Chapter 2, The Injured Crane and the Hibiscus (2)

Although Deng Ying himself did not harbor enmity towards others in the past, the current situation can truly be described as bleak

However, as the eldest son of Deng Yi, Deng Ying was still imprisoned. The three departments of the court found it quite difficult to determine his punishment. The imperial city had not yet been completed, and at this time, Zhang Chunzhang, who was initially in charge of the matter, was already old and senile, unable to fulfill his duties. Deng Ying was Zhang Chunzhang's only student and had passed the imperial examination in the same year as Yang Lun, the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. He was one of the few practical officials among the younger generation, not only well-versed in poetry and literature but also proficient in the study of the I Ching and engineering. If he were to be executed alongside other men of the Deng clan, the Ministry of Works would indeed struggle to find someone of his caliber to replace him. Thus, the three departments and the Bureau of Rites repeatedly debated his case but were unable to reach a decision on how to handle him.

As she spoke, she began to feel tired. She turned towards the wall, hugging her knees and curling up like the others.

The people in the warehouse, seeing that Deng Ying and Yang Wan did not act as they had imagined, gradually lost their patience. As the weather turned cold and fatigue set in, they soon lay down and curled up into a ball.

After speaking, there was truly no further inquiry, they wiped their hands clean and strode out with the person in tow

Yang Wan waited until the footsteps faded away before emerging from behind the haystack. She cautiously leaned over the windowsill to observe, when suddenly she heard the sound of the door locking behind her. She couldn't help but roll her eyes, her expression falling, and she self-deprecatingly remarked, "Oh dear, it seems I won't be going out tonight"

Hey ... ...

Yang Wan rolled up her sleeves directly after finishing her words

Deng Ying lowered her head to look at the injury on her ankle, which was almost bone-deep, and her Adam's apple moved slightly

Your Majesty executed the entire Deng family due to being deceived by Deng Yi for many years. Upon realizing the truth, the accumulated anger led to your wrath. However, the imperial city is the royal residence, and its construction is vital to the foundation of the nation; it cannot be neglected. To alleviate Your Majesty's anger, apart from the death penalty...

How is it?

Yang Wan saw him making a move and quickly took a step back again

According to Li Shan's statement in the book "The Picture", after tonight, this man will no longer be a man

He is not wrong in what he said

Along with this sentence, the first snowfall of the twelfth year of Zhenning also fell.

They simply do not know how to deal with this seemingly innocuous treacherous person

It is difficult to determine whether this method is malicious or benevolent; it provided Deng Ying with a way out while simultaneously bringing an end to his originally upright life. This is why Yang Wan wrote at the beginning of "The Biography of Deng Ying": It is hard to say whether Deng Ying's life ended in this year or began in this year

Deng Ying cleared his throat, sounding somewhat deliberate. However, after interrupting Yang Wan's words, he did not make any further response, instead retracting his previously 'offensive' gestures. He no longer looked at Yang Wan, bent down to pick up the herbs on the ground, and casually placed them on his knee.

Take this bag up

He repeatedly drafted the proposal for the three departments, yet it remained a mere draft, and he chuckled as he said, "Isn't there still a punishment of degradation?"

Deng Ying remained still

However, Yang Wan felt that Deng Ying's hands were not particularly beautiful. The skin on her hands was somewhat rough due to years of contact with wood, bricks, and tiles, but the bones were well-defined, and the veins were just right. They did not appear particularly hideous, yet they were also different from those of a young person. On the back of her hand, there was a small, light red old scar shaped like a crescent moon

It is of no use for you to look at me

After hearing this statement, Deng Ying gently squeezed her hand on the ground, causing Yang Wan to instantly feel awkward to the point of shutting down.

Cough

The eunuchs in the storeroom trembled and buried their heads, not daring to speak. A few of those sitting beside Deng Ying were so afraid of being stared at by Li Shan that they quietly moved to sit elsewhere.

