance!" the soldier barked, voice rough and unyielding. "If your eyes function properly, you'd know this procession belongs to the Ximen clan!"
His audacity is a bracing contrast to the usual flattery and flowery speeches delivered by the noble houses' messengers. Yet, it complicated her predicament no less.
Swiftly, Mayumi surveyed the street outside Shan's residence. A contingent of soldiers with identical plum blossom insignia formed a silent perimeter. Each bore a simple spear, their posture rigid as they flanked an elaborately adorned sedan chair, carried by eight weary attendants. The carriage is lavish beyond measure, ornate plum flower motifs, crafted from heavy gold and weighed upon it like a gilded burden. The servants' exhaustion was obvious. Some teetered on the brink of collapse, propped upright only by the watchful eyes of the guards. Such a display might have been better served by the raw strength of a beast of burden, like the commonly seen ostrich horses.
Feigning ignorance befitting a traveler from outside the city, Mayumi inquired about the Ximen family, suspecting the occupant within is not the infamous rake Ximen Qing himself.
"Our esteemed Lady Jin Lian brooks no disrespect," one soldier warned grimly, his hand resting near the curved blade at his side, the clear leader of this security detail. "She honors the White Scholar with her presence today, bearing a message of great importance from our young master, Ximen Qing."
"Pardon my bluntness," Mayumi replied without hesitation. "But who is Lady Jin Lian?" Her question drew a sharp intake of breath from some guards, their faces hardening, but the others are simply apathetic for the lady within.
Despite the palpable tension, the retainer's ignorance was genuine. Ximen Qing's reputation as a notorious philanderer is well known throughout the city. The notion that he would cast aside one paramour for another is hardly far-fetched, especially given his cunning understanding of the city's legal code which kept consequences at bay while preserving a decadent lifestyle.
"Lower the carriage!" barked one of the guards, ordering the servants to rest the gilded sedan upon the paved path, now partially obscured by the entourage.
The attendants, already drained, barely controlled the descent. Two of them crumpled to the ground moments after the carriage touched down, overwhelmed by exhaustion and the relentless strain of their burden.
As dictated by protocol, Mayumi pushed open the siheyuan's doors and stepped forth to receive the unbidden guest. Her gait was measured and cautious, an unspoken plea in her every step not to provoke suspicion as she passed the vigilant guards. Approaching the sedan with quiet scrutiny, her sharp eyes caught a curious detail. The guards' armor was fashioned from silk, a rare and luxurious anomaly, even for a city renowned for producing the finest silks. Yet beneath this delicate veneer lay a telling sign of their inexperience. After all, even the city's palace guards could be seen occasionally walking over the great wall's towering battlements.
Mayumi's gaze lingered. Behind the gauzy window veils, a slender silhouette emerged. When a guard eased open the door, a woman appeared, descending from the carriage with deliberate slowness, each movement weighted with calculated poise.
Extravagance radiated from every thread and gesture. As the daughter of two influential figures from a remote island, Mayumi recognized the unmistakable undertone of a strategic visit, an attempt to secure favor and advantage. Though fishermen had once come knocking at their door, petitioning the chief over trifling disputes, this is no humble plea. The Ximen clan is no mere Upper Ring family. They are the foremost noble house, their patriarch the admiral of Ba Sing Se and a member of the Council of Five. Their lineage was steeped in service and glory, having earned rare privileges from monarchs long past, a legacy that still cast a formidable shadow.
The first to emerge were Jin Lian's shoes, diminutive slippers embroidered with gold thread and spun from the finest silk. She descended as gently as a falling petal, delicate and refined. Yet Mayumi's eyes betrayed her astonishment at the shoes' minuscule size, disproportionate and painfully small compared to the larger limbs that followed. It was the unmistakable mark of foot binding, that cruel and archaic custom whereby young aristocratic women crushed their feet into lotus-shaped prisons, all in the name of enhancing their marriage prospects. Parents who endorsed such brutal rites encouraged their daughters to sacrifice comfort and indeed, mobility. It is all supposed to secure a reliable spouse, a lifelong protector in their eyes. Even without stepping into this visitor's worn shoes, Mayumi felt a pang of sympathy, recalling the throbbing ache from the Dai Li's iron gauntlets the previous night. Each painstaking step down the carriage stairs must surely have been an agonizing torment.
"Nitwits, move!" barked a guard, his voice sharp and uncompromising as he commanded the sedan carriers. They responded with practiced haste, aligning themselves near the door. Mayumi watched, dumbfounded and fascinated as the men dropped to all fours, forming a living staircase with their spines arched skyward, bare skin braced to bear the weight of their noble lady. The guards' stoic expressions revealed no surprise, as this spectacle might evidently be routine.
"You're either very brave or hopelessly foolish," Jin Lian sneered, her voice unnaturally high-pitched. Her eyes glittered with disdain as she disparaged Mayumi for failing to recognize the most important scion of the illustrious Ximen clan.
Mayumi inclined her head with measured grace, offering a quiet apology born of necessity rather than genuine regret. The last thing she needed is to provoke the ire of Ba Sing Se's most formidable noble clan. With the ever-watchful Acolytes of San Bao and the clandestine Dai Li already in this city, courting additional enemies would be ruinous. Yet, this encounter already bore a sharp contrast to her previous meeting with Lady Te Gaogui.
"The White Scholar is presently unavailable," Mayumi replied, as one of the guards pressed insistently for an audience. "He has requested to defer the meeting to a more suitable hour."
"Oh?" Jin Lian's lips curled into a faint, sardonic smile. "Is the bookworm struck down by illness, then?"
Such an excuse would have been a more palatable ruse, a familiar gambit among ministers and generals seeking to elude the demands of their liege's court.
