Deng Ying gently grasped the fabric on her knees.
"What does the seal want Deng Ying to say?"
Liu Yixian looked at Hu Xiang and said, "You go ask him. I'll listen."
"yes."
Hu Xiang stood up and took a few steps to Deng Ying.
He was a straightforward person, and his figure did not look like a eunuch. His voice was rough and even a little harsh.
He took a stance in front of Deng Ying.
"The official document of the Ministry of Justice was sent to the Imperial Household Department today, asking you to attend the trial tomorrow. Let's set up a court today, and you can treat me as an official of the Ministry of Justice. I will ask questions and you will answer them."
Deng Ying responded obediently: "Yes."
Hu Xiang coughed and said in a serious tone, "In the tenth year of Zhenning, how much bricks were supplied from Linqing, Shandong?"
"Thirty thousand."
"Why did Shandong report that it supplied 50,000 pieces of fine bricks that year?"
Deng Ying glanced at Wang Changshun, who was kneeling on the ground and trembling, and raised his head and replied, "In the tenth year of Zhenning, the platform of Shouhuang Palace was rebuilt, and 20,000 pieces of fine bricks were wasted."
“Is there an account to check?”
"have."
He answered the series of questions almost without any hesitation. Hu Xiang nodded with satisfaction, stepped aside and looked at He Yixian.
He Yixian took a sip of the tea, then continued Hu Xiang's question and asked, "Is it really useless?"
Deng Ying raised her head and said, "If the Ministry of Justice asks me, then I will be dismissed. If the Chief Seal asks me, then I will not be dismissed."
He Yixian laughed and said, "Okay, then tell me the truth."
Deng Ying said calmly, "In fact, Shandong Linqing only supplied 30,000 pieces of fine bricks, but they falsely reported 50,000 pieces. The cost of 20,000 pieces of bricks was still paid by the Ministry of Revenue. I don't know where the money is now."
"Then why didn't you answer Hu Xiang truthfully just now?"
When this question was asked, the whole hall fell silent.
He Yixian put down the teacup, "You still can't let go of your pride. What's the harm in saying it? You are now a slave of the Imperial Household Department, not a firecracker in their cabinet. They can do whatever they want, right?"
Deng Ying didn't say anything.
He looked at the injuries on Wang Changshun's body and suddenly felt that he also had these bloody and cracked flesh.
"say."
Two words that are not too coercive.
But it has the power to cut through cognition.
Deng Ying looked at his own shadow at his feet, bowed, and suddenly paused for a long while before answering, "Yes."
After listening to this, He Yixian smiled and shook his head, "It's still not real."
Zheng Yuejia glanced at He Yixian's eyes, then looked at Deng Ying with some uneasiness.
The atmosphere in the meeting room suddenly became solemn.
Zheng Yuejia couldn't help but yell at Deng Ying: "Deng Ying, answer properly."
"Don't make any noise!"
He Yixian shouted back to Zheng Yuejia, "See how he responds."
Everyone in the room looked at him.
Under everyone's gaze, Deng Ying slowly loosened her hands from her sleeves and knelt down.
His blue shirt reached the ground and he closed his eyes. At this moment, he didn't think of anything. He was just glad that Yang Wan was not there.
"Yes, I understand."
He Yixian nodded, waved his hand to signal Hu Xiang to leave, and said, "You are not a little slow today, but you have answered well. You have to change your mindset in the future. We are slaves in the palace. The master will give us money only if he lives well. You just said that you don't know where the cost of the 20,000 fine bricks is. Well, now I tell you that the money is all in the account of the master to repair the banana garden. We have not seen a penny. But the master is happy, which is more important than anything else. Do you understand? If you understand, stand up and answer.
Deng Ying stood up and lowered her eyes and said, "Yes."
He Yixian nodded and stood up.
"Alright. Let's stop here for today. I'm tired too, so you all can go away."
Wang Changshun saw that the party was about to disperse, so he quickly hugged He Yixian's legs and said, "Godfather, what about my son's life? Godfather promised to save my son."
He Yixian bent down and lifted his hair. "Eunuch Deng didn't even say he wanted to save you. How can I save you, huh?"
"Godfather..."
"It's done!"
He Yixian stood up and sighed, "Your woman and your godson are all under the care of your godfather. You can go without worry. Godfather has prepared a lot of money for you. You will not be able to use it all when you go to the underworld."
"Godfather! Godfather! Godfather, please don't do that. I want to keep my life and serve you!"
As he spoke, he was in tears and trembling like a sieve.
He Yixian was getting a little impatient with him, and said to Hu Xiang, "Go to the Imperial Prison and tell them that if this man's tongue can be cut off, then do it. I think he doesn't want to live anymore, so if you cut it off now, just think he bit it himself."
After saying that, he kicked the man aside with force.
After hearing these words, Wang Shunchang felt a heat between his buttocks and a stream of burnt yellow water seeped out of his prison pants. He immediately lost all his dignity.
Deng Ying felt a tight pain in her throat as she looked at the person lying on the ground in panic.
The civil officials die for their remonstrance, the military officials die for their battles, only the ants try to survive and eventually die in the dirt and be soaked in feces and urine.
When Yang Lun was studying with him, he once said that what he hated most in his life were eunuchs. They had no bones, and after they died they would just become a pool of mud, which was extremely disgusting.
Deng Ying once thought that his words were a bit too extreme, but at this moment, he seemed to understand why Yang Lun thought that way.
"Deng Ying."
He Yixian covered her mouth and nose, and her voice became a little muffled.
"exist."
"What does it mean to know that he has no tongue?"
"The Ministry of Justice will use Deng Ying as an excuse to break in."
"Do you know who is behind the Ministry of Justice?"
