In the main hall of Yang Palace, the kitchen staff had withdrawn to the corridor.
The Chief Eunuch of the Imperial Kitchen, fearing the food would get cold, called for people to bring velvet cloth to cover the food boxes. Bai Yuyang, standing in the corridor watching everyone’s actions, called the Chief Eunuch forward and pointed at the velvet cloth, saying: “You’ve gone too far with this.”
The Chief Eunuch became somewhat flustered.
With Bai Huan gravely ill at home, Bai Yuyang was now the First Minister of the Cabinet. The Ceremonial Office was almost entirely imprisoned now, and the new emperor was still young, had not been raised by eunuchs, and had a temperament very different from the late emperor. These inner court eunuchs of the Twenty-four Bureaus, having lost their protection, were extremely timid before this soon-to-be Prime Minister.
“Minister… where… where have we gone too far…”
Bai Yuyang said: “His Majesty is in mourning showing filial piety. He can eat cold food.”
“Yes, yes…”
The Chief Eunuch dared not explain. After He Yixian’s imprisonment, the Cabinet had used this to purge the inner court eunuch ranks, declaring outright: “Any who flatter and delude the sovereign will be punished alongside the criminal eunuchs of the Ceremonial Office.”
Bai Yuyang’s seemingly light comment had pushed the Chief Eunuch to the edge of a cliff. Before being crushed to dust, he had no choice but to admit fault to seek survival: “We servants know our error.”
Bai Yuyang nodded and glanced inside the food boxes.
During the great mourning period, slaughter was forbidden, but the kitchen couldn’t let the new emperor go without any meat or oil. The tofu in the box had been fried in wine lees oil, and now cold, the oil on top had congealed into a bright white crust.
“Minister… this…”
The Chief Eunuch’s legs began to wobble as he spoke.
“Let this one go today.”
Yang Lun picked up the conversation: “Minister Bai, we should judge people, but we shouldn’t go to extremes in correcting wrongs.”
“That’s not right.”
Bai Yuyang turned around, speaking directly: “The iron laws of our Founding Emperor have been scattered for so many years. Now that we’re reorganizing and enforcing them strictly, you call this going to extremes? Secretary Yang, there are some things I don’t want to say explicitly. Since the Tongjia tragedy until now, the nation’s wounds run deep, you and I both see this. Court politics has suffered from the eunuch disaster, everyone is bound in chains, unable to take a step. If today’s handling of the Ceremonial Office and Eastern Depot makes you, Yang Lun, think we’re going to extremes, then you needn’t submit your memorial today.”
Having finished, he turned his back with a flick of his sleeve.
Yang Lun cupped his hands: “My words were inappropriate, please forgive me.”
Bai Yuyang snorted.
The Chief Eunuch, seeing he had caused an argument between the two ministers, was terrified.
Seeing Bai Yuyang’s lack of response, Yang Lun simply lowered his hands and turned to the Chief Eunuch: “Go attend to your duties.”
“Yes.”
Just then, Qingmeng came out from the inner palace, and Bai Yuyang and Yang Lun’s group immediately straightened their clothes.
Qingmeng bowed to the Cabinet Ministers: “His Majesty summons the ministers.”
Bai Yuyang responded by walking to the front and seeing Yang Lun hadn’t moved, the other Cabinet Ministers didn’t dare break rank.
Yang Lun turned back and waved his hand, “Ministers, please walk ahead. I’ll follow behind.”
Only then did he turn and walk to the back.
The Cabinet Ministers then lifted their robes and walked forward, entering the inner palace to perform the great ceremony between sovereign and subject.
Yilang called “Rise,” and the ministers straightened their clothes and stood. Bai Yuyang, seeing Yilang dressed in plain clothes with mourning garments over them, and only Qingmeng standing in attendance, was very satisfied and praised with cupped hands: “Your Majesty shows pure filial piety.”
Yilang didn’t say much, only rose and said: “If the ministers have matters to report, please speak.”
“Yes.”
Bai Yuyang stepped forward: “The Court of Judicial Review and the Censorate, together with the Ministry of Justice, have concluded the trial of the Ceremonial Office case. We now present the case files for Your Majesty’s imperial decision.”
Qingmeng took the files and presented them before Yilang, who reached out to accept them and opened them on the table.
None of the ministers spoke as Yilang read word by word. After half a cup of tea’s time, he looked toward the Left Censorate Inspector.
“Chief Inspector.”
“Your servant is here.”
“I wish to personally interrogate He Yixian and Deng Ying.”
“There is no need.”
Before the Left Censorate Inspector could speak, he was interrupted by Bai Yuyang.
Yilang looked up: “Personal interrogation for major crimes is an old system left by my Imperial Ancestor. When I should question, I shall question.”
Bai Yuyang said: “Your Majesty is still young, kind-hearted by nature, and easily deceived. It’s not appropriate to personally interrogate these criminal eunuchs.”
Yilang closed the files: “Minister, I know I am young and must carefully follow the Cabinet’s joint discussions. Please be assured, I won’t question the Three Departments’ joint trial. I only wish to personally observe justice. Chief Inspector, does my action violate any systems or laws?”
The Left Censorate Inspector said: “Your Majesty’s action demonstrates the fairness of criminal justice.”
Hearing the Left Censorate Inspector speak thus, Bai Yuyang stepped forward directly: “Your servant requests Your Majesty to pass judgment according to the Three Departments’ decision today.”
Yilang said evenly: “I will pass judgment after my interrogation.”
“Your Majesty!”
“If the Minister won’t permit it, then I shall summon the officials of the Court of Judicial Review to debate publicly with the Minister before me regarding the system of ‘personal interrogation for major crimes.'”
Bai Yuyang’s face turned pale.
Before today’s report, he hadn’t imagined the new emperor would use ‘personal interrogation for major crimes’ as a reason to suspend the Three Departments’ judgment, much less thought that he would force him to debate publicly with the Court of Judicial Review.