“Father Emperor.”
“Speak.”
Yi Lang sniffled, “Please punish your son. Your son can bear anything.”
As he spoke, he bent down and prostrated himself before Emperor Zhenning.
Bai Yuyang’s eyes grew hot, and he couldn’t help but exhale a burning breath as he pressed his hand to the corner of his eye.
Emperor Zhenning looked up at him, “Why do you show such grief before me?”
Bai Yuyang hurriedly said, “Your subject is guilty. Thinking of my father, I couldn’t help… being moved by His Highness.”
Hearing these words, Emperor Zhenning, supported by He Yixian, stood and walked to Yi Lang, bending to hold his arms, “Rise.”
Yi Lang stood, taking over from He Yixian to support Emperor Zhenning as he sat, “Father Emperor, your son will attend to your illness tonight.”
Emperor Zhenning coughed twice, “Good. I also have some words to say to you.”
He then addressed Yang Lun: “Go personally and have Zhang Luo return. Also, draft a decree tomorrow: the Crown Prince will take punishment in place of the academy students, forfeiting three years’ salary. Considering the prince’s benevolence, I will pardon the students’ crimes and pursue the matter no further.”
“Yes, your subject thanks Your Majesty for your grace on behalf of the academy students.”
“Yang Lun.”
The Emperor drew Yi Lang to his side, “You’re thanking the wrong person.”
“Yes, yes… your subject thanks His Highness the Crown Prince for his grace on behalf of the students.”
After speaking, Yang Lun didn’t dare delay a moment, hurrying straight out of the East Prosperity Gate toward Clear Wave Lodge.
In front of Clear Wave Lodge, the hour was almost up.
Yang Wan gazed silently at the pitch-black East Public Street. The Eastern Depot guards unconsciously tightened their grip on their weapons. Yang Wan straightened up and called out, “No fighting!”
“Madam!”
Yang Wan closed her eyes, “Don’t kill anyone before my eyes. There’s no need. If you can live without guilt, then live. Deng Ying is just an ordinary person to you all, not a god. Don’t be so rigid—he and I both know your hearts.”
She opened her eyes, lifted her skirts, and walked down the steps to Zhang Luo’s front. After a moment’s silence, she extended both hands to him, “Come on, take me away.”
Zhang Luo looked down at Yang Wan. She appeared utterly exhausted, with dark circles under her eyes and disheveled hair.
“Are you admitting defeat?”
Yang Wan gave a short laugh, “More or less.”
She pressed her lips together, “You’ll let me see him once, won’t you?”
“What do you think?”
“Alright, you won’t. But it doesn’t matter—we’ll be in the same place anyway. I’m at peace with that.”
Zhang Luo pressed down her hands with his sword hilt, “Yang Wan, I’ll give you one more chance.”
“I don’t want it.”
Zhang Luo said, “You refuse before I even say what chance it is?”
Yang Wan looked at Zhang Luo, “I know what you’re going to say—submit to your control, and then you’ll look after me, right?”
Zhang Luo remained silent.
Yang Wan smiled and shook her head, “Zhang Luo, since I won’t survive anyway, let me say something presumptuous.”
She swallowed, pointing back at herself, “My joys and sorrows—you’ll never understand them in your lifetime, nor are you worthy of them.”
A blue vein bulged on Zhang Luo’s forehead, “Yang Wan, I’ve never seen such an impudent woman.”
“What’s wrong with being a woman?”
Yang Wan interrupted him, “I am a person too! You’ve seen Zhou Congshan, Huang Ran, and Deng Ying—which of them wasn’t more impudent than me? I’m like them—willing to let flesh and bone fall to earth to pave the way for future generations. From today on, you’re not allowed to look down on me anymore.”
Zhang Luo’s hand gripped his sword hilt so tightly his knuckles turned white, “Wait another half hour!”
“Sir…”
“I said wait another half hour!”
Yang Wan was startled, “Don’t you want to defeat me?”
Zhang Luo said, “I just don’t understand why I, Zhang Luo, should stoop to fighting with a woman, only to have that woman look down on me. I lost to you three times, and I still don’t understand how I lost. This time, whether I win or lose, I want to understand more clearly what kind of person you are.”
Just as he finished speaking, hoofbeats sounded on East Public Street.
Yang Wan raised her head to look ahead, hearing Yang Lun’s voice: “A decree has come!”
Hearing this, Yang Wan couldn’t help stepping back twice. The breath she had been holding in her chest suddenly rushed out through her nose and mouth, and she nearly lost her balance.
Qin Wende hurried to support her. “Madam…”
Yang Wan pressed her chest and took several breaths, then looked up at Zhang Luo.
Zhang Luo watched her and said, “Impressive. But was it worth it for you and Deng Ying to do all this for these people?”
“Was it worth it for you to do all this for His Majesty?”
Zhang Luo was suddenly stunned.
Yang Wan gasped, “When you understand that, you’ll suffer just like us.”