Deng Ying did not return to the palace for several days.
Two days before the Zhonghe Festival (1), the Empress Dowager gave millet and white flour as a reward to each palace official to make cakes and smoke insects.
Yi Lang had a sore throat due to spring dryness, and later developed eye discharge. He kept complaining for several days. Qing Meng and others did not know the seriousness of the situation and gave him some more herbal water in Wenhua Hall, which caused diarrhea and ruined his appetite.
He didn't even drink a few sips of the porridge sent from the kitchen that day. He had diarrhea and an empty stomach. He felt listless and sat on the bed looking at Yang Wan pitifully.
Yang Wan helped Yi Lang change his clothes and brought him an incense burner for him to smell.
"Imperial Physician Luo said that this noodle has mint added to it, so it smells more refreshing. Your Highness, please try it."
Yi Lang held Yang Wan's arm, leaned in and took a sip, and immediately sneezed twice.
Yang Wan handed him her handkerchief and said, "Your nose is cleared up a bit now, right?"
Yi Lang shook his head, "Aunt, my throat and nose are still blocked."
Yang Wan put down the incense burner, "Ah... It's also my fault that I didn't take good care of His Highness. When the Queen was here, His Highness didn't suffer these hardships."
Yi Lang tugged at Yang Wan's sleeve and said, "It's okay. I don't like it at this time every year."
Yang Wan smiled and pulled up the quilt to cover him. "Tomorrow I will ask His Majesty for leave. Your Highness can lie down and rest for two days."
Yi Langdao leaned on the bed and said, "My aunt went to ask for leave from my father. Didn't everyone in Chengqian Palace get punished? I'm fine. I'll go to school tomorrow."
As he spoke, he reached out to take the book beside the couch, and Yang Wan hurriedly handed it to him.
“Still watching.”
"Yeah. It's a little late these days, and the factory official didn't come. There are some things that the masters have explained but I still can't figure out, and I've always wanted to ask the factory official. By the way, aunt, yesterday was the day to give him medicine, and Imperial Doctor Luo came, so why didn't he come?"
"Um… "
Yang Wan was a little hesitant and didn't know how to tell Yi Lang.
Yi Lang placed the book on his knees and said to Yang Wan, "Aunt, everyone in the house and outside has been scolding him recently."
Yang Wan touched Yi Lang's head and said, "It's okay. Your Highness can also scold him this time."
Yi Lang shook his head, "I won't scold him anymore."
Yang Wan was stunned, "Why?"
Yi Lang pinched the sleeve of his pajamas and said, "The factory official said something to me."
"What?"
Yi Lang raised his head and said, "He didn't allow me to tell you, aunt."
Yang Wan smiled and said, "There are things between your Highness and the officials that your aunt doesn't know about."
Yi Lang lowered his head and turned two pages of the book. "It's not good, and I don't want to tell my aunt."
Yang Wan was just hesitating whether to continue asking when He Yu opened the warm curtain and came in, "Aunt Wan, the governor is here."
Yang Wan stood up and looked at Yi Lang, "Your Highness..."
Yi Lang raised his head and said to Yang Wan: "It's okay, Auntie, please let him in. It's warm here so we can apply the medicine."
"Yes, thank you, Your Highness."
After hearing Yi Lang's call, Yang Wan immediately walked out of the bedroom. Deng Ying was walking towards Yang Wan from behind the screen. He was wearing a dark grey robe today, with his hair tied up without a crown, and he looked thinner.
Yang Wan turned around and opened the warm curtain, "Come in."
Deng Ying looked at Yang Wan and hesitated for a while, "Is His Highness here too?"
"Yes, it's okay. Come in. It's warmer outside."
"good."
Deng Ying walked into the bedroom.
Yi Lang raised his head, accepted Deng Ying's greeting, pointed to the chair beside the couch, and said, "Please take a seat, Mr.
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Yang Wan asked He Yu to bring a bowl of herbal soup to Deng Ying, and she sat down beside Yi Lang's bed, gathered the quilt wrapped around Yi Lang, and said to Deng Ying: "This soup was originally for His Highness, it is good for relieving spring dryness, but His Highness drank too much the past two days..."
