He wore no restraints, and thus each step was light, his shoes making almost no sound against the ground.

At the door, he exchanged a glance with Yang Lun, then paused at the bottom of the steps to raise his arm in greeting to Yang Lun.

Looking at his devastated attire, Yang Lun surprisingly discovered in those close-fitting clothes a trace of scholarly dignity as cold as a snow-covered pine, remaining after all finery had been stripped away.

He didn’t avoid Deng Ying’s greeting, returning it with cupped hands from behind the door.

While Bai Yuyang remained silent on the bench, several censors from the Censorate frowned.

They were all outspoken officials who made their careers through criticism. In previous years, because of several impeachments against Deng Yi, many people from the Censorate had been beaten with court rods at the Meridian Gate. Now seeing Yang Lun and Deng Ying exchange greetings, one Censor Liu couldn’t help but speak up: “Lord Yang, is this appropriate behavior toward such a criminal slave?”

Yang Lun straightened up and turned around, “What criminal slave? Have the Three Judicial Offices convicted him?”

Censor Liu was already advanced in years, and being confronted so directly by a junior who had also served as a censor made his ears turn red.

“You…”

Yang Lun gave a cold snort, said nothing more, and swept his sleeves as he walked back to sit below Bai Yuyang.

After Yang Lun was seated, Qi Huaiyang stood and bowed to Bai Yuyang, “Minister, shall we begin?”

“Yes.”

Bai Yuyang adjusted his official cap and sleeves, and straightened his back about to speak when suddenly someone said: “A palace servant being questioned at the Ministry of Justice, shouldn’t he kneel?”

Everyone turned to look – it was Zhang Luo speaking.

Deng Ying turned sideways to look at Zhang Luo, who was staring right at him.

“No official position, not even a dismissed official, why is the Ministry being so lenient? What’s the meaning of this?”

“Lenient?”

Yang Lun couldn’t help but challenge, “Has Lord Zhang ever seen such ‘leniency’ shown to someone not yet convicted?”

Just as he finished speaking, he saw Deng Ying give him a glance, then kneel. “Honored officials, please proceed with your questions.”

Seeing his cooperative attitude and submissive behavior, even the censors had nothing to say.

Bai Yuyang removed the paperweight, and immediately the papers on the desk curled and fluttered like butterfly wings.

He pulled out one scroll and had it passed to Deng Ying, “These are the testimonies of fifteen craftsmen who worked on building the Imperial Supreme Hall. Look at them first.”

Deng Ying took the scroll and opened it before his eyes.

The people in the testimonies were indeed builders of the Imperial Supreme Hall, with one or two elderly ones who were even hometown friends of Zhang Zhanchun.

Bai Yuyang said: “These people testify that in the tenth year of Zhenning, when building the foundation of the Imperial Supreme Hall, fourteen thousand bricks were used from the Linxi supply, exactly twenty thousand fewer than what was reported. Deputy Supervisor Deng, I know this was two years ago, and with the thousands of details in palace construction, occasional oversights are inevitable. But when the actual number differs so greatly from the records, I must ask again: Where did the silver for these twenty thousand bricks that the Ministry of Revenue allocated go?”

Deng Ying placed the testimonies beside his knee and looked up at Bai Yuyang.

“Throughout history, palace construction, from preparing foundation materials to establishing transportation routes, has taken over ten years. From building the foundation to raising the multiple eaves, there are materials wasted due to craftsmanship and materials wasted due to weather throughout the year. Though the craftsmen may have a sense of the bricks and timber used in construction, these are merely estimates. To verify the actual resources spent on construction, my lord should not value personal testimony over official records.”

Bai Yuyang gave a cold laugh after hearing this, “So you’re saying these testimonies can’t be trusted?”

“Then look at this.”

As he finished speaking, he flung a register directly beside Deng Ying’s knee.

Deng Ying only needed one glance down before a chill ran through his heart.

