Chapter 2: Han Zhi, the Missing Ink

"If I cannot live within history… then I will write my own."
The next morning, the sun was just beginning to climb above the tiled rooftops of Wei’s imperial palace. In the back garden, still glistening with dew, golden chrysanthemums bloomed quietly—autumn’s gentle heralds.
Han Zhi sat beneath a stone pavilion, draped in a pale gray robe. His left hand cradled a cup of jasmine tea that had long since lost its warmth; his right turned page after page of the reports Wang Er had delivered earlier.
The scene looked calm, but his mind was far from it. The name *Wei Ping* surfaced again and again in his notes, like a fine thorn hidden beneath a silk carpet.
Then came the sound of approaching footsteps. Light… yet carrying an air of arrogance—not a servant’s shuffle, nor a soldier’s stride.
“Ah, I knew I wouldn’t find you in the sword practice hall,” a voice said—calm, yet edged like the shadow of a blade.
Han Zhi looked up slowly.
Before him stood a tall man, hair tied high and fixed with a sea-green jade pin. His green robe swayed gently with the morning breeze. His face was serene, but those eyes… sharp enough to read not just a man’s pulse, but his intentions.
“Dan Yen,” Han Zhi greeted, leaning back against the wooden post. “Still appearing like a ghost from the mist, I see. Did you sneak in through the rooftops again?”
“If the wind opens a door, must I still knock?” Dan Yen replied lightly, taking a seat opposite Han Zhi without asking.
Han Zhi only shrugged. “Fine. As long as you didn’t bring poison from your homeland.”
“I only brought curiosity,” Dan Yen said, resting his fingers on the untouched teacup before him. “I thought this tea was for me.”
“You always take without asking,” Han Zhi replied.
“And you always allow it without admitting it,” Dan Yen countered, sipping leisurely. “I hear the Emperor summoned you yesterday. What was discussed?”
Han Zhi smiled faintly. “Rumors travel faster than the Emperor’s own messengers. But nothing unusual—just a talk about the nation’s peace… and the people’s unease.”
Dan Yen’s smile was the kind that hid clouds behind sunlight.
“You’re a dangerous man, Zhi. Even I—trained since childhood to read human faces—can’t tell if you’re building power… or simply building a name.”
“Sometimes,” Han Zhi said, his eyes narrowing, “silence is enough to build both.”
The wind stirred the tall chrysanthemum stalks, scattering their shadows across the tea’s surface.
The moment didn’t last.
“Zhi!” Wang Er’s voice rang from a distance, breathless as he approached. He bowed quickly. “Forgive the intrusion, but this is urgent. The Emperor—he calls for you again. Says it’s important.”
Han Zhi exhaled softly. “Cao Rui again… I wonder what rumors reached his ears this time.”
He rose, brushing the dust from his robe. Before leaving, he glanced at Dan Yen. “Stay here. Enjoy the tea. Or steal the poisonous plant from the fourth row—I know you’re curious.”
Dan Yen arched a brow. “Gladly. I might even write a poem while I wait. But don’t be too long, or this garden will grow as dull as the mind of a fool.”
As Han Zhi’s figure disappeared beyond the garden, Dan Yen leaned back against a pavilion pillar, gazing at the brightening sky.
A few moments later, three familiar figures entered from the side path—Chen Jue, Xiahou Ba, and A Lo Ban.
“Eh? The eastern snake’s out this early?” Xiahou Ba laughed.
“I thought you only showed up when the sun was setting,” Chen Jue remarked dryly.
A Lo Ban stayed silent, his eyes calmly measuring the depths of Dan Yen’s gaze.
Dan Yen returned the look with a polite nod. “It’s been a while. And no, I’m not here just to brew tea and pick chrysanthemums.”
“Then?” Chen Jue asked. “You here to find answers… or spread questions?”
Dan Yen crossed one leg over the other, speaking as if in no hurry.
“I came because the pull of power in this court is growing stronger. Like a seabird that smells a storm before it forms… I want to see how deep this current runs.”
A Lo Ban’s voice was like a slow drumbeat. “If you chase the storm, don’t be surprised when it swallows you.”
Dan Yen’s lips curved into the faintest smile. “That’s exactly why I’m here. To learn from the storm… and from Han Zhi.”