Yang Wan fell silent, massaging her wrists one by one as she tried to calmly sort through her situation.
Zhang Luo controlled the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s prison system. Historical opinions of this man were polarized – some scholars who studied him believed he was an upright and unyielding official who effectively suppressed the eunuch troubles of the Eastern Depot during the later Jinghe years, making him essentially Deng Ying’s mortal enemy. Another group believed he was excessively cruel, leading to rampant abuse in the prison system during the Jinghe years. When Yang Wan was researching Deng Ying, she had also read much historical material about Zhang Luo, and her opinion leaned toward the latter view.
So Yin’er wasn’t wrong – if the Yang family didn’t handle this properly, Yang Lun’s reformist faction would face obstacles in officialdom far beyond just those from the conservative officials.
Yang Wan slowly gripped her wrist.
What method could separate her from Young Miss Yang’s previous social relationships without causing a great feud between the Zhang and Yang families?
She tried to broaden her perspective.
The Zhang family’s only concern now was the inner court.
The Directorate of Ceremonial where Deng Ying resided could serve as a shelter at this time.
But in the Ming Dynasty, was there a place where women could find refuge where the Zhang family wouldn’t dare touch them, where they wouldn’t need to be bound by marriage in the future, and where they could seek a way to live?
She suddenly thought of Yang Jin.
Yang Wan’s sister, Consort Ning.
The advantage of a god’s-eye view was that she could indeed temporarily step back from the complex web of interpersonal relationships and directly grasp the essence of various social mechanisms in this era.
“Yin’er, go see if brother has returned from the Ministry.”
Yin’er refused to move, repeatedly saying she dared not.
Just as Yang Wan was about to stand up herself, the ancestral hall door suddenly opened from outside, and Yang Lun strode in, still in his official robes and covered in wind-blown snow.
“Who told you to get up? Kneel.”
His voice wasn’t loud, but anger simmered in his lungs.
Xiao Wen hurriedly followed in from behind, grabbing Yang Lun and saying, “I’ve had her kneeling for a whole day, let it be for now.”
Yang Lun’s eyes were red, and he hadn’t heard what Xiao Wen said at all.
“Kneel.”
“Fine, I’ll kneel.”
Yang Wan struggled to move back and kneel again, “The Zhang family’s Old Madam…”
“You still have the face to ask!”
“Alright, I have no face to ask.”
“…”
Yang Wan ducked her head.
Over these past few days, she had gradually found the rhythm for speaking with Yang Lun.
Taking advantage of Yang Lun’s momentary speechlessness, Xiao Wen crouched down and sheltered Yang Wan behind her, “You promised me that no matter what happened outside today when you returned you wouldn’t get angry and would talk properly with Wan’er.”
Yang Lun gritted his teeth, “Zhang Luo is in the main hall right now, how can I possibly talk properly with her?”
“What?”
Zhang Luo had come personally – this truly surprised Yang Wan, and she couldn’t help but exclaim.
Xiao Wen looked back at Yang Wan, her voice also becoming timid, “Why has he come?”
Yang Lun heaved a deep sigh, walked to the side, and said with a suppressed temper: “The Zhang family’s Old Madam passed away early this morning.”
Xiao Wen froze.
“What…”
Yang Lun looked at Yang Wan, “The news of her death reached the court at the Chen hour. Now even I don’t know what to do to protect you.”
Xiao Wen quickly pulled Yang Wan further behind her and said, “The Zhang family’s Old Madam had been bedridden since April, and by the end of last year, she was probably too ill to recognize people. Her passing now is simply fate – how could it be Wan’er’s fault?”
“Then what can I do!”
Yang Lun demanded of Xiao Wen, “I am a court official. In matters of marriage and propriety, if we follow the word ‘propriety,’ how could such things happen? Now, I’m also trapped in this situation and can barely think about Ministry affairs. Moreover, this isn’t even a matter of finance, military, or state affairs, yet it has caused such enmity between the Yang and Zhang families. I’m not afraid of damage to my official career, I’m afraid that this Northern Judicial Commissioner will let private hatred spill into public matters. If he gets the chance to catch me, you, Mother, and this foolish girl who doesn’t know life from death – we’ll all be trampled into the mud by others for the rest of our lives.”