"No," Mayumi answered evenly. "But he did say that—"
"If he is not sick, then why should I depart?" Jin Lian interrupted sharply, her voice laced with disdain. "For a mere calligraphy peddler, a visit from the illustrious Ximen family should be the highest honor, one he ought not to spurn! To show such ingratitude is an affront to all decorum."
Mayumi's gaze flicked briefly to Jin Lian's attire. A diaphanous silk garment of blush pink that clung provocatively to her form, a deliberate display crafted to entice no one but the notorious Ximen Qing himself. The crimson sheen of her lips might have softened the impression, were it not for the conspicuous black mole marring her cheek forming a blemish as glaring as her blatant disregard for propriety. Even the austere Earth Sages might hesitate to censure her openly, given her intimate ties to the Ximen family.
"And you," Jin Lian inquired with mock curiosity. "What place have you in this affair? Did that calligraphy peddler purchased you?"
Though still a newcomer to the city's intricate power plays, Mayumi was no stranger to the palpable contempt many harbored toward this self-styled elite of the Upper Ring. Were it not for the cadre of guards forming an impenetrable barrier around the sedan, she might have gladly entrusted her sister to mete out a lesson to this brazen harlot.
"M-m l-lady, p-please, I can't hold on much longer!" came the desperate protest from a servant beneath the mounting weight.
Jin Lian paid no heed. Yet even in this moment of imbalance, her eyes remained fixed on the threadbare repair stitched awkwardly across Mayumi's robe, a subtle but potent symbol of her lowly station. Such makeshift mending on a retainer's garment was often wielded as a weapon, an unspoken taunt aimed at mocking the supposed poverty of her patron.
"To think that a lowborn upstart has clawed his way so far," Jin Lian murmured with thinly veiled condescension. "But at the end of the day, he remains one of their kind." With deliberate care, she descended the human staircase, endeavoring to place her shoe lightly upon the ground, each step a calculated to be as light as possible.
Continuing to perform her role with reluctance, Mayumi led the so-called 'distinguished' lady into the siheyuan courtyard. A knot of unease tightened in her chest, knowing Satchiko is still engrossed in study. The unexpected arrival of a noble delegation threatened to shatter the fragile calm of the lesson and risked dragging her sister into the tangled web of aristocratic intrigue. Such delicate affairs brooked no place for fighters. An environment like this demanded the subtle artifice wielded by those steeped in the labyrinthine dance of political machinations favored by the aristocracy.
From this moment forward, the battlefield would shift to whispered barbs and poisoned compliments cloaked in honeyed flattery, the currency by which aristocrats worldwide distinguish themselves from common folk.
And so, she ceded the stage to Shan.
"This way, Lady Jin Lian," Mayumi said with formal courtesy, ascending the stone steps that framed the courtyard entrance. Yet the extravagant noblewoman advanced with a measured slowness. The scant fabric of her dress hampered her movement, while the cruelly compressed feet, shrunken and fragile, rendered each step an ordeal upon the unforgiving stone.
"Guards, bring me a lift!" Jin Lian snapped, breathless from the 'impassable' climb.
Two men hurried forward, bearing a wooden chair rigged with ropes. Jin Lian sank into its seat, burdening one unfortunate servant who struggled beneath her weight, mindful not to falter. They crossed into the courtyard, where the soldiers of the Ximen family had already entered without invitation, positioning themselves at every threshold such as doors of chambers and the entrance itself. The retainer could do nothing but remain by the White Scholar's side, who continues to lecture Satchiko on an ancient era of the Earth Kingdom, a time that forged the roots of the deeply entrenched patrimonialism they now contended with.
It seemed the lesson is about to grow far more immersive.
"Now Yuko," Shan's voice rang clear and commanding. "Explain the fundamentals of Neutral Jing and how it might be applied by a newly appointed governor tasked with managing a region long dominated by powerful clans."
"Uhm, Shan?" Satchiko interjected hesitantly. "These visitors… don't you want to pause the lesson and address them first?"
The scholar shot her a sharp, disapproving glance. Years of climbing the scholarly ladder had forged in Shan a relentless discipline. The title of Zhuangyuan is not bestowed lightly, and he regarded any interruption with palpable disdain.
"The esteemed Lady Jin Lian has graced your presence, Shan the White Scholar, why do you not demonstrate proper respect?" The leading guardsman's challenge hung in the air, met only with silence. It is a calculated slight that ignited Jin Lian's notorious temper, one with few bounds.
Before she could unleash her petty fury, the servant deftly ushered her toward the stone table in the courtyard. Jin Lian settled into one of its chairs, the simple act of sitting betraying the pain wrought by her crushed feet.
"So, the rumors are true," Jin Lian said, narrowing her eyes with icy precision. She extended a slender, nail-polished finger toward Shan, who remained composed and engrossed in imparting the deeper principles of Neutral Jing to Satchiko. "The White Scholar may be clever, but he is utterly bereft of gratitude. Our young master has magnanimously bestowed a gift upon you, yet you repay such generosity with disdain, showing no respect to young master Ximen Qing's closest confidante." She cast a sweeping glance about her. "That would be me, in case you missed it."
Mayumi scrutinized the insult, finding it lacking in subtlety. Among the cultured aristocracy, verbal sparring is a refined dance of wit and eloquence, a duel of learned tongues. Jin Lian's words by contrast landed clumsily, more like a rant of a peasant venting trivial grievances than a sharp barb from a noblewoman. Still, buoyed by the formidable name of Ximen Qing, Jin Lian's confidence swelled like a rising tide. No matter how foolish her conduct, the weight of the Ximen household granted her a certain invincibility.
