Large piles of snow were blown by the wind toward the only cleared path in front of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
The six palaces were brightly lit, and countless ceremonial lanterns surged towards the Yangxin Gate, then gathered into a huge array of light.
It was not yet completely dark, with a ray of light still struggling in the western sky. Deng Ying had just returned from the factory prison and was handing out signs at the Donghua Gate. The snowy wind made his robe rustle. It was freezing cold and his leg injury was flaring up badly. Even if he just stood in the wind for a while, he still felt unbearable.
"Sir, I am sorry to have kept you here."
Deng Ying raised his hand to take his ivory plate, and suddenly heard a shout in the snowy wind: "Lock the city gate! Lock the city gate!"
The guards on the city gate heard the sound and immediately shouted in unison: "Release the bolts!" The sound was carried far away by the wind.
Deng Ying turned his head and saw the heavy city gate being closed by the guards. At the same time, Li Da, the night watchman of the Jinwu Guard, also rushed to the Donghua Gate.
"Whoever enters the palace at this time, arrest him and bring him back to the Governor's Mansion for questioning."
The Jinwu Guards who followed immediately stepped forward to arrest the person.
The city gate guard hurriedly blocked him and said, "Military, it's the factory official."
Li Da finally saw the person behind the snowy shadow. He clasped his fists and bowed, saying, "Please forgive me, I am short-sighted."
Deng Ying asked directly: "Why are the city gates locked at this time?"
General Li said: "We are under the order of the Governor's Office to close the four gates. After the four gates are closed, the Tongzi River outside will also be under martial law.
The four gates were locked in advance and the moat was under martial law, which would only be implemented when the capital fell or the emperor passed away.
Deng Ying ignored his injured leg after hearing this and asked hurriedly, "When did the Governor's Office issue the order?"
"The hour of Hai."
Deng Ying asked, "Has the news of the death spread from the Yangxin Palace?"
Li Da hesitated for a moment and said softly, "We dare not talk nonsense. We haven't heard the announcement of the death, but the queens of the various palaces have gone there, and several princes outside the palace have also entered the palace early."
After hearing this, Deng Ying did not ask any more questions. He endured the pain and walked towards the Yangxin Palace in the snow.
When they were halfway along the road, they suddenly saw Li Yu running towards them. He suddenly knelt down at Deng Ying's feet and said, "Master... is dead..."
"when."
Li Yu choked up and said, "I will just..."
Deng Ying raised his head and looked towards the Yangxin Gate. The lights were all silent. The sound of the flames and the whistling of the snow wind were fighting each other. Only the human voice was still hoarse in his throat, waiting hesitantly for the signal of mourning. He bent down to help Li Yu up and was about to continue walking forward when he heard a low voice coming from behind.
"Deng Changchen."
Deng Ying turned around and saw that the person calling him was Zhang Luo.
He was wearing armor today and had a sword at his waist, and every step he took made the accumulated snow crackle.
He walked up to Deng Ying and stood in front of her. He also glanced inside the door and said calmly, "There is something I want to tell you. The Queen Mother fainted from crying. Now in the Yangxin Palace, the Queen is accompanying the second prince to bury the body."
Deng Ying was silent for a moment, then asked, "Where is the eldest prince?"
"Kneel outside and wait with Princess Jiayi."
"The will can be issued."
“Not yet.”
"Has anyone in the cabinet questioned the will?"
Zhang Luo retracted his gaze towards the door and said, "Not yet."
Deng Ying said: "It's just a matter of sooner or later."
"yes."
Zhang Luo held the hilt of the knife, "I want to ask you first, if someone questions the will, what will the East Factory do?"
Deng Ying said: "There needs to be a tacit understanding between you and me. Whether it is the East Factory or the Jinyiwei, we should all watch with a cold eye and not touch the officials who question us."
Although Zhang Luo did not respond to this sentence, he turned around and nodded.
"Vice Envoy Zhang."
