The sky was dark with clouds, and the execution ground fell silent.

Only Zhou Congshan’s whimpers remained.

“How cruel…”

Someone said.

The voice was as thin as gauze, instantly cut off by another voice announcing, “The time has come.”

Yang Wan lifted her head, still pressing her thumb joint.

The second day after the frost fell was cloudless and clear.

The sky was high, hiding the shadows of wild geese.

These departing birds took with them the yang energy of the third quarter of the noon hour, leaving vast patches of shadows that fell neither heavily nor lightly on everyone.

Yang Wan forced herself to turn around, watching as the executioners raised their brightly polished execution blades. In an instant, blood poured like a torrent of water, splashing across half the execution platform. More than ten of the condemned fell at once, and besides the sound of blades cutting through flesh and bone, Yang Wan heard no screams.

She couldn’t help covering her mouth as her stomach churned violently. She suddenly crouched down, acidic bile rising into her nose and mouth.

Qi Huaiyang, standing in the crowd, happened to see her and quickly tugged at Yang Lun’s sleeve beside him. “Look over there.”

“What?”

Yang Lun turned around and hurriedly pushed through the crowd to Yang Wan’s side, pulling her up from the ground with one motion.

“Yang Wan! How could you come to a place like this?”

He was too anxious to scold her further and just pulled her backward.

The sudden movement made Yang Wan unable to hold back any longer. A mouthful of acid bile came up, and she broke free from Yang Lun’s grasp, rushing to a street tree where she held the trunk and retched violently.

Yang Lun only then realized he had been too rough.

He hurried over to rub her back. “How are you feeling?”

Yang Wan stood supporting herself against her knees under the tree, taking great gasping breaths. After a while, she finally managed to say brokenly: “I’m… I’m fine now.”

Seeing her recover somewhat, Yang Lun asked again: “Did you follow right after I left home this morning?”

Yang Wan nodded.

Yang Lun was both angry and confused. “You’re a young woman – why would you come to watch something like this?”

Yang Wan quietly listened to his words, then raised her hand to rub her reddened eyes and said softly: “I’m sorry.”

“You…”

In all their previous arguments, Yang Lun had always ended up yielding to her, but he hadn’t expected her to apologize so sincerely this time and found himself unable to say any harsh words.

He tried to be gentle as he reached out to smooth Yang Wan’s messy hair. “Were you frightened?”

Yang Wan nodded.

Yang Lun sighed. “Alright, come home with me first.”

Yang Wan stood still. “No, I came today on behalf of Her Highness to visit relatives who are ill. I must return to the palace by the hour of si, or I’ll violate palace rules.”

Hearing this, Yang Lun could only nod and turn to his servant: “Bring my horse.”

After the horse was brought, he steadied the saddle for Yang Wan. “You ride. Your brother will escort you.”

Yang Wan didn’t refuse.

Yang Lun lifted Yang Wan onto the horse and held the reins. “Which gate will you use to enter the palace?”

The Meridian Gate was no longer an option. Yang Wan looked east, “Let’s go to the East Prosperity Gate.”

Yang Lun said nothing more and personally led the horse along the moat toward the East Prosperity Gate.

Yang Wan sat on horseback, looking down at Yang Lun’s back, and suddenly called out softly, “Lord Yang.”

“Mm.”

She had been trying to find a better moment, but Yang Lun kept his back rigid and said nothing.

Even as they approached the East Prosperity Gate, Yang Wan hadn’t found the right opportunity, so she finally stopped hesitating: “My lord, if Deng Ying does something that you all consider shameless, could you please not blame him?”

Yang Lun froze, then suddenly pulled the reins. The horse stopped abruptly, causing Yang Wan to lurch forward.

“What is he planning to do?”

Yang Wan steadied herself by gripping the horse’s mane.

“Zhang Luo’s cruel execution of the Tongjia Academy teachers and students has shaken His Majesty. I heard from Her Highness that the other day, His Majesty spoke with He Yixian in the Hall of Mental Cultivation for a long time about the prison executions.”

