On August 13, a strong wind blew in the capital city for three consecutive days. On August 16, dust storms arose everywhere, and the yellow sand covered the sky, making it impossible to see the sky. Nearly a hundred houses in the city collapsed, and several people died. On the night of the 17th, the roof of the Yunya Hall in the Qingtian Temple in the capital suddenly collapsed. The craftsmen repaired the tiles overnight, but who knew that half of it collapsed again the next day.
Master Cao sent someone to report to Emperor Zhenning.
The Yunya Palace was built when Emperor Zhenning was still a prince, and was designed and constructed by Zhang Zhanchun twenty years ago. Its collapse at this moment seemed to be a sign of his fate, which made him deeply sad.
After hearing the news, he immediately ordered the four gates of the imperial city to be locked, and officials from all departments did not dare to leave the office easily.
The daily lectures in Wenhua Hall were also suspended, and Yang Wan accompanied Yi Lang in the study to read.
It was a windy day, and even with the door locked, the lights were still burning.
He Yu came in from outside, rubbing his hands. Yang Wan hurriedly raised her sleeves to block the wind for Yi Lang, "Close the door quickly, I just swept the sand."
He Yu trembled as he closed the door and said, "It's too windy outside, and I can't see anything. The food will be delivered late today."
Yang Wan said, "Let him stay late if it's late. I'll cook noodles for you guys."
He Yu looked at Yi Lang and said with a smile: "We really have nothing to do with each other. You can't keep wronging Your Highness."
Yi Lang looked up from the book and said, "I like to eat the noodles made by my aunt."
He Yu said with a gloomy face: "Your Highness is not tired of eating the noodles made by Auntie yet."
Yi Lang put down the book and said, "I am a prince who was fined. What can I be tired of eating? Besides, my father is not in good health, so I cannot think about the desire for food."
He Yu's ears turned red from being "stirred" and he kept saying "yes."
Yang Wan stood up and said, "I asked you to ask Chen Zhangyin about the Qingtian Temple. Did you ask?"
He Yu replied, "I asked. The seal holder followed your instructions and went to take a look yesterday. He said that half of the temple had collapsed, and even the statue of Laojun inside was now exposed. The people in the temple built a straw shed to cover it, and they dared not start repairing it. Many people were watching there, saying all kinds of things."
Yi Lang asked: "Why don't you dare to repair it?"
He Yu shook her head and said, "This servant doesn't understand."
Yang Wan said, "That is a one-column building. It was built by Mr. Zhang. It is very difficult to repair. If we start construction rashly, it will collapse even more severely."
Yi Lang was silent for a while, then suddenly raised his head and asked, "Is the factory official..."
Yang Wan smiled and nodded, "Yes, but Your Highness, please don't mention it."
He Yu hadn't reacted yet, so she asked Yang Wan, "What did the aunt talk to His Highness about?"
Yang Wan stood up and said, "Let's go, light the fire. I'll cook some noodles for you guys."
After two days, the dust storm still came and went.
On this day, the sky was covered with yellow haze, and people walking on the road could hardly see anything. Yang Lun asked the palace maid at Huiji Gate for a veil, covered his face and walked towards the cabinet duty room.
The palace servants on the road were all in a hurry, hiding their faces and lowering their heads, so it was inevitable that they would bump into each other. Yang Lun had just walked to the door of the duty room when he bumped into an old cabinet minister. He was fine, he jumped up in two or three steps and stood in front of the door to brush off the dust. The old cabinet minister was not so agile, and struggled twice before he could barely sit up. Yang Lun saw who it was and leaned over to help him, "I didn't see the old cabinet minister."
The cabinet minister waved his hand, and Yang Lun stood up and said, "It doesn't matter. Who can see who in this day and age?"
The two of them supported each other and walked into the duty room. Two eunuchs were checking and wiping the sand on the table. Qi Huaiyang was sitting on a chair, taking off his shoes and shaking off the sand. When he saw the two of them coming in, he hurriedly put on his half-shaved shoes and stood up and said, "It must have been difficult for the two adults to come here."
