Wanting to Win Them Over

Pan Yun touched her share of the silver and felt it was still a little too little.

She had to send some money to her father. Datong was poor, and they had left in such a hurry that they had not brought much with them.

Although her Second Uncle had later arranged for someone to send some things over, it definitely would not be enough.

With their status, money was essential if they wanted to live a little better.

So, the more money, the better.

Besides, her cultivation required silver too.

She wanted to become stronger. For now, cultivation was the most direct method, and the one she had the best grasp on.

As long as she became strong enough, she would always be able to rescue her father and brother.

So she still needed money.

Pan Yun glanced at Xuan Miao, who had received a reward, and dearly wanted to go up and give Prince Zhou a dose of feudal superstition.

But a deal was not made by rushing headlong at it; there was no suitable opening at the moment.

Seeing Zhao Yuansong leave, Princess Zhou breathed a sigh of relief and said to the people still crowded in the room, "The Prince is tired. Zijin, have your wife take the child away. He has been badly frightened these days; have a doctor examine him later.

Take proper care of the three Daoist priests. Once the Prince has rested, we will properly thank them."

Zhu Zijin and Madam Gu hurriedly acknowledged the order. One stepped forward to carry the child, while the other invited Tao Ji and the other two outside.

Zhu Youjue could not conveniently remain any longer either. He said to the Princess Consort, "I will have to trouble you to care for Elder Brother."

With that, he led his two sons away with lowered heads.

Zhu Zijin stepped aside and respectfully allowed his Fourth Uncle to go first.

Zhu Youjue paused before him, glanced sideways at him, then turned and left.

This was the first time Zhu Zihou and Zhu Zifang had so clearly felt their father's displeasure toward their cousin. Both were deeply shaken.

Zhu Zifang was better off. Though his face was pale, he could still hold steady. Zhu Zihou, however, had reddened eyes and an unsteady, heaving chest.

The two brothers hurriedly bowed to Zhu Zijin, then chased after Zhu Youjue.

Zhu Youjue did not usually live in Prince Zhou's Mansion. His fief was in Xiangfu County, and his Prince of Runan's Mansion was there as well.

It was only because Prince Zhou's illness had worsened recently, and everyone said he had only days left, that Zhu Youjue had come to Kaifeng Prefecture.

At present, he was staying in a courtyard at the western corner of Prince Zhou's Mansion.

Before coming, he had been enjoying the coolness and taking a noon nap in the waterside pavilion. A spy from the main courtyard had quietly come to report, and he had immediately risen, changed clothes, and hurried over. Yet he had still arrived too late.

Zhu Youjue returned to the waterside pavilion with a dark face. Unable to suppress his fury, he swept his sleeve and knocked all the fruit platters and tea from the stone table to the ground. The clatter made the servants around him change expression, and they all bowed and withdrew.

Zhu Zihou's chest rose and fell. He shook off Zhu Zifang's hand and stepped forward to demand, "Why are you angry, Father? Wasn't it a good thing that Eldest Uncle named Cousin the Heir of Prince Zhou?"

Zhu Youjue whirled around to glare at him, his face grim. "Zhu Youxian disregarded all human bonds, framed your grandfather, your eldest uncle, and me, and committed so many unlawful deeds. Yet in the end, it is still his son who will become Prince Zhou. How is that a good thing? Heaven is unjust!"

Zhu Zihou stressed, "Cousin is Eldest Uncle's heir. Second Uncle never raised him for even one day, and Cousin only recognizes Eldest Uncle as his father."

Zhu Youjue sneered, "Your Eldest Uncle is Prince Zhou, while Zhu Youxian has become a commoner. Of course he only recognizes your Eldest Uncle as his father."

Zhu Zihou disagreed. "Father, Cousin is not that kind of person."

Even Zhu Zifang said, "Father, although Cousin's nature is somewhat weak, he is kindhearted and filial. He is not a person who forgets righteousness for profit."

