Bai Huan smiled as he watched the siblings Yang Wan and Yang Lun bicker, then turned to Deng Ying and asked, “Are you confident about rebuilding Cloud Cliff Hall?”

Deng Ying clasped his hands on his knees and nodded, “Yes, teacher.”

“How long will it take approximately?”

Deng Ying replied, “I’ve been recovering and haven’t yet seen the collapse site, but based on Xu Qi from the Ministry of Works’ description, I estimate it will take about one month.”

“Is that timeframe accurate?”

Yang Lun pulled up a stool to sit beside Bai Huan and said to him, “Teacher, his estimates are usually quite accurate.”

Bai Huan sighed and looked up at Yang Lun, “We still don’t know how long His Majesty can hold on.”

Hearing these words, Yang Wan couldn’t help saying, “All six palaces and the princes are attending to his illness. I privately asked Imperial Physician Luo, who said this Moth disease has reached an untreatable stage.”

Yang Lun quickly interrupted her, “Don’t speak of such things.”

Yang Wan sat beside Deng Ying and looked up at Yang Lun, “I’m just stating facts. The new tax policy in Hangzhou is at a critical point now. Brother, you know who’s hindering you. The government in Jiangnan is even more complex than in the capital. That minister in Zhejiang has always relied on the Directorate of Ceremonial’s connections. To move against him means moving against He Yixian. If His Highness ascends the throne, then He Yixian can be dealt with.”

Yang Lun remained silent, and Deng Ying continued, “Teacher, the Directorate of Ceremonial still has Her Majesty and the Second Prince.”

Bai Huan said, “Tang Xian Ji also mentioned this. Currently, we can’t hear the Directorate’s voice. Even in public discussion, we might not hear the truth. His Majesty writes edicts, they hold the seal – establishing the heir is extremely dangerous. If the Second Prince succeeds, he’ll surely be controlled by the Directorate of Ceremonial, and this eunuch disaster… will be unstoppable.”

Deng Ying lowered his head, gently pinching the corner of the construction plans, “Teacher, Zi Xi, please let me think about this some more.”

Yang Lun said, “What can you think about? Once Cloud Cliff Hall is complete, you’ll be exiled to Nanjing as a slave.”

Yang Wan interjected, “I have a way to keep him here.”

She stood up, her gaze moving from Yang Lun to Bai Huan, “But I want to ask, if in the end he becomes universally condemned due to the succession struggle, what will you do?”

Bai Huan bent down and gripped Deng Ying’s wrist, “Fu Ling, perhaps going to Nanjing would be better…”

Yang Lun agreed, “Yes, I think the same as the teacher. Going to Nanjing would be better than your current situation.”

Deng Ying said softly, “What’s better about it? I’d still be a criminal slave, unable to rise above my station.”

He raised his head, “It’s all the same. Teacher, don’t worry about me. Wan-wan, tell us your plan.”

Yang Wan said, “Delay the construction of Cloud Cliff Hall, don’t build it so quickly.”

She then turned to Yang Lun and Bai Huan, “Teacher Bai, brother, where is Daoist Cao now?”

Yang Lun replied, “At Qingtian Temple.”

Yang Wan nodded, “You can have the Ministry of Justice arrest and interrogate him.”

“What?”

Yang Lun asked doubtfully, “His Majesty has always trusted the Qingtian Temple people greatly. We’d need a reason for such an arrest.”

“I heard from Consort Chen that even while ill, His Majesty continues to take the pills from Qingtian Temple. They’re just a bunch of heavy metals… anyway, those things are doing His Majesty’s illness no good at all. The Imperial Pharmacy knows this too, but they dare not report directly because His Majesty protects Qingtian Temple.”

Yang Lun continued, “Then what? What happens after the arrest? This crime carries a death sentence.”

Yang Wan said, “That’s exactly right – question him as if it’s a capital crime. We need him to be afraid. Only when he’s afraid will we be able to tell him what to say before His Majesty? His Majesty is gravely ill. If anything happens, he’ll need the Cabinet to survive. With his life in your hands, he’ll listen.”

