Deng Ying helped Yang Wan onto the couch, turned around and moved the light to the couch side, "Have you applied the medicine?"
Yang Wan shook her head. "No, but I applied cold water to the wound several times. It would be too painful to rub it with medicine."
Deng Ying looked down at Yang Wan's knee. Although the skin was not broken at the point of pressure, a large and shocking purple bruise spread along the pressure point. He wanted to reach out and touch it, but he didn't dare.
"Wan Wan."
"What?"
"Let me escort you out of the palace while I am still in this position."
"Who will take care of you if I leave?"
Yang Wan rolled up her trouser legs and interrupted him.
Deng Ying was stunned and speechless for a moment.
Yang Wan moved her legs and slowly approached Deng Ying, "What should I do if you pick up those messy books to read again?"
Deng Ying lowered her head. "How can I dare to read those books again when you are here?"
He paused and said, "Wanwan, no matter where you are, I want to be the dust at your feet. Even if you are not here, I will live a peaceful life. But I know that my reputation is tainted, and I can't get a good end even if I ask for it. So, I want to send you away before I am rotten to the core."
“I can’t leave.”
Yang Wan curled up her legs, and gently pressed her toes against Deng Ying's thighs. She held her cheeks with her hands and showed Deng Ying a calm and gentle expression, "It's impossible for you to be the dust under my feet."
"Am I worthy?"
Yang Wan raised one hand, held a strand of hair by Deng Ying's ear, and said, "Yes, it's because I've always wanted to be your legacy after death."
As she spoke, she retracted her hands and folded them on her knees, saying sincerely, "Deng Ying, a hundred years from now, people will gradually understand your life. Your injuries during the Zhenning years, your ups and downs, your contributions to the dynasty, and your sincerity to the literati of the world will never be erased."
Deng Ying didn't say anything.
Yang Wan asked: "You believe it, don't you?"
Deng Ying did not comment.
Yang Wan held Deng Ying's slightly cold hands and said, "Deng Ying, even if a hundred years have passed, someone will still be able to find you among the piles of old papers. Besides, I am right beside you now. You have to send me away."
"Um."
Deng Ying was silent for a long time before nodding in response.
Yang Wan's voice became cheerful, and she looked at Deng Ying with a smile.
"Then tell me, if people a hundred years from now could hear your voice, what would you like to tell them?"
"Me?"
"Yes, say what you want to say."
Deng Ying clenched her fingers gently and said softly, "I know."
"Think about it now."
Yang Wan said as she pulled Deng Ying's sleeve. Deng Ying obediently raised her head, looked at her and said softly, "Okay, I'll think about it now."
He said this and leaned towards the bed frame.
Yang Wan didn't say anything either. She let go of Deng Ying's sleeve, turned around, dragged a pillow under her waist, leaned down opposite Deng Ying, and waited quietly for his answer.
The light flickered
Deng Ying raised her head and coughed lightly.
"Have you thought of it?"
“I figured it out.”
"What?"
Deng Ying's eyes fell gently on Yang Wan. "I have committed a thousand sins and many mistakes. Although I want to defend myself, I can't. The only sin I have is my love for Yang Wan. Therefore, Deng Ying is not willing to accept the punishment she has received throughout her life."
Yang Wan's throat tightened after hearing this, "Fool..."
**
At the end of the 14th year of Zhenning, heavy snow fell for several days. The snowstorm in Hebei collapsed a large number of houses. Countless people and livestock froze to death on the road. A few days later, the south also began to report the disaster. The rivers and lakes in Jiangsu were cut off and the ports were frozen. At the same time, the seriously ill Emperor Zhenning was on his deathbed. The 24 departments of the inner court were preparing for the New Year. The palaces were deserted and the gates were closed. Only at the Donghua Gate, there were endless carriages and horses delivering coal, which was even busier than usual.
In order to provide heating for the Yangxin Palace and the palaces, Chen Hua was so busy in the Xinxin Division that he could hardly close his eyes.
At noon that day, Li Yu braved the snow and walked into the office hall. As soon as he entered, he saw Chen Hua pacing in the hall with a worried look on his face. There were ten baskets of charcoal on the ground, and none of them was full.
When Chen Hua saw Li Yu coming in, he hurriedly said, "Quick, bring a basket."
Li Yu, who was holding the food in his hand, dropped it for a moment.
"Why are you in such a hurry? If you want to move it, you should eat first. I have been busy all morning making these for you. And the charcoal is so heavy. How can I move it if you don't send someone to help me?"
Only then did Chen Hua see the food Li Yu was carrying.
He hurriedly cleared the table and said, "No one has assigned you anything. We are all very busy. This is all the charcoal left. We have to present it to the Imperial Household Department as a gift. Someone will come to take it away soon. You should move it away and give it to your sister as soon as possible. If you are late, even the broken pieces will be gone."
As he spoke, he washed his clothes and sat at the table to eat.
Li Yu sat down and said, "I've never seen your place so messy before."
Chen Hua had food in his mouth and spoke vaguely. He raised his chin toward the window and said, "Look at the snow outside. Is it going to stop? People are dying everywhere in Hebei. Now, even people in the palace have frozen to death."
Li Yu said: "No wonder we all got charcoal."
Chen Hua put down his chopsticks. "Tell Yun Qing not to cook for me anymore. Seeing that the big master's affairs are about to come out, everything is in chaos. They have a lot of connections in the Shangyi Bureau, and I'm afraid they will have a harder time than us. I can't help him much, so I can't add to the chaos."
Li Yu nodded and was about to speak when the door of the Sitang was suddenly pushed open and the eunuch from the Silijian came in. Chen Hua quickly put down his chopsticks and stood up, "Zhao Suitang..."