Yang Lun said: “Even if His Majesty intends to deal with Zhang Luo, can it bring back the more than eighty who died so tragically?”

“We can’t let them die in vain.”

Hearing this, Yang Lun silently gripped the reins tighter.

Yang Wan lowered her head and said: “My lord’s path is not easy now. The Ceremonial Office has practically become the emperor’s voice. His Majesty trusts the eunuchs while being wary of the Cabinet. If this continues, it is the common people who will suffer. My lord, the dead are gone, but why not use this opportunity to change the structure of the Ceremonial Office?”

Yang Lun was startled.

“What do you mean? How to change it?”

Yang Wan said: “His Majesty might reactivate the Eastern Depot established by the previous emperor. If His Majesty seeks the Cabinet’s counsel on this matter, my lord shouldn’t avoid the issue – nominate Deng Ying.”

“Nominate Deng Ying?”

Yang Lun raised his voice, “Absurd! The Tongjia Academy people were imprisoned because of him, and now that Zhou Congshan has died tragically, he would use their deaths to advance himself. What are his intentions? How will the Supervising Secretaries of the Six Ministries and the Censors view him? Yang Wan, he’s digging his own grave!”

“But if not this way, how can you break the deadlock between the Cabinet and the Ceremonial Office? How can you check the Northern Disciplinary Command? My lord, you’ve tried before, and the result is this bloodbath we see now, you all…”

“Silence!”

After hearing her words, Yang Lun’s voice suddenly turned cold. “Do you know what you’re saying? As a female palace official of the inner court, you’re communicating with outside officials. If I report this matter, it’s a capital offense – do you understand?”

“Then report it.”

Yang Wan pressed her lips together. “Since you brought me back from Nanhai, I’ve caused many troubles for the family, but neither you nor sister-in-law have blamed me. Instead, it was I who recklessly only thought of saving myself. I’ve long wanted to sincerely apologize to you. If you feel my words violate your principles as an official and a person, then deal with me as you see fit.”

“Yang Wan!”

“I say this not to wound you, my lord, but because I truly regret my actions. I have indeed been presumptuous and deserve punishment, but I hope you will hear my words. Today at the execution ground, when I heard those words ‘May my flesh and blood falling to earth pave a righteous path for future generations, may my bones become trees, spreading canopies to shelter those who follow,’ I truly…”

Her voice caught here, making it difficult to continue.

She had to cough several times before continuing: “I truly cannot bear to see them die in vain.”

After speaking, she looked at Yang Lun with reddened eyes. “Perhaps both Deng Ying and I will face retribution for my words, but I can’t worry about that now. I want to help Deng Ying, and I want to help you all.”

Yang Lun shook his head at her words.

His heart ached.

“Why do you say such things? You’re my sister – your brother is here to shield you from any trouble. You just need to attend to Her Highness well, and behave properly in the palace, and when you’re of age, your brother will bring you home and find you the best husband in the land. Why do you want to follow that neither human nor ghost…”

He suddenly realized he was speaking of Deng Ying, and seeing Yang Wan’s red eyes, he stopped himself.

“You must understand, with your brother here, no one can harm you – not even Zhang Luo!”

Yang Wan felt a chill in her heart.

In this era, those who could truly hurt her were never the ones who treated her badly. She wasn’t saddened by Zhang Luo’s contempt or Yi Lang’s criticism. What truly hurt her were the brilliant spirits in this dark political environment, and people like Deng Ying who refused to give up.

So she wanted to say: let’s try, let’s try to help Deng Ying.

This thought seemed somewhat naive even to herself, like betting several generations of research results, betting the later dialectical materialism, betting the materialist view of history, betting her ten years of training as a Ming Dynasty historian – to fight an impossible battle. Thinking about it, it truly seemed tragic.

“I know you’ve always wanted to protect your sister and give her a good life. I’ve disappointed you.”

“Yang Wan!”

Yang Lun could barely contain himself. “Do you remember your childhood?”