Yang Lun stood up, “Good, I think I understand your meaning. When the time comes, we’ll need to discuss exactly what to make him say.”

Yang Wan replied, “It’s not difficult. Just connect Cloud Cliff Hall with His Majesty’s longevity, and His Majesty will allow Deng Ying to stay in the Directorate of Ceremonial.”

Yang Wan then looked at Deng Ying, “Deng Ying, you must build the hall well, but slowly, to give the Ministry of Justice time, while ensuring there are no mistakes.”

Deng Ying nodded, “Alright, I understand.”

Yang Wan made a sound of agreement, then turned to Yang Lun, “You and Teacher Bai still haven’t answered my earlier question.”

“…”

Deng Ying sat up straight and took Yang Wan’s hand, “Wan-wan, don’t force the teacher and Zi Xi.”

Yang Wan didn’t turn around, looking directly at Yang Lun, “I must.”

She squeezed Deng Ying’s hand in return, “I want justice, justice that outweighs all common suffering.”

Yang Lun remained silent after hearing her words.

After a long while, Bai Huan finally spoke, “Throughout my official career, I’ve always followed the principle that for the greater good, even one’s child can be sacrificed. The justice you seek, I cannot give. But as a teacher…”

He looked at Deng Ying, “I also won’t stand by and watch my student remain forever unredeemed. I said going to Nanjing would be better. Fu Ling, you’ve done enough. No matter what you choose, you’ll always be mine and Zhang Zhanchun’s best student.”

Yang Wan interrupted Bai Huan:

“But you still haven’t answered me – will you give him justice?”

Yang Lun couldn’t help saying, “Wan’er, you can’t speak to the Minister like this.”

Yang Wan pressed her lips together, “I’m sorry, Teacher Bai, I was disrespectful, but…” she lowered her head with a small smile, “it doesn’t matter. If you won’t give it, I will.”

Yang Lun said, “What nonsense are you talking about? How could you give? You…”

Bai Huan raised his hand to interrupt Yang Lun and supported himself on Deng Ying’s bed to stand up, “Enough, let him eat. Let him rest well after eating. Let’s go.”

After Bai Huan and Yang Lun left, Yang Wan remained silent for a long time.

She ladled a bowl of rice for Deng Ying, then added one for herself, poking at it lightly with her chopsticks without eating.

Deng Ying held his bowl, not daring to eat alone. Seeing him holding the bowl without moving, Yang Wan finally said, “Oh… go ahead and eat.”

Deng Ying asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I…”

Yang Wan placed her bowl on her knees, “I’m not very happy.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t do well.”

Yang Wan shook her head, “It has nothing to do with you. I couldn’t control my emotions. I knew some things couldn’t be won no matter how hard I fought, but I still wanted to fight. Actually… I should have been calmer, then I wouldn’t have been disrespectful to your teacher, but I couldn’t help it…”

She lowered her head and sniffled, “I’m sorry, Deng Ying, I should apologize. I shouldn’t have spoken to Teacher Bai and brother that way in front of you.”

Deng Ying put down his rice bowl and asked, “The justice that outweighs all common suffering you spoke of, what is it?”

“It’s an evaluation, an evaluation of you.”

She paused, then added, “It’s the voice of contemporary people, the ink of future generations.”

Deng Ying raised his hand and gently dabbed at Yang Wan’s eyes with his inner robe sleeve.

“You know, I don’t care about how contemporary or future generations evaluate me. I only worry whether I’ve made you angry.”

Yang Wan smiled slightly, “You’ve been so obedient these ten days, sitting quietly in bed, eating, and taking medicine conscientiously. What do I have to be angry about? Deng Ying, no matter what you choose, I won’t say anything. Remember what I said – I’ve lived long enough to have seen everything. Go ahead and risk your life, I’m here for you.”

