Chapter 967

Pan Yun silently watched him vanish into the palace, knowing he had returned to his quarters and shut himself away.

Zhang Zijin lived within the palace but rarely appeared in public.

Emperors of past dynasties had grown accustomed to it—he was only responsible for keeping the palace safe from demons and supernatural beings.

When the former emperor was captured by enemies, the Empress Dowager had personally knelt and begged him to rescue him, yet he never left the palace even a step.

His duty was to protect the Zhu bloodline within the palace, and only against demons and supernatural beings—he took no part in human power struggles.

Pan Yun’s interference in state affairs already violated the laws of cultivators, but what she did, she alone would bear the consequences of.

His coming today to remind her had already stepped on the line, yet such talent and potential—if she perished in mundane affairs—it would truly be a pity.

The bonds between people are so strange.

Zhu Qizhen and Zhu Qiyu were born and raised within the palace; he had secretly watched them grow from infants into adults, yet felt not a shred of affection for them;

but with Pan Yun, the moment he first met her, he had instinctively held back, and upon seeing her again, he could not help but intervene to protect her…

Zhang Zijin sighed, sat upon his mat, closed his eyes, and decided to enter seclusion to digest this emotion.

He summoned a Daoist acolyte and instructed: “Go ask Pan Yun when she plans to leave the capital—I will enter seclusion.”

The acolyte immediately went to the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, and only at dusk did he find Pan Yun, returning at once to report: “The National Teacher says that, barring unforeseen events, she will remain in the capital for the next few months.”

After the emperor’s birthday, regional garrisons began auditing military lands and embezzlement of military pay, and more artisans from across the realm arrived in the capital to present tribute objects; Pan Yun also wished to study the energy conversion device further—whether steam, electricity, or other natural forces, all depended on energy conversion.

Thus, in the short term, she would not leave the capital unless an emergency arose.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zijin immediately relaxed and entered seclusion.

With Pan Yun in the capital, she could handle most emergencies; if she could not, she had ways to wake him from seclusion.

Zhang Zijin had not entered seclusion in many years.

After all, he had to protect the palace—no one knew when or where a demon or monster might appear, so even when sleeping, he kept one eye open; how could he dare enter seclusion?

Upholding the principle of mutual aid, Pan Yun agreed to guard the palace for him, allowing him to enter seclusion in peace.

Except for certain high-risk research requiring the testing grounds outside the city, most of her research could be conducted within the Ministry of Works in the imperial city or the Imperial Astronomical Bureau.

Thus, Pan Yun’s trips outside the city became fewer.

After the emperor’s birthday, high-ranking officials from across the realm departed, followed by foreign envoy teams.

Naturally, they took back gifts upon leaving.

In the past, the Great Ming always returned lavish gifts; beyond the official gift lists, some foreign states would additionally request extra tributes.

For instance, the Oirats had more than once used snowstorms, droughts, and various disasters as excuses to demand grain, salt, tea, and even silk and weapons.

This year, only Japan and the Jurchens submitted petitions pleading for aid.

Japan—officially known as Nihon—petitioned that internal warfare raged, the people suffered hardship, and the shogunate had expended vast manpower and resources to suppress pirates and safeguard maritime trade for the suzerain state, thus requesting support from the suzerain.

Zhu Qiyu gladly agreed, declaring the Great Ming would dispatch a naval force: “Pirates plague the southeast of our Great Ming, southern Korea, and western and southern Japan—they are truly vile. I know the shogun is young and likely unable to cope. Chen Huai.”

Chen Huai stepped forward immediately: “Your servant is here!”

“I command you to go personally to Quanzhou, select eight thousand naval troops, and accompany you to Japan to eradicate pirates—ensure every sea bandit is wiped out, securing peace for our Great Ming and the three neighboring states.” Oh, besides Korea and Japan, Ryukyu also suffered pirate raids and was deeply troubled.

Chen Huai immediately accepted.

The Japanese envoy team immediately refused, claiming the sea voyage was long and Japan’s miasma heavy; the imperial troops might suffer from unfamiliar climate and water, and imperial aid in supplies alone would suffice.

Zhu Qiyu fell silent.

The Honglu Temple official Pan Hong immediately said: “His Majesty treats all subjects of the four seas equally; even foreign subjects are cherished as flesh and blood. The coastal people of Japan have long suffered pirate raids; His Majesty grieves deeply. A mere strait cannot hinder His Majesty’s compassion for his people.”

In short, if you cry, we send troops to quell your chaos.

The Japanese envoy team seethed with resentment.

Now, imperial troops were stationed at the hot spring port of Jintinggang and the Nanao port—though few in number, their influence remained immense.

Last year’s naval battle, they suffered a crushing defeat; besides the Great Ming navy’s strength, every land assault on the two ports had been repelled.

Yet each port held fewer than a thousand soldiers; they had deployed nearly twenty thousand, yet failed to capture either.

Their defense was brilliantly executed, but more importantly, the local citizens within the ports had joined them in resisting the shogunate’s armies.

It was said the Han people had built schools in the ports, just as in the Great Ming—school-age children only needed to pay a small tuition to study.

Good heavens, that was the elegant language, the imperial texts—once only the nobility could learn them; now even the lowly, nameless commoners could learn the same elegant language and books. If not checked, soon the people of both ports would become subjects of the empire.

Japan’s request was temporarily set aside.

The Jurchens pleaded that last year, the Oirat eastern army had marched south, enslaving Jurchen people and looting their cattle and sheep, causing devastating losses to their tribes; thus, they requested imperial aid.

The Jurchen envoy team was different—they were not foreign states but tributary prefectures; since the Xuande reign, the court’s control over the Nurgan Regional Military Commission had nearly vanished, and tribes governed themselves. Had it not been for Pan Yun’s strong insistence, and the fact that the Oirat eastern army had included Jurchen elements last year, the court would never have ordered them to form an envoy team to come to the capital for the birthday tribute.

Facing them, Zhu Qiyu was far gentler and more soothing; upon hearing their plea, he nodded immediately in agreement.

Yet the supplies would not be handed directly to the Jurchen envoy team.

He decided to send a batch of grain, salt, and cloth, dispatching envoys to accompany them northward to personally pacify the Jurchen tribes.

The Nurgan Regional Military Commission differed from Japan; Japan had minimal dependence on the Great Ming and was separated by a strait—Japan only notified the suzerain upon changing kings or shoguns…

Oh, no—since Xuande, Japan no longer reported changes in kings or shoguns to the suzerain.

Thus, the Great Ming’s control over Japan had always been minimal.

The Nurgan Regional Military Commission was different—it was a tributary prefecture of the Great Ming; legally, it belonged to Great Ming territory. Thus, when the emperor proposed sending envoys to pacify the tribes, Fan Cha paused, then offered no objection.

Since Esen declared himself Khan, tensions between the Jurchens and the Oirats had grown ever greater; they indeed needed the court’s strength to resist the Oirats.

Fan Cha smiled warmly and warmly welcomed the envoys.

Zhu Qiyu’s lips curled slightly; he scanned the court but found no suitable candidate, and decided to delay selecting one.

The envoy to the Jurchens must not only be brave but also cunning; the National Teacher said the court had abandoned control over Nurgan for too long—it now needed to reclaim it, to reassert dominance over that vast northern land.