The autumn of the twelfth year of Zhenning arrived silently amid the bloody mist of the imperial prison.

A few days before the Mid-Autumn Festival, a cold rain fell, and the weather quickly turned chilly. Yang Wan, caught off guard, caught a slight cold. With the affairs of the Department of Imperial Attire growing increasingly busy as the Mid-Autumn Festival approached, Yang Wan delayed treatment for a day or two and unexpectedly began running a fever.

In modern times, this would be something easily solved with a few cephalosporin pills, but in the great Ming Dynasty, it could be life-threatening.

Initially, Yang Wan didn’t want to let Consort Ning know, but Lady Jiang dared not conceal it from her.

After Song Yunqing reported to Chengrong Palace, Consort Ning ordered Heyu to bring Yang Wan to Chengrong Palace for care.

Yang Wan, afraid that people around Consort Ning would tell Deng Ying about this, kept asking about it from time to time.

When Consort Ning came to see her, hearing this, she couldn’t help but press Yang Wan down onto the couch, “Getting up again and again, do you not want to get better?”

Yang Wan clutched the bedding, “I’m afraid they’ll gossip needlessly with people like Li Yu.”

Consort Ning lifted the bed curtain, sat down beside her, and smoothed her sweat-dampened hair, “What does it matter if he knows?”

Yang Wan coughed once, “It’s nothing, just that he seems too busy.”

She sighed after speaking.

For an entire sixth month, Deng Ying had exhausted himself working on the Hall of Supreme Harmony project. Although he was always focused when working, Yang Wan had never seen him pour himself into something so self-destructively before.

“The Hall of Supreme Harmony must be near completion, right?”

Yang Wan nodded.

“When I went to look a few days ago, I saw that all the ridge-beast sculptures on the roof had been completed.”

Consort Ning smiled, “You… whenever it comes to matters concerning him, no matter how sick you are, you become energetic.”

Yang Wan neither agreed nor disagreed.

Sometimes when one focuses too much on one person, they overlook those around them.

Looking at Consort Ning’s gentle gaze, Yang Wan thought of how every time after was summoned to serve the emperor, she would sit quietly alone in the sleeping chamber for a while, but show nothing when she came out.

She was better than Yang Wan at concealing her emotions, not wanting those around her to worry, but this only made Yang Wan feel more heartache for her.

“The Mid-Autumn Festival is in a few days. Once this servant is feeling better, I’ll make some mooncakes with novel flavors for Your Highness.”

Consort Ning patted her forehead, “Heyu and the others have told me many times, from now on, except for cooking noodles, you’re not allowed in the kitchen anymore.”

Yang Wan propped herself up, “If I can’t enter the kitchen, I can teach them!”

Consort Ning nodded with a smile, “Alright, this is sister’s first Mid-Autumn Festival in the palace with Wan’er.”

Perhaps because she had found some practical joy, over the next two days, Yang Wan did indeed get much better.

After her fever broke, she was able to get up and move around.

On this clear day, Yang Wan lit an incense stick and sat at her desk wearing a light robe, organizing her previous notes. Yi Lang, wearing a brand new brocade robe, returned and rushed straight to Yang Wan as soon as he entered.

“Aunt, are you feeling better?”

Yang Wan stood up and bowed to him, “This servant is improperly dressed, I fear I’m being disrespectful to Your Highness.”

Yi Lang took Yang Wan’s hand, “Aunt hasn’t played with me for a long time.”

Yang Wan crouched down, using her sleeve to wipe his sweat, and looked up to ask the eunuch following him: “Where is the Consort?”

The eunuch bowed and replied: “The Consort went to Cining Palace to pay respects to the Empress Dowager, she hasn’t returned yet.”

Yang Wan nodded and said: “Alright, you wait outside, I’ll accompany His Highness.”

Then she pointed to a chair nearby, “Your Highness, please sit for a moment while this servant goes to put on proper clothes.”

Yi Lang nodded in agreement and obediently went to sit in the chair.