Deng Ying held back the cough in his throat: "Mr. Bai and Minister Yang."
"Very good. From now on, Sili's guardianship will not be able to protect you. It depends on how you face those two people this time."
***
On the other side, Yang Wan returned to the fifth institute alone.
The apricot blossoms along the wall of the Cining Palace should have bloomed at the end of March, but because of the warm and wet early spring this year, they are now in full bloom, contrasting beautifully with the glazed tiles covering the roof of the palace. Many palace people passing by couldn't help but stop to admire them. Song Yunqing, a maid from the Shangyi Bureau, saw Yang Wan coming from the south corner, so she waved and called her, "Yang Wan, where are you coming from?"
Yang Wan did not mention the inner school, but only said, "I am not on duty today, I am just wandering around."
Song Yunqing said hurriedly: "Then can you go to the Imperial Pharmacy when you have time?"
"Well, what errand."
"It's not an errand. It's Jiang Shangyi's medicine. I should have gone to the Imperial Pharmacy to get it, but the maids in the Cining Palace asked me to draw the shape of the apricot blossom, saying that it was an errand for Concubine Xu. I did a good job here, but I didn't expect that I haven't finished it yet. I'm afraid that if I finish this job, Huijimen will be arrested."
Yang Wan glanced at the sky and asked, "Is Shangyi's headache still not healed?"
"Of course. The wind has been strong these past few days, and it's gotten much stronger."
Yang Wan nodded.
"Okay, I'll go get it."
Song Yunqing clasped his hands together and thanked him, "Thank you so much for troubling me. You are obviously the sister of Empress Ning. Normally, when we bother you, you don't make a fuss. You are a good god. I will do your job tomorrow."
Yang Wan smiled and said, "Okay, I'll go then."
After she finished speaking, she said goodbye to Song Yunqing and went to the imperial pharmacy.
The Imperial Pharmacy is behind the Wenhua Hall. In the Ming Dynasty, imperial doctors were not allowed to serve in the inner court, so the imperial doctors on duty that day would stay in the duty room at Huiji Gate to respond to emergency orders from the inner court at night.
When Yang Wan walked to Huiji Gate, the guards behind the gate were changing shifts.
Imperial Physician Peng Jiang took Jiang Shangyi's medicine and handed it to Yang Wan, "Just waiting for your Shangyi Bureau to come and get it. Fortunately, the gate will be closed a little later today."
Yang Wan took the medicine and said, "When I first passed the Renzhi Hall, I thought this trip was in vain, but I didn't expect to get something. But why are you staying here late today?"
She said as she glanced behind her.
The lantern behind him went out, and there was no one there.
"Oh, it's not a big deal. I heard that the commander of the Jinyiwei and two envoys are in the Yangxin Palace. They will leave from Huiji Gate in a while.
After hearing this, Yang Wan hurriedly said goodbye to Peng Jiang, crossed the Huiji Gate and walked west.
Just as I walked through the square in front of Huangji Gate, I saw Zhang Luo in black clothes, walking silently in the night.
Yang Wan knew she couldn't avoid it, so she moved aside.
Zhang Luo did not avoid her and walked straight up to her.
"look up."
Yang Wan raised her head, "Does the master have any instructions for this servant?"
Zhang Luo sneered, "Do you like being a slave here?"
"grown ups… "
"You still like being a slave's servant."
He interrupted Yang Wan, bent down and looked into her eyes, "Your brother's bones were broken even by a stick in the court, but you are so lowly."
"How am I lowly?"
Yang Wan pursed her lips. "If you are willing to let my brother go, I won't do this."
"hehe."
Zhang Luo straightened his back, "Do you think I will pity you if you say that?"
Yang Wan shook her head. "I don't dare to think about anything. If you are willing to let me go, I will be grateful to you."
Zhang Luo did not reply immediately. He tried to see the woman's true face in the cover of night.
"OK."
After a long while, he finally uttered this word.
"There is no one in the entire capital who doesn't want the mercy of the Northern Pacification Office. If you don't want my mercy, then I will pretend that I have never known you. The next time you see me, you'd better stand up straight like you did today."
After he said that, he turned and strode towards Huiji Gate.
"Wait a moment."
Yang Wan chased after him with the medicine.
Zhang Luo stopped but did not look back.
Yang Wan stood behind him and raised her voice, "Although I was trying to protect myself, I did go too far. I don't dare ask for your mercy, but I am willing to promise you one thing as compensation."
Zhang Luo turned his head halfway and looked at her with a frown, "Would I ask anything of you?"
"Maybe not, but I think I can be more conscientious."
She finished speaking and slowed down her voice. "I accidentally made some mistakes. By the time I realized it, the mistake was already made and could not be rectified. This was not my intention, but I am powerless to explain it to you. I just hope that you will not vent your anger on others because of me."
After hearing what she said, Zhang Luo sneered.
He said coldly, "You are wrong, Yang Wan. The Northern Pacification Office has always enforced the law impartially. I hate that criminal slave, not because of you, but because he evaded the law, associated with eunuchs, and lived a servile life. His actions and his heart are disgusting."
"What did you say?"
Zhang Luo suddenly felt the voice behind him suddenly turn cold, and he couldn't help but turn around.
Yang Wan stared into his eyes, "You can call me a slut, I won't say anything, but for other things, please be careful with your words."
Zhang Luo said coldly:
"Why do you insist on defending that criminal slave in front of me again and again?"
"He is the descendant of sinners, but he is not a sinner. If it were not for him, the place where you and I stand would be nothing but a pile of rubble!"
After she finished speaking, she turned around and said, "I take back the promise I made to you just now. I shouldn't have been so optimistic about you, Master Zhang."