Concubine Jiang looked up, her slender white neck was bulging with veins, "You also know that I am a foolish person. After His Majesty visited me, I was dragged all the way here. The Empress, the Empress Dowager, Your Majesty, who is not my master? Even the words of the Imperial Household Department and the Cabinet, I dare not disobey..."
As she spoke, she knelt down with drooped shoulders, her plain silk dress spread out on the ground, like a weak flower that had to wither after blooming to its fullest.
Yang Wan held up the lamp to illuminate Concubine Jiang's face, and Concubine Jiang quickly raised her sleeves to cover it.
"Don't hide. The queen just said that you would ask Zhang Cifu for help. What does that mean?"
"I… I didn't say."
As Concubine Jiang spoke, she turned her back tremblingly, not daring to face the lamp in Yang Wan's hand.
Yang Wan gently grasped Concubine Jiang Xianfei's wrist and took off her hand that was covering her eyes. "If you kill too many people, one day the knife will fall on you. It's no use for you to hide now. Zheng Bingbi and sister will not forgive you, and neither will I."
Concubine Jiang Xian asked with tears in her eyes and a trembling voice: "Are you going to bring me and Pang Ling to your majesty? I won't do it, even if I die..."
Yang Wan shook her head, "Although I will not forgive you, I don't want a fool like you to die before those smart people."
Upon hearing this, Concubine Jiang turned around quickly, fear still in her eyes, "Can you still give me a chance to live?"
"Yes. But only one."
Concubine Jiang hurriedly grabbed Yang Wan's arm.
"Speak."
Yang Wan pried her hands apart and stood up.
"Your Highness has taken off her hairpin and is here to face His Majesty. I have reported the person behind the Qingbo Pavilion case to His Majesty and I beg His Majesty to forgive your crime and pardon your death sentence."
After hearing this, Concubine Jiang Xian's legs softened immediately, "I..."
"If your Majesty doesn't report him, he will. This is your Majesty's only way to survive. I won't force you. You can think about it here. If I don't see you kneeling in front of the Yangxin Palace before the morning of tomorrow, I will bring Pang Ling to see the emperor."
“Yang Wan… Yang Wan… Yang Wan!”
Concubine Jiang's voice was shrill and sharp.
Yang Wan ignored her, but the voice followed her all the way.
This was the first time since the twelfth year of Zhenning that someone called Yang Wan's name like this.
Yang Wan used to think that her name was very common, even a little weak, and most people would have a hard time remembering it after hearing it once. But she, as a person, has a very strong presence in modern society, so strong that her parents and even her brother can't help but pay attention to her. When other people mention her, they always label her with sharp labels such as "the bald female doctor who doesn't date."
On the contrary, during the Zhenning period, she was a person whose name was not worth recording.
She had been watching from the sidelines and had done nothing, so naturally, no one would call her name heartbreakingly and link her fate with that of other people.
So at this moment, Jiang called out the two words "Yang Wan" miserably, begging her for forgiveness and help. Suddenly, Yang Wan's heart couldn't help but tremble.
Holding history in her hands, will it backfire on her? She doesn't have the academic background in physics yet, which is enough for her to think about.
She simply felt that when the fate of a person in history became connected with her, she, a casual speck of dust, was severely crushed to death in the Zhenning Year of the Ming Dynasty. However, she seemed not to be fully prepared.
In fact, as a researcher, no matter how good your writing is, how well you master historical materials, what your historical perspective is, or what methodology you use, you will not really change history.
Regardless of whether the evaluation of a historical figure is right or wrong, or whether the restoration of a historical event is accurate or not, they are just a group of descendants without the power to kill. Although they are responsible for the "reputation after death" of countless dead people, they will never be responsible for the true "death" of history.
Yang Wan has now deviated from the identity she has been accustomed to for many years.
This also meant that her superficial severance from the Ming Dynasty had completely ended, and she would never, ever, ever be able to go home again.
