In the main hall of Yang Palace, the kitchen staff had withdrawn to the corridor.

The Chief Eunuch of the Imperial Kitchen, fearing the food would get cold, called for people to bring velvet cloth to cover the food boxes. Bai Yuyang, standing in the corridor watching everyone’s actions, called the Chief Eunuch forward and pointed at the velvet cloth, saying: “You’ve gone too far with this.”

The Chief Eunuch became somewhat flustered.

With Bai Huan gravely ill at home, Bai Yuyang was now the First Minister of the Cabinet. The Ceremonial Office was almost entirely imprisoned now, and the new emperor was still young, had not been raised by eunuchs, and had a temperament very different from the late emperor. These inner court eunuchs of the Twenty-four Bureaus, having lost their protection, were extremely timid before this soon-to-be Prime Minister.

“Minister… where… where have we gone too far…”

Bai Yuyang said: “His Majesty is in mourning showing filial piety. He can eat cold food.”

“Yes, yes…”

The Chief Eunuch dared not explain. After He Yixian’s imprisonment, the Cabinet had used this to purge the inner court eunuch ranks, declaring outright: “Any who flatter and delude the sovereign will be punished alongside the criminal eunuchs of the Ceremonial Office.”

Bai Yuyang’s seemingly light comment had pushed the Chief Eunuch to the edge of a cliff. Before being crushed to dust, he had no choice but to admit fault to seek survival: “We servants know our error.”

Bai Yuyang nodded and glanced inside the food boxes.

During the great mourning period, slaughter was forbidden, but the kitchen couldn’t let the new emperor go without any meat or oil. The tofu in the box had been fried in wine lees oil, and now cold, the oil on top had congealed into a bright white crust.

“Minister… this…”

The Chief Eunuch’s legs began to wobble as he spoke.

“Let this one go today.”

Yang Lun picked up the conversation: “Minister Bai, we should judge people, but we shouldn’t go to extremes in correcting wrongs.”

“That’s not right.”

Bai Yuyang turned around, speaking directly: “The iron laws of our Founding Emperor have been scattered for so many years. Now that we’re reorganizing and enforcing them strictly, you call this going to extremes? Secretary Yang, there are some things I don’t want to say explicitly. Since the Tongjia tragedy until now, the nation’s wounds run deep, you and I both see this. Court politics has suffered from the eunuch disaster, everyone is bound in chains, unable to take a step. If today’s handling of the Ceremonial Office and Eastern Depot makes you, Yang Lun, think we’re going to extremes, then you needn’t submit your memorial today.”

Having finished, he turned his back with a flick of his sleeve.

Yang Lun cupped his hands: “My words were inappropriate, please forgive me.”

Bai Yuyang snorted.

The Chief Eunuch, seeing he had caused an argument between the two ministers, was terrified.

Seeing Bai Yuyang’s lack of response, Yang Lun simply lowered his hands and turned to the Chief Eunuch: “Go attend to your duties.”

“Yes.”

Just then, Qingmeng came out from the inner palace, and Bai Yuyang and Yang Lun’s group immediately straightened their clothes.

Qingmeng bowed to the Cabinet Ministers: “His Majesty summons the ministers.”

Bai Yuyang responded by walking to the front and seeing Yang Lun hadn’t moved, the other Cabinet Ministers didn’t dare break rank.

Yang Lun turned back and waved his hand, “Ministers, please walk ahead. I’ll follow behind.”

Only then did he turn and walk to the back.

The Cabinet Ministers then lifted their robes and walked forward, entering the inner palace to perform the great ceremony between sovereign and subject.

Yilang called “Rise,” and the ministers straightened their clothes and stood. Bai Yuyang, seeing Yilang dressed in plain clothes with mourning garments over them, and only Qingmeng standing in attendance, was very satisfied and praised with cupped hands: “Your Majesty shows pure filial piety.”

Yilang didn’t say much, only rose and said: “If the ministers have matters to report, please speak.”

“Yes.”

Bai Yuyang stepped forward: “The Court of Judicial Review and the Censorate, together with the Ministry of Justice, have concluded the trial of the Ceremonial Office case. We now present the case files for Your Majesty’s imperial decision.”

