March of the first year of Jinghe.
The cabinet of the Ming Dynasty underwent a blood transfusion. Bai Huan retired to cultivate himself, and his son Bai Yuyang was promoted to the chief minister of the cabinet. Yang took over the Ministry of Revenue and naturally became the second minister of the cabinet. At the same time, the inner court also reorganized the Silijian, and Deng Ying was appointed as the eunuch in charge of the Silijian and concurrently served as the governor of the East Factory, managing both the Silijian and the Factory, two inner court offices.
Deng Ying became extremely busy and her sleep became less and less.
Yang Wan used medicine to soak Deng Ying's feet, and Deng Ying often fell asleep leaning on the bed frame while soaking her feet.
She slept very soundly with an upright posture. Even though she was supported by only a wooden frame, she would not fall to one side, but her brows would be slightly frowned. Sometimes, Yang Wan could not help but reach out to stroke Deng Ying's eyebrows. As soon as she woke up, she would smile at Yang Wan.
Beside Yang Wan's bed, there were people dressed in plain clothes.
But at the court, he was wearing official uniform and was in the vortex.
***
March is coming to an end.
The flowers in the city were withering, but the voices of the Donglin School against eunuchs were getting louder and louder, and gradually they were in agreement with the imperial envoys of the Inspectorate. Qingbo Pavilion was also implicated. Zhou Muyi and others presided over the compilation of the reprint of "Shilu Zhengtong", which was just about to be printed and published, but within a few days, the angry Donglin people gathered together and burned it down at the door of Qingbo Pavilion.
Yang Wan came back from outside, got off the carriage, and saw Song Yunqing sweeping paper ashes alone in front of the door.
The shopkeeper and his assistants were standing in front of the door, wanting to help but not daring to make a sound.
Yang Wan asked the waiter to go over and get something, and she walked to Song Yunqing's side, bent down and picked up a piece of paper that was not completely burned.
Song Yunqing also stood up and said to Yang Wan, "I was afraid you would be sad after seeing it, so I wanted to quickly sweep it away while you were home, but you still saw it."
Yang Wan put down the paper, stood up and brushed the dust off her hands.
"I bought some nuts when I came back home. You and your sister can help me peel them later."
Song Yunqing saw that he had changed the subject and couldn't help but say, "You don't care."
Yang Wan smiled and said, "I feel really bad for you."
Song Yunqing said: "Yes, what mistakes can a person under the command of a reader make?"
Yang Wan couldn't help laughing after hearing this.
Song Yun tilted his head and said, "What are you laughing at?"
Yang Wan repeated what she had just said, "How could a person who works under someone else's command make any mistakes? Don't think too much about this."
Song Yun raised his head and sighed, "Only you can still laugh now."
Yang Wan couldn't help laughing, and as she watched the guys moving things, she said, "When did they get burned?"
"This morning, you left as soon as you stepped out, and we were gone the moment you stepped out."
"What did you say?"
"You don't even bother to ask what I'm saying. What good things can I say to you and the governor? Fortunately, the Jinyiwei people showed up and dispersed those people."
Yang Wan didn't ask any more questions and took the broom from Song Yunqing's hand, "You watch us move the things, and I'll sweep."
Song Yun nodded slightly and called the waiter to go in together.
Only then did Yang Wan squat down, holding the broom and looking quietly at the pile of ashes.
I couldn't bear to use a broom, so I just used my hands to collect the weeds.
The gravel on the ground scraped my skin, causing some stinging.
"Do you want me to send someone to guard you here?"
A familiar cold voice came from behind.
Yang Wan's hands stiffened, but she didn't look up.
"No need, Master Zhang."
Zhang Luo squatted down with his knife in hand, "What is burning?"
"The Complete Guide to Poetry and Rhythm was compiled by several students from Chushan Academy."
Zhang Luo looked down at the paper ashes and said, "When did you learn how to carve?"
Yang Wan raised her head and smiled, "What I wanted to do most in the past was engraving."
A man said he wanted to do engraving. I subconsciously wanted to refute his arrogance, but when the words came to my mouth, I stopped and asked, "Why?"
Yang Wan smiled helplessly, "Because my writings are heretical, they can never be published. Now I can have my own judgment and print some of the good ones in my eyes, but it's a pity that they were burned like this."
Zhang Luo said, "You feel unfair."
Yang Wan nodded, lowered her eyelids, and said in a tired voice, "Yes. The scholars are burning their hearts and fighting for their parties, while those who cherish words don't even have the qualifications to write. I don't accept it. No matter how you treat me, I will keep Qingbo Pavilion going."
This sentence exposed the true face of the literary world in the capital, but because the person who exposed the face was too weak, there was no bloody pain. Instead, the bystanders felt disgust and pity for the person who exposed the face.
Zhang Luo fell silent, and Yang Wan did not say anything else. She lowered her head and continued to collect the dust on the ground. She asked casually, "By the way, did you eat the oranges that my brother gave you?"
“No.”
Yang Wan couldn't help but laugh when she heard this, "Then I'll treat you to a cup of tea later."
"No, I have something else to do."
After saying that, he stood up and left.
"Master Zhang."
Yang Wan called out to him, and Zhang Luo stopped and asked, "Anything else?"
Yang Wan stood up and followed him, "You came to check out Qingbo Pavilion today, right?"
Zhang Luo pursed his lips and said nothing.
Yang Wan raised her head, "How can I thank you if you don't say it."
Zhang Luo bowed his head and said, "I don't need you to thank me. Inspecting the capital is the duty of the Northern Pacification Office."
"yes."
Yang Wan responded with a smile.
