Chapter 408

"Y-you-you, what armed? This is just a wooden stick."

Xue Shao ignored him, looked straight at the Emperor, cupped his fist in salute and said, "I ask this brother to help drag these people off to the magistrate's office and let the county magistrate punish them."

The Emperor was very satisfied with Xue Shao's handling of the matter, and turned to look at the guard behind him.

The guard immediately stepped forward with his men and hauled them up in one grab.

The ruffians refused, struggling with all their might. The guard's face darkened, and with a sharp *slap* he struck them across the face, then reached out, snatched their belts, and used them to bind their hands.

The men let out terrified cries and instinctively pressed their legs together to hold up their trousers.

Pan Yun couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing with a "puchi."

Everyone looked at the Emperor, who wore a Daoist robe yet still clearly looked like a woman:...

Xue Shao silently stepped forward a few paces, blocking Pan Yun's line of sight.

Pan Yun had no wish to look at all—it stung her eyes—so once Xue Shao blocked her view she simply turned her head to look the other way and gave a soft hmph.

Prince Cheng felt the atmosphere was a little odd, and racked his brains for a topic. "Young Master Xue, how did you end up offending these people?"

Xue Shao glanced at him calmly and said, "I helped someone gain insight into an essay, and it caught someone's eye."

Prince Cheng looked puzzled. "Why? Was the essay not well done? But I think your essays are excellent—every one you've written for me, I've thought very highly of."

Pan Yun lifted an eyelid and swept a glance at Prince Cheng, then said bluntly, "Others envied him making money, stealing their business."

She asked him, "Do you often hire people to write essays for you?"

Prince Cheng's face reddened, but he still answered, "Not that often, really. It's just that when I come across a topic I can't handle, I'll ask someone to help write one for me to reference."

Pan Yun didn't believe it was only for reference.

Back when she was studying, if someone wrote an essay for her and she paid for it, she certainly wouldn't write another one herself—she'd copy the whole thing word for word!

Prince Cheng was a mild-mannered man. Though Pan Yun's question embarrassed him, he wasn't angry, and even took the initiative to ask her, "Did the Daoist priestess get frightened? Should they compensate you?"

He also praised Xue Shao: "Brother Xue, you're really impressive—not only do you write excellent essays, your Wu Gong is also strong, taking on seven by yourself, a man of both literary and martial prowess."

Xue Shao gave a faint smile and gently corrected him: "Young Master Zhu, it wasn't I who hit them—it was she."

Pan Yun also said, "I wasn't frightened, and I don't need compensation. I was acting in self-defense, so I don't have to pay, right?"

Pan Yun looked up at the Emperor.

Xue Shao also looked at the Emperor, wanting to hear his answer.

The Emperor said, "Of course. If it can be proven they were the ones robbing money, and the two of you resisted, not only do you not need to pay, they will also be imprisoned."

The Emperor also greatly disliked this sort of person, and said to the man behind him, "Such people must be severely punished."

A fair-complexioned, beardless young man behind him bowed and replied, "Yes."

Pan Yun planted her banner cloth in front of her feet and fixed her bright, intent gaze on the Emperor.

The Emperor couldn't pretend he hadn't noticed even if he wanted to. As it happened, he was also very curious about Pan Yun.

"Those seven just now—were they really all taken down by you alone?"

Pan Yun nodded. "Yes."

"Then your Kung Fu is quite good. Would you like to have a match with my... guard?"

Pan Yun: "Do you want your fortune told?"

The Emperor paused, his gaze sweeping over her banner cloth, and tilted his head. "One wen?"

Pan Yun nodded: "No cheating, young or old." The Emperor grew interested too. "Alright then, give me a reading."

No one objected, and Prince Cheng even volunteered, "Let's go to Top Graduate Lou, sit down for the reading—it's my treat."

Xue Shao silently followed along.

The staff at Top Graduate Lou didn't recognize the Emperor, but they did recognize Prince Cheng. Seeing him accompany a young gentleman, even letting him walk ahead of himself, they knew the visitor's status was no simple matter, so they immediately arranged for them to be seated in a private room upstairs.

Pan Yun had been in Jingcheng for several days, and had passed by Top Graduate Lou more than once, occasionally poking her head inside out of curiosity.

She had even picked up several clients in front of Top Graduate Lou, reading the fortunes of examinees' study boys and family members, but she had never actually gone inside.

She had long heard of Top Graduate Lou's roast duck and pan-fried goose with mashed garlic, and had been breathing in the aroma from outside for several days.

The Emperor had also heard of these two dishes, and he too had caught the aroma. The moment he sat down, he ordered both of them straight away.

Prince Cheng, knowing his preferences, ordered a few more of Top Graduate Lou's signature dishes. After dismissing the waiter, he and the Emperor both looked at Pan Yun. "Can you really tell fortunes? You're not like those fortune-tellers on the street, spouting nonsense, only saying pleasant things, or seeing we're rich and telling us we'll have a bloody disaster or something to swindle us out of money, are you?"

Pan Yun simply held out her hand to the two of them. "A fortune-telling costs one wen per person, absolutely no extra charges."

She said, "It's only one wen—not even worth my while to cheat, is it?"

!. Read

The Emperor then asked Cao Jixiang for money.

Cao Jixiang handed the entire money pouch to the Emperor.

The Emperor took out one wen from inside, but instead of giving it to Pan Yun, he asked, "For one wen, can I ask an unlimited number of questions about myself, or only have one question read?"

"One question."

"Good," the Emperor said without fuss, and placed the one wen directly into her hand, but pointed at Xue Shao beside her and asked, "Read what kind of person he is."

Pan Yun: "His surname is Xue, a native of Hedong, an examinee who came to the capital for this year's exams."

Prince Cheng was stunned. "Did you two know each other before?"

The Emperor was also startled for a moment, but quickly caught on and said, "Fool, you just called him Brother Xue, and he's written essays for you—she figured it out from that."

Pan Yun: "There are many scholars from outside Jingcheng, and many scholars who write good essays. Young Master Zhu Da, why not ask Young Master Xue himself—is he really an examinee from Hedong?"

The Emperor then looked at Xue Shao.

Xue Shao gave a slight nod. "Xue Mou is indeed an examinee from Hedong."

The Emperor still didn't believe it. Prince Cheng beside him was still exclaiming, "How did you know my big brother is Young Master Zhu Da?"

Pan Yun said, "Because your surname is Zhu, and you call him Big Brother."

Prince Cheng opened and closed his mouth, at a loss for words for a long moment. "So you didn't actually divine any of this—it was all... all just overheard?"

Pan Yun said: "Physiognomy, the most important thing is to have sharp ears and keen eyes."

"Doesn't that mean anyone with a more delicate mind can read faces for people?" Not to mention the Prince of Cheng, even the Emperor was somewhat disappointed. "It seems this art of face-reading is nothing special after all."

Pan Yun: "Then let's talk about something different."

Pan Yun's gaze, sharp as lightning, fixed on the Emperor's face as she said in a low, measured voice: "If I were to say that Young Master has a full, broad forehead and a square, rounded jaw—the noblest of the noble—you would surely scoff, after all, you've heard such flattery too many times."

The Emperor neither agreed nor disagreed.

"Then let's say something practical," Pan Yun said: "Young Master, you have a very large family estate, but there are troubles without and within. You appear to be the one in charge, making the decisions, yet many things cannot go as you wish; worry is often visible between your brows."

"Young Master, in the future, you will lose this family estate."

(End of chapter)