The carriage came to a gentle halt at the venue Han Fei had arranged for their meeting. Mayumi, seated beside the coachman, immediately recognized the location. The sprawling, multi-storied establishment where the moderately affluent gathered to savor both cuisine and conviviality. She recalled the last occasion Shan had chosen this place to meet the traveling poet from the Fire Nation, presenting Seonbi with a piece of calligraphy to carry back home. The building offered more than mere dining, it provided private chambers for merchants to negotiate their affairs, and naturally wealthy folks often employed its halls to deliberate the terms of arranged marriages.
As the coachman leapt from the carriage to secure the two ostrich horses to a sturdy wooden fence, Mayumi moved to the carriage doors and tapped it lightly.
"We have arrived," she announced, opening the doors, which is an action she would rarely perform in her home village.
Han Fei emerged first, his eyes lighting upon the familiar hall where countless business dealings had transpired. Though the Upper Ring glittered with opulence, it is the Middle Ring that pulsed with the lifeblood of the city's industries and financial networks. Shan followed, stepping down in attire transformed to a dignified shade of green, impressive yet entirely predictable, as Han Fei had likely anticipated his former student's reluctance to adopt a new garment.
Curiosity compelled Mayumi to speak before she could restrain herself. "How did you—"
"The particulars are irrelevant," Shan replied with measured calm. Likely, the director had prepared the scholar's new attire in advance. There was no time for luxury or fuss, and Han Fei's next instruction is already waiting. Shan is to bear a gift for the meeting, concealed within a substantial wooden box. A mere piece of calligraphy would scarcely suffice to impress, and given Han Fei's meticulous nature, this offering must carry weight beyond its outward appearance.
"Our safety rests in your hands," Han Fei said to Mayumi, nodding with formal courtesy before leading them into the building. He did not forget one final precaution to secure his advantage. "Coachman, remain vigilant. Inform us at once when the Te family's carriage approaches."
"Understood, sir!"
With that, they entered the hall, a space alive with the hum of conversation and the clatter of dishes. Guests, educated and prosperous, and the idly curious, discussed matters both trivial and weighty. A few tables debated the recent movements of the Ximen family, especially about their young heir, who had recruited numerous scholars into his service provoked scorn among the older elite. Those assembled spared no venom in deriding the clan's new servants, dismissing them as naive youth lured by the glitter of coin.
Yet the reasoning of these critics was perplexing. While mercantile wealth could be tempting, official office conferred prestige far beyond mere income. To serve the state is to elevate one's name and honor one's ancestors, a deeply ingrained value in this society. And yet, Ximen Qing had seduced a surprising number of promising scholars with little more than a few additional coins. Mayumi could only sigh at their ignorance. If they understood the depths of Ximen Qing's depravity, they would recoil. She and Shan had witnessed firsthand the scion's manipulations, tactics designed to exploit men's basest desires while ensnaring women in moral corruption. Worst of all, it may not be Ximen Qing's worst.
Thus far, Shan had confided with no one regarding his trip to the Ximen palace. Mayumi wondered whether his refusal to enter Ximen Qing's employ reflected some private ambition, and whether it was truly prudent for her to associate herself with a scholar of such inscrutable intent. Yet such musings are beside the point, as her task is to immediately ensure that no suspicious presence threatened Shan, or more precisely in this case, to protect the execution of Han Fei's scheming.
The trio's arrival had not gone unnoticed. Patrons, especially wealthy merchants and learned citizens, turned their attention. Han Fei's reputation preceded him, casting an almost palpable aura of sagacious authority. Even his quiet smile seemed sufficient to disarm skepticism and forge connections with the most stubborn of affluent Upper Ring folks.
"Director Han Fei!" one of them greeted warmly.
A ripple of smiles followed as the assembly welcomed the museum custodian, their courtesies flowing like a well-rehearsed ritual. Mayumi struggled to maintain her focus as a small crowd gathered, each person eager to demonstrate respect with bows exchanged. Offers of fine tea also extended, and polite inquiries are further made to the esteemed museum director.
"Gentlemen, I am truly grateful for your hospitality," Han Fei began, his voice smooth as silk. "But we are here on pressing matters." He maneuvered the situation with practiced ease, publicly announcing their true purpose to discuss a marital arrangement with the Te clan.
No further elaboration was necessary. The patrons, though initially surprised, had not entirely been caught off guard. Lady Te Gaogui is widely regarded as the most exquisite woman in all of Ba Sing Se, a beauty unmatched. And if not for a scholar who had attained the pinnacle scholarly title of Zhuangyuan, who else could be more fitting?
"A most judicious arrangement, as expected from our esteemed curator," remarked an educated merchant, his tone carrying both admiration and congratulation for this auspicious news. Han Fei bowed modestly, a practiced humility masking the private amusement likely coursing beneath.
"When is the wedding?" a younger scholar asked eagerly. "Might we be invited?"