At last, Shan replied, pausing his lesson to fan himself with a delicate gesture. "I shall show respect to Ximen Qing's confidante, yet I fail to perceive their presence here."
"White Scholar!" the lead guardsman barked, stepping forward. "Though your behavior at the Keju ceremony was hasty, we honor your standing as a learned man. It behooves you now to abide by the decorum befitting a gracious host. Lady Jin Lian, a woman of virtue and esteemed lineage within the Ximen clan, deserves your due respect."
Jin Lian's lips curved into a triumphant smile. With armed men at her side, she is confident that even a scholar as obstinate as Shan would be compelled to display courtesy. He may have dared to slight nobles at the Keju ceremony, but faced with actual guards, what could a defenseless gentleman hope to do?
"To that, I concur," Shan said, much to their surprise, his rare acquiescence cutting through the tension. "Perhaps we might dispense with formalities and instead share some tea."
He then dismissed Satchiko, declaring the lesson concluded due to the unwelcome intrusion of certain visitors. The young girl complied eagerly, relieved both by the respite from arduous study and the presence of unwelcome company.
The two sisters exchanged a knowing glance. Mayumi felt a quiet gratitude that her sister had been spared this petty spectacle. Though both are daughters of a chief, it is clear the labyrinth of aristocratic intrigue and its trifling vanities are as not their milieu.
"Takeko, fetch some tea from the kitchen for these people," Shan requested with measured courtesy. Though inwardly harboring disdain for nepotism, the scholar nonetheless adhered some moral codes and decorum prescribed by tradition.
Mayumi returned bearing delicate porcelain cups and a teapot brimming with steaming tea. Though no specific preference had been voiced, she selected a fine brew of White Dragon Bush. She trusted its subtle elegance might soothe the prickly temperament of Jin Lian, the noble lady whose beauty was as striking as her demeanor was frosty, especially toward those of humbler origins.
With measured care, Mayumi arranged the teapot and cups upon the cold stone table. She was about to withdraw when a sharp summons halted her departure.
"Servant," Jin Lian's voice cut through the quiet, laced with imperious disdain. "The tea, have you not yet poured it?" Her narrowed eyes mocked Mayumi's supposed negligence. Such a trifling oversight was enough to kindle the lady's ire. Despite all of Mayumi's meticulous efforts, it is useless in appeasing this haughty aristocrat.
Across the table, Shan had already poured himself a cup of the fragrant brew. It was customary here that the scholar never permitted Mayumi to pour his own tea. Whether out of suspicion, prudence, or simple fastidiousness, this habit had inadvertently dulled her attentiveness to such minutiae. Unlike Shan and the poet Seonbi who are rare exceptions, many nobles demanded not only reverence but complete servitude, refusing to so much as lift a finger for tasks deemed beneath them.
"Apologies," Mayumi murmured, reaching for the teapot again, only to be gently restrained by Shan.
"The passing of the four seasons reveals much about a person's nature," Shan observed, savoring the warm infusion as it slipped past his lips. Setting down the empty cup, his gaze fixed intently on Jin Lian. This stirred the lady's temper. "A woman as capable as Lady Jin Lian ought to exemplify virtue, comport herself with decorum, and strive to be a beacon of propriety for others."
Beneath Shan's courteous phrasing lay a pointed rebuke. The noble lady's dignity did not merit the service of another pouring her tea. In a strict hierarchy, those of lower rank whether by birth or station are bound to serve their superiors. Yet the scholar's discerning eye refused to grant Jin Lian such an honor.
"Is that so?" Jin Lian's voice sharpened with venom. "You imply that my status as Young Master Ximen Qing's confidante is unworthy?" Her disdain rippled beneath her words. "And you, who cannot even instruct your household drudge in the basics of etiquette dare lecture me?"
It was unlikely Jin Lian would have dared speak so boldly without her guards nearby. But Shan, unarmed and unprotected, wielded only his intellect and sharp tongue, a slender shield against the threats of swords and spears. Yet he remained unfazed, his expression a mask of serene composure and devoid of passion. Pouring himself another cup, he inhaled the fragrant steam, letting the scent of White Dragon Bush drift through his senses.
When his cup was drained, he spoke again. "If Lady Jin Lian find fault with my manners, might I suggest that cultivating rectitude on your part would prove far more edifying?"
Clearly, the scholar harbored no genuine conviction that someone like Jin Lian could embody the virtues of an upright individual. Her mere association with the young scion of the Upper Ring's most formidable clan was damning enough. Whispered rumors even cast shadows over Jin Lian's previous husband, whose demise had been shrouded in unsettling mystery.
Yet, no matter how brazenly arrogant Jin Lian chose to posture, Shan's distinction as a Zhuangyuan scholar is a weight no one in their right mind could dismiss. Even the most obstinate and senescent Earth Sages preferred the rigor of legalistic opposition to the caprice of those who clawed their way to power through less savory means.
"Yours truly suppose it suffices to proceed with the purpose that brings you here," Shan intoned calmly, savoring the last warmth of his tea. "I take it your sudden arrival serves as an emissary to young master Ximen Qing?"
Jin Lian, with an air of imperious entitlement, commanded a servant to refill her cup, only to disregard it moments later. She pronounced her intentions with all the subtlety of a thunderclap, a stark contrast to the polished restraint expected of the Upper Ring's elite.
"You should count yourself fortunate, Shan," she said smoothly, voice dripping with condescension. "The Ximen family seeks capable individuals, those rare talents skilled both in scholarly arts and martial prowess to serve our future patriarch. Since you are deemed worthy, I have personally descended upon this... humble sanctum to secure your acceptance."