Qingmeng took the files and presented them before Yilang, who reached out to accept them and opened them on the table.

None of the ministers spoke as Yilang read word by word. After half a cup of tea’s time, he looked toward the Left Censorate Inspector.

“Chief Inspector.”

“Your servant is here.”

“I wish to personally interrogate He Yixian and Deng Ying.”

“There is no need.”

Before the Left Censorate Inspector could speak, he was interrupted by Bai Yuyang.

Yilang looked up: “Personal interrogation for major crimes is an old system left by my Imperial Ancestor. When I should question, I shall question.”

Bai Yuyang said: “Your Majesty is still young, kind-hearted by nature, and easily deceived. It’s not appropriate to personally interrogate these criminal eunuchs.”

Yilang closed the files: “Minister, I know I am young and must carefully follow the Cabinet’s joint discussions. Please be assured, I won’t question the Three Departments’ joint trial. I only wish to personally observe justice. Chief Inspector, does my action violate any systems or laws?”

The Left Censorate Inspector said: “Your Majesty’s action demonstrates the fairness of criminal justice.”

Hearing the Left Censorate Inspector speak thus, Bai Yuyang stepped forward directly: “Your servant requests Your Majesty to pass judgment according to the Three Departments’ decision today.”

Yilang said evenly: “I will pass judgment after my interrogation.”

“Your Majesty!”

“If the Minister won’t permit it, then I shall summon the officials of the Court of Judicial Review to debate publicly with the Minister before me regarding the system of ‘personal interrogation for major crimes.'”

Bai Yuyang’s face turned pale.

Before today’s report, he hadn’t imagined the new emperor would use ‘personal interrogation for major crimes’ as a reason to suspend the Three Departments’ judgment, much less thought that he would force him to debate publicly with the Court of Judicial Review.

Seeing this scene, the other Cabinet Ministers also lowered their hands in silence.

Qi Huaiyang gently bumped the Minister of Rites’ shoulder, whispering: “Report the matter of ‘discussing rites.'”

Only then did the Minister of Rites cough once and step forward to break the deadlock, trembling as he reported on the Ministry of Rites’ matter of discussing posthumous titles for the late emperor.

With the deadlock broken, the Cabinet Ministers finally found their voices, though notably more cautious than usual.

By the time this matter was discussed to completion, the sun had already shifted west.

As the officials filed out of the hall one by one, the kitchen servants in the corridor had frozen red noses, and the several imperial dishes had long since lost any trace of aroma in the cold wind. Yang Wan, having just finished speaking with the Imperial Physician in the side chamber, put on her clothes and walked out. Seeing the Chief Eunuch standing helplessly in the corridor rubbing his hands, she walked forward and said: “The Cabinet Ministers have dispersed, you should quickly set out the meal. It’s already late.”

The Chief Eunuch hurriedly said: “Miss, the food has gotten cold…”

Hearing this, Yang Wan was somewhat surprised: “What kind of talk is this? If it’s cold, then heat it.”

“Miss Wan, the Minister…”

He only managed these few words before losing the courage to continue.

Yang Wan was briefly stunned before gradually understanding his meaning.

She rolled up her sleeves and opened the food boxes, seeing the dishes inside had frozen hard. She withdrew her hand and straightened up: “His Majesty has had excessive internal heat these past days. It’s good to avoid oily foods. You all go back and prepare another meal following the previous light dishes and send it over. If questioned, say I ordered it.”

“Yes…”

The Chief Eunuch spoke while unconsciously looking down at the terrace.

Yang Wan pulled her velvet clothes tighter, seeing Yang Lun and Bai Yuyang standing below the terrace.

Bai Yuyang kept pointing with his finger, emotions running high. Though Yang Lun stood silently opposite him listening, his hand by his leg gradually clenched into a fist.

“I see we’ve gone backward!” Bai Yuyang’s voice was somewhat trembling.

“You first…”

“What else do you have to say, Yang Lun? You used to dare to stand firm and argue even in the face of death. How have you now become inferior even to the likes of Qi Huaiyang? Before, you and I were prepared to risk our lives and families to oppose the edict, determined to be irreconcilable with the eunuch faction!”