Deng Ying asked softly, “Just how old are you?”

“Twenty-one.”

Yang Wan lowered her head, “But it feels like I’ve lived too long already.”

She handed the bowl and chopsticks to Deng Ying, “Let’s eat. After eating, you soak your feet, and I want to write in my notebook for a while.”

After they finished eating together, Deng Ying sat on the edge of the bed soaking his feet while Yang Wan sat at the desk and opened her notebook.

Autumn of the 14th year of Zhenning – this notebook recorded all historical facts of the past two and a half years. It had grown so thick that the original thread binding had broken. The copy she now held had been rebound by workers at Qingbo Hall.

Yang Wan turned to the newest page and picked up her brush to write the date.

Late eighth month of Zhenning’s 14th year – just over three months before Emperor Zhenning’s death, and less than two years before Deng Ying would be tried and convicted by the Three Judicial Offices.

Historically, the second year of Jinghe was a crucial period for scholars studying eunuch politics during the Zhenning and Jinghe reigns.

It was the year Deng Ying was executed by lingchi (death by a thousand cuts). His cruel death symbolized young Emperor Jinghe’s determination to eliminate the eunuch’s influence and not repeat the previous dynasty’s mistakes. It was also a watershed moment in the Great Ming’s resurgence.

Most researchers highly praised Yi Lang’s punishment of Deng Ying. When Yang Wan was studying, she had read over a hundred related papers. In these papers, Deng Ying floated as light as an insignificant feather, yet paradoxically supported all their arguments.

Yang Wan held her brush and looked up at Deng Ying.

He had rolled up his sleeves and was bending down to massage his injured ankle, his shoulder bones visible through his thin inner robe.

This warm body would carry his soul for two more years.

The Ming History recorded many major events during these two years. Near the year’s end, the Emperor passed away, followed quickly by Second Prince Zhu Yi Jue’s sudden death from illness. Yi Lang succeeded to the throne, Directorate of Ceremonial Seal-holder He Yixian fell from power, and Deng Ying was promoted to Seal-holder of the Directorate of Ceremonial and Superintendent of the Eastern Depot. Though he seemed to have reached the pinnacle of power and glory, by the end of Jinghe’s second year, he faced joint impeachment from the Cabinet, was imprisoned, and was tried by the Three Judicial Offices. What happened during this time was recorded in just a few hundred characters in Ming History. Afterward, all his alleged “crimes” were brought forth, the heaviest being “conspiracy against imperial relatives,” but this relative remained unnamed in both the Record of Hundred Crimes and Ming History.

Such a bloody charge fell lightly on him, hiding some unspeakable secrets.

Many researchers, reviewing the Record of Hundred Crimes and late Zhenning palace historical materials, connected “conspiracy against imperial relatives” with Second Prince Yi Jue’s sudden death, but this remained speculation without conclusion.

So what exactly happened during this period, and what did Deng Ying do? Yang Wan had originally wanted to know. But at this moment, looking at Deng Ying sitting before her, she suddenly wished time would stop right here.

However, this thought only flashed briefly through Yang Wan’s mind. Her respect for Deng Ying was also her respect for the course of history.

“Deng Ying.”

“Mm?”

“I’m a bit cold. I want to soak my feet with you.”

Deng Ying looked down at his feet, “The water… I’ve made it dirty.”

“You’re not dirty at all.”

Yang Wan stood up and removed her hair tie, “Hold out your hands.”

Deng Ying was confused but complied.

Yang Wan gathered his wrists and gently bound them with her hair tie.

Deng Ying watched her actions and asked softly, “Wan-wan, why are you binding me like this?”

Yang Wan said, “Listen, this is the crime I’m charging you with. Any charges others make against you later don’t count.”

Deng Ying looked down at his wrists, “What crime?”

“The crime of being a scoundrel.”

She pressed her lips together and said evenly, “Deng Ying, in your entire life, perhaps I’m the only person you’ll ever wrong.”