Deng Ying changed into a court robe and left the Imperial City through the Xihua Gate, heading toward Bai Huan’s residence.
The temple bells rang incessantly both inside and outside the city. Due to the Emperor’s death, slaughtering was forbidden within the city. The capital, deprived of its culinary pleasures, could barely smell the scent of cooking fires anymore.
Various government offices throughout the capital maintained staff on duty. Since officials couldn’t return home, their families had to deliver food, clothing, and daily necessities. As a result, horse carts carrying food and coal crowded the side and back entrances of every office.
This year’s snow disaster was severe, and the capital faced a serious coal shortage. Street robberies targeting coal were common.
The Five Cities Military Commission barely bothered to investigate thoroughly. If official coal was stolen, the coal thieves would receive a severe beating when caught. Some office officials who witnessed this felt uncomfortable but couldn’t spare any extra coal to help. They could only watch, at most saying, “That’s enough.”
Right beneath the Son of Heaven, the earth was frozen solid.
At this moment, a white cloth tent stood before Bai’s residence, where servants were moving coal inside.
A steward at the front gate told Deng Ying, “Our master dismissed half the household staff this year. This coal won’t be needed, so we’re preparing to donate it to the government to distribute to the common people.”
Deng Ying followed a servant toward the inner residence. Snow lay unswept everywhere, with many areas showing no signs of footprints. The snow was packed thick and tight, remaining firm even when stepped on.
“Can so few people manage all this?”
The servant smiled slightly. “With His Majesty’s important matters at hand, everywhere is tense. It just means more work to do, but everything else remains the same. This year is better – the ladies have returned south, so without the inner courtyard affairs, our burden is halved. Although the matters up front seem significant, they’re manageable. Now that the master is gravely ill and officials from various offices can’t move freely, there’s even less to handle.”
He stopped at Bai Huan’s door and said, “Director, please wait here while I check if the master is awake.”
Shortly after, a voice from inside said, “Please enter.”
Deng Ying clasped his hands in thanks before lifting his robe to enter.
Bai Huan wasn’t sitting on his sickbed.
Instead, he was fully dressed, wearing mourning robes, sitting properly in a round-backed chair.
“You’ve come.”
“Yes, please accept your student’s respect, Teacher.”
Bai Huan softly responded with a “Good,” and tremblingly stood up holding the chair’s back.
Deng Ying knelt, bowing his head in respect. After he straightened up, Bai Huan also clasped his hands and bowed, returning the formal teacher-student greeting.
“Teacher, are you heading south?”
Bai Huan said, “Stand up first.”
Deng Ying rose and helped Bai Huan sit down. Bai Huan pointed to the chair opposite him, gesturing for Deng Ying to sit.
“I have served two emperors and lived to this age – I can be considered blessed. Although scholars all wish for a peaceful death in bed, I have already abandoned such desires. Therefore, I won’t go south. I want to make one final effort to support Yang Zixie, support the Cabinet, support the Ming court…”
He looked at Deng Ying and continued, “These past few days, I’ve been thinking over and over about what Zhang Zhanchun told me in the Ministry of Justice prison. He said… you were his student, and with him there, no one could humiliate you. Ah…”
He smiled wistfully and sighed, “In scholarship and officialdom… there’s no comparison, but in ‘being a teacher,’ he surpassed me a thousandfold. Fu Ling, you and Yang Lun are both my students, but I… never protected you properly.”
Deng Ying shook his head, lowering his gaze: “Since I came of age, I’ve received teachings from both you and Master Zhang. I view you as a fathers, and Zixie as a brother. If I hadn’t been castrated, I would have wished to be a good student at your knee, enter official service, and constantly receive your protection in the official world. But now… I dare not.”
His words “dare not” brought heat to Bai Huan’s eyes.
“Fu Ling…”
“Teacher.”
Deng Ying interrupted Bai Huan, “I came to your residence today because I have something to tell you.”
After a moment of silence, Bai Huan asked, “What is it?”
Deng Ying looked up and said, “I am going to confess to the crime of forging the imperial edict.”
Bai Huan’s hands trembled as he suppressed his emotions: “Who pushed you to take this step?”
“It was my own decision.”
Deng Ying raised his head, “I know you want to protect Zixie. You plan to lead the challenge against the edict, opposing the Palace Ceremonial Office and the Directorate of Ceremonial. But this isn’t the best solution for the Cabinet or the Crown Prince. Groundlessly challenging an imperial edict is a grave crime. You might save Zixie’s life, but his political career would end along with yours. Teacher, I cannot agree with your approach.”
“Then do you think I would agree with your approach?”
“Even without your agreement, I will defy you.”
“Fu Ling!”
Bai Huan raised his voice, standing up while gripping his chair, his whole body trembling, “How is this any different from me forcing my student to death?”
Deng Ying stood up, knelt before Bai Huan, and bowed deeply: “Teacher, I don’t want to disgrace your best student.”
These words transported both men back to the twelfth year of Zhenning.
After his castration, when the teacher and student first met before the Hall of Supreme Harmony, they exchanged a few words. When he tried to call Bai Huan “Teacher,” Bai Huan had rebuked him with “How dare you!” At parting, there was only one sentence: “I forbid you to disgrace my best student.”
That statement was both a rebuke and contained inexpressible heartache.
Now he mentioned these words again, and though spoken softly, they were enough to break the heart of Bai Huan in his twilight years.
“Teacher, I have lived unworthily, falling short of the integrity expected of your student. But I truly tried my best. Walking this path until now, wearing this skin until today, I believe I haven’t disgraced the Deng Fu Ling of those years. Now there’s only the final stretch of road, and I want to walk it.”
Bai Huan looked down at Deng Ying prostrated on the ground, speechless.
Deng Ying raised his head, hands still pressed to the ground. He turned his head to cough several times, then looked at Bai Huan and spoke evenly:
“Teacher, after I confess, the edict will become void. The Cabinet can then legitimately draft an edict on behalf of the late Emperor. The Directorate of Ceremonial will share my guilt, and the eunuch faction can be eliminated at once, ending their evil influence. I hope Zixie and the new emperor can uphold the iron laws of the founding emperor, strictly controlling the inner palace servants, and not repeat the dynasty’s mistakes.”
Bai Huan slowly sat down, holding the chair’s back, shaking his head with tears in his eyes.