Bai Yuyang was irritated by both Zhang Luo and Yang Lun’s attitudes.
“Are you two suggesting we skip the torture altogether?”
He shook the interrogation outline in his hand until it rattled, “Then what’s the point of questioning? Is this all we can report to His Majesty? In the vast Hangzhou grain administration, were all those cunning officials under his control? Assistant Minister Yang, Deputy Commander Zhang, you’re not first-year judicial officers – do you believe this?”
Yang Lun remained silent while Zhang Luo replied directly: “If Minister Bai doesn’t believe it, then continue investigating the Hangzhou grain officials. Questioning him was backward, to begin with. Minister, you’re the Minister of Justice – do I need to explain this to you?”
With that, he walked to Deng Ying’s side and told his subordinates: “Return the prisoner at noon. The investigating officials need to eat, and so does the prisoner. If you want to continue questioning later, come to me for written permission to collect him.”
Having said this, he strode out of the main hall.
Qi Huaiyang rose and whispered in Bai Yuyang’s ear: “Minister, perhaps we should end today’s questioning here.”
Bai Yuyang suppressed his irritation and found a way to step down, calling out: “Return him to custody.”
As Deng Ying was being escorted back to the imperial prison, he encountered Zhang Luo coming out of the interrogation room at the prison gate.
Zhang Luo stepped aside, gesturing for the guard to take Deng Ying in first.
As they passed each other, Deng Ying hesitated briefly.
The guard barked: “Why are you dawdling? Keep moving.”
Zhang Luo turned to look at Deng Ying and asked evenly: “Do you have something to say to me?”
Deng Ying shook his head, “I wouldn’t dare.”
Zhang Luo told the guard: “Release him.”
“Sir… this…”
“Release him. I’ll escort him in personally.”
“Yes, sir.”
After the guard stepped back, Zhang Luo reached out and grabbed Deng Ying’s chains. “Let’s go.”
As the two walked one behind the other down the prison corridor, Zhang Luo suddenly said: “You were right before.”
He laughed slightly, “I truly cannot discipline Yang Wan.”
Deng Ying raised his head, “You’ve seen her, sir?”
“Yes. However, there’s still one thing I don’t understand.”
He stopped walking and turned to face Deng Ying, “You’re merely a criminal who embezzled school lands. What makes you worthy of her emotions?”
Deng Ying coughed once and lowered his arms, “I didn’t want to embezzle the school lands, or even become the Supervisor of the Eastern Depot. If my father hadn’t committed his great crime, I would have preferred to follow my teacher, spending my life repairing the imperial city among mud and stones.”
He gave a wan smile, “But even so, I dare not say I’m worthy of Yang Wan. My love for her has always been a criminal’s love. She gave me a second life…”
As he spoke, he picked up the iron chains hanging at his knees and raised them toward Zhang Luo, “I’m willing to live like this because I haven’t had enough of Yang Wan yet. When the school lands case concludes, I may die. I foresaw this ending when I took the blame for the Ceremonial Office back then. I only thought I would die like the people of Tongjia Academy, but I never expected you would treat me differently.”
Zhang Luo said: “His Majesty ordered us to treat you as a criminal slave during questioning, but in my office, I treat you as an official who committed a crime.”
“Commander Zhang.”
Deng Ying called out to him, “Why such treatment?”
Zhang Luo turned around, “Because I promised Yang Wan I would preserve your dignity.”
After saying this, he continued walking with Deng Ying toward the cell, “Will you not change your confession about the school lands case?”
Deng Ying nodded, “No, I won’t.”
“Why protect the Ceremonial Office?”
Deng Ying said: “It’s not to protect the Ceremonial Office, but to protect the Cabinet, and His Majesty’s reputation.”
He paused briefly, “Commander Zhang, I also have a question for you.”
“Ask.”
