By the end of the eighth month, the dust storms gradually subsided.

On the day of the Cabinet meeting, officials from the Six Bureaus gathered in the Cabinet’s court chamber. Bai Huan, the First Minister of the Cabinet who had recently recovered from a serious illness, was also present.

Since Bai Huan’s imprisonment in the Eastern Depot, the Six Bureaus officials hadn’t seen him for a long time. Seeing him today, they came forward one after another to pay their respects.

“Has the Minister’s health improved?”

Bai Huan smiled, supporting himself against the table, “I can still struggle on for a few more years.”

A supervising secretary from the Revenue Bureau said, “We originally thought His Majesty would surely execute that person to avenge the Minister, but who knew this recent dust storm would collapse Cloud Cliff Hall and spare his life.”

Bai Huan waved his hand, “We won’t discuss that matter today.”

Hearing this, the man quickly said, “Indeed, Minister has recovered well, we shouldn’t mention that person anymore.”

Yang Lun helped Bai Huan sit down, then straightened up and walked to the front of the table, raising his voice to address everyone, “Today isn’t the regular meeting day. We’ve troubled all officials to come because we wanted to hear your opinions before submitting a memorial to the throne.”

An official from the Rites Bureau said, “We heard a few days ago that the Cabinet was coordinating with the Ministry of Rites to propose establishing a Crown Prince. We’ve been waiting for news from the Ministry, but haven’t heard anything definite. Director Yang, are you bringing this up today because His Majesty’s illness has worsened?”

Yang Lun replied, “This concerns state affairs, not just His Majesty’s illness, though His Majesty’s recent throat condition has indeed worsened, developing into moth-throat disease.”

“Moth disease?”

The officials below began discussing among themselves.

“Oh my, I remember, the Late Emperor’s Worthy Consort passed away from this disease last year.”

“Yes, at first it seemed like just a cold, but somehow later her throat became blocked, obstructing her airway. She passed away within half a month.”

Bai Huan coughed once and said evenly, “We’ve invited you all here not to discuss this illness, but to unite our efforts in proposing the establishment of a Crown Prince.”

The Rites Bureau official who spoke earlier said, “Then there’s nothing else to say. His Majesty has only two sons and one daughter. The second prince is young and weak, and still cannot speak – how could he be positioned in the Eastern Palace? Only the eldest prince is worthy of selection.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd below immediately agreed.

Only Cabinet Minister Chen Tang Xian Ji said, “Minister Bai, have you explored the Directorate of Ceremonial’s thoughts on this?”

Bai Huan replied, “This matter cannot be explored, we can only discuss it with them.”

Tang Xian Ji said, “The second prince has always been raised by the Empress’s side, with people from the Directorate of Ceremonial attending to his daily needs, while the eldest prince was raised by his aunt Yang Wan. Though this woman was previously deeply connected with Deng Ying, after Deng Ying’s conviction, the eldest prince lost all support in the inner court. Although the Cabinet can propose establishing a Crown Prince since this involves the inner court if the Directorate of Ceremonial and Eastern Depot don’t express their intentions, submitting this memorial would be very risky.”

Bai Huan nodded in agreement, “Minister Tang speaks truly, but we must take a position to negotiate with the inner court’s Directorate of Ceremonial. Although Deng Ying has been convicted, the Eastern Depot has temporarily been placed under the Directorate of Ceremonial’s control as a result. This brings no benefit to the eldest prince.”

The Rites Bureau official asked, “May I ask the Minister, what do you mean by this? Deng Ying tortured you so severely in the Eastern Depot, surely you don’t want him to be reinstated? Where would the law be in that?”

Bai Huan remained silent, but Yang Lun raised his voice, “Why are you so agitated? Don’t speak lightly of ‘the law.’ Deng Ying was sentenced to eighty strokes and exiled to Nanjing as a slave. The sentence will be carried out once Cloud Cliff Hall is rebuilt. How is that not upholding the law?”

