Shan regarded him with the same nonchalant expression he might have worn while enduring some petty Upper Ring pageantry. There was even the faintest suggestion of offence in his eyes, as though being questioned by armed guards or secret police were an indignity beneath his station.
"Yours truly is here to alter the punishment for an unruly pupil."
The scholar continued forward, then suddenly stopped, still managed to maintain the refinement and cultivated serenity expected of an idealized Earth Kingdom scholar. Albeit far harsher and more contemptuous towards patrimonial entities across the realm, there are still limits to what a sharp tongue could accomplish when confronted by someone willing to answer in a language more primitive than words.
A thin crimson line streaked cleanly across Shan's right cheek, blood gradually flowed out. Even those beneath the pavilion noticed it. The Dai Li closest to him had moved only slightly, a subtle adjustment of his right earthen glove had been enough. From its hardened surface, a sliver of sharpened tile had been launched with such precision that it harmed its target and buried itself deep within a stone wall behind Shan.
The warning required no explanation. Any ordinary scion, or some pampered heir accustomed to having the world bend around him might have flinched, recoiled in pain or demanded an apology.
Shan did none of those arbitrary things. He merely turned his head and glanced the thin wound upon the cheek and then nonchalantly looked toward the Dai Li who had inflicted it. His expression suggested nothing more than mild irritation.
"Allow him to approach," Han Fei generously called from below the pavilion.
Immediately, all Dai Li agents lowered their hands and assumed their customary posture, hands and earthen gloves folded neatly beneath their immense sleeves. Their faces returning to masks of impassive discipline.
The way forward is now clear. Thus, Shan continued across the bridge.
Dai Li Zhu Di was the first to greet the distinguished scholar. After all, any agent accustomed to dealing with the public would possess at least some instinctive caution around a man who had only recently emerged as a newly graduated Zhuangyuan, a title that carried with it the unmistakable promise of future prominence within Ba Sing Se's governing hierarchy. And men destined to rise within the capital's halls were rarely wise to offend before they had even begun their ascent.
In return, Shan merely slightly inclined his head before finally presenting himself to the rather convoluted spectacle before him. Or at least, what appeared convoluted in his own eyes.
"How are you, Shan?" Han Fei asked, with the disarming ease of a man greeting his student on an ordinary afternoon.
The absurdity of the circumstances was almost beneath the question. The scholar's bodyguard is being held hostage, while his first student stood on the precipice of a death sentence. Neither development sat comfortably beside the carefully cultivated reputation of one of Ba Sing Se's youngest and most promising literati. As a sharp-tongued yet gifted calligrapher, renowned among the newly graduated Jinshi as perhaps the most serious-minded and intellectually formidable of his generation, there is no particular necessity for someone of his station to have come here in the first place.
"I expected you to understand my dilemma," Han Fei continued, his words deliberately veiled so that those beyond the intimate circle of teacher and student might hear only an exchange of harmless pleasantries. "Someone of my station bearing responsibility for matters considered unsightly within Ba Sing Se's Upper Ring is far preferable to allowing the reputation of a young fledgling, one who has yet to properly begin his ascent, to be stained."
It would admittedly leave a blemish upon Han Fei's public standing, a reputation he had cultivated as a statesman over more than two decades. Yet one incident, however distasteful, would soon be submerged beneath the innumerable other deeds that respectable men and women would deem reasonable in service to the city. Besides, a young ascending scholar with untainted reputation wouldn't be so easily threatened if the entire affair could be presented as nothing more than the stern intervention of an exacting mentor.
Foremost among Shan's thoughts was an acknowledgement of the director's ostensibly genuine intention. He might have little affection for the Earth Sages, nor any particular patience for the doctrine of filial piety elevated into a philosophy of governance, but reverence for one's teacher was hardly confined to a single creed or nation. It was one of those old customs that had seeped so deeply into civilizations that even the most cynical Legalist could scarcely pretend it did not exist.
"Your student is grateful that you did not overreact when I employed a new retainer and accepted a student from outside Ba Sing Se," Shan continued, fully aware that his prior action had appeared slightly peculiar to the Upper Ring gentry, especially the older generations. It was not every day that a Zhuangyuan openly rebuffed affluent clans eager to cultivate connections, offering their own scions as reluctant students despite Legalism's historically condemned status. "Yet, as you have now seen, it would appear your student received rather more than what he had bargained for."
