By the city moat guardroom, Li Yu was crouching at the base of the wall, picking charcoal for the copper pot from a basket.

In the basket, there were fewer large pieces of charcoal and many small ones, with the bottom layer almost entirely crushed.

Li Yu picked through it saying: “Looks like there’s nothing good left.”

Song Yunqing came over carrying water, looked into the charcoal basket, and said to Chen Hua who was cutting vegetables at the chopping board with rolled-up sleeves: “Is the silver allocated to the Twenty-four Offices less than in previous years?”

Chen Hua temporarily put down his knife and looked up with a sigh, “They said they’re reducing internal court expenses, but this basket they brought us isn’t all crushed – you can still pick out some large pieces, Li Yu, look more carefully.”

Li Yu stood up brushing dust off his bottom, “I’ve looked through it all, just these few will burn for a while.”

As he spoke, he showed them to Song Yunqing, “Sister, look, I think it’s enough.”

Song Yunqing said: “If it’s enough then throw them under the pot and light it… ah… never mind, let Chen Hua light it, you’re too careless, be careful not to burn yourself.”

Hearing her say this, Chen Hua wiped his hands and walked out from behind the cutting board, “I haven’t done this in a long time.”

“When I first met you, you were tending furnaces in the Department Office.”

Hearing her expose his background, Chen Hua smiled helplessly and nodded in resignation: “Alright, it’s my old trade.”

As they were speaking, Yang Wan came over from the direction of the Chengqian Palace carrying a box of pastries.

Song Yunqing waved to her, “Where’s Chief Deng? Didn’t you go to the East Prosperity Gate to find him?”

Yang Wan put down the pastries, “He went back to the Depot office, he’ll come later. Are you starting the pot now?”

Chen Hua said: “Yes, the charcoal’s not good, afraid it’ll be slow to boil later.”

After hearing this, Yang Wan casually made a joke, “Isn’t Director Chen trying to harm me? I’m hosting today, you manage the Fuel Conservation Office, you have all sorts of good charcoal, but you give me this.”

Chen Hua said: “Oh my, Registry Chief Yang, please don’t say that in front of Yunqing! These days all charcoal is registered in the offices and purchased according to quota. In easier times, the outer charcoal troops could keep some for themselves, but now it’s difficult. What I brought was scraped together from storage at the beginning of the year to pay respects to the Ceremonial Office, but the old ancestors were merciful and awarded it back. I fear this winter will be even harder.”

Song Yunqing asked: “Why such severe reductions?”

Chen Hua shook his head: “Who knows.”

“The Ministry of Revenue is tight.”

Yang Wan casually added, opening the pastry box and picking out a mung bean cake to give to Li Yu, “Little brat, you eat first.”

Chen Hua didn’t pay much attention to Yang Wan’s words, but Song Yunqing said: “The Ministry of Revenue is tight. What does that mean?”

Yang Wan said: “Pretend I didn’t say anything. Court matters, better we don’t discuss them.”

Song Yunqing propped her chin, “This isn’t just court business, haven’t you seen our salaries shrinking too? One way or another, I want to know why.”

Chen Hua said: “But you can’t ask Registry Chief Yang! She’s also a female official in the Imperial Dressing Bureau, how could she know more than you? Things that even we who go outside daily don’t understand, how could Lady Yang tell you anything?”

Song Yunqing said: “Who are you looking down on? I might not be capable, but Yang Wan is more clear-headed than you and Li Yu.”

Yang Wan laughed, “Actually it’s not complicated. After the southern land clearing ended, the Ministry of Revenue needed silver to acquire official fields, but early this year, because of bestowing rewards on Noble Consort Jiang’s clan, the inner court was severely depleted. The Ministry of Revenue is holding onto silver and refusing to supplement, so naturally they have to cut back, right?”

After hearing this, Song Yunqing raised her chin at Chen Hua, “See? More clear-headed than you, what else dare you say?”

