“Elder Bai’s situation is more difficult, isn’t it?”
Deng Ying nodded.
“Teacher has been a court official for nearly fifty years. Half the Hanlin Academy scholars are his students, and hundreds of his former students still hold positions in various departments. If the Directorate of Ceremonial finds crimes among these people, Teacher will have to bear the main responsibility.”
Yang Wan asked: “Have you thought of what to do?”
Deng Ying stopped walking. “The Eastern Depot prison.”
He lowered his head. “I will request His Majesty to personally interrogate Teacher.”
Yang Wan stood beside Deng Ying, recalling the historical facts of spring in the fourteenth year of Zhenning.
Bai Huan was implicated in the corruption case of the Right Vice Minister of Rites and sent to the Eastern Depot prison. The Ming History’s assessment of Bai Huan’s imprisonment and later research generally agree that this was Deng Ying’s revenge for Bai Huan’s impeachment of him. However, the truth was that it was a student at the end of his rope, using his last bit of strength to save his teacher.
Later, when Yang Wan opened her notes, she could never bring herself to write this part.
During the period when Deng Ying handled affairs while awaiting punishment, Yang Wan witnessed firsthand the humiliation and torment the shackles inflicted on him.
The chains locked his hands and feet, preventing him from changing clothes or bathing properly—extremely difficult for someone who had been castrated. But every day he would heat water, close the duty room door, and carefully wash himself. Yang Wan rarely saw Deng Ying during the day. He had many duties, either at the Eastern Depot or being interrogated at the Ministry of Justice. After several days, his digestion suffered, and he gradually couldn’t eat the food sent from the Directorate of Ceremonials. Yang Wan had to cook noodles for him.
The bruising on his ankles grew worse. To keep Yang Wan from seeing, he always pulled his trouser legs down to cover them. But Yang Wan still saw the almost broken skin when he soaked his feet.
Yang Wan crouched down to help him lift the chains from the basin.
Deng Ying suddenly pulled his foot from the basin, splashing medicinal water on Yang Wan’s face. He hurriedly tried to wipe it with his sleeve.
“I’m sorry, Wanwan…”
Yang Wan pushed away Deng Ying’s hand, pointing at the basin: “Quickly, put your feet back in. We only made this much medicine water, and you just wasted half of it.”
As she spoke, she rolled up her sleeves and pushed the basin closer to the bed, looking up with furrowed brows. “Hurry up.”
Deng Ying obediently put his feet back in the basin.
Yang Wan carefully lifted the chains. “I didn’t mean anything by it. These are too cold—the water gets cold quickly when they’re in it.”
Deng Ying looked at Yang Wan’s half-raised arm, wanting to say something but unable to speak.
As Yang Wan had said, he didn’t care how Emperor Zhenning and the Ministry of Justice treated him.
But he didn’t want Yang Wan, who accompanied him, to share in the humiliation brought by these shackles.
For his comfort, she touched the dirty water. Even this brief moment was enough to break Deng Ying’s heart.
“Deng Ying, can you sit properly?”
Noticing his unease, Yang Wan lifted her head while holding the chains.
Deng Ying looked helplessly at Yang Wan and nodded. “I’ll sit properly.”
Yang Wan wiped the water from her face and looked at his ankles. “In a moment, try the pad I made for you.”
“What?”
“The one I made from sheepskin before. When I made it then, I hadn’t expected this situation, but now it’s perfect to use. Hey, didn’t I give it to you? Where did you put it?”
“In my wardrobe.”
Yang Wan got up and opened Deng Ying’s wardrobe. The clothes inside were neatly folded, and the scent of soap wafted out.
“Where is it?”
Deng Ying raised his hand to point: “In the box at the bottom.”
Yang Wan crouched down and opened the box Deng Ying mentioned. Inside, besides the sheepskin pad she had made, she found the hibiscus silk she had first given him to cover his ankles, cleanly folded in the box.
“You never use the things I give you.”
“I want to keep them.”
Yang Wan took out the sheepskin pad and walked to Deng Ying. “No keeping them—use them. I can make you many more things in the future, remember? When we’re old, we’ll live in your outer residence. By then, you’ll be the Great Ming’s finest craftsman, and I’ll be the Great Ming’s finest knitter.”
She couldn’t help but laugh after saying this, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Is the water cold?”
“Yes.”
“Then lift your feet onto the bed edge, and I’ll help you put this on.”
“No need, Wanwan, it’s too dirty.”
Yang Wan sat beside Deng Ying. “Little Deng Ying, did I just waste my breath? Will you listen or not?”
Deng Ying quickly said: “Not wasted.”
Yang Wan jerked her chin toward the bed edge. “Then bring your feet over.”
Deng Ying had to lift his feet and pull up his trouser legs himself.
Yang Wan lowered her head, carefully stuffing the sheepskin pad into the shackles, then gently pulling it through from the other side.
Deng Ying pressed his lips together without a word.
Yang Wan said: “It’ll be better after this summer passes.”
Deng Ying blurted out: “That long?”
Yang Wan’s hands paused, and she said softly: “Don’t be afraid, you have me.”
After speaking, she covered him with a blanket. “When do you go to the Ministry of Justice?”
“Noon.”
Yang Wan nodded. “Then you can still sleep for a while.”
She stood up as she spoke.
“Wanwan…”
“What is it?”
“Oh…”
Deng Ying tucked himself further under the blanket. “Nothing.”
Yang Wan turned back and smiled at him. “Don’t worry, I’m not leaving now. I’m going to write for a while. You sleep, and I’ll wake you at noon.”