Consort Ning said: “Alright… then Sister won’t delay you. To attend to your duties. Sister will return to Chengqian Palace.”
Yang Wan stepped aside to see her off, only straightening up to continue toward the Department of Imperial Ceremonies after she had turned the corner of Xian’an Palace’s wall.
At this time, only the Reception and Ceremonial female officials and several female attendants were in the Department of Imperial Ceremonies. Neither Senior Official Jiang nor the Registry female official were present.
“Where are Senior Official Jiang and the others?”
The Ceremonial female official looked up and replied: “Registry Official Hu went to check the archives, as for the Senior Official… she should be at the Department of Palace Attendance. We made pickled vegetables today, and whenever we make them, she always personally delivers several jars to the Old Patriarch. The Old Patriarch’s teeth aren’t good and can’t handle much else, but he especially enjoys those. Why don’t you sit and wait a while?”
This wasn’t the first time Yang Wan had heard these female officials’ reverence for He Yixian in their words.
With some free time today, she sat down and commented: “The Senior Official is so good to the Old Patriarch.”
The two female officials exchanged smiles.
“The Old Patriarch’s kindness to all of us is beyond words. When we first entered the palace, we were all like headless flies running around. If not for the Old Patriarch’s grace, who knows how many punishments we would have faced. When the Senior Official first entered the palace, her mother passed away, and her father refused to provide money for the burial. When the Old Patriarch heard about this, he gave ten taels of silver to Hu Xiang and personally helped with the funeral arrangements. That’s when the Senior Official accepted the Old Patriarch as her godfather.”
Yang Wan said: “I never understood before why someone like the Senior Official would show such reverence to the Department of Palace Attendance. Now I know there was such a reason.”
The Ceremonial female official set aside her documents. “We all entered the palace as female officials with our hardships. Compared to us, those palace servants are even more pitiful. Every level of master either beats or scolds them. If not for the Old Patriarch’s protection, both open and subtle, who knows how many would have died miserably.”
She finished speaking and looked toward the Reception female official: “That’s why we were all so surprised when Supervisor Deng was caned at the Department of Palace Attendance. Though the Old Patriarch does punish those beneath him, it’s usually all thunder and no rain, just meant to frighten. To beat someone that severely, this was truly the first time.”
The Reception official continued: “He must have done something to break the rules to receive such punishment. The Old Patriarch treats us like his own children as long as those beneath him don’t break his rules. But if you break his rules, he shows no mercy. Supervisor Deng… was too ambitious. Don’t you agree, how could the position of Eastern Investigation Bureau be something he should occupy?”
Yang Wan listened quietly to their conversation without speaking.
The Ceremonial female official noticed her silent lowered head and felt they had spoken too freely in front of her, so she patted Yang Wan’s shoulder.
“We’re not deliberately saying these things in front of you. We tell you this hoping you can advise Supervisor Deng. When you have protection above, that is your heaven. Why try to lift heaven? When heaven falls and crushes someone, they bring the suffering upon themselves, don’t you agree?”
After hearing this, Yang Wan found it difficult to even nod in pretense.
This was undoubtedly the way of interaction that He Yixian and all the palace servants had developed over long-term compromise. Like a twisted parent-child relationship, using “favors” to force “children” to kneel in submission. But such behavior, in that era’s inner palace, had gained the approval of almost everyone, including Senior Official Jiang. What distressed Yang Wan more was that they viewed Deng Ying as an anomaly, believing his punishment was deserved.
“I think Deng Ying is quite good.”
She couldn’t help but say this.
The Reception female official sighed: “That’s because he’s good to you, that’s why you say this. But Yang Wan, if you truly want to protect him, you shouldn’t say such things. If he truly makes a mistake before His Majesty in the future and the Old Patriarch doesn’t cover for him, he’ll die without a burial place.”
Yang Wan said nothing more.
Actually, from these two female officials’ perspective, their words to Yang Wan were quite sincere. Yang Wan knew deeply that she shouldn’t speak contentiously in this place. But she still refused to bend to curry favor, so she just coughed once, avoided their gaze, and looked up toward the window.
As noon approached, palace servants hurried about their business, like countless ants among the masses of humanity.
She pressed her lips together and sighed, folded her hands on the desk, and bent down to rest.
Over at the Department of Palace Attendance, the hall doors were closed.
When Senior Official Jiang walked to the Mixed Hall Department, she saw someone kneeling outside the main hall of the Department of Palace Attendance.
That person wore the brocade robe of an official from the Eastern Investigation Bureau, back straight and arms hanging down, the sleeves at his knees stirring slightly in the breeze.
Senior Official Jiang passed by him and walked to the main hall entrance. The palace servant at the door hurried forward saying: “Senior Official, you’re here. This servant will go inform the Old Patriarch.”
Senior Official Jiang said: “No need to rush. If the Old Patriarch is in a meeting, I can wait.”
The palace servant bowed and said: “The Old Patriarch knows you’re coming today with pickled vegetables. Others might not be allowed in, but when you come, we must report it. Please wait a moment.”
Senior Official Jiang nodded and asked casually: “What’s wrong with the Supervisor?”
The palace servant glanced behind her, “Oh… how dare this servant speak of it? These are all matters for the Patriarch. You can ask the Old Patriarch when you go in.”
Senior Official Jiang asked no more, taking advantage of the wait to turn and look at Deng Ying.
He had not raised his head at all.
It was just past noon, and many people were coming and going to the Department of Palace Attendance to report matters. When passing by him, some inevitably whispered comments, but he remained silent throughout. Senior Official Jiang glanced toward the palace path where two hundred household officials from the Investigation Bureau stood at a distance, rebuking passing palace servants who gossiped, though their voices too were kept very low.