“Director Yang, isn’t His Majesty’s intention clear enough? Historically, general pardons never pardoned corruption. His Majesty changed the death sentence to beating and exile and ordered him to rebuild Cloud Cliff Hall. Once the hall is complete, won’t additional mercy be granted? I expect by then, he won’t just avoid the beating and exile, but might even return to the Directorate of Ceremonial.”

“Would his return to the Directorate of Ceremonial be so bad?”

Bai Huan suddenly interrupted the man’s words.

Everyone in the room fell silent and looked at Bai Huan.

Bai Huan lifted his tea for a sip, then looked up earnestly, “I know you hate this person, and his crimes indeed deserve punishment, but as officials, we cannot hang ourselves on the term ‘pure stream,’ holding principles so rigidly that we dead-end ourselves. A circular official must be brave enough to reform and create new situations. I am already an old man, but you are still young. You must not put personal reputation before state affairs.”

After these words, several young officials from the Six Bureaus were moved, “Minister can for…”

Bai Huan raised his hand to signal them to stay quiet momentarily, slightly composed his tone, and continued, “I say this not to have you see me as someone who forgets personal grudges for public duty, I merely hope that as officials, you can see further ahead.”

He sighed and said, “Although it’s not the regular meeting day, since we’re all here, if the Six Bureaus have anything to discuss, let’s continue. I still have enough energy today.”

After two rounds of tea in the court chamber, the Six Bureaus officials finally took their leave one after another.

The Cabinet Ministers like Tang Xian Ji also departed through the meeting gate.

Yang Lun supported Bai Huan as he stood up, “Let me escort you home, teacher.”

Bai Huan looked at the sky outside and asked, “Have you seen Fu Ling since his release these past few days?”

Yang Lun shook his head, “On the day he left the imperial prison, I wanted to see him, but my sister…”

He hesitated to speak directly in front of Bai Huan, then continued, “My sister wouldn’t allow…”

Bai Huan stood up, “Is he still living in that duty room by the moat?”

“Yes, he hasn’t moved since entering the palace.”

“Oh.”

Bai Huan responded and waved at Yang Lun, “You go home first, I’ll walk over to see him.”

Yang Lun quickly took a step forward, “Let me accompany you there.”

Bai Huan smiled and nodded, “That would be good.”

The two walked toward the moat, late autumn leaves rolling past their feet, everything desolate and cold.

But Deng Ying’s room was quite lively. Today two young eunuchs had come to see him, helping Li Yu brew medicine outside while teaching him to read. Li Yu looked up and saw Yang Lun and Bai Huan, startled greatly. As a guard at the palace gate, he recognized these two Cabinet Ministers’ faces but never expected them to come here personally. After a moment’s stupor, he hurriedly stood up from beside the medicine stove and awkwardly bowed.

Yang Lun asked him, “Is Deng Ying inside?”

“Yes… but, but, but… let this servant go in first to tell him, let him put on… proper clothes and get up. Yang Wan hasn’t let him leave bed, he’s sitting… sitting in bed.”

He spoke incoherently, making Bai Huan laugh, “No matter, we’re just going in to see him.”

Then he gestured for Yang Lun to go forward and open the door.

Deng Ying was sitting in bed wearing a robe and looking at construction plans.

Yang Wan had applied medicine to his ankle and wrapped it in two layers of blankets, making it almost immobile. Hearing the door open behind him, he thought it was Li Yu and casually asked, “Li Yu, can you hand me the water from the table? I’d like a drink.”

Yang Lun looked at the table and saw two cups, asking, “Which one?”

Deng Ying started, turned around to see Bai Huan and Yang Lun standing behind him, “Teacher…”

He quickly got out of bed and knelt beside it to bow to Bai Huan, “Teacher… please forgive Deng Ying’s impropriety.”

Bai Huan reached out to support his arm, “Get up, sit back on the bed, I came to see you, not to trouble you.”

