“Your Highness, the Disciplinary Office people have arrived. Shall we take him outside?”
Yi Lang glanced outside before looking down and saying, “No need. Do it here.”
The study was cramped, so only one person from the Disciplinary Office entered. Without a punishment bench, the servants could only hold Deng Ying’s arms as they made him lie face down. To prevent him from struggling, two servants pressed down on his shoulders from either side. One of them couldn’t help whispering to him, “Superintendent, please endure it…”
Though these words offered little practical help, they could be considered a comfort.
But in truth, for Deng Ying, except for that one cut that made him a eunuch, he had never felt humiliated by any subsequent punishment. This time he was even willing to accept it, viewing it as the consequence of “hurting” Yang Wan. Compared to death by a thousand cuts, this could be considered merciful.
“Begin.”
The punisher hesitated, not immediately bringing down the cane, trying to wait for some hint about the severity.
But Yi Lang rebuked him: “What are you waiting for?”
Hearing this, the punisher guessed there would be no mercy in this beating.
There was an art to punishing servants in the inner court, mainly depending on whether the master showed mercy. Yi Lang was still too young, and this was his first time ordering a punishment. He didn’t understand what his words would mean for Deng Ying.
When the first stroke fell, Deng Ying’s upper body involuntarily jerked upward, and those holding his shoulders quickly pressed him back down. He tried to find something to grip on the ground, and fortunately, the desk leg was within reach. As he struggled to move forward slightly, the punisher, thinking he was trying to avoid the blows, struck even harder than the first time as a warning, almost crushing his body against the ground.
A metallic taste rose in Deng Ying’s throat – he knew this was blood rushing up. If it turned to fire attacking his heart, it would be dangerous.
He gave up all struggling, forcing himself to lie as still as possible.
Seeing his cooperative posture, the punisher finally eased up slightly.
The servants saw his hands clenched tight, and though his body no longer moved, it continued to tremble finely, even spasming. They thought of how since Noble Consort Ning went to the Banana Garden, everyone in Chengqian Palace had relied on the Eastern Depot to avoid being looked down upon by the Twenty-Four Bureaus. This debt of gratitude was not small, and Deng Ying had never asked them to repay it. Seeing him like this now was heartbreaking.
Qing Meng, who served Yi Lang, couldn’t help pleading, “Your Highness, please show some mercy… for Lady Wan’s sake… spare Superintendent Deng.”
Yi Lang didn’t call for a stop, only looking down at Deng Ying.
After ten strokes, blood had soaked through Deng Ying’s silk pants, and the sound of the cane was no longer as muffled as at first, now carrying a cracking quality. Deng Ying bit down hard on his sleeve – at first, he could maintain his grip, but later he couldn’t, his jaw trembling with each stroke.
“Your Highness…”
“Speak.”
He had wanted to beg for mercy, but remembering this beating was to atone for his transgression in Yang Wan’s chambers last night, he forced himself to lie still again. However, the punisher showed no mercy for his internal “repentance” – the swollen flesh split open, and blood immediately soaked through his clothes, flowing onto the ground.
Looking at the blood beneath him, Yi Lang didn’t think of the accounts he’d read in history books about wise emperors eliminating the evil of eunuchs and punishing them. Instead, he thought of Zhou Congshan, Huang Ran…
When these people were treated this way under the Great Ming law, did they also resist imperial authority in this life-disregarding way, yet maintain an almost “devout” posture during punishment to uphold the dignity of the law and the emperor?
“Stop for now.”
“Yes.”
The caning stopped, but Deng Ying’s body was spasming severely. Only now did he finally have a chance to grab the desk leg.
“Do you know your error?”
“I know my error…”
“The rest will be forgiven.”
Deng Ying coughed several times, “Thank… Your Highness… for your mercy.”
Yi Lang raised his head, “Take him out.”
Qing Meng and the others hurriedly supported Deng Ying’s arms. He could no longer walk at all, and they dared not drag him, so they could only put his arms over their shoulders and slowly move him out.
Seeing Deng Ying being brought out, the guards opened the side gate.
Yang Wan turned around and heard Qing Meng’s crying, “Lady Wan… I’m sorry, it was my fault the Superintendent was harmed.”
