The flames burned in the snowy ground, releasing the genuine smoky scent of burning wood.

The familiar smell brought Yang Wan back to memories of winter break when she returned alone to her rural hometown.

The snow-covered ground was strewn with withered branches and leaves. The young people who had gone out to work hadn’t returned yet and everywhere was quiet. The girl next door was burning firewood, and when Yang Wan passed by, the family warmly invited her to share their fire. She looked like an outsider then, with her oversized down jacket, the iPad she could only use to play Fruit Ninja when there was no internet, and the hand cream she never left her bag without… everything about her seemed novel to the little girl.

But compared to the girl’s ease, Yang Wan could only huddle awkwardly behind the woodpile, fretting about her unfinished thesis. Unable to understand the local dialect, she became the awkward one in conversation. When the little girl offered her a roasted sweet potato, she even felt embarrassed to accept it.

“Yang Wan.”

“What?”

She came back to her senses, suddenly losing her balance and sitting down in the snow.

Deng Ying quickly helped her up, unable to hold back his laughter, “What are you doing?”

Yang Wan brushed the snow off herself and said to Deng Ying, “I was thinking how everything seemed to fall into place when you arrived. Although I’m caring for His Highness, I haven’t been able to give him a proper start to the New Year.”

“Don’t lose heart, Yang Wan.”

“I know.”

She turned to look at Hengshou Chamber, “He’s afraid of bringing trouble to the other instructors and attendants at Wenhua Hall. When the Northern Inspectorate came to question him, he barely spoke anymore.”

“His Highness is doing the right thing.”

Yang Wan turned back, “Then how will you question him?”

Deng Ying said, “Besides coming to see you both today, I also wanted to ask your thoughts.”

Yang Wan was startled, “Mine?”

“Yes.”

Yang Wan coughed, “What thoughts could I have?”

Deng Ying explained, “Although Huang Ran’s case is a criminal matter, it involves a prince and inner court privacy. His Majesty’s refusal to let the Three Judicial Offices intervene shows his intent to keep this case within the inner court. Since His Majesty has this intention, I should have room to maneuver in the Northern Inspectorate.”

Yang Wan pressed her temples, forcing herself to reconsider the Huang Ran case following Deng Ying’s logic.

His analysis aligned with the Ming history’s erasure of the Huang Ran case. Emperor Zhenning’s confinement of Yi Lang, ordering the Northern Inspectorate and Eastern Depot to jointly question him, and even sending officials to reprimand him – all were meant to make his son fear military and paternal authority. In reality, he only wanted to deal with Huang Ran and those instructors who had occasionally spoken out of turn.

“Has the Northern Inspectorate tortured Huang Ran?”

“Yes, they’re now forcing him to explain the meaning of a poem.”

Yang Wan looked up, “Poem? What poem?”

“‘I pray spring’s brightness descends today, to melt three feet of ice in the mortal world.'”

“Huang Ran wrote that?”

“Yes, when he was drunk. But at this point, I think the poem’s meaning no longer matters.”

Yang Wan lowered her head and remained silent for a moment, “You think he won’t survive?”

Deng Ying nodded, “I had tried to delay the Imperial Guards and find a way to conceal that poem, but I hadn’t anticipated what happened at the New Year’s Eve banquet. It’s too late now. What I’m worried about now is your brother.”

“My brother? Why?”

Deng Ying explained, “This case can conclude in two ways. First, it ends with Huang Ran. Second, it reveals the ‘mastermind’ behind this crown prince debate and ends with them. Master Yang and Grand Secretary Bai have been advocating for land reform, but His Majesty is still hesitant. Several southern princes have already approached Minister He to petition the Emperor about the harm land reform would cause them. If His Majesty wavers on land reform, the Huang Ran case could easily implicate Master Yang.”

Yang Wan continued, “So this case needs to be concluded quickly.”

She finished speaking and held her head, her temples throbbing like needle pricks.

“What’s wrong?”

Yang Wan shook her head, “Nothing, Deng Ying, let me think…”

Just as she finished speaking, the door to Hengshou Chamber suddenly opened.

Deng Ying turned to see Yi Lang standing barefoot in the doorway, silently watching the two of them by the stove.

Seeing this, Yang Wan quickly stood and rushed to Yi Lang, “Why aren’t you wearing shoes? Come, let’s go inside, and I’ll help Your Highness put on your shoes.”

Yang Wan was anxious to take Yi Lang away.

Ever since that day outside Chengqian Palace, when she witnessed Yi Lang’s treatment of Deng Ying, she didn’t want them to meet again.

Although Deng Ying had told her just to watch, she still didn’t want to see him humbly extend his hand toward those shackles she despised.

“Commander Deng, please… go back first…”

She tried to lead Yi Lang inside, but he didn’t move. Instead, he looked up at Deng Ying and said, “Official Deng, don’t leave. I have questions for you.”

“Your Highness…”

“Yang Wan.”

Deng Ying called to Yang Wan, then smiled and shook his head at her before walking to Yi Lang and kneeling, “This servant greets Your Highness.”

Yi Lang looked down at him, “Father Emperor has confined me here and forbidden anyone to visit. Since you can see me, you must be His Imperial Envoy sent to question me. If this is questioning, why aren’t you wearing your official robes?”

“This servant didn’t want to offend Your Highness.”

Yi Lang said, “You don’t want to offend me because of my aunt? You still desire my aunt.”

Deng Ying remained silent. Yang Wan crouched down and drew Yi Lang into her arms, “Your Highness…”

She had barely begun when Yi Lang interrupted, “Although I am imprisoned, my teachers taught me that at any time, we must maintain imperial dignity. I would rather you strictly question me on behalf of the sovereign than show me sympathy because of my aunt!”

