When Deng Ying met Emperor Zhenning in the Yangxin Palace, it was difficult for him to even sit up. There was a big lump in his throat, and the imperial doctors had to lift his neck from time to time to prevent him from suffocating. Deng Ying knelt in front of the couch to present the memorial. Emperor Zhenning took a look at it, waved his hands, panted and uttered the word "read".
Deng Ying was sitting in front of the couch, reading the memorials from the two ministries and the cabinet's draft in a calm voice.
After listening to it, Emperor Zhenning raised his head slightly and said in a hoarse voice: "When... was the memorial submitted?"
Deng Ying knelt down and said, "Seven days ago."
"What... What? The Imperial Household Department hasn't used the seal yet."
Hu Xiang quickly responded: "This is a serious matter, the seal holder is still considering it."
Emperor Zhenning coughed a few times, and the four imperial doctors guarding the back room hurriedly came with a bottle of snuff and put it under the emperor's nose.
Emperor Zhenning took a breath with some effort, and his breathing became smoother. He raised his eyes and called Hu Xiang, "Hu Xiang..."
"The old slave is here."
"Tell He Yixian that I am a slave!"
When the word "servant" was uttered, Emperor Zhenning's shoulders shrugged violently, and then he coughed a few times. Everyone in the hall knelt down. Hu Xiang trembled and said, "My dear... don't be angry with me, just hit me to vent your anger. I know I am wrong..."
Hu Xiang kowtowed heavily, and the other palace maids were also afraid to kowtow.
Deng Ying looked at Hu Xiang in silence, waiting for Emperor Zhenning's next words.
"You are bullying me, bullying me. I will beat you... Do you remember?"
Hu Xiang trembled all over when she heard this, and hurriedly knelt down to the feet of Emperor Zhenning, "My Lord, our ears are in your heart, and we dare not forget a single word you say. We did something wrong and are willing to be punished, but you said that we were deceiving the emperor, and we will never admit it even if we die... Please, my Lord, look into our hearts, even if you have to take them out..."
"Enough..."
Emperor Zhenning lowered his head and curled up his legs. "Drag him away and let him and He Yixian fight with the mandarin duck board."
Hu Xiang collapsed, and the Jinyiwei grabbed his arms and dragged him away like a dead man.
"Deng Ying..."
"The servant is here."
"Come closer."
Deng Ying stood up and walked to the couch, then bent over and approached Emperor Zhenning.
The breath from Emperor Zhenning's mouth was very hot, mixed with the smell of medicine and fish, and it rushed into Deng Ying's nose.
"You... bring me the imperial edict of the cabinet's decision on the succession tomorrow, and I will read it myself..."
"yes."
Emperor Zhenning nodded and said, "Go... go and supervise the execution."
"yes."
"One more thing..."
"Listen, slave."
Emperor Zhenning tilted his neck and tried to make his voice smoother. "Tell He Yixian that if she has any inappropriate thoughts, she doesn't need to lead the discussion of the grand ceremony after my death..."
The grand ceremony after death naturally refers to the emperor’s funeral ceremony.
Emperor Zhenning's words undoubtedly gave He Yixian a pardon from death.
When Deng Ying returned to Neidong Factory, the heavy rain had just stopped and rainwater was flowing in the open space outside the factory.
Qin Wende was dragging He Yixian and Hu Xiang to the inner court. There were two white cloths spread under the steps, and eight workers stepped on the four corners. As if to vent his anger, Qin Wende took out two heavy sticks about three inches wide and threw them on the white cloths. With a "snap" sound, Hu Xiang was so scared that his crotch was wet.
Deng Ying walked towards the door, and Qin Wende hurriedly walked a few steps towards her, "The messenger didn't tell the real number, supervisor, how many hits are you going to give?"
Deng Ying glanced at the white cloth on the ground and said calmly, "One sheet is enough."
"ha?"
Qin Wende touched the back of his head and said, "If you hit one person, don't you say you have to hit both of them?"
Deng Ying: "Beating the couple with a stick."
"What?"
"Do as you wish."
Deng Ying turned around and said, "This is the order of His Majesty."
After saying this, he turned to the factory worker who was holding He, Hu and others and said, "Untie the ropes."
Qin Wende was somewhat unwilling to accept this, and lowered his voice to Deng Ying: "What's the point of hitting with the mandarin duck board? Isn't this just a show for us?"
Deng Ying didn't say anything.
He Yixian knelt on the ground and laughed, "I didn't expect that, but I have to learn a lesson from you sometimes."
The factory worker pulled the ropes tied to him from his body and shouted at him, "Stand up."
He Yixian stood up, took off his official robe, and walked a few steps towards Deng Ying. "I have something to tell you."
Deng Ying: "I will pass it on after the ancestor has been punished."
"OK."
After He Yixian finished speaking, he lowered his head to look at the white cloth on the ground, "Look, even if the wife feels sorry for us, she can only strip us of our dignity. You are a slave, and you want to be a minister. When the time comes, what you strip will not be dignity."
After saying that, he lay trembling on the white cloth, stretched out his legs, and clasped his hands above his head.
Qin Wende picked up the cane on the ground and threw it in front of Hu Xiang, "Why are you still standing there? Get up and do it."
Hu Xiang was soaked in sweat, and his steps were weak when he stood up. It took him a long time to pick up the board that Qin Wende had thrown on the ground.
The so-called mandarin duck board was a punishment of great mercy in the inner court. The people being punished would execute each other, thus giving the people being punished a lot of leeway.
