Chapter 1078

Pan Yun said: "There are too many noble families in Jingcheng; placing the Military Academy here might seal off this newly opened passage within a couple of years. Liaodong is perfect."

Pan Yu snapped back to attention: "Little sister, are you now openly meddling in state affairs? And you even sent Seeing Miao Zhen to meet me—doesn't that make it look like we're colluding? If this gets out, both the Pan family's and your reputations will suffer."

Pan Yun shot him a glare: "Times have changed. Do you know how much chaos erupted after I succeeded in Tribulation Crossing? People carried gold and jewels straight into the Honglu Temple, openly throwing them at Father just to catch a glimpse of me."

Pan Yu: "…"

He asked humbly: "Father's temper…"

"He's stormed into the Imperial Medical Bureau," Pan Yun said. "Before you returned, he'd already submitted his second resignation petition."

Pan Yu was stunned again: "What? Father is resigning from office?"

Pan Yun nodded.

Pan Yu grew uneasy: "Aren't you stopping him?"

"Why should I stop him?" Pan Yun said. "Life is but a few decades long—it's best to follow your heart. If he wishes to remain an official, then staying is good; if he wishes to resign and return home, then resigning and returning home is good."

"What will he do if he resigns and goes back?"

Pan Yun: "Teach."

Her face lit up with a smile: "He's already planned it—he'll open a academy in Changzhou Prefecture and bring Second Uncle along to teach together."

"You—you agreed?"

Pan Yun glanced at him: "He's an adult. Does he need my permission to act?"

Though true, Pan Yu found it hard to adjust; in his memory, his father had always been either an official or a criminal—suddenly becoming a teacher? He couldn't get used to it.

But Pan Hong hadn't considered his son's adjustment. Now both his sons were posted far away—one as a county magistrate, the other as a military commander—while his daughter stayed in Jingcheng, yet he couldn't even see her, and she might slip out of the capital and vanish at any moment.

Most importantly: "Since Yun'er's soul departed her body, I've let go. You're in the military—I can't help you. Your elder brother is naturally disciplined—I can assist him only so much. If so, why not follow your heart and resign, return home?"

He sighed: "Actually, since returning from exile in Datong, I'd already considered resigning. But back then, you two were studying at the Imperial Academy, and Yun'er's future was uncertain…."

But Pan Yu suddenly interrupted him: "What soul departure?"

Pan Hong paused, glancing at his second son: "You didn't know Yun'er's soul departed her body during her cultivation half a month ago?"

Pan Yu fell silent for a moment: "I didn't know."

Pan Hong realized: "Yun'er didn't tell you—probably because she feared you'd worry. Few know of this matter; even the Grand Secretaries in the court may not know. If I weren't Yun'er's father, I wouldn't know either…"

The topic now turned back to half a month ago.

At that time, Pan Yun and the others had entered the city with Prince San of Tie Lianggueti. Miao He and Tao Yan Bai were to follow the prince back to the steppe to handle the smallpox outbreak, so they'd trailed behind him.

Pan Yun and Seeing Miao Zhen had entered the palace: by day handling worldly affairs, by night sitting in meditation and cultivating.

The prince had finally realized that the people who'd followed them all the way were none other than the State Preceptor of Great Ming.