"What are you going to do?"
Yang Wan coughed and replied, "All six palaces cannot attend to the sick, but there is one palace outside the six."
Deng Ying lowered his head and remained silent for a moment after hearing this. Suddenly he said, "You mean the Queen Mother?"
Yang Wan nodded. "Is the Queen personally attending to His Majesty, or is she using the excuse of personally attending to His Majesty to collude with the Imperial Household Department to imprison His Majesty? These are two completely different things. The Queen Mother may not be thinking clearly at this moment, but as long as she arouses suspicion, she can help the East Factory and the Cabinet to tear open a gap in the Hall of Mental Cultivation."
Deng Ying asked, "Are you going to see the Queen Mother?"
Yang Wan shook her head, "I won't go. There are people who have a better position than me."
"Yang Wan."
Deng Ying suddenly lowered his voice and called Yang Wan's name.
Yang Wan didn't say anything else. She lowered her eyes and held one of her arms.
Dark clouds pressed down from the sky, and the wind carried an earthy smell, while the fragrance of the Christmas cactus became stronger.
The eunuch behind Deng Ying stepped forward and said, "Master, it's going to rain."
Deng Ying turned around and said, "You guys get out of the way first."
After saying that, he turned around and looked at Yang Wan again, opened his mouth, but hesitated to speak.
Yang Wan waited for a while, but did not hear Deng Ying's voice, so she just smiled and said, "I know what you want to tell me, but it's too late."
She said, looking down at Yi Lang who was silent beside her, "I once advised you to be more open-minded and not do anything that would hurt yourself, but now... I am the one who can't let go."
She choked up, her voice trembling slightly, "I want to be like you, and live up to the meaning of my life. Deng Ying, and Your Highness, both of you, don't be afraid."
**
Dark clouds were approaching, and the dead leaves on the ground swirled and flew past the palace wall.
When Yang Wan returned to the gate of Chengqian Palace, He Yu and others immediately came out to greet her.
Yang Wan endured the pain in her knee and stepped over the threshold. She said to He Yu, "Please get me a basin of cold water. Don't worry about anything else."
He Yu anxiously asked Qing Meng, "How was Aunt Wan injured? What did the Queen do?"
Qing Meng took a look at the ridge below.
He Yu was stunned for a moment, then he understood.
"Kneeling on the Kaner Stone?"
"Um."
Although He Yu felt uncomfortable after hearing this, he still breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Fortunately, fortunately, this is the method..."
"That hurts the body, too."
Yang Wan raised her head and saw Concubine Chen stepping out of the side hall and walking towards her anxiously.
"The more insignificant the method is, the harder it is to raise. Why did you do this and deserve to be punished?"
Qing Meng said in a tearful voice: "Auntie was punished on behalf of His Highness."
"On behalf of His Highness..."
Yang Wan raised her hand to signal Qing Meng not to continue, and said to Concubine Chen, "Fortunately, it is His Highness who is attending to the sick in the Yangxin Palace today, not you, Lady Chen."
Concubine Chen was startled, then said, "I just heard the imperial decree that all the servants in the six palaces should stop serving the emperor. It is said that anyone who disturbs His Majesty's recuperation will be severely punished. What is the reason for this? We have not seen His Majesty several times in the past year. Now that His Majesty is seriously ill, how can he block our sincerity and sincerity from entering the palace?"
Yang Wan coughed, and stood up despite the pain, "Don't worry, the Queen Mother will sympathize with the ladies."
"Empress Dowager... Yes, if you hadn't told me I would have forgotten. I can still ask the old lady to make the decision for us."
Yang Wan swallowed and said, "Madam Chen, please listen to me."
"you say."
Yang Wan struggled to release the jade and bowed to Chen.
"Your Majesty is seriously ill, and the old lady must be upset. I have said this in front of the old lady, which is not good for you."
Lady Chen lowered her eyes, "I know that, but..."