This grief pierced Yang Wan’s heart and lungs.
She looked at Deng Ying helplessly, wanting to support him but afraid of hurting him.
“Yang Wan, don’t cry…”
Only then did Yang Wan realize that though she hadn’t sobbed aloud, her tears had broken free without her noticing.
“I’m sorry, Deng Ying, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”
At this moment she could say nothing else, only apologize to him repeatedly.
“Yang Wan, remember, I deserved this punishment. Don’t argue with His Highness…”
After speaking, he had to close his eyes against the pain.
Qing Meng said, “Lady Wan, what should we do… the Extreme Gate is already locked at this hour.”
Yang Wan said, “Don’t panic. Take him back to the guardhouse by the city moat and hand him over to Li Yu. Tell Li Yu not to touch him yet, wait for me to return.”
Then she looked at Deng Ying, “Don’t fall asleep.”
“Alright, I won’t sleep.”
Yang Wan gently squeezed Deng Ying’s hanging hand, “I’ll listen to you and not argue with His Highness, but you must also listen to me – stop saying you deserved this punishment, or I’ll be like you and never forgive myself.”
After speaking, she released his hand and walked directly toward the rear hall.
The servants of Chengqian Palace didn’t dare speak when they saw Yang Wan. Even the servant kneeling in the study cleaning blood stains hurriedly withdrew when she entered. Yi Lang was reading at his desk, the lamplight casting his shadow on the antique shelf, somehow resembling the Zhenning Emperor.
Yang Wan walked to Yi Lang’s front and knelt.
“Aunt…”
“It was my fault, why punish him?”
Yi Lang raised his head, “I told you, Aunt, I can forgive you, but only you alone.”
Yang Wan smiled through her tears, her breath scalding, “Yi Lang, your aunt truly hates you.”
Yi Lang put down his book and stood up, “Aunt, do not be insolent.”
Yang Wan stared directly into Yi Lang’s eyes, “You are this servant’s nephew, the scholars’ good student, and the Crown Prince of the Great Ming. Everything you do is correct – upright, intelligent, often making your aunt ashamed when you rebuke her. Living in the Great Ming, I am willing to exhaust everything to protect you, Yi Lang… Your aunt asks for nothing, only that you show some mercy to Deng Ying. Your aunt has nothing, she only has him…”
Yi Lang walked to Yang Wan’s side, trying to help her up, “Aunt, what are you saying? You still have Yi Lang, don’t you want Yi Lang anymore?”
His voice trembled slightly as if shocked by Yang Wan’s words.
Yang Wan looked at Yi Lang’s hand supporting her arm, “Your aunt will still protect Your Highness.”
Yi Lang raised his tear-filled face, shaking Yang Wan’s arm, “Aunt, why are you like this? Today before I went to Wenhua Hall, I saw him coming out of your chambers. He was disrespectful to you, I was only disciplining him. I was already very merciful to him! As long as he doesn’t disrespect you again, I won’t punish him like that!”
Yang Wan listened to Yi Lang’s words but didn’t speak again.
This silence truly frightened Yi Lang. He crouched down and kept trying to grab Yang Wan’s hands pressed against the ground, “Aunt… Aunt, please don’t stay silent.”
Yang Wan lowered her head and looked at him quietly.
“What do you want your aunt to say?”
“I’m sorry, Aunt, please don’t ignore me. I can no longer see Mother… if Aunt ignores Yi Lang, Yi Lang will be all alone.”
As he spoke, he gradually lost that maturity beyond his years, tears bursting forth as he cried inconsolably before Yang Wan.
“Aunt, I’m sorry… Yi Lang regrets it too, the punishment was too severe, but Aunt, I don’t want to see Aunt together with him. When I grow up, I’ll let Aunt leave the palace, get you an official title, and let Aunt live gloriously for life. Aunt… please don’t ignore Yi Lang…”
He cried with constant sobs. He had already been feverish, and now the fever grew worse – his forehead burning hot, his breath frighteningly warm.
Yang Wan reached out to feel his back, touching a patch of sweat that had gone cold half a day ago.
“When did the fever start?”
“Yi Lang doesn’t know.”