Bai Yuyang said:

“This is the private journal written by He Hong, a craftsman of the Imperial Supreme Hall in the tenth year of Zhenning. It records all the construction processes and materials used for the hall’s foundation that year. Like the other craftsmen’s testimonies, it also shows twenty thousand fewer bricks. Deputy Supervisor Deng, you say we shouldn’t value personal testimony over official records. How do you explain this then?”

Deng Ying remembered this journal’s author – he should be sixty-two years old now, one of the earliest craftsmen who followed Zhang Zhanchun, and Zhang’s old friend of many years.

“Regarding He Hong, my lord…”

“Come, bring He Hong in.”

A dragging sound came from outside the hall, followed by the sharp smell of blood carried in by the wind.

Deng Ying turned around. The man could no longer walk, supported by two bailiffs on either side as he stumbled and fell beside Deng Ying. His upper clothes had been removed, his body covered in blood, his consciousness barely clear. Seeing Deng Ying, he could only move his mouth, trembling as he said: “Deng… Ying, tell Zhanchun that I, He Hong, have failed him… and now I’m going to harm you too…”

Deng Ying looked at the torture wounds on his body and bent down to say: “It is Deng Ying who has brought suffering upon Elder He.”

Hearing him say this, He Hong’s eyes reddened, and he coughed up a mouthful of bloody foam, shaking his head tearfully at Deng Ying.

Bai Yuyang raised his voice: “Deputy Supervisor Deng, you are from the Directorate of Ceremonies and bear responsibility for rebuilding the Imperial Supreme Hall. His Majesty values you highly, and I don’t wish to be too discourteous to you. But with both witness testimony and physical evidence before us, if you still won’t speak directly to me, I can only question you in another way.”

Deng Ying remained silent.

He Hong looked up at him, “Just speak… at this point, no one will blame you.”

“Deng Ying.”

Seeing his silence, Bai Yuyang called him again, “Are you determined not to speak?”

His words carried with the wind, suddenly thrown out of the main hall.

Yang Lun’s hands secretly clenched, while the censors craned their necks.

Bai Yuyang lost patience, “Guards, twenty strokes of the rod, then we’ll continue questioning.”

“Minister Bai!”

“Lord Yang, you are only assisting in the investigation. Please do not interfere with the court proceedings.”

The punishment rods had already been prepared outside. The bailiffs brought in the punishment bench, then stepped forward to lift Deng Ying and push him onto it, binding his hands and feet with rope.

Deng Ying realized the bailiffs had left him no room to move. The rope bonds aggravated the old wounds on his ankles, causing heart-piercing pain.

But at this moment, he hardly cared about these sensations.

He only felt cold.

That cold came from his spine, penetrating wave after wave into the depths of his heart.

The rod punishment in the Great Ming always carried two aspects.

One was the power class demonstrating humiliation over the punished, the other was the punished demonstrating their resolve to the power class.

Many civil officials who spoke directly to the throne and angered the emperor would receive court-ord punishment.

But this punishment would often become a badge of honor afterward, branded in the officials’ records of glory.

But Deng Ying understood this had nothing to do with him. What he deserved to bear now was only humiliation.

Though he had prepared for this, he still couldn’t help feeling desolate.

Seeing this scene, Yang Lun grew anxious and stood up, about to speak again.

But Zhang Luo said coldly: “Dignified attire is reserved for men of state. By law, criminal slaves don’t deserve this privilege.”

Hearing him say this, Yang Lun could hardly contain himself, wanting to punch Zhang Luo directly.

“Zhang Luo, don’t go too far. This is the Ministry of Justice’s public court, not your imperial prison’s torture chamber.”

Zhang Luo’s expression remained blank, “My office manages the imperial prison and should uphold Great Ming law alongside the Three Judicial Offices. Since when can the Ministry of Revenue interfere with criminal law? Moreover, if torture is to be used, these clothes are no longer dignified attire – leaving them on only allows them to be beaten into the flesh, increasing injury and hindering the next interrogation.”

After speaking, he looked down at Deng Ying, “I’m not pursuing a personal vendetta with you. This is to maintain the dignity of Ming law, and it’s also for your good. Do you understand?”

