A siheyuan's courtyard, tranquil in its stillness, should have been a sanctuary of peace. Yet to the people of Ba Sing Se, such serenity was often a source of unease. Through the rise and fall of countless dynasties, lives had been shaped by ceaseless intrigue, courtly rivalries, and whispered conspiracies, rendering genuine peace a rarity rather than a blessing. Perhaps that was why so many esteemed scholars chose to squander their talents in rustic seclusion, content to waste away their days amid fine wine and sumptuous meals rather than surrender themselves to the relentless machinery of state service. Or perhaps the burdens of ambition and political strife weighed so heavily upon them that they abandoned the ink brush altogether, exchanging parchment and philosophy for the honest toil of the plough, cultivating fields where the soil harbored fewer dangers than some imperial court ever could.
As a gentle breeze brushed against his face, the White Scholar sat upon the wooden floor right outside the northern chamber of his residence. The empty courtyard, the scattered towers of books and scrolls, and the lifeless rooms beyond all revealed an undeniable absence. Once again, his superior understanding of how great cities truly functioned seemed to have fallen upon deaf ears, particularly those of the two country bumpkins who had arrived from distant lands.
"I see," Shan murmured to himself.
Closing his eyes, the scholar lifted the warm cup of tea he had personally brewed. Yet as the fragrant steam drifted toward him, he found himself unable to ignore a strange dissatisfaction. The same tea he had prepared throughout most of his life suddenly seemed slightly inferior compared to the brews he had recently tasted.
Of course, a true Legalist understood the danger of accepting comforts offered by others. Trust is a luxury, whereas dependency is a weakness.
The wind stirred once more. Even with his eyes closed in quiet contemplation, Shan noticed subtle disturbances within the courtyard. The gentle current of air had encountered several additional presences, objects that disrupted its natural flow.
"To what does yours truly owe the honor of your presence?" Shan asked. Even while seated in apparent vulnerability, he carried himself with the usual confidence of a young man who refused to surrender dignity. Obviously, a Zhuangyuan scholar is not someone one could harm without consequence. Yet he understood better than most that no place, whether behind the safe walls of Ba Sing Se or Omashu, could guarantee absolute safety.
Without disturbing even a blade of grass or cracking a single stone beneath their feet, four Dai Li agents strolled the courtyard. They did not announce themselves at the gate. Had they done so, the esteemed White Scholar himself would have been obligated to perform the tedious ritual of receiving guests properly, thereby interrupting the quiet afternoon tea during which he awaited his missing pupil.
One of the agents stepped closer to the seated scholar. Most citizens of Ba Sing Se would have immediately lowered their heads, displayed restraint, or perhaps even trembled at the sight of the city's secret police. Yet the White Scholar was perhaps among the few could not even be bothered with the pleasantries. After all, even the deeply unsettling sight of Dai Li agents arriving unannounced at one's doorstep failed to rattle the notoriously sharp-tongued calligrapher. Rather than succumb to anxiety, he sat in unhurried comfort, leisurely savoring a cup of steaming oolong as though these people were nothing more than unexpected guests.
"Yours truly would prefer that the sunlight remain unobstructed," Shan remarked.
The scholar clad in pale changshan, waited patiently until the Dai Li agent shifted aside. Only then did one of the officers steps forward and reveal the purpose of their visit.
As expected, the news produced no visible change in Shan's expression. Only a quiet sigh, as if the outcome had already been calculated long before the announcement. Normally, a teacher whose student had been apprehended by the most infamous Earthbenders in the world would display panic, outrage, or desperate denial. Many would even publicly condemn their own pupil's alleged crimes, severing all ties in an attempt to protect themselves from the state's collective punishment.
History had its own shared of infamous causes. Many dynasties ago, the Earth Sage Fang Xiaoru's defiance against a usurper Earth King has condemned not only himself but also his family, friends, colleagues, and students. One man's death dragged eight hundred more to the graves.
"And what do you, the diligent curators of Ba Sing Se, expect yours truly to do?" Shan asked, words carried the slightest hint of irritation. It was not the response expected from an Upper Ring gentleman, who would likely sacrifice a meagre student and a bodyguard to appease the city itself. Most would have discarded the unruly disciple if such an offering can preserve their own standing within the city.
In response to this display of quiet defiance, the Dai Li representative sought to dissuade the White Scholar from involving himself any further. Why jeopardize such a brilliant future as a Zhuangyuan scholar and his eventual access to the city's corridors of power? Why entangle oneself with two individuals whose motives and identities remained shrouded in uncertainty?
The officer's reasoning was straightforward, if not entirely subtle. Whether outlaw, vagabond, or agitator, any person who dared threaten the security and stability of Ba Sing Se deserved swift and uncompromising punishment. Such elements, he emphasized, are unworthy of a prestigious scholar's sympathy and certainly not worth sacrificing a lifetime of achievement.
"You speak endlessly of impartiality, about reward and punishment that do not distinguish between the affluence and those with impoverished birth, yet you seem to appear rather sentimental." The Dai Li reminded the scholar in case Shan harbors any thoughts that might conflict the penal codes of the city itself. "Perhaps my colleagues and I may have misjudged you. Indeed, it is disheartening that someone with your scholarly caliber is endangering a bright career as an official, throwing away the spoils of scholarly success that both Lady Te and Ximen Qing have fought so desperately to attain." The Dai Li leaned much closer, right before Shan's nonchalant face. "Every young man in this city wants to be you, and no shortage of noble ladies wish to have you courted. What do you have to gain by saving a student who wouldn't even obey your warnings?"
Shan placed the porcelain cup gently upon his open palm. "It appears my old mentor has sent someone with serviceable eloquence," Shan deduced, even commended the Dai Li agent's ability to wield arguments.
Slowly, the White Scholar rose from the ground and walked toward the courtyard gate. The four Dai Li agents silently parted, recognizing that their attempt at dissuading Shan had failed. They remained still, perhaps out of some kind of sadistic curiosity, to see whether the legendary calligrapher of Ba Sing Se would truly be physically harmed in the upcoming endeavor.
"Defying the penal code has never been your way," the Dai Li representative said one final time. The upper half of his face remained concealed beneath shadow. "Just where do you think you are going?"
In a similar fashion, Shan replied without even turning to face them. He merely rested one hand behind his back, carrying himself with the composed dignity expected of a distinguished scholar of the Earth Kingdom.
"Make no mistake, for yours truly has no intention of sinking so low as those self-proclaimed moral sages," the White Scholar replied. "Since my pupil has failed to diligently attend today's lesson, then the teachings shall simply be imparted from beyond the humble walls of my humble residence."
He fell silent for a moment, thoughts drifting back to the philosophical exchange he had shared with that so-called former theater performer regarding the inherent nature of humanity. Even a scholar as unwavering as Shan would understand that the majority of people, regardless of how righteous they claimed to be, would instinctively seek to protect their own kin from the judgment of the state. Such was the curious contradiction of human nature. Virtue often stood firm in principle yet can falter when blood and affection entered the equation.
In truth, he found himself intrigued by the phenomenon and wished to observe it from a much closer vantage point, perhaps the first time in this specific manner.
"One stole, while the other has finally attempted to shield her own kin from the consequences," Shan murmured to himself, reflecting upon the actions of the two sisters, especially the elder. "How utterly predictable."