Chapter 895: Attention

Zhu Qiyu's trust in Pan Yun had reached a height Yu Qian could not imagine; upon hearing that with his support, Yu Qian could achieve land surveying, he immediately grew excited and told Pan Yun outright: "Cast a divination to see who would be suitable to go to Fujian to persuade Deng Maoqi to surrender."

Pan Yun: …

She looked at Yu Qian: "What does my lord think?"

Yu Qian dared not let Pan Yun use divination to choose someone—what if she picked a fool? After careful thought, he said: "Yang Shan, Assistant Minister of the Honglu Temple, and Censor Xue Shao are both suitable. Your Imperial Majesty might as well cast a divination to see if these two are fitting."

Pan Yun's lips curled slightly: "Fine, I'll cast a divination."

The result was naturally suitable.

After Xue Shao returned with the army, he went directly to the Ministry of Personnel to seek appointment.

The Ministry, without a moment's hesitation, appointed him on the spot—no overnight delay—and immediately reassigned him back to the Censorate as a censor.

The late emperor had led a personal campaign, and many officials had died in the court; this was precisely the time to recruit talent.

Xue Shao had previously served as a censor, had committed no fundamental wrongdoing, and had even gone to Datong to rescue the late emperor, fighting alongside Great Ming soldiers and civilians against the Oirats; any one of these deeds alone warranted appointment, let alone all of them together.

With Yu Qian's rise and the shock of national crisis, the court was united in righteous anger, utterly clear-minded; after Xue Shao assumed office, he handled three cases in quick succession, earned merit, and was promoted half a rank.

At this time, promotion was simple, for many positions remained vacant; as long as one earned merit, one could rise.

Yang Shan was already Assistant Minister of the Honglu Temple; if they went to Fujian again and returned alive with success in pacification, not only could he be promoted to Minister of the Honglu Temple, but even a noble title could be granted.

Xue Shao was no different.

Pan Yun enjoyed great freedom within the palace and immediately went out to see them off.

Yes, them.

Pan Yun packed all three of Seeing Miao Zhen into the negotiation delegation, sending them to gain experience.

Without a word, Pan Yun gently brushed aside the strands of hair the wind had blown across Seeing Miao Zhen's face and said softly: "Go. The world is vast—feel it deeply, and find your own Dao."

Seeing Miao Zhen gazed deeply at her junior aunt, stepped back one pace, bowed with Miao and Tao Yanbai, then turned and walked into the ranks.

Xue Shao nodded to her from afar, then turned and left.

Pan Yun stood high above, hands behind her back, watching them depart.

When they were far away, the Embroidered Uniform Guard guard assigned to protect her, An Chen, limped forward: "Your Imperial Majesty, we should return to the palace."

Pan Yun glanced at his leg and asked: "Did your commander send you to protect me—or to have me heal you?"

An Chen looked at her, embarrassed.

Pan Yun waved her hand—not truly waiting for his answer—and turned back toward the palace.

As she passed the Imperial Academy, her steps paused slightly, but she did not enter to seek anyone out.

Since becoming Imperial Teacher, Pan Hong had never again come to the palace to see her, and she never inquired after her father or brothers.

Several times the Emperor brought them up, and Pan Yun would interrupt him herself, declaring she was now a monastic.

Court ministers seemed to have sensed her attitude; combined with her rare appearances and her sole audience with the Emperor, those who sought to flatter her largely gave up, no longer flocking to the Pan household.

Only a very few remained persistent, steadfastly befriending Pan Hong.

For example, Xu Cheng.

Among all court officials, except those who had accompanied the Emperor, everyone else was being promoted—Xu Cheng was the exception.

Because he had once boasted of his ability to read celestial omens and had predicted disaster in advance, when news arrived of the Emperor's capture, he was the first to leap forward and propose relocating the court south.

Amid the chorus of ministers who agreed, he grew even more fervent, running about and preaching the necessity of southern relocation.

The result? The new Emperor remembered no one else—only him.

Then, after the victory on the border and the restoration of honor, the new Emperor promoted many, including those who had followed Xu Cheng in demanding southern relocation—yet he alone was omitted.

Not only omitted, but every mention of him carried clear revulsion.

Winter arrived, and water conservancy infrastructure needed reinforcement and inspection; Yu Qian, who appointed based on merit, not person, proposed him twice—but both times the new Emperor rejected him.

All because of his earlier proposal to relocate south.

Xu Cheng's tongue tasted bitter—he was truly wronged. At the time, the Emperor's star was darkened, and national collapse loomed; if they did not swiftly relocate to preserve the court's strength, would they truly wait for the northern barbarians to wipe out the capital? Who could have foreseen that Yu Qian would emerge, fervently urging Prince Cheng to defend the land, and that the border situation had not worsened? Though the Emperor was captured, fulfilling the darkened star omen, the nation did not collapse; the Emperor was killed before the troops, igniting their fury, and they reclaimed the territory in a single outburst of rage.

And Yu Qian swiftly reorganized military affairs, defeated the Oirat armies repeatedly, and utterly crushed Yishi.

Xu Cheng's foresight became interpreted as cowardice and timidity; moreover, ministers now discovered he had sent his wife and children back to their hometown before the crisis—clearly anticipating the omen.

Thus, he had become not only a clown, but also a traitor and a liar who concealed celestial signs.

His rank had been lowered again and again; now he sat idle in the court.

Xu Cheng knew the Emperor was forcing him to resign—after all, he had committed no grave offense, and the new Emperor, to avoid criticism, could not dismiss him outright.

But he had worked hard to pass the imperial examination, had earned his post through merit—why should he resign? Xu Cheng refused to accept it! Everyone said Pan Yun and Pan Hong had severed their father-daughter bond; she had been Imperial Teacher for half a month and still refused to see her family, so flattering Pan Hong was useless, and Pan Hong was impossible to please—he was too upright, and every gift was returned.

But Xu Cheng did not believe it.

Hmph, who understood Daoists better than he?

He was half a Daoist himself.

What nonsense about monastics ignoring worldly affairs?

They were Daoists, not monks.

Daoists must cultivate the Dao—and to do so, they must enter the world.

To enter the world is to be subject to the seven emotions and six desires; familial love is the hardest bond to sever—even immortals cannot escape it, let alone mortals?

When Pan Yun once risked her life to expose her identity and clear Pan Hong's name, when she endured long imprisonment in the imperial prison—how could she possibly cut ties with her father?

So while others gave up, Xu Cheng refused to quit.

Pan Hong was hard to appease, so Xu Cheng stopped sending gifts; instead, he treated him with courtesy, came daily to beg meals, and played two games of weiqi with him—slowly, they began to converse.

Xu Cheng then displayed his talents in every area.

His daughter cultivated the Dao, so he cast hexagrams and read celestial omens for Pan Hong; noticing Pan Hong's disinterest, he shifted from omens to weather, then to geography, and finally to water management.

Pan Hong was utterly exasperated.

Yu Qian, who cared for him, was the first to notice his distress; like Xu Cheng, Yu Qian did not believe Pan Yun had severed familial ties—and as Pan Yun's influence over the Emperor grew, his attention to Pan Hong and his sons grew ever closer.

Every day after leaving the government office, he would pass by the Court of Diplomatic Reception and exchange a nod of acquaintance with Pan Hong.

Today he saw him with his brows tightly knit, his face full of worry.

Yu Qian could not help but stop in his tracks, and when he drew closer, asked, "Lord Pan, is there something troubling you?"