Yang Wan had been exhausted the previous night and hadn’t bothered with careful grooming, spending the entire day in Chengqian Palace.

Near dusk, a messenger came from the Central Palace saying the Imperial Pharmacy was drafting autumn and winter tonics for each palace at the Empress’s quarters, and Yang Wan was summoned to attend. This was the custom of the inner court – whenever the seasons changed, the Imperial Pharmacy would prepare new prescriptions for the Six Palaces based on pulse diagnoses. Since the imperial princes were precious, the Empress would personally oversee each prescription, and when necessary, the Imperial Pharmacy would need to consult with those who closely attended to the princes before finalizing the prescriptions.

The palace servant led Yang Wan directly to the rear hall of Kunning Palace. In the inner hall, a subtle fragrance of Shouyang incense burned. The Empress was a meticulous person – even after the hour of You (5-7 PM), her appearance remained impeccable.

Four Imperial Physicians from the Imperial Pharmacy stood before the Empress responding to her questions. For each query from the Empress, they would each give their answer as she nodded along. By the time the palace servants found a moment to announce visitors, the sky outside had already begun to darken. The Empress gestured for Yang Wan to enter, received her courtesy, and had her stand at her side.

“Continue,” she said.

Imperial Physician Peng said, “Since the lady from Chengqian Palace is here, let me first inquire about the Crown Prince’s condition.”

“Yes.”

Yang Wan curtsied, “Please ask, Imperial Physician.”

Imperial Physician Peng said, “Has His Highness’s liver qi surging condition that began in autumn shown improvement?”

Yang Wan responded, “We’ve been following your prescribed dietary remedies consistently, and the Platycodon tea hasn’t been interrupted. His Highness’s previous symptoms of dry lips and eyes have improved significantly.”

Imperial Physician Peng continued asking, “Has the tinnitus improved?”

“Yes, His Highness hasn’t mentioned that symptom anymore.”

“Does His Highness rise often at night?”

“Not often, though His Highness has been staying up increasingly late studying today.”

Hearing this, Imperial Physician Peng reported to the Empress: “This is something only those close to His Highness would know. Your Majesty, we can finalize His Highness’s tonic prescription.”

The Empress raised her hand and passed Yi Lang’s tonic prescription to Yang Wan, “When Noble Consort Ning was here before, she was even better at reviewing these than I was. Sometimes she could even discuss them with the Imperial Physicians. Now that His Majesty has entrusted the Crown Prince to you, you should review it in her place. If anything seems amiss, feel free to speak up.”

After finishing, she rubbed her temples and asked those outside, “What’s happening with Jiang? Has His Majesty shown mercy?”

The attendant, hearing the Empress’s inquiry, hurriedly came in and said softly, “In response to Your Majesty, this… Noble Consort Jiang is still kneeling outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation.”

“Ah…”

The Empress sighed and handed Yi Jue’s prescription to Yang Wan as well, “Read through both prescriptions for me to hear. If there are no issues, we’ll send them to the Imperial Pharmacy.”

Yang Wan accepted the prescriptions and said, “Since Noble Consort Xian cannot come, perhaps we should summon the Second Prince’s wet nurse to inquire?”

“Don’t even think about it.”

The Empress waved her hand, “Have you forgotten about the Hejiu case? Though the child has grown, who knows if he was traumatized then? I used to hear Noble Consort Ning say that when Yi Lang was Yi Jue’s age, he would smile at His Majesty, but Yi Jue… ah…”

She sighed as she spoke, “He doesn’t even cry, let alone smile.”

The four Imperial Physicians exchanged glances upon hearing this but remained silent.

The Empress pressed her brow, “Yang Wan.”

“This servant is here.”

“Listen well to what I’m saying. His Majesty’s offspring are few and precious – we cannot risk the slightest harm. His Majesty trusts you; you must be ten thousand times more vigilant to deserve his trust.”

“This servant understands.”

After this exchange, what needed to be said was said, what needed to be emphasized was emphasized, and the Empress’s energy waned, “Alright, the Extreme Gate is about to be locked. You may go.”

The Imperial Physicians bowed and withdrew. The Empress asked a few more questions about the affairs of Chengqian Palace, and as Yang Wan was answering, a message suddenly came from the Hall of Mental Cultivation saying that Jiang had been stripped of her title and confined to Yanxi Palace.

The Empress responded with a “Noted,” then suddenly called back the messenger to ask, “Did His Majesty state the crime?”

