Bai Huan smiled as he watched the siblings Yang Wan and Yang Lun bicker, then turned to Deng Ying and asked, “Are you confident about rebuilding Cloud Cliff Hall?”
Deng Ying clasped his hands on his knees and nodded, “Yes, teacher.”
“How long will it take approximately?”
Deng Ying replied, “I’ve been recovering and haven’t yet seen the collapse site, but based on Xu Qi from the Ministry of Works’ description, I estimate it will take about one month.”
“Is that timeframe accurate?”
Yang Lun pulled up a stool to sit beside Bai Huan and said to him, “Teacher, his estimates are usually quite accurate.”
Bai Huan sighed and looked up at Yang Lun, “We still don’t know how long His Majesty can hold on.”
Hearing these words, Yang Wan couldn’t help saying, “All six palaces and the princes are attending to his illness. I privately asked Imperial Physician Luo, who said this Moth disease has reached an untreatable stage.”
Yang Lun quickly interrupted her, “Don’t speak of such things.”
Yang Wan sat beside Deng Ying and looked up at Yang Lun, “I’m just stating facts. The new tax policy in Hangzhou is at a critical point now. Brother, you know who’s hindering you. The government in Jiangnan is even more complex than in the capital. That minister in Zhejiang has always relied on the Directorate of Ceremonial’s connections. To move against him means moving against He Yixian. If His Highness ascends the throne, then He Yixian can be dealt with.”
Yang Lun remained silent, and Deng Ying continued, “Teacher, the Directorate of Ceremonial still has Her Majesty and the Second Prince.”
Bai Huan said, “Tang Xian Ji also mentioned this. Currently, we can’t hear the Directorate’s voice. Even in public discussion, we might not hear the truth. His Majesty writes edicts, they hold the seal – establishing the heir is extremely dangerous. If the Second Prince succeeds, he’ll surely be controlled by the Directorate of Ceremonial, and this eunuch disaster… will be unstoppable.”
Deng Ying lowered his head, gently pinching the corner of the construction plans, “Teacher, Zi Xi, please let me think about this some more.”
Yang Lun said, “What can you think about? Once Cloud Cliff Hall is complete, you’ll be exiled to Nanjing as a slave.”
Yang Wan interjected, “I have a way to keep him here.”
She stood up, her gaze moving from Yang Lun to Bai Huan, “But I want to ask, if in the end he becomes universally condemned due to the succession struggle, what will you do?”
Bai Huan bent down and gripped Deng Ying’s wrist, “Fu Ling, perhaps going to Nanjing would be better…”
Yang Lun agreed, “Yes, I think the same as the teacher. Going to Nanjing would be better than your current situation.”
Deng Ying said softly, “What’s better about it? I’d still be a criminal slave, unable to rise above my station.”
He raised his head, “It’s all the same. Teacher, don’t worry about me. Wan-wan, tell us your plan.”
Yang Wan said, “Delay the construction of Cloud Cliff Hall, don’t build it so quickly.”
She then turned to Yang Lun and Bai Huan, “Teacher Bai, brother, where is Daoist Cao now?”
Yang Lun replied, “At Qingtian Temple.”
Yang Wan nodded, “You can have the Ministry of Justice arrest and interrogate him.”
“What?”
Yang Lun asked doubtfully, “His Majesty has always trusted the Qingtian Temple people greatly. We’d need a reason for such an arrest.”
“I heard from Consort Chen that even while ill, His Majesty continues to take the pills from Qingtian Temple. They’re just a bunch of heavy metals… anyway, those things are doing His Majesty’s illness no good at all. The Imperial Pharmacy knows this too, but they dare not report directly because His Majesty protects Qingtian Temple.”
Yang Lun continued, “Then what? What happens after the arrest? This crime carries a death sentence.”
Yang Wan said, “That’s exactly right – question him as if it’s a capital crime. We need him to be afraid. Only when he’s afraid will we be able to tell him what to say before His Majesty? His Majesty is gravely ill. If anything happens, he’ll need the Cabinet to survive. With his life in your hands, he’ll listen.”
Yang Lun stood up, “Good, I think I understand your meaning. When the time comes, we’ll need to discuss exactly what to make him say.”
Yang Wan replied, “It’s not difficult. Just connect Cloud Cliff Hall with His Majesty’s longevity, and His Majesty will allow Deng Ying to stay in the Directorate of Ceremonial.”
Yang Wan then looked at Deng Ying, “Deng Ying, you must build the hall well, but slowly, to give the Ministry of Justice time, while ensuring there are no mistakes.”
Deng Ying nodded, “Alright, I understand.”
Yang Wan made a sound of agreement, then turned to Yang Lun, “You and Teacher Bai still haven’t answered my earlier question.”
“…”
Deng Ying sat up straight and took Yang Wan’s hand, “Wan-wan, don’t force the teacher and Zi Xi.”
Yang Wan didn’t turn around, looking directly at Yang Lun, “I must.”
She squeezed Deng Ying’s hand in return, “I want justice, justice that outweighs all common suffering.”
Yang Lun remained silent after hearing her words.
After a long while, Bai Huan finally spoke, “Throughout my official career, I’ve always followed the principle that for the greater good, even one’s child can be sacrificed. The justice you seek, I cannot give. But as a teacher…”
He looked at Deng Ying, “I also won’t stand by and watch my student remain forever unredeemed. I said going to Nanjing would be better. Fu Ling, you’ve done enough. No matter what you choose, you’ll always be mine and Zhang Zhanchun’s best student.”
Yang Wan interrupted Bai Huan:
“But you still haven’t answered me – will you give him justice?”
Yang Lun couldn’t help saying, “Wan’er, you can’t speak to the Minister like this.”
Yang Wan pressed her lips together, “I’m sorry, Teacher Bai, I was disrespectful, but…” she lowered her head with a small smile, “it doesn’t matter. If you won’t give it, I will.”
Yang Lun said, “What nonsense are you talking about? How could you give? You…”
Bai Huan raised his hand to interrupt Yang Lun and supported himself on Deng Ying’s bed to stand up, “Enough, let him eat. Let him rest well after eating. Let’s go.”
After Bai Huan and Yang Lun left, Yang Wan remained silent for a long time.
She ladled a bowl of rice for Deng Ying, then added one for herself, poking at it lightly with her chopsticks without eating.
Deng Ying held his bowl, not daring to eat alone. Seeing him holding the bowl without moving, Yang Wan finally said, “Oh… go ahead and eat.”