Yang Lun was stunned.
The Red Pill Case was a mysterious case that involved the life of the emperor. Even after the emperor's sudden death, it was still brought up several times and was constantly overturned by various forces, from the cabinet to the Xuandao forces, and even the concubines in the inner court. Countless people were involved.
Deng Ying brought up this case at this time not because he wanted to clarify the truth with Yang Lun, but because he touched upon the vital issue of the emperor's life and the undercurrent of political power behind it.
"I think... the Imperial Household Department will..."
Yang Lun didn't finish his words.
Deng Ying did not respond either. The silence of both of them showed their cautiousness towards the current situation.
The autumn wind rolled up the cold leaves and blew up Deng Ying's official robe. He lowered his head and coughed lightly, "Zi Xi, do you know what the most dangerous thing is?"
"What?"
"It was the slave who wanted to kill the master, but the master refused to defend himself. His Majesty had always intended to make the eldest prince the heir, but the officials' support for the prince made His Majesty suspicious, so Huang Ran died tragically in the debate two years ago. It's the same now. We are foreign officials. We read the books of saints and follow the great way. We think the emperor should be the same as the saints, but in fact, it's not the case. Unlike me, wearing this skin and walking in the imperial city, we can't see His Majesty's true desires. Only slaves know what the master is thinking. Therefore, His Majesty has always been unwilling to punish the Silijian, even though His Majesty knows in his heart that this person is a political disaster for the Ming Dynasty."
Yang Lun frowned.
"Does this mean that you agree with your Majesty's actions and blame the cabinet ministers for not knowing when to advance or retreat?"
He took a step forward and said, "Because of selfish desires, you let your servants bring disaster to the court. What is the hardship that scholars in the world have to endure? What is the wish we made for the people?"
"Yang Zixi, I don't agree!"
Yang Lun's throat choked, and Deng Ying also raised her voice, "But if you watch them die, what am I to you?"
He raised his head and said, "I know that the king is wrong, and as a minister, the only clean way is to make a remonstrance."
"What about you?"
Yang Lun hesitated, "What road are you going to take?"
Deng Ying said calmly: "Aren't all the paths that come from the heart of literature clean?"
After hearing this, Yang Lun felt like a thorn in his side. He pressed his forehead, took two steps to the side, and said in a low voice, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said this to you a long time ago. I was confused because of some meaningless words from the Ministry of War."
He turned around and said, "In the current situation, He Yixian and the Queen are in collusion, and we have no idea about your Majesty's diet and daily life. If they share your concerns, I will have the intention to kill my master and seize power. How can we protect your Majesty?"
Deng Ying said, "Let's see what His Majesty will do with these memorials submitted today."
"OK."
Yang Lun loosened his grip and said, "I'm waiting for news in the duty room."
**
After noon, the wind in the courtyard still continued.
The wind made the door creak. Yi Lang was in the Yangxin Palace tending to the sick and had not returned yet. Yang Wan felt sleepy and was about to sleep for a while. But just as she lay down, she saw He Yu pushing the door open in a panic, "Aunt Wan, something happened to His Highness."
Yang Wan quickly turned over and sat up, "What's wrong?"
He Yu said in panic: "Qing Meng, who followed the prince, came back and said that the Queen scolded the prince in the Yangxin Palace for 'not worrying about the emperor and father's illness...'
Yang Wan interrupted her and asked, "Did Your Highness do anything?"
He Yu shook his head and said, "We don't know either. Qing Meng's talk was confusing. I was anxious and didn't let him come in to tell aunt in detail. I told him to go back to Yangxin Palace to listen to the news."
Just as he finished speaking, a young eunuch came out timidly and said, "Aunt Wan, the Queen has sent a message, asking you to go immediately."
After hearing this, He Yu couldn't help but tighten his sleeves, "This..."
Yang Wan stood up and said to He Yu, "It's better for me to go there than Qing Meng. Don't panic yet, just guard this place well."
He Yu pursed her lips and nodded.
Yang Wan changed into a palace dress and followed the people from the Yangxin Palace all the way to the Yangxin Gate, where she saw Yi Lang standing silently in front of the gate. He did not speak when he saw Yang Wan.
In front of him stood Wang Zhong, the head eunuch of the Queen's palace. When he saw Yang Wan coming, he stepped aside, revealing a stone step in front of the Yangxin Gate.
Yang Wan looked down at the stone step, then raised her head and said to Wang Zhong, "Is this what the Queen wanted?"
Wang Zhong said: "They say Aunt Wan is very understanding. It turns out that there is no need for us to say too much."
After Wang Zhong finished saying this, Yi Lang, who was standing beside him, suddenly raised his head and glared at him. Although Wang Zhong had also experienced storms, he was still forced to take a small step back unconsciously by Yi Lang's gaze.
Yang Wan said calmly: "Besides punishing me, is there any other punishment for Your Highness?"
Wang Zhong said: "The Queen Mother has shown her favor and will not blame you for your young age."
"good."
After Yang Wan finished speaking, she lifted her skirt, looked down at the stone step, pursed her lips, bent her knees along the edge, and knelt down.
"Aunt, get up."
Yi Lang turned his back to Yang Wan and looked up at Wang Zhong, "Why didn't your Majesty allow me to serve my father? I am deeply worried about his health. What's wrong with that?"
"Your Highness..."
"Even if I am at fault, why should my aunt be punished on my behalf?"
Wang Zhong was timid and didn't know how to respond for a moment.
