“It’s done. I was deliberately waiting for brother.”
Hearing this, Yang Lun stepped back, “You wanted to ask about Deng Ying, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
Yang Lun set his jaw, looked at Yang Wan in silence for a moment, then finally spoke.
“Today the Directorate of Ceremonial brought him back from the Ministry of Justice prison.”
“Was he badly injured?”
“He wasn’t injured.”
Yang Wan was stunned.
“But just now Zhang Luo said…”
“They were going to torture him, but Master Zhang came.”
Yang Wan suddenly remembered that Zhang Zhanchun seemed to have died in the fifth month of Zhenning’s twelfth year, but history didn’t record how he died. She quickly asked, “You mean Master Zhang Zhanchun?”
Yang Lun nodded, “For the details, you’ll have to ask Deng Ying yourself, though he might not be well for the next day or two.”
“Why?”
Yang Lun lowered his head, “To save him, Master Zhang took the blame for the Shandong brick supply case. He taught and raised Deng Ying for ten years, and was Deng Ying’s most respected teacher. Now he’s imprisoned for his sake… ai…”
Yang Lun couldn’t help but sigh.
“Alright, I need to leave the palace. How are the Princess and Prince?”
Yang Wan didn’t speak, just nodded numbly.
“Take good care of them. Recently… the political situation has been unstable. The Princess will inevitably hear some news. Explain things well on my behalf, don’t let her worry too much.”
Yang Wan followed a few steps, “Brother, stop investigating this matter.”
Yang Lun turned back, “Wan’er, Deng Fu Lin, and Master Zhang aren’t afraid of death, and we aren’t people who fear death either. Regardless of His Majesty’s stance, we must let the common people see the loyalty that we scholars and officials have for the Great Ming.”
Observing history from afar brings compassion.
But when living within it, mere compassion… seems insufficient.
After Yang Lun left, Yang Wan walked toward the Fifth Division with her sleeves drawn close.
On the palace path, she met Li Yu who was starting his shift. Seeing Yang Wan, he quickly snuck down, “Finally found you!”
Yang Wan coughed once, “What is it?”
Li Yu said, “Deng Ying has returned, but he hasn’t opened his door all day. I’ve shouted myself hoarse, but he won’t answer. I’m worried something’s happened to him. He has no one else looking after him in the palace—don’t you care for him? Go check on him.”
A gust of wind blew down the palace path, lifting Yang Wan’s skirts. The swirling mortal dust brushed against her face.
Yang Wan drew her clothes closer, “Do you have noodles there?”
“Noodles?”
“Yes, ready-made ones.”
“We do.”
“What about a stove?”
“We have that too, by the big willow tree at the moat.”