However, this does not mean that she can be free of contradictions from now on and live peacefully during the Zhenning period.
In fact, compared to the excruciating pain of being whipped dozens of times, the pain of being torn apart in her heart at this moment was even greater.
But she didn't want to say anything, she just wanted to talk to Deng Ying peacefully for a while.
She subconsciously turned around to look for Deng Ying.
Under the shadow of the floor screen, Deng Ying was talking calmly to Zhao Qi.
Concubine Jiang had been helped back by the palace maids from the Yanxi Palace who were waiting outside the palace.
Under the lamp, Zhao Qi asked Deng Ying where Pang Ling was imprisoned.
"Lock the side room in the east side hall."
Deng Ying said as she looked at Yang Wan, "I'll let Zhao Qi stay."
"Yes."
Yang Wan hardly even thought about these two words.
"I'm going back to the duty room. I'm so dirty. I want to scoop some water from the moat to wash myself."
"Take a shower in late autumn. Don't you want your legs anymore?"
Her tone was inexplicably aggressive, and her eyes actually felt hot after she finished speaking.
She knew that her emotions were out of control at the moment, so she raised her head, wiped her face, held back her tears, and walked towards her residence.
"Wan Wan..."
Deng Ying chased after Yang Wan for a few steps, "Wan Wan, I'm sorry."
"fine."
Yang Wan paused, "I was a little panicked, so I got impatient when I spoke to you."
She sniffed and turned around, "Is your outer house available for living?"
“Soon.”
"How long is it going to be soon?"
Deng Ying was stunned. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, I just suddenly feel a little homesick."
"I will take you out of the palace in two days, and you can go home and visit me."
"Not that home!"
Yang Wan pursed her lips and tried hard to hold back tears. She didn't want to show such emotions in front of Deng Ying, so she finally gave in.
Deng Ying suddenly remembered that Yang Wan had once vaguely told her that she no longer had a home.
"Wan Wan."
"… "
Yang Wan was still trying her best to calm down and did not respond to Deng Ying.
Deng Ying stretched out her wrist in front of Yang Wan, "Please take me here."
"Where?"
"This is my house. Please don't tell anyone else, otherwise His Highness will beat me to death.
Yang Wan held Deng Ying's wrist and said, "You didn't do anything to me. You just lay with me. Your Highness, why would you beat you to death?"
"I… "
"What are you not doing?"
She interrupted Deng Ying, raised her head and asked again.
"Deng Ying, you clearly felt it. When I touched your lower body injury, you trembled and called me. When I touched you, you calmed down, but you still didn't want to be with me..."
“Wan Wan!”
He suddenly interrupted Yang Wan, and his voice was trembling and so low that it almost broke Yang Wan's heart.
"Wan Wan, I won't..."
How could he do that? How could he allow himself to torture Yang Wan like those eunuchs who tortured women
"It's not that difficult, Deng Ying."
Yang Wan looked into Deng Ying's eyes and said, "It's not that difficult, really."
Yes, it’s not that difficult actually.
Yang Wan's understanding of XA did not start from practice.
The first erotic story she read in her serious reading was the myth of Libby Dotna, the goddess of pleasure.
In the beginning, there was no "x" in the human world, so no one worshipped the temple of Libidotna in the human world, and she was very unwilling. So she decided to bring the pleasure of yhfs to the human world. After the god of wisdom learned the news, he hurried to dissuade her, but she cast a spell on the god of wisdom. So, the rational god of wisdom Athena took off her clothes and went to Mount Olympus to have sex with every man she met. At this time, the goddess Libidotna let a strong wind blow and spread the seeds of kg to the human world. The gods on Mount Olympus were very angry about this. As a punishment, the goddess Libidotna was locked on the roadside of the hill like Prometheus, suffering humiliation and not being able to resist.
Yang Wan doesn't like this story, but she can look at it from a deconstructionist historical perspective.
