Zheng Yuejia had been in the Office of Ceremonies for many years and had seen countless eunuchs pass under his eyes. Some had struggled out of the lake, relying on tenacity and the courage to sacrifice their dignity, and eventually managed to make something of themselves – though none were truly human anymore, either becoming fierce-faced demons or maintaining two-faced personas of official dignity and servile nature.
But the bone structure wrapped in the blue robe before him seemed inherently at odds with this damp and chilly place.
Even though he was compliant, it was merely out of cultivation.
“Good that you understand.”
Zheng Yuejia turned around, “Follow me in.”
Although the Office of Ceremonies was the most important in the inner court, its location wasn’t large. Three rooms wide, with the central room opening directly into the main hall and conference room.
Zheng Yuejia pushed open the door, and several of the already dim candles in the room were instantly extinguished by the draft.
In the lamplight, all those seated raised their heads to look at Deng Ying.
He Yixian, sitting in the center, was still drinking medicine and didn’t look at Deng Ying, only saying while holding his bowl: “You’ve come?” He slowly finished drinking the medicine, then used the hand holding the bowl to point beside himself, “Yuejia, come sit here. How can you stand with those below?”
“Yes.”
Zheng Yuejia bowed deeply, then lifted his robe to sit beside He Yixian, smoothly taking his medicine bowl and carefully wiping it with his own sleeve.
“That’s enough.”
He Yixian reached out to take it back, “Drinking this daily, do you not want your skin anymore?”
But Zheng Yuejia turned away saying: “Eh, a son serving you, the skin doesn’t matter.”
As he spoke, his eyes swept briefly across Deng Ying’s face.
He Yixian shook his head and laughed, “Ah, you… you’ve dealt too much with the Ministry of Works people in the past, look,” he pointed at Zheng Yuejia’s shoulder and said to the others present: “He’s still protecting old acquaintances.”
Following He Yixian’s words, Deng Ying quickly scanned the conference room.
Besides Zheng Yuejia, Chief Secretary Eunuchs Liu Dingcheng, Hu Xiang, and Zhou Xinling were also seated. Additionally, kneeling before him was someone wearing prisoner’s clothes and heavy chains. Though the lamplight was dim, Deng Ying still recognized this person as Wang Changshun from the Liuli Factory. With this, the first layer of tonight’s situation was revealed.
He glanced at Zheng Yuejia, then knelt behind that person, bowing deeply to He Yixian.
Liu Dingcheng, sitting next to Deng Ying, suddenly said coldly: “So you won’t change your form of address?”
He Yixian smiled and picked up this thread, “We can’t say that. Supervisor Deng is Master Zhang’s student, and our place of refuge relies on Master Zhang and Supervisor Deng. This form of address need not change – it’s enough to follow proper etiquette before the masters.”
He then made a gesture of raising Deng Ying, “You may rise.”
Deng Ying stood straight, hands at his sides.
He Yixian looked him up and down, then suddenly smiled and asked: “Do you hate me very much?”
“Deng Ying wouldn’t dare.”
“You say that, but you don’t know that Minister Bai and the others are cursing me behind my back, saying I came up with such a poisonous idea.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Hu Xiang continued: “When they say it’s poisonous, I think that’s wrong. Master Zhang’s only disciple – they don’t protect him because they fear being implicated, making themselves like Zhou Congshan of the Tongjia Academy. In the end, it’s because they don’t have the ability. If we protect someone, naturally they become our person. I think Secretary Liu’s words are correct – he should change his form of address. We all rely on the Old Ancestor’s protection to have what we have today. How is it that after saving an entire person, we still have to give half to Yang Lun and his people? That’s not reasonable.”
“Enough.”
He Yixian interrupted him, “I haven’t spoken about this yet, don’t be impatient. Yuejia, go get a stool, let him sit too. One person kneeling in here is enough, having another standing makes it messy.”
Zheng Yuejia responded and left.
Deng Ying sat down behind Wang Changshun, and after Hu Xiang’s outburst just now, he more or less understood the Office’s intentions. The only surprise was Wang Changshun’s appearance.
This person had been arrested by the Imperial Guard, yet now he was openly kneeling in the Office of Ceremonies’ conference room – this meant the Office had connected with the Northern Command.
“Wang Changshun.”
“Old Ancestor, your son is here.”
Wang Changshun’s voice carried a heavy crying tone, clearly having cried his heart out before Deng Ying arrived.
“Turn around and look – do you recognize him?”
Wang Changshun dragged his chains as he turned on his knees, looked at Deng Ying once, then quickly turned back, weeping: “I recognize him, he’s Master Deng. Everyone at our factory knows him.”
“Heh.”
He Yixian laughed, “Still trying to claim connections when you’re about to die.”
Wang Changshun crawled on his knees toward He Yixian, “Old Ancestor, you must save your son… your son doesn’t want to die…”
“If you don’t want to die, begging me is useless – you have to beg Supervisor Deng. Only if you can get him to be willing to save your life can I give you a path to heaven.”
Wang Changshun understood He Yixian’s meaning and hurriedly threw himself before Deng Ying, grabbing his leg: “Master Deng, please save me. If you’re willing to save this worthless life, I’ll give you my boy outside as your son. I have some beautiful women outside too, I’ll give them all to you as a tribute… just please give me a way to live…”
Deng Ying felt him about to touch the silk that Yang Wan had wrapped around his ankle, so he pulled his leg back half a foot: “Let go of me first.”
“Master Deng…”
“Let go first.”
He raised his voice slightly and looked up at He Yixian, “I have something to say to the Seal-Bearer.”
Only then did Wang Changshun release him.
Deng Ying bent down, disregarding the gazes of those present, removed Yang Wan’s silk handkerchief, gently shook off the dust, folded it, and placed it in his bosom. Only then did he say to He Yixian: “Deng Ying has spent over ten years on the imperial city construction project. If there were things Deng Ying wished to say, they would have been said long ago. Now, I am already a ruined life, unwelcome among teachers and friends, naturally, I wouldn’t be so presumptuous as to speak rashly about important matters.”
He Yixian tilted his head, looking at the half-visible silk handkerchief in his bosom, and suddenly said: “That silk is of good quality. I noticed it when you walked in.”
Deng Ying didn’t respond.
He Yixian waved his hand at him, “Don’t worry, she is Yang Lun and Consort Ning’s younger sister. Whatever she does, she has people protecting her. As for us…” He smiled, “We’re not even worthy to mention her.”
To others, these words might have seemed unremarkable, but Deng Ying suddenly felt a sharp pain where the handkerchief rested against his chest.
“Does it hurt?” He Yixian straightened up, “It’s good if it hurts – then you’ll talk to me seriously.”