Yang Wan's arm had become somewhat sore from being raised. She bent down to rest her hand on the ground and looked up at Deng Ying, "Actually, you are quite a good person. In this situation, you even made me a pillow. I am not a bad person either. If you don't want to talk to me, that's fine, but don't make things difficult for yourself. You wouldn't want to be unable to leave in the future, would you"

His former close friends remain silent about his plight, while those who harbor enmity towards the Deng family are eager to take advantage of his misfortune

So, should something happen tonight

If she were merely an observer, Yang Wan would likely sit down and conduct a thorough analysis of this extreme environment from both literary and sociological perspectives. However, at this moment, she is feeling quite unsettled under the gaze of those around her. She is still unaware of whose body she currently inhabits, nor does she know if the original owner of this body had someone they cared for. Although Yang Wan believes she is merely a consciousness from the 21st century, having crossed over with the purpose of observing history and recording events related to Deng Ying, since she has already entered someone else's body, it seems she has a responsibility to protect the body that supports her consciousness.

Yang Wan sat opposite Deng Ying, waiting for Deng Ying to close his eyes before carefully scooting closer to him and lying down with her head resting on a grass pillow. At this moment, the only sounds in the storeroom were the snoring and the occasional rustle of movement. Once settled, Yang Wan took out a booklet from her sleeve, opened it under the faint light from the window, rested her finger under her chin, and softly murmured to herself, "Tomorrow will be the thirteenth day of the first month in the twelfth year of Zhenning... The records in the 'Ming History' state it is in March, so there seems to be a discrepancy in the timeline..." The only sounds in the storeroom were the snoring and the occasional rustle of movement. Once settled, Yang Wan took out a booklet from her sleeve, opened it under the faint light from the window, rested her finger under her chin, and softly murmured to herself, "Tomorrow will be the thirteenth day of the first month in the twelfth year of Zhenning... The records in the 'Ming History' state it is in March, so there seems to be a discrepancy in the timeline..."

Yang Wan seemed to see something and said somewhat dazedly: "If this body were my own..."

It seems she fell asleep before finishing her words

After Zhang Chunzhan's death, this person was considered the pinnacle of engineering during the early years of the Ming Dynasty

She is from Sichuan and usually has a tendency to stutter when she is nervous while speaking

Deng Ying shook her head behind Yang Wan

Not wanting her to finish this sentence, the gazes of the people around her towards her and Deng Ying suddenly became particularly complicated

At this moment, Li Shan could no longer meet Deng Ying's gaze. He walked to his side, unconsciously blowing on the dry skin of his fingers, and continued, "Although I also feel that it is a bit regrettable for you to end up in this situation, your father is indeed guilty of heinous crimes. As for you, you are like a legless rat on the street; whoever encounters you will be unlucky. No one dares to sympathize with you, so you might as well accept it. Consider it as bearing the sins for your father, fulfilling a bit of filial duty, and accumulating some merit for him."

To say that he felt pity for Deng Ying, it seems he does not possess such a soft heart. However, to say he harbored hatred, there is no suitable reason for that. After all, during the three years when Deng Yi was corrupt and monopolizing power in the cabinet, and ruthlessly eliminating officials, Deng Ying took over from his own teacher, Zhang Chunzhang, and was deeply involved in overseeing the design and construction of the three main halls of the imperial city. Just a moment before the Ministry of Justice was ordered to arrest him, he was still on the roof of the Shouhuang Hall, correcting the eaves with the craftsmen.

Deng Ying nodded

What about your leg

He still declined with silence

After Li Shan finished speaking, he thought of that ingot of silver and looked at Deng Ying's injuries, feeling that he was also pitiable. He coughed a few times and was about to say something to ease the situation when he suddenly noticed a large pile of herbs beside Deng Ying's leg. Upon closer inspection, they looked very familiar.

Take it

Li Shan glanced around at the pale-faced individuals, discarded the herbs, stood up, and clapped his hands while looking at Deng Ying. For some reason, he suddenly burst into laughter, saying, "It seems I was mistaken; there are indeed people thinking of you." As he spoke, he kicked at the pile of herbs and continued, "They are stealing the medicinal materials from my courtyard to treat your injuries."