After a pause, he continued, "Putting the title aside, Eldest Uncle and Eldest Aunt raised Cousin from infancy. He was already twelve when Second Uncle took him away. There was no affection between them as biological father and son. Even when Second Uncle was still Prince of Runan, he treated Cousin poorly and often beat and cursed him. I heard that after he was stripped of his title and made a commoner, Cousin's life became even harder. In their household, he was worse off than oxen and horses.

Could it be that Cousin respects and loves Eldest Uncle for any reason other than Eldest Uncle's upbringing and affection?"

Zhu Zifang said, "You suspect that Cousin honors eldest uncle because of the title of Prince Zhou. Then why do older brother and I honor eldest uncle?"

Zhu Youjue flew into a rage and slapped him. "Insolence!"

With a sharp smack, Zhu Zifang lowered his head, but stubbornly held his back straight.

Zhu Zihou stepped forward to shield Zhu Zifang and looked stubbornly at his father as well.

Zhu Youjue's anger surged, but he suddenly came back to his senses. Over the years, partly to comfort his eldest brother and partly because he had indeed harbored certain thoughts, he had often sent several children to Prince Zhou's Mansion. As a result, they had grown ever closer to his eldest brother and had instead become unwilling to submit to their own father's discipline.

Zhu Zihou and Zhu Zifang especially had lived in Prince Zhou's Mansion from the age of two, returning to the Prince of Runan's Mansion only once or twice a year.

Prince Zhou's Mansion was more like their home, while the Prince of Runan's Mansion had become the home of relatives.

This was truly losing both the wife and the army. Zhu Youjue was so furious that his chest hurt, and he turned his head about, looking for something with which to whip the children.

After thinking for a moment, Zhu Zifang still pushed his elder brother and said, "Run."

Zhu Zihou hesitated and refused to run.

Zhu Zifang grabbed him and ran. "The little suffer when the big flee. One look tells me Father wants to beat us to death. To keep Father from regretting it, we should run first. Otherwise, when he feels sorry for us afterward, wouldn't that make us unfilial?"

Zhu Zihou felt that made sense, so he ran with him.

Zhu Youjue was still looking for a suitable tool when he turned around and saw the brothers running off hand in hand. So angry that he chased after them, he shouted, "You little bastards, get back here! Ow—"

Zhu Youjue's foot slipped, and half his leg fell into the water.

Zhu Zihou and Zhu Zifang ran even faster, vanishing in a puff of smoke.

Meanwhile, Madam Gu carried the child back to their room. As she had people prepare hot water for his bath, she asked him about what had happened during this time.

After half a year, Zhu Tongqie remembered only his father and mother. Everything else was vague.

He did not know how he had gotten lost. He only remembered, "There were lots and lots of children. Bad people took us through holes, and then lots of people came with knives and torches. I was scared, so I crawled around everywhere. Then Third Grandpa took me away."

"Third Grandpa was a very good grandpa. Whenever he begged for food, he shared a little with me, so my tummy didn't go hungry." As he spoke, Zhu Tongqie held out his hand toward Madam Gu and recited the words he had used when begging, "Give me a bun, give me a sip of soup, and may you live long and healthy~"

Zhu Tongqie lifted his smiling face and looked at his mother with a thoroughly ingratiating expression.

At the sound of it, Madam Gu's heart ached beyond endurance. With a cry, she fiercely pulled him into her arms and wept uncontrollably.

After settling Tao Ji and the other two in the guest rooms, Zhu Zijin had just entered the courtyard when he heard his wife crying. Terrified, he gathered up his robes and rushed inside. "What happened? What happened?"

Zhu Tongqie looked frightened and drew back his little hand, completely unable to understand why his mother was crying.

When he saw his father, he too burst into tears with a wail.

Madam Gu held the child and threw herself into Zhu Zijin's arms, sobbing, "Husband, let's leave. Qie'er has suffered too much. I'm scared, I'm so scared..."