Though this modest abode hardly befitted a scholar destined for Ba Sing Se's uppermost echelons, it had evidently not deterred the Ximen family, perhaps young heir Ximen Qing himself, from hoping to enlist the White Scholar's esteemed services. Prominent household worldwide vied to recruit brilliant minds as advisers or tutors, and for a family of such stature like the Ximen clan, securing a Zhuangyuan scholar is a reasonable aspiration. But of course, however exalted or reviled Ximen Qing may be, his lineage bears no royal blood. Unlike the petty kings or newly declared upstarts beyond the walls, who might compel scholars into service by force or enticement, the Ximen family remain subject to the laws that govern this city. Thus, a patrimonial family preferred to ensnare talent with lavish gifts, status, or the subtle coercion of reciprocal favors.
Yet Shan, indifferent to the trivial power plays of aristocrats, remained impervious to such hollow gestures. Even a rustic country girl like Mayumi recognized that dispatching Jin Lian here is more likely to diminish any hope of allegiance, suggesting this visit might not have been orchestrated by the lecherous Ximen Qing at all.
"What qualities does the Ximen family believe yours truly possess?" Shan inquired, refilling his cup without even glancing at his imperious guest. "Perhaps you might enumerate the merits and judge whether they meet your standards."
"It's not my standards you're bound to," Jin Lian snapped, irritation flickering beneath her polished exterior. "It is the discerning foresight of my beloved! Those who aspire to emulate the Earth Kings of old would naturally desire only the finest under their service." Her gaze softened into an infatuated haze as she spoke of Ximen Qing, the notorious scion whose reputation teetered between charm and scandal.
Yet she might have divulged a trifle too much, though she had yet to specify the precise role Ximen Qing intended Shan to assume in service to the Ximen family. Among the myriad possibilities lay the prospect of tutoring the scions of the Ximen family, patronage for Shan's calligraphic endeavors, or appointment as a meticulous scribe overseeing the labyrinthine checks and balances of the family's vast expenditures. Regardless, prodigious talents such as Shan's are exceedingly rare, coveted prizes for prominent households eager to lure them away from their governmental duties.
Naturally, the incentives proffered by the Ximen clan would need to be sufficiently grand to satiate Shan's own ambitions and desires, which the latter did well to keep them veiled.
"So, Shan the calligraphy peddler," Jin Lian's voice dripped with false magnanimity, a smug smile curling upon her lips as if savoring the sensation of bestowing a beggar with a lifesaving morsel. "Will you accept this generous offer, to wield your modest qualifications in earnest service to the honorable Ximen Qing? Men of your caliber should cherish such an opportunity."
Even the bodyguards of the seductress detected the pungent aroma of naivety emanating from her words. No scholar, however avaricious, would bind themselves to servitude without tangible reward. If certain so-called Earth Sages in history were showered in decadence, why should someone like Shan be treated any less?
Shan drained his cup deliberately, and rather than responding immediately, he allowed a pause to linger. With measured grace, he refilled his cup from the teapot, steeped with the fragrant leaves of White Dragon Bush. Observing this delay, those present discerned that Shan did not view this ostensible 'opportunity' with much reverence. When Mayumi returned bearing another teapot, Shan poured himself a fresh cup once more.
"My admittedly modest qualifications as a scholar should be tested before I entertain the prospect of working for the Ximen family," Shan intoned calmly. "Takeko, kindly bring forth the unfinished poem resting on the desk. I trust Lady Jin Lian's discernment to appraise it."
Mayumi approached, unfurling the incomplete parchment and carefully present the manuscript to Jin Lian.
"It suffices," Jin Lian replied with a palpable air of disinterest.
Shan's eyes narrowed, a flicker of displeasure shadowing his gaze.
"Which part, precisely?" he queried, his tone lightly probing while sipping tea. "For one aspiring to wed into the Ximen lineage, do you not regard the affairs of the household with earnestness? Is the cultivation of talent less vital than your daily diversions?"
Jin Lian's composure flickered briefly into a grimace, yet she maintained her facade of calm. "You are bold, scholar. Do not mistake my brevity for indolence. My acknowledgment of your poem ought to suffice as incentive for your service to the Ximen clan. Consider yourself fortunate that my beloved counts among his retainers even those of lesser intellect."
"Perhaps you might recite my verses and judge whether my words meet your husband's lofty standards of a great scholar. Surely you understand that the Ximen family would not tolerate your apparent disregard for the labors of a scholar." Shan's words left no room for evasion, a clear and measured gauntlet that leaves no room for Jin Lian to maneuver.
Jin Lian's gaze pierced the parchment with a fierce intensity, so potent that Mayumi found herself uneasy holding the delicate scroll near the woman's presence. The retainer remained patiently silent, watching the unfolding scene with quiet anticipation. The seductress traced the first line of the poem, each syllable deceptively simple, giving way to increasingly intricate verses toward the center of the page. To Mayumi's understanding, this is no ordinary poem. It had been commissioned by an influential figure within the Upper Ring, a matter Shan was entrusted to resolve. Supposedly it is mean to be a delicate thread that weaves a fragile alliance between two important households, with the purpose of tying one of them more firmly into Ba Sing Se after they immigrated here.
Sensing the tension thickening like a storm, the lead guard stepped forward, positioning himself near the table.
"It is dishonorable to compel our esteemed lady to abase herself in such a manner," he said to Shan, fingers twitching near the hilt of his sheathed sword. "To summon her abruptly to critique your poem borders on insolence."
Shan regarded him coldly, eyes like steel blades. Despite wielding brushes instead of swords, that piercing gaze are no less potent than scarred veterans who survived the worst battlefields, a trait that this Ximen family soldier lacks.
