Deng Ying leaned on the bed and looked at Yang Wan who was working at the desk.
Since buying Qingbo Pavilion, Yang Wan has been writing in that book in her spare time, but it is obviously more difficult for her to write than before. She always writes and tears up, tears up and writes again. She doesn't want to tell Deng Ying what she is writing, and Deng Ying doesn't ask her. But Deng Ying likes to see her writing furiously.
He was completely focused and only occasionally took a sip of tea from the teacup, resting his chin on the pen and thinking for a while. When he had thought it through, he would continue writing.
She was different from other literate women. She did not write poetry, did not like delicate and exquisite words, and did not hold the pen in the boudoir style. To be precise, she did not seem to know how to hold the pen very well. Her ring finger could not hold the pen steady, and she did not know how to hold her sleeve when writing. But because of this, when she picked up the pen, it seemed as if she had the strength of a knife.
Despite this, Yang Wan really wanted to improve her handwriting.
But she didn't want to learn Deng Ying's handwriting, instead she began to try to copy Yi Lang's handwriting.
Yi Lang was an emperor with great calligraphy skills in history. In the 14th year of Zhenning, his calligraphy was not yet formed, but it already had the style of "Three Song Dynasties". Yang Wan asked Yi Lang to teach her how to write, but when Yi Lang taught Yang Wan, he could not correct Yang Wan's way of holding the pen.
"Aunt, it's as if you've never learned to write."
Yang Wan didn't know how to answer and could only smile awkwardly.
Yi Lang bent Yang Wan's ring finger and muttered, "Why don't you let Deng Changchen teach you how to write?"
"Why, Your Highness thinks your aunt is stupid?"
Yi Lang held the edge of the paper and said, "No, my handwriting is not as good as Deng Changchen's."
Yang Wan put down her pen and ordered someone to bring in the sweet soup for Yi Lang to eat, saying, "His hands are not very convenient right now."
Yi Lang looked up and asked, "What happened to him?"
Yang Wan shook her head. "Nothing serious, just my hands and feet are rubbed."
"Because the emperor asked him to 'wait for punishment'?"
Yang Wan nodded and brought the sweet soup to Yi Lang, "Eat it. Didn't you say you were hungry?"
Yi Lang picked up the sweet soup and put it down again, "Aunt, after drinking this, can you not take the medicine to reduce spring dryness at night?"
"Your Highness says this every day. I can't make the decision. Every time you take a bowl of rice, the Imperial Pharmacy has to record it. If you don't want the Empress to ask about it, I'll be punished."
"oh… "
Yang Wan looked at his lost look and couldn't help but laugh. She held her chin and said, "Your Highness doesn't want to take the medicine, and your aunt wants to ask for it but can't get it."
As he said this, he rolled up his sleeves and went to wash the brush.
Yi Lang came up and grabbed her sleeve and said, "Aunt, you don't want to learn anymore."
"Well, let's learn tomorrow. Auntie wants you to eat the sweet soup first, otherwise when the medicine is served, Your Highness won't be able to drink it."
"I know to finish the medicine."
As he spoke, he picked up the sweet soup, hesitated for a moment, and asked Yang Wan, "Aunt, do you want to ask for medicine for Deng Changchen?"
"Um."
“Why can’t I get it?”
Yang Wan raised her head and sighed, "Because Imperial Physician Peng went to Prince Cheng's mansion to take care of Prince Cheng's illness, my aunt doesn't know the other imperial physicians well, so she can't speak."
As she spoke, she squatted down to help Yi Lang straighten his cuffs and continued, "Your Highness should know that it was His Majesty who asked him to serve as a judge. The injuries on his hands and feet cannot be cured without medicine."
Yi Lang was silent for a while, and suddenly said: "I can let him treat it."
Yang Wan paused.
Yi Lang took Yang Wan's hand and said, "Aunt, please ask the factory official to come over tomorrow and I will give him medicine."
Yang Wan looked down at Yi Lang's face, speechless for a moment.
"Aunt, what's wrong with you?"
"No."
She coughed lightly and said, "Auntie doesn't know how to thank you."
Yi Lang smiled, "Aunt, you don't have to thank me. I was too cruel to him before and hurt your heart. Now, I want to make you happy. And he talked about the chapter "Compassion" in "Zhenguan Zhengyao" very well. I want to hear him talk about the next volume."
After listening to him, Yang Wan couldn't help but touch his head.
"Your Highness, would you be willing to be more merciful to him in the future?"
Yi Lang nodded, "He told me, 'The punishment is cruel, so be careful when using it.' I will keep it in mind. As long as he obeys the rules and abides by the law, I will be merciful to him."
After hearing these words, Yang Wan felt as if her heart was being roasted by charcoal fire from afar, and she felt an elusive warmth.
After Zhang Cong's fall, the details of history seemed to change, and people's hearts opened up a crack, and goodwill began to grow in the cracks. But historical materialism told Yang Wan that even if the specific history would change, the fate of the dynasty would not change. Just like the emotions in people's hearts would change, but the concepts in their hearts would not change.
However, are the emotions in people’s hearts important
For historical research, it is indeed not important at all.
Because it is too easy to change, it is not stable at all, and there is no room or value for generalization or summary.
However, for Yang Wan, who lived in Zhenning for fourteen years, it was the source of her joy, anger, sorrow and happiness, and also the proof that she was truly alive.
Those who are related to her—Yi Lang, Concubine Ning, Yang Lun, Zhang Luo, Bai Huan…
The gradually awakening compassion in these people's hearts and the kindness shown to Deng Ying clearly reflected her life in the 21st century.