The words carried more than a simple acknowledgement of consequences. Shan was conceding, in his own measured fashion that expanding his inner circle without first seeking Han Fei's meticulous approval and foresight had carried its risks. More pointedly, he was admitting that his decision to reasonably overlook the swordswoman's dubious past and unexplained martial accomplishments had exhausted whatever latitude could reasonably be afforded. Two armored assassins, still clad in their armor and face paint, is a hard sell even for a scholar openly proclaim to know little of fighting and warfare. But an armed retainer who had deliberately concealed the truth of her past from her employer? That would be a far more formidable test of trust, perhaps one from which no amount of generosity could salvage.
"Shan," Mayumi finally addressed him, regret softening her expression. "I admit I haven't been truthful. I'm actually a—"
"A hired mercenary," Han Fei interjected, as if to once again test whether she would actually reveal her and Satchiko's true identity. When offered a way out, virtue would be delayed.
Mayumi fell silent.
"I must admit, this is not exactly a poor choice of selection," Han Fei said, his tone carrying something approaching cautious approval. "Certain sovereigns who wish to keep their personal protection untarnished by the politics and competing interests of their own courts have likewise permitted outsiders to serve as guards. That Zuko, for instance, has allowed those from distant soil to stand in his service." The director then turned his gaze upon Shan, openly invoking the shared principle between the two Legalists that a scholar who had risen through merit alone is vastly better to one who had inherited a throne merely by virtue of blood.
Yet a keener observer might have detected something more troubled beneath Han Fei's words. It was not merely observation that colored his expression, but also a form of warning, cautioning his student against imitating too closely of certain fools scattered throughout the annals of history. For regardless of which nation one hailed from, even the faintest or false suspicion that a man harbor imperial ambitions beyond the station allotted to them could prove a swift road to the executioner's blade.
"Your student is honored," Shan replied solemnly. "But I must clarify that the selection of this specific retainer was not motivated by any such intention. Naturally, yours truly possesses plentiful options of other armed bodyguards who have been considerably more forthcoming regarding their backgrounds."
Mayumi waited for the inevitable disapproving glance from the White Scholar, and it strangely never came. Perhaps, Shan's unforgiving and Legalistic worldview had already accustomed him that ministers, retainers, and those in positions of trust were rarely as transparent as one might wish them to be.
"Even so, Zhuangyuan or not, you of all people should recognize that a truly fair and just state must judiciously exercise its laws in order to preserve order," Han Fei said firmly, publicly reasserting his own willingness to obey Ba Sing Se's penal code. "Do not intervene, Shan. If some hands need to be stained to uphold our city's law and order, at least let it me mine."
The words were stern, but also perhaps a plea too, lest the fair execution of the trespasser also blemishes Shan's own reputation.
Shan merely glanced between his student and the swordswoman. Even now, with the situation balanced upon the edge of death, not the slightest trace of concern or urgency revealed itself upon his face.
"Yours truly has no intention of interfering with the systematic enforcement of our city's laws," Shan proclaimed, his voice carrying with composed clarity even as he stood amid the very Dai Li agents who possessed the authority to apprehend him. There is little patience reserved for those obstructing the lawful sentencing of criminals who had trespassed upon forbidden military facilities. Such a charge, should it also be brought against him, would leave an indelible stain upon the reputation of the White Scholar, losing the austere standing in the eyes of the public and those capable of shaping his future within the higher offices of the city. "I can personally attest that the allegation my student attempted to uncover, let alone master, the secrets of the Dai Li is entirely baseless. Had anything of the sort become apparent during her Earthbending demonstration, yours truly would have been the first to bring the matter to attention, as our penal code demanded."
Naturally, even with the scholar's word, there will still be Dai Li agents who believe the safest option to ensure this brazen teen did not learn anything dangerous shall be permanent silence. But even if the notion that the trespasser merely learned the most basic form of accelerating a pebble faster, this still does not eliminate the egregious breach of Dai Li training facility and attempted rescue of those condemned for endangering state secrets. All of whom are punishable by death, which is a common standard across the world. Both offences, knowingly committed, is a quick road to the grave.
