In the Northern Song Dynasty, he started by marrying the eighth daughter of the Su family.

After chatting with Wei Xiping, Han Zhi turned and left the dungeon. Sunlight streamed through the corridor windows and fell on him, but there was a hint of coldness in it.

He returned to his office in silence and began to work diligently.

......

Just after finishing lunch, Han Zhi heard a commotion of footsteps outside. He looked up and saw a constable running in, saying, "Young Master Han, the imperial envoy has arrived!"

Upon hearing this, Han Zhi's heart tightened slightly—the arrival of the imperial eunuch at this time was probably not a good sign. He quickly stood up, straightened his clothes, and strode out of the office.

Upon entering the hall, Han Zhi saw a eunuch in magnificent robes holding a bright yellow imperial edict—it was Zhang Maoze, who stood there with a dignified expression. Han Zhi quickly stepped forward and bowed in greeting.

"Your subject Han Zhi greets the angel."

Zhang Maoze nodded slightly, unfolded the imperial edict, and read aloud:

"Your Excellency: I have been entrusted by Heaven to govern all nations, seeking only enlightened rule and universal peace. Now, Han Zhi, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, is in charge of the case concerning ritual implements. Although Zhou Ning's confession has been presented to me, upon closer examination, many doubts arise, making a hasty decision difficult. Such matters concerning the order of the nation's rites and the fairness of the law deeply trouble me, preventing me from sleeping peacefully."

Han Zhi, you must still exert all your efforts to thoroughly investigate this case, leaving no stone unturned. No one involved, no matter the reason, must be overlooked. You must uphold justice, remain impartial and unbiased, and use your keen insight to ensure the truth is revealed to the world. There must be no negligence, nor any fear or retreat. I expect this case to be solved as soon as possible, restoring order to the nation and ensuring the preservation of moral principles.

Therefore, this edict is hereby issued so that all may know of it.

April 21st, the third year of the Huangyou reign —

Wen Yanbo, the Chancellor of the Secretariat and the Chancellor, and Song Xiang, the Vice Chancellor, were ordered to carry out the decree.

Han Zhi's heart skipped a beat. This imperial decree meant the heavy weight of the case had once again fallen on his shoulders. He accepted the decree with both hands and respectfully said:

"Your Majesty, I obey your decree and will do my utmost to fulfill your expectations."

Zhang Maoze laughed at this moment, reached out and helped Han Zhi up, saying, "Young Master Han, there's no need to look so worried. Come with me."

Although Han Zhi was full of doubts, he still followed Zhang Maoze respectfully. The two arrived at a side hall, where Zhang Maoze gestured for Han Zhi to sit down and then personally poured him a cup of tea.

Zhang Maoze did not sit down first, but instead dismissed everyone outside the side hall and then closed the door.

Once everything quieted down, Zhang Maoze slowly turned around and sat down next to Han Zhi, smiling slightly as he said, "Young Master Han, it's been a while since we last met."

Han Zhi grew increasingly suspicious, but maintained a respectful demeanor, bowing slightly in response: "Eunuch Zhang, it has indeed been quite some time since the last imperial decree was issued. May I ask what brings you here alone this time?"

Zhang Mao gently stroked the teacup in his hand, his gaze distant, as if he were carefully considering his words.

After a long while, he finally spoke and slowly smiled, "Minister Han, there have been many trivial matters in the palace lately, and His Majesty has to review a large number of memorials every day. I am often by His Majesty's side, so naturally I have also been caught up in a few things, and I have encountered an interesting incident."

"A few days ago, a minister submitted a memorial mentioning that his young son was being mischievous, climbing a large tree in the courtyard and nearly falling, which greatly frightened the family. After reading it, His Majesty remarked that children's liveliness and activity are simply their nature. Minister Han, do you have such a naughty child in your family?"

Han Zhi was taken aback, feeling that Zhang Maoze's words were somewhat puzzling, but he still shook his head and said, "No, I don't know, sir..."

But before he could finish speaking, Zhang Maoze raised his hand slightly and continued, "These children are always a worry. Let's change the subject. Speaking of last time, the Imperial Kitchen made a new pastry called 'Zhang Cai Su.' It's exquisitely shaped and sweet, and everyone in the palace praises it highly."

"After the Emperor tasted it, he specially ordered more to be made as a reward for his close ministers. Han Shaoqing, have you ever tasted this 'Zhang Cai Su'?"

Han Zhi shook his head, and then Zhang Maoze said, "Now that Minister Zhang is away on official business, Junior Minister Han is holding two positions here by himself. It must be hard for him. If we don't keep an eye on these servants, they're likely to mess things up."

"Before I came here to deliver the imperial decree a few days ago, I was inspecting the palace and discovered a rockery in a corner of the Imperial Garden. The rocks were loose and almost fell on a passing maid. Sometimes we have to be very careful with the maintenance work in the palace to avoid the slightest mistake. Young Master Han, don't you agree?"

Han Zhi was too lazy to think, not incapable of thinking. If one couldn't distinguish between genuine stupidity and feigned stupidity, then one was truly stupid—and Zhang Maoze clearly saw through that.

Zhang Maoze's words were certainly not unfounded. Although Han Zhi didn't understand the literal meaning of his words, he could tell what the other party was trying to tell him. He immediately stood up, respectfully bowed to Zhang Maoze, and said:

"Thank you for your guidance, sir. I will certainly ponder it carefully. However, there is still one thing I do not understand. Could you please elaborate further?"

Zhang Maoze shook his head slightly and smiled, "Han Shaoqing, some things are best left unsaid. The rest depends on your understanding. It's getting late, you should go back now. I still need to return to the palace to report the situation to the Emperor."

"The students saw their father-in-law off."

Han Zhi quickly offered Zhang Maoze a hand to help him up, intending to see him out. However, Zhang Maoze slightly raised his hand and said, "There's no need to see me off. Minister Han is busy with official duties, and the Emperor values ​​him so highly. If you were to see me off, that would be overstepping your bounds."

"If you take care of yourself, we can feel at ease... don't you think so?"

With that, Zhang Maoze left, leaving Han Zhi alone in the side hall. He stroked his chin and slowly walked towards his office.

On the way, they also encountered Zhang Xun, who asked, "Young Master Han, you were alone in a room with the angel just now. Do you know Eunuch Zhang?"

"We know each other; we've met a few times." Han Zhi nodded.

Zhang Xun nodded, then his expression suddenly turned tense, and he sighed, "Han Shaoqing, this case of ritual objects... has fallen on our shoulders again."

“Yes,” Han Zhi shrugged and said, “I thought we could escape this calamity for the time being, but I didn’t expect the Emperor to trust us so much that he put all the blame on us.”

Seeing this, Zhang Xun couldn't help but ask, "Young Master Han, did Eunuch Zhang reveal any clues about the case during your private conversation?"

Han Zhi opened his mouth, intending to say something, but then his heart tightened, and what he finally said was: "How could that be? He's an eunuch, living deep in the palace for so long, how could he possibly know what's going on outside?"

“We just chatted about everyday things—we’re all old friends.”