Superstition

Pan Yun froze. She paid close attention to cultivation but rarely to history from more than a thousand years ago. She only knew that the Ming Dynasty had a martyrdom sacrifice system; she had not known so many people had to be buried with the dead.

Pan Yun asked, "The Princess Consort is the principal wife. Does she have to undergo martyrdom sacrifice too?"

Xuan Miao lowered her eyes. "She has no son, so by the rules, she does. But she now has an adopted heir, and an adopted heir is also a son."

Pan Yun understood at once. No wonder the Princess Consort had supported petitioning to name Zhu Zijin heir so strongly.

Their former mother-son bond was one reason, and martyrdom sacrifice was probably another?

Pan Yun's eyes grew brighter and brighter. One look was enough for Xuan Miao to know what she was plotting. She was probably even less willing to leave now.

Xuan Miao looked at Tao Ji. "Let's vote. The minority obeys the majority."

Pan Yun also turned, staring at Tao Ji with blazing eyes. "Brother Tao, you declared that Prince Zhou would recover. If you leave now and something happens to Prince Zhou, wouldn't you be smashing your own signboard?"

Tao Ji shot her a glare. "When you go to Mount Sanqing, you'll belong to my nephew-disciple's generation. Even if you do not take me as your master, you should still call me Martial Uncle."

Then he turned to Xuan Miao. "Junior Sister, I'm not afraid of smashing my signboard. But Prince Zhou's line has shown kindness to my path of alchemy. Now that his descendant is in trouble, since I've encountered it, I cannot simply fold my hands and walk away."

The late Prince Zhou, Zhu Su, had been one of the rare good men and technical talents among Zhu Yuanzhang's many sons.

He had been a physician and a botanist, organizing and compiling quite a few medical works. Daoist alchemy had benefited greatly from him, and Mount Sanqing had once crossed paths with him and received his gifts.

Of course, he might not remember it, but Mount Sanqing had to remember kindness received.

If Tao Ji had been incapable, that would have been one thing. But since he had the ability to let Prince Zhou live a little longer, naturally he had to do everything he could.

Upon hearing this, Xuan Miao considered briefly, then nodded in agreement and looked at Pan Yun.

Pan Yun leaned back. "Why are you looking at me?"

"Prince Zhou's Mansion is very close to the Imperial Court, and close to the Imperial Guards as well. If you stay in Prince Zhou's Mansion, you'd better be careful."

Pan Yun's lips curved. "Would the Imperial Guards believe that the daughter of a convicted official would dare come near Prince Zhou's Mansion? Besides, Pan Hong's daughter is already dead. I am now a Daoist child of Mount Sanqing."

Tao Ji said, "Oh? Now you're a Daoist child of Mount Sanqing again?"

Pan Yun ignored him and only watched Xuan Miao. "Is there really no way to save the others who are to be buried with the dead?"

Xuan Miao said, "You want to find Prince Zhou? As far as I know, ever since Prince Zhou fell ill in the third year of Zhengtong, he has constantly submitted memorials, hoping the Emperor would exempt the childless Princess Consorts and concubines in princely households from martyrdom sacrifice. These past two years, he has begun arranging his own funeral. He has also demanded the utmost simplicity, hoping there will be no one buried with him and not too many burial objects."

Xuan Miao's gaze was indifferent as she said coldly, "The Imperial Court has offered many words of comfort, but has not agreed to him."

Pan Yun frowned.

Amid the vast ocean of information fragments, Pan Little Black found a scattered record. It meowed, signaling for her to look in the spirit realm.

"Princess Consort Gong of Zhu Youdun and her six concubines underwent martyrdom sacrifice..."

Pan Yun snorted, rose, and said, "Since the Princess Consort can escape calamity, that means the other concubines can too. If the Princess Consort and concubines do not undergo martyrdom sacrifice, then no one else need be buried with them. The Heavenly Dao always leaves a thread of life. I don't believe it cannot be done."

They simply had not yet found the right time or the right method.

Xuan Miao did not stop her and let her go.

Tao Ji, seated nearby, opened his mouth, then hastily turned to Xuan Miao. "You're just letting her go? What if she causes trouble..."