"Caution yourself, White Scholar."
The warning came from the older Dai Li standing beside Han Fei, speaking in the mentor's stead. "Whatever small leeway the director may wish to extend toward you within the narrow confines of Ba Sing Se's penal code, us Dai Li will not show mercy merely because you have recently earned the title of Zhuangyuan. This city had no shortages of traitors in the past."
A single word of treason could be enough to send the greatest figures to the grave. Yet Shan is no traitor. Indeed, if circumstances demanded it, he would gladly accept the loss of both his student and his retainer with the same dispassionate resolve with which he might accept the death of any other condemned criminal.
Shan reached for his white paper fan on the ground. With a crisp snap, he opened it. The faint sound seemed strangely loud amid the oppressive silence beneath the pavilion roof. Thus, he clarified his intent.
He had not come to interfere with an execution, nor had he come to dispute the Dai Li's authority. He had come merely to point out that in their haste to execute someone who had deliberately violated a Dai Li training ground, one particular legal consideration might have escaped them during the sentencing of this troublesome teenager.
"Yours truly recalls that in previous cases, any individual who trespassed upon facilities under the Dai Li's jurisdiction was punished with dead." Shan's statement was met with confirmation from both Han Fei and the nearby Dai Li sentry, the latter of whom likely knew even more of the institution's long and blood-stained history than the current director himself, whose roots lay in distant Omashu.
"This is correct," Han Fei replied, still could not discern where precisely his star pupil intended to take this argument. "Any outlaw or spy who knowingly attempts to violate a Dai Li facility without clearance is sentenced without delay. Save for the direct favoritism of the throne itself, no pardon can excuse such a wanton affront to order. Not even an Avatar is exempt."
Even the supposedly impartial mediator of the world, entrusted with preserving harmony among nations, could not simply invoke that sacred title and expect the laws of Ba Sing Se to bend around it.
"Even the hallowed title of the Avatar, most of whom vaunted wisdom and masquerade favoritism as impartiality, do not enjoy the same leeway afforded to another kind of people," Shan boldly stated, an audacious assertion even for someone of his caliber.
Han Fei regarded him over the rim of his teacup. "And who, my student, enjoys such a privilege?"
"That would be an emissary."
For a moment, none of the Dai Li agents immediately understood what they had just heard, seemingly allowing their quiet thoughts to linger. It confused even the two sisters themselves, especially Mayumi.
"Shan, what are you talking about?" the swordswoman quickly said, as a wild possibility began to form at the back of her mind.
Even Han Fei, who had a hand in forging Shan into a scholar worthy of the Zhuangyuan title, and who had taught him to see the world through the cynical lens of Legalism, looked genuinely baffled by the young gentleman's bold claim. But then, this former prince from Omashu gradually realized something, and almost laughed at a certain irony to it all.
"White Scholar, how dare you spout such nonsense," one Dai Li agent nearby snapped. "Such sophistry belongs to Earth Sages, men who twist white and black, virtue and immorality. You would dare walk that road as well?"
Neither of the two culprits at the heart of the matter appeared to understand what game Shan was playing. Had he merely been some student of an Earth Sage, steeped in the prevailing moral doctrines of the Earth Kingdom, he might at least have offered the expected argument that the punishment felt disproportionate to the offence. Or perhaps, that the girl had acted from supposedly good intentions, and mercy ought to temper justice.
"A valiant attempt," Han Fei sighed. "But this girl in the end is not some emissary." He took another sip of tea. "As much as I have humored this initiative to reopen up the city's student exchange program, are you truly suggesting that this student of yours stands on equal footing with seasoned diplomats and highly esteemed envoys?"
"And what is defined as an emissary within the confines of our laws?" Shan's measured reply came without hesitation. "The entire purpose of this student exchange program, regardless of how thoroughly it has been morphed into Zhu Xi's latest exercise in vanity, is technically diplomatic in nature. Furthermore, the office of envoy is not restricted by noble pedigree. Yours truly is certain, my mentor, that you have personally scouted and poached no shortage of well-travelled merchants, scholars, and other common-born men and women, transforming them into silver-tongued emissaries specifically for distant states that do not border Ba Sing Se. Your student is merely requesting that you all extend the same interpretation to an individual whose presence in Ba Sing Se serves, in its own way, the very purpose of diplomacy between this city and whatever homeland she hailed from."