Yang Wan didn’t think much of it and turned to enter the inner chamber.

However, when she came back out, she saw Yi Lang leafing through her notes that were left on the desk.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, Yang Wan had written all her analytical and evaluative content in English, using Chinese characters only for purely historical records. She was usually very careful and rarely let anyone see this notebook, but today, she had indeed been careless with this child who had only recently learned to read.

Yi Lang couldn’t understand the earlier parts, but on the page, Yang Wan had left open, he saw the names of Zhou Congshan, Zhao Pingling, and more than ten others, along with the characters for “autumn execution” noted after these names. He couldn’t help but raise his head to ask Yang Wan, “Aunt, why are you writing down these people’s names?”

For some reason, when he asked this question, though his voice was childish, his expression was very serious.

Yang Wan was momentarily speechless.

Yi Lang suddenly raised his voice.

“Aunt, you’re privately discussing state affairs.”

After saying this, he looked up at Yang Wan.

Yang Wan suddenly understood.

Perhaps because he was so young and so close to her, she had almost forgotten that this child would be the next emperor.

“Aunt.”

He called to her again, and Yang Wan quickly knelt before the desk, “This servant acknowledges her error.”

Yi Lang lowered his head, “Palace servants are not allowed to privately discuss state affairs, and it’s even more inappropriate for Aunt to write it down.”

Yang Wan bit her lip, momentarily unable to speak.

According to historical records, Emperor Jinghe was different from his father.

He was considered one of the least problematic among the Ming Dynasty’s dozen or so peculiar emperors. This was not only due to the guidance of his imperial tutor Zhang Cong and later Chief Minister Yang Lun, but also due to his natural astuteness. However, the distance between written words and actual people was too great, and it was only today that Yang Wan suddenly gained a firsthand understanding of the word “astute” that history had attributed to Yi Lang.

She prostrated herself and again acknowledged her error, requesting punishment.

Just then, Consort Ning returned from Cining Palace, and the eunuch outside quickly led her in.

Consort Ning entered the side hall to see Yang Wan prostrated on the ground, with Yi Lang sitting behind the desk looking down at her.

She quickly spoke: “What’s happening, why is your aunt kneeling?”

Hearing her voice, Yi Lang stood up and bowed to Consort Ning, “Aunt has done something wrong.”

Consort Ning walked to Yang Wan’s side and took her arm, saying: “Come, get up first.”

Yang Wan didn’t rise, “Your Highness, this servant has erred, this servant dares not rise.”

Seeing her like this, Consort Ning frowned at Yi Lang, “What wrong has she done?”

Yi Lang pointed at the notebook in front of him and replied: “She privately discussed state affairs.”

Consort Ning walked behind the desk and glanced at Yang Wan’s open notebook. Yi Lang pointed to Zhou Congshan’s name and said to Consort Ning: “Mother, Master Zhang told me this person is someone Father Emperor wants to be executed. He insulted Father Emperor, who was very angry and forbade anyone from pleading for mercy. Aunt is a palace servant who shouldn’t meddle in state affairs, yet she privately wrote down these people’s names. This is a grave taboo.”

Consort Ning closed Yang Wan’s notebook and crouched down to embrace Yi Lang.

“Your aunt… has only just recovered.”

Yi Lang nodded, “Son understands, Mother, son doesn’t want to punish aunt either.”

Saying this, he released Consort Ning’s hand and walked to Yang Wan’s front, “Aunt, don’t write these things anymore.”

Yang Wan quickly replied: “Yes, this servant will strictly follow Your Highness’s words.”

Hearing her say this, Yi Lang looked back at Consort Ning before saying: “Then aunt, you may rise.”

“Yes.”

Yang Wan stood up, looking apologetically at Consort Ning.

Consort Ning bent down to stroke Yi Lang’s head, “Go out first, Mother has something to say to your aunt.”

Yi Lang nodded and followed the servant out of the side hall.

Consort Ning picked up the notebook from the desk and placed it in Yang Wan’s hands, “Keep it safe.”