"You find my request unreasonable, guardsman?" Shan said, almost akin to interrogating the armored man.
The guard, a towering figure of brute force, faltered slightly, forgotten that the notion of a gentleman wielding only a brush poses little threat.
"It is customary among scholars to critique and refine each other's work. As for a soldier, your role is to wield the sword, not to speak in place of your superiors. If your esteemed lady refuses, it is either a dereliction of duty to the Ximen family, or worse, illiteracy." Shan's eyes locked back to Jin Lian, devoid of any pity. "Anyone who can read and write can at least offer some insight. Even the humblest courtesan knows how to appraise poetry in its simplest form."
"How dare you sully her honor!" the guard bellowed, but those words felt more restrained than before.
Unfazed, Shan lifted his teacup and sipped, his demeanor unruffled by the mounting hostility. Should this soldier draw his blade against a civilian, the consequences would be swift and severe as a certain type of enforcers would not tolerate such insolence.
"Instead of gratitude for the Ximen clan's offer of wealth and prestige, you choose to insult its emissary," the soldier growled. "The Ximen may never have ruled the Earth Kingdom, but they are an ancient house, steadfast long before even the first dynasty united this realm."
Shan emptied his cup once more, placing the lid carefully back atop. His eyes flickered between the guard and Jin Lian, somewhat amused by their supposed pride in the Ximen family's extensive history. "There is no honor in betraying one dynasty to serve another. How many regicides have passed while the Ximen stood idle, pledging loyalty to the next sovereign? Such survival tactics befit opportunistic locusts rather than noble houses."
His blunt candor shocked the guests. The Ximen family, though formidable and unyielding, had long been respected as a time-honored lineage stretching back before the Earth Kingdom's dawn. Savoring the disruption he had sown, Shan gestured toward Mayumi. "Would you be so kind as to refill the teapot?" he asked. While the soldiers swallowed the insult with grim restraint, Jin Lian rose in indignation, disregarding the ache in her feet. Her glare decimated most of the expensive makeup.
"What have you ever truly accomplished beyond reading and writing?" she challenged, her nails raking the stone table with a staccato rhythm. "Do not let arrogance blind you, boy. To undermine me is to scorn the Ximen family. Are you so intoxicated by pride that you would gamble with the honor of those who served the throne with unwavering loyalty?"
Several dynasties past, a celebrated general of the Ximen lineage rendered indispensable aid to a previous Earth King during a time of grave peril, securing a cascade of victories for Ba Sing Se. In gratitude, the monarchy bestowed upon the Ximen family extensive privileges, ranging from legal immunities to a sprawling fiefdom within the Lower Ring from which they collected taxes as revenue. To this day, scions of the Ximen clan cling to the belief that these privileges endure, proudly bearing a distinctive metal badge bestowed by an Earth King that is said to annul any legal consequence which even includes the murder of a mere peasant. Yet, under the scrutiny of the present regime, the legitimacy of such claims is of course highly dubious, and most members of the family would smartly not test the city's higher powers.
Above all crimes, treason remains the sole unforgivable transgression.
"A pampered youth who luxuriates in decadence is far inferior to those who labor tirelessly in the fields to fill our granaries," Shan casted a measured glance toward Jin Lian. Then, turning to the guard marked by the purple plum emblem, he continued. "And a professional soldier who has never marched into battle is weaker than the hardiest of conscripted veterans. I have merely upheld my role as a scholar, never overstepping my station unless necessity compels."
Mayumi somehow returned with another fresh tray of tea, just in time to witness Jin Lian's simmering fury. In a sudden flare of rage, the young noblewoman commanded a soldier to fetch a small wooden box, an exquisitely carved container adorned with silver symbols of unfamiliar origin. Inside rested a curious pipe, lavishly decorated with gemstones and overlaid with gold filigree.
The guard produced a pouch filled with peculiar botanicals, a spherical buds that had yet to bloom. These were carefully packed into the pipe's bowl before a flame was struck. Mayumi, observing with wary curiosity, did not know the pipe's purpose. But Shan's discerning gaze suggested it is a social taboo in Ba Sing Se.
Without hesitation, Jin Lian seized the ornate pipe and pressed it to her lips. To Mayumi's astonishment, the tempest in Jin Lian's eyes swiftly gave way to a placid serenity. The noblewoman's eyes rolled back in an unnerving fashion, as if caught in an endless tide of sensation. Though baffled, the retainer felt a faint relief that her sister is not present to witness such a surreal spectacle.
Abruptly, Jin Lian exhaled a dense plume of vapor directly toward Shan, its tendrils curling through the air and enveloping Mayumi who stood nearby.
Instinctively, Mayumi covered her mouth. Shan, maintaining his stoic composure tinged with restrained ire, employed a swift flick of his white paper fan to disperse the smoke. The atmosphere around the stone table cleared instantly, restoring breathable air.
"What was that?" Mayumi asked with apprehension.
"Invasive elements," Shan replied curtly, his eyes narrowing with quiet menace upon the assembled guests.
Regret is absent from Jin Lian's reddened eyes, which is a hallmark of the intoxicant's influence.
"You exhibit remarkable audacity," Shan declared with an unforgiving edge. "Are you unaware that such plants are strictly forbidden by city law?" A scholar devoted to the austere tenets of legalism, Shan could brook no subversion of the law regardless of the offender's rank or heritage. "What defense do you offer for this blatant transgression?"
"I am a member of the Ximen family," Jin Lian retorted, her voice thick with intoxication and defiance. The plant's seductive grip made her protestations both fervent and fragile.