Deng Ying called him and said, "I have something to ask you."
Zhang Luo raised his hand and motioned him to speak.
Deng Ying followed him and asked, "When did you become suspicious?"
Zhang Luo laughed in the snowy wind, turned around and said, "I became suspicious when she scolded me for being unworthy in front of Qingbo Pavilion."
**
At this time, concubines, relatives of the royal family, and several close ministers of the cabinet were kneeling from the Yangxin Gate to the Imperial Road.
The door of the Hall of Mental Cultivation was locked from the inside, and only a faint human figure could be seen through the door.
The eunuch Hu Xiang, who was in charge of writing in the Imperial Household Department, stood in front of the palace and shouted, "Crying and dancing—"
For a moment, the crying outside the palace was deafening.
Concubines like Concubine Chen who had no children knew that they could not escape the fate of being buried alive with the dead. They were all filled with sorrow and cried until they fainted one by one.
The eunuchs came forward and carried the concubines away, and their hairpins and rings fell along the way.
However, apart from these "true" women, most of the other relatives and close ministers only cried but did not shed tears.
Yi Lang knelt in the front without saying a word. Seeing that he didn't cry, his aunt Princess Jiayi wiped her tears and hugged his shoulders and said, "Your Highness, you have to cry... with your aunt..."
Yi Lang shrugged lightly, avoided Princess Jiayi's hand, lowered his head, pursed his lips and still said nothing.
Princess Jiayi could only turn sideways to look at Yang Wan and said softly, "Why don't you persuade His Highness quickly?"
Yang Wan was kneeling behind Yi Lang. She couldn't see his face, but she could see that his hands were hanging by his legs, his knuckles were clenched until they turned white.
Yang Wan was about to speak when a hoarse voice suddenly broke through the crying: "Your Majesty's will is issued by Bai Huan, the chief minister of the cabinet!"
Everyone stopped crying and looked at Bai Huan.
Bai Huan was seen dragging his sick leg forward on his knees, raising his voice with all his strength: "Your Majesty's will is requested by your Majesty! Your Majesty's will is requested by your Majesty! Your Majesty's will is requested by your Majesty!"
After he said this, he vomited a mouthful of blood onto the ground, which immediately melted the snow in front of him.
The kneeling officials became furious when they saw the Prime Minister vomiting blood.
Yang Lun stood up, walked to Bai Huan, knelt down, kowtowed and said loudly: "I am Yang Lun, the minister of the cabinet, please obey the edict of your majesty!"
As soon as these words were spoken, voices asking for obedience to the will arose one after another.
Hu Xiang panicked when he saw this, and said hurriedly, "What are you guys standing there for? Hurry up and carry him away."
The Ming army outside the palace was about to step forward, but was stopped by Tan Wende. "Anyone who leaves his post in front of the palace without permission will be killed immediately."
Hu Xiang looked up at Deng Ying who was standing in front of the Yangxin Gate and shouted, "Deng Ying, are you from the East Factory going to rebel? Deputy Envoy Zhang... Deputy Envoy Zhang!"
Zhang Luo said coldly: "You didn't understand Captain Qin's words. I will say it again. Anyone who leaves his post without permission will be killed immediately!"
Hu Xiang's legs went weak and he could not help but take several steps back, "You...you guys..."
The palace door suddenly opened, and Li Bingbi walked out of the palace. He helped Hu Xiang and bowed to Yi Lang, saying, "Your Highness, the Queen Mother has allowed Your Highness to enter the palace to view the coffin."
After that, he raised his voice and said, "Declaration of mourning in Jiaoyuan."
The latter part of the sentence was obviously meant for Yi Lang to hear. As soon as the word "Jiaoyuan" came out, Yang Wan saw Yi Lang's body shaking.
He slowly stood up, climbed the steps to the moon platform, lifted his robe and knelt in front of the palace door, kowtowed and said: "Your servant Zhu Yilang has been disrespectful to your father and king at his deathbed. I know I am guilty and dare not watch the coffin."