He spoke while crying.
Yang Wan raised her sleeve to wipe away his tears.
“Does it hurt?”
Yi Lang shook his head. “Yi Lang doesn’t hurt.”
Yang Wan untied her outer garment and wrapped it around Yi Lang, “Come, get up and go rest with Lady He Yu. Tomorrow, your aunt will go to Wenhua Hall to request leave from your teachers for you.”
But Yi Lang grabbed onto Yang Wan.
“Aunt.”
“Yes?”
“Please report to the Empress and summon the Imperial Physician for me.”
Yang Wan crouched down, “Tell your aunt, are you in great pain? Don’t lie to me.”
Yi Lang said with red eyes, “If you summon the Imperial Physician, they’ll open the Extreme Gate, and then Aunt can go get medicine. I’m sorry, Aunt, I didn’t mean to beat him so severely. My heart has been aching, I just didn’t want to say it.”
Yang Wan asked him softly, “Was this your first time ordering a punishment?”
“Yes.”
Yi Lang nodded, “Yi Lang will be more careful with punishments in the future, show mercy to those below, not be cruel. Will Aunt forgive Yi Lang?”
Hearing these words, Yang Wan bent down and embraced Yi Lang. In her arms, he cried even harder than before.
Yang Wan held this trembling child but couldn’t speak words of comfort.
In this dynasty, a group of people staked their lives on him, including Deng Ying.
But he also held the lives of many in his hands.
The “family-state” social system collapsed precisely because of its unfairness.
One can live a life for the greater good of the world, but that greater good shouldn’t take the form of any specific person.
At the guardhouse, Li Yu stood helplessly anxious outside Deng Ying’s door. Turning to see Yang Wan enter with red eyes, he said, “You’ve been crying?”
“Yes.”
“Ah, don’t cry. This isn’t the first time – I’ve been through worse, and look at me now, still fine, right? Just without medicine, when the fever comes at night, it will be very uncomfortable.”
Yang Wan took out medicine from her clothes, “I brought some.”
Li Yu grabbed the medicine and looked at it, “Amitabha, I’ll go in and apply it for him right away.”
Yang Wan took the medicine and moved to push open the door.
Li Yu quickly stopped her, “Didn’t you always say patients need privacy? What are you doing now? Just wait here.”
Yang Wan was pushed to the window, but she didn’t stay there, instead walking a few steps toward Li Yu.
“Li Yu.”
“Yes?”
“Thank you for helping me take care of him, but not tonight.”
Li Yu scratched his head, “Yang Wan, this isn’t proper…”
“It’s fine, give me the medicine.”
Li Yu had to return the medicine to Yang Wan.
“I’ve boiled water, it’s on the table, still very hot, be careful.”
“Alright.”
Yang Wan pushed open the door and entered. The lamplight immediately cast her shadow onto Deng Ying’s back.
“Not asleep?”
“No…”
Deng Ying’s voice was very soft.
Yang Wan sat down by the bed, “Second time.”
Deng Ying gave a coughing laugh, “What second time?”
“Second time seeing you like this.”
“Yes, Wan Wan, I’m truly pathetic.”
Yang Wan lifted the blanket covering his body, revealing bloodstains beneath.
“Where are your clothes? I’ll help you change.”
“In the cabinet behind you… take an old one, the less starched ones are softer.”
“Alright.”
Yang Wan used the moment of turning her back to forcefully hold back her tears.
“Let me tell you, though I’ve seen you like this twice, I’ve never cared for such wounds before. I might hurt you in a moment, but you’re not allowed to make a fuss, understand?”
Deng Ying laughed softly.
“I won’t make a sound.”
“That’s good.”
Yang Wan reached out to sort through Deng Ying’s clothes, but the person behind her continued speaking: “Yang Wan, did I hurt you last night?”
Yang Wan’s back stiffened.
“No, not at all. For a woman, that was the best way.”
She turned around as she spoke, “It didn’t bring any harm at all, and Deng Ying, you were truly gentle and very restrained. Though you didn’t quite understand, you watched me the whole time, worried I might be uncomfortable or in pain, putting my feelings first. Deng Ying, let me ask you, in this world besides you, who else would treat me this way?”