Chen Hua smiled apologetically: “I wouldn’t dare, wouldn’t dare…”

Just as he finished speaking, they happened to see Deng Ying walking over from the city moat. Chen Hua quickly stood up and bowed: “Chief, you’ve finally come. I was being lectured by these two lady officials until I had no way out.”

After hearing this, Deng Ying just looked at Yang Wan and smiled, without saying anything.

Seeing this, Chen Hua covered his forehead: “Oh my, I forgot, you’re also one who dares not talk back.”

Song Yunqing stood up to bow to Deng Ying, and Yang Wan also stood to give him a lady’s bow.

Deng Ying hurriedly bowed in return, “With you all like this, how can I sit?”

Song Yunqing said: “Chief, please sit, don’t mind us servants. Today Yang Wan is hosting, and all the food, dishes, pots and charcoal come from her salary. We servants sit in company, naturally we should serve.”

Yang Wan bent to move the stool behind Deng Ying closer to the table, “Sit, Yunqing just talks like this.”

“Alright.”

Deng Ying lifted his robe to sit, and Yunqing and the others also sat down in turn.

Chen Hua turned over the charcoal under the pot: “This charcoal isn’t good. It’s been burning this long but the water still hasn’t boiled.”

Song Yunqing said: “Stop turning it over, let it breathe a bit underneath and it’ll blaze up.” Then she looked at Deng Ying and asked: “By the way, Chief, I heard today that the Ceremonial Office is going to select more wet nurses for the Second Prince from the Wet Nurse Manor in the east.”

Li Yu, eating a mung bean cake, mumbled: “There are already two wet nurses serving, still selecting more?”

Song Yunqing said: “When Noble Consort Jiang was pregnant, the Wet Nurse Manor prepared over eighty wet nurses, the Imperial Kitchen providing four taels of meat and eight measures of rice daily to feed them. Every few days the local authorities would send goods and money, all in preparation for the Noble Consort’s child. I remember when Lady Ning was pregnant, she only prepared five or six and only used one or two. Later when the Crown Prince turned three, Lady Ning sent all the wet nurses home. Now look at the situation in Yanxi Palace, ah…”

She sighed, “Isn’t the money they’re withholding from us in the palace going to these wet nurses?”

Deng Ying held his hands on his knees, sitting very properly with others present. In Yang Wan’s eyes, he looked strangely obedient.

When Song Yunqing asked him, he gave a light cough and responded seriously, “The selection of wet nurses is being handled by Secretary Zheng. There’s no fixed tradition in the palace. Lady Ning was frugal, so she only used one or two, but Noble Consort Jiang was young. Having several wet nurses in Yanxi Palace is also the wish of the Empress and Empress Dowager.”

When Yang Wan heard that Zheng Yuejia was responsible for selecting wet nurses, she suddenly felt a chill down her back, and her chopsticks unexpectedly fell to the ground with a “clatter.”

Li Yu quickly ducked under the table with his cake still in his mouth to pick them up for her, “Hey, you’re the host but you’re dropping chopsticks, that’s not auspicious!”

Hearing this, Song Yunqing struck his forehead, “What nonsense are you talking about? Be careful or I’ll chase you away.”

Li Yu held his head and made an “oh” sound, quickly lowering his head to continue nibbling his cake.

Yang Wan looked up and asked Deng Ying: “Are these wet nurses all commoner women selected from nearby prefectures and counties?”

“Yes, though there are some from military households too.”

“Oh…”

Yang Wan didn’t ask further, but the chill down her back hadn’t subsided at all.

Fortunately, the soup in the pot was now boiling, and Song Yunqing, to ease the awkwardness, called Yang Wan to blanch the lamb.

When the lamb went into the pot, the previously clear broth developed a layer of white blood foam, and Yang Wan couldn’t bring herself to do it. Compared to dropping the chopsticks earlier, she felt this bloody and rank scene was even more ominous.

Deng Ying noticed her unease and put down his chopsticks, turning to ask her:

“What’s wrong?”