But there was another point the White Scholar saw fit to elaborate upon, ironically the sort of lesson he might otherwise have been expected to impart to his pupil Yuko on the more intricate technicalities of legal codes.
"Unlike the romanticized notion of diplomacy, the status of an envoy or guest of state does not render one wholly beyond execution," he anchored, demonstrating the keener understanding about relationship between kingdoms and states than most young scions of the Upper Ring. "An emissary who trespasses into a forbidden military facility must be punished, whether the intrusion was deliberate or otherwise. Yet, to the understanding of yours truly, the more damning and specific offence is espionage, the deliberate conveyance of our city's secrets, military dispositions, or strategic methods to a state known to be hostile toward Ba Sing Se."
Shan made certain to emphasize the distinction. Circumstances mattered even for the harshest penal code, so too did the nature of the states involved. The severity of punishment could change considerably depending on whether the alleged recipient's homeland is on friendly or hostile terms with Ba Sing Se.
"As far as yours truly is aware, there is no definitive evidence that my pupil possessed either the intention or the incentive to conspire against this city, much less furnish its secrets to another state. However, should such concrete evidence truly exist, then yours truly shall cease speaking in her defense." His expression remained remarkably nonchalant, scarcely even a flicker of discomfort crossed his eyes at the worst prospect. "And I shall do so without hesitation."
Aside from the Dai Li, others had taken notice of that peculiar conviction. Perhaps Shan, still ignorant of the sisters' true names and their actual place of origin, simply presumed them to be some random daughters from a minor state or petty kingdom scattered somewhere across the vast territories of the former Earth Kingdom. Maybe they are both nobilities, but with modest holdings and limited consequence compared to far more illustrious families like the Te clan of Zigan or the Beifong family of Zaofu. Of course, it was almost laughable to place the obscure Kyoshi Island upon anything resembling equal footing with the ancient Earth Kingdom capital of Ba Sing Se. Yet the principle remained formidable regardless of geography. To harm those who represented those beyond one's homeland is a grave taboo, an act capable of provoking condemnation from friend and foe alike. Even the so-called fearsome nomads of the steppes and the uncultured barbarians Si Wong Desert understood the sanctity traditionally afforded to emissaries. Thus, those who dwelled behind the walls of civilization possessed even fewer excuses.
Han Fei was already preparing to dismantle the White Scholar's argument when the former stopped himself. One hand slowly rose thoughtfully to his chin. For a moment, the director appeared less concerned with Shan's reasoning than with a far more troublesome question, specifically about the precise program currently headed by Earth Sage Zhu Xi to garner exchange students from across the now warring realm. Whether this program actually made the youth beyond the walls interested in the teachings of Ba Sing Se's Earth Sages means little to the statesman. But in the strictest legal sense, would this technically be considered as diplomatic undertaking?
The distinction had never been properly defined in the past when the nation was still under a single banner. During the Hundred Year, obviously the kind of leniency afforded to the Northern Water Tribe exchange students would absolutely be ridiculous if the spy caught is from the Fire Nation or those heinous collaborators. Of course, many within the city's current highest echelon practically understood Zhu Xi's vanity project meant little compared to the raw power of Ba Sing Se's million strong legions and corps of diplomats.
And therein lay the inconvenient vagueness, would this little project of gathering these exchange students be considered 'diplomatic' in the legal sense?
"Director." The Dai Li named Zhu Di spoke with due respect. "The death of this student would not be an isolated affair. Though she did indeed trespass unlawfully into one of our facilities, thereby committing an offence for which execution may ordinarily be warranted, we must also acknowledge the unavoidable ramifications her death could inflict upon our city's reputation."
Reputation of course meant little to those who believed Ba Sing Se's vast legions and overwhelming position in the north were the only arguments that ultimately mattered. But for those who saw this city's destiny beyond just this corner of the now shattered nation, a degree of international perception should still be considered.
Han Fei regarded the honesty calmly.
"Zhu Di, your input is duly considered. Yet I am afraid your constant interaction with the public has, perhaps without your noticing, influenced your judgement. Though I fully agree with your reasonable concern, a light sentence may not be enough to appease your fellow curators of our city's harmony. The law and heritage of our realm must be upheld first."
