Chapter 1016: Teaching the Emperor

After breakfast, Pan Yun followed Zhu Qiyu into the Imperial Study.

The Imperial Study was where the Emperor conducted official business; the center held space for receiving ministers.

After dismissing the others, Pan Yun showed the Emperor a portion of the assets seized.

Cheng Jing remained in the room—oh, in a place Pan Yun couldn't see, two hidden guards lay concealed within the Imperial Study.

Thus, all four in the room were momentarily blinded by the glitter of gold and jewels.

The Emperor reached out to touch the golden Buddha, seated in meditation and half a man's height, and pushed—it wouldn't budge.

Pan Yun drifted over quietly and said, "I poked it. It's solid gold. Xue Shao weighed it—exactly two hundred jin, not a liang more, not a liang less."

The Emperor's hand trembled slightly: "Solid gold?"

"Solid gold."

The Emperor, ruler of all under heaven, looked at the Buddha with new eyes—normally, such a large, heavy Buddha should be only gilded, not solid.

Yet it's solid.

Two hundred jin of gold—how many taels of silver is that? How many things could it accomplish?

Pan Yun said, "Xue Shao and An Chen say this isn't valuable at all. Gold and silver are the least valuable items in that entire pile."

The Emperor's breath quickened: "Minister Xue, how much money is needed to settle the Guangdong military households?"

"Your Majesty need not worry. As long as the funds are used properly, at least sixty percent of these seized assets can return to the state treasury—enough for the imperial court to accomplish much."

The Emperor paced angrily: "This is outrageous! If we seized all such corrupt military nobles, the treasury would overflow! Clearly, we must, as Minister Yu suggested, curb their power before corruption becomes endemic."

Pan Yun shook her head: "Your Majesty, civil officials steal no less than military nobles. Combating corruption must target all officials, not just one faction. I advise against giving the Ministry of War control over military farmland grain."

The Emperor paused, surprised—he had assumed Pan Yun would support it. "Why? Don't you also resent how they oppress military households? With the Ministry of War managing it uniformly, local commanders and thousand-household offices would have less power to oppress them, and it would be far harder for them to get away with it—more likely to be caught."

Pan Yun said only one thing: "The responsibility and authority over military garrisons belongs to the Five Military Directorates."

The Emperor frowned slightly, still thinking, when Pan Yun brought up her main purpose for returning: "Your Majesty, though you've never been taught by a wise ruler, you are intelligent. Do you remember what I once told you? To be a good emperor, you need only grasp three essential points."

Zhu Qiyu: "Put the people first, listen widely to be enlightened, and hold military power?"

Pan Yun nodded: "The people represent the interests of the vast majority. If Your Majesty puts them first, you gain their hearts. Listening widely reduces poor decisions. Governing isn't about doing the most correct things—it's about doing the fewest wrong ones. Fewer mistakes mean the Dao flows naturally, hearts turn toward light, and the realm naturally moves toward clarity. Holding military power ensures you can enforce the first two. Remember: no matter how complex things seem, at root, they are collisions of power."

Zhu Qiyu opened his mouth wide, then said slowly: "But… but you said he who wins the people's hearts wins the realm…"

Pan Yun: "Do you know how many military households there are in the Great Ming today? Your Majesty, if you don't win their hearts, will these military households obey your orders? Are they still your army? Are they still your strength?"

Zhu Qiyu fell silent.

"So power and the people's hearts are never opposed—they move in the same direction. The more you win the people's hearts, the more stable your military power becomes, the stronger your strength grows."

Zhu Qiyu nodded, understanding: "But how does this relate to my choice of the new Guangdong Commandant?"

"Of course it relates," Pan Yun said. "For the new Guangdong Commandant, you may ask the Grand Secretariat, the Minister of War, the Minister of Personnel—even any minor official in court, or even a palace maid sweeping floors. But you must not ask only me."

"Only?"

"Yes," Pan Yun said solemnly. "I have indeed cultivated to a high level and can glimpse the patterns of Heaven. But I am neither god nor immortal. Even immortals have limits. How can Your Majesty be certain the answer I give is correct?"

Zhu Qiyu: "... National Teacher, you're too honest. As National Teacher, shouldn't you do everything to make me believe you—even if you're wrong, shouldn't you make me believe you're right?"

Pan Yun shook her head: "Your Majesty, I wish for you to become a wise ruler, not a foolish one. Even gods make mistakes—how can a human avoid all error?"

"Making mistakes isn't scary—what's scary is refusing to admit them, clinging to face and interest, repeating errors until they become irreversible," Pan Yun said. "Look back at history: which wise ruler never made mistakes? But when they erred, they admitted it—and corrected it."

Zhu Qiyu pondered.

"So, Your Majesty, if anyone ever insists before you that they never make mistakes, that person is a treacherous minister—include me in that warning. When you meet such a person, distance yourself."

Zhu Qiyu nodded seriously.

Pan Yun, satisfied, continued: "Even if what I say is correct, as ruler, you must not ask only me. Since you must listen widely, you must seek opinions from many."

"The Guangdong Commandant is a second-rank official. Whomever you ask, they will feel honored by Your Majesty's attention—and more willing to offer counsel."

Zhu Qiyu perked up, eyes bright as he fixed them on Pan Yun: "Then, National Teacher, do you have such a feeling?"

No, she only felt her workload increasing. With the new emperor ascended and the state running normally, she only needed to occasionally advise him while focusing on her own cultivation and trials.

But under Zhu Qiyu's hopeful gaze, Pan Yun pulled at her lips: "Yes—but soon, I felt concern. Your Majesty, from now on, you must consult court ministers more often. Besides the Grand Secretariat and ministers of the departments, you may also consult the Hanlin Academy scholars—they are all Metropolitan Graduate, some elderly and steady, some young but undimmed in ambition. Listen widely to be enlightened. Listen widely to be enlightened."

The Hanlin Academy held so many scholars, who had passed county, provincial, metropolitan, and palace examinations—five trials, six battles. Not using them would be a waste.

Zhu Qiyu, fired up by Pan Yun's words, said: "National Teacher is right—I thought too little. Some state affairs can indeed be submitted for ministerial opinion. Then, National Teacher, what do you think of Yu Qian's proposed candidates?"

Why was he still asking her?

Pan Yun said: "I know nothing about these individuals. Why not ask others for their opinions?"

Zhu Qiyu: "National Teacher, you truly have no opinion at all?"

Pan Yun rubbed her forehead: "Your Majesty, ask others again. Once you've settled on a true candidate, I will cast a divination for them."

Zhu Qiyu thought to himself: So Yu Qian's proposed candidates aren't very suitable? (End of chapter)