Li Bingbi, who was standing at the side, hurriedly advised: "Your Highness, this is already the grace of the Queen Mother. You are a prince, your body is precious, and your dignity cannot be damaged. It will only take an incense stick of time, and she will be over if she endures it. You have seen that His Majesty has been ill these days. If you are not on good terms with the Queen Mother at this time, how can His Majesty rest in peace?"
Yi Lang turned around and asked, "Then why doesn't the queen want to see me?"
"Your Highness...serving His Majesty..."
"Pass the message on for me. I want to see the Queen."
"this… "
The servants standing at the Yangxin Gate were all hesitant after hearing this. Li Bingbi glanced at Wang Zhong and said, "How about we go and ask the queen if she can show her favor again?"
"It's not a favor."
Yi Lang said bluntly: "It was me who questioned the Queen."
Wang Zhong almost lost his balance after hearing this. Yang Wan endured the pain and said to Yi Lang: "Your Highness, come back."
Yi Lang moved his shoulders but did not look back.
Yang Wan pursed her lips, stretched out her hand to hold Yi Lang's sleeve, and said in a trembling voice: "Your Highness, come back, I have something to tell you."
Yi Lang then turned around and said, "Aunt, I have done nothing wrong. You shouldn't be punished for me."
Yang Wan nodded and said softly, "Aunt understands, but Your Highness, if you question the Empress as the eldest son, are you sure you can save my life when the Empress is furious?"
"I… "
Yi Lang's ears turned red, "I don't want to implicate my aunt..."
Yang Wan said in a deep voice: "This is not a burden."
"But… "
“This is not a burden.”
Yang Wan looked into Yi Lang's eyes and repeated it again.
"Does your highness understand?"
Yi Lang nodded, not quite understanding.
Yang Wan let go of Yi Lang's sleeve, "Your Highness, please stand still and don't speak."
Wang Zhong was relieved when he saw that Yang Wan had been calmed down by Yi Lang. He motioned for someone to go and look for incense, and said to Yang Wan, "Your Majesty is seriously ill, and the Queen Mother is worried. When she came in today and saw Your Highness dozing off in front of His Majesty's bed, she was very angry. We all tried to persuade her, and the Queen Mother showed mercy. She only ordered the servants to kneel for one stick of incense, and temporarily stopped His Highness from attending to him. Your Highness and Aunt Wan, you should think about the Queen Mother's kindness and accept it carefully."
Yang Wan did not respond.
Kneeling on the stone was a common punishment for palace maids. Yang Wan had seen Li Yu being punished before, but she didn't know that although the stone didn't seem to be very heavy, when a person's entire body weight was pressed on it, the pain on the knees felt like it was being cut by a knife.
She stretched out her hand to support the door sill, trying to make her knees feel better. Wang Zhong saw that she was not in a proper position and said in a gloomy voice, "Aunt Wan, you are being disrespectful to the Empress."
Yang Wan raised her head and looked at him, and suddenly called out his name, "Wang Zhong."
Wang Zhong was stunned.
Yang Wan's voice suddenly turned cold.
"Don't push me too far."
Wang Zhong was speechless again.
Yang Wan stood up straight, "Don't stand in front of me and His Highness."
Wang Zhong subconsciously looked at Yi Lang, and seeing Yi Lang looking at him coldly, he couldn't help but cough and slowly moved behind the door.
Yang Wan closed her eyes and tried her best to distract herself.
The cold air came from the ground. Yi Lang stood behind her and quietly held Yang Wan's arm.
"Your Highness, please just stand."
Yi Lang shook his head and pursed his lips as he looked at Yang Wan.
Yang Wan smiled at him and said nothing more.
Qing Meng and others stared at the incense eagerly. The wind was blowing hard, so the incense burned quickly.
The last bit of incense ash fell into the stove, and Qing Meng hurried over to help Yang Wan up.
The blood clogged in her knees was suddenly rushed away. Yang Wan's eyes went dark in pain. She barely stood up and said to Wang Zhong, "Please report to the Queen on my behalf. I will take good care of the Crown Prince."
After saying that, she took Yi Lang's hand and said softly, "Let's go back with aunt."
"Um."
Yi Lang nodded, and together with Qing Meng and others, they supported Yang Wan and slowly walked towards Chengqian Palace.
After walking a long way out of Yangxin Gate, Yi Lang said softly: "Aunt... I really did nothing wrong today."
Yang Wan lowered her head and said, "I know. Your Highness has always been a child with awe in his heart."
Yi Lang raised his head, "Then why did the Queen... "
"Because everyone has fears, and Your Highness is also a formidable person."
Yi Lang didn't fully understand this sentence.
Just as he was about to ask again, he suddenly saw a group of people from the Inner East Factory walking towards him from the direction of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
Seeing that Yang Wan was having difficulty walking, Deng Ying quickly signaled the others to stop, walked up to Yang Wan alone, lowered her head to look at her legs and said, "What's wrong?"
Yang Wan shook her head and said directly: "The Queen Mother has stopped attending to His Highness' illness."
Deng Ying looked down at Yi Lang, then raised her head and asked, "When did it happen?"
Yang Wan responded, "Today, not only can His Highness not enter the palace, but the six palace attendants also stopped yesterday. Deng Ying, you understand what I am saying, right?"
Deng Ying nodded.
"I see."
Yang Wan glanced behind Deng Ying and asked, "What is that?"
Deng Ying said: "The cabinet's proposal."
“It’s hard to deliver now.”
"Yes, but this involves military affairs in the northern border, so it must be delivered."
"Then you wait here for a while. I'll go back to Chengqian Palace and come over in half an hour."
"What are you going to do?"
Yang Wan limped forward a step, "Every failure is a learning experience. We can't both suffer losses."