"Please tell the old lady that Empress Yu is the only one who is worried and working hard in the palace, so it is inevitable that she will miss something. The whole palace and the whole court do not know whether Your Majesty is well, so it is inevitable that they will be worried and confused."
Concubine Chen asked, "So, will the Queen Mother allow us to see His Majesty?"
Yang Wan didn't comment, she just said dumbly: "Your Majesty, please give it a try."
**
After Chen left, Yang Wan slowly moved to the side hall and sat down. He Yu brought some cold water, squatted down and rolled up Yang Wan's trouser legs.
Yang Wan held her hand and said, "Okay, I'm fine. You can go with me to rest. I can do it myself."
He Yu stood up and said, "Yes."
Unexpectedly, Yi Lang refused to leave. He stood in front of Yang Wan. Although he did not say a word, he made He Yu and others dare not step forward.
Yang Wan raised her head and said softly, "What's wrong, Your Highness?"
Yi Lang said, "I have something to ask my aunt, Aunt Heyu, please leave."
"Your Highness..."
He Yu was a little at a loss and looked towards Yang Wan unconsciously.
Yang Wan nodded to He Yu and said, "Go ahead."
He Yu closed the door in response. Yi Lang waited until the footsteps outside the door faded away before taking a few steps towards Yang Wan.
"If a palace official is involved in a factional dispute, he will be sentenced to death."
Yang Wan's throat felt as if it was pierced by a thin and soft thorn, but she did not show any emotion.
"Yes, it is a capital crime. Auntie has admitted it."
As she was about to stand up, Yi Lang suddenly threw himself into Yang Wan's arms and hugged her arms. Yang Wan was pushed back a few steps by Yi Lang, and could not stand steadily, so she fell on the couch.
"Don't recognize..."
Yi Lang's voice trembled a little, "I don't want my aunt to die."
Yang Wan supported herself on the couch and sat up straight. She lowered her head to look at the half of Yi Lang's neck exposed outside his collar and said softly, "Your Highness would never say that before."
Yi Lang said nothing.
Yang Wan touched the back of Yi Lang's head. "Your Highness, have you forgotten? The year Zhou Congshan died, Your Highness also found the notes written by me here. At that time, Your Highness asked me to..."
“It’s different.”
Yang Wan's heart trembled, and she asked tentatively: "Is...what's different?"
Yi Lang raised his head, his eyes were red but no tears were shed, "Aunt, I understand now, you are just like the factory officials, you don't want to be involved in the party struggle for the succession, you are doing this now, all because of me."
"Not just because of you."
Yang Wan hugged Yi Lang, "There have been factional struggles in every dynasty to establish a crown prince. Some are indeed for personal gain, while others, as Your Highness said, are forced to do so. They don't want to elevate a person to the supreme position. They are just looking forward to a wise monarch and want to see a better world. Your Highness, do you remember how the factory officials told you about factional struggles?"
Yi Lang nodded, "I remember, the factory official said something very similar to my aunt. He said that party struggles are inevitable, and I don't need to be afraid. I just need to choose from their political views the one that is beneficial to both the country and the people."
Yang Wan hummed.
"He is right. Your Highness need not be afraid. The factory official and I are also part of the party struggle. Your Highness can just boldly choose our opinion."
After Yang Wan said this, she couldn't help but be surprised.
In the past, she always hoped that the future king could show some mercy to Deng Ying, but now, she felt that Deng Ying did not need this mercy. Not only Deng Ying did not need it, but Yang Wan herself did not need it either.
The spiritual pride six hundred years later did not allow her to beg for "amnesty" like in the feudal era. The meaning of her life was to live in Deng Ying's era and to live well with him without being humble or arrogant.
**
Heavy rain suddenly fell.
Deng Ying stood on the porch of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, with rain pouring down from the eaves like pillars.
Wang Zhong bowed to Deng Ying and stood up and said, "Master, His Majesty cannot bear to see the "Draft". The Chief of the Imperial Household Department, He, knows about this. Master Deng, please go back."
