Chapter One, The Injured Crane and the Hibiscus (I)
Yang Wan sighed inwardly, reflecting on the perfect sense of fragmentation that had been ravaged by punishment; having endured the pain of family ruin and personal loss, yet still bearing the humiliation of a broken life with a dignified and composed demeanor, if he were to be brought back to the modern era, how many young women would have their hearts broken. Yet he remained silent, his expression calm, his demeanor measured, maintaining the initial air of mystery as a subject of study for Yang Wan, all while not losing the refinement of a scholar.
Li Shan and several eunuchs entered the storeroom, continuing the conversation they had just outside as they walked in
Unfortunately, Deng Ying does not allow her to approach.
The sinner's excessive indifference and cleanliness make the young lady appear quite pitiable
However, Yang Wan did not lose heart. She released her grip and sat beside Deng Ying, took out a small booklet from her bosom, casually picked up a straw from the ground, and seriously poked her chin with it, muttering to herself: "The group of people compiling the 'History of Ming' really harbors great malice towards you, writing that you fasted in Nanhai Zi without end, and then begged for food with your tail between your legs. They are determined to ruin your reputation before they are satisfied"
In a single sentence, it was said that everyone present, except for Deng Ying, was touched to the core.
Moreover, they gradually discovered that the young woman's attention was consistently focused on the man who bore a heavy sentence
The person responding showed a look of difficulty, "Zhang Huzi is currently fooling around at the temple outside; just the other day, I saw him looking for someone to help him bathe at Haizi Kou."
Yang Wan squinted in pain, struggling to sit up and take a look at her scraped palm, helplessly blowing a few breaths onto the wound.
Deng Ying raised her head, and Yang Wan slipped in through the corner gate, holding a large stack of herbs. Before she could finish speaking, she directly threw them down in front of him
Li Shan responded impatiently with a sound, glanced at Deng Ying, and let out a cold laugh through his nose
The wind lamp at the entrance casts shadows that are fringed with fine, fuzzy edges
Ah
Yang Wan coughed softly, spitting out the grass root that had choked her. Just as she was about to stand up, her forehead collided with Deng Ying's icy fingers
In the past ten days or so, she would occasionally poke and prod at it.
It was gathered from the small sunbathing area in the courtyard of the eunuch Li
Deng Ying
If you keep rubbing that injury on your ankle, you will see bone. You might end up limping for the rest of your life. As for me, I am not a proper doctor; this herbal remedy was taught to me by my grandmother when I was young, and I am not sure if I remember it all. If you get better, you don't need to thank me; if you don't...
The ground is covered with hay and bran, and any friction against the skin immediately draws blood
Well
Ants besiege the injured crane
Pah
Li Shan spat and said, "Damn it, showing off that he has a soft worm down there! Hurry up and call him back to prepare the knife!"
After she finished speaking, she gently bit the straw and said, "Hmm... then this place should be changed a bit"
The entire Deng family has been exterminated, leaving only this one person. His matters are quite complicated
No, the Ministry of Justice has brought the person here, and we have been guarding him; he has not spoken a word to this day. Is Master Li afraid that he might take his own life?
Her response is either natural or silent
Oh, that person has gone without food for two days now, and at this moment, they must be utterly exhausted; I fear even moving a bit would be difficult for them
The person in the conversation made a grimace, "Lord Li, is this still the intention of the Ministry of Justice?"
Just as she had previously devoted all her patience to the original texts, Yang Wan felt that her temper was so good at this moment that even she found it somewhat unreal
The old man lowered his voice and shrank back half an inch into the corner, "Stealing... stealing, indeed."
Li Shan stood firmly in front of Deng Ying, casting a disdainful glance at him, "Alright, if you delay for another day, you will face punishment."
Yang Wan couldn't help but laugh after hearing this, "Ha, he doesn't know how much he can talk. He will be able to infuriate a lot of people in the future"
Neither a wife nor a concubine, yet eagerly trying to ingratiate oneself with a sinner who is about to be cut off from his lineage.
The place they are in is the granary of Nanhai Zi, which is usually used to store grain and meat prepared for supply to the palace. However, at this moment, the granary is almost empty, with only a few pieces of dried meat hanging forlornly from the ceiling.
Yang Wan lay on the ground and rolled her eyes. She straightened up, casually sat cross-legged in front of him, calmly tidied her disheveled hair, spread her hands, and tried to make her voice sound as sincere as possible, "Come on, let me be honest with you, I just want to apply some medicine for you. You should also be open with me; it has been half a month already, what will it take for you to let me touch you?"
The old man did not dare to ask and retorted, "Where did these herbs come from, young lady?"
Should we also cut off his water and food for a few days
It has been half a month, yet she still has not been able to adapt to this body
"Master Li, this is to leave the door open for them to relieve themselves at night"
Yang Wan quickly crouched down beside Deng Ying
The weather is too dry and cold, making it inevitable for even the most fastidious individuals to suffer from chapped hands. Li Shan took off his hand cover, received a piece of hand cream, and while applying it, asked the guard at the door, "Why haven't you locked the door?"
The people in the warehouse remained silent, clearly indicating that it was not their first time meeting Yang Wan
Someone was sighing for her, when suddenly footsteps approached the door. Yang Wan quickly put away the booklet upon hearing the sound, stood up, and nimbly shrank behind a clump of grass.
Yang Wan handed a handful of herbs to the old man, saying, "Old man, I see you have an injury on your hand as well. Take this, crush it, and apply it; it will be beneficial."
She spoke as she got up to brush off the grass ash from her body, carefully piling the herbs on the ground next to Deng Ying's feet
Seven or eight individuals clad in felt cloaks approached, holding wind lanterns against the gusts. The person leading the group was Li Shan, the chief eunuch of the Bureau of Imperial Gardens.