Yang Lun sat down and took a sip of tea. "This is the first time I've seen such a heavy haze in the beginning of autumn."
Qi Huaiyang said: "Should we ask the Imperial Observatory?"
The old cabinet minister said, "Do we still need to ask? Although His Majesty is ill, he has summoned the Imperial Observatory to the Yangxin Palace at dawn today. You entered the Imperial Gate early, so you may not have heard the news."
As he was speaking, Li Jiang, the secretary of the Imperial Household Department, covered his gauze and said outside the door: "Minister Bai, is Minister Yang in there?"
Yang Lun tilted his head and said, "I'm here, Eunuch Li, come in and talk."
Li Jiang said, "I won't come in. The dust is so strong that if you open the door, it will fall all over you."
Yang Lun stood up and walked to the door and asked, "Does His Majesty have any orders?"
"Yes, His Majesty summoned Lord Yang and Minister Bai to the Yangxin Palace."
Yang Lun said: "The Minister is taking a day off today."
Li Jiang replied, "That's fine. Someone from the Imperial Household Department has gone to tell you. My Lord, please follow me first."
Yang Lun nodded, turned around and said to Qi Huaiyang: "If I can see the Supervisor, I will ask you by the way, the cabinet doesn't need to ask specifically."
Qi Huaiyang said: "That makes sense. The Yunya Palace has collapsed recently, and Your Majesty must be uneasy. It would not be good for me to deliberately ask about it. Please pay attention to it."
Yang Lun agreed and followed Li Jiang to the glazed door in front of the Yangxin Palace. He saw Yang Wan standing at the door with her back to the wind. The palace maids of Chengqian Palace all covered their faces with veils and stood behind Yang Wan in a daze. Private conversation was not allowed in front of the palace, so Yang Lun simply asked in a serious tone, "Is your highness inside?"
Yang Wan turned around after hearing this, bowed and replied, "Yes, Your Highness is in the inner hall serving His Majesty."
After saying that, he moved aside to the door and secretly made a "heart" shape on his waist and abdomen with his fingers.
Yang Lun couldn't help but raise the corner of his lips and walked towards the glazed door.
The Yangxin Palace was filled with the aroma of medicine, and in addition, the scent of cinnabar could be smelled. Yang Lun stood behind the ground cover waiting for the message, and vaguely heard the Emperor Zhenning cough, which was hoarse and dull, like the scraping of rough stone on the ground.
Soon, Cao Zhenren from Tianqing Temple and several Taoists in green clothes walked out.
Yang Lun had always disdained these people, so he simply turned aside and avoided their greetings.
Then Ge Yucheng, the director of the Imperial Observatory, came out with his hands in his pockets. Yang Lun stopped him and said, "Your Majesty, do you have any questions today about the haze in the past few days
Ge Yucheng looked at Master Cao's back and couldn't help shaking his head and sighing, "I only submitted the report on the Lingtai. At this time last year, the Imperial Astronomical Monitor heard a thunderbolt and I also submitted a report on the matter. I can't say much. After all, my words are limited. I can only observe the sky, not know the sky."
He raised his chin and said, "Your Majesty will have to trust the words of God in the end. However, I will listen inside and find that what Master Cao said is not a bad thing."
As he was speaking, Hu Xiang said in front of the ground mask: "Sir Yang, His Majesty has summoned you."
Yang Lun and Ge Yucheng greeted each other and walked into the inner hall.
Emperor Zhenning sat back on the imperial couch, with Yi Lang standing alone beside him.
Yang Lun lifted his robe to perform the sovereign-subject ceremony, but Emperor Zhenning was too lazy to even raise his hand, and said in a buzzing voice, "Stand up."
Yang Lun stood up and saluted Yi Lang again.
Emperor Zhenning asked, "Has Minister Bai not arrived yet?"
Li Bingbi came closer and replied, "I have already gone to summon him, but I am afraid the road is not easy to travel, and the lord is a bit slow."