Shan's gaze sharpened. He reminded her that her position as an in-law did not shield others from culpability should they enable her excess. But the admonition fell on deaf ears. The Ximen family's wealth and influence were formidable. Why would they fear a mere scholar's reprimand? To them, indulgence in a banned substance is trivial compared to the true threat of treason.
"Making a fuss over trifles, that's all you lot do," Jin Lian sneered, her watery eyes gleaming with distorted mockery as she leveled the pipe toward Shan. "Are you jealous of me? Surely you are. You can write and claim the rank of Zhuangyuan, but that's nothing. The real envy lies in one thing you will never possess, no matter how gifted you are."
"And what might that be?" Shan asked.
Jin Lian began with a low, insidious laugh, cold and cutting. "A family," she sneered. "Because a penniless, clanless street rat like you will never savor the abundance I command." She exhaled theatrically. "If only Shan the White Scholar could ever know the joy of belonging. Truly, I pity you. Mock us all you want, at least we possess something forever beyond your grasp." Her laughter ascended into a sharp, high-pitched chuckle as she inhaled deeply from her illicit pipe.
Shan's face remained an unmoving mask that is unreadable. Yet, unlike before, he did not rise to Jin Lian's bait. He sat statuesque, eyes unblinking as though carved from marble.
"Shan?" Mayumi cast a worried glance. Her gaze fell to his hand, clenched tightly around the sole inkstone he used to grind calligraphy ink.
A faint, ominous crack shattered the stillness. The precious tool of the scholar fractured sharply, shards biting into the tender flesh of his right palm. Not a murmur of pain escaped the scholar's lips. For a man who had never wielded a weapon, his endurance was remarkable, unyielding in the face of raw agony.
"Oh?" Jin Lian's eyes sparkled with cruel delight. "For all his lofty intellect, he cannot even afford quality supplies!" She beckoned her bodyguards with a smirk. "Perhaps our young master should gift him a sturdier inkstone, one resilient enough to withstand his fragile pride."
Mayumi noticed the empty teacup and the nearly depleted teapot. Without a word from Shan, she rose to replenish the tea, fetching a tray from the kitchen. But before she could place it on the table, Jin Lian sprang from her seat and swiped the tray with a violent crash. The delicate tea set splintering against the ground.
Stunned, Mayumi surmised that the erratic outburst was fueled by the forbidden plant's influence. Yet Jin Lian's audacity remained undiminished as she unleashed a fresh volley of scorn upon the White Scholar.
"Shan, for all your accomplishments, you cannot even command your own household. Disorganized and deluded, despite your so-called talent, you failed to recruit noble children as students. How laughable."
"Leave her out of this!" Mayumi shot back fiercely. In reaction, two soldiers swiftly moved to shield Jin Lian.
Still unmoved, Shan sat in cold silence. Seizing the moment, Jin Lian ordered her guards to 'educate' him on proper household management befitting nobility. One guard violently toppled a precarious tower of books, grinding them underfoot with careless contempt as a vivid warning to those who dared insult Lady Jin Lian's intellect. Others ransacked Shan's quarters, hurling scrolls aloft and defiling his calligraphy with disdain. Through it all, the scholar remained unruffled, an island of calm amid the chaos.
Desiring to join the fray, Jin Lian lunged at Mayumi, perhaps believing the retainer to be as defenseless as any servant girl.
But with ease, Mayumi sidestepped and Jin Lian's momentum made the latter tumbled to the grass, missing the strike.
"Ah!" Jin Lian's face struck the ground. "You'll pay for this, peasant!"
Two guards seized Mayumi, restraining her as Jin Lian slowly rose. Brushing dirt from her sumptuous gown, the seductress raised a hand to strike again. But her gaze flickered to Shan.
"I'm teaching you a valuable lesson, White Scholar," Jin Lian proclaimed with malicious glee. "Before you dream of rising to our station, learn your place. Lacking the experience, I will ensure this servant girl learns hers, one she won't soon forget."
Mayumi clenched her teeth. To retaliate would invite the Ximen family's wrath.
Then without a word, Shan rose. The room fell silent as all eyes turned to him, the tempest momentarily stilled by his mere presence. Even Jin Lian's triumphant smirk faltered.
Blood trickled down his right hand, staining the delicate fan he lifted to cool himself. The insidious spell of Jin Lian's barbs broken, his austere and resolute demeanor returned in full force.
"This lesson is indeed valuable," he said. "We must all accept our place in the world and fulfill our appointed roles without overreach. Yet it is hardly lawful for you to mistreat my subordinate." He turned to Mayumi. "Takeko, from this moment forward, you are promoted. I charge you with defending me, as I feel threatened by guests who have long overstayed their welcome." Casually, he lifted the visitor's teacup, savoring the now cold brew. "A subordinate cannot be held accountable for tasks I command. But for my convenience, ensure these people do not perish."
"You can't do that!" Jin Lian shouted, fury igniting in her eyes.
One of the soldiers hesitated, muttering that the legality of such an act is murky at best. Yet, self-defense remained an unquestionable instinct, though where the burden of responsibility lay is another matter entirely.
"No matter," Jin Lian scoffed, her gaze fixed on the defenseless White Scholar. "As if that bookish wretch would dare defy me." Her lips curled disdainfully. "This harlot here cannot even—"
Before she could finish, Mayumi sprang into action like a tempest unleashed. With ruthless precision, she drove both elbows into the necks of two guards, their bodies crumpling under the savage blows. A third guard drew his sword, but before he could strike, a swift and arcing kick shattered his jaw and plunged him into unconsciousness.
Jin Lian's composure shattered instantly. Within moments, three of her elite bodyguards lay incapacitated, barely clinging to consciousness. More humiliating still was that they had fallen to the hands of a plainly dressed peasant girl.
