But such a thing is hard to come by. While transcribing, Yang Wan had a feeling of being intertwined with modern life.
As far as I can remember, she had a serious illness before sending her doctoral dissertation for blind review. She went to the hospital but nothing was found wrong with her, but she couldn't stop coughing. Later, she began to have repeated fevers, and only sleeping could relieve the symptoms. However, even so, she often "sat up in shock in the middle of the night in a dying state", "stubbornly" got up and turned on the computer, fearing that the things in her mind would disappear in an instant.
When you devote yourself completely to something, you will feel that everything else around you is ashes burned by obsession, including your own body, which gradually separates from your thoughts and becomes a humble container, not worthy of being cared about.
When Yang Wan was halfway through transcribing her notes, the Ministry of Justice requested an imperial decree to interrogate Deng Ying for the first time in connection with the Liulichang case.
There was a heavy rain in the capital that day. Although it was noon, the sky was very dark.
The dark clouds floated wetly above our heads like an endless thick cloth.
The rain on the inner court and the palace roads flowed towards the lowlands, carrying fallen leaves and swirling in the low places. When the black boots stepped on the water, it splashed into a flower. Qi Yuyang walked over a puddle with an umbrella, and the hem of his official robe was soaked. Qi Huaiyang, who was walking behind him, said, "Last year's snowstorm was severe, but I didn't expect it to rain so much this year."
Yuyang did not answer him, but turned sideways and asked Yang Lun who was walking beside him, "What do you think, Yang Ci Fu?"
Yang Lun looked at the flowing leaves on the ground silently without saying anything.
"Yang Lun."
Only after Yu Yang called his name did he come back to his senses.
"Please enlighten me, Prime Minister."
Yuyang stopped and said, "Your eyes are very sunken. Did you sleep well last night?"
Yang Lun replied, "I was on duty in the guard room last night and did not leave the palace."
Yuyang raised his eyebrows and asked, "Busy all night?"
Yang Lun knew that he was asking a question without knowing the answer, so he simply didn't answer and just nodded.
Yuyang patted his shoulder and said, "You are classmates with Shangshu Qi, and you are also in the same grade and on the same list with Fuchen He. They are all people who have been in the judicial field. Why don't you ask them? Won't your doubts be solved?"
Yang Lun said coldly:
"I have an inch."
"Okay, okay."
Yu Yang put his hand on Yang Lun's shoulder and squeezed it. Without saying anything else, he turned around and continued walking towards the Palace of Tranquil Longevity.
The Yangxin Palace was full of lights. The daily lecture in the Wenhua Palace had just ended. Yi Lang came back in the rain, but his clothes were still wet. He walked straight to the room. He Yu and Qing Meng hurriedly chased after him and said, "Your Majesty, change your clothes."
Yi Lang did not respond to the two of them. He walked to the imperial desk, sat down and started writing silently.
He Yu wanted to say something but was stopped by Qing Meng.
The two retreated to the back of the ground cover and stood by. Not long after, the emperor's voice came from inside, "Heyu, where is the factory official?"
He Yu hurriedly stepped forward and said, "The factory official is in the Imperial Household Department and has not returned yet."
Yi Lang put down his pen and said, "Please ask the factory official to come."
Just as he finished speaking, a lamp was brought in from the corridor. Qing Meng hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, the factory official is back."
Deng Ying placed the lamp next to Yi Lang and bowed in greeting.
Yi Lang stopped writing and said, "Why is the factory official not here to give lectures in Wenhua Palace today?"
Deng Ying stood up and replied, "Several cabinet ministers wish to see Your Majesty and discuss politics with Your Majesty. It is raining heavily today, so I personally sent the draft over."
He looked at Yi Lang's clothes, supported his knees and stood up, saying, "Your Majesty, please change your clothes first."
Yi Lang nodded and got up from the chair and went to the side room.
Deng Ying followed Yi Lang into the side room, rolled up her sleeves and helped Yi Lang clean his face and change clothes.
As he was untying his belt, the ministers' positions were announced from outside the palace. After Yi Lang heard the eunuch's report, he lowered his head and said, "I don't want to listen to their political talk today."
Deng Ying squatted down and pulled Yi Lang's clothes, "Why?"
Yi Lang said: "I like to listen to Yang Shangshu talk about territory, land, household registration, taxes, and salaries. He speaks in a simple and easy-to-understand way, and I am very happy to listen to him. But these days, Yang Shangshu has not spoken much. Qi Shangshu is talking about the Liulichang case and the Tongjia case, and the factory officials..."
Yi Lang looked at Deng Ying, "'Using the construction of the imperial city to commit corruption', this is the only item in the book of crimes you wrote to me."
"yes."
"'To escape the crime, he framed his teacher, leading to the tragic death of Mr. Zhang', this is true."
"yes."
"'Conspired with the Imperial Household Department to massacre more than 80 people in Tongjia Academy and forced the emperor and his father to reform the East Factory.' There is..."
"yes."
He answered yes three times in a row, but his hands did not stop moving.
Yi Lang's voice choked, "Factory Minister."
"The servant is here."
"Have you ever done these things?"
Deng Ying straightened up and looked at Yi Lang.
"If it wasn't written by me, how could I write it down?"
Yi Lang was silent for a while, "Minister, please let me know how I will deal with you."
"Follow the will of our ancestors, follow the Inner Instructions of the Great (Harmonious) Ancestor, and refer to the Criminal Law of the Great (Harmonious) Ancestor."
Yi Lang raised his neck, "Can you please teach me to read the thirteenth chapter of "Zhenguan Zhengyao" (The thirteenth chapter of "Zhenguan Zhengyao" is "Renyi". After I sentenced you to caning, you warned me that I knew the punishment was cruel and acted with caution. Minister, I can discuss with the cabinet and show you leniency."
