As he was speaking, the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department came to look for Deng Ying and said, "Master, the ancestor has prepared the tea party."
Deng Ying turned around and said, "Tell the old man that I will come."
The eunuch in charge said, "Master, please hurry up. I'm afraid the tea prepared by our ancestor today cannot be served cold."
"I know."
Yang Lun looked down at Deng Ying and said, "Can you please take off your skin and leave the palace? I will find you a job."
Deng Ying smiled and asked, "Do you want me to work for you?"
Yang Lun scolded: "What stupid things are you talking about."
"You know it's stupid."
Yang Lun was frustrated and became timid. He glanced at the eunuch who was still standing behind Deng Ying and whispered, "Why is he staring at you?"
Deng Ying said calmly, "Be careful that I might go back to the Inner East Factory halfway and not attend the tea party."
Yang Lun said: "How can I help you in your current situation?"
Deng Ying shook her head. "You don't understand the affairs of the palace, so you can't help me. But my life is not as difficult as when I first entered the palace. The Eastern Jishi Factory is my support. Thank you for bearing the heavy pressure alone and recommending me to His Majesty."
Yang Lun curled his lips and said, "Why are you saying these things? Since you think it has nothing to do with me, just go to the tea party. I have to go to the cabinet to take charge."
After he finished speaking, he turned around and took a few steps forward, then turned back to Deng Ying and said, "Deng Fuling, I don't care what the teacher thinks. You are my lifelong classmate and best friend. There is nothing wrong with you not being an official. I, Yang Lun, find this officialdom disgusting, but I don't want to lose to you."
Deng Ying smiled and nodded, saying "Yes" to him.
The two men walked in opposite directions under the Bell and Drum Gate, and apricot branches, as white as frost, peeked out from the deep red palace walls.
The "Fisherman" in Zhuangzi records: "Confucius wandered in the forest of black curtains and sat on the altar of apricot trees. His disciples read books while Confucius played the zither and sang."
Early apricot blossoms appear in spring, and it is the best time to meet you and drink with you when the flowers are in full bloom.
Walking under the shadows of apricot trees, Yang Lun recalled the time when Zhang Zhanchun was still alive. He and Deng Ying went to Zhang Zhanchun's house for dinner. Deng Ying rolled up her trousers and caught fish in the Spring River. The running water urged the fish to jump and splashed all over him. He was calm and patient when he was young, and his hands were precise. Even when catching fish, he was better than Yang Lun. He often caught nothing, but Deng Ying always caught one or two. The fish caught were handed over to the Zhang family's maid to cook into soup, and the three of them sat by the river to drink soup and talk. At that time, the spring was noisy, and both of them were successful at a young age and had a bright future.
Now the apricot shadow is all over the ground, and if you step on it, you will be covered in shadow.
Yang Lun never thought that after parting with Deng Ying under the bell and drum tower, they would not see each other for long, and when they had a good chat again, it would be the cold autumn of the fourteenth year of Zhenning.
**
On this side, apricot branches are placed in a vase, and the tea table is about to be prepared.
The tea table in Silijian was somewhat similar to the meeting chairs in the cabinet. The eunuchs in charge of the Twenty-Four Bureaus, such as Huntangsi and Xixinsi, who rarely saw He Yixian on weekdays, took advantage of this opportunity to present some cakes and meat dishes to He Yixian.
But today, because the court was over late, He Yixian had not returned to the Yangxin Palace after serving the emperor, so Chen Hua put the roe deer meat on the fire to roast. The charcoal smoked the meat and white smoke came out. The spices spread from the oil and immediately gave off a good smell. Jiang Shangyi and Song Yun set the table lightly. When they saw Chen Hua slicing the meat, they said, "Jie'er doesn't eat this. Don't bother."
Chen Hua looked at Song Yunqing, "What's wrong?"
Song Yunqing bent down and put down his chopsticks and said, "Of course there are good things to reward."
As he was talking, He Yixian and a eunuch from the Imperial Household Department came in. He Yixian took a sip of the water in the room and said, "As for eating, it depends on you."
Chen Hua stepped forward and said, "Oh, Si Zan even said that this servant's filial piety was in vain, and that you have a good reward."
He Yixian walked to the main seat and sat down. The eunuchs below were about to stand up and salute. He Yixian waved his hand and said, "You have recited the wrong rules."
"Isn't it the greatest rule to pay respect to you?"
He Yixian smiled and said, "Wait a little longer."
Just as he finished speaking, the eunuch outside the door came in and said, "Grandfather, Governor Deng is here."
He Yixian said: "Pull up the curtain, please come in."
The sound of iron chains rubbing against each other came into the inner room. Everyone raised their heads. Deng Ying lowered her head and walked behind the curtain, with fallen apricots still on her shoulder.
"Here we come"
Deng Ying bowed and saluted, "Grandfather."
"Sit down."
Deng Ying sat down at the end of the table. He Yixian asked again, "How can they bow if we sit there?"
Deng Ying raised her head and said, "I don't accept the gift."
He Yixian laughed and said, "Then you have to ask them."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Zhangyin of the Hun Tang Division said, "Master Supervisor, pay your respects."
Everyone in the room was kneeling on the ground, except Chen Hua, who was standing there belatedly. After he came to his senses, he hurriedly lay on the ground.
Deng Ying looked at the eunuch kneeling on the ground, lowering his shackled hands to the table without looking at He Yixian, "What does the old ancestor want to tell me?"
He Yixian said, "You, Governor Deng, don't like these people, right?"
After he finished speaking, he raised his voice again: "You are not worshipping devoutly, stand up straight and kowtow three more times."
No one dared to disobey, and for a moment the sound of heads hitting the ground could be heard one after another.
Deng Ying clenched her hands gently.
"Ancestor..."