Deng Ying turned around and looked into the hall. The strong smell of medicine and rain mixed together and was quite unpleasant.
"The Eastern Investigation Office has the power to make special reports on specific matters, and does not need to obtain approval from the Imperial Household Department."
Just as he finished speaking, Jiang Min and Song Yunqing, the female officials of the Shangyi Bureau, came from the platform in the rain. Wang Zhong hurriedly greeted them, "Why is Jiang Shangyi here?"
Jiang Shangyi bowed to Deng Ying, then stood up and said, "The Empress Dowager has ordered that Wang Zhong be punished with forty strokes of the cane."
"What… "
"Take it away. I will report it to Her Majesty the Queen in person."
Wang Zhong and Jiang Min said this, knowing that they would be beaten to death if they made any more noise, and they were taken away by the Jinyiwei with trembling legs.
Jiang Min bowed his head and said to the people on the stairs: "Drag him to the Imperial Household Department for execution. Do not disturb Your Majesty here."
After saying that, he flicked the rain off his clothes and turned to look at Deng Ying.
"Minister Deng, the old lady has issued a clear order to resume the transmission of the important drafts of the six ministries and the cabinet, but your majesty's health is still the most important. If your majesty cannot bear the work, the cabinet and the Imperial Household Department will hold a meeting. Nothing should be left unsent."
"Yes, I understand."
Jiang Min looked at Deng Ying who was bowing deeply in front of him. After he stood up, he said calmly, "Although this imperial decree was not requested by the people of Chengqian Palace, it was brought out by the people of Chengqian Palace. What Chen said in front of the Queen Mother today may not sound like anything at first glance, but if you think about it carefully, it is very coincidental and does not seem to be said unintentionally."
Deng Ying said: "Shang Yi, if you have anything to say, please speak directly to Deng Ying."
Jiang Min said, "I have always hoped that Yang Wan could avoid trouble in my Shangyi Bureau like Yun Qing, but since Empress Ning fell ill and moved to the palace, she has been in charge of Chengqian Palace as a palace maid, and I have no way to protect her like before. Fortunately, she has always been very smart and knows where to stop, so the Silijian has never targeted her. But this time, she made her position clear. Although this order from the old lady proves that she has won over the queen and the Silijian, it is no different from a death warrant for her. You must make her pay attention."
Deng Ying bowed again. "Deng Ying, on behalf of Yang Wan, would like to thank Shang Yi."
"There is one more thing I want to say to the factory officials, even though it is shameless."
Deng Ying stood up and said, "Shang Yi, please speak."
Jiang Min whispered, "If the factory minister eventually takes charge of the Silijian, I hope he will take care of our Shangyi Bureau for Yang Wan's sake."
"Deng Ying also said something shameless."
"If anything happens to me, please ask Shang Yi to find a way to get Yang Wan out of the palace."
Jiang Min shook her head. "I, Jiang Min, have been in the palace for more than ten years and have never taken any risk. The factory official has asked the wrong person for help."
She was about to turn around after she finished speaking, and Song Yunqing couldn't help but call out, "Shang Yi..."
Jiang Min turned around and said, "Yun Qing, come here."
Song Yunqing walked and said: "Haven't you always liked Yang Wan? Why..."
Jiang Min stopped and said, "You have always recognized the principles I taught you."
As she spoke, she raised her head and looked at Deng Ying. After a moment of silence, she said, "There are already enough people in this palace who are willing to sacrifice their lives. You are not the only one needed. Let's go. Come back with me."
Song Yunqing turned around and glanced at Deng Ying. Deng Ying said nothing, but just bent over and bowed to her.
Song Yun gently squeezed the jade bracelet that Yang Wan gave her. She wanted to say something, but couldn't utter it in the end.
She let go of his hand, leaned forward to return the greeting to Deng Ying, then turned around and chased after Jiang Min.