No way to say it – it was different from the twentieth century.
This was truly the most sincere blessing she could receive in the present.
Yang Wan put away her writing implements and crouched down to pat some dust off Yi Lang’s leg.
“In His Highness’s mind, what kind of person is good?”
“People who seek welfare for the common people are good people.”
“Then what kind of people are bad?”
“People like Deng Yi are bad people, he made the common people’s lives difficult.”
Yang Wan nodded, “Why does His Highness say this?”
Yi Lang pulled at Yang Wan’s sleeve, “Because my teacher taught me, ‘The people are important, the ruler is light.'”
Yang Wan asked naturally: “Which teacher?”
“Zhang Cong, Grand Secretary Zhang.”
Oh. Zhang Luo’s father.
Also the first Grand Secretary during the Jinghe years, a “notorious” villain in history alongside Deng Yi.
Yang Wan realized that while historical trends had patterns to follow, paying attention to individuals could make things seem surreal.
For instance, regardless of their character, imperial tutors would all desperately try to guide the dynasty’s ruler toward the right path. No matter if they spent their days extorting from the people and indulging in courtesans, they would still demand their sovereigns be wise rulers, even if they might one day die at those same rulers’ hands.
In this aspect, the eunuch faction was completely different from them.
These eunuchs’ lives and fortunes hung entirely on the ruler’s emotions, so they always devoted themselves to attending to the ruler’s joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure.
This was why throughout the Great Ming’s hundred years, the civil official faction could never destroy the eunuch faction. Human nature always tends toward those who mindlessly care for oneself, even when one knows it’s wrong.
Yang Wan crouched before Yi Lang hugging her knees, finally understanding why she felt that passage in her notes was incomplete in its implications.
What Deng Ying did went against the historical pattern that later generations would summarize. If one were to analyze it specifically, it involved not just choices under the tide of the era, but rather the outward manifestation of an individual’s inner spiritual world in reverse.
“Aunt… what are you thinking about?”
Yi Lang squeezed her fingers, “Why aren’t you speaking?”
Yang Wan came back to herself, quickly saying: “This servant was thinking about what your teacher taught you.”
“Aunt.”
“Yes?”
Yi Lang’s little face suddenly came close to Yang Wan’s, “Aunt, you like to think about things.”
“Ha.”
Yang Wan held her chin and teased him, “How do you know?”
“Because you often space out holding your books. Imperial Mother says you’re very smart, just that you don’t want to tell me and Imperial Mother what you’re thinking about. But Imperial Mother also doesn’t let me ask you.”
“Why?”
“She says asking you would make us like those people who speak ill of you, but I don’t understand, why they speak ill of you. Aunt is so good.”
Yang Wan stood up and, taking advantage of their being alone, boldly stroked Yi Lang’s cheek, “His Highness will understand when he’s older.”
“Oh…”
In early April, the roof project of the Hall of Supreme Harmony was completed.
The conferment ceremony for Consort Jiang had also concluded amid the chaos of the Six Departments.
On this day, Yang Wan was exchanging documents with the seal-holding eunuch at the Imperial Archives. The guards at the Meeting Gate were changing shifts, and it seemed there was some issue during the handover, with both groups arguing red-faced. Eunuch Wu, the seal-holder of the Archives, closed the doors and windows, pinching his nose as he walked to the shelves, avoiding dust while saying to Yang Wan: “Your Imperial Wardrobe Bureau still hasn’t gotten a break, has it?”
Yang Wan replied: “We’re almost done, but the other five departments still have much to do.”
“Oh, I heard Consort Ning is ill, is she better now?”
Yang Wan nodded, “She’s much better now that the weather’s warming up.”
“That’s good, it wouldn’t be good to stay ill for so long.”
Yang Wan caught his meaning and replied with a smile: “You’re thinking for the palace’s sake too.”
Eunuch Wu smiled and waved his hand: “The maid jests. In our position, though we can’t even touch the dust beneath the Consorts’ feet, we’ve seen many ups and downs. In the past, we wouldn’t dare speak, but now that I’m old, sometimes I can’t help but ramble a bit.”
Just as he finished speaking, the voices outside rose again.
Eunuch Wu frowned: “Recently, the guard duty at the four gates has become stricter, I see the night watch officials have added two more people per shift.”
Yang Wan stood by the desk, filling out records in the light from the window, writing while asking: “What are they arguing about?”
Eunuch Wu poured Yang Wan a cup of tea, “Ah, the Meeting Gate has always been guarded by the Imperial Guard, but these past few days the Four Gates Defense adjusted and changed to the Feather Forest Guard. They’re rigid with rules, inflexible, and just now they had friction with the yamen runners from the outer offices. They’re probably unclear about something during the shift change report.”
Yang Wan stopped her brush and was about to ask more when suddenly someone knocked on the window.
Eunuch Wu called out: “Who is it?”
The person outside carefully replied: “Is Sister Wan from the Imperial Wardrobe Bureau inside?”
“I’m here.”
Yang Wan put down her brush and said to Eunuch Wu: “I’ll go out and ask, I’ll come back to write later.”
Eunuch Wu nodded: “Ah, yes, do as you please. We’re usually quite free here, just waiting to serve your Imperial Wardrobe Bureau.”
Yang Wan smiled in acknowledgment as she walked out the door to see a small eunuch in gray standing at the entrance.
“Are you Sister Wan from the Imperial Wardrobe Bureau?”
Yang Wan nodded, “Yes, I am. You are…”
“This servant is from the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Assistant Director Deng asked me to pass a message to Sister. The item you asked him to make is finished. He didn’t dare send it privately to your quarters, so it’s temporarily placed in the felt tent in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. He asks Sister to collect it when you have time.”
Yang Wan started, “Your Assistant Director Deng…”
“Today the Ministry of Justice sent people to summon Assistant Director Deng.”
Yang Wan heard this and looked toward the Meeting Gate.
Though she wasn’t surprised, remembering Deng Ying’s previous words made her body tremble slightly.
“Sister.”
“Oh, go on.”
“There’s one more message for Sister. Assistant Director Deng said there were too many matters at the Hall of Supreme Harmony during this period, and he made it quite hastily. If there are any imperfections, he asks Sister to make do with it, and he’ll make you a new one when he returns.”