"Guards! To me!" Jin Lian screamed, her voice cracking with panic. But around her, the guards are being deftly subdued, their brutish strength turned against them by the retainer's unfamiliar combat style. Desperation clawed at her as she lunged toward the residence's entrance, but her dainty feet made escape more than difficult.
"Ah!" Jin Lian stumbled over an idle tome, sprawling gracelessly to the ground. Ironically, the book was a radical treatise on the folly of hereditary governance, an incendiary manuscript scorned by the mainstream Earth Sages. Her ornate smoking pipe slipped from her trembling fingers, clattering against the stone. Mayumi stooped to retrieve it, turning the curious foreign object over in her hands.
"You will pay for this!" Jin Lian hissed, her finger stabbing accusingly at the White Scholar. But he merely sipped from his tea, lamenting how the bitterness rivaled that of the brew's peak warmth.
"Lady Jin Lian," Shan said with a courteous nod. "Your renown for beauty precedes you, though it may not quite rival that of Lady Qian Jin or Lady Te Gaogui. Yet, truth be told, I suspect even a man of Ximen Qing's caliber might find you lackluster."
The insult was laced with nuance. Both Ximen Qing the notorious philanderer and Jin Lian the beguiling seductress are figures of ill repute. Still, the implication was clear. One possessed greater scholarly merit than the other.
"You—!" Jin Lian's fingers twitched with fury, her coiffure in disarray, the absence of standing guards stripping her of all pretenses of power. As Ximen Qing's current paramour, such vulnerability was intolerable. Her eyes darted toward a servant lurking behind the courtyard's solitary tree. "Come here and fight!" she screeched.
Shan regarded the hapless man with a hint of pity. Producing a handful of silver coins, he pressed them into the servant's palm before sending him through the gates.
At that moment, Mayumi grasped Jin Lian's sleeve. Though gentle in her hold, the lady's trembling betrayed her fear.
"Takeko, please hand me that pipe," Shan requested calmly.
"Hey!" Jin Lian snapped indignantly. "That's a gift from young master Ximen Qing!"
With deliberate care, Shan examined the pipe, a curious contraption designed to burn and inhale a strange intoxicant. The concept of drawing smoke into one's lungs baffled Mayumi utterly, a Kyoshi Warrior from a remote island where such indulgences are unheard of except with the few seafaring traders.
"Ximen Qing possesses a discerning palate for rarities beyond the borders of the Earth Kingdom, adept at procuring curiosities from distant lands," Shan remarked his stoic eyes betraying a hint of respect for the exquisite craftsmanship of the smoking pipe, a piece echoing the same intricate artistry as the clock bestowed by the same enigmatic patron. "It is a lamentable waste that such artistry should be devoted to a device of frivolous indulgence," he added.
The young Ximen heir, long accustomed to skirting justice through his family's formidable influence in Ba Sing Se's labyrinthine politics seemed to regard testing the city's limits as a sport. His transgressions are legendary, and arrogance as their currency.
Shan's hand drifted to the box, withdrawing a delicate poppy plant. He inhaled its scent briefly, confirming his grim suspicions.
"Shan, what exactly is that?" Mayumi inquired cautiously, her brow furrowed in confusion.
"Poppy Tears," Shan answered gravely. "Only the climate of the Western Earth Kingdom can nurture such a pernicious crop. This is but one of the countless scars left by the Hundred Years War." His gaze locked coldly onto Jin Lian. Nobles accustomed only to deference seldom prepare themselves for realities such as these. "Consider yourself fortunate. Had you not ensnared Ximen Qing's lustful favor, I doubt you would have dared to defy the city's strict prohibition."
"Do not demean me, clanless wretch!" Jin Lian spat, her voice trembling with a mixture of fury and rising panic. "The Ximen family will not tolerate this affront! Just wait until my beloved hears of this!" Yet her bravado faltered under Mayumi's firm grip on her garment, denying her any retreat.
Shan's patience waned. He gestured pointedly to Ximen Qing's infamous proclivity for seduction, a notorious fact that left Jin Lian curiously unconcerned.
"You are not the first paramour to be ensnared by Ximen Qing, nor you shall be the last," Shan declared without hesitation. Then with a deliberate snap, he shattered the ornate pipe in one hand. Alongside the box of Poppy Tears, he cast the remnants to the floor. Jin Lian lunged instinctively, desperate to salvage the fragments.
"Show our honored guest some courtesy, Takeko," Shan instructed Mayumi with deliberate condescension. "I shall bear full responsibility for this. It is regrettable my scholarly abilities have failed to meet Lady Jin Lian's lofty expectations."
"Command your servant to release me, Shan! What master lets his own unruly peasant girl run amok?" Jin Lian demanded, though Mayumi's grip on her collar remained unyielding. "Without our patronage, you're nothing in the Upper Ring! It's common knowledge you lack wealth. And now, you rely on some lowly girl as your pupil, this does not—"
Before Jin Lian could finish, Mayumi's grip tightened sharply around her neck, eyes flashing with a ferocity that rooted the noblewoman in place, her defiant glare reduced to fearful submission.
Recognizing the moment, Shan granted Mayumi the authority to chastise Jin Lian on his behalf, a small reprieve for petty vengeance. But the line between retribution and ruin was clear. Taking a life would be a crime too grave to permit.
"Takeko, see to it that our esteemed guest is escorted promptly beyond these doors." He unfurled his delicate white paper fan, fanning himself with languid grace. "Lady Jin Lian is undoubtedly fatigued. She requires ample rest and the comforting presence of young master Ximen Qing. I trust you will comport yourself with the decorum befitting her noble stature."
