Chapter 400

Yin Song sat in a chair in the courtyard, holding a cup of hot tea, his gaze sliding from the women in the kitchen—Sister Hong Yan and Xiao Hong—then turning to Hu Jing across the window, "So, Master Hu, you're now being hunted by Japanese pirates, the Wu Lin Alliance, and bandits—and the Embroidered Uniform Guard too?"

Pan Yun corrected him: "It's pursuit!"

Yin Song didn't care; he asked directly, "Then what about the treasure map? Does it actually exist?"

Since they were family, Pan Yun didn't hide it: "It's real."

Yin Song said, "Hand it over to the imperial court."

He added, "It's the people's blood and sweat—it belongs in the state treasury."

Pan Yun said, "The map is with Fourth Sister. Ask Second Brother to get it from her."

Yin Song smoothly replied, "Technically, it should be handed to the court, but since Japanese pirates are smuggling broadswords in Quanzhou, even if we find the treasure, we'll never recover it for the treasury. It's better left with Fourth Sister—given her character, she'll take from the people and use it for the people."

"So you mean if it were me, I'd take from the people and use it for myself?"

Yin Song: "... That's not what I meant."

"I knew you didn't mean that. Brother, do you have to go to the palace every day now? Can you see the Emperor?"

Yin Song knew her identity and didn't want to answer, but he'd just offended someone and couldn't save face—he could only say, "Occasionally."

As he conceded, he silently chanted his Daoist mantra: Emotions—indeed, no one escapes them. Clearly, my cultivation is still far from complete.

Pan Yun: "Does the Emperor ever leave the palace?"

Yin Song looked at her with a distant gaze: "Occasionally."

He cut in before she could speak: "But trying to meet him outside the palace is as hard as finding a single fish in the ocean."

Pan Yun: "Who said I want to meet him by chance? Can't I wait by the stump for the rabbit?"

Yin Song: "What if the rabbit doesn't come?"

Pan Yun: "If he doesn't come, I'll lure him."

Yin Song knew she'd bring this up—he sighed.

After a moment's thought, he said, "Little Sister, the young Emperor shares one trait with you: he was raised in endless favor and indulgence, so like you, he's confident."

"But unlike you, he's more favored, more confident, and holds far greater power—and far greater ambition."

Yin Song said bluntly, "Do you think he doesn't know about Xue Xuan's injustice? That he doesn't know your father was wronged? That he doesn't know the five men executed were innocent?"

"He simply made a rash judgment and, too proud to admit fault, lets court politics—where one thread pulls the whole fabric—keep him silent. Do you think he'll lower his imperial dignity to apologize? Or punish Wang Zhen, the man he sees as his foster father, his Mr.?"

He stared at Pan Yun: "In this case, who is truly guilty—Wang Shan, Chen Fulin, or Wang Wen and Wang Zhen?"

Pan Yun fixed her gaze on Yin Song, then said slowly: "The Emperor and Censorate official Wang Wen are the guilty ones. Wang Zhen is merely an accomplice. All the ministers who sat idle while this happened are enablers."

Yin Song's lips curled slightly—he knew his Mount Sanqing disciple would never see Wang Zhen and his kind as the true culprits.

The root of this matter lies in the struggle between the Emperor and the Censorate and the Court of Judicial Review.

No—it's the struggle between the Emperor and the civil officials. Only Xue Xuan and Pan Hong, two men who took their duties seriously, became collateral damage.

Yin Song: "If you believe this, how will you act when you meet the Emperor?"

Pan Yun pulled at her mouth: "Are you afraid I'll lose my temper and curse him? Don't worry—I know a lowly Daoist priest has no power to shake him into repentance."

"I'm not a blunt-mouthed censor, nor a scholar seeking eternal fame. I can endure. I'm willing to endure—as long as my father and brother return to the capital."

Yin Song: "There are many ways to get them back—you chose the hardest."

He said, "Forget distant options: if you hand over the Japanese pirates' treasure map now, I'm eight-tenths certain the Emperor will pardon Pan Hong and restore them to their posts."

Pan Yun: "What about the five innocent civilians who died wrongfully?"

"See? You still want to clear their names. You still want the Emperor and Wang Zhen to admit fault. You're choosing the hardest path."

Yin Song set down his tea cup, gripped his waist, and rose slowly: "You talk so nobly about endurance, yet your temper is just like your father's—you can't tolerate a speck of dust."

"You say all you want is your father and brother back, yet once they're safe, your first thought is those five dead innocents." Yin Song sighed. "Those who admit fault are gentle and magnanimous—few exist in this world. Otherwise, how could Confucius's saying 'To recognize and correct one's mistake is the greatest virtue' become a timeless truth?"

"We both struggle to do this—how much harder for a sovereign?"

Pan Yun fell silent.

Wang Cong glanced at her, then helped Yin Song to the guest room to visit Hu Jing.

Hu Jing leaned against the bed, pushed himself up with one hand, and bowed: "Master Yin."

Yin Song returned the bow: "Our home is humble—forgive the discomfort, Master Hu."

Hu Jing: "Must we speak so formally? Master Yin, I'm a man of the Jianghu. I deal with officials often, but I'm not of the court."

Yin Song changed his tone: "If anything troubles you, just say it. I'll change what I can; if I can't, you'll have to adapt."

"Fair enough. Jianghu folk don't fuss over trifles—I need only a roof over my head." He pointed out the window at Pan Yun, lost in thought in the courtyard: "What's wrong with Master Pan?"

