Chapter 407: Chance Encounter

Yin Song encountered the Emperor again in the palace, this being the third day of the second month.

Yesterday, the Emperor had just finished the Dragon Head Plowing Ceremony and was utterly exhausted.

He still loved to play in the fields, but following a group of elderly ministers through such an elaborate plowing ritual was tiring.

Even though young people are full of energy, he now had little spirit or vigor.

Yin Song smiled and said, "Your Majesty is drained of mental energy—you should rest quietly."

The Emperor: "Spring brings many affairs; I wish to rest, but where can I find peace?"

"Your Majesty, sharpening the axe doesn't delay chopping wood. If your mind is not still, it takes three days to do what should be done in one—yourself suffer, your ministers suffer, those around you suffer. Why not spare yourself one day, and spare everyone else?"

Upon hearing this, the Emperor's eyes flickered, and his earlier desire to leave the palace stirred again.

He nodded in agreement, "Yin Qing has a point."

Yin Song spoke no further, bowed, and left, returning to the Observing Star Terrace to sit in meditation.

From the Observing Star Terrace, one could see the palace gate.

After sitting for an unknown length of time, he saw the Emperor, dressed in civilian clothes, leaving the palace with a group of attendants.

Only after the Emperor had safely exited did Yin Song exhale, saying to Yin Qingjun, "Go find your little master aunt and tell her to go find him."

Yin Qingjun: "But we don't know where the Emperor will go—where will little master aunt look for him?"

Yin Song said, "If she can't even manage this, I'll pack her up and send her back to Mount Sanqing."

Yin Qingjun departed obediently to return home.

Pan Yun was not at home—she was on the street giving fortune readings.

After several days of business, Pan Yun had become familiar in this area, carrying her banner through alleys and streets; some people didn't mind her youth and were willing to pay one cash coin for a reading.

Wang Cong and Yin Qingjun arrived together and caught her just as she had taken a cash coin from a customer.

Pan Yun raised an eyebrow at the two of them: "Why are you both here together?"

Wang Cong pulled her aside and looked at Yin Qingjun.

Yin Qingjun whispered, "Little master aunt, the Emperor has left the palace."

Pan Yun's eyes lit up: "Where is he?"

Yin Qingjun shook his head and whispered, "The Emperor's outing, though disguised, still has many attendants—I and Master dared not watch closely, let alone follow him, so we don't know where he went."

Pan Yun rubbed her chin and said, "No rush—he has few places to go. The imperial examination is near; he'll either visit scholars arriving from the provinces, or just go to watch the crowds."

"Coincidentally, the area around the Scholar's Tower is now the busiest part of Jingcheng, and the most concentrated with students." Pan Yun said, "We—I'll go now and chance upon him."

Wang Cong: "Little master aunt, shouldn't we come with you? Oh, Second Young Master can't, but I and Seeing Miao Zhen and the others can follow."

Pan Yun sized up Wang Cong, then shook her head after a moment: "You can't. Seeing Miao Zhen and the other three can."

"Why can't I?"

"Can you treat the Emperor like an ordinary person?"

Wang Cong fell silent.

Pan Yun waved her hand: "Come back when you can treat the Emperor like an ordinary person."

Pan Yun shouldered her banner and walked off: "I'm leaving. Don't save me dinner—tell Seeing Miao Zhen and the others to focus on their studies. I can take care of myself!"

Pan Xiaohei immediately sprinted after her, leapt up with both paws, and landed with a thump on her shoulder.

Pan Yun, one hand holding the banner, slapped its head: "Be gentle—do you even know how to use lightness skill? I've taught you this so many times and you still don't get it."

Pan Xiaohei meowed, lifting its cat head proudly to gaze ahead.

The Scholar's Tower stood on Zhuque Street, where the shops on either side were at least two stories tall, each with several courtyards behind them.

The street was clean and wide, with many stalls placed along the walls between doors.

Pan Yun had learned these stalls were rented or used directly by the shops.

First, as long as the vendors didn't block the entrances, they didn't harm the shops' business—they actually brought extra foot traffic.

So the shops all liked to rent out the empty wall space outside their doors to vendors.

Some shops even set up stalls themselves: fabric shops displayed cloth, bookshops displayed popular novels and calligraphy, while restaurants and inns cleared space for parking horses and carts.

Some large inns even rented additional space for guests to park their horses and carts—this small area was never enough.

Pan Yun now took a shortcut by cutting straight through the Scholar's Tower's parking area.

Before she passed through, she saw Xue Shao being shoved in from another entrance.

Pan Yun, banner on shoulder, Pan Xiaohei crouched atop it, stopped dead, and stared at Xue Shao.

In that instant, both decided not to recognize each other. Xue Shao turned and addressed the men closing in behind him: "Let this Daoist pass first—our business can wait."

Pan Yun tightened her grip on the banner: "What are you doing? I don't know you—I mean no trouble."

The seven youths surrounding Xue Shao were around twenty years old, their demeanor unmistakably that of street ruffians.

