Yang Wan spent another sleepless night. Fighting through excruciating pain, she lay in her bedding trying to envision how tomorrow’s imperial interrogation would unfold.

Though the Great Ming Dynasty had not yet reached its hundredth year, because the founding ancestors came from humble origins, each generation of emperors had dedicated themselves to forging heaven’s authority. Harsh punishments restricted the words and actions of both the inner court personnel and officials, but the excessive severity often led to backlash.

During the previous dynasty’s Renyin Palace Incident (1), palace servants, unable to bear the oppression, nearly succeeded in a plot to kill the previous emperor. This forced him to move out of his sleeping quarters to the Western Gardens, where he practically abandoned thoughts of intimacy, spending his days cultivating the Dao until finally returning to Qianqing Palace only after death.

Emperor Zhennin learned from his father’s lesson. After ascending the throne, he ordered the Palace Governance Office to strictly regulate the inner palace. Except for the Empress, all consorts trembled in fear before the emperor.

Due to the consorts’ fear, Emperor Zhennin became increasingly stubborn and naturally favored women like Noble Consort Jiang, who came from palace maid origins – lacking in knowledge but compliant in everything and constantly seeking his pity.

Although Consort Ning was exceptionally beautiful, her personality was aloof, unlike Noble Consort Jiang who knew how to flatter Emperor Zhennin.

She was often reprimanded for “failings” such as “inadequate responses,” and coupled with her dignity and pride, she rarely begged the emperor for forgiveness even when punished. Emperor Zhennin had always felt both love and hatred for this aspect of Consort Ning’s character.

When in a good mood, he found Consort Ning like an exquisitely carved work of art; when in a poor mood, he found her detestable.

Historical records contained no definitive cause or date for Consort Ning’s death.

Most historical materials glossed over it with just the phrase “fell from favor.”

Yet why would a woman of such beauty fall from the emperor’s favor without reason?

Yang Wan closed her eyes, gathering all the related documents in her mind. Combined with current circumstances, she could determine that the spring-summer transition of Zhennin’s twelfth year was when Consort Ning lost favor. The reason was none other than the Crane Residence case exposing her relationship with Zheng Yuejia. As for Emperor Zhennin later killing three hundred palace women to conclude the Crane Residence case, it must have been to erase this utterly shameful matter for Emperor Zhennin himself.

Though Yang Wan had sorted through all the events and foresaw the outcome, her heart remained unsettled.

Tomorrow the emperor would question her personally. Then, in history without her presence, who did the emperor question tomorrow? What did that person say? Yang Wan had no way of knowing. If this were a precise historical record, she could now preemptively avoid mistakes and respond better. But in the hundreds of years of the Great Ming Dynasty, countless days and nights passed, with prosperity and decline often transforming in an instant, shifting hundreds and thousands of times – how many words could the “History of Ming” contain? Large sections narrating events, small sections evaluating people, and no human sentiment between the lines. For Yang Wan now, it was like a seemingly logically rigorous academic skeleton – when trying to write with it, she would find errors everywhere, leaving no place to begin.

Her mind was entangled, she truly couldn’t sleep. In the latter half of the night, she heard the sound of rain.

Unable to help herself, she propped up to turn over, accidentally pressing on Deng Ying’s arm.

Yang Wan had expected him to speak, but he merely coughed softly in the darkness, slowly withdrew his arm, and casually pulled the blanket up over her shoulders.

The rain drummed on the eaves like strumming a zither, with large patches of moisture seeping into the bricks.

The next day at dawn, just as the rain stopped, Palace Ceremonial Office Supervising Secretary Eunuch Hu Xiang arrived at the door with Imperial Guard personnel.

Deng Ying walked out from the duty room and bowed to Hu Xiang.

Hu Xiang lowered his head and asked, “Can she walk on her own?”

Deng Ying straightened up and replied, “She still needs support.”

Hu Xiang said, “His Majesty intends to question her in the Eastern Investigation Bureau hall. You may be present.”

“Understood.”

Raindrops trickled softly into puddles under the eaves.

After these simple exchanges establishing the interrogation arrangements, both Deng Ying and Hu Xiang fell silent.

Though this questioning of Yang Wan was within the inner court, no one could mediate.

Bureau guards brought Yang Wan out of the duty room. She still wore only her middle garments, her hair undone. Still feverish, her face was intensely flushed though her lips were deathly pale.

Hu Xiang said, “Today the Master will question you personally. I have a few things to tell you first.”

Yang Wan nodded, “Please speak, Eunuch Hu.”

“The Eastern Investigation Bureau is an inner court office. His Majesty summoning you back from the Northern Investigation Office prison was originally meant as amnesty. But if you deceive the emperor, the crime will be unforgivable – no one in the palace can save your life. You’re only nineteen, still young. If you can think for yourself, you should think for yourself. His Majesty is merciful and will forgive you.”

These words were meant to break Yang Wan’s mental defenses.

Yang Wan raised her head to look at Hu Xiang, “Your servant dares not deceive His Majesty.”

“Good. Since you understand, take her away.”

The Bureau guards knew of her torture wounds’ pain, so they walked very slowly. Fortunately, the Western duty room was only a few hundred meters from the Eastern Investigation Bureau. When Yang Wan was brought to the main hall of the Eastern Bureau, the emperor’s procession had not yet arrived. The guards helped Yang Wan kneel, and she pressed against the ground to bow down. After catching her breath for a moment, it felt somewhat better than standing.

Deng Ying crouched down, “You haven’t eaten anything – can you endure?”

Yang Wan nodded, “Eating would make me less clear-headed. I’m fine.”

