The feast was laid out in the small flower hall. Yang Lun’s two concubines helped Xiao Wen arrange the seats.
Yang Jing, having caught a cold in the imperial prison, appeared frail, wrapped in a thick fox fur cloak, and greeted Yang Wan at the door.
Yang Wan asked her, “When will you return to the Wenhua Hall?”
Yang Jing smiled wryly, “I’ve failed Sister. I won’t be going back.”
Yang Wan nodded and took out a Qingbo House edition of “Five Worthies” from her bundle, handing it to Yang Jing.
Yang Jing took it and saw the author’s name was written as “Du Heng.”
“Du Heng?”
“Yes.”
Yang Jing looked up, “Why Du Heng? He died of illness last month.”
Yang Wan patted Yang Jing’s shoulder, “Yang Jing, listen to Sister. It’s fine not to return to Wenhua Hall. Stay outside, study with a clean conscience, and take the spring imperial examination next year.”
Yang Jing stared at the book cover for a long while before looking up, “Thank you, Sister.”
Yang Wan gestured for her to rest while she rolled up her sleeves to help the two concubines set the table.
Xiao Wen looked at the seating arrangement with hesitation and pulled Yang Wan aside, “Today I’m confused about the seating order.”
She glanced outside the threshold, “Should we give the seat of honor to Superintendent Deng?”
Yang Wan smiled, “Sister-in-law, just have someone bring me a thick cushion.”
Xiao Wen turned to the maid, “Go get a cushion.” Then asked Yang Wan, “Are you not feeling well?”
Yang Wan shook her head, about to answer when Yang Lun strode into the flower hall, taking off his cape and handing it to Xiao Wen, asking, “Have you chosen the opera?”
Xiao Wen replied, “Let’s wait for the Superintendent to choose.”
Yang Lun glanced at Deng Ying who followed behind him, “Tired of ‘The Thousand Gold’?”
Deng Ying stepped inside with a smile, “‘ The Phoenix Cry’ is better.”
Yang Lun looked at Yang Wan, “What do you want to hear?”
Yang Wan, hugging the soft cushion, asked, “Is there ‘Bo Ya Plays the Qin’?”
Yang Lun gave Yang Wan a look, “‘ Lüshi Chunqiu’ isn’t for entertainment, we don’t have that here!” Then he called out to the opera stage, “Sing ‘The Appointment of the General’ from ‘The Thousand Gold’!”
‘The Appointment of the General’ was about Han Xin’s appointment, the scene “Destitute Han Xin Ascends the Platform” from the fifty scenes of ‘The Thousand Gold’, following “Han Xin Begs for Food in Huaiyin County.”
After three rounds of drinks, Yang Lun became emotional, his eyes red as he struck his chopsticks and stood in the hall to sing a verse of “Breaking Jade Song”:
“Before General Han’s time came,
In Huaiyin he suffered shame beneath the legs.
By the river, he fished to survive,
The washerwoman showed him kindness and brought food to keep him alive.
‘Appointed general, granted marquis, appointed general, granted marquis,
A thousand gold to thank you, a thousand gold to thank you.'”
After singing, Yang Lun was thoroughly drunk but refused to leave the table.
Yang Wan sent Xiao Wen, Yang Jing, and the others to rest, dismissed the attending servants, and sat propping her chin, watching the two men amid the messy dishes.
Deng Ying wasn’t drunk but remained silent.
Yang Wan looked at Yang Lun and said, “So drunk like this, better to have a good cry.”
“I’m not drunk!”
Yang Lun knocked over the cold soup in front of Yang Wan, propped himself up, and rambled at Deng Ying, “Deng Fuling, tell me how you ended up becoming a eunuch…”
Deng Ying reached out to support Yang Lun’s arm, “Because my Deng family was guilty.”
“The Deng family’s guilt has nothing to do with you!”
Yang Lun stood up swaying, and as Deng Ying tried to support him, he pulled at his wound, unable to help saying, “Yang Zixi, will you please sit down?”
Yang Lun shook off Deng Ying’s hand and spat, “Stop meddling with me!”
Yang Wan pulled Yang Lun back to his seat, his head hitting the chair back with a “thud,” making him even more dizzy.
“If he didn’t meddle, you would have died on the river!”
“So what if I died on the river? Why should I owe him anything!”
He covered his eyes with his sleeve, “I, Yang Lun, have lived my life without shame before heaven and the common people, so clean and proper, why must I owe him, Deng Fuling…”
Deng Ying looked up at Yang Lun, and took a sip of the cold wine from the table, “I never asked you to owe me.”
“But I do owe you! Thank you so much I can’t even protect my sister! You’ve ruined her like this, and I as her brother can’t kill you with my own hands, can’t even curse you properly, I, Yang Lun, am just a…”
As he spoke, he loudly slapped himself.
Yang Wan quickly grabbed his arm, “Have you gone mad?”
Yang Lun, with the handprint on his face, looked at Yang Wan through drunken eyes and suddenly cried out miserably, “You’re both protecting me, but I can’t protect either of you.”