The original xy is something that is chained by the gods. When people have it, they will lose their minds like Athena. Therefore, after yhfs, people should also be chained and punished like the god Libidotna. This is the same logic as the story of "tasting the forbidden fruit".
However, what amazed Yang Wan was that Deng Ying's xy actually had the same predicament as the goddess Libidatna—being chained to the roadside on a hill, enduring humiliation and unable to resist.
When he said "I can't" to Yang Wan, he subconsciously clasped his hands together.
That is an act of self-binding.
Yang Wan forcefully pried open their clasped hands and took Deng Ying's hand towards her own residence.
Deng Ying also seemed willing to bear the pull from Yang Wan. Although it was like a chain, it still gave him the comfort of redemption.
"I'll teach you, okay?"
"Teach me something."
"Teach me how to za."
(The word n is omitted below)
***
The next day, when Yang Wan woke up, Deng Ying was gone.
Yang Wan sat up from the bed. Her shoes were neatly placed on the floor, which was spotless.
Yang Wan got out of bed, put on her clothes, and pushed open the window.
It was still a sunny day in late autumn outside. The sky was high and the clouds were light. The shadows of birds were clear. Dust was floating in the cold sunlight. Yang Wan closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
Song Yunqing pushed the door open carrying the water.
Yang Wan turned around quickly and asked: "Why is it here?"
Song Yunqing put down the basin and said, "I'm not on duty today, so I came to see you. There is one more thing that we in the Shangyi Bureau are all worried about, and I also want to ask you."
"What."
Song Yun said lightly: "Today at 11:00 am, Concubine Jiang from the Yanxi Palace took off her hairpin and knelt on the mat outside the Yangxin Palace. They all said that it was because of the slave who jumped into the river last night. We are close to the moat here. Did you hear anything last night?"
Yang Wan shook her head. "Your Highness was studying late yesterday. After I helped him to sleep, I also went to sleep. You know, Chengqian Palace has always been avoiding gossip. What did you hear?"
Song Qingyun replied: "I heard that the person who got into trouble was Eunuch Pang, who served Concubine Xian. What else could it be? First they said he jumped into the river, then they said he jumped into a manure pond. People outside speculated that he couldn't stand Concubine Xian's abuse and found a place to commit suicide. They searched for him all night, but in the end they still didn't find him. It's pitiful to think about it. Although eunuchs are humble, they are also human beings."
Yang Wan nodded and replied, "That's right."
Song Yun sighed softly, "It's been peaceful for just a few days, but now it's getting chaotic again. I'm fine, but I've been busy with my work for a while. This place is not like the Fifth House, so I can't come to see you rashly. Jiang Shangyi and the maids below miss you very much. After you left, Shangyi kept saying that none of us are as good as you."
Yang Wan sighed, "I miss you too."
As he was speaking, He Yu came over and said, "Thank you, Song Sizan, for bringing water to our aunt. Please sit for a while and I will make you some tea."
"He Yu."
Yang Wan called her.
"Your Highness, have you learned it?"
"Yes."
"I hope he slept well last night."
"Yeah. Peaceful, but... I heard from his student Qing Meng that His Highness has been looking unhappy since he left Chengqian Gate. When I asked His Highness... He didn't say anything."
"Okay, I got it. I'll ask again when Your Highness comes back. Please pour the tea."
Seeing Yang Wan lower her head and rub her brows, Song Yunqing couldn't help but pat the back of her hand and said, "You are taking care of the First Prince by yourself, and you have to take care of the affairs of Chengqian Palace by the way. It's really hard. Thinking about it, the First Prince is really pitiful. Alas... Speaking of this, the Second Prince is also pitiful. He is weak himself, and he has such a mother."
(This chapter is locked. After I revised it, the word count is not enough, so let's just chat. I have serious insomnia recently. You should go to bed early and don't be like me. And please pay attention to the comment section.)