"Then we'll run away again," Xuan Miao said. "Have we caused too little trouble already?"

That made far too much sense. Tao Ji had no answer.

Pan Yun walked out of the courtyard. After pondering for a moment, she still headed toward Prince Zhou's main courtyard.

There seemed to be few servants in Prince Zhou's Mansion. She encountered hardly any along the way, until she reached the main courtyard and found an old maid guarding the gate.

The old maid hurriedly stopped Pan Yun. "Young Daoist, have you lost your way back to the guest courtyard? I'll have someone lead you there."

Pan Yun said, "I came to see Prince Zhou."

The old maid's eyes widened. At Pan Yun's request, she hesitated, but considering that Pan Yun was the young master's benefactor, she still went in to report it.

Inside were young servants attending Prince Zhou, as well as an Attendant who was often at his side.

Ever since Prince Zhou had become unable to rise easily, the people attending him had all been male servants, because moving him about required strength.

Yet male servants were simply not attentive enough. The Princess Consort had wanted to assign several maids to attend Prince Zhou, or do so herself.

But after becoming seriously ill, Prince Zhou had disliked using maidservants and often lost his temper.

The half year since Zhu Zijin returned had been one of the more comfortable periods Prince Zhou had experienced during his illness.

The old maid could not enter the room either and merely passed on the message outside the door.

Beyond a screen, the servants attending him lounged about in all directions. Across the broad courtyard, Pan Yun saw the scene inside through the open doorway at a glance.

The corner of her lips lifted. No wonder even the superstitious Prince Zhou had not sent Zhu Zijin away after hearing rumors that father and son were mutually incompatible. These servants had made him feel the filial devotion and importance of an adopted heir, had they not?

Hearing that a visitor had arrived, the servants inside lazily got to their feet. They were displeased, but still forced smiles and went in to report, "Your Highness, the Young Daoist who brought the young master back requests an audience."

Prince Zhou opened his eyes on the bed. After a moment, he said faintly, "Invite her in."

The Attendant beside him immediately helped Prince Zhou sit up and lean back against the pillows.

Pan Yun went around the screen into the inner room. Meeting Prince Zhou's gaze, she smiled slightly, stepped forward, and bowed. "Prince Zhou."

Prince Zhou signaled for the Attendant to bring a stool. His attitude was gentle. "Please sit, Young Daoist."

The Attendant moved the stool behind Pan Yun, glanced at Prince Zhou, then withdrew. He also led out all the servants waiting beyond the screen.

In an instant, only one old man and one child remained in the room.

Prince Zhou smiled. "Young Daoist, say whatever you have to say. They have all gone down."

Pan Yun was purely curious. "Since Your Highness's words still carry weight, why do you not clear out those with divided loyalties?"

Prince Zhou was slightly surprised. He had not expected this child to seek him out for this. He had thought it was for Qie'er. He could not help but laugh. "Where did the Young Daoist see that they have divided loyalties?"

"If they did not, how could Qie'er have gone missing? And how could Prince of Xiangfu have arrived so coincidentally today?"

Prince Zhou's expression darkened. Without anger, he inspired awe. "Did the Young Daoist come to drive a wedge between my brother and me?"

"No." Pan Yun shook her head. "I came to save you, save the Princess Consort, and save your concubines."

What Pan Yun intended to do was something mystical and superstitious, so naturally she would not beat around the bush. Besides, her age was right there; speaking in circles would only be making trouble for herself.

Thus, she looked straight into Prince Zhou's eyes and said, "It is not easy to come once into this world. Does Prince Zhou intend to leave with regret and unwillingness? Among Taizu's many grandsons, your talent and character stand first. Yet now, to protect your own Princess Consort and concubines, you can only submit memorials and plead through hints and veiled words. Is it because you have been ill too long, or because you have hidden your brilliance and bided your time for too long, until you have grown unfamiliar with the court?"

Prince Zhou paused, looked at the child, and could not help laughing softly. "You child... truly full of youthful spirit. A newborn calf fears no tiger. What do you know?"