"Your Majesty, you have pardoned me many times."
Deng Ying interrupted him with his hand down, and continued calmly: "The thirteenth chapter of "Zhenguan Zhengyao" talks about the subjects' submission to benevolent governance. Your Majesty's benevolence should be applied to the people and the officials, not me. As for punishment, it is indeed necessary to be cautious, otherwise there will be another Tongjia case. But the slaves in the inner court should not be treated with pity. The late Tai (Harmony) grandfather ruled the country for more than fifty years without eunuch disasters. The late emperor was in power for fourteen years, but more than a hundred unjust cases were exposed because of the Silijian. The prime minister should have explained the reasons to your majesty. What they said is not wrong. To this day, my teacher, more than eighty students of Tongjia Academy, and countless old officials in unjust imprisonment are still sinners under the loess, and they are all waiting for you to clear their names. Your Majesty, a monarch should kill and punish, and there is no need to show mercy to me."
"Stand up first."
Yi Lang was silent for a long time before he began to say this.
When Deng Ying stood up, Yi Lang had to look up to see him.
"Minister, although you have never been a lecturer in Wenhua Palace, I cannot regard you as my teacher, but I will write down every word you say to me. You will not let me show you mercy. I will listen to you. Besides this, do you have anything else to say? Do you want me to leave?"
Deng Ying nodded.
"I no longer have any family status. If your majesty permits, after I am convicted, my current palace status will be transferred to the Yang family."
**
There was a loud thunder from the sky.
Yang Lun raised his head and looked towards the sky after the lightning.
A crack was torn in the black cloud, and a faint light shone through the crack. However, he couldn't bear to look at the light.
Qing Meng led the eunuchs out of the hall with more than a dozen cups of hot tea, and said to Yang Lun and others: "Your Majesty has been caught in the rain, and Deng Zhangyin is helping Your Majesty change clothes. Your Majesty has sympathy for the adults who have caught a cold, so please give them some tea."
The ministers thanked him and stood in front of the porch to receive tea. Yu Yang asked, "Have today's bills been submitted?"
Qing Meng said: "It has been presented. The seal was brought here personally by the chief."
"oh."
He responded once and then asked, "What did the seal say?"
Qing Meng shook his head and said, "No."
"knew."
As he was speaking, someone called for another round of instructions. All the ministers put down their tea and went to the front to recite their instructions.
Soon, word came from inside that the chief minister of the cabinet, the ministers of the Ministry of Justice and the Minister of Revenue were summoned to the palace, while the rest of the cabinet ministers waited in the corridor.
After the message was delivered, an eunuch immediately came forward to help Yang Lun and the other two shake off the rain. Qing Meng retreated to the door to lead the way, and the palace servants lit ten more gilded bronze lamps. Although it was dark, the room was bright and brilliant.
Yang Lun and the other two walked into the hall. Yi Lang sat behind the imperial desk, having changed into formal attire.
Yuyang stepped forward and asked, "Has Your Majesty approved the proposal submitted by the cabinet today?"
"I passed."
"Your Majesty, do you have any doubts?"
Yi Lang raised his head, "I have no doubts."
After hearing this, Yu Yang and Yang Lun were both stunned.
Yang Lun did not come out, so Yu Yang tried to test him: "Since Your Majesty has no doubts, I request Your Majesty to hand over the eunuch who holds the seal of the Silijian to the Ministry of Justice for investigation."
"That's not allowed."
"His Majesty!"
Yuyang did not expect the emperor to reject his words, and he could not help but raise his voice, "The people are indignant, Your Majesty must not be partial."
Yi Lang stood up and walked in front of Yu Yang. "I didn't say I wouldn't punish him. The Ministry of Justice should discuss his crime. After I have read it, I will write an imperial edict to expose his crime and the cabinet will issue it to the whole country. Before that, I will hand him over to the Northern Pacification Office for custody."
Yuyang asked, "Your Majesty, are you going to convict him without trial?"
"Yes, conviction without trial."
"this… "
"My Prime Minister, is this what I am doing right?"
Yuyang felt a sense of oppression from the young emperor's questioning of him and his position as the chief minister. He was unable to utter the words "Your Majesty, Your Majesty" for a long time.
Yi Lang turned around and looked at Yang Lun who was silent beside him, and asked again, "Minister Yang, is this right?"
Yang Lun took a breath of turbid air, lifted his robe, knelt down slowly, and bowed, saying: "Your Majesty, please pay your respects."
"The Minister said that I should go out."
Yang Lun clenched his hands on the ground and kowtowed heavily, "Your Majesty, I feel guilty."
Yi Lang turned his back and said in a low voice, "Prime Minister, I and Minister Qi will go first to report my well-being."
"yes."
The palace door opened and closed, and damp and cold rain poured in, causing the lights in the palace to flicker.
"Uncle, get up."
Yang Lun stood up and suddenly realized that Yi Lang in front of him was crying without knowing when.
"Your Majesty..."
"Uncle, my aunt will never forgive me."
Yang Lun stood stiffly in front of Yi Lang.
For many years, he, like the lecturer in Wenhua Palace, treated him as a royal student, disciplined his words and deeds, thoughts and ideas, but had no idea what kind of person he was. So much so that when he called him "uncle", he didn't know how to respond.
"I dare not see my aunt again."
After he said this, tears streamed down his face.
As a subject, Yang Lun could not wipe the emperor's tears. He could only step back and bow his hands, saying, "Your Majesty, please don't say that."
Yi Lang reached out and grabbed Yang Lun's sleeve. "Uncle, please tell my aunt that I don't want to kill the factory official."
"Well, I will tell you."