Deng Ying looked up at Yang Wan.
After Zhang Zhanchun’s death, no one would ever tell him, “Be obedient.”
If he were still a minister, he could have relied on those he respected.
But now, no matter where he sought support, he would become someone with a slave’s countenance. Deng Ying didn’t want to betray Zhang Zhanchun’s hopes for him, so he would rather be without shelter than retreat into the shade.
But Yang Wan was different – she didn’t belong to any shade of this dynasty.
Deng Ying felt that when he gave himself to her, he wasn’t a servant, but rather a “sinner” who, though condemned to death, still refused to repent.
Indeed, she too was a kind of “shackle,” but one he didn’t fear.
“Alright, I’ll listen to what you say…”
Yang Wan nodded with a smile, about to say something more when suddenly Heyu’s voice came from outside: “Couldn’t find you in the Fifth Division, so I came here directly.”
Yang Wan stood up, “What is it? Does Her Highness need something?”
“No.”
Heyu’s face showed joy as she bowed to Deng Ying before continuing, “Today Your Highness and your family brothers entered the palace. Her Highness asked me to fetch you back.”
“Is it… Master Yang?”
Heyu replied: “Not just Master Yang, the young master from the Yang household has come too.”
“Yang… Jing?”
“Yes.”
Though the name wasn’t unfamiliar to Yang Wan, she had little impression of the person.
Although the Yang family was an established household, few of their descendants had achieved much. Apart from Yang Lun, most of the offspring managed cotton textile businesses in Hangzhou. Only Yang Jing was still studying at the academy. Yang Jing was sixteen years old, born to a concubine, and not Yang Wan and Yang Lun’s full sibling, so he was rather quiet, studying outside daily and never inquiring about anything when he returned.
Yang Wan didn’t even know how they had interacted as “siblings” before.
“Why bring him to the palace suddenly?”
Heyu said: “I don’t know either, but this time Master Yang submitted his name card at the Donghua Gate. It was His Majesty’s grace, and even the feast was bestowed by His Majesty.”
Deng Ying spoke from the side: “He’s been appointed as the Crown Prince’s study companion in the Hall of Literary Splendor. Today he’s paying his respects to the Crown Prince and Vice Minister Zhang.”
“Study companion?”
Yang Wan looked at Deng Ying, “When did this happen?”
“End of last month.”
“Oh…”
Yang Wan lowered her head, silent for a moment.
Deng Ying asked: “What’s wrong?”
Yang Wan shook her head, “Nothing, I’m just wondering why they suddenly chose a child from the Yang family.”
Deng Ying said: “It was the Hanlin Academy’s recommendation. Originally, the Cabinet intended to recommend Yang Lun as a lecturer in the Hall of Literary Splendor, but Vice Minister Zhang didn’t approve.”
With Deng Ying’s explanation, Yang Wan understood.
Though Yang Lun was Yi Lang’s teacher, that was after Zhang Cong’s downfall.
Having Yang Jing enter as a study companion now must be a strategic move by Bai Huan and Yang Lun, settling for second best.
“Heyu, go back and report to Her Highness first. I’m not presentable like this, I need to return to the Fifth Division to change clothes.”
“Yes.”
Heyu acknowledged and withdrew.
Yang Wan adjusted her hair as she stood up, saying somewhat apologetically: “I said I’d come to help you clean up, but I just sat here for a while.”
Deng Ying shook his head, responding gently: “Let me escort you back.”
“Your injuries haven’t healed yet.”
Deng Ying also stood up, “I’m fine, let me walk with you for a while.”
Hearing this, Yang Wan bent down and grasped Deng Ying’s wrist, “Alright, then I’ll hold onto you, so you don’t fall on the way.”
They didn’t take the palace corridor but walked along the moat towards the Fifth Division in the north.
Deng Ying tried to walk behind Yang Wan, but she wouldn’t allow it. Whenever his steps slowed, she would stop and wait.
“How can I talk to you if you walk so far behind?”
“I can hear you.”
“But it tires me to ask questions.”
With her saying this, Deng Ying had no choice but to let Yang Wan lead him to her side.