Zhu Di acknowledged this point with a bow. Then, the director's gaze shifted toward the bridge, understanding a more unbiased comment might ease some discontent amongst the ranks of brocade. Or at least, estimate the average opinion.
"Let us hear from someone less accustomed to public concerns." Han Fei raised one hand, summoning one of the Dai Li stationed on the bridge. "Shuang Mei. As a respected member of the Inner Palace Depot, and one of the principal curators responsible for the heritage buildings within the Royal Palace, what is your opinion on this matter?"
The young Dai Li lifted the brim of his helmet.
One eye was blue. The other was yellow.
It was the sort of peculiar distinction that no disguise of plain clothing could easily conceal. Even stripped of his uniform and official bearing, Shuang Mei would have struggled to disappear into an ordinary crowd.
"Director, while it is grievous that this juvenile intruded upon our training grounds and came dangerously close to uncovering techniques that should remain concealed, the White Scholar's legal argument that her diplomatic status ought to exempt her from the death sentence is not without merit." Shuang Mei continued but keenly ensured that his words do not attract the rumor of bending the rules. "Nevertheless, a severe punishment remains warranted. It would appease those among the agents who regard the intrusion as an intolerable affront, myself included. But I personally believe it shall be completed without necessarily provoking a diplomatic incident of sufficient magnitude to damage relations between the capital and its former provinces." He soon addressed another contention, specifically about the juvenile's brazen attempt to interfere with the sentencing of four aspirants, whose casual interaction with the outsider endangered state secret. "Among the daily executions and public tortures of those deemed unforgivable criminals, there has been no shortage of relatives who deliberately attempted to disrupt the proceedings. Such interference is itself punished with considerable ruthlessness. Yet, to your servant's understanding, death is not so readily imposed for interference with legal procedure as it is for outright sedition against the city itself."
Silence followed. That answer, coming from a Dai Li posted in the Royal Palace grounds likely represented something closer to the general sentiment.
Han Fei seemed to also recognize this with an almost amused expression, even openly proclaimed that this strange endeavor of gathering students from disparate states had, against all rational expectation, managed to acquire some measure of substance. Even if it had fallen well short of whatever purpose its architects had originally intended.
"These Earth Sages," the director murmured, a quiet chuckle escaping him. "They have been persistently unintentional since even before the era of Avatar Kyoshi."
The remark was cryptic, understood perhaps by those who occupied the highest tiers of authority, but utterly opaque to most beneath them. Yet, the subtle reaction in the condemned juvenile herself obviously didn't went unnoticed by Han Fei, who finally lowered his porcelain cup onto the table, tapping the surface with a soft, almost delicate click.
Then the director delivered his final verdict.
"My star student has deduced the technicalities rather well," Han Fei said to Shan, evidently pleased by the narrow precision with which the young scholar had constructed his argument. Perhaps even more impressive for the fellow cynic is that Shan hadn't even resorted to the lowly tactics of the Earth Sages, who would have immediately reminded this prince's troubled past as an envoy who was almost killed unrightfully. "Granted, not even the most distinguished envoys can escape retribution should they be discovered doing anything that might reasonably be construed as undermining the state that hosts them. The punishment, insofar as it concerns the duties of a diplomat, must be commensurate with the offence." He turned to face Shan more directly, essentially forcing the latter to answer in the face of so many Dai Li agents. "What then, would you consider a suitable punishment under our law?"
The two sisters did not have to wait long. Shan was no altruist, nor was he a scholar governed by the softer dictates of mainstream Earth Kingdom morality. A mind that had been tempered by the severity of a harsh philosophy and unforgiving penal code showed no hesitation upon identifying an appropriate punishment for an offence equivalent to Satchiko's reckless trespass and unique status.
"Past examples include the immediate banishment of foreign envoys from friendly states and nations who misused their protected status to pillage state secrets," Shan replied, reciting the precedents as though he were consulting an old and familiar ledger. "Considering the circumstances of Ba Sing Se with the other states since the previous Avatar's rather calamitous tenure, a fair and proportionate exchange would be my student complete expulsion from both the Upper and Middle Rings." Shan did not minced words. "Yours truly further propose to revoke Yuko's place from Ba Sing Se University."