Zhu Zijin held both mother and son, his eyes red as he shook his head. "No. Father is gravely ill. Leaving now—wouldn't that be betrayal? And Mother..."

He held Madam Gu tightly and said, "Don't worry. I... I will protect you both. Something like this will never happen again."

Madam Gu shook her head. She did not believe him.

It was not that she did not trust his abilities. Rather, more than ten years lay between them and Prince Zhou's Mansion. They were short of funds and had no one to employ. Even if Zhu Zijin had the will, he could hardly keep them safe.

Zhu Zijin said, "I'll go beg Mother. Don't be afraid, and don't speak of leaving again. Father has already submitted the memorial requesting that I be named Heir. If we leave now, what would that make us?"

After crying for a while, some of Madam Gu's grief eased, and her reason returned. She knew that bringing up departure again was impossible now.

Or rather, from the moment they left the village and left the Capital City, there had been no road back for them.

Madam Gu wiped away her tears and choked out, "I understand. Once I've bathed him, I'll take him to see Mother."

In this household, aside from the Prince, the one who would protect them was the Princess Consort.

The Prince was seriously ill now and had no spare energy, but the Princess Consort could.

As long as they won her pity, she would certainly take better care of them.

Zhu Zijin accompanied her in bathing Zhu Tongqie, while also asking him about the three Daoist priests.

Having just been frightened, Zhu Tongqie was somewhat timid now. He whispered, "Big Sister is a good person. She's very powerful..."

He spoke of how formidable Pan Yun was.

He remembered little, but he remembered that the moment Xuan Miao saw him, she had called him an "Imperial Scion" and said she would take him home. Then she really had brought him home all the way.

Zhu Zijin fell into thought. "There are always extraordinary people in the world. Though there are many frauds, there are also quite a few with genuine skill. It seems our Qie'er was fortunate to encounter people of true ability."

Zhu Zijin's heart stirred. He looked at his young son, then at his wife. At last, he took that step and gritted his teeth. "These three are all capable people. I'll ask them to stay. Perhaps they can become a source of support."

Zhu Zijin had no one he could use. Though Tao Ji and the other two were Daoists, he did not wish to give up on them.

Besides, outsiders were more worthy of trust, especially since they shared this bond with Qie'er.

The couple quietly discussed it. After bathing Zhu Tongqie and feeding him a little food, Madam Gu carried the child to see the Princess Consort, while Zhu Zijin went to win over the three Daoists.

The three Daoists sat around a table in a triangular standoff. Oh, Pan Yun was not yet a Daoist.

Xuan Miao believed they should leave. "The person has been delivered. Why remain any longer?"

Pan Yun said, "I'm worried about the child. I need to make sure he can live safely in this residence."

Pan Yun raised her head to look at her, smiling without quite smiling. "Daoist priest Xuan Miao is so capable. You must have seen long ago that he bears the appearance of dying young, haven't you?"

Xuan Miao said, "From the moment he returned to Prince Zhou's Mansion, his death tribulation was resolved."

"Is that so?" Pan Yun looked deeply skeptical. "I don't think it has been resolved. Or rather, that death tribulation may have been resolved, but a new one has appeared."

Xuan Miao said, "...Everyone dies eventually. Can you wait here until he dies of old age?"

Pan Yun said, "Didn't you see that half a room was filled with people on the verge of death? So many people destined for violent deaths surround him. How could that not be dangerous?"

Xuan Miao frowned at her. "That is because of Martyrdom Sacrifice. Once Prince Zhou dies, by custom, all concubines without children must be buried with him. The personal attendants, as well as the maidservants and matrons serving the concubines, must also be buried with him. But Prince Zhou has already submitted a memorial requesting that his adopted son be named Heir of Prince Zhou. Once the Imperial Decree arrives, half those people can be saved.

That tribulation has already passed. Those who remain destined to answer the tribulation cannot be saved."

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