As he spoke, he pointed back up at the terrace: “Fourteen years! How many have died tragically in the imperial prison, not even leaving complete bodies? You saw the deaths of the Tongjia Academy people. Are their lives worth less than a eunuch full of crimes? We had just purged the inner court, yet His Majesty secretly protected Deng Ying. How dare you not oppose such deviant behavior?”

Yang Lun pressed down Bai Yuyang’s arm with one hand.

“Didn’t you also not dare to oppose?”

“You…”

Yang Lun closed his eyes and calmed himself for a moment before releasing his hand: “He didn’t forge the edict. We forced him to take this step.”

“So what?”

Bai Yuyang said: “Should we commend him? Release him from prison, let him retake control of the Eastern Depot, and together with your sister, manipulate the young emperor to form another faction? Yang Lun, regardless of whether he was forced or not, His Majesty has already shown intent to illegally pardon him. He must be executed alongside He Yixian.”

Yang Lun felt deeply troubled and gradually lowered his stance, choking out: “Minister Bai, we’ve watched these dozen years of court politics unfold together, deeply understanding its muddy waters where the innocent have nowhere to appeal and the guilty roam free. We serve in the Cabinet, everything we do is to change this world, to make politics clear, and everyone able to act. If so, why must we still do what the eunuch faction did before, throwing innocent people into death cells? Minister Bai, what I’m doing now is simply trying to find a way out for someone wrongly accused. He asks for nothing else, and I seek nothing else…”

He raised one finger as he spoke: “Not reputation, just one life.”

Bai Yuyang coldly snorted, shouting: “Yang Lun, I’ll remember these unreasonable words of yours and impeach you when the time comes!”

“Bai Yuyang!”

Yang Lun, unable to contain himself any longer, called out Bai Yuyang’s name.

But Bai Yuyang didn’t respond, turning and striding away.

As Yang Lun was about to chase after him, someone behind him caught his sleeve. He turned to look and saw it was Yang Wan.

“Come back, endure it.”

Yang Lun’s shoulders slumped: “You heard.”

“Yes.”

Yang Wan nodded and released his hand, walking in front of him.

“What happened inside the hall?”

Yang Lun coughed twice, calming his voice: “His Majesty used ‘personal interrogation for major crimes’ to temporarily suspend the Three Departments’ judgment. But…”

He looked ahead and sighed deeply, letting out a long breath, forcing back the moisture in his eyes.

Yang Wan said: “Brother, just now, one thing you said was good.”

“At a time like this, you still…”

“You said…”

Yang Wan looked up, interrupting him: “You asked why we must still do what the eunuch faction did before, throwing innocent people into death cells. Brother, I mean it, you are someone who truly has justice in your heart.”

“What use is it?”

Yang Lun shook his head and laughed once: “He says we’ve gone backward, and I think we have too. You should leave the palace quickly. If you don’t leave the palace soon, sooner or later harm will come to you.”

“I know.”

Yang Lun raised his hand to adjust his official clothes, turning to look up at the corridor: “Yang Wan, I won’t go against my conscience. I’ll try my best to help negotiate for him.”

“Don’t negotiate anymore.”

Yang Wan said evenly: “The more you try to protect him, the more the Cabinet will fear him.”

Hearing this, Yang Lun wrung his hands, walked a few steps forward, and after a long silence finally said: “Don’t concern yourself with him either. His Majesty wants to conduct ‘personal interrogation for major crimes,’ the Grand Empress Dowager will surely personally observe. Yang Wan, at this time, you absolutely cannot speak much before His Majesty, otherwise, no one will be able to save you.”

“I understand everything. I won’t say anything or do anything. Everything depends on His Majesty.”

Yang Lun looked up and sighed: “If only he hadn’t been charged with ‘forging the imperial edict.'”

“Perhaps it can be erased.”

Hearing this, Yang Lun shook his head and laughed: “Now you’re talking nonsense.”

Yang Wan stepped forward: “Brother, forging an imperial edict can be either a criminal case or an inner court secret. Do you think the boundary between these two is clear?”