“Nothing… just a bit cold.”
Deng Ying hurriedly pulled over the quilted clothes he hadn’t yet changed into, covering Yang Wan.
Yang Wan coughed several times, saying from within Deng Ying’s embrace, “I’m very tired, I want you to hold me while I sleep for a while.”
The deep walls of the imperial prison confined the two.
Cutting off all the sights and sounds of the capital. In the autumn sounds they couldn’t hear, voices of injustice gradually rose.
Days of continuous autumn rain caused the moat’s waters to surge, countless brilliant begonias were washed into the water, all swept away in a single night.
When the sky cleared, an old man carrying his grandchild walked past the river. The child, arms around the old man’s neck, said: “Grandfather, look, the water’s risen so high – will it flood over?”
The old man said: “It won’t.”
The child asked: “Why not?”
The old man stroked his forehead, answering gently: “Because the person who dug this river was very clever. He built the channel so ingeniously that even the biggest floods can be channeled away, and the river can protect the imperial city.”
The child lay on the old man’s shoulder, looking up at the city gate.
A lone autumn goose called out as it flew over the golden-glazed roof tiles, darting into the rain clouds and disappearing.
The child looked at the sky and asked: “Grandfather, do you know who dug this moat?”
The old man adjusted the child’s position on his shoulders.
“The moat was dug by the skilled craftsmen of Xiangshan, but the person who led the construction… was a eunuch.”
“Eu…nuch…”
The child repeated in his childish voice.
The old man nodded, “Yes, besides building this moat, he also built the imperial city.”
“Oh, I know.”
The child grinned, “He’s like Master Zhang. Our school teacher told me Master Zhang built the imperial city, he’s the Ming Dynasty’s greatest craftsman.”
“Yes.”
“Then is this person the Ming Dynasty’s second greatest craftsman?”
The old man smiled, then sighed softly.
“He isn’t. He’s about to be executed.”
“Why?”
“Because he committed crimes. His Majesty has ordered his punishment.”
“Oh…”
The child blinked and looked up again, asking: “But he could build the imperial city, he was so capable – why would he do bad things?”
The old man hesitated for a moment, then finally said: “Perhaps he had difficulties he couldn’t speak of.”
Then, pointing at the water, he said: “Look, the water will rise again tomorrow.”
The child lowered his head and said: “Grandmother told me, that when the moat’s waters rise, it’s a day of buried injustice.”
“Where did your grandmother go today?”
The child pointed west, “She and mother went to burn incense.”
“For whom?”
“Um…”
The child scratched his head, thinking, “That person… I think his name was Deng Ying…”