Halfway there, his hand had long been chilled by the wind, but Yang Wan’s palm remained warm. Her stride wasn’t large, and the lotus jade pendant at her waist gently tapped against Deng Ying’s hand. He couldn’t help but look down, suddenly seeing the lotus bead he had carved, and unconsciously gripped her hand.
“Deng Ying.”
“Ah?”
Yang Wan saw he seemed somewhat dazed and slowed her pace further.
“Will you no longer manage the imperial city construction?”
“Yes…”
He coughed once, collecting his thoughts before answering seriously: “The subsequent work has been assigned to Xu Qi by the Ministry of Works.”
“Don’t you feel it’s a bit of a shame?”
Deng Ying didn’t answer immediately, remaining silent for a moment before saying: “The imperial city construction has been ongoing for more than forty years. Even the teacher couldn’t participate from beginning to end. Now… though I no longer build it, I still dwell within it.”
This statement… truly carried a hint of “building one’s prison.”
Yang Wan felt uncomfortable and changed the topic: “What about the Eastern Investigation Bureau? Are you managing well?”
Deng Ying looked toward the gray-blue river surface, “Still reforming.”
“Is there much resistance?”
Deng Ying turned back to smile at her, “The resistance isn’t from the Ceremonial Department but from the Northern Security Office.”
Yang Wan stopped in her tracks, “How are you handling it now?”
Deng Ying said: “Using the Northern Security Office’s Embroidered Uniform Guard directly as Eastern Bureau guards, adding penal officials on top of the original two thousand households under the Eastern Bureau’s control – this is a necessary step.”
Yang Wan pursed her lips, “Will Zhang Luo agree? To give his men to your Eastern Bureau?”
Deng Ying shook his head, “Of course, he won’t agree, but it’s not difficult because this is also His Majesty’s wish.”
“Mm…”
Yang Wan looked up, “This way His Majesty can use the Eastern Bureau to monitor all the Northern Security Office’s judicial matters.”
“Mm.”
Deng Ying nodded, “You’ve always been very astute.”
Yang Wan wanted to say this was merely the advantage of a historical perspective, essentially hindsight.
“Being clever is of no use when you can’t do anything.”
Deng Ying bent slightly to meet Yang Wan’s eyes, “That’s for me to do.”
He paused before continuing, “Actually, in my position, there isn’t much I can do, but… as long as the Cabinet trusts me even a little, I won’t let what happened at Tongjia Academy happen again.”
“What if they don’t trust you?”
Deng Ying didn’t answer this question.
Had anyone in history trusted Deng Ying?
Perhaps only Yang Lun had trusted him.
Then during those few years Deng Ying lived, had anything similar to the Tongjia tragedy happened again?
No.
Even if the Cabinet hadn’t trusted him, he had ultimately fulfilled what he promised Yang Wan today.
He alone became the wall between the civil officials and the imperial power institutions like the Ceremonial Department and Northern Security Office. Yet those who wrote history still buried him in filth.
During the Jinghe years, the political environment was relatively clean. The Cabinet, led by Yi Lang and Yang Lun, implemented new policies. The people’s livelihood was prosperous, the borders were stable – it was a rare period of peace in Ming dynasty history. Yang Lun thus achieved lasting fame, and Emperor Jinghe was evaluated by later generations as a wise ruler.
Only Deng Ying, once a jade in the box…
The next line, which contained his name, became a self-fulfilling prophecy. Yang Wan couldn’t bear to recall it at this moment.
So she said nothing more, holding Deng Ying’s hand as they walked slowly forward.
After passing the Hall of Ancestral Worship, they turned into the palace corridor of the Inner Six Palaces. Just as Yang Wan released Deng Ying’s hand, she heard someone calling from behind, “Aunt.”
Yang Wan quickly turned around to see Yi Lang running towards her, followed by Yang Lun and a teenage boy.
“Your Highness…”
Before Yang Wan could react, Yi Lang had thrown himself into her arms.
Having not seen Yang Wan for a long time, he was even more affectionate than usual. Afraid he might fall, Yang Wan had to bend down to hold him.
Deng Ying stepped back two paces and knelt in greeting before Yi Lang.
By now Yang Lun and the youth had caught up. Yang Lun glanced at the kneeling Deng Ying without comment, then looked up at Yang Wan: “Why aren’t you attending to Her Highness in Chengqian Palace?”