“In response to Your Majesty, yes. It was said that Lady Jiang slandered Noble Consort Ning and mistreated palace servants.”

The Empress raised an eyebrow, “Were those the exact words?”

“Yes.”

The Empress glanced at Yang Wan, “When did she slander Noble Consort Ning?”

Yang Wan bowed and responded, “Yanxi Palace did have some unsavory talk, but as I am just a servant, I could only protect His Highness and dared not inquire into the affairs of the masters.”

The Empress smiled slightly, “So this is why Lady Jiang praised you as clever. You see? No matter how she acts up, His Majesty understands everything in his heart.”

She then asked, “What about the palace servant who jumped into the river?”

“His Majesty ordered him beaten to death.”

“Oh…”

The Empress responded, clasping her hands together and uttering “Amitabha,” “So be it. Self-harm within the inner court is also a serious crime. I should go see Yi Jue now.”

“Your Majesty, you still need to prepare to receive an imperial edict. Secretary Hu is already on his way.”

The Empress said nothing, only summoning someone to fix her hair.

Regarding this edict, the Empress wasn’t surprised. With Jiang’s conviction, she naturally couldn’t continue raising Yi Jue, and it was only reasonable for the Emperor to turn to the Central Palace. However, ultimately, she had no desire to take in this child who showed no particular talent.

Yang Wan took the opportunity of the Empress preparing to receive the edict to excuse herself from the rear hall of Kunning Palace.

Outside, the autumn wind whistled, and palace servants carefully walked about protecting their lantern flames.

The autumn had been dry, and several fires had broken out in the imperial city this month, making the lantern-bearing palace servants increasingly cautious.

Yang Wan listened to the careful footsteps around her while walking and contemplating the current situation.

Noble Consort Jiang, like Noble Consort Ning, was among the consorts whose names weren’t even recorded in history. Although Yang Wan had caused her to fall into such a state, this still didn’t allow Yang Wan to be certain whether she had truly gained anything in this Qingbo Pavilion affair.

The rest would depend on Zhang Luo, on whether he would truly move against Zhang Rong.

And if he did move when he would choose to do so?

After all, according to Ming History, in the winter of the 13th year of Zhenning, Zhang Rong had led multiple cabinet ministers, including Bai Huan, in jointly impeaching Deng Ying for encroaching on the school lands of two major academies in Hangzhou. This impeachment lasted two full months, during which two cabinet ministers resigned, and Bai Huan was even stripped of his official robes and thrown into the Eastern Depot prison. However, in the spring of the 14th year of Zhenning, when angry spring examination candidates gathered to kneel and weep in petition at Bai Huan’s door, the Zhenning Emperor, unable to bear the scholars’ resentment, ordered Deng Ying to be imprisoned.

This period of imprisonment was recorded in just twenty-some characters in Ming History, but Yang Wan had later read this passage in Yang Lun’s private collection:

“Meeting again after several months, though his face was as before, his spirit was seven-tenths diminished, yet his literary heart remained, blood crystallized in bone.”

This was written in a Beijing suburban travelogue by Yang Lun in the autumn of the 14th year of Zhenning.

When Yang Wan read these words, she wanted to cry.

Though there was no evidence of who Yang Lun was writing about, Yang Wan just felt it must have been Deng Ying, newly released from prison.

Thinking of this, Yang Wan couldn’t help but hope Zhang Luo would be even more ruthless than she imagined, though this was undoubtedly forcing Zhang Luo to commit patricide. But besides Zhang Luo, Yang Wan couldn’t think of anyone else who could move against Zhang Rong.

However, she never dared to guess specifically what Zhang Luo would do to her afterward.

A shudder ran through her body, triggering stomach pain. She hadn’t eaten for most of the day and was just thinking of going to the city moat guardhouse to cook some noodles with Deng Ying when, just as she left the side gate of Kunning Palace, she saw He Yu running towards her, out of breath.

“My lady, quickly return!”

“What’s wrong?”

Yang Wan instinctively asked, “Did something happen to His Highness?”

“Not His Highness, it’s Superintendent Deng!”

“Ah?”

Yang Wan unconsciously quickened her pace, with He Yu pursuing and explaining, “We don’t know what happened either. His Highness wouldn’t eat anything after returning from Wenhua Hall today. When I felt His Highness’s forehead, it was burning hot, but His Highness wouldn’t allow us to summon the Imperial Physician. He even threw the tea I offered. We originally wanted to find you, my lady, but we were afraid that coming to find you abruptly would let the Empress know and cause trouble for you. Then that muddle-headed Qing Meng went to the Eastern Depot to fetch the Superintendent…”

Yang Wan stumbled, nearly falling, “And then?”