Yang Wan pressed her lips together as she took the notebook, looking up to say: “Your Highness doesn’t blame this servant?”

“Why would I blame you?”

As she spoke, she looked down at Yang Wan’s knees, “Did he make you kneel for long?”

“No, Your Highness arrived just after I knelt.”

Consort Ning sighed, using her sleeve to adjust her slightly loosened hair, “You still say sister should blame you. If you hadn’t understood the connection between the Directorate of Ceremonial and His Majesty, Secretary Zheng would be dead already. As a woman, you’re so much stronger than me, your sister. However… my son, though close to you, is after all the students’ pupil. I can only care for his daily needs, while his character and intellect are entrusted to the Hall of Literary Brilliance. I didn’t know he would treat you this way today.”

Yang Wan shook her head, helped Consort Ning sit down, then crouched down herself and looked up at her, saying: “Your Highness, this is right. Whether he inherits the throne or guards a territory, he will be the master of all under heaven. He should understand great propriety and fair justice – only then can all sides remain peaceful, isn’t that so?”

Consort Ning held Yang Wan’s hand, “Is that what you think?”

Yang Wan smiled slightly, “It’s how we must think.”

Consort Ning asked: “Then will you still make those novel mooncakes for him?”

“Mm.”

Yang Wan nodded with a smile, “His Highness didn’t do anything wrong, why would this servant be angry? Your Highness… this servant wants to ask for something. But you cannot let His Highness know about it.”

“What is it?”

“On the second day after Frost’s Descent, this servant wishes to leave the palace once.”

“For what?”

The second day after Frost’s Descent was the day of the “autumn executions.”

Yang Wan had roughly seen some descriptions in her senior’s research materials about Ming Dynasty punishments, but those were merely textual things, requiring imagination to piece together the specific scenes.

This time, she wanted to see with her own eyes what the historically recorded scene of “vomiting blood clots, revealing rotting flesh” looked like. She wanted to see up close how these people, who had previously existed only on paper to her, faced their deaths, how they walked to their final moments. She also wanted to personally experience just how cruel the Northern Commanding Guard’s punishments were during the Ming Dynasty.

Having experienced this blank period in history, Yang Wan gradually understood that to truly comprehend the era Deng Ying lived in, she must understand what the most genuine terrors of this era were.

“If you don’t want to say, that’s fine.”

Consort Ning’s voice interrupted Yang Wan’s thoughts.

She was about to speak when Consort Ning continued: “Sister… needs to find a reason for you. How about this… I heard that my brother’s wife developed some symptoms early last month and hasn’t improved much. I’ve been wanting to send someone to inquire about her. After Frost’s Descent, you can go home to visit. Mother must miss you too.”

She had thought it through so thoroughly that Yang Wan felt almost unworthy.

“Your Highness… you trust me this much, without questioning anything?”

Consort Ning helped her up, “I know what you’re thinking. If we could go back twenty years, I would want to do the same as you.”

Yang Wan was startled.

This statement seemed unremarkable at first hearing, but upon careful consideration, it was quite subtle.

Consort Ning seemed unwilling to let her think too deeply about it and stood up saying: “Seeing that you can get out of bed, and I happen to be free today, didn’t you say you wanted to teach Heyu and the others how to make some novel mooncake fillings? I’ll have the internal kitchen prepare things, you change your clothes and come along.”

She walked a few steps toward the hall door, then remembered something and turned back: “Oh right, the day after tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and there’s a grand banquet in the palace. Sister has to go too – it would be lonely for you to be alone during the major festival. But you’re not fully recovered yet, it wouldn’t be good to move about and catch another cold…”

“I’m fine, Your Highness.”

Consort Ning laughed, “I haven’t said you can’t leave Chengrong Palace, why are you so anxious? Take good care of yourself these two days, and even if you go moon-viewing the day after tomorrow, don’t stay in windy places. Mm… remember to pack some of the mooncakes we make today to take with you.”