Hu Xiang was already frightened by Tan Wende's posture, and now he was stripped down to his shirt, unable to even stand steadily in front of everyone. He lifted the board, which floated down unsteadily, making Tan Wende very anxious.
Even though the blow was light, He Yixian couldn't help but lift his back.
Hu Xiang dropped his stick and fell to his knees, saying, "My dear ancestor... as your son... I can't do it, I can't do it."
He Yixian raised his head and said, "Okay, hurry up, so as to save more lives."
“Yes… yes yes…”
Hu Xiang struggled to stand up again, biting his lip and lifting his cane again.
After the beating, He Yixian panted for a long time before finally getting up. Hu Xiang quickly threw the cane and lay down, "Grandfather, please beat your son hard, beat him hard..."
He Yixian did not take the stick immediately. Instead, he took out his official robe and covered Hu Xiang's crotch with it.
Hu Xiang turned back with tears in his eyes, "Grandfather..."
He Yixian supported his waist and stood up, "Turn around."
Hu Xiang bit his sleeve and turned around, tears streaming down his face.
Deng Ying turned her back and walked out of the factory. Tan Wende followed her a few steps and asked, "Supervisor, don't you want to see me?"
Deng Ying shook her head. "You go and watch it. I don't want to watch it."
As he spoke, he had already walked out of the factory office.
He Yixian's desire to protect Hu Xiang's dignity seems to be the same as Yang Lun's desire to protect Deng Ying's dignity. However, He Yixian can do it openly, but Yang Lun can only do it secretly, but in fact it is better this way. If Yang Lun also defends my clothes and hats openly like He Yixian, it would be another kind of humiliation for me.
Minister eunuch.
Eunuchs are ministers.
The only person in this world who can maintain his dignity without hurting his self-esteem is Zheng Yuejia, who has a similar experience to me.
Unfortunately, he is already dead.
When Deng Ying got to this point, she suddenly felt something was wrong.
In addition to Zheng Yuejia, there is obviously another person. That person is obviously the source of shame for me, but he can make me willingly take off my clothes and stand naked in front of that person.
Deng Ying was very embarrassed at this time.
**
The lights in Chengqian Palace have been turned on.
After an autumn rain, the ground is filled with flickering lights.
Yang Wan put her feet on the edge of the chair, hugged her knees and sat under the lamp, taking notes.
Yi Lang was reading in the study, and the sound of reciting could be heard from time to time. He Yu, Qing Meng and others were sitting opposite Yang Wan, looking through the accounts while roasting sweet potatoes on the charcoal fire.
Yang Wan held up her notebook and leaned back in her chair.
Less than a month before Emperor Zhenning's death, he had still not issued an edict to appoint a crown prince.
Yang Wan held her chin up, closed her eyes and tried her best to recall the papers and related discussions she had read before.
Regarding the fourth year of Zhenning, there were only a few short months from the death of Emperor Zhenning to the death of the second son Yi Jue and the ascension of Yi Lang to the throne. However, the history of these few months has always been a hot topic in Ming history research.
Was this will issued? If so, what was its content? Why was it not announced to the cabinet? And for what reason, where was it hidden
If it was not issued, then why didn't the Ming Dynasty law at that time follow it? Like after the Hongwan case, when the emperor died without an edict, the cabinet drafted the edict on his behalf.
The History of Ming Dynasty records that the second son of the emperor died of illness, but many historical books compiled by the Qing Dynasty mentioned that in the last years of Zhenning, the empress took great care of the second son of the emperor, and the second son's illness gradually improved. So why did he suddenly die of illness after the emperor's death? The mainstream view is that the second son of the emperor died in a dispute over the throne, and the person who did it should be an eunuch in the inner court. Later, someone studied the Hundred Crimes Records written by Yi Lang to Deng Ying, and picked out a crime that had never been confirmed by historical materials - murdering a clan member.
This discovery confirmed the death of the emperor's second son.
Yang Wan held up her drooping hair and integrated the logic of this information in her notebook. The lamp next to her gradually burned out. She was about to get up to change it when she saw He Yu and Qing Meng both stood up. "Supervise."
Deng Ying nodded at the door but did not come in.
Heyu and Qingmeng and the others hurriedly retreated.
Yang Wan put down her pen, hugged her knees and smiled: "Your Majesty, have you seen the memorial?"
"yes."
"You're not like me."
"No."
"That's good. What about the people from the Imperial Household Department? Has Your Majesty dealt with them?"
Deng Ying nodded, "Yes, but no execution."
"yes."
Yang Wan tilted her head, "How could they be executed? If they were to execute us, there would be no one to guard the coffin that His Majesty left for himself."
His words hit the nail on the head, but Deng Ying remembered what Jiang Min had said to her and fell silent for a moment.
Seeing that Deng Ying didn't say anything, Yang Wan held up her calf, slowly lowered her legs off the chair, and limped towards Deng Ying.
"Are you going to supervise the execution today..."
Before he could finish his words, he stumbled and nearly fell.
Deng Ying quickly reached out to support him, "Did you bump into anything?"
Yang Wan put her hand on Deng Ying's shoulder and smiled: "If you didn't have a foot injury, I would have let you carry me to the bed today."
Deng Ying looked down at Yang Wan's knees and said, "My feet don't hurt. I can carry you."
"Who are you kidding?"
"I didn't lie to you."
Yang Wan pinched Deng Ying's arm and said, "Okay, you are unhappy, right?"
"Wan Wan..."
"Hiss..."
Yang Wan frowned: "Walk the wrong way, the bed is over there."