"aunt!"
Yi Lang's face flushed, and Yang Wan hurriedly smiled and said, "Yes, yes, auntie won't tell."
Deng Ying reached out to take the soup and said to Yi Lang, "Thank you for the reward, Your Highness."
Yi Lang asked, "Changchen, why didn't you come yesterday?"
Deng Ying leaned forward and said, "I have failed your Highness's grace. Please forgive me."
Yi Lang was a little embarrassed: "I don't mean to blame you, you don't have to apologize."
"yes."
Yang Wan looked at the two men who had not seen each other for a long time and were both very reserved. She smiled and said to He Yu, "Go and get the medicine that Imperial Physician Luo left for you yesterday."
Then she lifted up Deng Ying's sleeves and said to Yi Lang, "Your Highness, don't you want to ask him about the book? Which one? Auntie will get it for you."
Yi Lang looked at Deng Ying's arm and said, "Forget it. I'll ask him when we get back to the study."
After saying that, he lowered his head and continued to flip through his book.
Deng Ying raised her head and asked Yang Wan softly, "What's wrong, Your Highness?"
Yang Wan leaned close to Deng Ying's ear and said, "He's had diarrhea all day, and he's not happy at all."
Deng Ying couldn't help but laugh after hearing this.
"Aunt, what are you talking about?"
Yang Wan raised her head and said, "I won't tell His Highness."
"Why?"
"Didn't His Highness and the factory officials also not tell my aunt?"
After saying this, Deng Ying and Yi Lang looked at each other and both remained silent.
He Yu fetched the medicine and helped Yang Wan apply it on Deng Ying. "Master, I see that your injury is much more serious than last month."
Deng Ying shrank her wrist without saying anything. He Yu moved the light again and said to Yang Wan, "Aunt, look, this swelling has turned blue."
Yang Wan nodded, "I think this one seems to be a little lighter." Then she raised her head and asked, "Did anyone plead for you?"
"Zi Xi asked Minister Bai for mercy, and it was changed the day before yesterday."
Yang Wan lowered her head and said, "How come you are more seriously injured?"
Deng Ying hesitated to speak, and Yi Lang suddenly asked, "Is it to take care of Lord Bai?"
Yang Wan turned her head and asked in surprise: "How did Your Highness know?"
Yi Lang glanced at Deng Ying, buried his head in the quilt, and said no more.
Yang Wan put down the medicine and stood up, saying to the two of them, "Can you two be honest with me?"
"sorry… "
The two spoke almost in unison.
Yang Wan pressed her brows, feeling a little angry and a little like laughing. Seeing Deng Ying sitting there at a loss, she had no choice but to squat down and hold up his wrist again, "How is your health, sir?"
Deng Ying heard Yang Wan's voice was quite calm, so she dared to speak, "My legs and feet are badly swollen, and they are damp and cold. I have also developed some lung disease in the past two days. But you have to face it. Even so, don't let others get close to you. I myself... my hands and feet are not very flexible."
Yang Wan lowered her eyes and said, "Is your Excellency willing to let you take care of him?"
"Um."
Yang Wan smiled and said, "Can I go to see the pavilion in a few days?"
Deng Ying looked down at Yang Wan. She had removed her evening makeup and her hair was a little disheveled, with her fine, fluffy hair gently fluttering in the warm breeze from the charcoal fire.
"Will you come with me?"
He asked softly.
"right."
Yang Wan raised her head. "I'm going with you. You're already tired enough. I'm an idle person anyway. If you don't mind me, I'll try my best. In this situation, it's not good for anyone else to send things to the factory prison. It's okay for me to go."
"good."
Deng Ying just agreed when he heard Yi Lang calling him from the couch, "Mr. Deng."
Deng Ying stood up and said, "I am here, Your Highness, please speak."
Yi Lang said: "Take good care of my aunt, Bai Ge... is very serious."
Deng Ying couldn't help but smile, and said, "Yes, I understand."
Yang Wan and Deng Ying walked out of Yi Lang's bedroom together. The moon was high in the sky. He Yu smiled and brought a stack of cakes. "Has the governor left?"