Zhang Luo avoided his gaze, but his neck gradually felt hot.
"Yang Wan..."
He called out his name tentatively.
"Yes." He responded without looking away.
The veins on Zhang Luo's neck bulged quietly, and he had to turn sideways. "If there are still people from Qingbo Pavilion causing trouble, you can send someone to the Northern Pacification Division to find me. If I'm not here, you can also ask Captain Li."
Yang Wan shook her head, "I don't want to involve adults."
"The capital is under my jurisdiction. The word 'involved' as you said is not appropriate."
Yang Wan did not refuse again, stepped back and bowed to him, "Thank you, sir."
Zhang Luo lowered his head and watched him finish his greeting. Compared to the first time they met at Yang Mansion four years ago, his attitude during the greeting was much more sincere, and his manners were even somewhat similar to that of that person, but the essence seemed to be different. He was not humble, and even with his head lowered, he was just expressing gratitude and maintaining his self-cultivation.
"I don't accept any thanks."
Yang Wan stood up and said, "If Master Zhang does not want to accept my thanks, then are you willing to make friends with me?"
"I only 'friend' people in prison."
"Is Deng Ying among them?"
Zhang Luo did not deny it.
Yang Wan continued, "If I become a prisoner, I hope you will treat me the same way you treated Deng Ying."
"Why did you become a prisoner?"
Yang Wan raised her head and said, "Who knows what will happen in the future. I have always felt unfair, but I don't know how long this unfairness can be tolerated."
Zhang Luo did not continue to talk to me, and said, "I don't make friends with you, and have you forgotten that you once said that I am not worthy of your joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness?"
"I… "
Yang Wan choked up, then laughed, "Is it too late for me to take back what I said?"
Zhang Luo turned around and walked forward a few steps, saying, "I take back what I said to you before."
"What are you talking about?"
"I can't bear to talk about it anymore, so I won't repeat it."
After saying that, he continued to walk forward. After a few steps, he suddenly paused and turned back and said, "I won't ask Yang Lun to buy me oranges anymore."
Yang Wan was stunned, "Ah?"
Zhang Luo frowned: "Too sour."
After saying this, he turned around and saw Deng Ying who was about to come out of the inner court.
"Master Zhang..."
Zhang Luo swallowed subconsciously, and without waiting for him to finish, he said, "Yane has something to do."
After saying this, he untied his horse and whipped it to ride away.
Yang Wan laughed while holding the broom.
Deng Ying stepped forward and asked, "What Lord Zhang said is too sour."
"tangerine."
Deng Ying didn't know what Yang Wan was laughing at, so she added, "The oranges Zixi bought are quite sour."
After saying that, he looked at the ashes on the ground and asked, "What's burning?"
"Oh, I burned the waste paper, why did you come back today? Will it be worth it tomorrow?"
Deng Ying shook her head and said, "We will discuss this with the cabinet tomorrow."
"What are you discussing?"
Deng Ying said, "The old case of the Imperial Household Department is being reviewed. The Cabinet and the Ministry of Justice are questioning me. The Hanlin Academy has revised the "Tai (Harmony) Ancestor's Internal Instructions" and it is now with me. The Cabinet has not reviewed it yet. I will present it to them tomorrow. After discussion, I will send it to the Hanlin Academy for printing."
Yang Wan coughed, "Your Majesty, have you read the newly revised Internal Training?"
Deng Ying nodded and said, "I have seen it."
"Did you say anything?"
Deng Ying didn't say anything.
"If someone else kills you, you can also forge a knife and kill yourself."
"Wan Wan..."
"But it doesn't matter. You forged that knife, so it won't dare to humiliate you."
After saying that, he took Deng Ying's arm and said, "Let's go in and eat."
**
On the fifth day of March, the two major teams of the inner court and the outer court met at the inner gate of the Silijian.
On the same day, a not-so-big-but-not-so-small incident occurred in the capital—the wife and children of a student of Tongjiayuan were found drowned in a pond in a farm on the outskirts of the city. It was originally an accident, but for some reason, the remaining family members reported it to Shuntian Prefecture, saying that the East Factory had committed the murder. After Shuntian Prefecture investigated, it did not want to accept the case as a case, nor did it want to dismiss it. The Left Inspector Censor personally went to the yamen to inquire about it. What he meant was very simple, that is, to investigate the case further.
When Yang Lun heard the news in the cabinet, he looked at the new draft of "Internal Training" in his hand and was speechless for a long time.
Qi Huaiyang saw sweat on his forehead and could not help but advise: "Without solid evidence, Shuntian Prefecture will not make a random judgment."
Yang Lun shouted, "Solving a case? Is this a real case? You clearly know that the Tongjia case and the Zhang case are being retried. At this time, you say that the wife and children of the student died at the hands of the East Factory. What are you doing? You are stirring up public anger!"
"What about the public outrage? Is it wrong?"
Bai Yuyang slapped the bill in his hand and said, "Someone filed a complaint, but the government office refused to hear the case. This is what is causing the people to get angry!"
Yang Lun picked up the new manuscript of "Internal Training" and took a few steps towards Bai Yuyang. "Master Bai, have you ever seen an eunuch discipline a eunuch like this?"
"Yang Lun!"
Bai Yuyang interrupted, "You are the second assistant of the cabinet. Ask the ministers, is your current behavior appropriate?"
Yang Lun looked at the other ministers, and they all advised: "Yang Ci Fu, you can't let the people of the world feel disappointed with us."
Yang Lun choked and felt very suffocated for a moment.
The raised hand slowly dropped down.
"I, Yang Lun, am ashamed to be here today, so I will leave now!"