Yang Wan was taken aback.

She had been pained by Yi Lang’s humiliation under imperial and paternal authority, but had overlooked that he too was someone who lived by imperial power.

As she pondered this, she unconsciously drew her clothes tighter.

The snowy wind whistled against Deng Ying’s back and across Yang Wan and Yi Lang’s faces.

While Yang Wan was unsure how to reconcile these two, Deng Ying spoke.

“This servant doesn’t want to question Your Highness, because Your Highness has done nothing wrong.”

He finished speaking and raised his head to look at Yi Lang.

One kneeling, one standing, yet they could look each other in the eye. “Even if this servant questions on behalf of the Emperor, this servant is unwilling to slight Your Highness. Though Your Highness is confined and temporarily restrained, please don’t be distressed. The actions Your Highness has taken here have moved the hearts of the officials in Wenhua Hall.”

Hearing these words, Yi Lang quickly asked, “Do my teachers know I didn’t mean to harm them?”

“Yes.”

Deng Ying nodded, “Your Highness has done very well.”

Yi Lang smiled at Yang Wan – though brief, it was the first smile she had seen from Yi Lang in seven days.

“You may rise.”

Deng Ying bowed again, “This servant is guilty and dares not rise.”

Yi Lang looked down and said, “My aunt doesn’t like me being harsh with you, and I don’t want to see my aunt unhappy. Considering you haven’t overstepped bounds to offend my aunt, I won’t rebuke you today. You may rise.”

“Yes, this servant thanks Your Highness for your mercy.”

As he finished speaking and stood up supporting himself on the ground, the cold pain in his ankles almost made him stumble.

Yang Wan looked at his ankles, “Does it hurt?”

Deng Ying shook his head and said softly, “Don’t ask me such things in front of His Highness. Help His Highness put on his shoes.”

Only then did Yang Wan remember that Yi Lang had come out barefoot. She quickly led him to sit on the couch and turned to move the charcoal brazier closer.

When she turned back, she saw Deng Ying kneeling before Yi Lang, letting Yi Lang rest his feet on his knee while he carefully arranged the shoes and socks.

“Let me do it…”

Deng Ying didn’t turn around, “It’s all the same. Bring the brazier closer to His Highness, it’s too cold.”

He then unfastened his robe and wrapped Yi Lang’s feet in his embrace.

Yang Wan looked at his kneeling leg, where the trouser leg revealed thick bandaging, showing that his old ankle injury had been acting up severely in these days of heavy snow. But because he had said not to ask such things in front of Yi Lang, Yang Wan decided to respect his wishes.

She touched Yi Lang’s hand, “Be good and put on your shoes and socks properly, then go warm yourself by the brazier. Aunt will go make you noodles.”

Then she looked at Deng Ying.

He was focused on tying Yi Lang’s socks. Yang Wan hesitated, but couldn’t help saying, “Would Your Highness also allow Official Deng to warm himself for a while?”

Yi Lang didn’t speak, only nodded.

Only then did Yang Wan push open the door and walk back to the courtyard.

Near noon, it began to snow.

Being spring snow, it was very fine and light, melting hastily the moment it touched skin.

The firewood crackled like muffled firecrackers that wouldn’t pop.

Yang Wan carefully avoided the sparks, bent down to roll up her sleeves, and put the loosened noodles into the pot.

As she gently stirred the boiling water, she remembered the last time she had made noodles for Deng Ying, by the city moat in early autumn. Back then, right after Zhang Zhanchun’s death, she had also told Deng Ying, “Don’t be sad, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

Now the same words, coming from Deng Ying’s mouth, had comforted Yi Lang.

Thinking about this, Yang Wan couldn’t help but smile.

Although at that time, Deng Ying still considered himself a sinner, her words must have comforted him too.

“Is it ready?”

The door creaked as Deng Ying walked out of Hengshou Chamber alone, “Let me help you.”

“No need.” Yang Wan waved him away, “I’m quite skilled at making noodles now.”

As she lifted the noodles out and ladled them into bowls, she said, “I see you have something wrapped around your ankles. Is it the handkerchief I gave you last time? Isn’t it a bit thin? I’ll give you a thicker one when I get out.”

“How could I waste your things on my feet? I don’t even dare to wear them on my body.”

Yang Wan lifted the hibiscus jade pendant at her waist, caressing the wooden bead as she said, “But I never want to part with your gifts.”

Deng Ying looked down at the bead, his gaze softening: “Let me carve you another one, to make a pair.”

“What can I give you in return?”

Deng Ying pointed behind Yang Wan, “I want to eat noodles.”

Yang Wan replied, “Alright.”

She turned and added, “Wait until I serve them and bring them inside, we can eat together.”

Deng Ying shook his head, “His Highness won’t allow it. Don’t make him unhappy again, I’ll be the one who suffers.”

He bent down to pick up the bowl, “I’ll eat standing outside. You hurry inside. When Wuying Hall’s location was originally chosen, it was meant to be a Buddhist temple, but because the northern air was too strong, they changed the design during construction. It’s starting to snow today, make sure to close all the doors and windows tightly. I just noticed His Highness has a slight fever. I’ll go out later and have the Imperial Guards summon the Imperial Physician for him. Take care of yourself too.”

“Fever…”

Yang Wan suddenly looked up, “I have a way to conclude the Huang Ran case, but it might hurt… no… never mind…”

She shook her head, “Forget what I said.”

Deng Ying silently looked at Yang Wan, and after a moment suddenly said, “It’s alright.”