As the crowd continued to flatter Han Fei, lauding his talents and association with the equally formidable White Scholar Shan, Mayumi lingered beside the younger scholar, her mind alert to the practical concerns. Could this gathering itself become a barrier to their walk to the venue?
"Do not worry," Shan replied with a serene detachment. "They will disperse in due course. One does not need prescience to see that these scholars and the merchants are hardly inclined toward confrontation."
"Perhaps, yet it might have been wiser for your mentor to maintain discretion," Mayumi reasoned. "We cannot be certain that Lady Te's father will consent to this union. If word spreads prematurely, complications may arise before any agreement is even reached."
Shan gave Mayumi the look, an expression that subtly suggests his view on her naivety.
"You underestimate my mentor's insight into human nature," he said, voice nearly monotone. "This public declaration is deliberate. It will make the union almost inevitable."
The swordswoman frowned with slight confusion. Shan explained further, stating that Han Fei's calculated openness set the courtship in the public eye, raising expectations of courtship between the White Scholar and Lady Te so high that social pressure would compel both parties to follow through.
"It serves to bind both myself and Te Laoye to his design," Shan continued, voice turning sharp as he reflected on the Te family patriarch. "And considering the elder's dwindling reputation, the risk of refusal weighs more heavily upon him than on us."
Mayumi could not decide who possessed greater cynicism. Shan, who savored the potential fall of the Te family's standing, or Han Fei, the invisible hand orchestrating social forces to his advantage.
Meanwhile, Han Fei moved among the patrons, skillfully ending their anticipatory chatter with individual conversations. The director's charm extended even to a brief discussion with a silk merchant from the Upper Ring, who had traveled to confer with an exotic wool dealer. Though their words escaped Mayumi's ears, their familiarity suggested a prior acquaintance.
"That man is Qiao Zhiyong," Shan noted, reading her curiosity. "A wealthy silk merchant from the Qiao compound in the Upper Ring. Rumor claims they rear a rare breed of silkworm, producing the finest silk in this side of the Earth Kingdom."
Though she came from modest beginnings, Mayumi understood the value of silk. Maintaining her own silk kimono required meticulous care, and without a skilled seamstress from the village, the delicate garment might quickly become irreparable.
"Aren't they worried someone will steal their secret?" she asked.
"Not here," Shan said. "The Upper Ring enforces strict order. Their silkworms remain secure within the Qiao compound, beyond reach of thieves or rivals."
Once his exchanges concluded, Han Fei led them to the rear of the building, where a richly adorned ground-floor room awaited as a sanctuary of relative privacy. Here, he unveiled the gift destined for the Te clan, which is a jadeite cabbage. Its craftsmanship exquisite, certain to impress Te Laoye.
"Marvelous, isn't it?" Han Fei said, placing the piece at the center of the table. "It may not rival Ba Sing Se's Heirloom Seal of the Realm or Omashu's Nine Tripod Cauldrons, but it is no less captivating."
Shan lingered with unhurried composure, indifferent to the trivial games of aristocratic favor. As for the swordswoman, she surveyed the room with trained eyes, running her hands lightly along the walls, noting the giant window that bathed the space in soft, natural light. Aside from that, she judged nothing within this room threatened this meeting.
"Now remember, Shan. I expect nothing less than the utmost courtesy. Understand?" Han Fei's voice bore the precision of command, met with the White Scholar's measured nod. Yet it was doubtful the young man would contribute much to the discussion, as the real negotiation will be between Han Fei and Te Laoye, deliberating over the future. Though it is customary for a woman to assume her husband's surname upon marriage, the Te clan's noble lineage offered the cunning director an opportunity to propose the opposite by placating the clan elder and secure the continuation of the latter's family's name.
Mayumi concluded her inspection. No hidden trapdoors or secret entrances revealed themselves. Outside the sole window, a pond glimmered, offering a natural barrier against spies that could be sent by that despicable Ximen Qing.
The doors burst open with a thunderous bang. Mayumi's hand instinctively drew her sword, only to return it calmly upon seeing Han Fei's coachman, serving dutifully as lookout.
"They are here!" the man stammered, eyes wide with panic. "The delegation is here, Director!"
"Excellent work," Han Fei said, unfazed by the imminent arrival of the Te family. He turned to Mayumi with a smile. "And your reflexes is most impressive. I have seldom seen anyone draw a sword so swiftly."
A flush of caution crept over Mayumi. Her Kyoshi Warrior training might betray her as revealing skill far beyond that of a former opera performer. Though Han Fei seemed unsurprised, her vigilance remained. With his extensive network across society, it is entirely possible he knew of rogue elements such mercenaries and vigilantes. A quick discovery could place both herself and Satchiko in jeopardy, as the museum director could report suspicions to the Dai Li with devastating consequences.
"Ahem," Shan reminded gently.
Mayumi sheathed her blade, adhering to decorum. Outside, the crowd's rising murmur grew audible. The delegation received accolades from scholars and merchants alike, yet not a single soul dared remind the elder lord of past debacles. As for Shan, he braced for the forthcoming session with measured dread.