This is not ... ... Oh my ... ...
Li Shan rubbed his wrist and said, "Where is that person?"
I can't believe it
This is also the best humiliation before the execution.
After casting a uniform glance at her, they each retreated to their corners
She winked at Deng Ying and said, "In the future, when you have money, pay Li Shan back yourself."
The old man listened to her bright voice and laughed, "You, young lady, truly have a way with words."
The poor autumn harvest led the Court of Imperial Sacrifices to convert this place into a temporary detention camp. The warehouse was inhabited entirely by stateless eunuchs. In the early years of the Zhengning era, the court prohibited the unauthorized castration of males and imposed severe penalties on those who self-castrated to evade corvée labor and taxes. However, as the royal offspring increased and the affairs of the Twenty-Four Bureau became increasingly complex, the demand for eunuchs grew significantly, rendering the initial prohibition essentially a mere formality.
I do not know whether the person who arranged this did so intentionally
Upon her remark, even Deng Ying opened her eyes
In the twelfth year of Zhengning, during the harsh winter, the snowfall arrived nearly a month later than the previous year. The chill in the air gathered with the biting wind, causing people to hunch their shoulders and bend their backs. Outside the palace walls in the southeast of the capital, within the royal hunting ground of Nanhai Zi, which covers an area of 20,000 square meters, all the residents were eagerly anticipating the first snowfall of the year
The eunuch behind replied, "Two more days."
The old man's eyes were filled with anxiety as he uneasily asked Yang Wan, "Young lady, aren't you afraid of being beaten for stealing from Old Man Li?"
Most of the people in Nanhai Zi have undergone castration, some as young as fifteen or sixteen, while others are older. During the day, they work in Nanhai Zi, and at night they crowd into the warehouses to settle down, each harboring their own hopes as they wait for the officials from the Ceremonial Office and the Twenty-Four Bureau to come and make their selections
She reached out to tug at Deng Ying's pant leg, "If it doesn't go well, don't blame me..."
Yang Wan smiled as she looked into Deng Ying's eyes and casually replied to the elder, "It's all good, I am quick on my feet"
They huddled in groups of three or five in different corners, silently staring at Deng Ying, their emotions mostly complex. Deng Ying pulled his leg, which was restrained by shackles, back a few inches, and the pant leg fell down to barely cover the abrasions on his ankle. A young man, under the gaze of the crowd, tore a piece of cloth from his clothing and tentatively handed it to Deng Ying, timidly saying, "Use this to wrap your ankle."
Deng Ying still did not speak, and there was no sign of vigilance in her eyes, only a hint of confusion
I can stand up by myself now
After speaking, he pressed the back of his neck and said, "Hurry up and settle this, so we can hand the person over to the Court of Rites before the New Year. It would make things less troublesome for us. In this cold weather, carrying such a heavy burden in our hearts is quite uncomfortable. Go tell Zhang the Bearded Man to prepare the knife, as we need to carry out the duties of the Court of Rites. Tell him not to drink for the next couple of days."
A stunning beauty
An older eunuch sitting next to Deng Ying could no longer bear it and spoke up to advise Yang Wan, "Miss, ever since he was brought here, he hasn't uttered a word, perhaps..." He said, pointing to his throat.
The person in front merely fluttered their eyelids
Deng Ying turned her shoulder slightly to the side and looked up out of the window
She fixed her gaze on Deng Ying's face, adjusted her emotions, and called out his name.
Deng Ying leaned against the stone wall, and before him was a large group of people, all similarly dressed in thin clothing.
Deng Ying lowered her head to glance at the booklet spread across her lap, on which were neatly written characters that he could not understand
Li Shan chuckled and said, "It would be better to seek a quick end; our ancestors need not take on this matter. Do you see him as someone who seeks death? If he wanted to die, he would have starved himself to death like Jiang Ming and Guo Ding when he arrived here"
As soon as the words were spoken, a series of sounds of straw being crushed underfoot came from the muddy ground at the entrance
As Deng Ying suddenly pulled her leg to the side while gripping her pant leg, Yang Wan was caught off guard and was forcefully pulled aside by her strength, resulting in a solid fall.
Deng Ying embraced the shackles in her hands, bent down to pull down the hem of her trousers that Yang Wan had lifted halfway, and then rested her hands on her knees, silently closing her eyes
Deng Ying lowered her head to look at the piece of grayish-white rag, and in that moment, she suddenly felt a connection to the plight of these people
As she herself stated, she has suddenly appeared in Nanhai Lake for more than half a month, and no one knows who she is. Initially, people noticed the exquisite embroidery on her robe, which was of considerable value, leading them to speculate that her background was not simple. Most were hesitant to speak to her, fearing trouble. However, after struggling in the lake for over ten days, her clothing was tattered and unrecognizable, hanging in rags and entangled with her disheveled hair. She appeared no different from the unfortunate souls in the lake, which allowed these eunuchs to set aside their reservations towards her.
Li Shan nodded after listening, "Did he say anything?"
Regardless of the era, being praised by others is always a source of happiness
She hurriedly looked up, and the person in front of her remained silently sitting against the wall, their hand stretched out towards her, cleanly open. Shackles bound their wrist, and the thin sleeves of the prison uniform had slipped down to the elbow, revealing a mix of old and new scars on their arm.
After hearing this, Yang Wan couldn't help but turn around and ask Deng Ying, "Have you ever gone on a hunger strike?"
Li Shan was also feeling uneasy in his heart, so he changed the subject and said: "As for this instrument of torture on him, we cannot do anything about it here. Tomorrow morning, you should go to the Ministry of Justice to seek their opinion on whether he should continue to bear this punishment or have it removed."
Deng Ying is the only "man" among these individuals