Striving to maintain composure, Mayumi hastened to shepherd Jin Lian toward the entrance. Yet the lady resisted fiercely, her sharp nails flashing in a wild swipe that narrowly grazed Mayumi's eyes. The near-assault granted Mayumi the pretext to exert greater force. This time, she did not hesitate. Grasping Jin Lian's slender arm, Mayumi delivered a swift, controlled slap to the woman's cheek, smearing the thick veneer of costly makeup with the unmistakable imprint of her hand. Though the strike caused no grievous injury, the audacity of a mere commoner striking someone of Jin Lian's rank sent a ripple of stunned silence through all who bore witness.
The guards on the ground were dumbfounded, shocked that Mayumi had dared raise her hand against their lady, and dismayed that they had failed to restrain what they regarded as an insolent peasant. Yet, if all this unfolded under the sanction of the White Scholar, Ximen Qing would have to reckon with the political cost of either employing Shan or contending with this scandal.
Emboldened by the fraught moment, Mayumi raised her fist once more, signaling the limits of her prior restraint. Jin Lian offered no further protest, slipping swiftly through the entrance. One by one, the guards sluggishly withdrew, leaving only Mayumi and Shan amidst the disheveled courtyard.
The scholar regarded her with his customary air of detached disinterest, though this time a subtle lift of his eyebrow betrayed a flicker of intrigue toward the woman who remained poised defensively. Despite Mayumi's immediate claim of once having been a traveling theater performer, her earlier effortless defeat of Jin Lian's armed guards was a spectacle enough to kindle suspicion.
Before Mayumi could mount any defense, Shan spoke, having anticipated her thoughts. "I never pry into your past," he said quietly. "Yours truly is a gentleman, one versed more in ink and brush than in blades. Though my knowledge of martial arts is scant, your skill commands genuine praise."
"Then why permit me to retaliate?" Mayumi asked, voice cautious.
"Yours truly gambled," Shan replied. "Unlike many ensconced within these walls, the world beyond is ruthless and perilous. One can only imagine the horrors that compel even the meekest souls to defend themselves fiercely."
Though Shan championed the virtues of knowing one's station and abiding by rigid boundaries, his endorsement of Mayumi was sincere. Henceforth, she would shoulder the mantle of a retainer who is armed. While he may have regarded his ransacked abode with indifferent detachment, such wanton vandalism would be less frequent if the White Scholar had an appointed guardian in his service.
"Do not trouble yourself, I shall see to it," Mayumi said, reaching for a broomstick only to have her gesture gently but firmly declined.
"No," Shan interrupted with quiet finality. "You fulfilled your duty precisely as I instructed. It would be neither just nor commendable for you to bear the burden of my consequences."
In matters such as these, whatever retribution the Ximen family might seek, the White Scholar intends to shoulder the responsibility himself. After all, a retainer's actions invariably reflect upon their employer. While those self-righteous Earth Sages might wax eloquent about the lofty virtues of aristocrats, such empty rhetoric held no sway here.
Mayumi kept her gratitude succinct, well aware that Shan abhorred florid language and needless courtesies. For a man of his disposition, incisive questions are far more fitting.
"Rest assured, your remuneration shall be commensurate with your talents," Shan clarified. "A scholar such as yours truly bears no affinity for brutish deeds, rendering me a vulnerable target for the lowliest street ruffians."
"I am grateful for this new appointment," Mayumi replied with measured appreciation. Secretly a Kyoshi Warrior, she recalled that the role of bodyguard is not foreign to her people, the finest among them having once been entrusted with the protection of the Fire Nation's royal family after the Great War. That duty endured, and she had even contemplated such a path herself.
"I ask for no more than what is justly deserved," the White Scholar continued. "Further details will follow once I return from the nearby administrative office. Only with official sanction can you lawfully bear arms within this city." His gaze fixed upon her. "What weapon do you favor?" he inquired, as though reading her thoughts. "As a scholar, I confess I know little of how theatrical skill translates to actual combat, but for a non-bender, unarmed fighting is rarely the wisest choice."
Mayumi responded vaguely. A simple sword would suffice. A modest, single-edged blade. Should Shan ever cross swords with an arrogant noble and his guards, her quiet presence with a sheathed weapon would serve as an effective deterrent.
"Very well," Shan said, pausing his sweeping as he headed toward the door. "I will procure the necessary resources. Leave the repairs to me, do not concern yourself."
As he reached for the handle, Mayumi called after him, but the words escaped her.
"Thank you," she managed instead. Shan only nodded before stepping out of the courtyard
Though she longed to ask if he would still teach her sister, both in scholarly ways and Earthbending, such a question seemed redundant given his nature. To question his scholarly prowess would be equally unwise.
She remained grateful for his assistance thus far, despite her profound disagreements with his bleak worldview and dismissal of familial bonds. From now on, claiming moral superiority felt far less appropriate when dealing with this austere scholar.
"You two may come out now," Mayumi said.
There was no need to knock. Behind her, two Dai Li agents stood still, already slipped into the courtyard without entering through the gate. Mayumi stared at the entrance with a reluctant gaze as the two cultural guardians spoke with practiced cordiality. One even praised her martial skill, as they thought the escalating situation demands their intervention. But thankfully, her timely response meant the Dai Li do not need to provoke the Ximen family directly.
"The Inquisitor humbly requests your presence," the other agent announced. "Your attendance is earnestly welcomed."
End of Chapter Notes:
-The practice of fishing using cormorant birds can still be seen today in parts of Asia.
-Although goats are a valuable commodity, items such as dried meat can also be used in the ancient custom of students presenting gift/payment to their teachers.