Yang Wan looked at the boiling broth but didn’t know how to tell Deng Ying.

She recalled the “Crane Residence Case” from the spring-summer transition, that tragedy where three hundred people were killed over one palace servant, and remembered her advisor’s speculation about Lady Ning.

The Crane Residence Case had no specific date recorded, most documents only gave the vague timing of “spring-summer transition.”

Yang Wan had initially agreed with the mainstream view, which was the record in the “History of Ming” stating that a palace maid, unable to bear the hardship and punishment, had resorted to desperate measures.

This explanation, simply put, was that an “ignorant girl” took revenge on society – however you heard it, it didn’t sound credible.

But several cases in Ming History were full of magical realism, so this “ignorant” girl didn’t seem so bizarre in comparison.

However, for some reason, although these things hadn’t formed a complete speculative loop at this time, ever since hearing that Zheng Yuejia was responsible for selecting wet nurses for the Second Prince, Yang Wan had a premonition that Zheng Yuejia seemed to be the cause of the Crane Residence Case, or if not entirely the cause, at least one link in the chain.

“Deng Ying, is there any way to get Secretary Zheng to resign from this duty?”

Deng Ying shook his head, “This is a duty assigned by the Empress, it can’t be resigned without cause.”

“Oh…”

This “oh” almost carried a sigh.

Song Yunqing said puzzledly: “This is a good duty. Being a prince’s wet nurse brings glory to the local area, no local government office wants to fall behind, they all compete to give silver to the Ceremonial Office gentlemen. Although… Secretary Zheng doesn’t seem like that kind of person, it’s still prestigious. Why are you asking him to resign?”

Li Yu suddenly said: “She thinks something bad will happen, right?”

Yang Wan was startled, but Li Yu didn’t know what kind of statement he had made, continuing to fish out lamb from the boiling water, “Didn’t she just drop her chopsticks?”

Yang Wan’s eyes were misty from the pot’s steam. Seeing her rub her eyes, Deng Ying stood up, “I’ll sit on your side.”

Yang Wan shook her head, pulling his sleeve to sit down, and let out a deep breath.

“Ah, I said I was hosting, but I’ve made it so none of you can eat properly.”

Chen Hua said: “How could that be? We haven’t stopped eating. Actually, Yunqing is sometimes like this too, when she encounters things, she tends to overthink. But I think it’s quite good, it shows real attention to detail, preparing for rain before it falls. Li Yu and I don’t have such minds.”

After hearing Chen Hua speak, Deng Ying lowered his head and said to Yang Wan: “I’ll speak to Secretary Zheng tomorrow, ask him to be careful.”

Yang Wan nodded, raised her hand to pat her neck twice, puffed out her cheeks to exhale, and couldn’t help looking up to say again: “Or maybe, you should still get him to resign.”

Li Yu challenged her: “You too – they already said it was assigned by the Empress, if you make him resign, that’s defying the Empress’s decree. Being dragged out and beaten to death wouldn’t be too much. Secretary Zheng is like a bodhisattva, why are you giving him trouble…”

Song Yunqing knocked away the meat Li Yu had picked up, saying sternly: “Stop eating, get out.”

Chen Hua hurriedly said: “Never mind, never mind, everyone means well. Come, come, there’s still a piece of meat here. I see Chief Deng and the Registry Chief haven’t eaten yet, I’ll put it in.”

Yang Wan pinched Deng Ying’s sleeve and lowered her head, pressed her lips together, and said: “I’m sorry, I don’t know how such confused words came out of my mouth.”

Deng Ying looked down at Yang Wan’s hand.

She had always liked to pinch his sleeve. This kind of contact arose from feeling and stopped at propriety, giving Deng Ying sufficient respect beneath his official robes, but seemed insufficient to let him fully bear her anxiety and fear.

Thinking this, Deng Ying slowly lowered his arm to make it more comfortable for her to hold.