Yang Lun took over from Bai Huan, helping Deng Ying sit back on the bed, glancing at his ankle, “This wouldn’t be that medicine Yang Wan bought for twenty taels of silver per package, would it?”

Deng Ying didn’t answer him, only saying to Bai Huan, “I’m sorry, teacher, I don’t have good seating here. Please take my chair, Zi Xi, help me get my robe to cushion it for the teacher.”

Yang Lun said, “Fine, today I’ll take orders from you, the patient.”

He brought over the chair, helped Bai Huan sit down, and then lifted his robes to sit on the edge of Deng Ying’s bed.

Seeing Yang Wan wasn’t there, he casually asked, “Where’s Wan’er?”

Li Yu came in with tea and answered Yang Lun, “She’s cooking by the moat.”

“Cooking?”

Yang Lun laughed and said to Bai Huan, “My sister used to know how to make a few dishes.”

Li Yu’s hand trembled, “Is what you say true, sir?”

Yang Lun made a sound of agreement, “Mother taught her some…”

Before he could finish speaking, they heard Yang Wan calling Li Yu from outside, “I told you to watch the medicine, why did you go inside? Come out quickly and help me carry the dishes, and set the table so we can eat.”

Li Yu hurried to the door and said, “Minister Bai and Director Yang are here.”

Yang Wan paused, “Since when?”

“For a while now.”

Hearing this, Yang Wan quickened her steps, entered the room, put down the food tray, and bowed to Bai Huan, “Teacher Bai.”

Bai Huan smiled kindly and responded, “Please rise, miss.”

Yang Wan stood up and smiled at Yang Lun, “Brother is here too.”

Yang Lun was about to speak when he heard her say, “You get up and stand, I need to check the medicine on his foot.”

“What…”

Yang Lun had barely spoken two words when Yang Wan unceremoniously pulled him up from the bedside.

Yang Wan half-knelt beside Deng Ying, lifted half the quilt, and reached out to feel the medicine pack on his foot, “Did you move around just now?”

Deng Ying glanced at Yang Lun and lowered his voice, “Wan-wan, I was bowing to the teacher.”

“Oh, then never mind, I’ll rewrap it for you.”

Yang Lun stood watching Yang Wan deftly tighten the medicinal cloth on Deng Ying’s ankle, and couldn’t help saying, “Who taught you this?”

“I learned it myself, isn’t it wrapped nicely?”

Yang Lun rolled his eyes, “You used to cry over the smallest scrape at home and wouldn’t let the servants apply medicine, now you’re playing doctor.”

Yang Wan looked up smiling, “His long illness has made me a doctor.”

After speaking, she tucked the quilt around Deng Ying’s legs, got up to wash her hands at the door, and turned back to address Bai Huan, “Teacher Bai, my cooking is really quite bad, only Deng Ying and I can eat it. I’m embarrassed to have you eat with us, but… brother, that pork bone soup is drinkable, would you like… to try a bowl?”

Hearing this, Yang Lun didn’t stand on ceremony but ladled himself a full bowl and took a big drink.

“No… what you’ve made is…”

Yang Wan walked up to Yang Lun with wet hands, saying somewhat embarrassedly, “It’s still very hard to drink, isn’t it?”

Yang Lun couldn’t find the right expression for a long time, “You used to be very good at cooking.”

Yang Wan said, “I fell before, and forgot.”

Yang Lun was speechless and turned to ask Deng Ying sitting on the bed, “She’s been cooking for you these past days?”

Deng Ying nodded, “Yes.”

Yang Lun turned to Yang Wan, “He’s recovering from illness, and you won’t even let him eat well.”

Yang Wan said, “It’s much better than before, though the taste still isn’t great, but everything is good for his health. You and Teacher Bai came to see him, not to scold me. I’ll take the food out, and after you leave, we’ll eat together. You sit down and discuss important matters with him.”