Chapter 524: Father

Pan Yue: "You ruined things in court, so Little Sister was forced to disappear under a false name—that logic means you hindered her…"

Pan Hong frowned, hesitating: "Then I won't go see her?"

Pan Yue shook his head: "Since Little Sister took up the Dao, I've also grown interested in the Book of Changes."

He returned to his room, brought out the book on his desk, and stared at his father with bright eyes: "Father, what we see isn't necessarily the truth. In the Eight Trigrams, there are life gates and death gates—even Heaven's Dao, though heartless, always leaves one thread of hope for mortals."

"There's also a common saying: misfortune leans on fortune, fortune hides within misfortune. Before she left home, Little Sister was weak and sickly, unable to even step outside the gate—but after our family fell into ruin, she met her Third Senior Brother and Fourth Senior Sister. What seemed like disaster led her to the Dao; now not only is her health excellent, but she's mastered a full set of skills."

Pan Yue grew more excited as he spoke: "Meeting her is fortune. Perhaps, as the sages say, it will bring disaster—but how do you know disaster won't be followed by blessing?"

Pan Yu looked at Pan Yue with admiration: "Big Brother, you're truly brilliant."

Pan Hong remained calm, gazed tenderly at his second son, then nodded to his eldest: "You're right. Go bring your sister back."

Pan Yue seemed to know what his father was thinking; as he walked out, he turned back to ask: "Father, do you think what I said is meaningless? It's not. Even if you hadn't thought it through, you'd still have met her—but now that you have, the feeling will be different…"

Pan Hong's face was expressionless: "If you don't hurry, your sister will be gone!"

Pan Yue could only run out to find her.

Pan Yun was crouching at the alley's mouth, playing with mud and sand, completely absorbed—when a pair of shoes appeared before her eyes.

She instinctively knew these weren't her brothers' feet; she snapped her head up—and met Yin Song's expressionless face.

Yin Song looked down at her: "I cast two divinations today—one before leaving, another upon arriving at the Imperial Astronomical Bureau. I've been puzzled: why were both readings Lower-Middle? It turns out the answer lies with you."

Pan Yun gave him a pleading smile.

"Don't smile," Yin Song said, glancing at the sun's position, his face blank: "The Imperial Academy starts classes in two days. How will you get back?"

Pan Yun took the Three Treasures Cauldron hanging from her waist, placed it in her palm, and showed it to him: "This is the flying artifact Senior Brother had someone make for me—I named it the Three Treasures Cauldron. From Long Hushan to Jingcheng, I flew here in three hours."

Yin Song stared at the tiny artifact in her palm, his heart flooding with envy: "First Marquis…"

Pan Yun comforted him: "Second Senior Brother, don't worry. Senior Brother said you've accumulated enough—you just need the right opportunity…"

Yin Song wiped his face: "I know."

He glanced at Pan Yun, then turned: "Come with me. I'll take you back."

Pan Yun immediately followed behind him: "Second Senior Brother, Fourth Senior Sister said I can't see Father before I'm fourteen."

"It doesn't matter," Yin Song glanced at her face and said: "You'll just get hurt, shed some blood—it's your karmic cause anyway. If you don't face it tomorrow, you'll face it later. Better to get it over with early."

Yin Song's knowledge of heavenly fate was far superior to Fourth Senior Sister's; Pan Yun immediately leaned closer: "Second Senior Brother, do you know what kind of calamity I'm destined for?"

"Demon Calamity."

"What calamity?"

"Little Sister!" Pan Yue burst out, spotting Pan Yun at once, and cried out.

Pan Yun looked up immediately, seeing her brother—now a young man—her eyes reddened, and the siblings rushed into each other's arms.

Pan Yu stood by, mouth agape, then rushed forward and hugged both of them, pulling them apart to protest: "You didn't even hug me just now! You said you were closest to me!"

Pan Yue raised an eyebrow and asked Pan Yun: "Little Sister is closest to Second Brother?"

Pan Yun asked calmly: "Second Brother, I haven't asked you yet—who do you think you're closest to?"

"I'm closest to you—I'll say it even in front of Big Brother. Dare you say it?" Pan Yun opened her mouth.

Pan Yue murmured from the side: "I'll say it too—I'm closest to Little Sister."

Pan Yun's eyes welled with tears as she looked past them: "Father—"

Pan Yue and Pan Yu turned—and saw Pan Hong, unable to wait, had come out himself.

Father and daughter met, and another round of crying ensued—mostly Pan Yun crying, trying to cry past the topic.

It worked. Pan Hong, moved to tears by her, paid no attention to his two sons, and simply pulled his daughter inside—the question of who was closer was naturally dropped.

Yin Song shook his head and followed them into the house.

After wiping her tears, Pan Yun asked: "Father, weren't you reinstated? Why are you still living here with Second Senior Brother?"

Pan Hong sighed: "I'm still a Censor, but no longer in charge of case reviews. The Left Grand Censor assigned me to patrol the borders—but the case just concluded, and there are still many documents to sign, so I won't leave for a while."

Pan Yun blinked: "Patrol the borders? You're not a general—what border are you patrolling?"

"Foolish girl, a Censor on Inspection is still a Censor. Xue Shao… he's also been appointed as an Inspection Censor."

No error in content in one look!

Pan Yue added: "The Emperor sent General Wang Ji to inspect the northern border, and he submitted many recommendations. Not only must Censors re-examine them, but they must also determine whether General Wang's proposals can resolve the northern army's problems."

Pan Yun: "That must be exhausting."

Pan Hong didn't mind; he smiled: "Someone has to do it. If I'm not tired, someone else is. I have one advantage: I was exiled to Datong—I understand the north better than other Censors."

Pan Yun turned to Pan Yue and Pan Yu: "What about you two?"

Pan Hong said: "Second Brother isn't suited for books, but he has talent in martial arts. He's done well with the sword manual you gave them, so I've brought him along—I'll teach him military strategy. At the border, he can build connections with warriors—he might even find a future."

"As for your Big Brother, he'll stay in Jingcheng to study and prepare for the imperial examinations."

Pan Yun exhaled in relief: "With Second Brother with you, I feel much better."

Pan Hong patted her head: "Good child. All these years, you've worried too much."

Pan Yun shook her head, changing the subject: "I thought this case would drag on forever—how did it get cleared so quickly?"

Pan Hong's expression turned complex; he sighed: "The son of Prime Minister Yang committed an offense. Prime Minister Yang submitted a petition to resign and retire."

This event seemed unrelated to the Xue Pan case—but in truth, it was inseparable.

Court officials had used these two cases to manipulate the Emperor's psychology; two completely unrelated cases became linked.

Just like the Yue Clan case and the He Clan case back then.

Two families who didn't know each other, cases separated by half a year, yet because their circumstances were similar, they were tied together under the label of factional strife.

Now the Xue Pan case and the Yang Ji case are the same—linked by factional strife, two unrelated cases forced into the same political game.

Pan Yun frowned: "What about Xue Xuan and his nephew?"

"After the Yang Ji case broke, both Xue Xuan and Xue Shao recommended executing Yang Ji, so the Emperor was furious," Pan Hong paused, then said: "The Emperor, in anger, ordered Xue Xuan to return home and resume teaching, while Xue Shao was appointed Seventh-Rank Censor to patrol the Jiangnan region."

Pan Yun clicked her tongue: "A seventh-rank Censor going on an inspection tour of Jiangnan — that's purely asking for trouble."

Pan Hong: "Who says it isn't?" (End of chapter)