Yang Wan lowered her head in silence, and after a long while said: “I’ve forgotten much of it.”

Yang Lun was speechless below the horse, and after a long time finally exhaled a damp, sour breath through his nose.

“No wonder.”

He sighed deeply. “I’m still treating you like a little girl.”

He shrugged and smiled, turning his head to the side and saying softly: “Never mind…”

In this “never mind,” Yang Wan heard disappointment and a kind of helpless understanding.

“Brother…”

She had barely uttered the first word when Yang Lun waved his hand to cut her off. “I’ll think carefully about what you’ve said.”

Hearing him say this, Yang Wan finally let out a long breath on horseback.

She closed her eyes and said nothing more, but after a moment of silence, she pressed her lips together and looked back toward the execution ground.

People were already collecting the bodies of Zhou Congshan and the others.

The voices of the dead still lingered, crying tears of blood across six hundred years, telling her, a person from the future, not to be afraid.

Yang Wan looked at the people on the execution platform, released her pressed lips, and turned back to say:

“Also, for His Majesty to activate the Eastern Depot, he still needs an opening. Rather than asking His Majesty’s forgiveness for the Tongjia Academy case, you and Elder Bai should submit a petition requesting mercy for the remaining Tongjia Academy students. This will give His Majesty the opening he needs.”

Yang Lun nodded. “I had thought of this, but regarding Deng Ying’s matter, I cannot decide alone. I need to discuss it with my teachers.”

“Good.”

Yang Wan prepared to dismount.

Yang Lun held her arm, letting her step on his knee to come down, and whispered: “Wan’er, no matter what, you cannot involve Her Highness and the young prince.”

Yang Wan responded softly: “Don’t worry, I will protect them.”

Yang Lun couldn’t help but laugh. “Silly girl, who do you think you are? They are the ones protecting you.”

Yang Wan tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Yes, I’m being presumptuous in front of my brother again.”

Although both had spoken from the heart, they couldn’t linger long at the East Prosperity Gate.

After exchanging a few more words, they parted, and Yang Wan entered the palace gate alone.

There was still some time before the hour of si. Thinking about how she had taken leave from the Department of Imperial Garments and left many duties to Song Yunqing, she planned to return to the Fifth Bureau to change clothes and find Song Yunqing. Just as she reached Renshou Palace, she saw eunuchs from the Ceremonial Office hurrying toward Wansui Mountain on the other side of the moat.

Yang Wan hadn’t paid much attention at first, but just as she returned to the Fifth Bureau, Song Yunqing grabbed her and said: “Good thing I waited, or I would have missed you.”

Yang Wan pulled her wrist free, seeing her troubled expression.

“What’s wrong? I was just about to change clothes and come find you at the Department of Imperial Garments.”

Song Yunqing said: “When you came, didn’t you see the people from the Ceremonial Office duty room all heading to the Ceremonial Office?”

Yang Wan nodded. “Did something happen?”

Song Yunqing pressed her lips together. “Director He has ordered forty strokes of the rod for Deputy Director Deng, and commanded all internal supervisors of the eighth rank and above in the Ceremonial Office to witness the punishment.”

“What?”

Yang Wan instinctively turned around, but Song Yunqing quickly grabbed her. “We female officials shouldn’t go there. Madam Jiang was afraid you would act rashly, that’s why she sent me to find you.”

Yang Wan stopped in her tracks. “What offense did he commit? Do we know now?”

Song Yunqing shook her head. “They say he missed his duty at the Internal School, but that’s just an excuse. I had Li Yu try to ask his godfather, and he’ll come back to tell you when he has news. Or you can ask him yourself after the punishment is over.”

“How could I ask?”

Yang Wan gripped her sleeve, her voice trembling.

Song Yunqing quickly grabbed Yang Wan’s sleeve again, stepping in front of her and looking at her earnestly: “Yang Wan, this is an internal punishment of the Ceremonial Office, and he is one of their own. No one can interfere. No matter how much it pains you, you must endure.”