"When the late Prince Zhou was alive, father and son maimed one another, brothers slaughtered one another, all for the struggle over the rank of Prince. Prince Zhou, you have achieved both literary and martial accomplishments. Could it truly be that a single Zhu Youxian made you fall beyond recovery and devote yourself to zaju dramas?"

Pan Yun stood and took a step forward. "Was it not a choice you had no choice but to make, because after the Jingnan Campaign, the struggle among the feudal princes remained fierce?"

The smile on Prince Zhou's face slowly faded. He stared heavily at Pan Yun.

He had once been one of Zhu Yuanzhang's most favored grandsons. As a youth, he had excelled in study and martial arts alike.

While studying in Nanjing, his imperial grandfather had once sent him and the heirs of other princely households north to gain experience. They had led troops and fought battles. He had also gone to the Yunnan frontier, where he likewise led troops and fought battles.

Unlike that second brother who only knew how to slander others and complain everywhere, Prince Zhou had always looked down on him from above.

In his eyes, Zhu Youxian had never been a threat. He was merely irritating, and Prince Zhou loathed him.

He had not feared Zhu Youxian accusing him of treason, because he had always been careful with his words and conduct. Even if they investigated, no one could find proof that he had rebelled.

What he feared was that the Emperor wanted to weaken the feudal princes, and that other feudal princes wanted to replace him, so they would decide that he had rebelled.

Therefore, he had hidden his brilliance and bided his time.

There were many ways to hide one's brilliance and bide one's time. One could either sully one's own name—eat, drink, whore, gamble, idle away one's days, and turn oneself into useless refuse;

Or one could find an irrelevant hobby, study it diligently, immerse oneself in it, and show no interest in court affairs.

He had chosen the second.

Yet he seemed to have harbored a measure of unwillingness after all, so he had woven some of it into the zaju dramas he wrote. Had the person behind this child discerned it through those works?

Meeting his suspicious gaze, Pan Yun was somewhat disappointed. She was so formidable, yet he was still doubting her.

She simply lifted the black cat crouching on her shoulder and let its round black eyes meet his. "Prince Zhou, you need not suspect that someone is directing me from behind the scenes. I know these things because I can communicate with spirits and see things others cannot."

Prince Zhou's face was full of suspicion.

Pan Yun: ...Wasn't this man superstitious? Why was he not superstitious now?

Was it only because she was young?

Pan Yun did not reveal it on her face and continued, "If not for my Senior Brother, Prince Zhou would already be dead."

Prince Zhou did not deny it.

Not only had the mansion physician given warning, he himself had felt it too.

When he awoke early that morning, he had felt that his final hour had arrived. It was then that he decided to leave a will, leaving the title to Zhu Youjue and begging the Emperor to place Zhu Zijin under his and his wife's names, so that Zhu Zijin could support the Princess Consort until the end of her days.

When he brought Zhu Zijin back, he had intended to leave the title to him, but Zhu Tongqie had gone missing.

He both believed that Zhu Tongqie's disappearance was due to the incompatibility between their two branches and suspected that his fourth brother had a hand in it.

Either way, Zhu Zijin was weak now. The title of Prince Zhou would not be a good thing for him; he could not hold on to it. So Prince Zhou had decided to use the princely title to buy safety for him and the Princess Consort.

Once Zhu Youjue obtained the title, he presumably would no longer make things difficult for mother and son.

The unexpected development was Zhu Tongqie's return.

At that instant, he had felt death retreat a little farther from him, so he still had time to make plans.

Because of Zhu Tongqie's matter, he no longer trusted Zhu Youjue quite as much. Thus, when a second choice appeared, he immediately chose the second path again.

Only if the Princess Consort had a son under her name could she avoid martyrdom sacrifice.

He was afraid too—afraid that after Zhu Youjue inherited the title, he would refuse to spare the Princess Consort. Zhu Zijin was not, after all, the Princess Consort's biological child. There was far too much room for manipulation in between.

With one sentence from Zhu Youjue—that the jade genealogy had not been altered and ancestral rules must be followed—the Princess Consort could be killed.

This chapter's ten lucky numbers are numbers ending in 7. Screenshots serve as proof. The deadline for screenshots is before the next chapter is released.