“If I die, the Eastern Investigation Depot will return to the Ceremonial Office’s control. If there’s another case against the Prime Minister, no one will be able to save the Cabinet ministers. Commander Zhang, could I ask you…”
“So.”
Zhang Luo interrupted Deng Ying and turned back, “When you insisted on the position of Eastern Depot Supervisor back then, expanding the Depot’s guards, building its prison, dividing the power of criminal investigation – it was all to protect these people?”
“Yes.”
“Heh.”
Zhang Luo pointed and said: “Prime Minister Bai impeached you, Minister Bai wanted to torture you until not an inch of skin remained intact just to make you talk, and here at death’s door, you’re still trying to leave them a way out through me. Deng Ying, no one in this world acts like this!”
Deng Ying smiled slightly, “Am I even counted as a complete person?”
Zhang Luo was taken aback.
Deng Ying stepped closer to him, “There are many things I cannot do, I can only watch them do them. If they cannot live well, what meaning is there in my life?”
Zhang Luo looked up and said: “You’re questioning me with these words too, aren’t you?”
“I wouldn’t dare.”
Zhang Luo looked at Deng Ying without speaking further.
He raised his hand to order the jailer to open the cell door, then released Deng Ying to walk in by himself.
Inside the cell, Deng Ying turned back to Zhang Luo and raised his hands, making a formal bow through the prison bars.
Zhang Luo remained silent for a moment, then stepped back and returned the full bow.
The Ministry of Justice quickly determined Deng Ying’s sentence: death by beheading, to be carried out after autumn.
Though Yang Lun wanted to transfer Deng Ying to the Ministry of Justice prison, Emperor Zhenning did not approve.
As summer arrived, Emperor Zhenning’s throat condition worsened. On humid, rainy days, he would cough incessantly. The palace consorts took turns attending to his illness. Even the two unfavored beauties in Chengqian Palace had several audiences with the emperor because of this. Perhaps due to these encounters fostering affection, they began making personal garments for Emperor Zhenning upon their return.
Yang Wan secretly learned from them. Consort Chen asked her, “With the Needlework Bureau serving His Highness, why trouble yourself?”
Yang Wan trimmed their lamps, “With my salary being penalized, I should save where I can. Both Your Graces embroider so beautifully, this servant wishes to learn.”
Consort Chen, mindful of Yang Wan’s usual kindness, taught her everything she knew. However, Yang Wan truly had little talent in this area. Song Yunqing couldn’t bear to watch and came personally to correct her stitching.
“What are you making?”
“A shirt.”
Song Yunqing shook out the fabric in her hands, “The sleeve seams are all wrong.”
Yang Wan quickly moved the lamp closer, “Where are they wrong? Please teach me how to fix them.”
Song Yunqing said: “You’re making this for Deng Ying, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
Song Yunqing shook her head, “Gray again.”
Yang Wan took back the needle and thread, holding them under the lamp, “He likes wearing gray.”
Song Yunqing looked at Yang Wan with concern, “He’s been sentenced to death. How can he wear these things you’re making?”
Yang Wan didn’t look at her, only saying quietly: “Just teach me how to fix it first.”
Song Yunqing sighed: “I told you before, in the palace, just treat them as companions. Don’t invest yourself too deeply. Look at you now…”
Yang Wan smiled slightly, “I’m fine now. Stop nagging and teach me quickly.”
Song Yunqing thought she was avoiding facing reality and, not wanting to upset her further, moved the lamp to the embroidery table, “Alright, I’ll teach you how to set the sleeve seams.”
Throughout the entire summer, Yang Wan continued working on that shirt.
Not just Song Yunqing, but even Yi Lang worried about her state of mind.
He often asked Yang Wan if he could plead with Emperor Zhenning on Deng Ying’s behalf. But Yang Wan always shook her head.
Yi Lang couldn’t help asking her, “Aunt, aren’t you upset about the Depot Supervisor’s sentence?”