Yin Song: "Don't worry about her. She's thinking. When she figures it out, she'll be fine."

Hu Jing hesitated: "Her complexion doesn't look good. Master Yin, though Master Pan is experienced, she's still young. Youth makes mistakes—it's normal."

Yin Song blinked: "What mistake did she make?"

Hu Jing: "... Don't you think robbing the Wan Chun Pavilion was wrong?"

Wang Cong, supporting Yin Song, froze. Yin Song turned to him: "Cong'er, what's this about robbing the Wan Chun Pavilion?"

Pan Yun only told him about Sister Hong Yan, Xiao Hong, and Hu Jing's origins—what does the Wan Chun Pavilion have to do with it?

"Wait—Wan Chun Pavilion? That name gives me a bad feeling."

Hu Jing also looked at Wang Cong: "You two chatted nearly half an hour—and you didn't mention the Wan Chun Pavilion? Before we met, how many troubles did you cause?"

Wang Cong:... Why does everyone ask me?

Wang Cong: "Could it be we spent half an hour talking about the Quanzhou naval battle and you, Master Hu?"

"What's there to say about the Quanzhou naval battle and me?"

Yin Song cut them off: "Tell me—what happened with the Wan Chun Pavilion?"

Wang Cong rubbed his nose, then, under Yin Song's stare, confessed: "Master, we met Wan Chun Pavilion colluding with human traffickers in Jinan Prefecture. Little Auntie couldn't stand it, rescued the captives, and then robbed the place."

"Was it discovered?"

"No, even the Brocaded Guards couldn't find anything."

Yin Song was relieved, and called out to Hu Jing: "Hu Daxia, rest assured, I'll definitely have them sweep the trail clean, absolutely won't let the authorities find out."

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Hu Jing: "... I didn't expect, Daoist Yin is even more open-minded than me."

Yin Song: "Let nature take its course, let nature take its course, as long as one's conscience is clear, otherwise clinging thoughts will breed inner demons, not worth it, not worth it."

"Right, as long as one's conscience is clear, Second Senior Brother, I've decided!"

Pan Yun stood at the doorway and shouted at him: "I want to see the little Emperor!"

Yin Song:... If he could, he'd be willing to turn back time to ten breaths ago and swallow back the words he'd just said.

Pan Yun fixed him with a bright, intent gaze and asked: "Second Senior Brother, can you arrange it?"

Yin Song: "Go off to one side, don't come disturb me and Hu Daxia bonding."

"Alright, I'll go prepare tea and refreshments for you two."

Yin Qingjun was bonding with his junior brothers and sisters, but his gaze kept watching them.

Seeing Pan Yun head into the kitchen to carry tea, he immediately stepped forward: "Little Xiao Shishu, let me handle this."

Pan Yun: "From now on you can handle it, today let me show off a bit first."

Pan Yun showed off for half the evening, and even considerately helped Yin Song back to his room to sleep, pulled the blanket up to his neck, and tucked the corners in.

Yin Song felt as though he was seeing his eldest senior brother.

When he was little, his eldest senior brother had taken care of him just like this.

Yin Song's heart went utterly soft, and he had to relent: "Have you thought about how you'll persuade the Emperor once you see him?"

Pan Yun humbly sought advice: "Second Senior Brother, you're familiar with the little Emperor, what do you think I should do to persuade him?"

Yin Song said: "The Emperor is a sentimental person, he's filial, values loyalty and righteousness. You seeking justice for your father and brothers — that's filial piety; you pleading the case for those five — that's righteousness."

Pan Yun fell into thought.

"If you start cursing him, I'd advise you to give up on seeing him right away, otherwise, even if he can't out-curse you, he'll take it out on your father and brothers," Yin Song said earnestly: "Since you said you'd endure, then endure properly. Only move him with emotion, don't try to reason with him."

Pan Yun nodded: "Understood, he's not someone you can reason with."

Yin Song smiled and said: "He's not as bad as you think either. Once you meet him you'll know, he's actually a very good person."

Pan Yun: "When can I see him?"

Yin Song lowered his eyes, thought for a moment, then said: "The second of February is almost here, around Dragon-Raising there's an opportunity."

He said: "The Emperor in the palace actually often makes incognito visits. I can only lure him out once, after that whether you can lure him out again depends on your own ability."

Since the plan was to move him with emotion, it couldn't be achieved in a single meeting — it would necessarily require building rapport first. So Yin Song told Pan Yun to be mentally prepared.

Pan Yun said she understood.

She tucked Yin Song's blanket in again, and said softly: "Second Senior Brother, rest assured, I can endure. I'll definitely treat him like a good friend."

Yin Song: "Write the word 'endure' a hundred times first, and keep it firmly in your heart before you say anything else."

Pan Yun agreed, and once back in her room spread out paper, ink, brush, and inkstone to practice the character "忍."

She'd said she'd "endure," but once the brush moved, the strokes were sharp as blades, scrawled and brimming with killing intent; the paper was slashed through by the ink, staining the felt mat.

By the time Pan Yun gradually calmed herself down and barely managed to write the character "忍" presentably, she looked up and the gauze window was already faintly bright.

She froze, then walked to the window with brush in hand, pushed it open, and looked outside.

She saw the black of night fading, and looking up could already make out the pale clouds and pale blue sky in midair.

She'd practiced the whole night.

Pan Yun murmured: "So my anger runs this deep? Sinful, sinful. I need to seriously practice this '忍' character — can't break my word to Second Senior Brother."

Drank a little wine today, utterly exhausted, so taking one chapter off

(End of Chapter)