Xuefeng's words were heard by all the ministers.
Bai Huan propped himself up and opened his mouth but no sound came out. Yi Lang stood up and walked down the stairs, walked in front of Bai Huan, and knelt again.
When the officials saw this, they knelt down and pleaded, "Your Highness, please don't do this."
Yi Lang said: "I would like to ask all the gentlemen to perform the mourning ceremony and pray for the soul of my king and father to rest in peace."
After saying that, he turned around and called Yang Wan, "Aunt, let's go back and change into mourning clothes."
The night watch has begun.
Yang Wan held up an umbrella and followed Yi Chao to Chengqian Palace. However, halfway through the journey, Yi Lang stopped. Yang Wan held up an umbrella and squatted down, "Your Highness, if you want to cry, then cry. You can cry now."
Yi Lang shook his head, "I want to see the factory official."
"Auntie, go find him and come over."
"No, I'll go see him."
**
The four doors were locked, and Yang Lun and others could not leave the palace. Bai Yuyang supported Bai Huan and went to the cabinet room.
Yang Lun and Deng Ying stood in front of Huiji Gate in the snow.
"The teacher's body can't hold on any longer."
"Well, after the hour of Mao tomorrow, I will send the guards from the East Factory to escort him out of the palace, and you can come with me."
Yang Lun shook his head and said, "I won't leave. Without the teacher, someone has to stay in the palace to guard the cabinet. Bai Yuyang is so explosive, and now I am the only one who can help him."
Deng Ying smiled.
Yang Lun said, "Why are you laughing on this day of national mourning?"
Deng Ying lowered her head and said, "Nothing."
Yang Lun did not bother to argue and changed the subject: "Fu Ling, do you think His Majesty has a will?"
"Yes, but the Imperial Household Department won't give it to you."
Yang Lun continued: "He even wrote a false edict."
Deng Ying raised his head and said, "Whether it is true or not, the cabinet will receive the will tomorrow. Have you discussed it in advance? If His Majesty passes the throne to the second son..."
"barge."
Yang Lun uttered a word. Then he said, "The cabinet has the power to seal or reject. Even though this is a will, I can still risk my life to give it a try."
Deng Ying said: "After trying it."
"Redraft the edict and recommend His Highness to be the Grand Prince."
Deng Ying interrupted him and said, "If the Queen doesn't allow it, you'll have died in vain. Can you rest assured leaving the cabinet to Minister Bai?"
Yang Lun fell silent for a while before he said, "You are right. Today, the Queen brought the second prince to watch the coffin and asked the eldest prince to kneel outside the palace with us. This alone is enough to prove that the Queen does not approve of the recommendation of the eldest prince."
"So, Zixi, refuting the will is not the best method."
Yang Lun clenched his fist and said, "But it's not easy to convince the queen."
As he was speaking, Qi Huaiyang came running over and said, "Minister Yang, Lord Bai has woken up, but the charcoal in the duty room is gone."
Deng Ying said: "Go to Neidong Factory and move."
After he said that, he suddenly frowned and looked down at his ankle.
Yang Lun asked, "What's wrong?"
"It's okay, just an old foot injury."
Yang Lun said: "The charcoal still needs to be burned. Wan'er tried her best to treat your injuries. Don't make yourself like a prisoner."
Deng Ying smiled and said, "I didn't."
"You know whether you have or not."
"alright."
Deng Ying turned around and said, "This is not the time to argue with me. I'm going back to the Inner East Factory to change into mourning clothes. Teacher, go get some charcoal."
After he finished speaking, he walked towards the snow, and after a few steps he turned back and said, "Yang Zixi, your life is more important than mine. Don't rush into the matter of sealing and rejecting. Let me think about it."
"Who said my life is more important than yours? You're talking bullshit!"
"Okay, I fart."
Deng Ying said as she bowed in the snow, "But please be careful and leave a way for me."