Emperor Zhenning sighed and said, "Next month is the Queen Mother's birthday. I intend to discuss the matter of 'pardon' with you. Since I ascended the throne, I have never issued a general amnesty. Today, Master Cao mentioned it to me. I think of the Queen Mother's kindness and I also think that I should show some mercy."
After hearing this, Yang Lun understood what Ge Yucheng meant when he said, "What Master Cao reported is not a bad thing."
He knelt down and said, "Your Majesty is kind and righteous, and has the same virtue as God."
Emperor Zhenning said, "We will discuss the details after Minister Bai arrives. I want to discuss another matter with you now."
He held Yi Lang's hand and sat up straight, "The collapse of the Yunya Hall in Qingtian Temple makes me feel uneasy. However, that was the merit I accumulated when I was young, and it was not returned to the inner court. I want to take advantage of this reconstruction to bring it back to the palace. You lead the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works to discuss it together."
Yang Lun said: "I have discussed this matter with the Ministry of Works. The scale of Yunya Palace is not very large, and the cost is not high, but the Ministry of Works..."
He paused deliberately as he spoke.
Emperor Zhenning opened his eyes and said, "They don't dare to recommend anyone, right?"
"yes."
Yang Lun raised his head and said, "Yunya Hall was built by Zhang Zhanchun in the past. It is supported by a single pillar. The construction method is not known to those who know it today."
Emperor Zhenning was silent for a while, then suddenly asked, "When will Deng Ying be executed?"
Yang Lun reported: "He will be executed in the autumn."
Emperor Zhenning remained silent for a while, holding his bracelet.
Yang Lun and Yi Lang looked at each other without saying anything.
The palace was silent except for the smoke from the stove. After a long while, Emperor Zhenning coughed several times, blocked the teacup handed over by Yi Lang, and said in a hoarse voice, "Tell Zhang Luo to bring Deng Ying to the palace tomorrow so that I can see him."
**
The next day, Deng Ying was brought into the imperial city by the Northern Pacification Office.
In the Hall of Mental Cultivation, He Yixian and several officials from the Imperial Household Department were standing beside the imperial couch. Deng Ying was brought into the hall by Zhang Luo himself and knelt in front of the imperial couch.
Emperor Zhenning looked down at him and said to He Yixian, "You will also see what happens to you."
He Yixian and the others knelt down upon hearing this and said, "We servants must carefully consider our actions."
Emperor Zhenning raised his hand to signal them to stand up, then lowered his hand and called out, "Deng Ying."
Deng Ying put her hands on the ground, leaned forward and replied, "I am here."
Emperor Zhenning coughed a few times and said to He Yixian in a hoarse voice: "My throat hurts so much that I can't tell him. Please tell him for me..."
He Yixian bowed and replied "Yes." He lifted his robe and walked to Deng Ying, bowed his head and said in a serious tone: "Deng Ying, originally you were not included in the Queen Mother's thousand-year amnesty, but the master showed you the grace of heaven and reduced your beheading to eighty strokes of the cane, and you were stripped of your official position and exiled to the Nanjing camp as a slave."
After hearing this, Deng Ying bowed and thanked him, saying, "I am ashamed to receive your majesty's grace."
Emperor Zhenning asked, "Did Zhang Zhanchun tell you about the construction method of Yunya Palace?"
Deng Ying said, "I have seen the teacher's notes. The teacher took them with him when he returned home. I can still remember about 70% of them now."
Emperor Zhenning nodded.
"In this case, this punishment will be carried out after the repair of the Yunya Hall of Qingtian Temple is completed. Deng Ying, this is the second time I have pardoned you. If the Yunya Hall project goes smoothly, I can still show you mercy and pardon you. If there are any omissions, your crime will be aggravated, and I will sentence you to death."
"I shed tears and thank God for His grace."
After he finished speaking, he bowed again.
Emperor Zhenning glanced at his back and asked again, "How is your health?"
Deng Ying replied: "It can still be sustained."
Emperor Zhenning said, "I will allow you to rest for a few days."
After that, he said to Zhang Luo: "Take it back first."