He Yu hurriedly moved to support her, her voice growing more urgent, “Then His Highness ordered the Superintendent into the study and said some things we servants couldn’t understand. Somehow, the Superintendent angered His Highness, and His Highness ordered the cane. My lady… I tried to persuade him, but couldn’t stop it…”

Yang Wan didn’t hear the words that followed.

Recalling what He Yu had told her this morning and Deng Ying’s words yesterday – “His Highness will beat me to death” – she could roughly guess why Yi Lang had suddenly become angry. However, when she rushed to the gates of Chengqian Palace, she found them tightly closed.

He Yu stepped forward and demanded, “Why are the gates closed?!”

The palace servant looked apologetically at Yang Wan, “It was His Highness’s order. We didn’t dare disobey. Please forgive us, my lady. His Highness said it was for your good – if you don’t want the Superintendent to receive heavy punishment, please wait here.”

Yang Wan looked up at the palace gates. The elm tree’s crown had already lost most of its leaves. If plants could show emotion, this seemed to portend the fate of a human life. How long could someone survive under punishment? Not long, surely. Yang Wan thought of Deng Ying’s body – even with clothes covering it, one could still glimpse the remnants of torture. Her heart contracted painfully, and she accidentally bit through her lower lip.

“My lady, what should we do?”

What could be done? Nothing.

Yi Lang knew Yang Wan absolutely could not cry and make a scene at the gates of Chengqian Palace over a eunuch, so once these palace gates were closed, those who should suffer would suffer, those who should endure would endure, those who should execute “punishment” would execute “punishment.” Inside and outside the gates, everyone’s hearts were crystal clear, with an almost “painful” satisfaction.

In the study of Chengqian Palace, Deng Ying remained kneeling while Yi Lang stood before him. Though his throat was somewhat hoarse from fever, he stood perfectly straight.

“I’ve spared you many times, but this time I cannot show mercy.”

“Yes. This servant doesn’t seek mercy either.”

Yi Lang looked down, “You once told me to show no leniency to eunuchs.”

“Yes.”

“But I don’t understand. As a eunuch yourself, why would you say such a thing? Are you not afraid of punishment? Or are you not afraid of death?”

Deng Ying prostrated himself, his blue sleeves spread on the ground, his forehead touching Yi Lang’s feet.

“Your Highness, this servant was originally a condemned criminal, spared by His Majesty’s grace to live out my remaining life. No punishment is too severe for this servant, but since I’ve survived, I don’t wish to die too soon.”

“Why? When the descendants of the condemned officials who were punished with you all starved themselves to death at Nanhai Lake, how were you able to swallow that food?”

Deng Ying coughed once.

“The Three Great Halls were not yet complete. This servant couldn’t rest easy.”

Yi Lang pressed, “I believe that answer, but what about later? After the Tongjia Academy case, why did you take charge of the Eastern Depot? Raise your head and answer.”

Deng Ying obeyed and raised his head, “May this servant ask Your Highness how your teacher answered this question?”

Yi Lang was silent for a moment before saying, “You coveted power, corrupted justice, but…”

Yi Lang changed his tone, fixing his eyes on Deng Ying, “I am still young, with no place to speak in court. There are many things I cannot fully see or understand, but I don’t want to hear only one side. When I’m older, when Father Emperor allows me to participate in politics, then I’ll be able to see and understand everything clearly.”

He stepped back after speaking and called Deng Ying by name directly.

“Deng Ying.”

“This servant is here.”

“Do you know why you’re being punished today?”

Deng Ying nodded, “This servant knows. When Your Highness called to this servant before the side hall this morning, this servant has been waiting for Your Highness’s punishment.”

“Do you have anything to say?”

“Yes.”

“Speak.”

“Please show mercy, Your Highness. Fewer strokes.”

Yi Lang said coldly, “Is this you begging for mercy? Didn’t you say before that one must show no leniency to eunuchs? Were those just empty words?”

“No… this servant’s body is already weak. Please don’t take this servant’s life at this time. This servant still has unfinished business.”

After hearing these words, Yi Lang suddenly felt an inexplicable tremor.

He had always deeply hated when eunuchs begged their masters for mercy, but though the person before him was indeed pleading, somehow he couldn’t bring himself to hate him.