Chapter 820

Pan Yun: "This case has nothing to do with me on the surface."

"That's because someone doesn't want to reward you for your merits, but everyone—from the Emperor down to the officials handling the case—knows the truth, so those in court who don't understand the case are the only ones in the dark," Yin Song said: "Wang Zhen is furious right now; he's once again read the Emperor's mind correctly, and he'll surely find a way to ease the Emperor's troubles. If he comes after you now, will the Emperor—who dislikes you just as much—stop him?"

Pan Yun sighed to the heavens: "Being a loyal minister is so hard~~"

Pan Hong gently patted her head and smiled: "This is nothing yet."

Pan Yun grumbled, standing up: "Father, tonight is the last dinner I'll have with you this year—we'll have to wait until next year to see each other."

Over the years, Pan Hong had grown accustomed to being separated from his daughter; though he sometimes missed her terribly, ever since he learned the Daoist cultivation principles, he knew his daughter was unlike other people's daughters—she was first and foremost herself, then a disciple of Mount Sanqing, then a Daoist Priest…

Familial bonds between commoners—between father and daughter, brother and sister—had long been pushed to the back.

This was evident from when she came to Jingcheng and chose to live with Yin Song, returning only occasionally to his home for meals.

Over the past two years, Pan Hong had seriously considered how to treat this daughter of his, and finally realized that letting affection slowly fade with time was best for both of them.

This applied not only to him, but also to his two sons.

Life is but a hundred years; originally, he could have occupied four-fifths of her life, and since the age gap between her and her brothers was small, if heaven favored them, the siblings might have spent their entire lives together, so much so that their children could have become close cousins.

But now, Pan Yun is different—him and his two sons may occupy only one percent, or even less, of her life.

A hundred years from now, he and his two sons will have returned to dust and earth, yet Pan Yun will still be living just as she is now.

If their affection had been too intense, when the family was gone, how heartbroken would she be?

So these days, Pan Hong deeply missed his daughter, and several times he had wanted to call her home to live with him—but he only opened his mouth, without speaking.

Pan Yue and Pan Yu also understood their father's concerns, yet they could not comprehend him; they felt that precisely because life is short, family should be together.

While they still lived, they wanted to spend more time with their sister, and they also wanted their sister's memories to hold more of them.

As for the sorrow she might feel after their deaths—what was there to be sad about?

Pan Yue said: "Life is about constantly meeting new friends; in the future, your sister will keep finding new friends, as close as brothers and sisters—we are merely the most vivid chapter among them. Thinking of us brings joy, how could she be sad?"

Pan Yu said: "Little sister is already this powerful; after we die, she'll be even more powerful. You can already summon ghosts—soon you might be able to communicate with the Underworld, hehehe, little sister, when I die, remember to come find me and help me negotiate with the Underworld for a good rebirth."

Everyone: …

Pan Yu had thought about this more than once, and now the more he mentioned it, the more excited he became: "Little sister, I'll leave you plenty of money to grease the wheels—I've already inquired: in the Underworld, money can make ghosts turn millstones. I don't have grand ambitions—just give me a good rebirth."

The faint sadness that had just risen in Pan Yun and Pan Hong's hearts was completely shattered by him.

Pan Hong said nothing, got up, and went to find a stick—he quickly found one under the veranda, raised his hand, and swung.

Pan Yu leapt away nimbly, dodged the stick perfectly, and vanished.

Pan Yu was preparing for the military examination—how could Pan Hong possibly hit him?

Pan Yun watched her second brother being chased out the door by their father, sighed, and turned to her eldest brother: "With second brother like this, what will he do after passing the military examination?"

Pan Yue: "My father and I have already planned—we'll use money to smooth things over, and try to get him stationed in the capital's garrison, or into the Ministry of War."

Pan Yun began pulling out money. Pan Yue quickly stopped her: "You've given our family enough money over the years—we can't take any more from you…"

Pan Yun: "Big brother, we're all still alive—we haven't reached the point of dying and dividing the family."

"Pfft, pfft, pfft—you're a Daoist Priest, yet you speak without any caution—don't you understand taboo phrases?" Pan Yue said: "We truly aren't short on money; last year, Second Uncle sent us funds, and since Father joined the Honglu Temple, he's had more free time—privately, he's corrected essays and guided several candidates, earning plenty of honoraria, and we've saved enough to help Second Brother."

Pan Yun clicked her tongue in admiration: "Father's really getting better at earning money—but I earn money even more easily than you. This amount is nothing to me—ask them."

Pan Yue looked over.

Xue Shao nodded: "If she wants money, she can just go dig it out of the Silver Mountain."

Seeing Miao Zhen: "Little Master's just needs to open her mouth."

Miao He: "Little Master waves her brush and earns twenty taels."

Tao Yanbai felt everyone had finished speaking, and had been holding back for half a moment.

Xiao Hong was even more direct—she pulled a handful of jewels straight from the jade space Pan Yun had given her: "If it's not enough, I have more—and getting money is just a hand motion for me."

Pan Yue stared, dumbfounded, at the obviously illegal jewels. Pan Yun immediately shoved them back into Xiao Hong's hands and smiled at Pan Yue: "Big brother, you're seeing things."

Pan Yue murmured: "I must be seeing things."

Still, he no longer refused—he accepted the money.

Those jewels were the most valuable, clearly marked pieces taken from the Wang Fu.

Marked jewels were hard to liquidate, so when they had scattered money to help the poor, they had kept these jewels unconverted—nor could they give them to anyone else.

Giving them away would be harming someone.

Because Xiao Hong was the victim, Pan Yun gave all those jewels to her.

Sigh—it was just that if she took even one string, thunder would strike her.

Pan Hong returned after chasing his second son, refreshed and clear-headed, and said to Pan Yun: "Since Master Yin has ordered you to leave, then leave. Don't speak again of being a loyal minister—loyal ministers are too hard to be. We're not meant to be loyal ministers—we're meant to be upright ministers. Do what's right, and be unashamed before your own heart."

"Mm." Though he said so, that night Pan Yun still slipped secretly into the palace.

Because she had converted the yuan energy in her meridians into neili, stored a nest of neili in her Upper Dantian, sealed her Lower Dantian, and simply leapt over the palace wall—so much so that Zhang, the man guarding the palace's depths, had his temple veins throbbing, yet could only watch helplessly as she entered.

He watched her avoid the brocade uniform guards, glide smoothly into the inner palace, and approach the Emperor's bedchamber directly.

The man sighed: "The palace is really lax~~"

Pan Yun had come to the palace merely to leave a note for the Emperor, and to scare Wang Zhen a little.

"I thought we were at least friends."