Soon, the first amnesty decree during the Zhenning period was issued throughout the country.
In the Zhenfusi prison, the jailer removed the shackles on Deng Ying's hands and feet and handed him a new shirt.
Deng Ying took off his prison uniform, shook out his new shirt, and at first glance he could tell Yang Wan's workmanship from the stitches. He pinched his sleeves and suddenly felt dazed. Half a year had passed in a flash, and he couldn't tell the difference between the seasons in the prison. He didn't dare to miss Yang Wan too much, fearing that time would become even longer.
The jailer led him out of the main gate of the imperial prison.
It rained yesterday, the yellow haze is about to clear, the whole city is covered with fallen leaves, and the dead leaves on the roadside are stuck to the ground mixed with dust.
"Hey."
Suddenly, a crisp sound came from behind.
Deng Ying was stunned.
"Here, Deng Xiaoying."
Deng Ying turned around and saw Yang Wan sitting on the stone platform in front of the prison wall, smiling at him.
“It’s ugly.”
"Is it my look?"
"no."
She was clearly laughing, but her voice was trembling slightly. "This dress I made is really ugly."
Deng Ying said gently: "But I like it very much."
Yang Wan stretched out her hand to him, "Come here."
Deng Ying walked up to her as she was told and stretched out her arm for Yang Wan to hold. The wind after the rain gently blew Yang Wan's slightly damp hair.
"Did you eat well?"
"have."
"Did you sleep well?"
"have."
"Did you miss me?"
"Yes, I have?"
"ha… "
Yang Wan smiled, but her eyes were moist. She looked up at Deng Ying and said, "Deng Ying, I miss you every day, but I haven't told anyone. I pretended to be very calm. I didn't want anyone to compare us. I have been waiting for this day. I want to be the first to see the free Deng Xiaoying, wearing the clothes I made, and happily following me home."
Deng Ying squatted down and accommodated her to hold her hand more comfortably.
"I'm sorry Wanwan, I..."
"What are you doing?"
"I… "
Yang Wan interrupted him, "You didn't spend a penny on me, you didn't buy me anything, and you almost died. You are a scumbag."
Deng Ying looked up at Yang Wan, "What... is a scumbag?"
Yang Wan reached out her other hand and touched Deng Ying's cheek, her voice gradually softening, "He is a man who treats his wife badly."
Deng Ying's back stiffened. It was a long time since they had such physical contact. The temperature of her body was still warmer than Deng Ying's, and her voice was gentle, which made him feel at ease.
"Do you know you're wrong?"
Deng Ying nodded.
"I know I was wrong."
"Do you know what to do next?"
"Know."
Yang Wan laughed and said, "You're lying. You know nothing."
Deng Ying was speechless and could only lower her eyes to look at Yang Wan's knees, "I'm sorry, Wanwan."
Yang Wan looked at Deng Ying's face. Half a year of imprisonment had worn away most of his energy. With injuries and illnesses, it was impossible for him to eat and sleep well as he said. Yang Wan remembered Yang Lun's words, "Although the face is the same as yesterday, the soul has been lost by seven points." She couldn't help but put her arms around Deng Ying's waist.
Deng Ying's body froze. Yang Wan said in a buzzing voice, "Deng Ying, don't you know that when I hugged you and cried, you had to say something to comfort me?"
Deng Ying said helplessly: "Don't cry, let me think about it again, how can I admit my mistake to you when I go back."
"Go back and ask Chen Hua again."
"I don't ask him, I think about it myself."
Yang Wan held back her tears and said, "You are just stupid."
This sentence made Deng Ying suddenly relax. He looked down at Yang Wan and said, "Yes, I am stupid. Wanwan, can you take me back and teach me?"
"You said that?"
"Um."
Yang Wan raised her head, "Your Majesty has allowed you to recuperate for a few days."
"Ten days."
"Then you will be under my care for the next ten days. You are not allowed to get out of bed or exert yourself. You must eat whatever I give you. I will heal your old leg injury and the disease you contracted in prison."