At that moment, Yang Lun’s horse arrived at Clear Wave Lodge’s entrance.
Both the Imperial Guard and Eastern Depot guards made their way. Zhang Luo dismounted, and everyone inside and outside the lodge immediately knelt. Yang Wan, fighting her exhaustion, struggled up from Qin Wende’s arms to kneel as well.
Yang Lun dismounted and swept his gaze across everyone before looking at Zhang Luo. “The written decree hasn’t come down yet, but I bring an oral command ordering you to return to the palace immediately.”
Zhang Luo kowtowed, “Your subject accepts the command.”
Everyone rose with Zhang Luo, except Yang Wan, whose legs were still weak. She stumbled, nearly falling forward.
Yang Lun hurried forward to support her, looking up at Zhang Luo, “How did you hurt her?”
“I didn’t hurt her.”
“If you didn’t hurt her, why is she like this!”
“It’s alright, brother.”
Yang Wan pressed Yang Lun’s arm, “I was scared—my legs went weak from fear.”
Yang Lun scolded, “You’ve become as bold as a monkey climbing to heaven, yet you still know fear?”
Yang Wan found this quite amusing, “What monkey climbing to heaven? Your words are getting more and more absurd.”
Yang Lun looked down at her legs, “You weren’t hurt by him? Don’t fear him—tell me straight, and I’ll settle this for you.”
Yang Wan shook her head, “Really, nothing happened. They didn’t touch me.”
She finished speaking and lifted her chin toward Zhang Luo, gesturing for him to leave.
Zhang Luo mounted his horse, but before leaving, looked down at Yang Wan once more and said evenly, “I will interrogate Deng Ying according to the law. Do you have anything to say to me?”
Hearing this, Yang Wan nodded, suppressing her smile and releasing Yang Lun to walk a few steps toward Zhang Luo’s horse. “Yes.”
Zhang Luo reined in his horse, “What is it?”
Yang Wan looked up, “However you interrogate him, please preserve his dignity with his clothing.”
“That’s all you ask for?”
“Yes. I know I have no right to ask you anything, I…”
“You do.”
He suddenly interrupted Yang Wan, “Today you also saved my life in a way. What you’re asking—I promise you this.”
Having said this, he gave Yang Wan no chance to respond, turning his horse and leading the Northern Guard’s men out of East Public Street.
The street suddenly emptied, its black expanse stretching endlessly. The wind blew in their faces, carrying the faint fragrance of spring grass. The Eastern Depot’s seal hung forlornly on the door until Qin Wende tore it down as if nothing had ever happened.
So had history changed?
In the spring of the fourteenth year of Zhenning’s reign, the Emperor fell ill, and Deng Ying was in prison—everything was just as recorded in Ming History.
But the cracks in people’s hearts were like the joints of a giant cart—occasionally making a sound that could shake loose countless motes of dust.
Yang Wan hadn’t imagined Zhang Luo would truly agree to her request, just as Zhang Luo himself hadn’t imagined he would be willing to grant dignity to a “criminal slave” in prison.
“Enough looking.”
Yang Lun pressed against the door, “Everything’s fine now.”
“Yes, finally all is well.”
Yang Wan withdrew her gaze, raised her hand to arrange her clothes, and turned to ask Yang Lun, “Is His Highness alright?”
“He’s fine, but next time something happens, could you tell me beforehand?”
Yang Wan smiled, her eyebrows curving, “If you had known I was risking His Highness to save these students, you probably would have wanted to kill me.”
“You…”
Yang Lun didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“When you taught His Highness to say those things, weren’t you truly afraid His Majesty would turn his anger on him?”
“Of course I was afraid.”
Yang Wan looked at Yang Lun, “He is the sovereign—life and death hang on a single thought. Even if we can predict seven or eight parts of that thought, there are still two or three parts of uncertainty. But this was the most reliable method I could think of, good for both His Majesty and His Highness.”
“How so?”
Yang Wan looked back into the lodge, “His Majesty didn’t necessarily want to kill these people, he just had no reason to pardon them. Yi Lang is his son—his taking their punishment gave His Majesty a way out. Moreover, His Majesty… probably wanted to win a good reputation among these young people for his heir.”
“Hmph.”
Yang Lun gave a short laugh, “The reputation is good, but three years’ salary forfeit?”
“Three years? That long?”
“Yes, how will you manage?”
Yang Wan smiled, “If Deng Ying could manage in his condition, what can’t we manage? Don’t worry, I have money—I won’t ask you for any.”
She walked inside and addressed the students, “It’s all right now, you can go home.”
The young student timidly asked, “Sister, can we… still participate in this year’s spring examinations?”
Yang Wan nodded to him.