Deng Ying didn’t look at him, closing his eyes to respond: “Yes.”

But Yang Lun had already stepped forward from his desk: “Zhang Luo, you…”

“Lord Yang.”

The man on the punishment bench suddenly called out to him.

Yang Lun had to stop in his tracks and look down at him, only to see him lower his head and close his eyes, saying softly: “Take it lightly.”

Yang Lun was struck speechless.

The several censors present also suddenly felt conflicted.

Seeing Bai Yuyang remain silent, Qi Huaiyang spoke up: “If that’s the case, follow the official’s instructions.”

He looked toward Deng Ying, “Remove the clothes.”

Just as he finished speaking, a bailiff suddenly reported, “Honored officials, there’s an elderly man outside who passed along this item, asking me to present it to you immediately. He says it’s relevant to today’s trial.”

Yang Lun quickly said: “Hold the punishment, let’s see what it is.”

Qi Huaiyang took what the bailiff presented, glanced at it, and handed it to Bai Yuyang, “Minister, it’s an account book.”

Hearing this, Deng Ying raised his head on the punishment bench and looked, suddenly struggling: “Lord Bai, everything only concerns Deng Ying, I am willing to accept punishment! Please, my lord…”

Bai Yuyang frowned and gave the bailiff a look.

Immediately a rod struck Deng Ying’s back. Caught off guard, his body shuddered, and the rest of his words were immediately cut off by pain.

Bai Yuyang passed the account book to Zhang Luo.

“Deputy Commander Zhang, take a look as well.”

Then he called to those outside the hall: “Bring in the person from outside.”

Yang Lun hadn’t understood why Deng Ying suddenly lost composure, but when he saw who walked in with the bailiffs, he immediately understood everything.

The man wore an apricot-colored straight robe, his white beard reaching his chest, and walking with faltering steps – it was Zhang Zhanchun.

He slowly crossed the threshold, entered the main hall, and bowed to Bai Yuyang.

Deng Ying turned his face to look at him, calling out through his pain: “Master…”

Zhang Zhanchun didn’t look at Deng Ying, saying in a deep voice: “Be quiet.”

Bai Yuyang stood and bowed to Zhang Zhanchun, then straightened up and said: “I didn’t expect Elder Zhang, after returning to your hometown for many years, would come back to the capital.”

Zhang Zhanchun didn’t respond to him, instead turning to crouch down shakily, silently reaching out to untie the ropes binding Deng Ying’s hands and feet.

He was elderly now, without much strength in his hands, undoing the knots very slowly, one by one.

“Master.”

“Don’t speak.”

“But Master…”

“I told you not to speak!”

Finally managing to undo all the binding ropes with effort, he said, “Get up and kneel.”

Deng Ying dared not disobey him and hurriedly rose to kneel.

Zhang Zhanchun straightened up and said to Bai Yuyang: “This is the Ministry of Justice’s public court, and I shouldn’t speak such words, but I fear I won’t have another chance to say them, so I must be discourteous today.”

He stepped forward, pointing back at Deng Ying, “Tell your father that Fuling was originally the best student of both him and me. I left Fuling to him, yet he allows you all to humiliate him like this. In forty years of palace construction, he only spent ten years on projects – how much does he know? Huh?”

He gave a hoarse laugh, pointing outside the hall, “I hear he refused to see Yang Lun for two days. What? He won’t lay hands on his old friend himself, but he also forbids his students from maintaining fellowship. Shameless wretch!”

This tirade made Bai Yuyang’s head throb. He opened his mouth to say something but heard Zhang Zhanchun’s voice rise even higher.

“No need to explain to me.”

“Mr. Zhang…”

“Heh.”

Zhang Zhanchun gave a cold laugh, “Don’t you want to know where the silver for those twenty thousand bricks went? The account book in your hand contains the actual accounts, not just from the tenth year, but from the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth years of Zhenning – all the construction funds. You look first, then question me!”