Yang Wan turned around in surprise to look at the people in the warehouse, then lowered her head to glance at Deng Ying. Suddenly recalling Li Shan's earlier words, she immediately came to a realization

Historically, his leg ailment was caused during this period, yet even though Yang Wan was aware of this and attempted to help him alter this small aspect of his fate, she still found it impossible. However, she was not disheartened; she wiped her hands clean on her sleeve and, in good spirits, relinquished her efforts to persuade Deng Ying.

In the end, it was He Yixian, the chief eunuch of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, who proposed a solution

From the time of being released from prison to being escorted to Nanhai Zi, it has been over a month. In this period, only Yang Lun secretly slipped a tael of silver to Li Shan, asking him to keep an eye on Deng Ying.

Deng Ying, I heard that you have never been married before, so do you... have a woman of your own

Yang Wan observed him using the medicinal herbs she had brought to fashion a草枕 (herbal pillow), and only then did she realize that she had been overthinking. From their interactions over the past few days, it was clear that Deng Ying was a man of integrity, while she felt like a woman of questionable morals, constantly wanting to touch Deng Ying. This thought made her feel somewhat pretentious, and she awkwardly reached up to scratch her head.

After calming down, I shifted slightly to the side and sat on the ground without hay, reached out to place the grass pillow beside me, straightened my back, and clasped my hands together again. Yang Wan squatted beside Deng Ying, hugging her knees, and asked, "Is this for me?"

At this moment, there are three types of people in the room: a man, a woman, and a group of eunuchs

What are you doing? It should be pronounced as "gan ma" with the second tone!

In an era where puns are penalized, this can be considered the last remaining bit of contrast charm within her meticulously crafted doctor’s degree persona. However, the people present, including Deng Ying, still do not understand such a good thing

Since being imprisoned, he has remained silent, partly out of fear that speaking might bring disaster to others, and partly because he needs a quiet environment to process the harsh reality of his father's execution and the fate of the Manchu people facing death. Over time, he has come to accept his situation, as described by Li Shan, akin to a street rat with a broken leg, reviled by everyone. Thus, he has become unaccustomed to others inquiring about his well-being or ailments.

Deng Ying still had a slight cough, raising her wrist to press against her chest, clearly holding back.

It would be one thing if Deng Ying had died, but being alive instead serves as a political symbol, with her life continuously used by the court to test the sentiments and positions of the people

I mean ... ...

Seeing Deng Ying not responding, she turned around and took off the hairband from behind her head

Deng Ying glanced at the jade pendant she used for grinding medicine, made of high-quality hibiscus jade, which ordinary families could never possess; yet she had two of them tied around her waist

As he spoke, he turned around and pointed at the eunuchs in the storeroom, "Among you people, there are those who are not afraid of death. I, Lord Li, respect your courage, but these herbs will not be pursued today. If I find out about this again, do not even think about leaving this place."

Thus, even when it comes to tasks such as tying grass into knots with one's hands, it is done with skill and precision

Little did she know, she softly murmured in her dream: "After all... Yang Wan's life is just for the sake of Deng Ying..."

Deng Ying did not fully understand this statement, which seemed illogical to him. After waiting for a while without hearing her follow-up, he simply closed his eyes.

Therefore, regardless of how the settlement is conducted, the crimes of Deng Ying and her father have no relevance.

What are you doing at this moment

Li Shan picked up a handful of something while squatting down, asking, "Which castrated rat brought this here?"

Deng Ying looked at her somewhat anxious face and propped herself up with her hands to sit up straight.

Of course, Li Shan and these individuals do not possess Yang Wan's god-like perspective

After Li Shan finished speaking, he suddenly realized that Deng Ying was looking at him, and he was momentarily taken aback, finding it difficult to articulate the feelings evoked by the gaze of those eyes

Let it be this way, I will not touch you, I will just help you crush the herbs, and you can apply them yourself

Thus, she fell into a seemingly normal logical loop, conjuring up a great deal of inner drama, and involuntarily covered her chest, completely forgetting that the man before her was one she was not allowed to touch

For Yang Wan, the significance of this matter is neither too great nor too small