Just then, all the Bureau guards standing in the corridor knelt. Deng Ying also fell silent, lifting his robe to kneel beside Yang Wan in greeting.

“All rise.”

A tall, thin figure passed by Yang Wan. The speaking voice didn’t sound particularly old.

Everyone except Yang Wan rose in response.

“Deng Ying.”

The emperor called out from the front.

“Your servant is here.”

“Bring her in.”

“Yes.”

Deng Ying supported Yang Wan’s arm to stand and walk into the main hall.

“Close the door.”

“Yes.”

The Eastern Bureau’s main hall had only one west-facing window. Once the door closed, darkness fell all around.

Deng Ying helped Yang Wan kneel and lit the bronze lamp beside Emperor Zhennin. The lamp’s light fell on Yang Wan’s face and cast the emperor’s shadow beside her knees.

She instinctively wanted to look at Emperor Zhennin, but heard Deng Ying say: “Record Keeper Yang, do not raise your head.”

“Yes…”

Emperor Zhennin said: “No matter, raise your head and let Us see.”

Yang Wan lifted her head in response. Emperor Zhennin glanced at the blood seeping through her middle garments and asked Deng Ying, “How many times did the Northern Investigation Office question her?”

Deng Ying replied, “In response to Your Majesty, only once.”

Emperor Zhennin nodded, “Your report was timely.” Then he looked down at Yang Wan, “Your name is Yang Wan, correct?”

“Yes.”

Emperor Zhennin supported his forehead, recalling for a moment, “In Zhennin’s seventh year, Consort Ning asked the Empress Dowager to arrange your marriage to the Zhang family. We didn’t interfere in this matter, but We still remember – why didn’t you marry afterward?”

Yang Wan lowered her head, “Your servant fell from a cliff and was away from home for long. The Zhang family doubted your servant’s chastity was lost, thus the marriage did not proceed.”

Emperor Zhennin nodded, “Ah, We remember now. Because of this matter, We even reprimanded Zhang Luo last year.”

“Your servant thanks Your Majesty for supporting your servant then.”

Emperor Zhennin gave a cold laugh. “Knowing to give thanks – not entirely foolish.”

After speaking, his fingers tapped lightly on the tea table as he turned the conversation to a critical point.

“We ask you, when did Consort Ning and Zheng Yuejia become acquainted?”

“The Zheng and Yang families were indeed old acquaintances. Your servant and sister had indeed met Secretary Zheng.”

Her answer somewhat surprised Emperor Zhennin.

“Is this how you spoke in the Northern Investigation Office as well?”

Yang Wan shook her head, “No…”

“Then how did you speak?”

“Your servant under torture in prison… feared being unable to endure the torture, spoke nonsense, so kept begging for mercy without saying anything.”

Emperor Zhennin stood up, “Very well, you may speak before Us now. We won’t torture you – if what you say displeases Us, We’ll simply kill you.”

Yang Wan coughed several times, supporting herself on the ground as she raised her head, “If Your Majesty killing your servant could stop these rumors, protect your sister’s reputation, and maintain Your Majesty’s and the royal family’s name, then your servant willingly accepts death.”

Emperor Zhennin walked before Yang Wan with hands behind his back, silently looking down at her for a moment before speaking in a deep voice: “We don’t understand why you’re so willing to die.”

Yang Wan gripped her trembling hands, “If Your Majesty doesn’t kill your servant, will you send your servant back to prison?”

Emperor Zhennin neither confirmed nor denied.

Yang Wan pressed her pain-whitened lips together.

“Does Your Majesty know why Lord Zhang learned before Your Majesty that sister and Secretary Zheng were old acquaintances?”

Emperor Zhennin was startled by these words, his hands behind his back unconsciously clenching into fists.

Yang Wan could barely maintain her kneeling position now. The high fever made her dizzy, her stomach churning. She ruthlessly pinched her leg wound, using the pain to keep herself clear-headed, and continued speaking: “They didn’t care about Your Majesty’s reputation at all – they just wanted… to make sister bear the crime of harming the prince… The Northern Investigation Office tortured me and Secretary Zheng – regardless of which of us broke under torture, making false confessions… The next day, Your Majesty’s imperial desk would have memorials calling for the sister’s dismissal… Sister was wronged, and how could Your Majesty not also be wronged… Fortunately, Your Majesty had Bureau Director Deng assist in investigating this case, allowing your servant the fortune to state these matters before Your Majesty. Otherwise… your servant’s mad ravings in prison, even dying ten thousand deaths would not atone for the crime.”

After finishing this speech, Yang Wan had nearly exhausted all her energy. Her vision darkened, and she had to grab the chair leg beside her to barely maintain her kneeling position before the emperor.

Her nerves taut, she held her breath waiting for Emperor Zhennin’s reaction.

This was the only response Yang Wan could think of.

In this process, she had to maintain a grip on her current identity, could not wildly discuss Yang Lun and politics, and couldn’t even discuss the Crane Residence case. She only needed to grasp a monarch’s sensitive and arrogant nature, using words to deliver a measured strike.

The rest she would leave to this suspicious Emperor Zhennin to doubt on his own.

Though she had no certainty about what decision the emperor would make, she had already exhausted her mental capacity in trying to understand Emperor Zhennin as a ruler, seeking tiny cracks between imperial power and the Northern Investigation Office, creating a lifeline for Consort Ning and herself, while also creating an opportunity for the Eastern Bureau to take some power from the Northern Investigation Office.

However, she dared not be as confident as when she saved Zheng Yuejia, because her own life and death now also hung on Emperor Zhennin’s momentary whim.

“Yang Wan, these words of yours, We consider sincere.”