Zhao Suitang glanced at the charcoal basket on the ground, raised his hand and slapped Chen Hua, "You are getting better at doing things. The old ancestor was sick and gave you three days. You prepared these for the Communist Party."
After receiving the slap, Chen Hua did not dare to argue, but subconsciously stood in front of the table and used his body to protect the food brought by Li Yu.
Li Yu held back and said, "Even these are difficult, Eunuch Zhao, the old ancestor must want to force Xixinsi to death. Besides, the old ancestor only has one room and one person. Even if there are ten more people and ten more rooms, these are enough."
"Hey… "
Zhao Suitang rolled up his sleeves and walked towards Li Yu. Chen Hua hurriedly held him back and said, "Zhao Suitang, he is young and ignorant. For the sake of his godfather, please don't bother with him. I will go to the old ancestor now."
Zhao Suitang stopped and asked, "Who is his godfather?"
The eunuch behind him replied, "This man is called Li Yu, he works as a doorman, he is the younger brother of the Shangyi Bureau's Si Zan, he recognized Li Bingbi as his godfather, and he kowtowed in front of the ancestor."
After hearing this, Zhao Suitang put down his sleeves and said, "If that's the case, then forget it."
After saying that, he turned to Chen Hua and said, "Let's move these away first and come back tomorrow."
"Yes, yes... I'll take you there..."
"Send me a gift."
Zhao Suitang glanced at him and said, "It's very unlucky."
“Yes, yes.”
The group emptied the charcoal in the hall.
Chen Hua watched them walk away, then he wiped his face, went outside to wash his clothes again, returned to the table and sat down, lowering his head and silently eating the food in the bowl.
Li Yu looked at him swallowing his food silently and said, "Let's talk to Governor Deng."
Chen Hua shook his head. "It's useless to say these things. Deng Ying didn't become a factory official just for us."
After he finished speaking, he choked up. Li Yu hurriedly picked up a bowl of soup and handed it to him. Chen Hua raised his head and took a big sip of the soup. Finally, he was satisfied. He raised his head with red eyes and said, "It's a good thing you have a father who is from the Imperial Household Department. Otherwise, your sister would hate me to death today."
When Li Yu came out, he was full of anger. He did not listen to Chen Hua's words, and went to the Inner East Factory after leaving the Xixinsi. However, Deng Ying went to the factory prison and was not in the government office. Li Yu then went back to the Yangxin Palace to look for his godfather.
The snow was heavy and the wind was strong. The sharp winds scraped against people's faces and it felt like a knife cutting them. The palace people walking on the road shivered and walked staggeringly.
In front of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the Palace Administration dispatched more than 40 eunuchs, divided into four shifts, to take turns sweeping the snow in front of the Imperial Road. In the huge imperial city, it seemed that this was the only clean road.
Li Yu walked up the stone stairs behind the Hall of Mental Cultivation and onto the platform tremblingly.
Li Bingbi was standing in front of the door. When he saw him coming, he immediately said, "Go back quickly. If you have anything to say, come to my room and talk about it after work."
Li Yu then saw that, in addition to Li Bingbi, Hu Xiang and three other senior eunuchs in charge of the Imperial Household Department were standing outside the door. The eight imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Bureau were also standing on the platform with their heads bowed in the snow.
The snowy wind blew their clothes and hats, making a sound like tearing cloth and brocade. The golden dragon carved under the eaves of the palace stretched out its six claws in the wind and snow, as if it was alive.
Li Yu's words were forced back by the snowy wind. He turned around and looked at the brocade window of the Hall of Mental Cultivation. The lights were on in the hall, but he could not see any human figures.
**
Inside the palace, Emperor Zhenning sat alone behind the imperial desk, wearing a light yellow silk inner garment and a large bear-skin fur coat. On the imperial desk were papers and pens, and the ink in the inkstone was freshly ground, but had not yet been dipped by a pen.
He Yixian knelt beside Emperor Zhenning and rubbed his knees.
The injuries he had suffered had not yet healed, and his back was hunched, and he would use his hands to support himself on the ground from time to time.
"Your Majesty's leg, is the swelling and pain better?"
The emperor looked down at He Yixian's back and suddenly replied, "Much better."
He Yixian was stunned for a moment, then suddenly knelt down, "I don't know how long I can serve my master in this state of my old slave's body."
"Heh..."
The emperor uttered a hoarse voice, "You can wait for me to die."
"Master, you can't say that. You have a disease caused by the five grains. The five grains can't hurt your divine body. Look, you feel much better when you get up this morning."
"Is that so..."
The emperor coughed and raised his hand to pull up the cloak that had slipped off his shoulders.
"I have a divine body, what the hell are you?"
He Yixian buried her head at the feet of Emperor Zhenning, "I am still the same as when I was little, just a ball of dirt. When your majesty is free, if you find it dirty, you let me roll on the ground, and your majesty kicks me for fun."
"yes… "
The emperor lowered his head and held He Yixian's shoulders.
"You have brought me up since I was a child. You are my best friend. Whenever I have a headache or fever... or get a sore or an illness, you worry more than my mother. I see it all..."
"Master..."
He Yixian was trembling all over. Emperor Zhenning suddenly pressed his shoulders hard. The force was so strong that He Yixian's shoulders collapsed and he crawled on the ground, unable to get up.
Emperor Zhenning raised his voice and said, "When I was young, I had a lot of things to say to my ministers, and I said them all to my great companion. Later, when I took power, my great companion was still the person who was closest to me. Now..."
Emperor Zhenning paused and said, "Do you think of yourself as a person?"
He Yixian raised his neck slightly and said, "Master, I know that you have been ill for some time. I have done many wrong things and have angered you. Even if I am beaten to death, I deserve it."