After the publication of "The Biography of Deng Ying", Yang Wan could no longer bear the fact that no one shed tears for Deng Ying. But that was no longer important. What was important was the people's hearts at that time. In the cold political atmosphere, these people allowed Yang Wan to say "I don't accept it" for Deng Ying. And after the feudal era, didn't Yang Wan, who wrote "The Biography of Deng Ying", also put on a winter coat and shouted "I don't accept it" for the sinner who had been kneeling in the cold snow in the cold historical atmosphere
In that case, what is there to be afraid of
Deng Ying has always been Deng Ying.
And Yang Wan has never changed.
**
At the beginning of January in the fourteenth year of Zhenning, the Xuetian case had not yet been concluded, but another incident occurred in the Ming officialdom.
The Imperial Envoy of Zhejiang Salt Inspection, who was in charge of the Ministry of Rites, Liang Weiben, colluded with the Japanese pirates and opened a private salt factory. Every time the local Salt and Sichuan Administration Office sent people to collect taxes, they were either killed or beaten and sent back with their skin torn.
Liang Weiben was a Jinshi in the second year of Zhenning and a student of Bai Huan. His current official position was recommended by Bai Huan to Emperor Zhenning through the cabinet.
Liang Weiben had just been imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice when an unknown official in the Household Department reported to the emperor that the then Prime Minister Bai Huan had accepted bribes from Liang Weiben, sold official positions and titles, and treated the Ming government as a market to be traded at a high price.
The six departments and the Supervisory Office were originally engaged in a war of words, and many memorials to the emperor were shelved by the emperor Zhenning because he was unwilling to respond to them. They were used to this. However, the secretary of the Household Department submitted five memorials in a row within three days.
The cabinet was in panic because of this, and Bai Yuyang was also uneasy in the lobby of the Ministry of Justice.
Deng Ying had no choice but to call him.
"Minister Bai."
Bai Yuyang then remembered that Deng Ying was still on trial, and he slammed the table to cover up, "Shut up, did I ask you a question?"
Deng Ying couldn't help coughing a few times and didn't say anything else.
Yang Lun, who was sitting next to her, stood up, dragged a stool over and placed it behind Deng Ying.
Deng Ying turned around in surprise and asked him in a low voice, "Yang Zixi, what are you doing?"
Yang Lun didn't even think about avoiding Bai Yuyang, and his voice was even louder than Bai Yuyang's: "What are you doing? Can you still stand? Sit down!"
Deng Ying glanced at Bai Yuyang and stepped aside, "It's in court."
"What court? Has the case been set up today?"
Yang Lun said as he glanced at Bai Yuyang, "The person trying the case can't even continue the trial himself."
Bai Yuyang heard this and shouted: "Yang Lun, even if there is no court case, it is still an interrogation. You are so rude..."
"Do you want to punish me?"
Yang Lun pushed Deng Ying to sit down. Deng Ying tried to stand up, but Yang Lun pinned her down with his backhand.
"Minister Yang, let go."
Yang Lun rolled his eyes at Deng Ying and said, "Sit down properly."
Then he raised his head and said to Bai Yuyang, "He is the eunuch in charge of writing in the Imperial Household Department and he has not committed any crime. Why can't he sit in the hall? It's his business if he wants to be humble to us. Our cabinet is so passive now. If we continue to torture him, who can mediate for the teacher in the imperial court?"
After hearing this, Bai Yuyang looked at Yang Lun in disbelief and shouted, "Yang Lun, you are here today to help the Ministry of Justice interrogate him. How can you say that you are in cahoots with this person in court?"
Yang Lun let go of Deng Ying's shoulders and sneered, "You're already panicking, what are you still interrogating me for?"
Deng Ying stood up and walked between the two men, pressing his hand to them and saying, "Your Majesty has kept the five memorials in his hands and has not yet issued them. There is still room for maneuver, but this case cannot be handed over to the Three Departments. If it is handed over to the Northern Pacification Department, it will be difficult to deal with it later."
Bai Yuyang asked, "During today's interrogation, do you really want these words to be recorded?"
Yang Lun snatched the confession from the recorder's hand and tore it up.
"This doesn't count as an interrogation. Deng Fuling, please continue."
Deng Yingbai Yuyang was so angry at Yang Lun that he was shaking all over, so he bowed to him. The shackles rubbed against his wrists, and he pursed his lips unconsciously.
"Minister Bai, forgive me for being so presumptuous, but Liang Weiben's case is a real case. Even if Ge's case is not a real case, it will eventually be made a real case by the Imperial Household Department. Moreover, the key point here is that Liang Weiben was in cahoots with the Japanese pirates. Once this crime is implicated on Bai Ge, the consequences will be disastrous."
"So what? Do you think that after you tell me all this, the Ministry of Justice will not punish you for the crime of embezzling school land?"
Deng Ying raised her head and said, "I didn't say that. I will admit my crime of embezzling the school land, but I hope Lord Bai can delay it for me for a while."
After he finished speaking, he lifted his robe and knelt down.
"It will only take one month. Please help me, sir."
Bai Yuyang looked down at Deng Ying. "What are you going to do?"
"I want to save the master."
"How can you save him?"
Deng Ying raised her head and said, "This case is under the jurisdiction of the East Factory. I will investigate it and clear the teacher's name."
Bai Yuyang remained silent.
Yang Lun raised his voice and said, "Minister Bai, you and I are both at a loss now. What's wrong with you giving him a month?"
Bai Yuyang said: "This is not a question of one month, but a question of whether we should trust this eunuch."
When Yang Lun heard the word "castrated slave", he pulled Deng Ying up and lifted the iron chain under his arm.
"Why do you think he worked for the East Factory when he was neither human nor ghost? Zhang Zhanchun died in prison. Who in the world was most saddened? It was him, a student. Now that our master is in trouble, you are still wondering whether you should trust him?"