Yang Wan embraced Yi Lang, resting her head gently on his shoulder, and said softly: “A little bit.”
Yi Lang turned to look at Yang Wan, “Aunt, I don’t want the Depot Supervisor to die.”
“Mm.”
Yang Wan said quietly: “I thank Your Highness on the Depot Supervisor’s behalf.”
Yi Lang pulled away from Yang Wan, stood up, and took her hand, “Why won’t you let me plead for him, Aunt? Last time I saved the academy students, why can’t I save the Depot Supervisor this time?”
Yang Wan looked at Yi Lang before her, rubbed her stinging eyes, and said, “Because he’s a eunuch, while they were scholars. Pardoning scholars show benevolence, but pardoning a eunuch – what would that show?”
“It would show a lack of principle.”
Yi Lang answered directly.
Yang Wan felt a pain in her chest but could only say: “Your Highness speaks truly.”
Yi Lang looked at Yang Wan and said formally: “That’s why the Depot Supervisor told me never to show him mercy in the future.”
Yang Wan started, “When did he tell you this?”
“Once when you were cooking noodles, he told me in the study. He also taught me to write something…”
His voice grew quieter as he spoke. Yang Wan squeezed Yi Lang’s hand, “What was it?”
Yi Lang shook his head, his voice becoming urgent, “I won’t say. I promised the Depot Supervisor I absolutely wouldn’t tell…”
Yang Wan stroked Yi Lang’s forehead, comforting him: “Alright, Aunt won’t force you to tell.”
Only then did Yi Lang relax his shoulders.
Yang Wan asked again: “He told Your Highness not to show him mercy – what does Your Highness think about that?”
Yi Lang didn’t answer immediately, crossing his arms to look out toward the courtyard.
The giant crown tree in the courtyard swayed its leafy canopy in the early autumn wind, its rustling leaves sending chills down one’s spine.
Yang Wan followed Yi Lang’s gaze and said softly: “No matter what Your Highness thinks, Aunt will save him. Even if later, Your Highness doesn’t like Aunt anymore, or even thinks Aunt is a hateful woman, Aunt won’t give up on him.”
“I won’t!”
Yi Lang said urgently: “I will always be good to Aunt.”
Yang Wan smiled and opened her arms to Yi Lang, saying gently: “Come here.”
Yi Lang quickly nestled into Yang Wan’s embrace. Yang Wan held him as they listened to the wind outside the hall, “Your Highness, you are a youth with a bright future. As you grow older, you will live more freely and resolutely. But Aunt loves someone who has only a past and no future. He has always been this way, and Aunt can do nothing about it. But Aunt doesn’t want to blame him, only wants to give him a little more, so…”
She looked down at Yi Lang in her arms, “If in the future, Aunt does things that seem wrong to you, you don’t need to show Aunt mercy either.”
“Aunt…”
Yi Lang grabbed Yang Wan’s sleeve, “Don’t say such things.”
Yang Wan held Yi Lang’s hand, “Don’t worry, even if you show no mercy, Aunt may not necessarily lose.”
After saying this, she reached up to tighten Yi Lang’s robe.
In early autumn of the fourteenth year of Zhenning, the bright moon hung in the window, gazed upon by all under heaven.
In prison, though Deng Ying had acquired some injuries and illnesses, he never gave up eating. He followed Yang Wan’s words, eating well and sleeping as much as possible. Even as a death row prisoner, he didn’t deliberately count the days, only occasionally asking the jailers how many days remained until autumn.
In Chengqian Palace, Yang Wan continued learning needlework from Consort Chen and Song Yunqing. Though her work remained crude, she finally managed to complete, however awkwardly, the autumn shirt she had promised to bring to Deng Ying.
In mid-August of the fourteenth year of Zhenning, Emperor Zhenning’s throat condition grew even more severe.
In the Cabinet duty room, Yang Lun finally awaited the turning point Yang Wan had spoken of.