The leader glanced at Pan Yun, deemed her unimportant, and waved her away.

Pan Yun, banner on shoulder, Pan Xiaohei on her shoulder, moved to pass—but one man beside the leader blocked her path.

He sized her up, his gaze locking onto the money pouch at her waist: "You can pass—but leave your toll money!"

The other youths, who had just parted to let her through, instantly closed the gap, legs bouncing as they stared at her: "Yeah, you can go—but leave your money!"

Hearing this, Pan Yun's whole demeanor turned gloomy.

She slammed her banner into the ground with a crack and said flatly, "No money. Get out of my way."

"You say move, we move? Hand over the money pouch."

!. Read

Xue Shao kindly interjected: "Let her go—it's for your own good. Look at her banner—it says fortune readings cost one cash coin. She probably has no money."

"Shut the hell up! We haven't even dealt with you yet—hand over all your money, and don't you dare set up another stall on this street to write essays for people—we'll smash it every time we see it!"

"Hand over your money now!"

Seeing that Pan Yun and Xue Shao hadn't moved, one thug couldn't hold back anymore—he angrily pointed a wooden stick at them and shouted, "I'm talking to you! Hand over your money!"

Pan Yun looked up at him expressionlessly. "Don't point that thing at me!"

With that, she grabbed the wooden stick thrust before her face, yanked it hard, pulled the man forward, and kicked him flying.

The others, startled, didn't think twice—they raised their wooden sticks and charged at Pan Yun, yelling "Aaah!"

In no time, thirteen loud thuds echoed as the thugs all collapsed to the ground. The one who had first blocked Pan Yun to demand money was kicked the farthest and highest—he crashed into the entrance with a thump, half his body sprawled across the road.

The Emperor, just arriving on horseback, yanked his reins tight—the horse neighed wildly, hooves thrashing, nearly trampling the men on the ground.

Seeing the horse's hooves thrashing, the thug's survival instinct instantly flooded his body with adrenaline. While the others still groaned on the ground, he, the most severely injured, skillfully rolled and dodged beneath the hooves, finally tumbling free from between the horses' legs.

He scrambled forward on hands and feet, scrambling into the entrance…

A pair of shoes stopped before his eyes. His body stiffened, his movements froze. Slowly, he lifted his head.

Pan Yun looked down, sweeping a cold glance over him. "Still want to pay toll money?"

He shook his head frantically. "No, no more! I dare not!"

Pan Yun snorted coldly. "Go!"

The thug pushed himself up with both hands, but found he couldn't rise—so he scrambled away on hands and feet from beside Pan Yun's feet. As he passed Xue Shao, Xue Shao obediently stepped aside two paces, letting him see their boss lying on the ground behind him.

The Emperor calmed his horse, then finally saw the scene.

A servant from Top Graduate Pavilion ran over from nearby, bowed to the Emperor's party, then shouted at Pan Yun and the others: "What are you doing? This is our Top Graduate Pavilion's horse-parking area! Go away! Go, go, quickly!"

He then bowed deeply to those still on horseback. "Honored guests, are you here to dine at Top Graduate Pavilion? Go a little further—I'll come and take your horses."

The Emperor's gaze still flickered between Xue Shao and Pan Yun. He replied indifferently, "We're not eating. Can't we leave our horses here?"

"Of course you can," the servant smiled. "We apologize for disturbing you, honored guests. Just hand your horses to me—I'll watch them closely."

The Emperor dismounted and handed his horse over.

Behind him, Prince Cheng leapt down and rushed to his side, whispering, "Your Majesty… Brother, that scholar is the one who wrote the essay for me—his name is Xue Shao."

The Emperor immediately turned to Xue Shao, swiftly scanned him, then shifted his gaze to Pan Yun. "What happened here?"

Pan Yun stared at his face, silent.

Xue Shao also gazed quietly at the Emperor, his eyes sliding from his face to Prince Cheng's, then back to the Emperor's—his heart couldn't help but sigh.

Pan Yun really did it—she'd actually met the Emperor outside the palace.

Even Pan Yun herself was astonished—how could it be so coincidental, so easy, to run into him?

She slightly lifted her head toward the sky. Was Heaven itself on her side, thinking she should now seek justice for her father and brother?

Beside her, Xue Shao explained: "They smashed my stall and tried to rob me of my money. Just then, this… Daoist passed by and was also demanded toll money, so we all fought back."

The men lying on the ground had been groaning in pain, but now they recovered slightly and sat up, loudly wailing, "You're lying! You were the ones trying to rob us—we refused, so you attacked us!"

These thugs weren't all fools—these two riders clearly came from wealth and power, and behind them trailed over ten men, all armed with swords, looking mighty.

Xue Shao: "Many bystanders saw them smash my stall. Many also saw them shove me into this parking yard. This Daoist clearly just passed by—anyone along the road can confirm when she passed and what she was doing. How could she have had time to rob you?"

"But you—why are you here? And look: the wooden sticks on the ground—seven, no more, no less. Carrying weapons on the street is already a crime."

(End of Chapter)