"yes."
"Try a piece of our cake before you go. Tomorrow is the Zhonghe Festival on February 2nd. The rough people in the governor's house will definitely not think of preparing these."
Deng Ying was a little hesitant. Yang Wan took the cake, broke off a piece and handed it to Deng Ying.
"Eat something. I have something else for you."
After saying that, she looked at He Yu, who said with satisfaction, "Yes, I will get it for you right away."
Deng Ying lowered her head and took a bite of the pancake. The pancake was made of white flour and oil. The crust turned into powder as soon as she bit it. Deng Ying quickly reached out to catch the crumbs.
Yang Wan smiled and said, "You are so careful when eating."
Deng Ying said, "You gave it to me, I don't want to lose it."
As they were talking, He Yu brought out some sesame candy, and Yang Wan took it and handed it to Deng Ying.
"I bought it with the money you gave me. I bought three packs. I kept one pack for myself and gave one pack to Your Highness. This pack is for you."
"Wanwan, do you like sweet things?"
"I didn't like it before, but now I like it very much. Life should be sweet."
As he spoke, he stood on tiptoe and wiped the biscuit crumbs off Deng Ying's lips with his hand. "Go back. Your Highness is not feeling well today, so I will not leave Chengqian Palace. I will prepare some things tomorrow, um... medicine, clothes, mattresses, etc., and bring them to the Queen."
Deng Ying asked, "Wan Wan, is there enough money?"
Yang Wan smiled and said, "Don't worry, Qingbo Restaurant is doing very well. I will buy you whatever you want to eat and wear in the future."
"I don't want it."
He rejected Yang Wan in a serious manner, and his silly look was somewhat cute.
Yang Wan looked at him in the evening breeze, "Deng Xiaoying, you have to eat nuts, sesame candies, and noodles every day. When you are with me, it's all about eating and drinking. No matter if you have money or not, no matter how others treat us, I just want to eat and drink, spend money on medical treatment, and take good care of my health. I bet you can live to be a hundred years old."
After she said that, she made a “one” gesture to Deng Ying.
"I'm going back. I've applied the medicine. You must walk slowly."
**
On February 2, the weather began to warm up. The imperial examination was approaching, and candidates from all provinces gathered in the capital.
Changhe Lane behind Dongxiang Street has always been a place for candidates to stay. At this time, all the inns were overcrowded. The Ministry of Rites had no choice but to petition the emperor to build a temporary shed behind the Drum Tower for late candidates to rent.
Most of the candidates from Chushan and Hudan academies lived in sheds.
Although it was still February, the smell in the sheds was not very pleasant. The examinees were sitting outside in the courtyard studying. A few people came back from the examination market and said with a look of disappointment, "It's strange this year. There are not many people in the examination market."
"I heard that Qingbo Pavilion has taken its book business to the inn in Changhe Lane, so the exam market has naturally cooled down."
"It is said that Kuanqintang does not have much ink in stock this year, and it has been used to print some picture books for the boys and girls to read."
"No wonder. I was wondering why Qingbo-kan was the only one that was so lively."
The people in the courtyard said, "It's our fault that we arrived in Beijing a little late, otherwise we could have studied peacefully in the inn."
"Study hard? I don't think it's meaningful even if you study hard this year."
Everyone looked up and saw that the person who spoke was Zhou Muyi.
"The abbot of Baige has been in charge of the imperial examinations for ten years. Now he is being tortured in the factory prison. This year's two presidents (1) one called the eunuch his godfather outside, and the other came from Zhejiang. He has a very bad reputation in our family. He also had connections with the Imperial Household Department. The local authorities have filed so many impeachment petitions, but they have not impeached him. Now that these two are in charge, how much can we, who are poor, compete with the powerful descendants of the capital?"
After a while, everyone held their books in silence. Suddenly, someone in the crowd said, "Your Majesty is blind, and you let the eunuchs rule the country..."
As soon as this happened, a group of Jinyiwei suddenly stood in front of the courtyard. One of the captains raised his hand and pointed at the crowd, saying:
"Who said this?"