"That's too light. Keep knocking until Governor Deng is satisfied with you!"
He Yixian interrupted Deng Ying, picked up the tea and took a sip.
The kneeling people hardened their hearts, pressed their hands to the ground, raised their shoulders and bent their waists, and lowered their foreheads to the ground.
Some people bled when they were hit.
Deng Ying finally raised her hand to the table and knocked hard, "That's enough."
Everyone stopped then. Everyone had wounds on their foreheads, but no one dared to raise their hands to rub them.
"No thanks?"
"The servants thank you, Lord Governor."
"stand up."
He Yixian said: "If the governor tells you to get up, then get up."
After he finished speaking, he looked up at Deng Ying, "Compared with your former teachers and fellow students, these people are indeed worse than pigs and dogs, but they are willing to obey you and kneel before you to serve you well, which is much better than those people you protect. Look at those things in your hands, and then look at the people in front of you. I heard that you asked those students who were arrested by the Jinyiwei on Donggong Street, 'Do you want to be like you?' Then look at these people in front of you again today, do you want them to be like you?"
Deng Ying looked at Chen Hua. He was an honest man. He Yixian asked him to kowtow hard, and he really kowtowed himself until he was dizzy. Now he was barely able to stand with the help of others.
"You all go out first."
Everyone then supported each other and walked out. Deng Ying stood up and walked to He Yixian after everyone had left. "I don't want anyone to be like me. I didn't know how to make a living before, but in the past few years since I entered the palace, I have begun to understand that slaves have a hard life. People die for money, and birds die for food. It is understandable to seek personal wealth, but once it is excessive, it will backfire sooner or later. I told my ancestor that as long as you don't hinder the new policy in Hangzhou, I will take the responsibility of the school land case alone, but I only have this one life. After taking this case, you need to take care of yourself."
"Deng Ying, no one wants you to die. The master wants you to live, so why do you want to kill yourself? Bai Huan is still in your prison. The master has suppressed the case after reporting it. You can still re-examine the case. If Bai Huan is convicted, the Xuetian case can't be investigated. You and I are both safe, and the master is satisfied. This is a happy thing for everyone. Why don't you do it?"
Deng Ying smiled and said, "Your Majesty, you can only suppress it for a while."
"What are you talking about?"
Deng Ying said coldly: "Officials' voices can be suppressed, but what about the people's voices?"
He Yixian shuddered for no apparent reason.
Deng Ying took a step closer to him and asked, "Old Ancestor, do you know why Your Majesty used thunder and lightning to attack the ministers on the Golden Terrace today?"
He Yixian didn't say anything.
Deng Ying bowed his head and said, "In the eyes of those civil servants, respect for a person's virtue surpasses respect for the superior and the inferior. Old Ancestor, in this world, black and white can be temporarily confused, right and wrong can be temporarily reversed. I can be responsible for a crime I have not committed, but the direction of the human heart will not be biased."
"Hey, Deng Ying, can you survive and reach the place you call the people's heart?"
Deng Ying shook his head. "Master He, you killed my mentor whom I regarded as my biological father, and I have no choice but to save you today. I am already full of sins, and any death is not too much. But as Mr. Zhou of Tongjia Academy said before his death - I hope my flesh and blood will fall to the ground to pave the way for future generations, and I hope my bones will be planted on trees to support the successors. Even if I become a pool of rotten mud, I will not betray my ancestors."
He Yixian was so angry that he slammed the table and stood up, asking repeatedly: "Senior? Do you think you can still be the young scholar you were back then? Do you really think that the master would need a servant like you to serve him? Do you really think that the inner court would not abandon you?"
"To this day..."
Deng Ying looked at He Yixian and said, "Whether the inner court will abandon me or not depends on whether I am willing to abandon myself."
After he finished speaking, he turned around and lifted the curtain, and everyone waiting outside the door stood up.
"Has the Governor left?"
"Um."
"Farewell..."
Deng Ying interrupted them and said, "Don't bow to me anymore."
"Master, we are..."
Deng Ying took a step forward, turned around and looked at everyone, saying: "Everyone has their own thoughts and difficulties after entering the palace, but no matter whether they are poor or rich, they must be self-respecting. When I was the supervisor of the East Factory, I did not show any favors to you, and I dare not ask for more now. I only hope that you will act according to your heart. Deng Ying thanks you."
After he finished speaking, he bowed and was about to kneel down, but was suddenly pulled back by a strong force.
"Pave the way for me?"
Deng Ying was startled, and looked up to see Yang Wan holding his arm and smiling at everyone.
"Don't listen to him. People just want to live a good life, eat well and drink well. If you accept his worship, you will have to suffer as much as he does."
"Miss Wan."
Everyone called Yang Wan with a smile.
After hearing this, Yang Wan let go of Deng Ying's arm and smiled.
"The Imperial Household Department is holding a tea party. Our Highness has given you some tea cakes as a reward. You should eat and drink. I am going to take your Lord back to eat."
She straightened Deng Ying's clothes and said, "You didn't eat anything careless, did you?"
"No."
"That's right, come on, follow me back to eat."
As she spoke, she led Deng Ying back and said, "Deng Ying, from now on, without my permission, you are not allowed to say stupid things outside or thank others casually. Do you hear me?"
Deng Ying followed behind her and smiled, "Wan Wan, how long will you control me like this?"
Yang Wan stopped, turned around, stood on tiptoe and looked at Deng Ying, "I, Yang Wan, will take care of you all my life. If you die, I will be your posthumous reputation. If you live, I will be your way out. Deng Xiaoying, you can do whatever you want. I, Yang Wan, am old and have seen everything."
"Wanwan, how old are you this year?"
Yang Wan's face fell, "Deng Xiaoying, don't be rude."
"yes."