Yang Wan, holding Yi Lang’s waist, replied: “Oh, the Registry summoned me for some matters. When Heyu came looking for me, I just learned you had received imperial grace to enter the palace today, so I hurried over.”
Seeing Deng Ying still prostrated on the ground, she steadied Yi Lang and stepped back herself, kneeling to pay respects to Yi Lang, “Your Highness, please forgive this servant’s lack of propriety.”
Seeing Yang Wan do this, Yi Lang finally noticed Deng Ying. He looked back at Yang Lun, who kept his jaw set and remained silent.
Yi Lang turned back, his mouth turning down as he said formally: “You may all rise.”
“Yes.”
Yang Wan stood up and only then did Deng Ying rise as well.
Yi Lang reached out to pull Yang Wan behind him, then walked a few steps toward Deng Ying.
“You are Deng Ying, the newly appointed Secretary Eunuch of the Ceremonial Department?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Yi Lang looked up at him, suddenly raising his voice, “Why were you walking together with my aunt?”
Yang Wan started, and Yang Lun also seemed taken aback.
“I forbid you to walk together with my aunt!”
“Your Highness, I…”
Yang Wan had just begun to speak when Yang Lun pulled her back. She wanted to break free but saw Deng Ying shaking his head at her.
He said nothing else, lifting his robe to kneel again, calmly requesting punishment: “This servant acknowledges his error.”
Yi Lang looked down at him: “You are the descendant of a criminal, a man who survived execution, only reaching your current position through my father’s heavenly grace. Yet instead of showing gratitude, you repeatedly damage my aunt’s reputation in the inner court – truly hateful!”
Yang Wan’s hand was held tightly by Yang Lun, but she felt no pain.
But at this moment, she also understood that she absolutely could not speak up.
This was the so-called “family empire.”
Deng Ying had told Yang Wan that before her, he was a sinner.
In a way, his thinking was the same as Yi Lang’s.
When Yi Lang regarded Yang Wan as his family member, Deng Ying’s existence became an insult to Yang Wan.
He wanted to protect Yang Wan, so he wouldn’t rebuke her for impropriety, ultimately forcing all the guilt onto Deng Ying.
Yang Wan could defend Deng Ying’s dignity before Zhang Luo, but she couldn’t say a single word for him before a child of a few years.
She felt somewhat at a loss.
This truly wasn’t the era she acknowledged. Everyone knew how to stand firm in their position, recognize their identity, and live contentedly, except Yang Wan, who didn’t know what her position was.
Having heard Yi Lang’s words, Deng Ying placed both hands on the ground, lowering his body, “Yes… I await Your Highness’s punishment.”
Yi Lang raised his head: “I won’t punish you today, out of consideration for Her Majesty the Empress’s recent fasting and accumulation of merit. But if you dare to damage my aunt’s reputation again in the future, I will have you dismembered.”
Hearing these words, Yang Wan’s mind exploded with a thunderous sound, her body lurching forward, nearly losing balance.
The words from this child’s mouth echoed Deng Ying’s oath and foretold his fate. For the first time in this past year, Yang Wan trembled at her existence in this era.
“Wan’er.”
Seeing her face turn pale, Yang Lun quickly supported her.
Yi Lang turned back at the sound, “Aunt, what’s wrong?”
Yang Wan slowly crouched down, reaching out to Yi Lang, who hesitated for a moment before obediently walking to her side and leaning into her embrace.
“Aunt, I don’t blame you.”
Yang Wan held this warm body, “This servant knows.”
“Then why are you sad?”
Yang Wan buried her head under Yi Lang’s chin, slowly exhaling, speaking softly to Yi Lang: “Aunt begs you, don’t treat him like this.”
Yi Lang also lowered his head, his mouth unconsciously tightening, “Aunt shouldn’t be like this.”
“I know…”
Yang Wan squeezed Yi Lang’s clenched little hand, “I’m sorry, Your Highness.”
Yi Lang glanced back at Deng Ying, “You may rise first.”
Then he released Yang Wan’s grip on his hand and instead took her hand himself, “Aunt, don’t be sad anymore. I’ll take you and Master Yang back to find Mother Imperial Consort for some delicious food.”